@NDonchev just an FYI my listening preferences lean to the warm smooth side of the audio spectrum.
Just ask the dealer for showcase units of Onyx... the ones used at HiFi shows/review purposes..
I'll probably give the edge to the Yggy A2, because of what I perceive currently to be its slight technical superiority over the Onyx, although parting with the Onyx would be quite emotionally difficult too. To be fair, I still have to repeat that I have never used the the Onyx with my Violectric V281, and hence, never played it through my speaker system, which would finally show me all it is capable of, and definitely confirm how it stacks up against the Yggy A2. I have really not been in any hurry to find out, because I am quite content with how the Yggy and Onyx are performing right now in the places they're deployed, and that is what counts to me now. And that is the state of play, as regards the Yggy A2 and the Onyx, at the moment.
Yes, I have come across Yggy many times in my search and it showed a few times. The reasons for omitting the Yggy from the list are several:One conspicuous absence on your list is the Schiit Yggy A2, especially since you have the Gungnir Multibit on your list... May I know if there is any special reason for that? Yes, price-wise one might find the Yggy A2 to be relatively expensive, but its price is roughly within the range of that of the Metrum Onyx, so I wonder (The Yggy A2 maybe a little more expensive than the Onyx, but it is much closer to the price of the Onyx than the Gungnir, which is why I find the question about the absence of the Yggy2 to be pertinent). Plus if you are willing to try the used market, you could find extremely great deals on the Yggy v1, for example. If I did not already have my Yggy A2, I would consider getting a Yggy v1 at a reasonable price on the used market, and sending it in to Schiit Audio for the Analog 2 upgrade, which will get you a brand spanking new 3-year warranty on your A2, no questions asked... It is actually the path I have followed myself. I bought my Yggy A1 used. I have since sent it back to Schiit Audio twice, once for the USB 5 upgrade, and the the time, subsequently, for the Analog 2 upgrade. Each time it went back, Schiit Audio voluntarily replaced other parts of the Yggy, without my asking, either as part of regular servicing, or to bring it up to date and make it more future proof, following their own progressive upgrade policy. I guess they deemed such upgrades worth it given that I became like an original buyer in my own right, with my own warranty in my name, as soon as I sent my unit back for the USB5 upgrade. I got another bump in the upgrade cycle when I sent the unit back for the Analog 2, so I consider a Yggy in any of its incarnations to be a sweet deal indeed, whenever, and wherever you get it.
With all that said, however, the best part of it all is how the Yggy 2 sounds, and how well it pairs with the Violectric V281, to my ears. In fact, all I have said about upgradability and switchable warranties would amount to nought in my estimation, were it not for the heavenly and ethereal sound of the Yggy, especially the A2 version, as it combines with the V281, which is currently my main "reference-grade" headphone amplifier, and also doubles as a pre-amp, positioned in the interface between the Yggy A2 and my main 2-channel-stereo/HT speaker system.
I also currently use a metrum onyx/metrum ambre (roon-endpoint) combo paired with a Cavalli-Monoprice Liquid Platinum as a near-field HP listening system, which is no slouch at all, although I consider the product of the Yggy A2/V281 combo to be slightly sonically superior at times, because, for some reason, that combo can scale up some of the more demanding HPs I use, such as the LCD-4 to heights of audio delight that I did not even expect were possible. Mind you the LCD-4 is also excellent on the Metrum Onyx/Liquid Platinum combo, and until you do a side-by-side with the Yggy A2/V281 rig, it will not be obvious to you that the Onyx/Liquid Platinum has any limitations. Still, I have never paired the Onyx with the V281 to find out how the sound will shake out, so I am not sure how it compares directly with the Yggy A2, or what is responsible for the "limitations" in relative scaling power that I occasionally hear when the Onyx is paired with the Liquid Platinum. The sound of Liquid Platinum also changes depending on the tubes one is using on them, and this also introduces another set of variables one has to take into account in any comparisons... Still, I can say with confidence that both the Yggy A2 and Metrum Onyx are world-class performers in the category of DACs to my ears, and that I could live with both as my endgame choices, even though if someone were to force me at gunpoint to choose only one of them "or else,"
The soundstage on my adx5000 is not as wide as hd800/800s but its enough for my taste. Airiness is a different matter. Sound can be airy in a small stage as well.I personally feel if instruments are too wide then the texture/imaging takes a hit which is not acceptable. I thoroughly enjoy my hps with v281 & pavane. V281 pairs well with almost every hp/iem in the market. That's why its called a legend.
