Jeez, another post relatively quickly. Could be that I actually have a whole 24 hours in a row off? Allow me to begin with the fanciful. A few posts back I had mentioned my growing addiction to exotic maple syrups. If drinkers can describe the taste of various single malt distillations in reverential posts, and coffee aficionados can describe preparation equipment and rituals in loving terms, how can the appreciation of exotic maple syrups be denied to this audience of epicures. I believe maple obscurity has to be the reason. First off, let me say that the taste of various syrups sourced from a Trader Joe’s or so down to supermarket level ranges from like ass to insipid, at best. Even the majority of Amazon offerings are lamely packaged in plastic bottles. (Plastic containers for foodstuffs prove the existence of God by extension, since the food use case for plastic containers had to be the spawn of Satan.) There is controversy over the superiority of Canadian versus US brands, the taste of B versus A grade syrups, and which US State provides the best maple tree groves. Some good starting points are Martinette in Canada, and Runamok Maple – Sugarmaker’s Cut from the US. Bear in mind that these are at the $30 to $35 price level for 375ml bottles. What can I say, Cutty Sark and Denny’s coffee are cheap. Oh, and if you are truly a DIYer you can make a Sourdough starter (Jason named his Bert – it does qualify as a pet since it requires care and feeding). Why? So you can make sourdough pancakes or crepes which are the true multibit of that universe. If you are merely a gluten free food cultist or even if you honestly do suffer from Ciliac Disease, sourdough pancakes are a true bucket list item. At our local annual ham radio field day, one of the local ladies makes sourdough crepes at breakdown. I bring proper syrup and OMG.
Which points me in the direction of this post. Many of the readers will not find the taste of Bosie Coffees, Craft Single Malt whisky (Uisge Beatha in Scottish Gaelic to evade spelling controversies), or Craft Maple products a true upgrade, most will. Same thing with Schiit D/A products. There was a recent narrative of the sale of a Gungnir in the Gungnir thread because the user felt there was no advantage in using a Gungnir over a far less expensive DAC. A few other parroted agreement. Guess what! I absolutely believe them with respect to their relative sonic judgement of the Gungnir.
Where I take umbrage, however, is when some of those users then assume that I am in the business of making more expensive DACs for monetary gain only - as if I were some kind of a corporate pig. I suppose I could explain how I picked my own better audio products over lower priced ones at audio shootouts (true – I won drinks and dinner on many bets) OR I could challenge anyone to take my gear apart, add up the cost of components measured against the selling price and compare it to any other maker’s gear. (This has a lot to do why my gear holds its value) The deal is that I believe in all of this Schiit I build. If I cannot, with my seven decade old ears hear a difference, I will not release it. Period. My products are not faith-based. Some will hear differences, some won’t, and some just will not care. No matter what you hear or not, it is OK with me. That is exactly why I build a $100 DAC. In my musicals, there are those who can perfectly hear pitch, and those who cannot, and those who just want to burn one and watch the show. Have it your way – easier on all of us. But please do not tell me I am in this with a red/white striped blazer, a cane, and a straw hat just to sell you some Schiit in which I do not believe. Oh, and no one has the right to tell anyone what they can or must hear.
If you do, however have beer tastes like Jason’s, coffee tastes like Bosie, and Maple Syrup tastes like mine, you just may care about differences in sound which are very comparable. I just hope all of you get as much pleasure from audio as I do. Whether or not it is our gear. This is a party. It deserves to be treated as such, NOT like a debating society or contest. Take it from an old, happy guy who feels 35 years younger.