[Shooter41]

I've had a Gungnir Multi-Bit (not a fan of the "Gumby" moniker) for a few years now and have enjoyed it immensely. I was on the fence when I got it about whether I should go ahead and get the Yggdrasil, but then I read in a thread here that some people actually prefer the Gungnir so I decided that I should at least try it, and I've never regretted that decision. Lately, I've been having the old upgrade itch (I've been through a few headphones in the meantime and I'm currently using (and loving) some Clear Mg's. With the announcement of the two new flavors of Yggdrasil, plus the continuation of the OG model, it feels to me like the time has come. The rest of my setup is a Mac mini (brand new M1) utilizing Roon (and Qobuz), a Curious USB cable to the DAC, then balanced silver Toxic cables to a Mjolnir 2 w/ifi 6922 tubes (which are actually converted GE5670's), ending up with a Black Dragon balanced cable to the Clear Mg's.

I've read the two reviews I've found where Schiit had a double-blind comparo, allowing journalists to tell them what they think about the three models. Those reviews are here;
https://audio-head.com/review-schiit-yggdrasil-og-vs-less-is-more-vs-more-is-less/
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/new-schiit-yggdrasil-blind-listening-comparison-r1045/

Based on those reviews and what I know about my own general preferences, I would lean towards the "Less is More" model. The only thing giving me a little pause about that choice is my Mjolnir (hybrid) tube amp. I'm wondering if the warmth and depth of the 16-bit model would begin to be too much when used with a tube amp. The comparo did not involve any tube equipment so no insights were given there. My second choice would be the OG model. Sure, the $400 difference between the two matters, but more than that it's choosing the best-sounding model for me. Schiit's 15-day home audition is almost certainly not enough time to get the DAC settled in and sounding it's best, so a "try them both" suggestion is probably a non-starter.

I realize the new models are just becoming available so nobody has had a chance to really live with them and develop some firm impressions, I guess I just wanted to start this thread so that there's a place for people to do that going forward that I won't miss. I'm patient, and as I said I still thoroughly enjoy my Gungnir, so no rush. If anyone has any relevant thoughts on the subject I'd love to hear them!

 

[Shooter41]

Ok, maybe I'm not as patient as I thought. I became pretty convinced that the "Less-Is-More" version is most likely the version for me so I went ahead and ordered one. I'll check back in after it's settled in with some thoughts. As an aside, I got a "shipped" notice, complete with tracking number literally 4 minutes after my order confirmation. I know that just means that they printed the label, but it does give one a mental image of a shipping clerk staring at a terminal, just waiting for an order to come in then leaping to action. No? Just me? Ok...

 

[Soundmancan]

I feel ya, I am the same way. lol. You wont regret your decision, I received mine this past Tuesday and I love it. You can look up my impressions so far over on Super best audio friends if you would like. Good luck and update us on your opinion of it when you can.

 

[Shooter41]

So, a big reason why I went ahead and ordered is because it looked like most of the interest on the forums was in the Less Is More variant and it seemed like there was a decent chance that those might be a little hard to come by pretty soon. Looks like that is indeed happening as I just checked their site and it now says that the OG & More Is Less variants in silver ship in 1-3 days, every other variant is 4-6 weeks. I still haven't received mine, hoping it shows up tomorrow, then I'll probably give it 24 hrs of warm-up time before I start listening.

 

[Blacksun]

The only thing giving me a little pause about that choice is my Mjolnir (hybrid) tube amp. I'm wondering if the warmth and depth of the 16-bit model would begin to be too much when used with a tube amp. The comparo did not involve any tube equipment so no insights were given there.

I am looking to upgrade from BF2 to one of the Yggdrasils. I am also running a Mjolnir2 with a Matched Pair of Amperex JAN 7308/E188CC Gold Pin tubes. So warmth is already there.... Interested to hear your feedback after you receive your LIM Yggdrasil.

 

[Shooter41]

Ok, so VERY early thoughts are that it sounds a helluva lot like my Gungnir. I let it "cook" about 5 hrs before I first started listening just to get a feel for the baseline of what I can expect. It sounded pretty great right off the bat, but so does my Gungnir. To be fair, I knew that it was simply not possible for there to be a big jump in sound quality because I knew the Gungnir is just that good. Honestly the multi-bit version has to be the best bang-for-the-buck DAC in the world, and I'm totally serious about that.

I listened for about 3-4 hrs and never heard anything that hit my ear wrong and, to be sure, there were a few "whoa" moments. Maybe a passage that hit a little bit harder than I remembered or less congested and better separated. I'm now listening again about 24 hrs later, and it was of course left powered on all day. I expect it to take several weeks for it fully get settled and honestly, I'm not expecting it to make great strides. Again, once you reach this level SQ increments are generally pretty small, especially in front end equipment (as opposed to headphone and speakers). I won't be returning it. I mean, it sounds great so why would I? I generally don't return stuff unless it's actually defective. Mine arrived in flawless condition and is quite a beast. The Gungnir is much heavier than it looks, and the Yggy takes that notion even further.

I will say that my concerns about the LiM version being too warm to pair with a tube amp were unfounded. Yes, the Mjolnir 2 is actually a hybrid design but having heard the LiM Yggy now I just can't imagine that it wouldn't pair well with even a full-on tube amp. It doesn't sound "warm" as much as it just sounds "right." I'm jonesing pretty bad for one of the new McIntosh tube HP amps and I have no qualms about how it would pair with the Yggy. Though, again, I'm positive that any gains in SQ over the Mjolnir 2 would be pretty subtle. Such a shame Schiit discontinued it as it also represented an out-of-this-world bargain, and it was a third of the price of the new McIntosh.

I'll update again after some time passes, but so far so good...

 

[Blacksun]

Thank you, I ordered a LIM as well, will be here Saturday... Interested to hear the difference it will be over my current BF2...

 

[tjl5709]

Ok, so VERY early thoughts are that it sounds a helluva lot like my Gungnir. I let it "cook" about 5 hrs before I first started listening just to get a feel for the baseline of what I can expect. It sounded pretty great right off the bat, but so does my Gungnir. To be fair, I knew that it was simply not possible for there to be a big jump in sound quality because I knew the Gungnir is just that good. Honestly the multi-bit version has to be the best bang-for-the-buck DAC in the world, and I'm totally serious about that.

I listened for about 3-4 hrs and never heard anything that hit my ear wrong and, to be sure, there were a few "whoa" moments. Maybe a passage that hit a little bit harder than I remembered or less congested and better separated. I'm now listening again about 24 hrs later, and it was of course left powered on all day. I expect it to take several weeks for it fully get settled and honestly, I'm not expecting it to make great strides. Again, once you reach this level SQ increments are generally pretty small, especially in front end equipment (as opposed to headphone and speakers). I won't be returning it. I mean, it sounds great so why would I? I generally don't return stuff unless it's actually defective. Mine arrived in flawless condition and is quite a beast. The Gungnir is much heavier than it looks, and the Yggy takes that notion even further.

I will say that my concerns about the LiM version being too warm to pair with a tube amp were unfounded. Yes, the Mjolnir 2 is actually a hybrid design but having heard the LiM Yggy now I just can't imagine that it wouldn't pair well with even a full-on tube amp. It doesn't sound "warm" as much as it just sounds "right." I'm jonesing pretty bad for one of the new McIntosh tube HP amps and I have no qualms about how it would pair with the Yggy. Though, again, I'm positive that any gains in SQ over the Mjolnir 2 would be pretty subtle. Such a shame Schiit discontinued it as it also represented an out-of-this-world bargain, and it was a third of the price of the new McIntosh.

I'll update again after some time passes, but so far so good...

Give it a week...........atleast.

I moved from a usb3/A1 yggy to a unison LIM yggy. From my experience/history with the A1, I let the new LIM burn for 2 days before listening (couldn't wait). Sounded good, but I could hear issues with the topend (clarity). After a week, it's supurb, and it will only get better.

I will save you the time to search this area out. Mike, the guy at Schiit who designed it, states basically the same. Its about getting the unit to a stable operating temperature. I leave mine on, always.

Anyone moving to a yggy, plug it in when you get it and forget about it for a week. Just saying.........

 

[Shooter41]

Yeah, mine's been on for a little over a week now and last night I did notice improvements. This sounds like a contradiction, I know, but music is now both smoother AND more dynamic. Pretty good trick. I thought to myself "ah, so THIS is what I paid for". Honestly, it just sounds really high-end, to the point that I'm positive I will not be buying another DAC for many years at least.

 

[Blacksun]

So you are leaving your DAC's on 24/7 and powering down your amps?

 

[Shooter41]

So you are leaving your DAC's on 24/7 and powering down your amps?

Yes, I am. I generally let my amp warm up for about 30 min before I start listening.

 

[mhanism1]

Yes, I am. I generally let my amp warm up for about 30 min before I start listening.

Hello - curious if you had any further observations? I was looking into a Gungnir MB to mate with a c-stock Mjolnir 2 I nabbed off the Schiit site, but started reading into the Yggdrasil flavors. I’d agree the LiM variant appeals most to be based on the early reviews but wondering how much better or different it would be over the Gungnir. Also seems the Gungnir MB is a few years old now and aside from the Unison USB has not been upgraded whereas the new Yggdrasil boards are all new.

Appreciate any and all feedback!

 

[Blacksun]

I have a newer BiFrost2, maybe 4 months old and a Mjolnir 2 with a NOS Matched Pair Amperex JAN 7308/E188CC O-Getter Gold Pin tubes.

I can't comment on the difference between the Gungnir and LIM paired with a Mjolnir 2 but I just received my LIM this afternoon. I couldn't wait the 5 day warm up period... Straight out of the box just plugged in there is a noticeable difference over the BiFrost2... The LIM sounds amazing, and from what I have been told and read will only get better as the LIM breaks in. I also bought a few more tubes to swap on the Mjolnir. Couldn't recommend the LIM more!!!

 

[mhanism1]

I have a newer BiFrost2, maybe 4 months old and a Mjolnir 2 with a NOS Matched Pair Amperex JAN 7308/E188CC O-Getter Gold Pin tubes.

I can't comment on the difference between the Gungnir and LIM paired with a Mjolnir 2 but I just received my LIM this afternoon. I couldn't wait the 5 day warm up period... Straight out of the box just plugged in there is a noticeable difference over the BiFrost2... The LIM sounds amazing, and from what I have been told and read will only get better as the LIM breaks in. I also bought a few more tubes to swap on the Mjolnir. Couldn't recommend the LIM more!!!

Very cool! I have a newer Bifrost 2 as well in my Lyr3/Jot2 stack, and I pulled it out to try with my Mjolnir 2 and I’ve really liked the sound signature and performance of the Bifrost. But I feel there’s room for improvement moving up the Schiit ladder.

I’m running the Mjolnir with the Matsushita National tubes which I’ve been very happy with, but researching diff NOS tubes for some rolling. I’ve also tried the Genelax Gold which were very meh - good detail, but soundstage was flat and overall sound was dry with less life/oomph in the music.

 

[Shooter41]

Hello - curious if you had any further observations? I was looking into a Gungnir MB to mate with a c-stock Mjolnir 2 I nabbed off the Schiit site, but started reading into the Yggdrasil flavors. I’d agree the LiM variant appeals most to be based on the early reviews but wondering how much better or different it would be over the Gungnir. Also seems the Gungnir MB is a few years old now and aside from the Unison USB has not been upgraded whereas the new Yggdrasil boards are all new.

Appreciate any and all feedback!

Initially I would say (and did say) that there was very little difference between the Gungnir MB and the LiM Yggy (my Gungnir is a Gen 5 USB), but after a week or so the Yggy definitely began to flex it's muscles. You can read above what I said but the bottom line is that the Yggy has justified it's higher price at this point, and I haven't even had it a full two weeks yet. BUT, it's impossible for me to say how much of that difference is due to the Unison USB vs. the Gen 5. The Gungnir is upgradeable for $200. How close would it be to the Yggy after that upgrade? That's the $64K question. I'm putting mine up for sale and even if the buyer decided to do that upgrade they would still be at less than half the cost of the LiM Yggy. I submit that that would be a pretty interesting comparison...