Bimbo nimbu bifrost multibit

sound_cycle

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Hi,
Edit uhoh Auto correct has changed bimby to nimbu
Hi
That rather expensive DAC discussion thread motivated me to do this.

Which is the best way to get my bifrost uber to schiit ?

To those on the why all DACs sound the same folk, here's a humourous explanation of the schiit family difference
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sil - gungnir MB - bifrost MB - a terse, ribald comparison
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yggdrasil - gungnir MB - bifrost MB - a terse, ribald comparison

#1 of 34
10/21/15
atomicbob
Having all three of these Schiit multibit DACs is a considerable privilege. Comparing them to other DACs with printed words is challenging at best. These need to be heard, preferably in level matched A/B comparison to other DACs, to fully appreciate the advancements achieved by Mike Moffat and team at Schiit. I have spent many hours with these multibits, as I have with some of the best (and worst) of Delta-Sigma DACs. It is no secret that I am enchanted with the Schiit Multibit solutions to source components. I am not as adept with the flowery prose as many others on forum so this will be my concise comparison.

1. Best of D-S Dacs - an indistinct sound is barely audible in the recording that appears to not be musically related to the orchestral piece playing

2. Bifrost MB - someone in the Second Violin section has flatulated
3. Gungnir MB - the flatulent sound originates with the 2nd chair in the 2nd row of the 2nd violins
4. Yggdrasil - that 2nd chair, 2nd row, 2nd violinist has let loose with a Db when clearly the piece being played is in the key of G.

now for others that can describe attributes of the three Schiit multibit DACs better than I
 

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Agreed Soundcycle. If the rest of the system is not super resolving, would skip the Yggdrasil and settle for Gungnir. It's warmer and a bit euphonic. Would suit most systems. Didn't hear the Bifrost. So can't comment

What that extra resolution of Yggdrasil brings to the table is perfect timing and start stop. But the rest of the chain has to be capable of resolving these differences.
 
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Made the decision to pull the trigger on the gumby rather late,.and it is in backorder, three weeks to delivery. My brother is headed hyd ward before that.

Your thread had me all interested in something other than delta sigma so bifrost upgrade it is.

Koi nahi jeb main bache chiller see did bahal jayega. Now the wait and agony starts
 
Congrats. Gungnir multibit could easily be the last dac for most. It's quite stellar. And the nice part is it adds a bit of warmth which is so essential for most of the music we listen to.

In case you haven't placed the order, the Metrum Musette is also worth considering. It's more mid centric than Gungnir and does voices better. Also sounds a bit more relaxed but not as dynamic as Gungnir. It all depends on what floats your boat. Prices are similar.
 
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Congrats. Gungnir multibit could easily be the last dac for most. It's quite stellar.

Kaash !

Gungnir MB is on backorder and I therefore opted for what seemed to be myonly alternative - the mb upgrade route uber. The urgency ? departure date from the us of kind hearted soul who has "volunteered" :eek: to bring down a small item :rolleyes: etyadi.


Thanks :)

ciao
gr
 
Kaash !

Gungnir MB is on backorder and I therefore opted for what seemed to be myonly alternative - the mb upgrade route uber. The urgency ? departure date from the us of kind hearted soul who has "volunteered" :eek: to bring down a small item :rolleyes: etyadi.


Thanks :)

ciao
gr

How much are they quoting for the shipping? I paid around 2.5-3K (IIRC) for the one time I had it shipped to India. The other 2 times I had it delivered in US ($25-$30 shipping) and delivered in under 2 days.
 
How much are they quoting for the shipping? I paid around 2.5-3K (IIRC) for the one time I had it shipped to India. The other 2 times I had it delivered in US ($25-$30 shipping) and delivered in under 2 days.

I've paid full shipping and customs (which is on cost + insurance + freight) for the bifrost uber purchase (through ishopinternational). It is some stupidly large proportion of item cost, that with the gungnir mb case would be significant enough for me to reconsider the sanity of my purchase decision.

I've paid $26 for the fastest shipping option (within US) in addition to the u/g cost this time. Baki kya hota hai dekhna baki hai.

I had my fingers crossed about having a RA number by now from Schiit, as someone I know is leaving tomorrow for the US, and I need to have it packaged and ready with them by tomorrow AM, let me cross harder and scrunch my eyebrows and continue hoping. Else will have to mail it from here (which is kharcha and more importantly entails the will it reach safely on time agony)

let's see.

ciao
gr
 
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I had my fingers crossed about having a RA number by now from Schiit, as someone I know is leaving tomorrow for the US, and I need to have it packaged and ready with them by tomorrow AM

He is now comfortably ensconced in his hotel in DC, I am still twiddling thumbs waiting for that RA number to arrive.

Will have it to send it to them by courier.

Any one couriered something like a (for me) expensive DAC/ electronics to the US. Any recommendations ?

ciao
gr
 
Schiit has overnight delivery options. But overnight is expensive. For a Bifrost Multibit, it's USD 57
 
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He is now comfortably ensconced in his hotel in DC, I am still twiddling thumbs waiting for that RA number to arrive.

Will have it to send it to them by courier.

Any one couriered something like a (for me) expensive DAC/ electronics to the US. Any recommendations ?

ciao
gr

Usually Amazon takes care, but I've used FedEx, UPS, and DHL without any issues. USPS also works.

For overnight or express delivery though I'd recommend FedEx.

I'm assuming this is local in US. If its India to US then FedEx again, but depending on the size/volume might be cost prohibitive.
 
If its India to US then FedEx again, but depending on the size/volume might be cost prohibitive.

It has to be India to US now :sad:

In a couple of days if I don't hear from Schiit I will be forced to cancel, because then the US to India will also get in the cost prohibitive category

Thanks :)

ciao
gr
 
It has to be India to US now :sad:

In a couple of days if I don't hear from Schiit I will be forced to cancel, because then the US to India will also get in the cost prohibitive category

Thanks :)

ciao
gr

Assuming shipping this Thursday (2nd) the fedex websites quotes delivery Mon Jun 6, 2016 by 10:30 AM FedEx International Priority 5330.70

and I will have to prepare all this documentation Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin, Shipper's Export Declaration. (whatever they are ! ).

A similar number from DHL 5,025.13 INR

It is 2:22 AM Tuesday, 31 May 2016 (PDT) in schiit land, so will wait for another 24hrs else cancel, give up and settle into eternal wait mode :sad:

I just checked my notes, the duty on the bifrost was 28%. Assuming the same holds, that makes the gungnir mb 83895.27 + 24K customs + shipping. About 1 L.

ciao
gr
 
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Thread Update

that mail arrived

Its time for us to do your upgrade! Your RA # is ....

So will have to bunk half a day to travel to Padma Rao Nagar and then wait.

I don't know what is scarier, being without the DAC, sending it off, or the shipping bill :p

I was listening to Holly Cole when I read the mail from Schiit. Here's hoping for a good old world with better sounding piano post upgrade !

ciao
gr
 
I just checked my notes, the duty on the bifrost was 28%. Assuming the same holds, that makes the gungnir mb 83895.27 + 24K customs + shipping. About 1 L.

All said and done that would knock the socks off of everything in that budget. Heck you won't get a half decent DAC in that budget if anything. Added to that its multibit.

I'm not trying to knock on other DACs, I've heard some extremely good ones from Arcam, SMSL, etc. and in the budget category. But Schiit MBs take realism to another level, especially in some genres and acoustic music. It's like the band is playing in front of you.

PS: That said if I spend $20,000 a DAC, it would be the Berkeley Audio Design, Reference Series (as things stand now). Truly sensational and that too via optical (their DACs don't even do USB). Just to put things in perspective. Till then the Schiit's will do nicely for what they cost.

Thread Update

that mail arrived

Its time for us to do your upgrade! Your RA # is ....

So will have to bunk half a day to travel to Padma Rao Nagar and then wait.

I don't know what is scarier, being without the DAC, sending it off, or the shipping bill :p

I was listening to Holly Cole when I read the mail from Schiit. Here's hoping for a good old world with better sounding piano post upgrade !

ciao
gr

I'm sure the upgrade will be totally worth it. I've not heard the Gungnir non-MB version, but its the best sounding DAC I've owned and what sold me on the Yggy upgrade (plus all the reviews of course).
 
I don't know what is scarier, being without the DAC, sending it off, or the shipping bill :p

Easy answer. the shipping bill.

I am certifiable. insane.

DHL charged me 6798 service tax @ 15% for swach kisan etc was 1074 eventually totalling 8518 with insurance.

So 9K, including auto to dhl and back(*) in getting the damn thing across to Valencia, CA:mad:

Should be there Sat which effectively is Mon, 6th.

ciao
gr

(*) DHL is not in that huge facility they had in Padma Rao Nagar, the boards were whitened over and there was some extensive renovation type thing happening. Having gone that far, searched a bit and found an office near RTC X roads
 
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It still is cheap.... I recently sent an envelope to China with a document and DHL asked for Rs. 3100 for small regular envelope....

:) there is that ordered ST got a pizza free component too !

meanwhile, no music (switched the optical cable into the amp, but does not engage or entertain any more). So to quell anxiety reading about what might be.

Jason on burn in

Schiit Fire and Save Matches! Bifrost Multibit is Here. - Page 59

Again. Turn it on. Leave it on. Same for any other DAC (well, except DACs with tubes that you have to worry about lifespan on.)

No need to play anything through it.

If it doesn't shape up in 15 days, well, then maybe it's not for you. (as in wapasi)

and jitter
Schiit Fire and Save Matches! Bifrost Multibit is Here. - Page 59

Bifrost has extensive jitter reduction measures, both on SPDIF and USB inputs (USB is async, of course). It's just that Gungnir and Yggdrasil have the most advanced clock regeneration system available today.

In fact, the performance of all three products are available on this site, from an independent source--take a look at atomicbob's measurements.

yggdrasil technical measurements
gungnir MB technical measurements
bifrost MB technical measurements

And his take on them.

yggdrasil - gungnir MB - bifrost MB - a terse, ribald comparison

ciao
 
I did not know what multi bit was or why that filter was all that great .

Here is a really easy reading version
Schiit Fire and Save Matches! Bifrost Multibit is Here. - Page 102

In a multi-bit DAC, the input words (16 bits for example) are fed directly to the electronics of the DAC and are used to derive the output voltage and waveform. In a D/S DAC, the words are "sliced and diced" into another form to make a signal of "add one" or "subtract one", and this signal is used to construct the output waveform. They are not equivalent.

and the schiit footlong megacombo burrito filter

Schiit Fire and Save Matches! Bifrost Multibit is Here. - Page 103
The Megacombo burrito filter preserves all original samples when doing oversampling so that we can use our multi-bit DAC (at a high sample rate) and a gentle (non-brick wall) filter to remove aliasing noise, and not affect the audible band of frequencies.


Very interesting. and as is evident just cannot wait to get hold of the Buber that has become bimby !

ciao
gr
 
Multibits are special... especially for some genres (not that they are bad in the rest, but they elevate some like rock, acoustic to a different level).

With all the MQA hoopla going on... a Multibit actually makes Redbook sound better than MQA. I've heard it myself with a Yggy, and John Darko had the same thing to say even in his extremely positive review of MQA.

You will need to re-hear all of your music yet again with the new multibit avatar, that's for sure. Music itself is multi-layered discovery, we hear new things each time, but some things like galvanic isolation, reduced noise floor, and multibit DACs are game changers in that they make you hear entirely new things in your existing music collection.
 
For excellent sound that won't break the bank, the 5 Star Award Winning Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speakers is the one to consider!
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