The Schiit Yggdrasil 2 DAC
- Thread starter ack
- Start date
I'll just add that, ever since installing the Shunyata Denali 6000S/V2 and Venom NR cords on various equipment including the Yggy2, its performance has skyrocketed.
So sorry, ack, but the Hyperbole Police just knocked on my door demanding that I launch an investigation into this claim.
What do you mean by "skyrocketed"?
Do you feel these power changes have increased the suspension of disbelief of your system by a factor of two? By a factor of three?
Can you be any more specific, or can you quantify in some relative way the performance improvement of the DAC you are attributing to a power conditioner and power cords?
Ron,
As you might expect, no one can accurately quantify our experiences with numeric values; but, I can briefly repeat what I wrote under my system thread. It all starts with clean power, and the question is, what does that look like. The Shunyata as a whole deliver in here in spades. Every component benefited, and most of all, my DACs and tuner, then my phono. With cleaner power to the transport and the DACs, the Yggy2 reached that Wow factor with redbook digital.
This translates to: wonderful piano rendition with all the sustain and decay, metallic tones and complete notes; almost devoid of any glare and typical digititis; all the detail I would expect to hear; sensational micro-dynamics and -detail; beautiful and believable timbre. And most of all, it played right through my reference Mahler 2nd and Shostakovich 5th and 9th symphonies - all with the BSO - with no strain whatsoever; this alone is a remarkable feat.
At the same time, the power-conditioning experience also tells me that I need to re-evaluate all other DACs and players I've had in here, because the effect was so profound as to invalidate all previous comparisons. You can read more of that I experience with Shunyata in Robetr Harley's and others' recent reviews of the Everest and Omega & Sigma power cords, in issue 311 I think.
As you might expect, no one can accurately quantify our experiences with numeric values; but, I can briefly repeat what I wrote under my system thread. It all starts with clean power, and the question is, what does that look like. The Shunyata as a whole deliver in here in spades. Every component benefited, and most of all, my DACs and tuner, then my phono. With cleaner power to the transport and the DACs, the Yggy2 reached that Wow factor with redbook digital.
This translates to: wonderful piano rendition with all the sustain and decay, metallic tones and complete notes; almost devoid of any glare and typical digititis; all the detail I would expect to hear; sensational micro-dynamics and -detail; beautiful and believable timbre. And most of all, it played right through my reference Mahler 2nd and Shostakovich 5th and 9th symphonies - all with the BSO - with no strain whatsoever; this alone is a remarkable feat.
At the same time, the power-conditioning experience also tells me that I need to re-evaluate all other DACs and players I've had in here, because the effect was so profound as to invalidate all previous comparisons. You can read more of that I experience with Shunyata in Robetr Harley's and others' recent reviews of the Everest and Omega & Sigma power cords, in issue 311 I think.
I have had a similar experience using the Chang Lightspeed CLS709 powerline filter in my main audio system and home theater setup.
Very , very impressed with much quieter nose level and improved 3 D imaging on music, and much brighter and sharper image on HDTV.
If electricity was like water using it unfiltered would.be like drinking from the sewer.
I have found only a very few power conditioners work well. AC regenerators all have a small amount of harmonic distortion, and most passive ones have coils that introduce current lag due to inductance.
Powerline Filter | United States | Chang Lightspeed Audio
Chang Light Speed Audio produces powerline filters for audiophiles that eliminate AC contamination without the use of lag/noise inducing transformer or coils.
www.changlightspeed.com
Last edited:
Guys, I have now gone from a PS Audio to a Yggy fed by a DCS Network Bridge, and listened for about a month. Comments soon.
Hello everyone,
This is my first post in this thread that I follow with great interest. I listen to classical music.
I have read the posts about the Ygddrasil 2 very carefully. I have been able to make a D2 / T2 comparison and obviously there is a clear improvement in the sound quality. I have not had the opportunity to listen to the Ygdrassil. I wanted to ask you which one you think is the best option to improve: D2 + Yggdrasil or T2.
Thanks a lot
This is my first post in this thread that I follow with great interest. I listen to classical music.
I have read the posts about the Ygddrasil 2 very carefully. I have been able to make a D2 / T2 comparison and obviously there is a clear improvement in the sound quality. I have not had the opportunity to listen to the Ygdrassil. I wanted to ask you which one you think is the best option to improve: D2 + Yggdrasil or T2.
Thanks a lot
A couple of updates regarding the Yggy2 in my system
1) The application of the 3M AB5100SHF shileding material, as suggested to me by a fellow audiphile and described under my system thread, has rendered phenomenal results - see https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/acks-system-end-of-round-1.2740/page-53#post-710793
2) The introduction of the Shunyata Omega AES/EBU 1.5m digital cable has taken it to analog levels. I had the Sigma v2 prior to that, and it was also spectacular. The Omega adds another subjective 5%. Yes, the cable is more expensive than the DAC.
The overall sonic results are simply sensational, if your upstream digital source is up to par; there is brio, dynamics, clarity, beautiful timbre from all instruments but especially strings - yes, strings - and very controlled bass; angelic, ethereal female vocals; and best of all, extreme low levels of distortion even with the most complex passages. Even DG CDs sound spectacular and linear.
I cannot praise the Omega enough... and the Sigma v2 is the bargain here, at roughly $1K less.
1) The application of the 3M AB5100SHF shileding material, as suggested to me by a fellow audiphile and described under my system thread, has rendered phenomenal results - see https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/acks-system-end-of-round-1.2740/page-53#post-710793
2) The introduction of the Shunyata Omega AES/EBU 1.5m digital cable has taken it to analog levels. I had the Sigma v2 prior to that, and it was also spectacular. The Omega adds another subjective 5%. Yes, the cable is more expensive than the DAC.
The overall sonic results are simply sensational, if your upstream digital source is up to par; there is brio, dynamics, clarity, beautiful timbre from all instruments but especially strings - yes, strings - and very controlled bass; angelic, ethereal female vocals; and best of all, extreme low levels of distortion even with the most complex passages. Even DG CDs sound spectacular and linear.
I cannot praise the Omega enough... and the Sigma v2 is the bargain here, at roughly $1K less.
I know I'm very late to this thread, but I couldn't help but comment. If the OP is correct, that a DAC beats a competitor that costs ~17x, why aren't we all running out and buying the Schitt? Also, I heard the Vivaldi and it is quite excellent IMO. What am I missing? Anyone else with a similar experience?
I will take stab, with a counter question: why are people paying astronomical sums for cables; are cheaper cables not up to par or even better?
Yes, I have a similar experience. It compares well in high-resolution systems to much more expensive DACs. It is spectacular. Since the Yggy is cheap enough in typical modern high end terms, you could try it out and hear for yourself. So indeed, why aren't you running out and buying the Schiit?
Even better, purchase is not necessarily final. It comes with a 15 day trial period (which you may need for burn-in) and a 5 % restocking fee. At the price of the Yggy that makes $122.50 plus shipping. Pretty cheap for a simple audiophile experiment.
I'm a casual observer here (though a friend runs Freya / Bifrost / Kef LS50 system for his computer room, including movie editing, and it sounds engaging and fun), but doesn't it omit DSD and MQA? So maybe not the DAC for those formats but worth a strong audition otherwise?
I think it's often difficult to overcome being biased by pricing and whether people admit it or not, "You get what you pay for" seems to be an ingrained belief that is not very easy to put aside.
I do think most of the time the adage is true, especially in commodity markets with well established and understood products. In a luxury market where the product is not entirely understood, and/or where technology is allowing the rapid advancement of the product, this isn't necessarily the case because the price of one product may be higher for many different reasons that have nothing to do with the overall purpose of the product. Many times the reason for the price is simply to position the product in the market, the item requires the high price to be taken seriously. Some examples are the new AER BD4 and BD5 drivers cost $40-70k. They don't cost more to make. I have also heard several times of a product not doing well, then it's re-introduced at 2-3x the previous price, and now it does well. OTOH, often there is indeed a plausible explanation for price differences and I have certainly been more than impressed with a couple auditions of high-$ MSB DACs!
I think it would be interesting if the Yggy was put in another super-fancy case and re-introduced at 20x it's current price, I'd be very interested to see how it's received! Kinda like the Oppo disk player put into the Lexicon chassis some years ago...
My biggest gripe with the Yggy is the refusal of Schiit to support DSD. IMO, it's a superior format. I don't have a ton of DSD music though.
I do think most of the time the adage is true, especially in commodity markets with well established and understood products. In a luxury market where the product is not entirely understood, and/or where technology is allowing the rapid advancement of the product, this isn't necessarily the case because the price of one product may be higher for many different reasons that have nothing to do with the overall purpose of the product. Many times the reason for the price is simply to position the product in the market, the item requires the high price to be taken seriously. Some examples are the new AER BD4 and BD5 drivers cost $40-70k. They don't cost more to make. I have also heard several times of a product not doing well, then it's re-introduced at 2-3x the previous price, and now it does well. OTOH, often there is indeed a plausible explanation for price differences and I have certainly been more than impressed with a couple auditions of high-$ MSB DACs!
I think it would be interesting if the Yggy was put in another super-fancy case and re-introduced at 20x it's current price, I'd be very interested to see how it's received! Kinda like the Oppo disk player put into the Lexicon chassis some years ago...
My biggest gripe with the Yggy is the refusal of Schiit to support DSD. IMO, it's a superior format. I don't have a ton of DSD music though.
and an interesting comment I got from Berkeley is that PCM is time-domain correct, over anything else. Not sure myself.
Similar threads
