Yggy2: Hot Schiit - Take 1
So I've had Al's Yggy2 for two days now, warming up for over 36 hours, and the unit is coming to life; 24 hours were not enough; Al recommends 48 hours.
My Spectral transport is feeding AES/EBU to it, and SPDIF to my modified Alpha DAC; I have not tried swapping them yet. Both are using the same MIT 50ic interconnects, and I can easily switch between them on the preamp, after adjusting volume.
I have spent years modifying my Alpha DAC on and off, while also playing with the volume control to find the best spot. On that, I have spent at least two years going up and down the scale, and recently settled on 48.5, which I felt renders the most dynamic, least distorting and most resolving sound with any type of music, from the softest sounds to full orchestra + organ. My modified Alpha DAC has outperformed the stock Alpha, the Vivaldi 2.0, the Spectral SDR-4000SV and the Berkeley Ref1 and Ref3, all of which I had in house over the years for eval. "Outperformed" surely requires qualification: it is the clearest sound from any of these other DACs when the recordings are stellar, though others may like any of the other DACs simply because they make an effort (one way or another) to make digital sound pleasing. Indeed, people have called all these DACs sublime and other superlatives. My modified Alpha DAC is just plain BLUNT, and this is the type of sound I get from my Ortofon A90 as well.
Once I started A/B'ing the two DACs, I could not believe what I was hearing. I thought to myself: when was the last time two components sounded virtually identical? The answer, in my experience, is Never. The Yggy2 in here is simply just plain BLUNT as well. Without the ability to A/B quickly back and forth, I would be tempted to say they both sound identical in every single way, from timbre to articulation to dynamics... to everything.
After very careful listening with just two CDs, and going back and forth, a few things become clear:
1) The rhythm that we've been commenting in Al's system originates [obviously] from the Yggy2. The stock Alpha DAC was the first DAC I had heard that did rhythm, but the Yggy2 is at another level
2) As blunt and realistic as my modified Alpha DAC sounds at the current volume setting - outclassing anything else in here so far - the Yggy2 is ever so more blunt, more vivid and more realistic, even if by a hair. But if you know where to focus on, the distinction can be made
3) It was shocking to me to realize that all my work on the Alpha DAC over the years would have brought it up to "today's modern specs" if you will, and really happy to hear another DAC offer the same sound, and 1-2% better. But that small incremental improvement, when heard with large scale music, is really evident. For me to be able to pinpoint the exact digital volume setting on my Alpha was especially rewarding.
Is that 1-2% difference due to AES/EBU vs SPDIF? Not sure, I intend to swap them at some point soon. But what is evidently clear is that the Yggy2 is one fundamentally-sound giant killer, at least in my system. If you read up the Schiit web site about it, the Yggy2 is an unusual design and execution, from the power supply, to the D-to-A chip, and even the analog section. In fact, I am not sure I can modify or improve on its power supply that easily. I also don't like the gaps in the case, but, small potatoes.
On the 24hr mark, my Alpha had the upper hand, especially in terms of smoothness and low-end drive and definition - traits that just don't exist to this degree in ANY Berkeley DAC to date, up and including the Ref3. On the 36 hour mark, the Yggy2 matched or surpassed this Alpha, and put a smile in my face.
This is my definition of true-to-the-recording: when two components are so close to each other, in a highly resolving system, and sound so incredibly good and realistic when the recording is up to it, then I know these components are on the right path.
Here are the two CDs I am initially playing with, both very very challenging:
The trumpets and other wind in the Proteus are phenomenal with every single track. The full orchestra on the Shostakovich 5's finale, totally breathtaking, with the timpani so full of body and the final bass drum hits so tight, clear and present; separation of instruments so well done!
So far, the Yggy2 fed through AES/EBU and this Spectral SDR-3000SL transport offers the cleanest, most resolving redbook sound I have heard to date, and it's probably still warming up.
Pretty soon, I would like to compare them all against the MSB Premier, of which I hear very good things. But I feel the Yggy2 is my new benchmark. Its price is not high enough to attract attention, but it is what it is. I may just order one, if things continue to be so positive over the next week or so, unless the digital signal swap tilts the scale to Alpha's side.
So I've had Al's Yggy2 for two days now, warming up for over 36 hours, and the unit is coming to life; 24 hours were not enough; Al recommends 48 hours.
My Spectral transport is feeding AES/EBU to it, and SPDIF to my modified Alpha DAC; I have not tried swapping them yet. Both are using the same MIT 50ic interconnects, and I can easily switch between them on the preamp, after adjusting volume.
I have spent years modifying my Alpha DAC on and off, while also playing with the volume control to find the best spot. On that, I have spent at least two years going up and down the scale, and recently settled on 48.5, which I felt renders the most dynamic, least distorting and most resolving sound with any type of music, from the softest sounds to full orchestra + organ. My modified Alpha DAC has outperformed the stock Alpha, the Vivaldi 2.0, the Spectral SDR-4000SV and the Berkeley Ref1 and Ref3, all of which I had in house over the years for eval. "Outperformed" surely requires qualification: it is the clearest sound from any of these other DACs when the recordings are stellar, though others may like any of the other DACs simply because they make an effort (one way or another) to make digital sound pleasing. Indeed, people have called all these DACs sublime and other superlatives. My modified Alpha DAC is just plain BLUNT, and this is the type of sound I get from my Ortofon A90 as well.
Once I started A/B'ing the two DACs, I could not believe what I was hearing. I thought to myself: when was the last time two components sounded virtually identical? The answer, in my experience, is Never. The Yggy2 in here is simply just plain BLUNT as well. Without the ability to A/B quickly back and forth, I would be tempted to say they both sound identical in every single way, from timbre to articulation to dynamics... to everything.
After very careful listening with just two CDs, and going back and forth, a few things become clear:
1) The rhythm that we've been commenting in Al's system originates [obviously] from the Yggy2. The stock Alpha DAC was the first DAC I had heard that did rhythm, but the Yggy2 is at another level
2) As blunt and realistic as my modified Alpha DAC sounds at the current volume setting - outclassing anything else in here so far - the Yggy2 is ever so more blunt, more vivid and more realistic, even if by a hair. But if you know where to focus on, the distinction can be made
3) It was shocking to me to realize that all my work on the Alpha DAC over the years would have brought it up to "today's modern specs" if you will, and really happy to hear another DAC offer the same sound, and 1-2% better. But that small incremental improvement, when heard with large scale music, is really evident. For me to be able to pinpoint the exact digital volume setting on my Alpha was especially rewarding.
Is that 1-2% difference due to AES/EBU vs SPDIF? Not sure, I intend to swap them at some point soon. But what is evidently clear is that the Yggy2 is one fundamentally-sound giant killer, at least in my system. If you read up the Schiit web site about it, the Yggy2 is an unusual design and execution, from the power supply, to the D-to-A chip, and even the analog section. In fact, I am not sure I can modify or improve on its power supply that easily. I also don't like the gaps in the case, but, small potatoes.
On the 24hr mark, my Alpha had the upper hand, especially in terms of smoothness and low-end drive and definition - traits that just don't exist to this degree in ANY Berkeley DAC to date, up and including the Ref3. On the 36 hour mark, the Yggy2 matched or surpassed this Alpha, and put a smile in my face.
This is my definition of true-to-the-recording: when two components are so close to each other, in a highly resolving system, and sound so incredibly good and realistic when the recording is up to it, then I know these components are on the right path.
Here are the two CDs I am initially playing with, both very very challenging:
The trumpets and other wind in the Proteus are phenomenal with every single track. The full orchestra on the Shostakovich 5's finale, totally breathtaking, with the timpani so full of body and the final bass drum hits so tight, clear and present; separation of instruments so well done!
So far, the Yggy2 fed through AES/EBU and this Spectral SDR-3000SL transport offers the cleanest, most resolving redbook sound I have heard to date, and it's probably still warming up.
Pretty soon, I would like to compare them all against the MSB Premier, of which I hear very good things. But I feel the Yggy2 is my new benchmark. Its price is not high enough to attract attention, but it is what it is. I may just order one, if things continue to be so positive over the next week or so, unless the digital signal swap tilts the scale to Alpha's side.
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