New Schiit Modi Multibit???

Few points...

1. I'd just like to know what im buying. Silent "revisions" which alter performance enough to prop up an entry level product to higher performance then your mid range product, that is currently for sale at double the price. Make knowing what your buying, difficult.

2. I should not have to "research what im buying to this level", if the products were labeled properly, I'd know I got a Rev 1 or 2 or 3 or whatever, and maybe i'd be completely ok with that, again knowing what im buying.

3. No one even seems to know if the current shipping bifrost multibit is equal to the current shipping modi multibit.

4. I came here and stated my intentions to buy a bifrost well before I did it, nobody warned me that the current A2 Modi sounded better, and judging by the post in this thread of people making comments like "how can shiit even sell the bifrost now" and "I wonder if the bifrost still sucks" does not inspire much confidence.

When I made the choice to purchase Bifrost I thought I was getting a Modi Multibit + Eitr in one box to match my JOT. I'd was even ok with the product not being better then a Modi Multibit, even though by rights it ought to be, being more then twice the price, triple the weight and enclosure size. Now I know why there's Bifrost for sale on Headfi for 2 months unsold. Im probably overreacting though i've yet to even hear it, know in a couple weeks.

 

All manufacturers do silent revisions, it's the nature of the electronics industry. Some are just more open about it than others.

If you don't want to overthink it, just go with a manufacturer that never discloses information.

 

It's one thing to change a part because it's no longer availible, in a like for like fashion. It's another thing to sell a premium product advertised as upgradable and make changes that significantly effect it's performance while not offering that performance to all the people who paid the high price for the supposed upgradable unit.

Now, im not even saying that's what Schiit has done here. I don't know that's the case, what I see is a laser focus on their 100$ products, improving and moving forward, which is great too, but seems like you've left all those customers who bought your "upgradable" platform at significant expense out in the cold. It's odd to prop up the value product so much that it now has higher performance then your twice the price mid tier product. And then not expect owners of that product to notice or be disappointed. Clearly Bifrost needs some love, and perhaps it's coming, nobody knows, 3 months, 6 months or 3 days from now Schiit could "upgrade" bifrost to be competitive with Gungnir Multibit for all I know.

It's all made worse by people saying things like " I heard it does not suck anymore" or "I think it got an upgrade like Yggdrasil a2", etc. If the product received the proper upgrades to keep it in line with it's price point then these "Silent" performance increasing revisions would not be needed at all.

Again, I don't know, I have no proof that these happen, but there are many comments around these forum's that lead me to believe it so. I find it amusing people who want to upgrade their Modi Multibit, advertised as non-upgradable to A2 when Bifrost users are left out in the cold, you know the ones who actually paid double for the ability to upgrade.

Maybe i'll hang onto it and "hope" for a upgrade to bring it in line with were it should be. Or maybe Schiit will anouce the retirement of the entire platform tomorrow.

 

Dude you are into major nervosa here, and you need to stop posting your complaining about this in all the Schiit threads. You’re making up stories here about Bifrost Multibit which are totally full of crap. You think Schiit is updating Modi Multibit and leaving Bifrost Multibit stagnate and sound worse than Modi Multibit??!! Seriously? Please stop.

If the unit you purchased was recently upgraded to Gen 5 by Schiit (and not by the user), it would have been brought up to the latest firmware. There is no “A2” version of Modi Multibit or Bifrost Multibit that I’ve heard of, just firmware updates. But as was stated, there are firmware and hardware revisions from everyone, Schiit just happen to be more open about it - but maybe they shouldn’t be.

I mentioned to you in the Bifrost Multibit thread - buy a new unit, or very recent used unit, if you wanted to ensure you got the latest stuff.

If you knew about the silent revisions, why did you buy a 2016 version hoping for updates from the Gen 5 USB update? You should have had patience and waited for a newer one. I waited over 3 months for a newish Modi Multibit to come on the used market and the scooped it up. If you don’t have patience, then best to buy new. Otherwise it is clearly a gamble.

I still think no matter what, it will likely top the integrated Multibit card in your Jot. Wait and listen and see.

You’re not on the right forum to whine about this type of thing (or most things) and get much sympathy or people backing you up on this - in fact, constant whining about the same thing across multiple threads can get you banned.

 

Well, I certainly don't want to be banned. I'll chill out and lurk for awhile you won't hear anything more from me on the topic. Im certainly not "making up stories" though. Just read the first 3 pages of THIS thread again, maybe it's been awhile and you've forgot. And while I feel like I should have to buy a new Modi product if I want to "Ensure i have the latest version" when a product is listed and sold as upgradable and it's a bullet point, I don't feel like the same care should be needed. Anyway's i've said my part and im done.

 

I mean, you do realize that sound quality comparisons are so subjective that they really cannot be trusted as fact? This is the reason there are so many varying opinions on the same product (sbaf is merely one group of opinions, and they are not all the same).

What schiit offers is better quality materials/parts/implementations the higher up in model you go. This is what you are paying for.

Don't be a simpleton. The is no guarantee one will absolutely 100 percent find the modi multibit superior to bifrost multibit and vice versa. To actually criticise a company for failing to guarantee sound quality differences is so patently absurd it's hard to believe someone could be stupid enough to even suggest it. Are you twelve? Stop embarrassing yourself and wasting everybody's time.

 

Purrin:
"I've heard anecdotal reports of Bifrost Multibit not sucking anymore and being in another class. But I am not even sure if there even is a new Bifrost Multibit out in the wild."

Rlow - who supposedly does not know of a A2 Modi

"if new Modi Multibit is this good, new Bifrost Multibit could be a bit of a sleeping giant, especially with better power supplies and Gen 5 USB."

Zerodeefex

"Quite a few of us dislike the DAC. Here's hoping to improvements ."

Richard Depiction:

"I was very disappointed when I listened to a friends after a recent Gen 5 USB update. Not sure why they sell this, it's worse than a Modi Multibit."

Atomic Bob's comments about the A2 that supposedly "did not happen, that rlow has no idea about"

"Depth of bass, definition of leading and trailing edge of kicks sound amazing with Modi MB v2 firmware. Cymbal ringing fades to black are especially well presented. Percussion in general sound much closer to that heard by similar instruments in the studio and on stage in good acoustic spaces. Body of upright bass resonates with that richness felt when sitting in front of the acoustic bass player. String plucks have transient response snap, also like heard in person."


AffordableAudiophile- Schiit probably does not want them compared.

"I had asked for a Bifrost MB to test and review, which seemed a problematic problem. They chose to send me a Gungnir MB instead, citing a short supply of Bifrost samples, and noting that the Modi MB and the Bifrost MB shared the same chipset. "

So, you guys tell me, what the hell kind of conclusion am I to draw from these comments? And ColtMrFire - no im not 12, but I do work hard for my money and was already mislead to believe the Multibit module would equal Modi's performance, now I find out that it's also better then Bifrost Multibit? Right after I bought it? yeah bit iritated. Why don't you throw some more personal attacks my way though. That's the christmas spirit. See in most forums personal attacks would get you a warning, but since your a "Friend" and im a "whining rando" that does nothing but increase the S/N, im probably the one who will be warned and/or banned.

 

I don't understand how you can complain about your treatment by the manufacturer of a product that you:

1) bought used
2) have not heard.

Kinda beggars belief tbh.

 

For whatever it's worth, the older Bifrost MBs don't sound like complete crap. At the least I preferred it by and large to the Chord Hugo (which isn't exactly spectacular value either I suppose). This was a pretty recent purchase, as far as these things go— I'm a bit of a used market buyer because, well, I'm not rolling in flour.

Would I have loved to get a Bifrost that people whose ears I know have way more experience with DACs than mine don't actively shit on when asked? Yep, definitely. But that'd have cost a bit more, not to mention I was happy to help someone offload gear they didn't want any more . It's all a matter of prioritising; always wanting the latest and greatest in a hobby where spectacular SQ becomes ever more affordable is akin to mixing up eye drops with cayenne pepper extract.

Lastly, with some notable exceptions the difference between DACs is seldom as large as many make them out to be (do note I've only ever demoed nicer ones at meets, I'm mid-fi for now). Get headphones and amps that synergise (blergh) well and then worry about upstream refinement only when you have the sound you want keyed in. I know others will disagree with that bit of advice, but it's something that some might agree with depending on the level of their gear etc.

Also, yes everyone hears things differently. It's not just a hearing damage thing or the shape of your pinna, pardon my French. I missed the fact that you've not heard it yet, please save the harsh criticism for after you've heard the DAC and found it wanting.

 

"A fool and his money are soon parted."

And you've got the martyrdom thing down pat so congratulations on being a victim I guess. It seems to be the new normal.

You should really just take this as a lesson learned and stop looking for sympathy. It's hard to sympathize with someone who would rather blame other people for their poorly thought out decisions than learn from their mistakes.

 

Merry Christmas, have a good nite man.

 

Fair

 

At the very nice price you paid, you should be able to easily get your money out again by reselling it. If you put it on eBay, you might even make a small profit. So I suggest looking on the bright side, and thinking of this as a free audition and a valuable learning experience. I hope you post some impressions of how the Bifrost MB compares to your Multibit Card in the appropriate forum once it arrives. Merry Christmas.

 

Agreed! Merry Christmas to you as well

 

Someone's crusin' for a brusin'.

Best just give it a pause before it gets worse.

I have never seen any company be so open and forthcoming as Schiit. And this in an audiophile industry makes to be more impressive. I bought a Mani, and it has had a slight hardware revision, bjy I am,just as happy with what I paid at the time and I am still floored by the value it adds to my system. I tried like 5 other $100 - $200 preamps before, and the Mani sweeps the floor of all of them in that price range.

So take it for what It is worth and move on.

Merry Christmas!

 

I don't really wish to continue down this path of conversation anymore. So no reply is needed. But it was Post #10 in this thread, July 17th, 2018. I loved that movie by the way!

So it sounds like the difference between Modi Multibit and Bifrost Multibit is one more of how the dac is voiced rather then technicalities.

Im going to chill and hit the pause button as recommend above, I certainly should own the device in question and listen to it for a good while before continuing further. Though im not really sure what the car analogy is supposed to mean. As far as I know, and as far as Schiit's website implies, there is only one Bifrost Multibit with USB Gen5. There is no 2015 Bifrost Multibit or 2014. There's only Bifrost DS variants and a single Multbit model.

 

As far as Schiit is willing to admit, there is no "A2" version of Gungnir Multibit either, but comparing photos of the internals shows that there are clearly differences. As far as sound differences as reported here and elsewhere, eh, who knows, I've only heard the one I've got. But I can tell you this; I love the sound of what I have enough that it ultimately doesn't matter to me. While it is a little frustrating to me that I would have to open it up and risk my warranty in order to confirm what I bought, (just to be clear, new, and directly from Schiit) what I was looking to buy was the best dac for my tastes that I could get for the $ I had available, and I still have no reason to doubt that I got exactly that. Spending time listening to it obviated the need to open it up and find out the exact version.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, either, as I caught a ration of Schiit and a two day ban from SBAF for expressing that frustration. So there you go. Spend your holidays on important stuff, like family and loved ones. Cheers mate.

 

I’ll add that I had the OG modi and Bifrost Multibit at the same time. I have a decent (not excellent, but decent) ear for differences in dacs and other things in an audio chain. I could hear a very slight difference. I mean very slight. I thought the Bifrost Multibit was ever so slightly better - I think because I wanted to hear it that way. Anyway, dollar for dollar the modi is the better value. The Bifrost Multibit is a nice size, no wall wart, upgradeable. Both were very good at their price points.