Yggdrasil Refined - New Schiit Yggdrasil Analog 2 (Yggdrasil A2) Sound Impressions

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by drgumbybrain, Jan 16, 2018.

  1. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    Is the PO-2XR any 'better' than the PC-2XR..?
     
  2. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    The PC series is a 4:1 ratio where the PO series is 1:1. I remember Marv saying somewhere in a thread around here that 1:1 was preferred, but I honestly don't remember why.

    What I can say is that without question, I will continue to use this little device. I have been hunting around for a new preamp to combat a little tube rush I'm having but also, to get XLR in to use the "best" outputs of Yggdrasil. With the Jensen box, it not only allows me to take advantage of the extra gain but I would swear to you it is quieter (to the point I wasn't noticing the tube rush before, but am noticing it now after the ISOMAX box). I only had a few days with it in the system before my new CD transport showed up, so now the entire effing system has taken a couple steps up, but I do absolutely believe the PO-2XR plays an important part in that.

    I am simply astonished at how Yggdrasil sounds being fed simple redbook from this new transport. Unless I want to hear something I just don't have on CD, I don't know that I'll be using my turntable for a bit...
     
  3. musicfirst

    musicfirst Almost 60, supposedly still hears ant farts

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    I have been using the YA2 to directly drive my MSB M201 amps, which have (as I recall) a 50kohm input impedence on the XLRs. The results sound very good however, I have the very slight trade off of slightly less drive but higher resolution and transparency with this set up.

    I am considering a move to amplifiers with 3kohm ( yes 3 not 30) XLR inputs. Will the new YA2 output stage have any difficulty driving this lower load, or will a preamp become a necessity?

    I know this subject has been touched on before, but damned if I could find it in a search..
     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2018
  4. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    3 or 30 KOhm? 3 sounds too low.
     
  5. musicfirst

    musicfirst Almost 60, supposedly still hears ant farts

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    Unfortunately, these are amp designs that vary from 3 to 7 kohm in the specs for the amps in the line, so Im pretty sure its not a typo...
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The 1:1 is more transparent (sins of omission) and less warming sounding (sins of commision).
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    YA2 can drive 600 ohm loads.
     
  8. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    I was curious, is anyone else's Yggdrasil really sensitive? I've heard it "click" before just from unplugging a lamp which was already turned off. And it can be on, but I'll shut down my subs/amp/preamp, swap an RCA cable (just did this today to test out some that I made) and Yggdrasil clicks, like it's picked up a new sample rate or something. It operates perfectly fine otherwise, and has never given me an issue, but I'm a little paranoid I'm doing something I shouldn't be. And, well, I ain't turning it off unless I go on Vacation or something, but I'm sure turning it off for a minute or two isn't all that bad. Just curious.
     
  9. musicfirst

    musicfirst Almost 60, supposedly still hears ant farts

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    What I am wondering is if the drive and/or sonic characteristics will change as the load approaches 600 ohms?
     
  10. Abhishek Chowdhary

    Abhishek Chowdhary Friend

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    Dunno abt the yggdrasil, but my adcom does something similar. Fan/lamp turn on/off results in singal lock clicks on the adcom
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Like all other DACs that can drive 600 ohms, this coming from driving the more usual 10k, 50k, loads: increased distortion that can be seen on an analyzer but likely won't be heard.

    I didn't hear any tonal or dynamic differences on the select OG Yggdrasils that could drive 600 ohms between the 100k SE and 600 ohm balanced inputs on the Studio. The balanced inputs were clearer and more resolving.
     
  12. Reggy

    Reggy New

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    Yah I'm so glad to have come across that video as well, of course if I did eventually consider buying the Yggdrasil for the first time I would have eventually found out about the freshly designed USB implementation and be more inclined to wait till 2020.

    Hype can be counterproductive in the audio world but this sure as hell looks like a game changer and a real improvement. I'm all for development of the most convenient setup and for me that is playing PCM off my laptop with USB. If Schitt can make USB digital audio sound even better (and I think gen 5 USB sounds pretty good already) or better than AES/EBU or SPDIF than I'm all ears for the new progress and will wait.
     
  13. Ali-Pacha

    Ali-Pacha Friend

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    Finally got my Yggdrasil upgraded. It was a pita to get the A2 upgrade available in Europe, it was consistently out of stock at both schiit-europe and electromod. Just done at electromod right before brexit :D

    Sound-wise, smoother, less edginess, less "digital" so to speak...the original one had some coldness even if it wasn't anything close to DS "fizzling haze". But no revolution BTW.

    Ali
     
  14. gefski

    gefski Facebook Friend

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    Great that you ground through the rocks in the road and got it done. I think you'll find it well worth it.

    For me, YggyA was revolutionary, YggyB evolutionary. Though now, every day, I think it's way better (every file I send it I just listen to the whole album) than it was after the first couple months. Probably a combination of YggyB "maturing" and "listener burn-in". :punk:
     
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The thing about brain burn-in, keeping ourselves honest about it, or isolating it, is to have another source handy as a reference. Brain burn-in is real, but we can reset ourselves from its effect.
     
  16. Louis Ben

    Louis Ben New

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    I had UAPP Pro on Android streaming Tidal lossless via USB to Yggdrasil A2. The improvement over attack and agility could be easily noticed with bass become solid and vocal become realistic, with bit perfect processing. But perfect lossless processing had improve greatly the Sound Quality from Emit20.

    The difference between 320kbps and lossless streaming to Yggdrasil A2 is actually quite substantial with Lossless having much more detail, attack and agility.
     
  17. NDonchev

    NDonchev New

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    Hi guys, I'm about to join the Yggdrasil club as my unit will arive in a few days. It's a new unit so it's USB Gen5 and Analog 2.

    I consider using Allo DigiOne Signature Player with Volumio as a transport connected to the Yggdrasil via coaxial cable with RCA. Would you say that is a good option and is it better then using my current ASUS Mini PC PN40 with Volumio via USB?

    I've read that AES may sound best on Yggdrasil, but I'm looking for a relatively cheap and simple solution without too much added devices.

    I think of buying either Blue Jeans or Audioquest Red River cables (XLR Interconnects and digital cable). Which one of these should be better? Considering that I reside in Europe and Blue Jeans will be shipped from US (custom taxes and such), the Audioqest is just about 60 euro more expensive than the Blue Jeans.

    I'm a bit hesitant if I made the right desicion with the Yggdrasil. Maybe I should have got the Gungnir Multibit instead. I haven't heard either one and my decision is based on trying other Schiit gear (Jotunhaim multibit and Ragnarok 2 Nexus multibit) and liking the sound. I'm still thinking that maybe I should return the Yggdrasil and get the Gungnir Multibit instead. I read a lot of people prefer the Gungnir Multibit or think the difference is not so big.

    My current gear is ASUS Mini PC PN40 with Volumio => Fiio X3 II DAP (used as a DAC) => Violectric V281 Amp => Sennheiser HD800S Headphones

    Thanks.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2019
  18. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Digione signature is very good streamer, Im very happy with mine. Just use good LPS Or battery power for cleaner side however if your are looking for cheap solution for AES check out below thread
    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...-pi-i2s-to-spdif-hat.1990/page-99#post-265611
     
  19. NDonchev

    NDonchev New

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    Do you mean PI2AES? I'll research into it.

    I plan to use IFi iPower as a power supply. I think it should be a decent option.
     
  20. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    I think Digione has suggested to use battery power if LPS is out of budget at the moment. Get the battery pack from them when you order Digione. They suggest Lifepo4 18650
    And may I suggest getting a BNC coax instead of RCA one as BNC is better and secured connection and Digione has both so why not use BNC
     

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