Schiit Bifrost 2

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by RobS, Aug 28, 2019.

  1. joenetic

    joenetic New

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Just ordered Crystek oscillators, let me do this change and evaluate the sound quality.
     
  2. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 19, 2018
    Likes Received:
    1,677
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Winnipeg, Canada
    Well I've had my BF2 for a day and I have to say I'm very impressed already. While the Jot MB DAC module is not terrible, there is no question that it was the weak link holding back the performance the amp is capable of. That problem is now fixed.

    While I may still find myself experimenting with different headamps going forward, I think this DAC will be a keeper. Will post more detailed impressions after it has had a few days to stabilize.
     
  3. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    10,686
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NOVA
    Home Page:
    IME any break-in period was short, <24 hours after cold and I couldn't hear any further marginal changes. Run-what-ya-brung and just enjoy the music.
     
  4. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 19, 2018
    Likes Received:
    1,677
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Winnipeg, Canada
    Thanks! That is my impression also, I don't think the DAC is going to change any further. Probably it is my ears that actually need more time to stabilize after a not insignificant change in what I have been feeding them.

    I leave just my DACs powered all the time as they are the one component that seem to benefit from it, and a day or so seems to be the magic number for Gungnir. Not surprising this one is the same. Cheers!
     
  5. joenetic

    joenetic New

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Just replaced two oscillators, there has improvement on detail, texture, and dynamic! More love my Bifrost2!!
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2021
  6. Kolozub

    Kolozub New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2021
    Likes Received:
    49
    Trophy Points:
    13
    Location:
    Slovakia - Krásno nad Kysucou
    Hi,Did you test your bifrost right after the exchange or you took some time ?
     
  7. joenetic

    joenetic New

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I don't understand what you mean, forgive my poor English.
     
  8. Kolozub

    Kolozub New

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2021
    Likes Received:
    49
    Trophy Points:
    13
    Location:
    Slovakia - Krásno nad Kysucou
    did you let your bifrost warm up before you listened critically? Immediatelly after turning on my gungnir multibit i can experience feeling of fatter bass and thicker sound , something that can be considered to be more dynamic at first listen,but not well balanced at second . Or you can be right about improvements caused by oscillators and make many bifrosters happier after they try the same thing that you did.:)
     
  9. joenetic

    joenetic New

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I let it runs for 4 hours now, it is still wonderful ! Better oscillators can help to improve sound quality a lot, it also has a cleaner sound feeling, if you like warm sound very much, you may not like this, the stock Bifrost 2 actually is very good sound quality to me. I read this group, there has someone recommend to use a gear called 'Pi2' through coaxial interface, this gear use NDK oscillator which is also very good one, may be this is help to improve the sound quality, but Crystek oscillator is even better a bit, but you need some tools and soldering skill, my first soldering caused oscillator power and ground short circuit, USB not work then, so I don't recommend people to do so if they are not familiar in electronic parts remove and soldering.
     
  10. tranq

    tranq Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2018
    Likes Received:
    228
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    US Midwest
    Got any photos of your handiwork?
     
  11. joenetic

    joenetic New

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Hong Kong
  12. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2018
    Likes Received:
    2,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NW Pennsylvania
  13. joenetic

    joenetic New

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Hong Kong
  14. creuzabar

    creuzabar New

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2019
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Brazil
    Guys I have an unusual request, may have little value for those who have the opportunity to listen in person, but for those who can not hear before the purchase, what I will ask has a very high value, is as close as possible to a loan equipment for me.
    I would like someone who had access to a Bifrost 2 and a YGGDRASIL or YGGDRASIL GS and also a Gungnir 2, to record the audio of some songs (of your choice) of these dacs by triggering some 2.0 system of pair of boxes (of your choice, whatever you have at the moment), in order to record a song in one dac and then record this same song in the other dac , preferably a comparison between Bifrost 2 and YGGDRASIL, but it would also be interesting Bifrost 2 and Gungnir 2. In the links below have some comparisons of a particular channel on youtube comparing the YGGDRASIL 1 against Gungnir 1:




    Guys I'm asking this, hoping you guys will evaluate the possibility of fulfilling my request, but anyway I am already very grateful to this forum for the many content shared and addressed.
    I live in Brazil, the currency of the country is the real and costs six times less than the dollar, so that anything I buy in dollars costs me six times more in the local currency of my country, so the final cost of any version of YGGDRASIL will be very expensive converted into the local currency of my country, so it would be so important for me to hear an audio comparison between a YGGDRASIL and a Bifrost 2 (more accessible), of course YGGDRASIL will be considerably superior but I wish I could evaluate on my own, how I manage to do some personal assessment of YGGDRASIL against Gungnir 1 by the youtube channel videos of the links above.
     
    • Dislike Dislike x 2
    • Respectfully Disagree Respectfully Disagree x 1
    • List
  15. roshambo123

    roshambo123 Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 26, 2018
    Likes Received:
    2,763
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    You're trying to figure out what color to paint your house by asking someone to take a picture of a Pantone color swatch under their kitchen fluorescents with their iPhone. You will not learn anything and may be misled.

    If you'd like the forum to give a recommendation on a DAC, I think a good start would be to describe your current chain including your headphones, speakers, amps or preamps, current DAC's, and vinyl or digital content you'd be listening to. Additionally, if you know your sonic preferences and what you'd like to change or "improve" on your current system, that is very helpful.
     
  16. orbitech1976

    orbitech1976 New

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2021
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Athens Greece
    Hi everyone new here but Ive been lurking for quite some time. Of course I'm a Bifrost 2 owner for quite some time. A great DAC no doubt.
    I'd like your help/advice on something.

    My audio chain currently consists of a pair of Focal Solo 6 Be active speakers and an SVS SB2000Pro hooked up to BF2 which in turn is hooked up via balanced to Freya+. So it's all balanced BF2 -> Freya+ ->Focal Solo 6Be+SB2000Pro.
    Have also Valhalla 2 + DT1990Pro and Senns HD600 for headphones.

    I can't say that I'm not fond of my Bifrost 2 I would seriously be lying if I did. Especially when my Freya + is in tube mode.
    Lately I came across a quad pair of Raytheon VT231 6sn7 tubes which to my surprise (since 2 sets of NOS I had were good but not that special) completely opened up the sound to my ears. Suddendly there was more air on top, better stage and slightly recessed mids without losing presence though. It's just so nice to listen to these tubes because it provides better tonality and musicality to my audio chain. It's getting a bit more laid back which I really enjoy.

    So I started thinking of acquiring Gungnir A2 or Denafrips Pontus II. I think their overall signature will provide me with some of the things I admired from this tube and I miss with Bifrost 2. The latter is an exceptional DAC no doubt but sometimes it can be too dark.. I don't mind warm. I love warm.. But since my speakers are nice monitors whatever you feed the chain it will provide.

    So my question is.. If I'm to look for a DAC with bigger stage and warmer and slightly more "laid back" presentation do you think that one of those two could be a meaningful upgrade? I don't want a sidegrade,I'd probably keep my Bifrost 2 for its assets it can be amazing with its presentation for some genres but I wan't a DAC with the assets I described.

    Thanks in advance for any help.
     
  17. EagleWings

    EagleWings Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,709
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    India
    2 speaker buddies of mine, who own a Bifrost MB 1 and a Gungnir MB A1, prefer the Schiit DACs over the Pontus2 and the Terminator2. They feel the Schiit DACs are better at reproducing the timbre of vocals and acoustic instruments in the midrange than the Denafrips DACs. Bass was one aspect, where they felt the Denafrips DACs were better than the Schiit DACs, as those had a cleaner and more textured bass. They did say that the Denafrips DACs had a larger soundstage, especially the Terminator, but my buddies are 'tone and timbre first' type of guys, so they ended up sticking with the Schiit DACs. Also based on my conversations with them, I inferred that the Pontus wasn't exactly a laidback DAC, at least compared to the 2 Schiit DACs they own.
     
  18. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,042
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Asia
    Price-wise, Bifrost Multibit/Gungnir Multibit are not in the same class as Pontus/Terminator. Did they ever compare against the Yggdrasil at least?
     
  19. EagleWings

    EagleWings Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,709
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    India
    They have been meaning to try a Yggdrasil for a long time with no luck. Perks of living in India.
     
  20. orbitech1976

    orbitech1976 New

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2021
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Athens Greece
    If I'm to upgrade to Gungnir I'll surely look for A2 revision I suspect it's closer to what I consider I want.. As far as concerns the term "laidback" is surely not the term Pontus would be described I agree. Ares II perhaps but surely not Pontus II. It's just that I consider Ares II as a sidegrade, a different taste rather than a technically better DAC to begin with.
    The qualities you mentioned are more or less what I've read myself and what describes the Schiit house audio signature in some aspects. Thing is sometimes the dynamic and dark nature of Bifrost 2 can be too much a bit overwhelming with some genres.
    But most certainly I'm more into qualities such as tonal balance across the spectrum, I don't particularly enjoy heavy emphasis on bass (but cleaner and more textured would be more than welcomed). I also would like something with as less congested organ reproduction as possible, and surely I'd trade some speed over more lush and fuller body.. The timbre is by no means a problem with my Bifrost 2 I find it really good. A bit more organic perhaps.. And the wider as possible soundstage given the limitations of price range and rest of the audio chain of course..

    That is true in U.S. If I was living there I'd have bitten the bullet on Gungnir A2 from the beginning no questions asked. But here I had to pay 880 euros for BF2 and they ask 1640 euros for Gungnir A2. If I import it the cost with custom taxes might even be higher! To give you an idea my Freya+ costed me around 1300 in total.. But I thoroughly enjoy it despite the much higher cost I had to pay in comparison to import it straight from US..
    Pontus II can be had for 1750 in EU.. Thus the comparison and the dilemma..And Schiit EU & UK store have nothing in stock. Nothing..

    So given these factors in the equation what would you suggest? Stay with BF2, go for Gungnir A2 (would it provide me with the qualities I'm looking for and would it worth the substantial cost increase) , Pontus II or perhaps any other suggestion in the sub 2k region?

    Thanks for your replies guys!
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2021

Share This Page