Yggdrasil LIM Impressions Only Thread

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by rhythmdevils, Oct 11, 2021.

  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Yggdrasil LIM Impressions Only Thread

    This thread is for reviews and impressions only. You can ask questions about impressions posted here to clarify or ask for more information but keep all comments to the impressions.

    Post any discussion in the current LIM thread here

    I will try to copy some of the impressions posted in that thread over to here to keep them all in one place.

    if this thread feels excessive to the community I’ll just merge it with the existing thread. But it feels like it would be good to have a thread with only impressions and no anticipation or “I got mine today” posts.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    @purr1n 's awesome post with graphs comparing various DACs"

    "As always, subject to change as I listen more, going back and forth with a variety of recordings. You guys know what a tough exercise - think ballpark. I've also changed a few things around after further consideration. A few extra DACs thrown in for entertainment purposes and relative comparisons. And yes, I do hear the DAC2541 has being slightly more engaging (however it does have less plankton to work with). As usual, I've put some thought into scale.

    Engagement / microdynamics / immediacy
    Plankton / low-level information / resolution (not macro-detail)
    Blackground / clarity
    BAL OUTPUTS / AES INPUT and variety of headphones and amps
    [​IMG]

    Richness (entire range, not necessarily warmth, think chocolate cakeness)
    Treble F'kery (digititus, sandiness, unnatural edge, prickliness)
    BAL OUTPUTS / AES INPUT and variety of headphones and amps
    [​IMG]

    Thought: the prior generation AKM DACs were less resolving, but more engaging and much less F'd sounding. Hence my crapping the new AKM stuff here. I mean, if you are poor, get something like Modius or JNOG**. TBH, I use Modius as cheap instrumentation for headphone measurements. It's technically superb in some respects, but I have zero desire to listen to if I can avoid it. Of course it doesn't matter now with AKM. Cosmic forces beyond our control saw to this.

    Obviously these are specific technical aspects that do not really paint the entire picture nor attest to how they may synergize with your own specific components.

    **better yet, ditch delta-sigma garbage and get Modi MB and swap AD86xx opamp to OPA2156 (toob) or OPA1656 (clean) -or- wait for entry level stuff from Soekris. I wish we had other choices like RDAC. @CEE TEE? Sigh... if only those Airist Audio guys were the real deal and didn't turn out to be posers. Think what could have been. Then again, their profiles of Haavaad and Princeton should have been red flags."
     
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  2. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Early Impressions

    Yggdrasil LiM vs Yggdrasil A2 (and 2541)

    [​IMG]


    GEAR
    Pi2AES -> AES -> Yggdrasil A2 -> iso max P0-2XR -> Switcher input 1
    Pi2AES -> BNC -> Yggdrasil LIM -> iso max P0-2XR -> Switcher input 2

    -> Cavalli Liquid Gold X -> Modded Audeze LCD-X

    Yes, I have both Yggdrasil’s stacked on top of each other. And home team advantage goes to the A2 with AES. Measurements actually show less jitterbug with BNC out of the Pi2AES so hopefully it’s not a factor.

    The LIM I have here was brand new when I plugged it in, so it is not only warming up, but burning in as well. Same situation as many of you. I have found that it is still improving after 3 days. Faster the first day, but still steadily improving. I don’t know how much burn in/warm up it will continue to need. But I didn't find that it stabilized after 24 hours. At least not when brand new.

    This is a list of thoughts in the order they came to me as I compared the two, which I can do easily by just flipping a knob on my switcher. Please note that they go all the way to 11.

    1
    The A2 is much more resolving.. The A2 has information all along notes that the LIM glosses over, creatingsmooth tones where the A2 is producing "grit"along notes. I picture a drawing, and with the A2 you can see little pencil mark details along lines, whereas with the LIM you just see the lines. I noticed this same thing comparing A2 to DAC 2541 but with the 2541 it was much more extreme, it sounded like too much noise reaction in a photograph. Like I wasn’t just loosing little nuances of the pencil marks, but loosing the nuance of the shape of the lines themselves. I did not like the 2541 because of this. But with the LIM it does not go this far. Yes, you loose some of those little details that the artist made with the pencil on the paper, which are fun to see, but you don’t loose crucial information to see what the artist was drawing and trying to communicate. You still see everything the artist was trying to convey. With the 2541, I feel you loose crucial information and get an overly simplified, reduced version of the drawing where you can only see the general shape and you loose too much nuance and can’t see enough to get a good sense of the artist’s vision. The LIM communicates all the nuance, just not the fun little details as if you walked up to a drawing and examined it up close. Which you don’t need to do to feel the full affect of a drawing. In fact, you often are not supposed to examine works of art close up. I’m not saying the A2 is too resolving, but that the LIM is not lacking in resolution to be true to therecording. The 2541 is not true to the recording IMO. It is overly compressed, noise reduced, smoothed, simplified. Too many small brush strokes have beenturned into big brush strokes and the painting is not what it was supposed to be anymore.

    2
    The A2 has more sense of depth, the LIM has a flatter presentation

    3
    The A2 sounds better to me but I seem to enjoy the music I’m listening to more with the LIM. When I switch from the A2 to the LIM I start moving my foot or head or body and feel more engaged in the music. When I switch back I like the added detail and depth, but feel less emotionally engaged.

    4
    My brain prefers the A2 but my heart prefers the LIM (I know it’s cheesy but it’s a thought I had). The A2 seems to engage my brain, while the LIM seems to engage my emotions more. Even when comparing them with the og Solaris iem which is not the most revealing headphone due to it’s BA drivers.

    5
    I decided to just listen to the LIM for a time without switching back and forth. After this, the LIM kind of has ruined the A2 for me. The A2’s timbre sounds artificial coming from the LIM while the LIM tone/timbre sounds pure and natural and effortless.

    6
    The A2 is more resolving and has more depth but the LIM has a better sense of clarity.

    7
    The A2 and LIM now both have the same sense of depth, I think the LIM just needed to warm up/ burn in. Eh, the A2 has a bit more depth still but it’s subtle. The A2 is still more resolving in the same way described above.

    8
    Now I understand what blackground sounds like. The A2 has a haze over everything compared to the LIM. I did not hear this AT ALL until comparing it to the LIM. Including when I compared the A2 to the 2541. With the LIM notes jump out of a blanker slate, clear with seemingly perfect timbre. The A2 is like looking at a painting from closer up so you can see more detail, but you have dirty glasses on. The A2 has actually gotten grating to me, like there is dirt/hash over the whole spectrum. Switching to the LIM, it sounds so muchcleaner with pure notes on a clean slate.

    9
    The A2 has more bass quantity. The bass is also richer and has more bloom and harmonic richness. The LIM has noticeably less bass quantity and is tighter or dryer (but it is not dry just not colored wet/rich). It will come down to the rest of your gear which you prefer here but I felt it was obvious that the LIM was the more accurate and true presentation due to the harmonic richness of the A2 as well as more quantity. The A2 also has more bloom and richness in the lower midrange. But the LIM does not sound thin or bass light at all. It sounds "right" and makes the A2 sound colored.

    10
    I’m now only listening to the LIM and only switch to the A2 to confirm that I want to switch back to the LIMbecause the A2’s timbre sounds artificial

    11
    I’m going to have to buy a LIM

    EDIT: These were my early impressions. Which changed after spending time with the LIM. Here is an update I posted later.

    So I wound up buying a LiM like an idiot.

    Update #1

    So far my impressions aren't as positive as they were of the loaner LIM. I''m missing the resolution of the A2, the LIM sounds like it lacks detail and Microdynamics and just smooths over too much of the little stuff. I do like the tone, but Im also not hearing the difference in background like I did with the loaner. It just sounds like less information. I hear this a little bit, the grayness of the A2 background in comparison. But it seems much more subtle.

    I still get the feeling of the LIM pulling at my emotions more than the A2. But when I'm listening to the LIM I feel like I'm missing things.


    Update #2

    I couldn't stand the "summing" affect of notes in the LIM. How it rounds off the "grit" or "plankton" into solid tones. Like too much noise reduction in photography. Really bothered me when I owned it. Not as bad as the 2541 that was awful to me. But still just not great for 2,500$ IMO. If it were priced at 1,500 I think it would be acceptable.

    The A2 is so much more resolving of information, and all that grit along the sides of notes that's turned Ito smooth surfaces on the LIM.

    I did enjoy the blacker background but unless I'm comparing them, I don't notice it on the A2.

    I also enjoyed the purity of tone, but the A2 has great tone too, just a little step behind and not worth the trade offs in the end for me.
     
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  3. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    @tommytakis Loaner Impresions copied from the other thread:

    [​IMG]
    Schiit Yggdrasil LiM Loaner Impressions:

    First of all, thank you Schiit and SBAF for organizing this tour. Always grateful for the opportunity that the community offers for its members!

    2 channel setup:
    Pi2AES > Rockna Wavelight > Tandberg 3006A > Fostex BK16
    Pi2AES > Schiit Yggdrasil LiM > Wavelight analog Pre > Tandberg 3006A > Fostex BK16
    Headphone rig:
    Pi2AES > Rockna Wavelight > EC Super 7 modded > ETA Genesis, Supra proto
    Pi2AES > Schiit Yggdrasil LiM > EC Super 7 modded > ETA Gen, Supra


    - I really dig the bifrost 2-like meaty, organic tone of the LiM and a tasteful bass boost. Somewhat reminiscent of OG gen's downslope FR tilt
    - clarity feels a bit hazy especially when I A/B between the Wavelight
    - Macrodynamics in the bass feels competent, but top-end regions feels a bit soft and too smoothed out. I want cymbals to hit with a lot of snap and liveliness and I feel that LiM might have overshot in terms of smoothening the sound
    - microdynamics is decent but I'm not sure if it's worth the 2k+ price tag. I think I prefer the A1 or GS in overall dynamics.
    - I think wavelight clearly outresolves LiM in both macrodetail and plankton, but not really a fair comparison since the price difference
    - Between speakers and headphones, I think I prefer LiM in headphones over 2 ch., not sure why. Maybe the organic tone is more seductive in headphones, idk haha
    - I think both Wavelight and LiM have their sins in timbre where WL can sound a bit hyper-realistic and emphasizes a bit in the uppermids while the LiM goes the other direction where instruments like piano sound a bit muted and muffled to me? I think I prefer WL's slightly overzealous take on it over the LiM, but if you're a fan of the organic tone of A2 and Bifrost 2, maybe this might be more up your alley. Which is more true/ more false, who tf knows? who cares really, just get the stuff that sounds good to your ears not blindly follow the hive mind or sound prophets.

    Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the weekend! Thanks again!
     
  4. internethandle

    internethandle Almost "Made"

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    [​IMG]

    Chain: TIDAL flacs --> USB nervosa (JCAT output card and SOtM tX-USBultra) --> Unison input --> LIM --> (XLR out) --> Bryston BHA-1 --> HD800

    Self-installed the LIM cards three weeks ago, have had the unit powered on that entire time.

    Tl;dr: me love blackground, plankton loss vs. A2 didn’t bother me but I missed the highs sparkle a bit before adjusting and can no longer hear the difference much, LIM’s timbre is cozy/correct/”euphonic” vs. A2, and the differences/delta vs. A2 overall are, indeed, not huge.

    Prior to purchasing a used Unison-equipped A2, I thought I had done my homework as much as possible (including reading through the old A2 impressions thread here) before transitioning from BF2. Still, even with that kind of preparation, I was surprised how much the A2 “greyground” bugged me, despite having read about it. The additional plankton was there, sure, and was nice, but the haze those details emerged from was more jarring than I was apparently able to steel myself for. Still, I spent about 8 months with the A2 between putting it in my system and getting the LIM cards, and whatever initial issues I had with the unit seemed to have mostly faded with tweaking and/or psychoacoustic adjustment/time. I’m usually a highs freak and the A2’s transient reproduction, especially with the leading edge of cymbals, really won me over, as well as its gains in staging and channel delineation vs. the BF2 (and, yes, the plankton), at least overall. I can’t say I was 100% happy, though - there was still something nagging at me that I wasn’t able to properly identify or articulate at the time, I just lived with it as it felt whatever it was was a bit of a case of audiophool nitpickery and objectively the chain sounded really great as a whole.

    After installing the LIM cards and firing up the unit, I waited about four hours before doing any preliminary listening. Right away, the thing I noticed most (and what I now conclude is something I’m apparently really sensitive to re: my sonic preferences!) was the blackground. As I intimated in the last paragraph, I had spent some time tweaking things to try and move the needle on the A2’s haze, but my first blush listen to the LIM made me realize that blackground really isn’t a thing you can fake. Not really, as least. You can make existing sonic characteristics sound “cleaner” or more easily parsed, which can fool the ear into hearing those characteristics as coming from a darker canvas, but it’s not really any blacker. My first listen to LIM, after eight months of A2, made A2 seem more constrained or sonically “tight.” LIM’s blackground breathed better, for lack of a better descriptor. This, coupled with LIM’s sort of laid back, unassuming and “correct” timbral character, let me ease into the music more. Rythymdevil’s head vs. heart observations would be another way of articulating this point. Another (maybe clunky and corny in this context, bear with me) metaphor kept coming up, one from a Zen teacher I heard speak once who spoke about Zen self-inquiry practice (“who am I?”/”what is this?”) as being kind of like encountering perceptions as arrows, and looking back down the nock of the arrow to the apparent void from where they came from. Similarly, it’s not as if LIM’s blackground lends sounds more stage depth or longer trails (A2 actually probably beats it on trails), and yet it’s still apparent that there’s more space out of the perceptual “void” for those sounds to emerge from. Feel free to eye roll there, I won’t be offended.

    Plankton -- personally, the losses here, whatever they may be, have not bothered me much. They are there, but the aforementioned blackground gains with LIM make A2 feel like it’s squeezing the detail out of the music for dear life. I would actually say that the thing I’ve had some difficulty adjusting to vs. A2, in a brain way, not a heart way, is not the plankton loss but any loss in the highs I’ve been able to hear. Those incisive and sharp transients, especially given, again, that I’m drawn to that sort of thing, I occasionally find myself wanting. I’ve adjusted, though, over these three weeks, and have difficulty hearing that loss in top-end sparkle or what have you very well anymore. Also, I’ve been surprised to find myself really, really enjoying the added bass articulation and cleanliness LIM brings. I have no idea where that comes from -- I usually could take or leave any aspect of bass reproduction -- but it’s been really fantastic to discover. Just when you think you know yourself, go figure.

    Timbre. A lot has been said about it already, but Marv really nailed it -- it’s “correct.” To marshal another corny metaphor, LIM’s engaging, full-bodied (“sonorous,” as another user put it well in the other thread) timbre feels more sonically “nutritious” than A2. Very difficult to explain. Even poorly recorded tracks bother me less with LIM. They still sound like ass, but I don’t find myself reaching for another track, at least not as quickly. I’m also “just listening to music” more as a result of LIM’s timbral coziness, to employ another descriptor that has been used to death across hifi reviews of all stripes, but it’s true! “Euphonic” is another word that comes to mind for me with LIM’s timbre, but I hesitate to use that word because I know it’s loaded for other audiophiles with connotations re: toobs or bloom. It’s not particularly toob-y or bloom-y (although I think the dark tilt that Marv speaks of in his review could fool some into thinking of it that way), but it definitely is “pleasing to the ear” to utilize the more rote, un-loaded, definition-bound sense of the word “euphony.”

    I feel like I should also throw in some caveats: The actual delta for these differences vs. A2 are, indeed, small. One of the other initial impressions I had of LIM that I have not yet mentioned, other than the ZOMG blackground stuff, was, as another user put it in the original thread, “yep, it’s an Yggdrasil.” The staging, slam, incisive nature, overall plankton extraction, etc., is very much in line with what I heard with A2 in a big picture sense. This isn’t night-and-day, and I really think we’re drifting into compulsion if we fool ourselves into believing it is. I made an attempt with the above impressions to stop myself when I found the text drifting into hyperbole with words like “big” or “huge” re: differences. It’s a sidegrade, and it becomes more of what you’d rather live with than without. Schiit (and Marv) did well to talk about those things and ground the audiophile tendency toward upgraditis in the real world.

    Happy to answer any questions. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
     
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  5. ohmaigulay

    ohmaigulay Friend

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    I signed up for the LIM loaner to compare it with my current A2 Yggdrasil.

    It was used exclusively on a Ascend Acoustics Sierra Tower stereo system with a OG Freya preamp and mono Vidar. Source was a Pi2AES.

    The three clearest differences I noticed while listening are the bass, blackness, and tone.

    The A2 definitely had more prodigious bass compared to LIM. However LIM’s bass itself still hit deep and hard. For majority of the rock music I listened to, from The Strokes to RHCP, the bass guitar and drums still had satisfying hits on the LIM. Where I preferred the A2 was bass on electronic music.

    I never really had issues with blackness with the A2. It took the LIM to point out the relative lack of it on the A2.

    To me the thought that came up often in my mind while listening to the LIM was that it was “pleasant.” It was really easy to listen to. It definitely is an Yggdrasil as others have mentioned. However I wasn’t as drawn to the music the way I was with the A2. The A2 through the ascends were more fun and engaging. I think this owes more to the A2 (along with my other gear) having more synergy towards the ascends than a deficiency in the LIM.

    Overall the LIM is a very competent DAC but for my preferences I’m sticking with the A2. Honestly both DACs are strong performers. If choosing between the two I’d see how they react in your own chain. I don’t see one or the other as an upgrade but more different flavors.

    Analogies: For F1 fans A2 = Senna/Verstappen LIM = Prost/current Hamilton in terms of driving styles.

    MotoGP might be closer A2 = Marquez/peak Stoner LIM = Peak Lorenzo/ Quartararo on his best days.

    Thank you to @schiit for the LIM loaner and @rhythmdevils for facilitating!
     
  6. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    ^Sorry to pry but which is peak Rossi shooting Stoner through the Laguna Seca corkscrew (down over the dirt)? Split the middle?
     
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  7. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Copy/pasta from the other thread:

    I wasn't able to listen to the loaner LIM as long as much as I would have liked due to some work emergencies requiring crazy hours on my end. I don't say that to mean I wasn't able to figure out its sound, but that I'm sad I couldn't listen to it more. l like it a lot!

    @purr1n can attest, I sent him a message along the lines of, "How does this sound both very weird and very good simultaneously?" I didn't mean "weird" in a bad way, more just that the LIM sounded unusual.

    Of all the DACs I've tried recently, whether ones I've owned, still own, or have had on loaner, the LIM stood out more as a unique entity when comparing directly to other DACs. It has a distinct sort of sound that most DACs simply don't (bass presentation and quality, slight dark tilt and midrange recession, superb timbre, almost 3D-like staging qualities, and so on).

    While I haven't gotten out my multimeter to confirm, I do think it has slightly lower gain than other 2V RMS DACs. I found myself wanting to dial things down about -0.2 to -0.3dB in Roon on other DACs to match its sense of loudness. While subtle, this can play a large role in how we perceive staging, layering, blackground, tone, and so on.

    Once I did some experiments there to triangulate where I thought the LIM really stood, I came away with the following thoughts:

    - Very slight dark tilt overall, but with a mild boost in the upper-treble relative to the downward slope. It is still overall a slightly dark sounding DAC (i.e. this treble boost is only relative to preceding frequencies), to the point I wondered if it was actually running at 8X oversampling. Sounds more like 2X or 4X. But the little bit of extra brilliance in the upper-treble gives hints that it is indeed 8X OS. Still, it took me a while to pick up on this aspect of the treble.

    - The sense of relaxed upper-mids/lower-treble contribute to it sounding clean and tight-knit. Less grain or dirt, so to speak. This also gives it a nice sense of blackground. Couple that with a bit of a return in the upper-treble and you get a very controlled, tight sound.

    - Bass is clean, with great pitch and texture delineation, and has the right amount of thump. Never sounds like it's faking it through boosted upper-bass.

    - Slightly wide, slightly relaxed stage makes it easier to place individual elements. Has a sort of wrap-around sound on headphones and less of a 2D picture feel.

    - Pretty much zero timbre issues. It's that near-perfect balance of clarity, sharpness, speed, and control, along with the tone, that make it easy to listen to without resorting to lower oversampling rates or other unorthodox design choices (well, save for the chips used in question, at least on paper).

    - I think it trades a little bit of resolution in the midrange for superb, balanced performance in the bass and treble. But rather than make it sound like it's missing something in the mids, it just sounds more relaxed there (see other notes on how this can affect the overall sound).

    - It sounds a LOT like my later-iteration, first-gen Bifrost MB with I/V and servo opamps replaced with the OPA2156. It took very close listening on specific tracks to pick out the differences. Even then, it was more about refinement...think going from high to ultra settings on a modern PC game. A little bit bigger, a little bit harder hitting, a little bit tighter and richer sounding, slightly less bloom and/or slightly more clarity, etc.

    - I could see folks that enjoy non-oversampling DACs enjoying this. It has the sort of feel you get on a NOS or 2X DAC up until the upper-treble, at which point it picks up just enough to give you the extra definition and resolution without sacrificing the overall rich tone and smooth timbre. (I'd wager more people are bothered by slight problems in the upper-mids/lower-treble than they are the upper-treble, so it works.)

    - It sounds fairly muted on the top-end until a day or two of playback. Even then, most DACs will make it sound slightly muted in direct comparison. It takes a bit of careful listening to pick up on what the LIM is putting out.

    - I did not find USB to be nearly as offensive on this as I did the Bifrost 2 I heard. It doesn't turn it into absolute flat mud. Maybe that BF2 was messed up. It's still a little more relaxed than SPDIF, but in a way that kind of expands on the LIM's unique traits without necessarily hindering its overall performance.

    - The BF2 otherwise had some very similar things going on. I think a large part of this comes down to the LME49724 used in both. I found the BF2 to be a little bit more U-shaped sounding overall, or perhaps it just didn't have the dark tilt to the sound.

    - The LIM's blackground reminds me more of the original Holo Spring DAC or the Soekris 1541 (which, no the 2541 did not have the 1541's blackground).

    - Similarly, at one point I thought to myself that it sounded like a Metrum Pavane or Adagio, with DAC TWO modules, but with 2-4X Schiit MB oversampling. Note that this is a compliment.

    Side note, I found "Running Low" from Leprous to be a surprisingly good song that highlighted the LIM's strengths relative to other DACs. In particular, listen closely to the vocals in the quieter sections. The LIM is particularly good at making his voice sound more enunciated in a natural way. In general, it's a track that helped me differentiate DACs much more than I've have expected.

    Definitely up there in terms of most impressive pieces of gear I've heard in a long while. Would love to own one, but I just don't (and can't) spend frivolously on audio like I used to. :)
     
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  8. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    It is really hard to follow @Hands on a review because I think he nailed it as I always thinks he nails the sound. I will try though as I will already agree with certain points:
    • Slight dark slope
    • Good background
    • Good 3D presentation
    • Slight boost in upper treble (more on this later)
    The Gear:
    • Amps - Ragnarok and Black Widow
    • Headphones - HD650/600, PMx2
    • Source - Metrum Ambre -> Coax
    20211224_100543.jpg

    I was surprised at how far I have come in this hobby after upgrading after upgrading to land where I am at and have two DAC’s sitting here designed by the same person that are so close together in sound. My trusty Theta DS Pro Basic II with it’s PCM67 hybrid chips is still just a touch darker, but the presentation was really close to the same. And to think this vintage DAC at the price and how long it has been around and to be even mentioned was just astounding to me. Although, I believe the similar sound has to do with a few things: 1) same designer, 2) same filter, 3) same manufacturer of DAC chip, 4) op amp output.

    Now I know the above statement was kind of a nod to Theta, but let me say, the Ygsdrasil beat it by a factor of one in almost every category. The LiM was cleaner, less murky, and the Theta was just a bit more dynamic and had a more natural and organic tone.

    Both DAC’s had the same similar 3D presentation, but what the LiM has on top end air and detail edges out just a tad, but gives it up on overall dynamic slam. Sometimes I felt the air was just a slight bit compressed and a touch grainy, yet things remained smooth on the Theta, yet also a touch more murky. The LiM did remind me of the Gumblefreya outs, but with more clarity and smoothness. If there ever was an analog sounding effortless DAC, here it is.

    20220103_125535.jpg
    (Note: Rag is off. And sitting next to Black Widow to the left is my freshly DIY built Sigma 22 PSU for the BW1.)

    The unbalanced output on the LiM was actually a notch below the Theta. Which did not surprise me. Unbalanced is kind of closer to the modded Modi MB and felt even more compressed in nature and not quite as dynamic. Just not as full sounding on both ends of the spectrum. Balanced is the way to go on LiM for sure.

    Overall the LiM retains the musical qualities without all the clinical nature and you still feel like you are getting all the details. Those with Holo or A2’s who want all that clinical plankton might be underwhelmed. I think it strikes a balance between vintage DACs and modern DACs that have that vintage multibit thing going on and 3D holographic and smooth nature, while also having some modern clarity without being too dark or soupy and retaining a warm but open and effortless sound. Certainly worth the price to me.
     
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  9. Ziva

    Ziva Friend

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    Thanks very much for allowing me to participate in this loaner. Thanks to @rhythmdevils for organizing everything and to Schiit for providing the LIM. I’m not skilled at writing impressions, but I hope these help.

    These days, I listen to digital music almost exclusively from the Pi2aes to Yggdrasil A1 to EC Studio B (WE 396a and EH 300b) to Moth Cicada speakers (best $600 I’ve ever spent in this hobby). I listen at what most people consider low (or very low) levels. I joined the loaner largely to compare the LIM to the A1.

    Before I get into specific impressions: 1) I agree with those who have said the LIM benefits from being turned on for a few days. It was “fine” within a few hours, but I felt it got better after a few days. My initial use case had a synergy issue, which could have made the warmup improvements more evident 2) The blackground stands out immediately, with little warmup, and it can be addicting.

    I think the LIM does some things better and some things worse than the A1 with the Studio B and is more of a sidegrade overall. The LIM + Studio B sometimes felt like too much of a good thing. I liked that the LIM had a little more depth and instrument layering, as well as a bit more detail. The blackground definitely contributes to this. By comparison, the original comes off as a bit flat or two dimensional, on occasion. Separately, I agree with the others who said the LIM’s tone seems really “right” - it’s natural, almost effortless. The problem was that with the Studio B, the LIM’s edges seemed slightly rounded off. The Studio B can be a bit euphonic, and together, on the wrong tracks, it feels like too much of a good thing (thick, with not quite enough extension, like eating duck fat poutine). The A1 cuts through the thicker tone of the Studio B a bit better on some tracks. Some songs sounded better with each DAC, with each highlighting deficiencies in the other. As a side note, in some cases, the LIM vocals were a bit too euphonic with the Studio B. In others, they were a bit recessed. But when the stars aligned (I wish I could isolate why), they were more “right” than the somewhat two dimensional A1.

    I was a bit bummed listening to the LIM with the Studio B, and I was going to stop there, but I happen to have an EC AF that I couldn’t bring myself to sell (I’m sentimental). I hooked up the AF (WE396a, EML 2a3) to the Moth Cicadas in the same chain, using the balanced output from both DACs (I don’t have a balanced input on the Studio B). And wow: the LIM was clearly better than the A1 in this setup. The background and detail of the LIM matched very well with the AF’s clarity. I could not hear the LIM’s rounded edges on the AF like I did with the Studio B. The A1 can be a little strident with the AF, but the LIM never was. The LIM was equal to or better (@purr1n’s excellent bar graph, except plankton sounded equal to me) than the A1 in all the areas I could hear (5-10% better), and the original is no slouch.

    I wish I had more time for detailed impressions with the LIM and the AF, but I spent too much time with the Studio B. I still haven’t heard the A2, so unfortunately I can’t compare it, but I was very surprised to find that I liked the LIM and AF combination more than the Studio B with either the A1 or LIM. I know it’s cliche, but synergy matters. Now I’ve got some tough decisions to make…

    If you own an AF, you really should try to hear it with the LIM.
     
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  10. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    Copy/Paste from the other thread
    ---------------
    This is the first time I’ve ever put ears on a Yggdrasil, so I was really looking forward to my spot in the tour (thanks @rhythmdevils for coordinating, and Schiit for providing).

    Anner Bylsma Prélude to Bach’s Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major
    The 5 Browns Malagueña from Andalucia Suite
    Pamela Frank/Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra Mozart’s Serenade No. 7 for orchestra in D major
    John Williams/John Etheridge Extra Time for 2 Guitars
    Duplessy & The Violins of the World Kung Fu
    Kaki King Ingots
    The Beatles Norwegian Wood
    Eagles Hotel California (from Hell Freezes Over)
    Carl Anderson Heaven on their Minds
    James Brown It’s a New Day, Pts. 1-2
    Earth Wind & Fire Shining Star
    Los Lonely Boys I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love (Live at Blue Cat Blues)
    Tool Chocolate Chip Trip
    Daft Punk Giorgio by Moroder
    Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama Take My Hand
    Horace Silver Quintet Finger Poppin’
    Maynard Ferguson Birdland
    Phil Woods Rain Dance (Live from the Showboat)
    Bill Evans Trio Detour Ahead [Take 2]
    Ray Charles/Count Basie Orchestra Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
    Macy Gray Redemption Song
    Joni Mitchell California

    Pi2AES -> BNC -> Bifrost 2 -> A&S Mogwai SEv2 -> Audeze LCD-X (Roon LCD-X 2021 preset)
    USBridge Sig -> USB -> LIM -> A&S Mogwai SEv2 -> Audeze LCD-X (Roon LCD-X 2021 preset)

    My Walnut is temporarily with @atomicbob, so I’ve been using my Bifrost2 as a short-term stand-in. I have always enjoyed the BF2 and think it is a standout mid-tier DAC that is a little dark with the A&S, but otherwise an acceptable pairing.

    I plugged the LIM in and… wow. This sounds light years betterer than the BF2. The LIM is wider, has a more focused image/placement of instruments (best examples Chocolate Chip Trip and Hotel California), moar detail (every dang track), and really highlights the BF2 darkness and the comparatively rolled off BF2 treble (examples include cymbals in Finger Poppin’ and the ambient room sounds in Detour Ahead). The bass quantity of the DACs was similar, but the LIM was tighter with more texture (Hotel California). I expected the LIM to be an improvement, but I didn’t expect such a stark difference.


    Pi2AES -> AES -> Spring2 KTE / LIM -> EC Studio B / ECP 3F -> Auteur (Cocobolo w/ Eikon Lamb)
    The Spring2 was picked up from @Ksorota about a month ago and has been temporarily at my office until I can get a LR remodel done – at which point it and the Studio B will become a 2-channel rig at home. I really haven’t had much chance to compare the Spring to anything else yet, and wasn’t sure what to expect side-by-side with the LIM.

    My office setup runs HQPlayer embedded on the Pi, upsampling Qobuz to 176/192 to the Spring. To keep things apples to apples, I gave the LIM the same feed (I'm not sure how this impacts the LIM’s sound).

    • Studio B - Before the Spring2, I was pretty disappointed with the Studio B... I had tried pairing it with multiple DACS (BF2, Amethyst, SFD-1) and thought it was a pretty boring listen, but it comes absolutely alive with the Spring2. To my ears it was an ideal pairing that would be pretty hard to live up to.
    To be brief... I would never be able to tell the two DACs apart when listening on the Studio. To my ears, the LIM and Spring2 sounded identical in every way. I actually checked the Studio inputs multiple times just to make sure which input held which DAC.​

    • 3F - The 3F is normally paired with my SFD-1, but I had wanted to try the Spring with it and this proved to be the ideal opportunity. Both were an outstanding pairing with the 3F and really highlighted how much detail the SFD-1 leaves on the table. The LIM sounded as if it might have an ever so slightly wider stage and the Spring might have sounded ever so slightly brighter on certain tracks… but this could just have easily been placebo. I’d need much more time with each to be sure.

    Conclusion
    I really, really, really like the LIM. Had I not picked up the Spring2 last month, then the LIM would definitely be on my shopping list (and still might end up on my shopping list after I sell off some things I'm just not using anymore).
     
  11. ilikebananafudge_

    ilikebananafudge_ Friend

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    @dasman66 Does your 3F have the Nickel or Amorphous transformers?
     
  12. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    nickel
     
  13. scblock

    scblock Friend

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    Impressions copied from my original post on the main LIM thread, as requested.

    Thanks to all who made this loaner possible. I've considered the Yggdrasil (in different forms) a few times over the years but the price and size always got to me, and the feeling that it was probably overkill for my relatively modest system. I'm grateful for the chance to listen to this recent version in my 2-channel setup. It'll be a lot easier to make a decision in the future.

    I made all comparisons on my main 2-channel stereo, with consistent equipment from the preamp on: Schiit Saga (OG), Russian Tung-Sol tube, Schiit Vidar, Vandersteen 2c speakers. My primary comparison was to the Schiit Bifrost Multibit from a late run of that DAC. So we're comparing an older "lower end" 16 bit multibit DAC to a new "TOTL" 16 bit multibit dac in a much larger form factor. Since my entire 2-channel system is single ended, all comparisons are based on the SE outputs from the Yggdrasil LIM.

    I didn't make any specific attempt to level match, and most of my listening was in extended (30+ minute) sessions rather than rapid back and forth. I listened at my typical levels, which are about 70-80 dB. Input to both DACs was coax SPDIF from a HifiBerry Digi+ Pro fed by Roon (still waiting on that Pi2AES).

    After listening to the Yggdrasil LIM and the Bifrost Multibit over the course of a few nights, I have just a few significant observations. My first and still primary impression was of a DAC that was like the Bifrost, but "more good" at everything; more engaging, more texture, more fun. I noted better macrodynamics and more bass slam, but still with that natural feeling and tonal balance I hear with the Bifrost Multibit. I also noted a slightly blacker background and better imaging than the older DAC.

    It isn't night and day better, but in total the Yggdrasil LIM improves on the Bifrost Multibit in the ways that matter to me. At the same time, I'm relieved that the differences aren't so great that I feel like the DAC I already own is now bad.
    Since I haven't heard any other variant of the Yggdrasil (A1, A2/OG, etc.) I couldn't say how much of the difference I hear can be assigned to the bigger and more sophisticated power supply in the Yggdrasil, how much to the set of TI DAC8812 16-bit DACs over the single AD5547 16-bit DAC in the Bifrost Multibit, or really how much to the better output stage on the DAC board.

    On to non-sound aspeects. On size, the Yggdrasil is large, too large for a desktop setup. But for a 2-channel setup it's fine. It's pretty much the same size as any standard stereo component from the old days, including my CD player, cassette deck, or older Parasound amp and preamp. It dwarfs the Saga and Vidar though. The LIM got only slightly warm over the course of several days. Power switch on the back is no big deal, as I would leave a DAC like this on all the time anyways. I do wish Schiit would update the overall Yggdrasil line to support remote control like they did for the Bifrost 2. I don't know how hard that would be, but I also don't think there's a need for such a quality of life change to wait for a mythical completely redesigned "Yggdrasil 2" either.​
     
  14. Ksorota

    Ksorota Friend

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    LIM Loaner:

    I have to concede I didn’t want to like the Yggdrasil LIM as much as I did, but also was not surprised that the mighty modi mb wasn’t up to the task of taking it down.

    Short story…the Yggdrasil LIM is a great DAC and is deserving of all its praise.

    In direct comparison with the opamp modded modi multibit, the LIM absolutely crushes the modi in stage depth, layering and resolution. The biggest gain in using the LIM was the sense of breath that it provided. Though the DAC is rich and enveloping, it also has a sense of ease and flow that now makes the Modi sound restrained or uptight. I am nearly certain it comes down to the darker more spacious blackground of the Yggdrasil LIM. I had the LIM hidden on a shelf for the whole time listening and could not help but think that it was perfect hidden away, effortlessly converting 1 and 0s into organic sound. Thed LIM is absolutely something that I would like to replace my other gear with. A purchase is on hold for the time being as I have recently purchased a few ECP DACs, and I have to sort through them first!

    I look forward to adding an Yggdrasil to my setup, but also want to hear the A1/A2, and maybe start with one of those before moving up to the LIM. It is certainly one of my audio journeys goals at the moment.

    All listening was done using M1 Mac mini > LIM > ECP Black Diamon proto > ESX900
    Spent the week basically just listening to this setup, not swapping in the modi until near the end
     
  15. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    YGGDRASIL LIM vs HOLO SPRING 3 KTE

    Magnavox CDB650 CD transport + USB from computer ---> Schiit Yggdrasil LIM + Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE (USB + AES input via BNC to AES adapter.... SE output used on both) ---> Eddie Current ZDSE ---> Focal Utopia + Focal Clear + Sennheiser HD650 KISS Modded

    I've been lucky enough to have both the Yggdrasil LIM and Holo Spring 3 KTE loaners at the same time. Both of these DACs have been on my radar as my potential next DAC purchase and I'm very thankful to this community for the opportunity to try and compare them both.

    Let me start out by saying I have a long history with Schiit DACs so have an immediate bias, but for good reason. I started my headphone journey with them after buying a Magni/Modi combo back in 2014 or so, and eventually worked my way up to a modi multibit, Bifrost 4490, Gungnir Multibit A1, Bifrost 2, and eventually an A2 Gungnir and A2 Yggdrasil. All of these DACs have been amazing in one way or another, but the Yggdrasil blew me away more than any of them. In fact, to this day the Yggdrasil A2 may be the most impressive piece of gear I've heard outside my old Eddie Current 445 and current ZDSE.

    The Yggdrasil is just beyond words in its ability to portray a realistic and pleasing soundscape. Doubly so with classical music. My only gripes with the Yggdrasil A2 was the long warmup time (yes, I noticed continuous changes until it settled after 3 weeks of being left on), and gimped single ended outputs.

    The LIM was supposed to solve all these problems as well as present a blacker background, so you can imagine how excited I was to receive this loaner.

    NOS is the wild card in this situation because I don't have a ton of experience with it. NOS DACs have become all the rage lately, and I had to know what all the fuss was about. @Erroneous was nice enough to loan me his modded MHDT Paradisea+, a very nice implementation of NOS I've come to realize, but decidedly mid-fi and not enough DAC for my ZDSE longterm. Hence my interest in exploring the NOS sound in better implementations via the Holo Spring 3 KTE and seeing if it can seduce me away from the Schiit camp.

    Both of these DACs are extremely competitive. They take the sound of the ZDSE up a major notch, creating a very enticing and at times, magical listening experience. But they are also different in how they present music.

    But before we get to the sound, let's talk looks and functionality. I mean, these are very different design philosophies in not only sound but looks. On the surface, the Holo just looks cooler because there is more going on... more functionality. And I really like the bronze on black aesthetic. It is a much more modern looking piece of gear. But I still really like the give no fucks, utilitarian, iconoclastic look of Schiit gear. The Holo will satisfy those after a more "lifestyle" looking piece of gear... not meant as an insult, but it is what it is. The Yggdrasil has its own thing going on and I still like it. I honestly don't prefer one to the other in the looks department as they are both very visually pleasing. In fact, they each kind of visually reinforce their sound philosophies. Modern vs. classic. I do like that the Holo comes with a remote though and has more input and sampling rate options.

    On the Yggdrasil single ended and XLR sounded 99% identical. The Holo's SE sounded slightly worse than XLR, but did not sound gimped. I also felt Unison was better implemented than whatever USB the Holo was using... not bad at all, but Unison is just that good.

    Upon first being switched on, both DACs sounded pretty good. The Yggdrasil kind of congested and the Holo a little bright and edgy but both listenable. The LIM settled after 24 hours and I didn't detect any changes after that, something I was very happy about, as I'm used to longer warm up times with the TOTL Schiit DACs. The Holo on the other hand didn't sound great to me until day 6, when it finally seemed to settle... before that it was shouty and lacking nuance. I was actually close to writing it off, as the LIM was clearly superior in every way during those 6 days, but I'm happy to report it did settle after about a week and became more competitive.

    The Holo is the more vivid of the two. It is a more "showy" sounding DAC, with cleaner/sharper leading edges, richer, more colorful overtones and ultimately a more "hi-fi" tuning. That's going to be some people's thing and other people's deal breaker. The Yggdrasil was more "normal" sounding (not to be confused with boring), in the sense that it does not call attention to itself... I found it to be more even handed in its delivery of musical information (by a significant margin) and more "mature" sounding overall... as if one is designed by an up and coming ace technical genius eager to show off (this is not an insult btw), and the other designed by an older wise sage, who has seen it all and is tired of drama and just wants to get back to basics (guess which DAC designer is which). Both approaches are completely worthy of consideration and it's going to come down to priorities for people looking to up their DAC game (or simplify it).

    Blackground was truly impressive on the Holo, blackest I've heard but with no "black hole sucking in plankton" effect I've heard with other blackground inducing gear. Yggdrasil is close, and has a noticeably blacker background than the A2, but slightly falls short of the Holo. Honestly, I'm not too bothered by the whole blackground thing unless the greyness is truly distracting and so far it hasn't been with any DAC I've heard. But I do appreciate the darker backgrounds since they seem to allow the music to "pop" more... this is doubly so on the Holo.

    The major takeaway in this comparison is that the Yggdrasil seems to resolve noticeably more musical information, the stuff buried under the surface of notes. The Holo has brighter overtones, a kind of "hi-fi sheen" to the sound that pushes everything to the forefront. The Yggdrasil is more nuanced in that there are more layers to notes.... soft notes have a more gradual progression to bigger notes, leading to crescendos which are more impactful since there is more contrast between sounds... the ebbs and flows of a track more faithfully reproduced. The Holo seems to place a little more emphasis on everything both big and small to the point where the intensity and velocity of notes was a little too similar to sound totally realistic to me... a more vivid/surreal approach to music, which some may like. Reminds me of Convert 2. The Holo is more nuanced than the Convert 2, but it has the same kind of aggressive overtly macro bias I heard with that DAC. The Holo is also very good at highlighting specific musical moments and making them distinct. Like the rattle of a tambourine or the sizzle of an electronic note. As a result, the entire soundscape becomes more "exciting", as if one is watching a digitally shot 3-D movie. Yggdrasil is more 70mm film with its liquid grainy textures and endlessly nuanced layers.

    All this was subtle but noticeable on the gear I was using... really most stuff involving DACs is subtle, but these subtleties can completely color a listening experience so it's important to address it. Reviews are always going to magnify issues out of proportion though, relative to what is ultimately going to be someone's DAC listening in isolation... where there are just enjoying the gear they're using. In isolation, the Holo is an insanely compelling piece of gear... the blackground was actually incredible to witness... sounds just emanating from nothing... there is also a ton of resolution, competitive with Yggdrasil, with noticeably better clarity and bass slam than the LIM (which is no slouch). So my seemingly backhanded compliments like "3D" and "hi-fi" with regard to the Holo should be taken with a grain of salt. But I heard more plankton and spatial cues on the Yggdrasil... the fine grit of a violin was more audibly rendered... voices sounded more fleshed out and the Yggdrasil was slightly thicker overall, with a more organic sound, but not unrealistic in any way. Piano especially sounded strikingly better on Yggdrasil.

    Staging is kind of a non issue since I was using headphones, but even still, The Holo had a deeper stage, with more air between notes, giving the impression of a larger stage, but they were too close to call one better or more accurate.

    The Yggdrasil ultimately revealed itself as more magical and beguiling, having the ability to maintain a level of engagement that was extremely satisfying... it has this impressive liquid smoothness without anything being goo-ified or truncated. While remaining very clear and distinct. It just sounded much closer to live music, like most of the Schiit multibit DACs, but this one feeling more even tempered. The Spring on the other hand, while exciting and grand, seemed a bit more "gimmicky" for lack of a better term, in its presentation... having a "vivid mode" quality. The Yggdrasil was much more of a chameleon.

    With the Yggdrasil LIM it just felt like I was always hearing what the musician intended. The Holo seemed to have its own interpretation of music, perfectly valid for those who are into that interpretation which is exciting and dazzling. And I do think it is absolutely worth auditioning the Holo to come to your own conclusions here. It is a worthy piece of gear.

    Pricing has to be taken into account here, since the Spring 3 is more expensive than the Yggdrasil, but I felt the Yggdrasil was the better performing DAC on a technical level. Emotionally it's going to come down to the subjective feelings of the listener, but Yggdrasil was more emotionally engaging to me. On the other hand, the Holo's greater feature set (NOS/OS/DSD/I2S, etc) may make up the difference, so it's going to come down to what people are after. Anyone running CD transports or simple USB without the need for a bunch of extras and who are not into hi-fi/vivid-mode tuning should seriously look at the Yggdrasil LIM. Anyone looking for all the bells and whistles and likes a kind of amped up presentation would be wise to seriously consider the Spring 3.

    That said, a choice must be made and I've chosen the Yggdrasil LIM as my next DAC purchase. It's just a crazy, extraordinary piece of gear I can't pass up the opportunity to have in my system.

    NOTE: My thoughts about the Holo were consistent over NOS/44.1 Redbook and NOS/upsampling 44.1 redbook to 8x, 16x rates as well as DSD. The upsampled material fared slightly better but the issues remained consistent regardless.
     
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    Last edited: Mar 19, 2022
  16. Mindbender

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    @ColtMrFire - Excellent review with great observations of both units.

    As a YggA2 owner myself, I'm dying to know what your observations are between the LIM and the A2 (as I'm sure other A2 owners are as well). What are the differences between the two Yggdrasil DAC's and what is your preference (which I'm seeing is the LIM, if you're ordering it)?

    Again, excellent review with great descriptions. Thanks!
     
  17. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Hey thanks!

    Hmm, well when I had the A2 it was with the Bryson BHA-1, so the ZDSE is a very different amp so it's not a 1 to 1 comparison. They are probably more similar than different but I remember the A2 being thicker and less clean and more outright exciting. The LIM has extraordinary timbre though and the ability to let you focus more on the music and less on the wow factor. But I'd love to compare them both on the ZDSE.
     
  18. MLegend

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    Thank you Schiit, SBAF, & rhythmdevils for this loaner tour, it was very informative and enjoyable to hear this DAC and read all of the impressions from the other members.

    The equipment that I used for listening/comparing - Win 10 pc, HT Omega Fenix S/PDIF soundcard, Gungnir MB A2, Schiit Mjolnir 1, & HD650 headphones.

    To clarify, the S/PDIF soundcard does not work with any Yggdrasil DAC that I've tried using it with. I've tried two different Yggdrasil OG units, thinking that one had a bad input board, and now a new LIM unit without success. I'm not entirely sure what could be the cause, but because of this, I could only use Unison USB on the LIM DAC. It's not an entirely fair comparison, but I did the best I could with what I had.

    Tonally speaking, this was a relatively easy comparison. However, when it came to technicalities, this was a difficult comparison.

    The following are notes I wrote down while listening during the duration of my time with the LIM DAC. I'm still all that familiar with technical terms, so if they are incorrectly used here then please just ignore them.

    LIM Unison - slight clarity improvement, noticeable contrast improvement (blackground?) makes instruments/vocals stand out more from background ambiance, Balanced/natural-sounding, tone simply sounds correct (nothing stands out or is too aggressive), images are larger, but more diffuse/less precise. The soundstage is more intimate and less expansive than I expected compared to Yggdrasil OG. The soundstage is similar to Gungnir A2, making it difficult to detect differences with depth or total size. LIM seems to have a slightly larger stage size with more possible depth, however, it's presented in a more upfront/intimate manner which gives you a more 3D layered stage.

    Gungnir MB A2 Fenix BNC - Maybe more microdetail (plankton?). It could honestly be a toss-up. Effects on instruments & vocals stand out more, but room reverb/decay is more full and present on LIM. More defined sub-bass attacks (each hit of a double bass pedal is conveyed more precisely), tighter bass and sound in general, images are smaller, but more pinpoint and precise (small position changes of a moving image are noticeable), thinner less full-bodied tone due to midrange emphasis and less midbass, Mid-range emphasis adds sharpness which can work by adding clarity to some tracks but can also give the sound an artificial brightness and harshness that causes fatigue.

    Honestly, some of the technical differences I noticed with the Gungnir (Sub-bass attacks, tighter bass/sound, & more precise imaging) could simply be the difference between USB and S/PDIF and not the DACs. The only technicality that I consistently noticed was better with the LIM was the contrast/vibrancy. Everything just stood out from the background and popped more. I have a Plasma tv in my living room that I watch movies on but mainly use an IPS monitor for everything else. Switching between the two displays is a similar experience to how I perceived the contrast between these two DACs.

    Regarding dynamics between the two DACs, I could not detect any differences between the two. I think this is due to the Mjolnir being more of a fun/slammy amp rather than prioritizing nuances and absolute resolution. That or these two DACs could really just be on the same level, regarding dynamics, which isn't a bad thing because they're still good.

    However, when it comes to tonality, for me, the LIM is the clear winner. It might not be considered "neutral", but it's definitely the most natural-sounding DAC that I've heard.

    Due to the balanced/natural tone combined with the clarity and contrast, listening to this DAC continuously made me lose interest in paying attention to any technical proficiencies or deficiencies or switching to the Gungnir to compare. It just sounds so natural to me that the more I listened to it the less I cared about technicalities. Reminds me of listening to my cd player as a kid with the included earphones and just enjoying the music with blissful ignorance.

    I wish my S/PDIF card worked with the LIM because if that were the case then I would most likely sell my Gungnir and Yggdrasil OG to buy the LIM.

    The Schiit Yggdrasil LIM is a fantastic piece of gear and should definitely be heard by anyone who is looking for an all-rounder DAC.
     
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  19. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Did your Gungnir not have unison?
     
  20. MLegend

    MLegend Friend

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    @ColtMrFire It does not. It's one of the early A2 units, so it has the Gen 5 USB. After comparing Gen 5 to the S/PDIF soundcard a while ago, I preferred the S/PDIF card. So I only use the soundcard now.
     

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