Gungnir Multibit Loaner

Discussion in 'Closed Loaners' started by purr1n, Oct 31, 2015.

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  1. nedifer

    nedifer Facebook Friend

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    It worked beautifully with my single ended gear.

    @sphinxvc : I shipped it out 2nd day air today from a UPS Store, but they then told me that it won't actually go out until Monday with a delivery date of 12/24. So though I sent it early, it will unfortunately arrive with @The Alchemist late.

    This is my mistake as, by the time I got to the UPS Store, it was late enough in the day that I couldn't take it elsewhere. I'm sorry about that. I hope that The Alchemist will have enough time to enjoy it.
     
  2. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Noted, nedifer. @Original Ken, since you only need Gungnir Multibit for a few days, I pushed the dates forward for The Alchemist at his request. Hope the below works for you. If not, let us know - thanks.

    @The Alchemist, dec 24-jan 3
    @Original Ken, jan 5-jan 8
    @Hands, jan 10-28
     
  3. Original Ken

    Original Ken Friend

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    A couple of things:

    * Jan 3 is a Sunday

    * @The Alchemist is in Ohio and I am in California. So how long it takes may depend on the shipping service. BTW - people have varying experiences, but I have had a number of items destroyed by UPS - they seems to be the hardest on packages. Most headphone traders/loaners like the use Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate box, but this seems larger, I'm hoping that it fits the "Large Flat Rate Box".
     
  4. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    @Original Ken - I doubt that it will fit given the styrofoam blocks that were in there. I noticed that the 3rd was a Sunday, non-post offices should still be open though.

    For PO, how about we say @The Alchemist will ship out on Saturday the 2nd.
     
  5. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    The Gungnir Multibit arrived today ( a day early) so the 2nd should be fine, maybe even the 31st.

    @Original Ken - I was hoping it would fit in a Large Flat Rate box as well, however as @sphinxvc 's pointed out, the large Styrofoam blocks in there makes it too big. I've noticed most have shipped it in the Schiit box itself and the box is still in good shape. Even without shipping flat rate, 2-day USPS priority mail insured seems to be the best route.
     
  6. Original Ken

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    @The Alchemist Are you referring to styrofoam blocks inside the original Schiit shipping box? (The original box and its packing material should be retained.) If the original Schiit box does not fit inside a "Large Flat Rate" box, then I agree that 2-day Priority Insured is the best method.
     
  7. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    hey @Original Ken , Yes, the original shipping box will not fit inside a Large Flat Rate box unfortunately. But the Schiit box and original packing is in great shape.
     
  8. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    You guys already know you're not obligated to share any impressions, but personally I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the Gungnir Multibit. @nedifer? @The Alchemist, anyone else?
     
  9. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    @sphinxvc - of course! I've only had an hour to listen to it since I received it yesterday, things so hectic, but I can tell you "WoW"!! Yeah that doesn't explain much, but there was an immediate difference between the Bifrost and Gungnir Multibit, not something I had to go looking for, it was pretty apparent. I'll write more in-depth later when I have a little more time with it.
     
  10. Original Ken

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    Is that Multibit Bifrost or one of the delta-sigma Bifrosts ?
     
  11. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    Bifrost Uber (not multibit)
     
  12. Original Ken

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    @The Alchemist has shipped to me, thanks.

    Can I get a confirmation that @Hands is the next to receive the Gungnir Multibit Loaner? I'll message him as well.

    I'm planning on shipping Friday, Jan 8th.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2016
  13. Original Ken

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    @Hands has replied to my message, indicating that he is ready to receive the Gungnir Multibit next week, so I will ship it to him unless there is a change.
     
  14. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Cool, everything seems to be going along as planned. Thank you TA for adjusting shipping speed to keep things on schedule. I've been following this here and through PMs as well; traveling a bit till Jan 18th so may be a little slower to respond than usual.
     
  15. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    No Problem, I wanted to make sure Ken could have as much time as he could with the Gungnir Multibit, and wanted to keep things on schedule for the other members waiting for the loaner. And as always, we appreciate your hard work in organizing and keeping track of these loaners, thank you!
     
  16. Original Ken

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    [The following is entirely subjective and may not match your own perceptions - everyone's ears are physically different and everyone's system is different. So it is just my own impressions.]

    First set of comparisons - with speakers.

    This morning I went through my test tracks again with the Bifrost Multibit. It actually sounded better than I remembered from my last test which was a few days after receiving it back with the upgrade. My deduction is that the Bifrost Multibit has the same long-term slow burn-in changes as the original Bifrost.

    I then swapped it for the Gungnir Multibit which arrived late this morning. I played it with some previously unheard material during the day in order to warm it up for longer than Mike's suggested 4 hours.

    This evening I went through my test tracks again. My impression:

    * On 24-bit material, the Gungnir sometimes reveals additional low level detail (or the same detail a little more clearly). Brass was particularly realistic.
    * On 16-bit material, the two Multibit DACs are very close. On occasion, the Gungnir would reveal additional detail. On other material, little difference.
    * In my system, the two DACs have a different tonal emphasis. The Gungnir is brighter and also has a little more emphasis in the midrange slightly below the middle. The Bifrost has - in my system - a more even treble and more emphais of a lower portion of the midrange bordering the bass. This made the Bifrost slightly preferable on some disks - such as the Griller String Quartet.

    In balance, my impression is that the above is due to two factors - the additional 2 bits of resolution on 24-bit material in the Gungnir, and the discrete analog output in the Gungnir. The latter gives the Gungnir the same sort of "audio salon sound" as the Uber - a "euphonic sheen" that combines with the high level of detail to give that "ooh - high end" sensation.

    The Bifrost Multibit, in contrast, seems more to vanish and not be noticeable - while providing a very clear portrayal of the room in which the recording took place. I find that the Bifrost Multibit does provide that high degree of imaging quality and instrument separation that the Multibits are famous for. On some material, the Gungnir Multibit provides some additional detail within the room - but it is in the same room.

    Tomorrow, after the Gungnir has continued to warm overnight, I'm going to do more testing, this time with the Alpha Dogs, and then I plan to ship it to @Hands on Friday as previously planned (he has replied with his address).

    However, unless I hear something different, my conclusion is that the Bifrost Multibit is a significantly better value, unless a) you have a balanced amp (I do not), b) you listen to a lot of 24-bit files of excellent recordings, and c) your budget is sufficient to allow splurges of $1295.
     
  17. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    Very nice initial impressions @Original Ken - thank you for your post!
     
  18. Original Ken

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    In today's listening, nothing changed from my previous post.

    I scheduled a pickup by USPS for tomorrow and Hands has confirmed he can take possession early next week when it arrives by USPS.
     
  19. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    My Gungnir Multibit Multi-bit impressions (Please note these are only my personal opinions)

    Firstly I would like to thank our gearmasters and @purrin for offering such a great program and for organizing it, members like me who cannot afford higher-end equipment finally have the opportunity to listen to some higher-end gear, so I thank you all who make the Loaner program possible.

    Firstly, I would like to point out that the only DAC I own is a Schiit Bifrost (not even Multi-bit), so that is all I could compare the Gungnir Multibit to.

    Compared to the Bifrost non-multi-bit, the Gungnir Multibit was like music heaven to listen to. The Gungnir Multibit, at least to my ears and setup, had a wider soundstage, more clarity and resolution, and much better sound reproduction. I could hear elements in audio files that I could not hear before. Instruments sounded clearer and more pronounced. Drums, especially cymbals, had great clarity to them, I could even hear things on drums like how the drummer strikes the ride cymbals such as where on the cymbal the drumstick was striking (like the edge of the cymbal, more towards the center of the cymbal, and of course the bell of the cymbal). I could also hear this in other cymbals like crash cymbals and Splash Cymbals. Everything was so clear and the resolution of the instruments was like nothing I have ever heard before (remember I am only coming from a non-multi-bit Bifrost).

    I apologize if my explanation on how I perceive the Gungnir Multibit is not described in more audiophile terms, but again, this is the first time I heard a higher-end DAC. The sound with the Gungnir Multibit was not harsh and sounded very natural, with instruments and sounds in tracks that seemed more forward and more recognizable, instead of buried in the background.

    In my opinion, the Gungnir Multibit is an amazing DAC, and if I had the money, i would buy one in a second. The difference between the non-multi-bit Bifrost and Gungnir Multibit are like night and day.

    What an outstanding DAC the Gungnir Multibit is!
     
  20. Original Ken

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    Hands has reported receiving the Gungnir Multibit Loaner from me in working condition.
     
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