Schiit Bifrost 2

It works fine with win 10, and iphone 8 via cck. Was just wondering why it wont work with osx 10.11 as the minumum stated by Schiit is 10.10. That is the latest the 2008 macbook would go.

 

Is Windows 10 running on the Mac or on something else? I asked about live media to rule out a hardware incompatibility. It's unfortunate that you are at the end of the line for (apple) OS upgrades. 12 years is a pretty good run though! My 2010 13" lasted 8 and a half before the battery bloated and cracked the touch pad.

 

windows 10 running on another computer, yup battery is already long gone, but still work as a streamer. I’m just using this with the Eitr though. Maybe hardware is no longer supported.

 

Schiit customer service has been amazing in my experience. Shoot them an email. I imagine they have heard it all.

 

Exchanging emails with them already, got them baffled too as it should work with OS X 10.10 up

 

Only as a point of reference, my early 2008 MacBook could only be upgraded to OS X 10.7.5.
I just connected it to my Bifrost 2. It plays fine through native iTunes or Media Center, via Schiit PYST USB.

 

will do that when I get back, thanks

the bifrost shows up in usb connected devices but not on audio devices. Use a PYST to connect it too, no problems with Eitr and Modi MB.

 

People who've heard both Gungnir Multibit A2 and Bifrost 2, how would you compare the upper mids? GMBA2 seems slightly sweet/laid back to me, and I'm curious if the BF2 is similar. I know BF2 is supposed to be warmer overall, but I can't recall reading anything about this particular aspect of the sound.

 

Yahoo! resetting those did the trick, Bifrost now appears as a selectable audio device, Thank you!

 

Might want to pass that on to Schiit customer support so they can use it to help others.

 

Welp, I spoke too soon, after selecting Bigrost as the output device, it froze when I played music. Reinserted the usb cable and it came back to not selectable as an audio device again. Must be something with this mac and osx 10.11.6. Will just use this with the Eitr.

 

Got mine for 2 days, did some comparision between unison and spdif input, and modi multibit v2.

Source for spdif is a Pi2AES, and schiitty laptop for usb using fb2k. I tried to get both source playing simutaneously so I can do some fast switch with the remote and not interrupte the flow of music.
With atticus, unison sounded masked, "under water", and have added tube warmth compared to spdif, which sounded unnatural to me. Spdif is noticable cleaner overall, better separation. Every time switching from usb back to coaxial felt like a breath of fresh air. Perhaps it's because the added warmth of unison didn't go well with the already warm atticus.

Then I tried it with my modded HD650, the colouration or warmth with the unison usb wasn't as aggressive and I got couples of wow moments going from spdif to usb. However, the added mask quickly overwhelm the enjoyment I had and lead me to switching back to spdif. spdif was just sharper and more natural for me. I felt like this kind of colouration would be more natural be it done in a tube amp.

For both headphone I prefer spdif 100% of the time, perhaps the usb input is really good but Pi2AES is just better, I don't have any other source to compare to so can't say about that. Unison reminds me of the "Asian poisonous female vocal audio technica" type of sound that I used to chase, it got me thinking, maybe unison pairs better with gear that emphasis on those kind of tuning and for people chasing that kind of sound. So I dug out my AD2000X and A900LTD, and audio technica PHA-100 which paired really well with their headphone for those "poisonous" tune. Long story short, I prefer spdif 90% of the time, sometimes enough poison is enough.

Comparing to modi multibit v2, both being fed by coaxial, bifrost 2 has tighter bass, is more holographic, and sounding more real. Modi Multibit has one major advantage tho, as its laid back nature won't suck you into music as much as bifrost 2, good if you are working while listening to music. I had to take off my headphone to type this.

While I was switching back and forth between bifrost and modi, I found out that the difference between bifrost SE vs modi SE is smaller than bifrost BAL vs modi SE. Hence I compared both output on bifrost and found that BAL output is sharper and more engaging vs SE, I thought the RCA out of bifrost is as good as XLR? So it might be my amp input. I'm using Bryston BHA-1.

Oh and the phase invert function of bifrost 2 does make a difference I think, the inverted one sounded really weird and off with the positioning of the sound, I got mild earache for whatever reason after inverting the phase. Just not right.

Overall I am really satisfied with this purchase. Would recommend!

 

EDIT: I want to apologize, I seem to post this in the wrong thread. How do we delete our own post?

I could use a bit of advice from more experienced members. I want to try a multibit DAC but it has been hard to find a local unit that is available for audition. I think the one that I liked the most is a heavily modified Parasound 1100HD with cetoole discrete analogue stage but unfortunately the unit is not for sale.

So now I have a chance for 2 different DACs... One is a Sonic Frontier SFD-2 but it's not the MK2 version (so no AES input) and the owner wants about USD 1,500 for it since it's mint condition. The other is a Schiit Gungnir Multibit 1st gen at a lower price, this one I tried before and I find it to sound a bit too warm for my taste but otherwise it has great resolution and details.

Which one do you guys think is the more sensible purchase? Unfortunately the SFD-2 reside in a different island so I cannot try it myself.

As always thanks in advance.

 

Just remembered that my amp has 2 unbalanced input(one being 3.5mm stereo), so I did some level matched comparison fed from the same source simultaneously, as I find the output volume from both dac the same. Pi2AES>bnc/rca>Modi Multibit v2/BF2.

The difference was more subtle than I anticipated previously. It took me some time to get familiar with them and to spot the difference, but it is definitely there. Tonally I don't find much if any difference, any microdetails that I found on BF2, it was there on minby as well, maybe I'm just not sensitive to plankton or music is the limiting factor. Vocals are more or less the same. BF2 a bit blacker in background. The main thing that set both DACs apart, is the stage being much deeper on BF2. Modi Multibit is not flat by any means, but with BF2 I can hear instruments from further behind, and hence better layering. Width is about the same. BF2 also produces the echo from venue with ease, having more of a sense of "being there" within the recording, which I don't find on Modi Multibit. The last thing I noticed is BF2 has more enjoyable sustain on instrument sound(timbre?), I wouldn't call it realistic as I don't have much music background, but I find it being more enjoyable/"natural". I did some swapping of RCAs and digital cables as well, same results.

Although the differences are subtle, I'm pretty certain that I can distinguish them in a double blind test. But really wonder how much of the night and day differences between components would diminish under a volume matched flip of a switch condition.

 

I have a BF2, and I'm curious if moving up to an Yggdrasil A2 would be worthwhile for someone who swaps between a 300B SET and Pioneer M-22 (so using SE outs), and is not a "critical listener" in the sense that I just love to lose myself to the music and forget about the world around me. I'm not a fan of the "lean", analytical nature of a lot of modern hifi. I enjoy detail, but not at the expense of tone and timbre. The BF2 does a great job at focusing on these areas and being very easy to live with as a main DAC.

I need a new DAC for my 2 channel. Go for another BF2, or look at a used Yggdrasil or Gungnir Multibit? I've heard complaints about Yggdrasil having one-note bass, or being more hi-fi-esque, and not quite as easy to get lost in the music. Couple that with Jason using a BF2 as his main, and even admitting that it gets him as close as he likes to Yggdrasil, I don't want to set myself up for a bit of a disappointment lol.

 

I just pulled the trigger on a Bifrost 2. It's going to replace the ifi micro idsd as my main DAC. Main setup will then be Macbook Air (Tidal) --> Bifrost 2 --> Lyr 3 --> Focal Clear. Sadly, I will have to wait till after Christmas to be able to listen to the new setup extensively. Sorry for the noise but I'm REALLY excited.

 

Bifrost2 owner for 2 weeks.

I had a few DACs before, but the Bifrost is the only one that has won me over so far.
What irritates me a little is the difference some people hear between SPIDF and USB.

I have 2 inputs, one for my PC: ifi iDefender + USB cable.
Also: Allo DigiOne signature, with Allo Shanti LPS.

Source: Qobouz via Volumio on the DigiOne, Qobouz via the app on the PC.
I start the same song 2 times, PC & DigiOne, and I can't hear any difference at all.
Headphones are Arya and Empy.

But that's not bad, in my opinion the Unison USB is the best I have heard so far.

 

New Bifrost 2 owner!

when I tap my Bifrost 2 it cuts out for a brief second, like an old portable CD player. If I tap it harder it stops playing snd I have to cycle through the sources to get sound back again. I can’t imagine this is normal. Is it?

It happens when I nudge things that are only touching it through other things. Like the shelf I have next to it. Very annoying.