Schiit Bifrost 2

Make sure your card is at least 8GB in size.

 

If there were other files (or directories) in the root directory, try removing them so ONLY the two .dat files are there.

 

Not that I noticed. And Schiit doesn't mention any changes like that in their release notes.

 

Thanks all.

There were no other files or directories, but I found a hidden boot partition that I had no idea was there. Took some third party software to set it right, but I got there eventually.

Everything is now functioning properly.

 

Ah. Yeah, I should have emphasized that.

 

With $1400 gap, do they have anything to squeeze there? My impression that after both Modius and Bifrost got their upgrades the sound gap from Bifrost 64 to LIM is actually not that huge? The marketing is that you get pretty much identical price/quality with all 3 models, but Gungnir P/E is much worse than all of them.

 

Ummm...not really. The BF2/64 might have similar parts as a LiM Yiigdrasil, they are not quite the same in performance. The parts and build of the Yggdrasil with it's three independent power rails and adapti-clock are gonna outclass all the other Schiit DAC's already. I mean, Yggdrasil has it's own DSP daughter board. So they may share some of same basic elements, but the implementation and approach is vastly different.

Even when the Modi MB came out and it was nearly identical design as the Bifrost MB...same DAC chip, same nearly everything else, and the Modi MB was still slightly hazier and not enough low octave energy. Mostly because the Modi MB was run on a 16V AC wall wart and the Bifrost has a more robust custom built transformer that attributes to the sound just a little bit. Just as separate power rails in the Yggdrasil with it's three independent transformers. And Gungnir has two independent transformers - one for analog and one for digital I believe.

Now I think if you wanted that type or particular sound of the the LiM in a lower priced version, then it is a good value and will get closer, but not going to match the performance. I would just go back to this post as Marv ranked them in order of SQ I believe:

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/schiit-bifrost-2.8226/page-57#post-388204

 

I did all that and it still won't update the firmware... what am I missing?

 

Make sure there are no other files or directories on the MicroSD card.

If there are no other files or directories on the card and it still won't work, use a tool like MiniTool Partition Wizard for Windows (free edition at https://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html) -- or whatever tool you like for Mac or Linux -- to inspect the MicroSD card for hidden partitions.

If you find any, CAREFULLY use the tool to delete all the partitions on the card (be extra sure that you aren't accidentally deleting partitions on your PC's hard drive) and replace them with a single new FAT32 partition (with 32KB clusters) that fills the entire card. Then copy the two .dat files to the card and try again.

 

Yggdrasil OG would be my Schiit DAC of choice if its SE outputs weren't gimped versus say LIM, BF2/64. Same for Gungnir MB. Why oh why can't Schiit remedy this for either OG or by finally releasing a Gungnir 2? My NAIM amp only accepts DIN and RCA inputs.

@purr1n do you think OG > XLR to Loki Max or Lokius > RCA out to DIN on the amp would be one way of preserving the OG balanced goodness versus just going OG SE out to the amp?

 

My assumption is they don’t “fix” OG’s SE output because there’s not really incentive for them to do so. It would require a significant investment in redesign/engineering for very little return (appeasing the nervosa of a small sub-group of audiophiles). Keep in mind, also, that this would be for a board that is designed around a now-extinct DAC chip.

 

The AD5781 is not discontinued. AD is still recommending it for new designs.

You are right on the rest of it. It was designed as balanced and unbalanced is no different than any other balanced device that has an active circuit summing for unbalanced. It is for convenience. It is just not as "hi-fi" or direct out as the balanced connection. There are always tradeoffs to any of these type conversions.

 

The OG uses AD5791's, not 5781's. Still, you're strictly right, I think, as AD still manufactures the 5791, but it is an "improved" version the Schiit folks thought sounded like ass -- see this quote from the Schiit Happened chapter on LIM/MIL from Jason:

So, unless I misunderstood, the current OG boards for Yggdrasil are running on Schiit's remaining stock of "original" AD5791's, which reflects some of the cost differential between the boards (other than AD5791's just being super expensive, something like $120/pop to Schiit).

 

The AD5791 is not discontinued either, but I just wonder how long we will see it in Schiit devices. We also have to remember that these AD chips are not audio DAC chips.

 

To add more complexity, (1) may be yes, but (2) may be "not enough." Or, these days, "Not really." There's a huge difference buying from actual distribution channels and from scalpers.

Oh yeah, and (4) has already happened--most everything is 30-100% more expensive than the before-fore times already.

(3) is the biggest problem. We have 50-100K of several critical parts on order, and they keep moving the delivery times out, and/or being cagey about placing larger orders. The question becomes multifold:

a. What critical parts hold things up? For DACs, it's typically DSPs and D/A converters, with a side of microprocessors, and additional bonus "stupid surprises" like oscillators and such.
b. When will we actually get those parts? All of them? At the same time?
c. Will we be able to continue to get those parts after the first delivery?
d. If we're designing in something new, will the part ever be delivered, or is it vapor? How confident are we?

A few more specific answers:

Analog Devices DACs--all of them--are a joke. Don't expect to see them anytime soon. Well, except our stock. We could still do a run of OGs and we have a bunch of 5547s. Analog Devices saying "it's OK to proceed," is like telling someone, "It's OK to try to flap your arms and fly."

Analog Devices DSPs--we will see. If we don't get the November order (delayed from 16 to 30 to 50 to 70 to now 90 weeks), then I hope we have the TI parts designed in by then. TI ain't no better, but we bought several tens of thousands of an in-stock TI part. Ya basically gotta jump on parts as soon as you can, these days.

TI DACs--they're starting to pull the same AD shenanigans now, and moving out delivery times (and letting us know only after the delivery date has passed.) We'll see how this one goes.

Bottom line, everything is still a giant mess. If you see something you like, and it's in stock, get it. Because there really ain't no guarantees.

And one last comment:

I need to emphasize: this is not evil. This is how you get low priced products that people can try and see what they like. Not everyone wants to hold a soldering iron, or has the deep pockets for bespoke stuff. But if you're operating as a larger-scale business, you do have a different perspective. It's totally different when you're looking for 50,000 FPGAs, not 50 SiCFETs. It's a whole different ballgame to need 10,000 6SN7 tubes, rather than 1 or 10. I understand if this drives some decisions that look really weird from the outside looking in, but we're just doing what everyone else is: trying to make the best and most consistent products we can.

I hope this clears some things up.

 

Awesome insight, thanks man!

 

I discovered this applies to DIY projects. I have PCBs but haven’t assembled a BOM because I wasn’t ready to build yet. All of a sudden parts stop getting made or you are looking at a 40 week lead time.

Now my plan is to get all the components together even if I never build it. At the worst I can sell it as a kit

 

When I built my relay attenuators last year, I was originally planning through hole with VD RN55. Classic DIY fare, ubiquitous and cheap. There were several values that were completely unavailable. Thankfully, SMD parts were not as problematic.

Must be so incredibly difficult for bigger scale projects and more complicated BOMs.