Schiit Gungnir 2 Impressions + comparo

Heck, I’ll take schematics if you’re giving them out!

 

@schiit , on a slightly unrelated note, is Continuity possible to implement in a DAC's output stage or, does it work best in a high power output application?

 

Continuity is an answer to a problem that doesn’t exist in a DAC’s output stage. You’d want to use class A wherever you can. In DACs and preamps, you can.

 

Agreed, and I am aware Yggdrasil A1 and A2's output stages are class A. I am just curious if discrete continuity has any scope as an alternative to op-amps, when there are budget and space constraints and can't implement discrete class A.

 

Discrete Nexus's been mentioned as a possibility, but DAC analog stages need too many parts for it to fit onto a card so it would only show up on Yggdrasil any time soon.

 

Quick follow up. I have not been able to get the G2 to shut down again by touching it since the first 2 times it has done it. I randomly touch it, fiddle around in the back and notta. Could be that it had something to do with the mercury 3 when I was plugging it in the the power conditioner and connecting the cable.

 

It absolutely can have a place, and has been successfully done before! Sparkos and Weiss both offer fully discrete packages that take the place of an OPA, but older wizardry can be found digging around Jocko's I/V:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/easy-to-build-i-v-stage.6121/

One particularly intelligent human that goes by the name of peef on this forum has had positive experiences with his own circuits:
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/assemblage-discrete-i-v-mod.8326/

 

While we’re wishing, a tube output stage would be fun…

 

I love my Kara with Nak PA-7A 2

 

Can Equipoise be used in a DAC output stage @schiit?

 

What an experience this combo is!

 

Let me simplify the question. Since LIM, MIB and G2 are using op-amps and not discrete class A for the output stage, would Continuity be a better option than op-amps?

 

DAC analog stages already do class A and Continuity is a technique to make class AB amplifiers sound closer to to class A. So no, it would not do anything. What you want is either Nexus or Equipoise.

 

Thanks Ash, my question was not just about Continuity vs class A, it was also about using discrete vs op-amps. But I guess, what you are suggesting and what Marv has hinted is, Nexus might be the better solution for a line level signal vs continuity.

 

I think I already made that point yeah. You would be looking at Nexus or Equipoise for DAC analog stage if you wanted to do discrete. Again, the issue is with having the space and power supply to enable that. But this whole notion of "discrete better" might be distracting from the "better topology is better" aspect of Multiform if the Gungnir 2 with 18-bit chips and opamps can sound as good as A2 OG 21-bit with discrete.

 

Yggdrasil has the space/power but no other Schiit DAC does, correct?
(no discrete multi-form in a Modi :-D )

 

Received G2 a couple days ago and feel compelled to drop early impressions. I had been planning to buy this for months whenever it arrived to pair with my MJ3 and various headphones. In that application it's great, but the improvements over other DACs are subtle. It's a definite improvement over the MMB2 I had been using as a stopgap, but I can't say how much of this is just due to the noise reduction of using a fully balanced chain.... I used to have a BF2/64 in this set up, and going purely on sonic memory, this G2 restored my headphone system to its former glory before I made a slight downgrade to MMB2... will need to spend more time with headphones to say anything definitive.

BUT, the reason I'm posting is speakers. I switched on my cheapo JBL305 monitors (the old massdrop edition ones), and holy moly this was eye-opening. I always expect these monitors to sound the same with any components above a certain level, but going G2 to MJ3 to the JBLs was like listening to these monitors (which I'm very, very familiar with) on steroids. The have become so much more detailed, so much more liquid, and have an amazing amount of, forgive me, PRAT. This inspired me to move G2 to main living room system with large JBL speakers I use for vinyl listening and home theater. Again, this was immediately striking. To cue up another cliche, this was incredibly "vinyl" sounding in this system. I'm wondering if the way G2 eases off a bit in terms of bass oomph mimics the way vinyl systems are often lighter in the lows while layering so much dimensionality and ease in the mids and highs.

Anyway, I didn't get G2 with speakers in mind but I think it might steer me to more speaker listening because it's that compelling. I can see why Schiit is packaging it with Kara and Wotan as a complete 2-channel system.

 

Yes for Yggdrasil A2, which I preferred with a 2-ch system than with headphones. With 2-ch (big Hegel integrated + KEF Ref 1s + Rel subs) it was bold, deep and wide in staging, but always composed and never messed up in the treble. With various headamps (quite a range over time) it had many virtues but also upper-range graininess and a slightly claustrophobic feeling, even with the best pairings (Stellaris + various ZMF opens).