Schiit Gungnir Multibit impressions

When i had them both i perceived some differences but, like @SoupRKnowva i settled for the DS. There are some caveats to this though:

1- With the HD800 the MB just works MUCH better. That is what it is, with the HD600 i didn't feel like the difference was that significant, and actually enjoyed it more, but it is. The treble pitch fatigues me with the DS, if i am using the HD800 (they were stock at the time, if i remember correctly), even though it's sound is more "in your face", or as someone said "impactful" or "more intense".

2- The sound is less smooth, gives a touch a of coarseness. My HD600 compensated this tremendously. Fatigue again with the HD800s, which i use much more now. The M51, which is also digital sounding, is "cleaner" to my ears and doesn't fatigue me in the same way.

3- The Amps i had at the time are not up to par to the ones i have now and that, as we all know, will make a significant difference. Obvious i can't compare right now but it is what it is.

At this point in time i will upgrade my Gungnir since i didn't sell it and see how it goes with my current setup. Hopefully i won't regret it.

The DS just worked better overall with my previous system, now i find it lacking.

 

I have the 800 (unmoded) so maybe DS may not be a good idea. Modi Multibit might be a good alternative while I save. But having owned both it and GMB its going to be too easy to be dissatisfied with the difference. The DAC in my Onkyo CDP is closer to GMB than Modi Multibit (especially with regard to slam and clarity).

 

If you’re talking about OG Gungnir Multibit, compared to new Modi Multibit - via SE out I can say I had a damn hard time telling the difference between them when I first got the Modi Multibit. I had to do some really focused listening to pick up the subtle diffs. New Modi Multibit is really good IMO. As a point of reference, I could hear the diffs comparing OG Gungnir Multibit and Gungnir Multibit A2 and Yggdrasil A2 instantly.

 

I don't know which implementation of the dacs I had. But it was long enough ago that I'm sure both were the OG models. My GMBY was fairly warm, which goes counter to what the A2 version is described as, so it was probably OG. There was a big difference between the two dacs for me (both using SE out). Clarity, slam and soundstage size being the biggest difference in GMBYs favor. If the new MMBY is closer to old GMBY my interest in the former as a temp DAC just went waaay up.

 

This would be comparing 2018 Modi Multibit to ~2016 Gungnir Multibit in my case. 2018 Gungnir Multibit A2 is less warm and less rolled in the highs, more dry, but probably more neutral overall, and lower noise floor and better instrument seperation. So the newer Gungnir Multibit is better on technicalities, but OG Gungnir Multibit and new Modi Multibit are just damn great to listen to. I will have to do some closer comparison of dynamics/slam from Modi Multibit vs the others at some point to see how it holds up - likely not as well, power supply being the obvious potential limitation with Modi Multibit, but I don’t recall it sounding limp compared to OG Gungnir Multibit.

Edit: Again this is comparing using the SE outs.

 

Would be eager to hear anymore in depth comparisons if you get around to it. Looking to possibly get a MMBY mid December when funds allow.

 

So I've had a Gungnir MB A2 on loan for close to a week now. Mainly so I could evaluate the Liquid Platinum to its fullest potential, but I also have the SE output plugged into my Lepai + Micca MB42x.

I really wasn't expecting much improvement from my speaker setup, it's only plugged in like this for convienience so I don't have to switch cables. Before I just used the Mac Mini lineout. Well I totally understand by what Marv says by going source first. Imaging is vastly improved and everything just sounds all around more coherent. Not something i notice with headphones but it's immediately obvious with speakers.

I'm trying to figure out why there is such a big improvement since I don't want to recommend a $1000 DAC for a $100 speaker setup. My guess is that the ultralow jitter from Adapticlock, plus the way the burritofilter processes phase information are the biggest factors. Cheaper amps might not do dynamics well, but even the cheap ones won't mess with time coherence all that much.

Anyway I am very impressed with what I am hearing from this DAC.

 

What’s your usual DAC, Modi Multibit?

 

With headphones it's the OG Modi MB. Usually the headphones are setup elsewhere and I don't use the computer upstairs as a headphone source. However there's not a ton of space for a bigger DAC where I usually listen, so I got it with my computer as source now. The speakers are setup more for the kids and video games. Cable splitters are kind of a mess, so I was fine with Modi MB dedicated to headphones.

I would probably not buy a Gungnir MB just for the desktop, but after hearing this I really want to double-down on getting the Assemblage up and running.

 

I'm not convinced the Ass 3.1 could beat the Gungnir Multibit tbh Cspirou. Sadly I only have what my memory serves with having owned the a1 for a bit.

Does the Gungnir Multibit a2 get current limited when running both se and balanced?

 

Oh, it probably won't beat it. Just want to get some balanced multibit in the house when I finish the loaner.

 

Okay, so I think it's pretty much established that an "A2" version of the Gungnir Multibit unofficially exists while the Yiggy "A2" officially exists.

From what I have gathered by reading hundreds of posts on each of these, it would appear that Yiggy A2 has "lost" some of its analytical harshness, in a good way, and has gained some warmth. The Gungnir Multibit, in turn, has lost some of its well-known warmth for a more analytical sound. This is probably and likely simplifying way too much.

How would you described how Yiggy A2 has evolved in one sentence? How would you describe how Gungnir Multibit A2 has evolved in one sentence?

From my description above, it would seem that the two have evolved closer to each other? Is this an arguably correct statement?

And most importantly for me, as someone who loves the Schiit sound and knows that Schiit pairs well with NAIM and Dynaudio: which of the two sounds "best" in a 2.0 speaker setup and why? (Not considering headphones here.)

The Yiggy (A2) is known to sound better through XLR versus SE. What about Gungnir Multibit A2?

What is the Yiggy A2's $1150.00 price premium affording me in a 2.0 speaker setup over Gungnir Multibit A2 in your opinion?

 

Really dude? Wow.

 

He should get another week for creating a new thread to do it!

 

Having serious G.umby withdrawl right now.

I actually didn't mind the CD player acting as DAC until I listened to some music I hadn't heard since I sold g.umby and it sounded woefully inadequate and not how I remembered it. The biggest difference is engagement factor. G.umby just sucks you in. Not sure how A2 still fares in this regard.

 

I think my 3 year journey for a DAC has come to an end. I took delivery of the Gungnir MB this morning and have been listening ever since. I am really impressed. I don't know the audiophile terms or even understand them. I just know that I have spent the last 3 years being disappointed - Chord Qutest, X-Sabre Pro, Topping all bought and returned (except the Topping D50 which was bought as a stop gap because it's cheap). Many other DACs auditioned. Not a single one sounded any better to my ears than the Topping (which I don't like anyway). None of them sounded right to me. I'd more or less given up and had started to think that all DACs sound the same.

Now the Gungnir MB. It's a keeper.


I have only recently joined after lurking for a while and it was this site that led me to try the Gungnir and give up on the addiction I had to DSD and 'as high as possible' resolution (particularly the rather excellent chart I found listing loads of DACs based on sound characteristics). Probably wouldn't have posted, but I like this DAC so much, I thought it would be rude not to. Note: even though the Gungnir MB is gen 5, I bough the EITR also as I intend to use s/pdif. Listening right now via USB as I need to buy a s/pdif cable.

Anyway, thanks SBAF. You steered me right.

Also, read some negative stories about Schiit on a particular site - all I can say is that my experience has been very prompt replies, super fast delivery from Mark at Schiit Europe and a 'built like a tank' build quality DAC that worked right out the box with no tweaking of drivers, set up...nothing apart from connecting cables and switching on. Above all, the sound quality is stunning - to me, which is all that is important, of course. I am a happy bunny.

 

Welcome.

If you like it now wait til it's actually warmed and running full spec. I found the changes to be dramatic and am itching to get mine back after several months without it.

The Schiit Multibit DACs have a way of curing people of upgraditis.