Schiit Unison USB

I was one of the beta testers and self-installed Unison into Yggdrasil. Very easy and basically same as Gen 5 card. The easiest part to mess up are the top case screws. I broke one by over-tightening when I was reassembling. Schiit fixed it when I sent my Yggdrasil in for Analog 2 upgrade.

 

Agree with @purr1n, the Unison is a step up from the Lynx. I fed Yggdrasil from AES16 (PCI) in a fairly optimised passive low-power (~15W) purpose-built PC with LPSU. This already improved the Lynx somewhat from your bog standard tower PC, but the Unison direct from mobo USB clearly outperformed it. I don't subscribe that much to different transports having different signatures - just different levels of up-fuckedness, and the default position I think should be that computer audio is generally totally fucked. Unison seems to be the least fucked you can get without exotic solutions.

The isolation is very good. I have tried Unison with the JCAT (=Intona) isolator and the sound is either the same or slightly worse.

This being said, it is NOT the case that Unison is immune to changes in source or USB cable. I have tried generic printer cable, PYST, Oyaide and Ghent Audio and there are tangible differences in microdynamics and detail retrieval between them. My preference is the Ghent Audio (U01), which is conveniently pretty cheap.

I have also tried various different kinds of PC source -- different low-power motherboards, laptops etc. Clear differences, I suspect mainly due to varying amounts of hash they dump on the 5V lines (Unison still takes 5V power from the source). The isolation does not magically fix this. Ancient D945GSEJT was the best mobo USB. Macbook Air pretty close behind. Cheapy ebay PCI USB card the worst. JCAT USB card easily outperforms them all in terms of focus and clarity, but I would class this as exotica and so will not advocate for it.

Bottom line is that Unison is extremely good from most sources, but will response to fannying around if you are chasing the last 2%.

 

I think this is the most well said and the best way to understand Unison. I could not agree more.

It is almost too bad Bifrost 2 has it standard, because with a DAC you've owned for awhile, you know the sound vey well. So a change like Unison won't seem like a small change.

 

@Garns

Am I to understand that you cannot put tape over the power pin on the USB cable feeding Bifrost 2 (or any unison DAC)? That it needs the power leg from the computer / handshake to connect?

 

Yep, no 5v = no connection.

 

Did anyone play around with iOS and unison? I had a very quick play with my iPad Pro (usb-c) to bifrost 2 with Roon, no joy. Will try some different combos tonight.

 

Just as another data point. I have an iPad pro 2 (the one right before they went USB-C).
I used my lightning to usb adapter and tried the Dragonfly Red + my Singxer SU-6 DDC.

Both worked with Tidal app. I have an iPhone 7 with iOS 13 as well but didn't test it.
Can't say anything about Unison or other devices, but what I used on iOS 12 still works with 13.

As an aside; I wish they opened up exclusive mode on iOS. It's why I switched to a MBP. Tidal on MBP + exclusive just sounds better than iOS + Tidal. Apart from that one issue I've always loved iOS as audio transports.

 

Tried the beta Unison (Yggdrasil) with the latest Ropieeexl on Raspberry Pi 3, but it would get stuck during boot. It wouldn't pick up an IP so I wasn't able to SSH and see what's going on.
As soon as I unplugged the Yggdrasil, it would show up on the network and in Roon. Plugging Yggdrasil back would make it hang again.

The Bifrost 2 Unison works like a charm (and a champ!) in the same system.

@baldr : did you make any changes in the production Unison that improve compatibility with Linux?

 

For those of us with digitized music and/or a service like Tidal, is there a source option that isn't fucked?

 

@Clemmaster there was a single update to the firmware during the beta test where you had to send back your board - did you get that one? This fixed my initial Linux issues, but they’re not the same as you’re describing. I’m sure there were likely some further adjustments.

Yes, get a separate network bridge / network audio adapter (aka NAA) / streamer that outputs SPDIF or AES like the Allo DigiOne Signature or the Pi2Design PI2AES (plus a Raspberry Pi) or something similar. There are lots of these products out there at various price points, features and performance.

 

I had a bit more time to muck around with iPad pro. Confirmed Roon+iPad pro (latest iOS or tablet OS whatever) does* work with the bifrost 2. Also checked with a old dragonfly red that ipad sends all the right sample rates out its butt/USB-C port (aka nothing like android resampling). Also worked with fine Spotify.

*Turned out to be a 'roon remote' app issue. YMMV

 

You using the same Pi in the same USB port that you uses with your Bifrost?
What Pi distro are you using?

That Unison draws some current, and depending on your power supply, it might be overloaded. Remember, on the Pi 3, the USB shares power with the WiFi and Ethernet.

I run my Pi with Ethernet only and turn the WiFi and Bluetooth off.

 

That was it Yggdrasil's Unison apparently draws more than Bifrost 2's and my Apple 1A charger wasn't cutting it. A 2.4A charger did the trick.
I guess I'll simply power the Pi through the Pi2AES, instead.

 

I am running Bifrost MB with AudioQuest Green digital coax coming from ASUS STX II. All things equal, would Unison USB provide a meaningful upgrade to the sound? I'm using a desktop PC with good mobo and power supply.

Or I am better off upgrading fully to BF2 to run balanced with my Jot?

 

In the past I have used various soundcards as a source for Gungnir Multibit, including RME, M-Audio, and Xonar Essence STX II.

With the STX II, I used spdif coax and glass optical and looking back at my old posts I preferred the glass optical.

In my personal experience, I found switching to Gen 5 USB to be an improvement over all of the cards that I used. Unison USB is reported to be a further improvement over Gen 5 USB.

When using Gen 5 USB I found that the quality of the USB cable was still important. In the end I settled on an Atlas solid core cable, but I found Schiit's own USB cable to be a close second (and not expensive).

 

Fulla 3 / Hel aren't using any Unison tech, right? Fulla3 looks like the ideal small-size work dac/amp hmmmm

 

Lol @schiit Satan approves of the color scheme for the Hel(l).

It's refreshing to see gaming products that aren't RGB neon rainbow.

 

You would be surprised how many people asked if it had RGB LED capability, so that's a thing.

But no, Hel has a single RED internal LED, visible through the grate.