Schiit Yggdrasil Less is More (and MIL and OG) Impressions + Measurements

Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
1kHz 0dbFS BAL outputs no dither 24-bits 48kHz 200k ohm load


-30dbFS


-70dbFS

 

90dbFS


-130dbFS

How is this possible from a 16-bit part when 16-bits has a limit of 96db dynamic range?

 

• Organic lows. Also a little bit harmonically richer. Seems richer in the lower registers than higher.
• LIM has blacker background, less haze. For sure. The A2/OG improved upon the A1 in this regards, but it didn't totally get rid of it. The SE outputs are especially hazy from A2/OG. (It less bad than people say, but also more bad than people say if you know what I mean). LIM blackground isn't as black as some other DACs, but sometimes I feel the too black thing is often a result of missing nuances, simplified microdynamics with loss of low level information.

 

"Amirbits" or ENOB. Except done correctly with the bandpass filter at the measured frequency. I also run a few because running one set doesn't work. There are factors like noise that may change the results from measurement to measurement. I'm just pointing this out because if you are going to have a cow because linearity at -115dbFS is 0.1 off, then it's best that you provide representative samples that explain how the real world may work.

Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
Linearity 1kHz
x5 L+R samples using FLAT (AP repeats the measurements until it gets a few to be within a certain tolerance)


Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
Linearity 1kHz
x3 L+R samples using AVERAGE 200ms (AP averages what it gets in the time allotted)

 

How complex is the board swap? I'm looking @ the no install option and if it's about easy or even a little harder than the Unison install, should be manageable.

 

I think you have to send the motherboard in for a mobo firmware upgrade. Not totally sure. Otherwise the board swaps are just the two analog boards and popping the EPROM chip. I think you may have to wait for the upgrade to be available. It's choked supply chain right now.

 

Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
1kHz 0dbFS
1M bandwidth


LOL, where have we seen this before. The dithering / nose-shaping is slightly different from that of the Modi MB. Since this is a x8 oversampling DAC, we can move the majority of the dithering noise higher up.

 

Oh Schiit. I'd buy them ASAP. That's dirt cheap for a up/side-grade. If you want one, buy now. Do not hesitate. There are no guarantees because even Toyota and GM can't make their cars. It's gonna be years before the chip companies get extra plants up and running. I wouldn't be saying this anywhere else except SBAF.

 

Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
19k and 20kHz


Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
THD sweeps (90kHz bandwidth) at 0dbFS, -30dbFS, -60dbFS
Note this is not THD+N or SINAD. There is no noise or other component there. Only THD.


THD rises a bit as we go up in frequency, particularly at the higher output levels. I do wonder if this may be a result of the dithering and noise-shaping and dumps as much noise as possible in the audio band and into the ultrasonic region.

Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE
THD+N (or inverse of SINAD) 90kHz bandwidth at 0dbFS, -30dbFS, -60dbFS

 

THD (db) vs output level (dbFS) for 1kHz


Hmm, there are x2 DAC8812 on each diff side. Did Schiit glue two parts together much like what the discrete resistor guys do today (or UltraAnalog of yesteryear) or do the DAC8812's come like this?

Finally, Amir-NADs. I refuse to call this SINAD. SINAD needs to be defined (what frequency, what output level, what bandwidth). Also, if you believe the below panel tells you everything or more than 10% of what you need to know - then you are stupid. Really you are that stupid - that is having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense. But that's OK since Schiit has made an R2R DAC just for you: the MORE IS LESS.

Schiit Yggdrasil LESS IS MORE DAC
AMIRNADS


We have Amir-NADs about 96-97db. This definitely sits in the last quartile of DACs in the ASR barchart.

Pink Panther goes limp because mehsurements are not 122db Amir-NADs. This is obviously not state of the art like Topping or SMSL. Having an Amir-NADS (Amir Noise and Distortion Standard) which is quite good by realistic measurements, but horrible in the eyes of ASR, is a badge of honor for any product in my eyes.

96db "SINAD" is a fantastic result and gets you everything CD-quality and labeled "hires" quality (most which is really CD-quality or and a bad remaster) is capable. Well, as long as you listen to 1kHz sine waves at full scale. Anyway, if anyone wants to see different measurements, please ask. I'm at your service.

 

Both. When I say headstage, I mean headphones with sensibilities of what most people look for - generally an open spacious not inside the head sound. I generally prefer a deeper headstage than wider, but this is often is not possible. I generally look for expansiveness in all directions and will note if headstage is unnaturally wide, or narrower than deeper.

Soundstage is in reference to speakers. What works for headstage may not work for soundstage. An expansive wide open sound can result in a too diffuse nebulous imaging - that is poor localization of instruments and lack of front to back layering and depth. Many things that can be recognized in soundstage is often lost in headstage. For example, the Schiit megacomboburritofilter's ability to propagate a bass wave from somewhere in the soundstage to the sitting position in a way that we can sense and feel. On the other hand, the megacomboburittofilter's places the listener between rows 5 and 10, which may be too close for headphone listeners who want the headstage as far out as possible.

The LIM definitely has less highs than the A2/OG. Switching from LIM to A2/OG, the highs are enveloping and evident. It's like everything else, source will depend upon amp and transducer and personal preferences. There are different schools of thought, all of the correct, depending upon your place. I do think amp and transducer pairing is probably the most critical. However, I'm done when it comes to amps and speakers (and headphones.) SET all the way, and I build my own speakers so I have total control over that aspect. That leaves me only with source to dinker with. My preferences with digital sources have gradually moved from warmer to more neutral, but still maintaining natural sounding highs. This is why I was especially smitten with the Soekris DAC2541 and now this. I've generally preferred a darker sound.

 

Yup. It's out of focus right over the middle transformer in the last photo. It's an DIP-8 EPROM.

The Yggdrasil disassembly instructions which I wrote to the Unison USB upgrade still largely apply: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...l-gen-5-unison-usb-upgrade-instructions.4842/

Instead of the USB board, it's two analog boards. There are three sets of single row pins on the bottom of each, so it's possible to screw this up big time.