Dac: Does anyhting beat the Schiit Gungnir Multibit (Gumby) in the same price range?

As an addendum, for the past few days I’ve left both DACs fired up and have continued to switch periodically from Schiit to Aqua, Aqua to Schiit and so forth (I’m currently listening to the Beethoven Cello and Piano sonatas with Simone Dinnerstein on piano) and I’ve noticed a potentially very interesting thing about La Voce in so doing. This is something that I’ve only seen mentioned in the review of the Aqua La Scala II DAC on The Ear website; namely that La Voce too seems to have a different sonic character depending on input. Whereas my Gumby has no XLR input to test this theory with (I’ve been using a Canare impedance converter from XLR to BNC out of my AES converter), my Aqua DAC does. So previously I had been switching back and forth between the XLR input of my Aqua and BNC input of my Gumby. (It is pretty well accepted that BNC or RCA on Gumby sound better than USB and that is immediately apparent to me, even when using Recovery re-clocker or my ifi USB 2.0 with split USB cable etc). In any case, Aqua’s XLR digital input sounds a bit warmer and more expansive than it’s own BNC input (using same impedance converter with BNC cable) and the leading edges of percussion and stringed instruments are not quite as intense. In other words- it may be slightly warmer and less forward with perhaps a touch less impact, but a spacier stage. (Incidentally, The Ear guy preferred the balanced input on the La Scala to BNC and settled down with that one and I think I will too). It’s a small difference, but one that seems consistently audible despite varying program material. Thus, we come to the (hopefully) relevant upshot; La Voce sounds closer to Gumby when you use La Voce’s BNC input! When you use XLR digital input, then La Voce is immediately warmer and more rounded than Gumby. The delta is greater. On the whole, regardless of input, I am still preferring La Voce’s expansiveness and slightly airier/bigger-boned and maybe even more grainless presentation of voices and strings and piano, though Gumby remains punchier, with more mid bass drive and a slightly more upfront character. Image outlines with Gumby are also more exactly drawn. For example, with Gumby driving, Center stage is definitely right friggin’ razor sharp smack dab center stage! La Voce is not quite as sure where the EXACT middle is:)
In any case, I should have been comparing BNC input to BNC input all along, but who knew the XLR and BNC inputs on La Voce would sound different!? Oh yeah-- that reviewer from The Ear did! :) That guy has a good ’Ear.’ I’m here all night folks! Here all night! ;)
I mention this because it may be well to keep this sonic input difference in mind when you read comparisons of DACs like the Aqua to the Schiit gear. This may also be how one guy hears it ’like so,’ and another hears it as ’less warm’ or more this way or that way. Then of course, this being the interweb, they call each other’s mommas names. Inputs here can and do make a difference especially in such subtle back and forth comparisons and it seems this might even be enough to sway someone one way or the other, especially on short-term listening, Now my apologies if you know this, and I certainly had an idea about it, but this particular DAC-off drove this point home for me much more poignantly; hence this addendum! Sir yes sir! Just trying to serve my community and be the best Audiogoner I can be, sir!  Now what was that about my momma!!??? 

@abramsmatch 
A very nice and thoughtful review. Thank You.
Bob

@abramsmatch
Thanks for posting your listening impressions. A few follow up questions, please. And, if I missed this info in your posts, my apologies. Price for the Aqua HiFi La Voce S2? I’ve seen a 2014 price of 2180 Euro. Does that seem reasonable? I’m thinking, depending on exchange rate, a Gungnir w/MB might be about $1000 US lower price?? What sort of hours did you have on the Gungnir MB vs Aqua S2? Wondering how much, if at all, time-in-use might have contributed to what you experienced - though I appreciate your comments about the kind of input employed. Finally, what ICs are you using on the outputs from these DACs? Not trying to pick a fight on the price question. Just curious. Thanks for the input. Sent my Gungnir in for the MB mod last week.

You’re welcome Mr. House:) (and gdnrbob!) So as to your questions, La Voce is probably in the 3000.00 US range retail and if you get a 15 percent discount or so, that means maybe 2650.00 US. As for the Gungnir Multibit, I bought mine new from Schiit for 1249.00 US. So this is a REALLY impressive thing that a 1250.00 DAC plays on the same field with a DAC that’s at least twice as expensive. That means Gumby is No Joke; a superb value-for-money product! By the way- read my comments about it being ’forward’ or more insistent in the mids or treble ONLY in comparison to La Voce; NOT in an absolute sense! It is also relatively slightly ’thinner’ tonally (but La Voce may be ’thicker’ than many). But Gumby is a superbly balanced product in absolute terms and built like a tank! I just think it lacks a frisson of the sonic ’magic’ that for ME (and it’s just here my own sonic preference) La Voce gets. (This may just be the slight warmth and expansiveness I’m addicted to). And this is primarily with classical/opera and jazz because I listen to very little rock or rap etc, though some stuff like Cat Power or The Radio Department during Sunday brunch. (God, listen to me-- I sound sooooo elitist- but if that were true I’d have a DCS stack! Not La Voce and Gumby;)
La Voce has hundreds of hours of play time and Gumby has probably (I’m guessing here!) more than 200 hours but less than 500? It has been left on continuously though for many months in my headphone system (where it sees occasional 2 to 4 hour plays), prior to being moved to the speaker system. Though, when I first got it I played it continuously for a four or five days to burn it in (which I 100 percent absolutely and unequivocally believe in! All my audio gear benefits from burn in- or break-in, as I call it. I’ve almost never heard a piece that didn’t get better with some play time on it). Incidentally, someone whom I trust has just told me that the USB inputs on La Voce and La Scala may sound better than the XLR input I enjoy due to ’proprietary I2S signal transfer’. I’m not in any way shape or form an engineering type so zero clue what that means, and I’ve yet to hear the DAC that didn’t benefit from a great USB converter (like the Yellowtec PUC Lite or Singxer F-1 I use), but I will go back and try using the USB input on La Voce just to see what’s up...
I have certainly tried using USB on Gumby and I feel there is not enough extension in the highs and bass/dynamics are slightly truncated as compared with BNC or RCA inputs and a good converter. This is WITH using my ifi USB 2.0 or ifi ipurifier2 or Wyred Recovery! As for IC’s, I am using Skywire 1400 Interconnects which were the favorites (long ago) of Bound For Sound magazine (what in hell happened to them??! They disappeared and I loved them!!). They are pretty neutral as compared with other favorite cables I’ve used such as Audio Art SE’s and Nordost Heimdal (both of which may be just a touch more lit up/’exciting’). I am using a Chord Silver Plus USB cable at the moment and I’m running a good generic CAT 7 ethernet cable (Tera Grand- nice improvement to my ears despite my disbelief over my old el cheapo Cat 5) into my SOTM SMS-200 renderer powered by Sbooster 12V Linear Power supply (best most natural front end I’ve ever used! Yes- there WAS a step up over my mac mini though I didn’t believe there would be, bits being bits and all:) Definitely more ’organic’ sounding and less digital!

@abramsmatch

Thanks for that very helpful followup post, Mr. Match :-)

Definitely provided me with a more complete understanding of the Gungnir MB’s performance.

Appreciate you taking the time to supply all those details.

Best regards.