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New Yggdrasil - First (and second) Impressions

Okay, so I’ve finally (on order over 2 months) received my Schiit Yggdrasil. The unit arrived in exactly perfect condition (i.e. well packaged).

Upon first (and second) listening through all sources/inputs, I would need a stethoscope to discern any difference among my current components and connectivity. I also cannot detect any difference using the phase inversion button.

I suppose the aforementioned is a testament to how good my current system (before/without Yggy) already sounds. :)

I can easily A-B test because the Yggy is hooked in via balanced and my other components are also hooked directly to amp via RCA or USB.

Also, obviously I have NOT let the unit "burn in" for days because I just got it, however, it has come to full operational temperature after being powered on continuously over 24 hours.

System configuration: (Yggdrasil > XLR > Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amplifier > Golden Ear Triton Reference speakers )
all cables blue jeans cables "best" offering

Emotiva ERC-3 CD player > AES/EBU > Yggdrasil
Oppo UDP-205 blue ray player > coax > Yggdrasil
Samsung SMT-C5320 cable box > optical > Yggdrasil
Gateway NV79 Windows 10 64-bit computer > USB > Yggdrasil

I’ll be patient, but if there are any suggestions to "try" in order to hear *some* audible difference, that would be great. Appreciate any feedback you have.

Thanks.
gdhal

Showing 3 responses by stfoth

stfoth
435 posts
 
@gdhal . I’m also curious about George’s recommendations.

I’d suggest a few recordings with which you are very familiar. If you’ve had some that you ever thought to yourself sounded particularly thin/metallic/digital, maybe try those. As cheesy as they are, Chesky’s "Ultimate Demonstration Disc" and the "World’s Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings." I believe both include the obligatory Rebecca Pidgeon Spanish Harlem. I’ve found both to be good test-type discs for comparisons...just skip the narrator on the demonstration disc.


edit--agree with George on trying the actual CDs on a decent transport.
stfoth
435 posts
 
@gdhal . I’m unfamiliar with that source. I wasn’t really suggesting Ms. Pidgeon, in particular, although I suspect a lot of us have heard it enough times to be familiar. :)

I suppose it probably shouldn’t matter whether it’s from cd, usb stick, from a computer, etc., but I concurred with using the CD and transport mostly for simplicity and avoiding perceived complications from things like potentially questionable provenance of some downloads, USB implementation, etc.

Just relaying a few things that helped me more easily discern differences when comparing stuff. As much as I love some Pantera and old-school Iron Maiden...I couldn’t recommend them for this type of thing.

I don’t have a Yggy, but have an old DAC that uses those 1704 chips and a Denafrips Ares. They sound different to me from the Delta Sigma DACs I have. It’s not a humongous difference, and I certainly couldn’t say whether the difference is fully attributable to the multibit v. DS or something else in the units. Both sound better to me than an Oppo 95, which I don’t think is awful, but that was forever ago from your 205.

An odd one that perhaps sounded the most different on the Ares was Surfin with the Alien era Joe Satriani. Worth a shot?

stfoth
435 posts
 
@gdhal. Glad to "hear" that. They’re not where I hear the biggest differences in the DACs, but Brian Bromberg’s two "Wood" albums work well for me for bass comparisons. Maybe worth a shot if you are hearing differences in the bass on Spanish Harlem. Pretty "cool" albums, anyway, imo.
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