Yggy first impressions
 

The Yggdrasil arrived a couple days ago and I finally got my "stuff" together today and put it in the rack. This is a key part of a series of upgrades that includes a new room.

The Yggy is replacing a Benchmark DAC1, 2008 vintage, connecting my Mac Mini to the McIntosh MC2500 preamp. The MC2500 has a very good DAC already, but a pre without a DAC is in my future. The Benchmark had been in storage for a while, and is still a fine piece of equipment, leading to the topic at hand...

The Yggy straight out of the box sounded more "full" - not putting down the Benchmark here, but the best way I can describe this is that the old DAC sounded somewhat thin by comparison. I also hear more detail, especially in the mid range. Have had it on just a couple hours, and only once has it sounded a bit edgy, which might have been more detail showing up on that track. This DAC is widely reported as needing something like a couple days' continuous running to settle in. I look forward to that.

The final test was the WAF - Boss Girl walked into the room and while I was playing the second track with the Yggy, asked "Sounds good, what changed?". :smoking:

I'd like to thank Tom (W9TR) for his sage advice, and Dan posthumously for his influential review.

Here's a picture of the unit with a little something we picked up in Roskilde years ago that I found when unpacking.

https://www.audioaficionado.org/pict...pictureid=5285

Yes, the Yggy is really good. Robert Harley of TAS wrote an outstanding review of it a while back (2018, IIRC?). I know a number of members here really liked it very much as well. Be mindful that it may sound a bit "uncomfortable" for a while as it burns in; IIRC, it needed something like 200 hours or more to burn in.

You hit the nail on the head as to why I bought a C2300, 100% completely analog. I love my C2300, MC402 and Yggy; I’m looking at new speakers right now, primarily Spatial M3. I’m also looking to upgrade my streamer to a Auralic. I contemplated trending my MC402 for a 452 but I think I’m going to stay.

I love my Schiit so much I thought about buying one of their garage sale Yggy’s.

As @Puma Cat mentions above the Yggy will change during it's settling-in period. If you can drop in with your impressions during this process I'd be interested in hearing about your experience.

One day, in a few weeks, it will all come together sonically and you'll know it. :yes:

We had the Yggy on for several hours yesterday, and it seems like the settling in won't be a linear progression. Seems more like a stock index graph where it improves, but has some ups, downs, and pauses along the way. I am pleasantly surprised by the improvement.

Yep, that sounds exactly like the burn-in progression.

I had a Yiggy and it took about 2 weeks for it to burn in completely. Be patient. It is a fine DAC.

I like the viking ship!

Congrats Paul!
Enjoy!

From the picture, I understand that this will go into your kitchen system?! :D

Ha!