Schiit Yggdrasil wins Absolute Sound Golden Ear Award for 2017

[Soundmig]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

With all due respect to the folks at RMAF 2016, they might have been referring to differences using balanced vs. single-ended headphones as my guess they were presenting at Can-Jam (?).

I haven't directly compared them, but from the extensive reading I've done on other forums, the consensus is Gumby is notably superior-sounding to Bifrost Multibit (aka Bimby).

Some reasons are that Gumby uses a better Analog Devices DAC chip (19 bit) than Bimby and the closed-form filter it uses is identical to Yggdrasil's.

From Schiit:
"In actuality, it's a lot like Yggdrasil, using the same proprietary closed-form digital filter and precision multibit DACs. In this case, the DACs are AD5781BRUZ rather than Yggy's AD5791BRUZ, but there's still 4 of them for true hardware balancing, and they're followed by discrete JFET buffers for simplicity and excellent performance."

Bimny uses a lower-spec Analog Devices AD5547CRUZ chip, and the filter is not as sophisticated.

From one poster, who is a headphone user:
"Gumby is much more neutral to my ears. Bimby is on the warmer/darker/smoother/more gooey side. Even with Wyrd, Bimby is still like that compared to Gumby. The difference is enough that I'd be able to listen to a stock HD800 on a solid state amp connected to Bimby. That's how warm it is. It is a very euphonic DAC in that sense.

On that note, though, I'd still prefer Gumby even with my HD800, because Gumby gives much higher resolution, much better imaging, and much better soundstaging. The difference really is not subtle. Bimby tends to sound bit congested/compressed in the lower regions, and sometimes uncontrolled as well, whereas Gumby is always tight, articulated, textured, and detailed in those regions. Drums sound like a blur on Bimby, whereas they sound closer to the snappy, impactful, very slight but controlled rumble real life representation with Gumby. Or at least IMO, Gumby sounds closer to the truth with regards to instruments"

Hope this helps...

Puma Cat ... that's very helpful - thanks. I figured as much and was actually ready to upgrade to Gumby (from Bimby) but the Schiit guy said what he said which I thought was odd. I sincerely appreciate the information as what you describe with the Bimby is what I hear also and, good as Bimby is, I do want to improve the sonics.

[chimaera1982]

Am considering pulling the trigger on the Yggdrasil. All my files current are ALAC CD rip stored in thumb drive plugged to Oppo 103D as a transport. Current DAC is the W4S Dac1. Want to upgrade to something different. Am currently running Pass Int 150 through SF Cremona Auditor M with REL G2. Although speaker to exchange to AAD7001. I can't really try the Yggy hmso that's quite tough as it's special order here. Other alternatives
Kitsune Holo Spring Dac or Metrum considering dipping my toe in R2R Dacs . An outside choice would be the PSAudio Directstream Jr but it is quite a bit more outlay.

[Soundmig]

If you're asking for a recommendation....I'd go for the Yiggy.

[PHC1]

I found the FAQ section on Yggy interesting. http://www.schiit.com/products/yggdrasil

[Robc33]

That is the DAC that Jim Smith uses in his system. Sounded amazing when I heard it.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Soundmig

Puma Cat ... that's very helpful - thanks. I figured as much and was actually ready to upgrade to Gumby (from Bimby) but the Schiit guy said what he said which I thought was odd. I sincerely appreciate the information as what you describe with the Bimby is what I hear also and, good as Bimby is, I do want to improve the sonics.

Yes, that headphone user was one of the guys from SBAF.