Life after Yggdrasil: Watering the Ash

I'm not sure how this can be the case ... unless you mean something that I'm not gleaning from your post.

There are far more variables at work when you put a DAC into a speaker rig vs. using it with headphones. Every single component, including the room, is a variable, and there are necessarily a lot more of those in any speaker setup than there are with headphones. This is particularly the case with the Chord DACs as you don't need anything else to run them with a headphone as, excepting the 2Qute, they all have direct headphone outputs.

 

I have a theory, totally untested in the lab but based on a lot of live, headphone, speaker-system listening to the same kinds of jazz and orchestral music, often played by the same musicians. In live and speaker listening, even if you stay sitting at a fixed location, you have the freedom of moving your head to adjust to what's going on on (actual or virtual) stage, changing how sound arrives to the two ears. That's the "natural" way we listen. With headphones, moving your head has no effect on how sound arrives. That's "unnatural." Vertigo/motion sickness are a more extreme version of the effects of an unnatural disconnection between the perceptual and motor systems. In the "unnatural" condition, even very small differences become exaggerated, as anyone experiencing vertigo in a whiteout quickly learns. TL;DR speaker listening feels more stable because you can subconsciously adjust naturally to what is happening on the soundstage, while headphone listening feels very "touchy" because the natural perceptual-motor feedback mechanism is frustrated.

 

I'm not arguing that headphone listening is "better" or "more natural". Simply that there will be far fewer variables at work when it comes to comparing sources - particularly with the Chord units that are all-in-one. That makes for far fewer influences, factors and changes from one session to another, and provides a more stable reference point.

 

I agree, I was just noting differences between the two listening conditions that might make listeners to subjectively "smooth out" some variations and over-perceive others.

 

Yes, listening to headphones is the more consistent and repeatable listening experience. It is also the least realistic and least enjoyable listening experience for me. If I want to hear the difference between sets of tubes, I will listen through my headphones. But, if I really want to sit back and enjoy the music and not worry about listening to my equipment, I will listen through speakers every time.

 

Oh, I prefer my speaker rig as well - no question ... but such preferences have little to do with removing variables when it comes to comparing components.

Of course, if I'm using my speaker rig and listening for pleasure then I'm probably spinning vinyl anyway.

Now ... back to DACs ... so this doesn't get too far off topic.

 

When are we getting that Schiit MB multiway comparo?

 

What else did you hear to compare with the HugoTT to come to that conclusion?

 

PSA's previous dacs such as the PWD had the same 'learning curve' to reach its peak SQ.
One thing that this approach does provide is 'tailorability' by using the different versions of the s/w to match different peoples sonic preferences.

However it does raise the question of which s/w version is the most 'accurate' or is tonally correct etc.
A moving target with different bullseyes tends to make for variability all the way around.

JJ

 

Kinda late but I did post a comparison of the Yggdrasil and pagane level 1
Http://Www.earphiles.org/2017/06/schiit-yggdrasil-vs-metrum-pavane-level-1/

 

Great write-up, I really enjoyed it and have a good understanding of how the two DACs compare based on your evaluation. It's entertaining to scroll through your site and see the song-by-song comparisons pop up but I would appreciate better use of paragraphing and structuring at the end, combined with the white-on-black text it becomes difficult to follow.

 

I don't have a speaker rig, but merrick read the comparison and guessed the following:

Tord said with speakers the Holo DAC spread the images unnaturally wide or something( sorry this is a quote from a quote and most likely I could have the wrong idea) compared to the Yggdrasil. I said the Pavane soundstage is even bigger than the Holo DAC. Based on that he guesses that with speakers the Pavane would be unnaturally wide or exaggerated.

Now what if, with speakers, the images are even larger though?

I mean is it safe to make those guesses? With speakers would larger images make it seem less exaggerated?

 

Edit.. Fixed. Thanks

 

I didn't find it big either, just decent for headphones and acceptably holographic. Kinda forward sounding. I am very unfamiliar with speakers so merrick had me thinking about this.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

I haven't heard the Holo or the Pavane, I was just theorizing based on what I've read.

 

Happens to everyone. Hope today is better! Happy listening

 

It was a good theory though so it had me thinking.

 

This was such an enjoyable read. Big thumbs up for comparing preferences by music selection.