NOT: Theory on the new Schiit

Jason has said none of their products this year will be a version 3 of an existing version 2 product.

 

Ah, okay. Given the seeming unlikelihood of an Asgard 2 Uber, I'll consider my hopes on that score dashed then.

 

Schiit posted it themselves under the Modi photo sidebar on the site, a few people caught it, and saved the images before pulling, in fact if you check my link it's actually directly linking to the schiit page.

 

Jason has written about upgrading the Asgard 2 several times. He pointed out several things:

-Difficult (at the time of writing) to improve substantially enough to warrant a version 3
-He's been toying with new topologies, but then, they basically became entirely new product ideas (as Marv pointed out)
-Asgard 2 is their least profitable item (meaning we are getting a good deal on the price they're selling them for)

Don't get me wrong, I would love an Asgard 3, but it's pretty unlikely.

 

Hmmm... the Gun is out of stock.

Maybe they will discontinue Bifrost D/S, Gun D/S, Use the current multibit boards as the default using current D/S prices--> and introduce a new multibit 2 board for those as a new upgrade... since the new Modi MB simply outperforms any D/S option now.

So all the Dac's go up a performance level, same pricing.

PS -- and some Yggdrasil A2 upgrade.

 

Oh, certainly. And it appears that the Modibit will fit the bill quite nicely on that score. Unless this is some kind of hint from you, of course?

Thanks, those are intriguing points. No question that the A2 is a formidable value proposition, and I can imagine that it'd be difficult for Schiit to make substantive improvements while maintaining its price point. That would seem to leave an amp sporting a novel design as the best possibility for a new product in that vein, then. Not really expecting that, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

Of course this would happen, seems as I just bought a Bifrost 4490 a month ago brand new, haha.

 

So wait, you're telling me the Modibit will outperform my 4490frost? Which I (will ended up having) paid more money for? Isn't the D/S Gungnir still supposed to be better than the Bifrost Multibit? At least that's what I hear.

 

It's not all as simple as that. For example, some people prefer the regular 4490 Bifrost over the Bifrost Multibit.

 

Too true.

 

This is true, but I find these people tend to be in the minority. Bifrost Multibit was designed to be a better performing DAC than the previous iterations. Hence the higher cost and Schiit preferring R2R in the first place. Obviously there's no way to objectively quantify sound quality and taste. I guess we will have to wait until the A/B comparisons start, but of course its perfectly natural for people who spent more for D/S iterations of higher grade DACs to wonder where that leaves them.

 

I think you're too hung up on some sort of absolute arbiter of sound quality. By all account the Bifrost 4490 and Bifrost Multibit are very close. The real difference is in R2R vs D/S.

Given the Modi 2 Uber has recently been updated to 4490, I suspect the Modibit will be close in terms of quality, and again the big difference will be whether you prefer the D/S sound or R2R sound. The Bifrost 4490 has more power and is upgradable.

If you're really sweating this, sell your Bifrost and buy a Modibit. You may even make a small profit.

 

It leaves them in a situation where they have already enjoyed a great DAC for a number of years. Jason and Mike shouldn't gimp development to protect the feelings of people with previous generation products. You make decisions based on the market at the time of purchase. Things change, technology trickles down, manufacturing processes are streamlined. Most manufacturers bake obsolescence into their products whereas Schiit's 'second tier' components and above are upgradeable.

The fact that they have (potentially) shoehorned R2R into a Modi is f-ing incredible and should be applauded.

 

I have a long history of buying audio products right before the announcement of a revised version. I just ordered an Asgard 2 last night.

(I had been thinking of getting one for a while. When I saw that they are available in the black finish, at the moment, that helped me decide to go ahead and do it.)

 

I cannot emphasize this more. Three years ago, my friend dragged me to my first audio show at Newport for kicks. I was dumbfounded by these boxes on the tables seeing that I had no clue what amplifiers and DACs were.

That day I first listened to the Mad Dogs on the original Magni Modi. That combination was phenomenal then, and is still great today. Of course, today, they're overshadowed by their new reiterations. But that doesn't mean they're not still fun to listen to.

Today, I still have my original Modi, and I listen to it every now and then. Yes, it's practically worthless on today's market, but I don't let that take away the smile on my face as I'm listening. Nothing should have changed: it's still an ass kicking DAC and my love for music is the same as when I first stepped into THEshow.

To me, Modi represents Schiit's dream to bring great affordable sound to the masses (remember in Jason's book, Modi came first, and he had to work hard to get Magni to the same price point). Now, with a potential modibit release, Schiit will prove how far they can push the limits of audio technology. To see that Jason and Mike have gone this far in just three years is absolutely f'ing mindblowing.

 

Don't take my comments to be bitterness or anything. Its not like that. These kinds of questions simply need to be asked to get a dialogue going. Everybody agreeing with everything all the time is boring (that's how cults start, lol) Playing devils advocate is healthy and necessary.

 

Thats exactly what I was pointing out.

 

hello,

as does MrsForBin.

 

It's actually not bad with their grownup voices... (and just to make you feel old, those Hanson boys now have 11 kids between them)


And my vote goes for Mumby