USB Nervosa Thread Decrapifiers, pro interfaces, and bears oh my

What's wrong with PC --USB--> Gungnir Multibit???

I haven't tried the Mutec, but I've probably tried almost everything else mentioned in this thread and a lot more. I can understand with some older or ChiFi USB implementations; but really, it doesn't make that much of a difference today. Moving up to a better DAC or finding better masters is a more worthwhile endeavor.

And again, if it's to address audiophile nervosa - the need for constant tweaking - get a TT. Way more parameters to tweak, with much more discernible effects, and a much better sense of when things are "dialed-in".

 

I will stick to my guns and say I honestly thought USB straight into Gungnir Multibit made it sound considerably worse than from Transient. It was not subtle to me, not in the slightest. It was like going to a noticeably better DAC for less than it would normally cost to upgrade DACs. Could have been my laptop, sure, but I know others have heard it too in other rigs. I wouldn't rule out us all having shit computers. For me at least, straight USB did a disservice to an otherwise amazing DAC. I'd also like to point out I only had the Transient or similar devices on hand because I went through and still have DACs that only have SPDIF inputs, so likely would have been happy as could be with USB had I not had both options to try. That point of view and reasoning I'd say is sound regardless of my experiences and thoughts on the matter. (Also got Transient at a large discount used.)

But I'm also blatantly open about being fanatical, as AtomicBob put it. It's the same way with my PC gaming rig. I have fun with it regardless and still get plenty of "just sit down and listen to music" time. I'll speak honestly about what I think I hear but encourage others to try for themselves and decide.

Also USB sucks and is worth avoiding if you can.

 

You should have upgraded to an Yggdrasil. The USB Gen 3 comes free.

Theta Data III AES3 > Modified Marantz CDP > Schiit Gen 3 USB > OR5 AES3 > OR5 > CI > run-of-the-mill CDP.

Wyrd really didn't do anything for Yggdrasil. Regen smoothed out everything and removed resolution.

 

I updated my post two up to include CDPs. Not all CDPs are created equal. VoldeMike assembled a half dozen CDPs, including an Oppo universal player and a Cambridge CDP. A vintage Denon won. My modded Marantz came in second. All the rest were quite craptastic.

 

Marv's spot on. I downgraded to the Gungnir Multibit because I hit a patch where the Yggdrasil wasn't a justified expense. Then out of curiosity, I started jumping on these products. I regret even trying them for the purpose of giving the forum impressions because I should have just bought another Yggdrasil.

It also came at a time in life where I've worked more closely to these technologies than I ever have. I just spent the last 2+ years implementing bridged PHYs for I2S and USB among others with some of the world's greatest kernel and USB engineers for a mobile platform. I have had all the conversations and arguments about why USB is fucked, why USB class audio is a pain in the butt, what each platform and OS does well and doesn't, and how it actually works. I can say unequivocally that, looking at threads like this, most folks are chasing voodoo.

No, we're not devolving into a "agree to disagree" culture here. That's not what we did with Chang and we're not doing that here. You can find it as problematic as you want. It's important to hash this kind of thing out. I respect your opinions and your preferences but I'm going to vehemently disagree with them if I think you're encouraging noobs to buy shitty products. And yes, I believe the Uptone Regen is a bad purchase and a shitty product.

All three of you are newer to the hobby and I haven't seen enough. Who are the people I trust? Folks like @anetode @shipsupt @CEE TEE @Marvey and the crew that pissed away tons of money on bad gear making our way though the hobby before we found each other and our own separate paths to where we are today.

The regen makes a well set up, resolving speaker system sound super odd. With speakers there's a spatial imaging problem there that Nabil/ @3X0 refers to as "bathroom EQ" and it's an apt description. I have no idea how the hell it manages to do this, but enough people, again Larry/ @jazzfan who has made his away across stats and dynamics and has his reasons for being a STAX man, Christian who was one of the first to discover the beauty of the BA, @3X0/Nabil who, although 12, has found his nirvana and can accurately describe phenomena on his DIY T2/Omega/Orpheus rig that I wouldn't expect given his time in the hobby, and more have heard it. There's also the weird smoothing of the sound that @Marvey describes. The Regen sucks because, although you might find it pleasing because of the smoothness, it has a deleterious effect on actual resolution and technicalities.

Actually, this is a good time to debut our newest award. With Marv, Christian and I all having independently come to the conclusion that it sucks, the Regen is the first product to receive SBAF's Burnished Butthole Award for General Crappiness:

IMAGE FORTHCOMING.

Edit: @bazelio pointed out I was going full ham asshole. Making some small edits

 

Hey! I'm much more circumspect these days and prefer to let the reader decide for themselves if a piece of gear warrants the burnished buttsauce award. For the record, my official stance on the Uptone Regen is here: http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...-fuckifiers-schiit-wyrd-vs-uptone-regen.1218/

 

Oh good, I felt like I was alone with my strong distaste for the Regen. Granted I only tried it in the Mutec 3+, but it was...odd. Stage stretched, height gone, really fuzzy and overly soft/smooth, dull, no dynamics, etc.

I will admit Gen 3 on Yggdrasil is much better than Gen 2. The differences betweens sources greatly narrowed in my brief meet test. I would have to spend more time alone to say more. I would also rather have a Gungnir Multibit + good SPDIF source than Yggdrasil + anything, and could still save money, but that's more due to my tastes. Both are great, and the Yggdrasil always seemed agreeable, just less my thing between the two.

And, again, a lot of this depends on your DAC. Some sources, for whatever reasons, possibly imagination too, do different things on different DACs.

 

In reality, what happens is someone tries ten different defuckifiers and DACs, loses an average of $50 on each transaction, and pays an average of $50 in shipping, insurance, and packing tape for each shipment. That comes out to $1000. Add that to the original "great deal" of $550 for the GP SFI, purchased because he was weak-minded and Professor X'd by Gavin (I have no problem with Gavin, he's always been a straight shooter with me, but it is his job to sell stuff to people), and it's now $1550.

$1550 could have gotten this guy a Gungnir Multibit which does DESTROY Bifrost Multibit. No amount of USB fuckology is going to make a Bifrost Multibit sound anywhere close to Gungnir Multibit. Heck I personally prefer Moby to Bifrost Multibit. Yes, Gungnir Multibit did not exist then, but how many times during that summer of 2015 did I advise "WAIT", even publicly, to people who asked me about what good DAC to buy.

Yes, having the wherewithal to patiently wait and/or save up just a bit more for something way more awesome is not comfortable. But SuperBAF has never existed to make people feel comfortable. This person should feel like utter shit for only having a Bifrost Multibit (and F-1) when he could have had a Gungnir Multibit (and Wyrd). None of these mistakes would have happened had he gotten and listened to good advice from CS / SuperBAF.

USB fuckology products should be the last thing considered after selection of tranducers, amps, sources have been stabilized for at least a six months.