Yggdrasil Refined - New Schiit Yggdrasil Analog 2 (Yggdrasil A2) Sound Impressions

I fixed Y2 on the AMP side with a tube amp and choice of mellower tubes. Happy with my chain now. Sounds like music to me.

 

Thank you for the clarification and I wouldn't call the Yggdrasil as having a V shape tonality. The characteristic I hear is a more rear of the auditorium presentation versus a more front of the auditorium presentation out of the Terminator. Don't get me wrong all the DACs I have sound very good but the Terminator excels in realism and layering. I call it being able to hear around instruments and voices. I have attended many concerts in my years and know what live music sounds like. There is a sense of realness that other DACs cannot present. It is like a haze over the music with all other DACs in a very dramatic sense of an analogy. Ask any questions and I will respond ASAP.

 

I am using Roon and upsampling to DSD256 into the Terminator so I leave it on NOS mode. I need to try the other way and see if there is a huge difference.

 

Even point-form would be helpful but what I'm getting at so far is:

- Terminator more forward, row 1 vs. Yggdrasil A2 row 10
- Terminator timbre seems more accurate/natural/realistic vs. Yggdrasil A2?
- Term. separation/layering is more evident. Microdetails/reverb hangs longer than Yggdrasil A2?

What about extension on either end? What about slam? Does one sound more gritty/metallic on cymbals/high-pitched guitar/voices? Female and male voices sound better on Terminator? Do you upsample with Roon or HQ Player (also why upsample?)?

I think from the previous posts, you use the USB input...and balanced outputs to the AR Ref5? What kind of live music do you attend/enjoy?

 

Right on. I’m constantly scouting for something that can one-up the Schiit Multibits within their price range. Would love to find something, just to hear something different- I care about the best sound for the price, not about staying “loyal” to one brand or schilling for them. They just happen to kick ass for the price right now (and I suspect they will for the foreseeable future).

I’m thinking my next venture may be back to try Chord again. Reading good things about the Qutest, but still pretty sceptical. Worth a shot used. I don’t give a rats ass that Rob Watts may be a dick either, so are half the guys at these companies I’m sure.

But Jason and Mike are cool I have to say, and this does increase my affinity for their products. I will continue to look toward them for great value (and continue to direct others to them as well, for both reasons).

 

Why do all forums have armchair idiots like this. I was making a point about what everyone was asking about the Terminator qualities. Sign me out.

 

I am going to run. No time for this type of forum.

 

Can confirm. I have 2 hanging on my wall.

 

Word. When I read the 1st-row vs 10th-row analogy, I always wonder "which venue, which music, which performers"? I often sit 1st row at SFJAZZ, and that can be wonderfully clear and laid out in space with small ensembles with little amplification, but with larger ensembles and more amplification, it can be disorienting, muddled. On the other hand, Davies Symphony Hall is rarely enjoyable anywhere close to the front, I can't parse complex classical ensemble music close in. And so on. I can go over dozens of venues, genres, and performers and argue against or for different seats. Not to mention that live venues have a lot of background noise (people moving in their seats, coughing, picking their noses, AC, complex reflections, ...) that makes the comparison with the conditions of home sound reproduction rather misleading. No blackground at Davies, for sure.

 

All you guys complaining about this “haze” are a bunch of weirdos. I assume you all dated super models and married former actresses of CW dramas.

If you want to label Y2 as “Analog” then treat it like an analog device: throw as much silver as you can at it. I use:

1. Zu audio Event spdif coaxial from Marantz SACD player to Yggdrasil via RCA to RCA (silver conductor)
2. Zu audio Event XLR cable from Yggdrasil to Freya (silver conductor)
3. Zu audio Varial SE cable from Freya to custom DIY SET amp (older Zu silver conductor)
4. SLR power cord by TG Audio (silver conductor power cable by Bob Crump, may he RIP)

I just took delivery of a pair of Heresy III speakers this week. First pair of speakers in about ten years. In an untreated small room without much tweaking, my mind is blown.

Also, since I got my Yggdrasil a couple weeks ago, I have been listening with my HD800 and LCD-X and HD600 through my DIY M3 headphone amp. (Connected with Cabledyne silver XLR balanced cable.)

Maybe I am willing to settle for a lot less, but what I’m hearing is just plain music.

 

There is a bit of haze, even after the upgrade to Yggdrasil A2 A2, but I personally don't find it to be brutal. A little correction on the AMP side or choice of HPs to smooth that over, sounds good to me.

For the price it's still a really great experience. I can find fault if I search for it, but most of the time I am just enjoying listening to music

 

Not sure if this is the best place to ask, but if I were to look into a balanced out > SE converter (thinking about the Iso-Max PI-2XR as it is a 1:1 ratio, is in my budget, and I honestly don't trust myself with a soldering iron in this area), would that result in a little more line out voltage from Yggdrasil? Reason I ask is I'm having to really dig into the volume control to get decent volume out of some discs. If it matters, I'm transmitting from my transport via AES/EBU. Now, the discs that are "quiet" do sound excellent with great dynamics, but I'm not used to getting much past 12 o'clock on the line stage volume, but I've had some discs, like right now - Joe Walsh - Barnstorm MFSL - which even at 1 o'clock, it's not what I would characterize as "loud." Just curious if such a converter would help in that regard, or if I would really want to just look into a different line stage with true, differential balanced inputs?