Bought a Gungnir Multibit... So far not impressed. Why?

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Vastx, Mar 1, 2016.

  1. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    Inherent superior fidelity? Read the article, man. Just not true. You may find it more euphonic, but it is in no way higher fidelity than hi res pcm.
    Btw, the single ended outs on the Gungnir Multibit are outstanding. I just changed from balanced to single ended on my rig, due to changing my amp to a Ampsandsound Kenzie; the performance is outstanding. Detailed and quiet, just like balanced. Mike Moffat himself says the rca outs are no weak link, and he's a pretty straight shooter. Meanwhile, he and Jason freely admit the se headphone jack on the Mjolnir 2 is compromised compared to the xlr jack. Try listening first-they sound great.
     
  2. BioniclePhile

    BioniclePhile The Terminal Man - Friend

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    I found nothing crappy about the single ended outputs from the Gungnir Multibit. It was a pretty slim difference between the two when I was switching with the Carbon. I wouldn't even worry about it at all, in fact, because I listened for quite a while on S/E and enjoyed myself some King Crimson just as much as I usually do.
     
  3. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    That only applies to the Mjolnir design because the circlotron topology is inherently balanced, not so for the Gungnir Multibit.
     
  4. Ash1412

    Ash1412 Friend

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    Raggy as well.
     
  5. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    True that.
     
  6. GUTB

    GUTB Reddit rejected: Audiophile; SBAF rejected: Poseur

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    Sorry, could you post that article?
     
  7. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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  8. MrButchi

    MrButchi Gear Master Europe

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    My bad I was talking about Raggy and Mjol only, Gungnir Multibit being known for having non crappy SE outs.
     
  9. chakku

    chakku Friend

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    I think more companies need to come to realize that the time spent making your DAC support an arbitrary format could be spent making the DAC sound better.

    But then again DSD is an easy sale so who cares how it sounds, right?
     
  10. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    If you're willing to spend the money on a quest for max SNR / DSD, do you ever wonder if you've fallen prey to vendor/marketers' spec-fu? Is your hearing good enough to discern the differences between SNR varying just by a few units? Or is it the knowledge that your equipment is extreme spec that ultimately satisfies?

    Granted, I also don't understand why overclocking CPUs is still a thing, or how gaining an additional 5 ~ 10 hp is noticeable anywhere other than on a dyno.
     
  11. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

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    A DSD believer? Pretty rare around these parts. Most peeps think redbook works well enough.
     
  12. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    maybe i'm deaf, but i've been playing with Gungnir Multibit hooked up to the Carbon using both the XLR and RCA (both DIY cables using the same cardas copper wire) and toggling between them... and... maybe there is a difference, far be it from me to claim there ISN'T one... but, if it's there, it's quite small.

    EDIT: @BioniclePhile just saw you had a similar experience up top - but this accumulation of annecdotal evidence surely adds up to data :)
     
  13. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  14. Griffon

    Griffon 2nd biggest asshole on SBAF

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    I'm a 320kbps believer but again my best source gear is GOV2.

    Why restrict oneself with format? The point of having a digital chain is to utilize the endless PCM materials. AND ENJOY PCM, NOT TO HATE IT.
     
  15. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I suspect quite a few people, including even the Schiit guys themselves, feel that balanced XLR is superior. I don't argue that the technology is not superior: clearly it is, and has always appealed to me on that basis alone, but it's greatest practical advantage is exclusion of noise picked up by the cables, and if there is that much noise being picked up by ten-inch interconnect, then the whole system is probably doomed. Give up! Move house!

    Balanced cabling is a properly designed audio transmission method: unbalanced and RCA plugs is just an accident of history that caught on.

    Counterpoint...

    (I like arguing with myself ;) )

    Am I right in thinking that the balanced output completely separates the channels? No shared ground? Better channel separation?

    But, anyway... whatever... I did not like the Gungnir Multibit.

    .
     
  16. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    What did you not like about it? I could definitely see some people not liking it as it lacks the incisiveness you get with some Sabre dacs.
     
  17. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    Coming from a sabre dac in my (previous) HA-1 I find the Gungnir Multibit to be at least as detailed, but with far better, more natural sounding treble. I vastly prefer it.
     
  18. GUTB

    GUTB Reddit rejected: Audiophile; SBAF rejected: Poseur

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    Well, balanced is superior. I can't think of a single case in which a manufacturer lists balanced vs unbalanced specs did the balanced noise measurement not be lower than the unbalanced measurement. Elimination of common ground noise is another positive. Also, a truly balanced circuit benefits from much better dynamic performance thanks to things like double the slew rate, etc. Downsides include things like proper channel matching, and quality summing / conversion of balanced to single-ended.
     
  19. Vastx

    Vastx Facebook Friend

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    I can't definetely see how someone coming from a sabre could not prefer the Gungnir Multibit, incisiveness or not. It has everything else to a certain point. I didn't like it either, but for poor musicality.

    I'm curious... @Thad E Ginathom , why didn't you like it?
     
  20. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    He wasn't tough enough. You must be strong in the face of the Gungnir Multibit - meet it head on, and don't show fear.

    Edit: I can say things like this because there is no way to hunt me down and shoot me. Oh, wait...
     

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