Schiit Bifrost 2

Schiit has an email address, a physical address, a telephone number, a support form on their web site...

 

Comparing BF1 and BF2 on my DIY 3-way Speakers, the difference is clearly noticeable.
Interestingly the delta is more noticeable than with headphones, but aligned overall. (I guess I need to upgrade my headphones )

Setup:
Picture: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Nhyn4bXKdyU2uf7r6
Laptop -> Usb 5 > BF1 > RCA unbalanced DIY cable > Jungson JA88-09 Deluxe > Speakers
Laptop -> Usb Unison > BF2 > XLR balanced DIY cable > Jungson JA88-09 Deluxe > Speakers

It may not be fair, but I used both DACs at their full potential within this usecase (usb input).

Listening impressions:
BF1's "shortly" bloomy bass makes the acoustic guitar sounds more fat, but also less dynamic, articulate.
-> By "shortly", I mean that while the bloom is noticeable, it does not last too long, so is probably less/not perceptible on non-transients.
On the same guitar transients, BF2 sounds deeper and more dynamic; less smearing. Overall slightly more V-shaped: my interpretation is that the bloomy midbass of the BF1 "fills up" content in the low mids, which makes it sound more mid-forward.

In the mids, the subtle tone fluctuations and melody lines are swiftly presented/followed by the BF2, as if BF1 was a bit slow to track them. (I guess this relates to the smearing mentioned above?)
BF2 mids simply sound more organic.

BF1 treble sounds a bit more metallic ; less subtle, as if a generic grit/texture was pasted on each transient, glaring me from the more complex textures I hear from the BF2.
Trumpets are more defined/dynamic, extend higher up, yet less aggressive on BF2. (cf BF1's grit above)

Blackground: instruments seamlessly emerge from nothingness on BF2.
BF2 has both more precise stereo imaging and wider sound stage. (Interestingly the width advantage went the opposite way on headphones)

 

With my new BF2 I want to praise Slagle Autoformers once more. I have chain USB -> BF2 -> cheapest and simplest Slagle -> Aegir -> Dynaudio and the the sound is crystal clear. If you are still looking at various preamp options and some of them are pretty damn expensive - you don't need them, unless you need a remote volume control. Volume is at 11 o'clock, turning it all the way will probably damage my equipment.

 

I’m 53 and can hear at 16.5khz thankfully

it’s bright for me.

maybe not for others. To each their own

 

One particular recording that Modius could not do and BF2/64 is doing effortlessly is Hans Zimmer "Live in Prague". Apparently it has those spacial complexities that are messed up unless the DAC is extremely resolving. I think it's because most studio recordings are made the way to sound good enough even on mainstream Bose home theater from Walmart. So they don't contain much that very good entry level Modius DAC could not do. "Live in Prague" is not studio, they did what they could with live concert, it was not recorded the way it could be reproduced on Bose or anything mainstream, sorry.
The difference is that on Modius it still sounds extremely enjoyable but I could not tell which instruments are playing, how many they are, and where they are located on stage. It's like a sound mess, still very nice but a mess. I just listened it on BF2 for the 1st time and finally realized what it probably sounded for the audience.
This also tells me that I will never need a better DAC than BF2. If it could do "Live in Prague" there is nothing left for a more expensive DAC. That's it, BF2 is my last one, I will never have anything else in this life.

 

How do you know how that live album was recorded?
Most live albums are embellished in the studio for various reasons.

im glad you like the particular DAC , but assuming something and making something completely up is a tad odd.

 

I found a video: . Essentially there is a bunch of microphones all over the stage, they recorded it the way symphony orchestras are recorded: by having live sound on real stage, not studio, and capturing it from the distance.

 

Yes and then they fix things in the studio

thats how it’s done.

you are just making assumptions without knowing how these things are produced.

pardon. I don’t mean that in a snarky manner.

live albums aren’t just recorded in the live arena and left that way.
They are mixed in the studio and things are fixed, for the very reason that a live venue has limitations.

 

Could you share what version of the Live in Prague you listen to? Is it the Blu-Ray, DVD, or CD version? I'm interested in buying the disc, but I am trying to decide whether to get the DVD or CD for best SQ (note: I have a Pioneer Elite DVD player as my source, so the Blu-Ray is out as an option). Thanks!

 

just for reference.

there are some recordings done by Decca who use what is called the ‘Decca Tree’ for their recordings of entire orchestras sometimes. It’s basically three different mics placed in a specific manner to record.
Although sometimes they don’t have the best clarity , they really excel in showing spacial cues.

you could try some of those out whilst evaluating gear.

i usually try a multitude of recordings while listening to gear I’m evaluating. Especially if the gear in question is really good and I need something to show the minute details before I make a decision.

unfortunately for me the Bifrost 2/64 wasn’t down to the details for me. It was very evident from the get go.

And I’m not trying to take away anything from your experience . Honestly.
We all hear differently and it’s awesome that the piece of gear in mind satisfies you.
That’s a great feeling.

cheers

 

Just on Tidal. I listen on Raspberry so I don't have energy or motivation to setup any other source beyond Tidal. It's CD quality.

 

I met up with another DC-based Schiit fan at his apartment this morning.

I brought my BF 2/64 and we compared it with his Yggdrasil+ LIM being fed by a Bluesound NODE (TIDAL/Apple Music) via USB. The DAC fed a Freya+ via XLR, which fed Loki Max and 2x Tyr in a single-ended setup. (He has since ordered a full balanced XLR loom, which no doubt will elevate his already amazing setup pushing Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers.) I had never heard these speakers but yes, I was impressed! He is no longer using the stock tubes on Freya+ but I did not note which tubes he is using. They definitely did a great job taming those Klipsch horns.

By the end we focused on one or two tracks: "Feel Like Going Home" by Hans Theessink and "I Put a Spell On You" by Chantal Chamberland. We'd listen to a track on one DAC, switch the other, talk about what we heard, switch again, listen again, etc. I would say we went back and forth a good 3-4 times. Of course we played other tracks during the three-hour listening session but we really focused on these two towards the end.

Impressions from my side: which DAC "excels" can be track dependent but it can also be very much like splitting hairs. They both did a stellar job. The treble on the BF 2/64 never sounded harsh. Quite the contrary. I also think the BF 2/64 has a more overall "V-shaped" sound signature. Meaning, it may have had a slight edge in treble brightness and maybe a tad more bass slam at times. I also felt like it projected a slightly wider sound-stage, and I recall him commenting once that he felt the BF 2/64 sounded "fuller."

They both have excellent "blackround" with the Y+ LIM having a slight edge in this regard. The LIM also has the edge in micro detail retrieval, instrument separation, and mid-range clarity, sultriness, and timbre. The BF 2/64 is not far behind in these categories but the difference, while subtle, is audible.

 

TLDR: The 2/64 is a grower and I'm surprised how much I love it

Some background: my bias is toward vinyl and I've always considered digital something of a convenience. Additionally, I've always gravitated toward DACs that control resolution vs. accentuate it. I know we're all tired of the "sounds like analog" label, but the truth is that this has been my orientation for digital. Of the DACS I've owned, the ones that have lasted the longest in my setups have been the Gungnir Multibit A1, Yggdrasil LIM, Metrum Flint, and Border Patrol SE. In the realm of Schiit DACS, my preference has always been for the darker-sounding iterations. Note that this is my preference generally, as evinced by my love of BBC-style speakers.

The Border Patrol has been in my home office for a few years and, despite its eccentricities and the fact that it's been referred to here as a "freakshow DAC", I've long liked how laid-back and euphonic it is. Because of these tonal characteristics, the BP has worked well for all day listening (when not on calls) in combination with my Sugden integrated and Proac Tablette 10s + REL T5x. For digital, I also use a Zen Stream Mini + Roon to stream and play cds via a Cambridge 840c as transport.

Recently, the USB on my BP DAC fritzed and I swapped in the Bifrost 2/64 while I sent in the BP for repairs. I'd been using the 2/64 in a headphone setup and also have another Bifrost 2 on my desktop that hasn't been updated. This gave me the chance to swap between the Bifrost 2 and 2/64 in my speaker setup and compare both versions.

My initial reaction to the update was aligned with some comments made here: more accentuation on the ends of the spectrum, but a bit of brightness, esp. in the upper mid-treble, and less of a cohesive sound.

After listening for a few weeks, however, I'm starting to change my mind. For one thing, the dynamics of the 2/64 seem substantially better to me than the straight Bifrost 2 — especially with electronic and pop music. I'm getting deep sub-bass rumble and slam from my sub, but it's not killing the clarity of the rest of the frequency range. This kind of deep "oontz" without sacrificing dynamics is pretty addictive.

100 hours or so in, I'm also no longer perceiving brightness. Mind, my setup is a little buttery—it could be that the 2/64 is just providing a pinch of salt and balancing everything out. But the thing is, I did hear the brightness initially so I'm wondering if the update just takes a bit of time to settle. I've been listening to the throwback seventies record "Hiding in plain sight" by Drugdealer a lot, and I'm noticing that the sax no longer sounds tipped up in the mix. As someone who listens for 5-6 hours a day and considers myself sensitive to treble fatigue, I find this notable as a counter-narrative to the reports about treble sharpness.

I've also read reports that the resolution on the 2/64 sounds "artificial" in comparison to the Bifrost 2. It's a sentiment that I might have also shared in my first couple of weeks with the DAC. I wonder if it just takes a bit to adjust to the resolution and reconcile with what it's doing to well known records.

I'm sure it's system dependent, but what I'm noticing is that when I swap the original Bifrost 2 in, I miss the clearer window provided by the 2/64. In addition, I'm listening to far more digital with the 2/64 than I ever did with the Border Patrol. While timbre and spatial dimensions aren't as spooky and 3D as they are with my LIM setup, the 2/64 is really enjoyable in its own right. I wouldn't be surprised if I stick with the 2/64 even with the BP comes back from the shop.

I've always thought burn-in was horse-schiit, but my relationship with this DAC has changed materially over the few weeks I've been using it heavily. Sharing here because I think based on early reports back about this DAC, I was convinced the update wasn't for me. I'm curious if any others have had this experience over time living with the update. I'm really liking it in my particular setup.

 

What feet do you have under your Bifrost? Are they the Iso Acoustics?

 

I use these. Not sure how much audible impact they have, but I like how they get all my components at a uniform level and help dissipate heat in the stack.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092PN2C3M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

Thank you for sharing. Much better price than the Iso Acoustics stuff. I plan on adding some isolation feet to my Ragnarok, Yggdrasil, and my Cambridge CD Transport. May help at least with speaker listening.

By the way good review of Bifrost 2/64. I had sibilance and a steeliness to the sound when I first started using the 2/64. Totally gone now. I love listening to it now.

 

After spending three hours doing a close comparison of the BF 2/64 and Y+ LIM in a very nice setup, I have zero doubts about the value proposition of the former. Simply stunning. In my opinion the BF 2/64 can do 95% of what the LIM can do and even has few party tricks up its sleeve versus its bigger sibling.

 

Grower, not a shower?

 

What is the purpose of the screws on this product?

 

I believe they are for screwing into threaded speaker spike slots, though many reviewers complain they aren’t especially useful for that purpose. Have never used them.

I like this product because if you have smallish rubber feet (like those on bifrost) they fit well in the small indentation on the topside of these footers. There is a circular piece of grip tape that keeps the setup from sliding. Also, I’m too cheap to buy the fancy ones.