Schiit Gungnir Multibit impressions

Besides opening the case and looking at the actual board, is it possible to identify if I have Gumby1 or Gumby2 externally? ie. Serial number?

 

Did you bother to read the thread? B series = Gungnir Multibit A2.

 

My mistake. I did look for it but apparently jumped over that page. Thank you.

 

Listening to Gumby2 again tonight. The Police's Regatta De Blanc is one of the "test albums" I use quite a bit, but hadn't listened to yet on the G2.

When I started listening, it sounded so different from the Gumby1 that I actually got up from my chair to check all the connections on the back of my gear, just to make sure nothing was messed up!

On Walking on the Moon, Sting's bass almost sounds like a completely different instrument - with the G1, the bass notes are crazy fat, rounded and bloomy. With the G2, every bass pluck is tight as hell and every note is super distinct and unique sounding, with what seems like a ton more variation in the intensity of each note. Stewart Copeland's drum and symbol work also sounds sublime and real and not sibilant at all (I was expecting it might be). Sting's voice also sounds like it's being projected from way, way back more in the stage with a ton of echoes, like from outer space - it's a cool effect.

Gumby2 is growing on me.

 

Cymbals are one of my pet peeve instruments too. My previous digital to analog experiences at best sounded like a murky mess, and most sounded like someone had set off a burst of fuzz. That they actually sound like metallic shimmer and ring; a metal brush on a metal surface sounds like it does live; or those light ticks of wood on metal where you can hear that slight wood overtone... on Schiit high end DACs = win.

Good stuff. Enjoy!

 

@rlow - Gonna make a suggestion, since you mentioned Sting. For a few bucks you can get Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests (including Sting). If you can, buy a version that includes the video, of these performers. The visuals are part of the performance, so not worth skimping out. Sting is magic in this performance too.

You get to hear some great piano, the background violins and brass, some voice performances (including Sting) that will stretch your DAC to the limits in breadth and emotion, Chris Botti's trumpet playing that shows off all the blat and blare of this instrument is capable of, and is pure ecstasy, and Billy Kilson on the drums and one of the best cymbal solos I know. If you do so, enjoy it on your new DAC, pure magic.

 

I got one of these used ("B" version). I also have a Rega Jupiter 2000 cdp. By running the coax out of the Jupiter to the Gungnir Multibit (using Gungnir Multibit rca outs) I could compare. The level difference on each was unnoticable, both output about the same voltage. Listening was on speakers. They sounded very similar, with a laid back but not wanting for detail kind of sound. Both have a very enjoyable analog like quality. The Gungnir Multibit was a hair smoother in treble and very slightly less pointed in the midrange, bass was indistinguishable. The difference was just a little more "refinement" from the Gungnir Multibit. The Jupiter was Regas top of the line cdp some years ago, I tried others but always came back to it for its more vinyl presentation. The Gungnir Multibit has all those same qualities, even a little more so, which I consider a good thing.

 

Keep us updated on your impressions. I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a new Gungnir Multibit myself.

 

I may have missed it also. My Gungnir Multibit has a serial number starting with C and shows up as a Gen5 USB when hooked up to my Jriver Id. Does this make it a Gen 1 or 2?

Thanks.

 

@jexby i sense sarcasm.....A and C are both gen 1. B came after C though it makes no sense.

 

My Gungnir Multibit has a serial number containing a run of digits from the first 100 of Pi. I do detect a certain defiance and social inclusiveness to the sound. Not sure if that's because I am using a $1500 USB cable or because I have the rare transition revision, which is sometimes haunted by the ghost of David Bowie.

 

I should have mentioned I recently got a time machine working and went to 2020, so that is how I got a Gen3. Unfortunately, due to the great EMF blowout of 2019, where all chip based devices were destroyed, I have been unable to compare to any early versions.

Thanks. In my case, that is a good thing, as a bit laid back is my preference.

 

Ordered my Gungnir Multibit today. Looking forward to it very much.

Have some questions about XLR cables I will post in the General thread.

 

Woohoo! Ordered Friday, shipped today. FedEx says delivery Wednesday. I'll certainly give Schiit top marks for promptness.

 

Eat some muesli!
Speeds up your Schiit delivery to mere hours.

 

I receive my multibit upgrade in the mail Wednesday too! I will report the version for reference when I receive it.

Can't wait to get it hooked up!

 

Quick update:

Had my gen 1 D/S Gungnir (serial #=C) upgraded to multibit.

Received last night and can confirm I revived a serial #=B, so this matches expectations and should be the A2 update!

This thing just sounds good! Not sure how best to describe it. Was using a Bifrost Multibit V1 while the Gungnir was being updated and cold out of the box the Gungnir just has something extra over the Bifrost Multibit.

Just realized that I now have Bifrost Multibit v1(Home headphone), Modi multi v1(Work headphone) and Gungnir A2(Home 2 Channel).... might need to take some time to compare all of them!

 

Three weeks in and Gungnir Multibit continues to impress.

From memory, the warm up was more pronounced than OG Gungnir Multibit, especially within the first couple of days.

In comparison to Gungnir A1 (from memory) and Yggdrasil A1;

• As previously stated in the thread, leaner than Gungnir Multibit. Similar in tone to Yggdrasil.
• Blacker background than both. Resolves low level information exceptionally well. Somehow Yggdrasil still manages to pull this information out of the ‘grey’, but Gungnir Multibit tended to throw some of it away.
• More slamming than Gungnir Multibit. Dynamic swings leap out of the void. Again, Yggdrasil has some voodoo in this regard and still slams harder than either Gungnir.
• Yggdrasil still seems to hold some esoteric advantages over Gungnir Multibit. Spatial nuance, portrayal of resonant instruments etc. However, I find it really hard to critically listen for these elements, so I could be imagining things.

Super happy with Gungnir Multibit. It’s like a Yggdrasil A1 up/sidegrade that fits on a desktop.

 

I've only had my Gungnir Multibit since Wednesday morning. It has just been sitting powered up and today I finally got a chance to sit back and listen for a while. I'm comparing it to a Modi Multibit, which I though was pretty good, but not surprisingly this thing is a whole nother level.

Wow.

I'm taking some mental notes and I'll post comparisons with some examples in the next few days.