Schiit Transport-where is it?

Haven't heard any updates in about a year, but I've been a bit out of the loop. Is the Schiit transport still on the table? Any recent, meaningful rumblings I missed?

 

Yes. From their latest stream: it works and has passed internal QA. They can’t get the parts to build them due to shortages. Not sure when they will have them. It might be a limited first run so they can gauge demand. I think that’s it.

 

Thanks for the quick reply-guess I'll check out their streams in the future now.

 

From "ho lee cum" on discord:

Looks like pictures of a prototype Urd

front (with remote)

back

 

Jason brought one to the So Cal meet a couple of weeks ago, but we never got around to using it.

 

It may have been from Head-fi, but somewhere I read where Jason said it was looking like maybe end of Q1 2023 for Urd.

 

Yall might know i am a super CDT aficionado but i digress. I didn't spend a lot of quality time with URD, would love to compare it side by side my modified vintage Beasts. I did not get to assess the quality of the SPDIF output on my own dac or even the Yggdrasil next to it unfortunately, but maybe soon one might hit the private meets. It is a lot heavier than it looks.

Coolest features for most people was USB to USB (host/slave) output. This will help usability for non-spdif usb-only dacs. AES out to help out yggyA1/GS great. Doesn't benefit me.

Biggest quirk for me is the UI/UX (Play, Stop, Forward, Back and input/output selectors) and it's kinda slow. looking at the other people trying to use it at the booth, no one could figure out how to eject the tray ... must long press stop or something? I don't even know if there's a pause button (long press on play? would defeat the purpose). Anyway this doesnt compare to the remotes and beautiful UI UX instant responsiveness of a 80s/90s CDP. Please give it more buttons at least on the remote. There is minimalist, but this is a little too far. The long press thing is ridiculous for 2022 gear

I'm going to guess that the URD (usb) actually did sound pretty decent compared to stock vintage CDTransports right off the bat. Many vintage ones without mods are pretty terrible IMO (high end sony's, VRDS and CD960s are good without mods to name a few). Pretty sure there's less digitus than any USB DDC ive ever heard (including the GOAT hydraZ + ZPM), there might be compromises but this is the only dimension i can really assess given the conditions at hand. I am very familiar with Yggdrasil and i know it can sound digital especially when connected to stuff like PiAES. This does NOT mean URD is absolutely better, because the HydraZ despite some USB digitus is highly technically and subjectively excellent otherwise. Modified CDT have a PRAT and fluidity that i don't hear in anything else except really high end vinyl. For people who dont wanna do mods this should be excellent. Should wipe the floor with any other "HomeTheater DVDROM posing as hifi CDplayer".

I need to try URD on my own dac and speakers and i will know immediately where it is.

 

Wow, that's the first time I've heard the Pi2AES AES out to the Yggdrasil sounds digital. In that case, I really need to hear a good CDT. Does coax from something like the Phillips CD960 sound substantially better than AES from the Pi2? And does that particular model sound good on its own with its oversampling TDA chips?

 

Just to clarify, that was with YggyA1/GS via AES input. That 24v switching power brick is especially noisy and i can hear it through my other equipment in the room actually it happened at other meets too. It was a shocking discovery that made me rethink everything. Vintage dacs tend to be Very sensitive to digital source. They will reveal all bad things and good. Some modern dacs are extremely sensitive i.e. Holo and others are quite a bit less.

All of my CD transports have their analog sections removed or disconnected amongst other modifications (usually by228 rectifiers and external master clocking are my minimally invasive choices). All of them are pre AES era and i usually use Coaxial SPDIF which is easy to buffer with tube.

Each mechanism has a very unique sound after modifications ie. CDM9 vs CDM1mk2. If you ever get a chance to hear one of these unicorns

 

Latest announcement I could find said 'mid 2023' release date on the Urd.

Its the middle of June; anyone heard anything about it?

 

I asked Jason this question on his profile post yesterday. His words were "I expect Urd to be released this month", so fingers crossed.

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?members/schiit.164/#profile-post-33071

 

Jason posted the Urd manual a few weeks ago:
https://schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/urd manual_1_0.pdf

 

Came across this on syn product page. Can't wait.

 

It is the 19 of 6. Nine-point-five working days left in the month, @schiit .

No pressure.

 

No pressure.

 

LOL, it's here when it's here.

Still looking like end of month. Ish.

 

Better to take the time to do it right than to rush it, as with most everything.

 

Shouldn’t even answer this question.

 

I'm visiting LA during the "Oh-Canada" long-weekend. Is it possible, by any chance, to order a same day pickup when and if it releases by the end of June? I know all the stars have to align for this to happen...

I can deal with my wife on "What? You just spent how much on a CD player?"