Schiit Transport-where is it?

From Jason via Head-Fi
"Urd assembly has commenced. We may not launch this week, but looks like next week if we don't make it by Friday. In the meantime, here's the final manual, which should address any questions about pause/skip/ff/etc:

Urd Manual"

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...most-improbable-start-up.701900/post-17621521

 

Good to hear! Any word on pricing yet? I guess we will find out soon enough...

 

$1299, same as we always said it was going to be.

Sorry for those looking for a $300 product, but this isn't a $300 product. Nothing based on an actual StreamUnlimited metal tray-load CD drive is. Plus this has two Unison USB inputs, one Unison USB output, and SPDIF/AES output, and the ability to go from USB to USB or USB to SPDIF. Oh yeah and two transformers, one for digital and one for analog, no switching supplies, four 32-bit microprocessors, oh yeah and made in California, including the transformers, chassis, and boards...hell I should raise the price. But I won't.

 

Stoked.

 

Definitely a niche product. High cost has to offset the low sales volume. I can't imagine that more than 100-200 of these would ever be sold.

 

Will all the development of Unison USB output only be utilized by the Urd? No intention of making a Pi HAT product?

 

While I don't really see Schiit building something like that themselves, I could certainly see a place for them to license the technology for others to use. It would be good for their profile, and good for audio in general, but I have no idea if it is something they would ever consider.

 

In simple terms what happens when one connects, lets say, a tablet, to the USB input? What's the point? It sees the tablet basically as a hard drive for music? What about a streamer?

 

Per the manual, the inputs do recognize bitstreams from tablets and streamers and let you output the signal to an external DAC via the USB, SPDIF, or AES outputs.

 

What’s the analog portion?

 

I assumed that to mean the moving parts?

 

Speaking of StreamUnlimited, wondering if the Urd uses the CD–Pro 8 mechanism used in other high end transports? And wondering about the servos too anything you can share.

Apart from Unison nothing else about this is groundbreaking. I assume the majority of what I spend here is actually on the moving parts, and that is very much what I want in a transport. Looking forward to finding out.

 

In addition to Unison in and out, it's also a USB switcher and a DDC. Can't think of any other CD player that does that?

Granted, this could be seen as a waste / unnecessary expense for people who just want the CD player w/ Unison output bit, or people who just want the Unison 2xIn and 1xOut bit.

I, for one, don't really care about the CD player, but I do love the two isolated USB input to isolated USB out functionality. I can connect both a Pi4 (streaming) and PC and easily switch between the 2 without any potential interference between them. The DDC is just cherry on top.

 

Fair enough. I've never looked for that so I don't know what $1300 typically buys in that space. I still think most of the money is in the mechanical parts.

 

I think $1300ish was about entry level price from other manufacturers if you wanted an AES/EBU digital out and something with a traditional CD tray. With the URD you're at the same price but get the USB and DDC stuff as an added bonus.

 

I am excited about Urd mostly because I am interested to hear Mike Moffat’s* take on what a complete digital chain should sound like.

Features are important and I like getting value for money, but this is a rare opportunity to combine an opinionated DAC (I use a LIM at home) with an opinionated source by the same designer.

We talk about system synergy a lot (rightly so) but this is usually in the context of balancing mismatched components from different manufacturers.

I am psyched to hear what synergies are available when there is a coherence of thought/approach/intent on the digital side.

(*Mike + the rest of the digital team)

 

It should be noted that DDCs from other manufacturers like Denafrips, Holo, Musician Audio, etc starts at about the $800 range. The two higher level DDCs from Denafrips are alot more expensive, and none of them offer dual USB inputs. With the Urd you are also getting what is probably a top flight CD transport if you spin CDs or ever happen to get nostalgic and want to spin CDs again. I think you are getting alot under one roof for a reasonable price.

 

This is why I have preferred Unison over AES (using the Pi2AES among other sources), as I got the distinct impression from the sound that it was closer to Moffat's vision for those DACs (BF2, GA2, Yggdrasil LIM). Unison seemed to take better advantage of what the DACs were doing IMO, despite the fact that AES was a smidge more technically competent (but not enough to make any difference for me).

Urd is up my alley as I do go back and forth between Unison and spinning CDs depending on mood. I sometimes like the ritualistic and tactile experience of physical media sometimes. Sometimes I'm lazy and just want to stream. And this gives an opportunity to spin CDs using the Unison input on his DACs, which I feel makes alot of sense given my statements in the previous paragraph.

It is typical smart development by Schiit and there is definitely a market for this.

 

Yeah, this is what makes me consider a purchase. Mike was really raving about Unison output paired with an input in one of his bi-yearly blog entries at one point. I’ll probably wait for reviews since I already have a fancy SOtM decrapifier, but it’s piqued my interest.

 

I'm sure this is an empathic "no", but does anyone know if it is remotely possible to hook up the Urd to computer and use it to rip CDs?