I would love to know how this compares to R2R laddered resistor DACs that have gotten so much praise, like the Denafrips Pontus II and Holo Spring 3 (3 variants, including the KTE version) which are in the same price range.
I've been intrigued by the R2R DACs, but the Yggy has also been on my radar. Thanks.
Less Is Really More - Schiit's New Yggdrasil DAC - Less Is More
So, over the past week I have been auditioning the new Schiit Yggdrasil Less Is More Variant DAC. In my opinion it is a significant step up from the analog 2 version of the original yggy and should be on everyone’s list to audition if you in the market for a new dac. So what makes this DAC so special ?. First, music originates from a deep space black background and has a smooth liquidity that is just incredible to hear. I have never heard a black ground like this. There is a clarity that gives the effect of lifting a thin veil off my speakers. The highs are refined but not harsh whatsoever and you can listen to this dac hours on end and never get fatigued...something I can't say about other schiit dacs I have owned in the past. Some reviewers have said that this version rolls off the highs, but to me everything sounds just right. All the music is there and seems natural. It's just that the highs never get fatiguing...perhaps this is due to the roll off effect that others have talked about. To me, this dac sounds very evenly balanced throughout the frequency spectrum with nothing emphasized more than others. The Timbre on this dac is the most realistic I have heard...bar none. Piano, snare drums and cymbals just sound so real. The bass is very detailed with great texture. It may not have as much bass slam or bloom as the original yggy or an ESS Sabre dac but this definitely has more detail and texture. The separation of instruments, depth and layering is incredibly realistic as well. During complex passages I have never detected any congestion whatsoever. Schiit dacs have a reputation for long warmup times but this less is more version only took about a day to come alive and I have not detected any other changes since. Like all schiit dacs, you still need to leave this unit on 24/7. If you are in the market or considering a change you should put this on your list to audition. Schiit hit a home run with this DAC in my opinion and mine will be staying. Note, I have no affiliation with Schiit nor am I a reviewer...just posting my experiences which are based on listening in my system. YMMV.
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Ok, fair enough. Admittedly some of my comparisons were from memory because I don't have multiple dacs laying around but my current DAC is an MHDT Labs Pagoda which is sitting on the rack next to this new LIM yggy. Previous dacs include original Yggy, Gungnir MB, Chord Qutest. My current system consists of a LTA Microzotl Reference Preamp, Pass Labs XA-25 amp, Project RS2 CD Transport with LTA linear power supply, Aurender Server/Streamer, PS Audio Powerplant P12, Triode Wirelabs interconnects and speaker cables, curious evolved usb cable and audio archon powerchords. |
very nice gear, and even more importantly, with the mhdt and chord as bookends, i would agree that you have heard excellent representatives from the two main camps of dacs - detailed, impactful and alive, versus smooth, refined, organic. from my memory the schiit yggy and gumby were sort of a middle ground, perhaps a touch closer to the chords in tonality what speakers? my guess is you forgot to mention them along with the rest of the rig does the lim yggy still have that relay click when sensing a different sample rate of music sent to it? i was forever hoping mike and co would address that... |
jaudio1 OP
Do you love your LTA Microzotl reference preamp? That has been on my radar for several years, but I got cold feet with the tube situation due to the war in Ukraine. (Maybe that’s not a worry?) |
Yes, the LTA preamp is something I will never give up. You don't have to ever worry about tubes. LTA claims that they will last 6-10k hours. You can get a new complete set of tubes for $200 and they are easily found.....but if your a tube roller and want to experiment you can get some real pricey ones and try them out as well. As far as my favorite characteristics of the preamp I would have to say the incredible holographic imaging, an incredible depth to the soundstage and rich organic tones....not to mention that it is deep space silent. LTA offers a trial period so you can give one a shot without risk. They are great people over there.
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R2R dacs come in all qualities also ,I have been in a great position to not only have owned a Audio store but have multi state audio clubs in New England and have heard digital up to almost $50 k . The Denafrips Terminator2 the best dac under $4500 without Any reservations. the new Schitt is not in that league ,but is very respectable and depending on taste and how well it matches your audio system is a good match for the Pontus2 dac the $3k Pegasus dac is very good and a verygood bargain at its price point. |
I also own the Less is More YGGY and your assessment is right on! Enjoy the new YGGY! If you want to spend $3k or more and think it is a big improvement be my guest…you are wasting your money, IMO. I have compared the top DACs on top of the line STAX headphones that are more revealing of quality then speakers. Listening in your own home, long term, is better than listening through speakers, that may not be properly setup to your taste, in a store. |
With respect and, having once believed that Stax electrostatic headphones were the utopian hifi answer, I have subsequently found a higher level of musical palpability, presence and entertainment from a loudspeaker based system. Having auditioned 6 DAC's in my system, there is no question that a high-end DAC that has synergy with the existing hifi hardware, delivers significantly more entertainment value than headphones for me. Kind regards, BP |
@wolf_garcia there’s a Bifrost 2 upgrade? |
@jetter +1 |
@jjss49 "does the lim yggy still have that relay click when sensing a different sample rate of music sent to it? i was forever hoping mike and co would address that..." Yes, it does. I actually kinda like it as it's a audible clue that the sample rate changed. I agree with the OP's assessment of the LiM Yggy. Within 2 weeks of having it I knew I would not be DAC shopping again for quite some time. I guess it's possible it wouldn't be a good match for a more rolled-off speaker or system, Idk. But to me, it's blissful. It's just so natural and comfortable to listen to for hours on end. |
@shooter41 10-4. I’m happy with my upgrade from the Yggdrasil GS (Garage Sale) which included the newer analog cards as well as the LiM chip. It surprised me that all this DAC controversy focused on a single 8-pin chip while the analog boards took up all most all of the real estate. With the upgrade, I found the sound stage much more cohesive and imaging that made more sense. There wasn’t a sound which strayed off the stage as before, more relaxing, I could trust it more. |
Ahh yes. The ole "smoked it" comment. Mostly used by teenagers and millennial boys who drive Honda Civics with fart can mufflers.
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@ozzy62 thanks for the laugh! |
Oh my gosh, best post of the year, LOL, hilarious! 🤣 |
Latest Schiit Bifrost with 2/64 DACs on the way. Has L.I.M. Here next week. 👍
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@wolf_garcia good to know. Thanks for sharing more. Would like to know how long you had to play the unit upgrade before it settled in and sounded right to you? While I’m keeping and truly enjoy my other R2R tube DAC, I wanted something else to alternate and rotate-in and leave powered on more of the time with a few baseline requirements. 1) no tube in the dac this time, 2) R2R/multi-bit Ladder design for smooth sound 3) NOS/filter on-off switch, 4) excellent internal power supply 5) reasonably good dac chip(s) used, and these particular dac chips are medical grade level which is nice. Glad to see Schiit trying other options here. All seems good on paper. Now for the sound, we’ll see soon. Seeing praise of smooth yet some retained detail noted by various reviewers who've tried it too. Glad you are liking yours so far! |
I really don’t remember how long, if at all, it took to as you say, "settle in,’’ as it just seemed great sounding immediately...expectation bias maybe...in any case it does sound amazingly good. My only experience with another DAC is a classic (2nd edition) DacMagic with the large Pangea power supply that I’ve owned for years that still sounds great. Balanced in and out and 2 identical inputs used for an old streamer (Squeezebox Touch which could die at any moment) that works as background music, and my CD player. The Bifrost is streaming only and accesses my hard drive pile of lossless recordings from a Bluesound Node 2i, and otherwise serves up Tidal MQA or anything else that gets my mojo working. |
