But if you do PCM/Redbook/CD if it's 16/44 or 24/96 then it's best played on the Schiit being a Multibit dac which converts PCM/Redbook/CD bit perfect, unlike Delta Sigma of the Bryston which only can give a facsimile of it. That fact "sealed-the-deal" for me, hence I went with an Yggdrasil. |
Thanks, Bill. I used to wonder - before I became part of the "underground press - why people come to such different conclusions about equipment. Then I realized it was the materials of the walls. The Brits have mostly plaster-type rooms, I hear. Americans have drywall (which vibrates more than plaster), so when ASC introduced their Wall Damp, I decided to try it out. I first got Tube Traps back in 1988, long before anyone was using them, after I saw J. Gordon Holt’s review in Stereophile. After I got them, I realized they made a big difference in the sonics. I could even keep up with HP’s observations in TAS, even though his equipment was light years ahead of mine, because my room was well-controlled. It sure helps! And so much of what people hear is merely their own room problems, their electricity (although I think most people have realized AC can really make or break a system), or their isolation. A friend of mine had his turntable on a heavy table, and he was certain that that was good enough to stop vibration. I told him (not so politely, but then, he’s a friend and part of that system he has, I gave to him, so I know what it should sound like) that he wasn’t even close to controlling vibrations. He didn’t take offense. Quite the contrary. Two weeks later, he announced he’d gotten an equipment rack (without asking my opinion [which was just fine with me!] and when I asked how he liked it, he said the sound was spectacular. So, he realized on his own, just from my having brought over the Townshend Seismic Isolation platform and putting it under his turntable, that indeed, the difference was really, REALLY noticeable when we listened to some of his albums. And now he realizes I’m not just saying things from "on high" just because I was in the business for a while. (Sometimes people react rather hostilely to reviewers). He can hear it for himself (and I like that he goes to symphonies at the Bushnell in Hartford, CT). So, it’s fun to demonstrate to people that room acoustics and vibration really matter. It just allows the music to be more truthfully portrayed and that’s what most of us want, isn’t it??
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I own the McIntosh D100 and love its 'honest' sound signature very neutral and natural you are hearing excatly what was recorded without any kind of coloration or exaggeration .
How did you find the McIntosh compare to the Bryston and the Yggdrasil ? |
Sorry, Bill, I have to disagree. I had a Genesis Digital Lens back in 1995, before that, a DAC whose name i forget, then Bryston, ARC of recent vintage, Oppo 105, and now Yggdrasil. I think the room acoustics can swamp the differences, but my room was designed by ASC, is on a resilient channel and completed with their Wall Damp construction. In addition, I have 42 tube traps and the differences are stark. Besides which, I have Townshend platforms, which remove structural and airborne vibrations, A Finite Elemente Rack, PS Audio Power Plant, Audience Adept-T, (Teflon version), and Synergistic, PS audio, Maestro, Oyaide and Furutech wall receptacles. Electricity, Isolation form vibration, and room acoustics are the Big Three. Leaving any one out can lessen our ability to hear the differences.
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Yes. The BDA-2 is great, but slightly "clinical-sounding).
The Yggdrasil is akin to sitting 6th row center in Carnegie Hall (close up, so the imaging is quite good, and the stage is quite wide (I saw a review that said the Yggdrasil had a 'narrow stage.' Like hell, it does). You will hear the sustain on piano, as well as when the pianist lifts his foot off the pedal (and you will NOT be straining. I’m breaking the Yggdrasil in with an NAD CBEE 356, and using Nola Contenders and Nola Thunderbolt subs for full range sound. Although I didn’t compare both at the same time, the rest of the system was the same. The Bryston is a terrific unit, but it’s pretty far outclassed by the Yggdrasil in sheer "realism." Again, "realism" is LIVE MUSIC (and NOT other components, comparisons between which are just a waste of time, unless you are looking for a ’coloration’ you prefer. There’s no two ways about it). Also, the music must be unamplified, and the halls at which i have the most experience are Carnegie Hall (NYC), Avery Fisher (or David B. Geffen, as it has been renamed (he bought himself a hall!) (NYC, Lincoln Center), The Metropolitan Opera (NYC, Lincoln Center), and Davies Hall in San Francisco, Boston Symphony Hall, Boston, and finally, a concert hall in in Raleigh, N.C. (forget the name).
But do NOT assess the Yggdrasil before 10-13 days (you get a 15 day trial. and Moffatt does charge a 10% restocking fee, but it's worth it).
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digital dac differences are very small in quality products
Bryston makes great products
Thanks for the comments JP |
Hmm what preamp and amp was he using cables could make a slight difference also? Also source could very I am primarily using the Bryston Pi maybe the match set matters??? |
Interesting, since Torq over at head-fi likes the Yggy better than the BDA-3. |
Well so far the Bryston is the best |
Schiit Yggdrasil or Bryston BDA-2 opinions to help me choose!
What do you think! In your opinion whitch one sounds better?
jpkinsella Depends on the media you play, if you do dsd then go with the Bryston dac as it's Delta Sigma (bit-stream/single-bit) based conversion. But if you do PCM/Redbook/CD if it's 16/44 or 24/96 then it's best played on the Schiit being a Multibit dac which converts PCM/Redbook/CD bit perfect, unlike Delta Sigma of the Bryston which only can give a facsimile of it. Quote Mojo Music: Myth v Truth: "When a PCM file is played on a DSD or Bit Stream converter, the DAC chip has to convert the PCM to DSD in real time. This is one of the major reasons people claim DSD sounds better than PCM, when in fact, it is just that the chip in most modern single-bit DACs do a poor job of decoding PCM." Cheers George |
I got the Bryston Bda2, Schiit Yggdrasil and McIntosh D100 in house... Wow Bryston |
Listen to the Mytek's too!
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