Schitt Yggdrasil Vs. Bluenode 2i (Shock!)
- Amp: Rogue Stereo 100 (GE and Amperex Nos tubes)
- Preamp: Primaluna Evo 100 (GE and RCA cleartops Nos tubes)
- DAC: Latest model of Schiit Yggdrasil
- Speakers: Monitor Audio Platinum 100 II
- Analog & digital Interconnects: Audioquest Silver Extreme
- Speaker cables: Audioquest Rocket 44
- Power cables are all stock, and no attention has been paid to power supply
I had been pretty satisfied with my setup after breaking in the Yggy; I subsequently added the Node 2i and was using it as a dedicated streamer and never bothered using it as a DAC. A buddy of mine who is contemplating the node 2i came over and I offered to use the Node DAC on my system so he could get a sense of the performance. I was initially pleasantly surprised by how good it sounded, but the shock came when I started doing A/B comparisons with the Yggy and I honestly could not hear the difference between the 2 DACs. I subsequently spent the last few days comparing them and I still can't discern a difference. So my question is
- Is the Node 2i just that good?
- Or is my system not transparent enough to highlight the difference?
- Or are my ears are just not sensitive enough to pick up the difference?
- Do I need to invest in more expensive power cables and supply?
I'm interested to hear from others who have had experiences with these DACs or similar, because I'm seriously contemplating putting my Yggy up for sale.
Showing 4 responses by arize84
Thanks for the responses. My schiit is definitely broken in, I have had it a few months and have never turned it off; I also listen to it everyday. I think lowerrider57's suggestion to look at the coax cable is a good place to start. I also believe that the tube preamp adds a lot of its own character to the sound which probably blurs the difference in SQ between the sources. When I connect the Node directly to the power amp, the sound quality/signature is very different (read worse) than going through preamp. I would be appreciative to get some recommendations for coax cables under ~$300. |
I'm glad to hear that others are hearing a difference. Something must be off with my system and it could be that I have never actually heard what the Yggy is capable of! I will continue to tweak things starting with with the digital cable. I will point out that based on this review (https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/bluesound-node-2i), there is a noticeable bump up in quality between the Node 2 and 2i. |
Thanks for your feedback. A lot of cable suggestions here. I want to start with upgrading the coaxial cable and then moving on to the interconnects if necessary. The important thing I'm taking away is my setup definitely needs some tweaking. I will report back when I have updated the coax cable. In the meantime, I will be happy to get any additional digital cable suggestions. |
I have an update. I tackled the issue from multiple fronts
and have realized some significant gains. My weakest link was my preamp; while
the Primaluna Evo 100 is good sounding preamp, it isn't revealing enough to
immediately reveal the subtle differences between decent quality DACs. What I have learnt in this journey is that everything matters and as much as I hate to admit it, gains require $$ (seems like there is just no way around this). My ears are open and so apparently is my wallet. What really set me off on my hifi journey was when a local dealer played a Gregory Porter song that I was very familiar with; the song engaged me so emotionally at that moment that I almost started crying. I have been chasing that feeling ever since, and this week I got much closer to capturing it. I’m not there yet, but I feel good about the path I’m on and the Yggy stays. |