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Shoot-out Between Marantz NA6005 and Schiit Bifrost DAC with surprising outcome!...


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So today I decided to put the Marantz NA6005 through the ringer and see how it actually performs up against a great affordable DAC, the fully loaded Schiit Bifrost.

 

The Bifrost has the upgraded USB board as well as the upgraded "Uber" analog output board. The Bifrost has many thousands of hours on it. It's been powered up ever since the first day I bought it over 2 years ago. The NA6005 has been up and running non-stop for the past two and a half weeks, so roughly 400 hours on it.

 

The Schiit is being fed via a Wireworld Ultraviolet 2 meter USB cable with JRiver off of a stripped down Compaq laptop, then out through Wireworld Oasis 7 1 meter interconnects to the preamp.

 

The Marantz is being fed via a Belkin CAT5 2 meter cable, through an old Netgear 10/100/1000 switch, streaming directly from the NAS and another Belkin CAT5 cable, then out through an old pair of Cardas Crosslink interconnects to the preamp.

 

Both units getting fed quality 24/96 FLAC files straight from the NAS.

 

Now comes the fun part, the comparison...

 

The tests were done with the same tracks playing, with the Marantz playing roughly one second ahead of the other, so when switching back and forth I could hear and remember exactly how one sounded with not only instruments, but also by word of the songs.

 

I also tried running the Toslink out of the Marantz into the Bifrost, then switching back and forth that way, which ultimately ended in the same exact results as mentioned below.

 

Both the Schiit Bifrost DAC and the Marantz NA6005 sound almost identical. Same amount of bass and attack, same silky smooth top end, same dynamics, same inner detail, same sound stage width and depth. The ONLY difference between the two is that the Bifrost has just a touch more fullness and warmth in the midrange, especially with vocals. This gives vocals just a bit more heft and scale, which is a good thing.

 

I then wondered if that touch of extra fullness and warmth in the midrange was due to the different interconnects being used on both units, so I swapped them. The Wireworld cables now on the Marantz, the Cardas cables on the Schiit. Sure enough, that fullness and warmth left the Bifrost and went to the NA6005!

 

Also, with said cable swap, the bass on the Marantz seems to be a little more detailed and tighter as well as the sound stage depth being just a little deeper with the Wireworld cables. Everything else seems to have remained the same. This is also a pleasant finding.

 

So all in all, both the Schiit DAC and the DAC in the Marantz sound virtually identical, with the Marantz getting the slight edge in a bit more bass detail and stage depth. That says quite a bit about the NA6005's capabilities considering for all practical purposes it just beat the fully upgraded and praised Schiit Bifrost, which is an extremely good DAC as well.

 

I guess this means I can free up some $$$ by selling off the Bifrost and USB cable.

 

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Digital Sources: Bluesound Node 2 w/ iFi SPDIF iPurifier | Roku Ultra NAS: Synology DS215J running MinimServer Preamp: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC Amplification: NuPrime STA 9 x2 Loudspeakers: Sonus faber Venere 1.5 Subwoofers: JL Audio e110 x2 Remote Control: Apple iPad Mini 2 w/ BluOS Power Conditioning: APC H15 | Blue Circle Cables: Wireworld | AudioQuest | Pangea 

 

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I wouldn't go selling the BiFrost until 2016 due to:

a) it's USB quality can be improved by trying a Wyrd or better yet, Uptone Regen USB.

b) Bifrost is an upgradable product and one day (and not forever) there will be upgrade boards to the Bifrost that deliver some multibit, trickle down goodness.

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Thanks Chopsrr. How's SQ via WiFi on Marantz? Serge

 

I never tried wifi, and probably never will, so can't comment on it. I'm sure SQ would be identical.

Digital Sources: Bluesound Node 2 w/ iFi SPDIF iPurifier | Roku Ultra NAS: Synology DS215J running MinimServer Preamp: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC Amplification: NuPrime STA 9 x2 Loudspeakers: Sonus faber Venere 1.5 Subwoofers: JL Audio e110 x2 Remote Control: Apple iPad Mini 2 w/ BluOS Power Conditioning: APC H15 | Blue Circle Cables: Wireworld | AudioQuest | Pangea 

 

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Thanks Chopsrr. How's SQ via WiFi on Marantz? Serge

 

I must retract my last statement about never going to wifi. I just went to full wifi this morning after doing some testing over the past few days. I no longer have any network equipment, computers or cables in the room. I installed all of that gear in our son's closet up on the top shelf (wire shelf at that for maximum ventilation).

 

For the past few days, I've been running every imaginable file I have through the NA6005 via wifi as well as Pandora and internet radio. Everything runs flawlessly and loads just as fast as being hardwired via CAT5 cable.

 

As for sound quality? Well... It sounds identical to me as it did hardwired. No ill side effects at all.

 

 

 

 

really enjoy the review and shootout threads. Some great pictures, toodcAAXf

 

Thank you, sir. Speaking of pictures, I'll have some new ones a little later today once I get everything tidied up.

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't go selling the BiFrost until 2016 due to:

a) it's USB quality can be improved by trying a Wyrd or better yet, Uptone Regen USB.

b) Bifrost is an upgradable product and one day (and not forever) there will be upgrade boards to the Bifrost that deliver some multibit, trickle down goodness.

 

Well considering that the NA6005 betters the Bifrost as it sits right now in every way, I'm completely fine with selling it. Besides, it allows me to recoup some funds. I know it's up-gradable as I've already upgraded it myself. On top of that, the NA6005 also does DSD, so that's one less upgrade I have to worry about later on down the road.

Digital Sources: Bluesound Node 2 w/ iFi SPDIF iPurifier | Roku Ultra NAS: Synology DS215J running MinimServer Preamp: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC Amplification: NuPrime STA 9 x2 Loudspeakers: Sonus faber Venere 1.5 Subwoofers: JL Audio e110 x2 Remote Control: Apple iPad Mini 2 w/ BluOS Power Conditioning: APC H15 | Blue Circle Cables: Wireworld | AudioQuest | Pangea 

 

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I have tried a thumb drive, but it's not a fair comparison as the files on it are DSD only, so naturally it sounded better.

Digital Sources: Bluesound Node 2 w/ iFi SPDIF iPurifier | Roku Ultra NAS: Synology DS215J running MinimServer Preamp: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC Amplification: NuPrime STA 9 x2 Loudspeakers: Sonus faber Venere 1.5 Subwoofers: JL Audio e110 x2 Remote Control: Apple iPad Mini 2 w/ BluOS Power Conditioning: APC H15 | Blue Circle Cables: Wireworld | AudioQuest | Pangea 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Give the Marantz a little boost by using a Blue Jeans CAT 6A Ethernet cable to it. Also, it seems as though your switch is really close to your audio system? You may be able to improve audio system performance by moving the switch farther away, and making sure it is powered from a different circuit than the audio system.

IME, Ethernet based audio has an advantage over most USB based set ups, but of course it will depend on the implementation. The beauty is, things like USB add ons (region, Wyrd, etc) and expensive USB are not necessary, just a good CAT 6A Ethernet cable.

SO/ROON/HQPe: DSD 512-Sonore opticalModuleDeluxe-Signature Rendu optical with Well Tempered Clock--DIY DSC-2 DAC with SC Pure Clock--DIY Purifi Amplifier-Focus Audio FS888 speakers-JL E 112 sub-Nordost Tyr USB, DIY EventHorizon AC cables, Iconoclast XLR & speaker cables, Synergistic Purple Fuses, Spacetime system clarifiers.  ISOAcoustics Oreas footers.                                                       

                                                                                           SONORE computer audio

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  • 3 weeks later...
Give the Marantz a little boost by using a Blue Jeans CAT 6A Ethernet cable to it. Also, it seems as though your switch is really close to your audio system? You may be able to improve audio system performance by moving the switch farther away, and making sure it is powered from a different circuit than the audio system.

IME, Ethernet based audio has an advantage over most USB based set ups, but of course it will depend on the implementation. The beauty is, things like USB add ons (region, Wyrd, etc) and expensive USB are not necessary, just a good CAT 6A Ethernet cable.

 

It's all pretty much a moot point these days as I have gone to an AURALiC Aries LE with the optional linear power supply. In fact, most of my system has changed since I last posted in this thread 5 months ago.

Digital Sources: Bluesound Node 2 w/ iFi SPDIF iPurifier | Roku Ultra NAS: Synology DS215J running MinimServer Preamp: PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC Amplification: NuPrime STA 9 x2 Loudspeakers: Sonus faber Venere 1.5 Subwoofers: JL Audio e110 x2 Remote Control: Apple iPad Mini 2 w/ BluOS Power Conditioning: APC H15 | Blue Circle Cables: Wireworld | AudioQuest | Pangea 

 

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