Article: Schiit Audio Reference System Review Part 1

[firedog]

7 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

Does anybody think they can build a better system at a lower price without using the Schiitt stuff?

An argument for Emotiva could be made. 

[Bryan]

"One challenge when writing product reviews is to select the audience for which one is writing. Given that this site has a large contingent of readers with very high end audio systems and discerning ears, this usually helps narrow the scope of items to address in the review. However, writing for the faithful readers only, doesn't help our wonderful hobby expand beyond its current boundaries and expose civilians to the joys of great sounding music."

 

Suspect more than a few music and audio equipment enthusiasts are similar to me in their needs. That is being over sixty, having completed or in process of downsizing their material possessions yet desiring audio system with outstanding sound while having small footprint and low weight. I suspect many seniors audio enthusiasts have turned to headphone based audio systems for its space saving attributes. The increase in the audiophile headphone market is lost on none of us, and I know several who sold their big audio systems and moved solely to headphone systems. I will continue to look for a compact audio system with stellar sound quality that I can place in a very small senior living space. Have looked at Chord Electronics TToby/Hugo TT, the Benchmark Amplifier/Dac3 combo as well as several other small audio systems. The rub is trying to match a small floorstanding speaker/bookshelf speaker system with the amplification side of things. Audio enthusiast websites, professional reviewers seldom review/address systems for audio enthusiasts desiring small footprint systems for limited spaces. Although I currently use a headphone system only, I always have the want for a speaker based audio system that has outstanding sound quality which fits my living space. Judging by the age demographic I've seen at audio shows, there must be more people like me.

[Kelly]

12 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

Does anybody think they can build a better system at a lower price without using the Schiitt stuff?

For about even money, the NAD M32 has the form factor of an integrated amp with DAC but is really more of a DAC that drives loudspeakers directly. It effectively replaces the entire front end of DAC+preamp+power amp. Just like the Yggy, the NAD is also limited to 24/192 and no DSD support, but the NAD does support MQA. Comparing the M32 to the Schiit system side by side would be an interesting exercise. I'd put my bet on the NAD. 

 

If you want an inexpensive(ish) power amp to work with Magnepans then look at Odyssey Khartago/Stratos amps. These have very high current capability and work well into very low impedance loads (2 ohms) which seems to be a weak point for the Vidar. Odyssey amps are only single ended though.

[Kelly]

2 hours ago, Bryan said:

 Audio enthusiast websites, professional reviewers seldom review/address systems for audio enthusiasts desiring small footprint systems for limited spaces. Although I currently use a headphone system only, I always have the want for a speaker based audio system that has outstanding sound quality which fits my living space. 

 

I am a convert to digital-active speakers. I guarantee these are the best bang for the buck and have the overall smallest system footprint. Many of these types of speakers also include settings that allow them to function properly much closer to walls than traditional passive speakers, further reducing the room presence. Depending on your budget consider the KEF LS50 Wireless, Genelec GLM speakers (especialy the 83x1 speakers), or the Kii Three. These are all self-contained systems that include DAC, amp, and speakers all together, just add digital source. The advantages of DSP room correction, DSP crossovers and each driver having its own dedicated amp make passive designs look decidedly tired. 

[Bryan]

Aware of active bookshelf speakers Kelly. An issue with some active speakers I otherwise like is the internal DAC is a limitation. Over one-quarter of my digital music library are DSF files which I acquired by converting my old SACD discs with a Playstation, etc. with instructions I got right here on CA forum years back. Owned a pair of the non-active KEF LS50's for a spare bedroom when I still owned a home and they were nice speakers within their limitations. I have not been impressed with DSP room correction I have heard, though I have not heard the latest DSP components. Thinking it is important to have a separate amp and DAC/Pre and not an all-in-one component based on my experiences with all-in-one boxes. Be nice if Chord, Benchmark or other competitor would offer small footprint digital music player with SQ as good as the affordable Aurender or Melco players which would match their amp/DAC for stacking. Some Harbeth P3ESR, LS50 or similar size/quality bookshelf would be good enough. Though limited in the lower frequencies, have discovered this is not as important to me as when I was younger. Then again I mostly listen to Jazz and small ensemble chamber music. It's a gloriously liberating feeling when one gets to a place in life where they can reduce their stuff to size that fits in one small room. Ones memories will fill all the other spaces (:

[Ralf11]

9 hours ago, firedog said:

An argument for Emotiva could be made. 

 

Good point - time for a side by side test.  Add the nad.

[unbalanced output]

On 05/11/2017 at 12:52 AM, Kelly said:

I must argue with your editorializing about Class D. I understand this wasn't a review of the Dynaudio Evidence speakers, but if the Dynaudios sounded less than compelling you should provide some context before blaming it on the superb Kaluga monos. Did you swap them out for something more to your preferences and find an improvement? If not then it is a big jump to simply blame the amps.

 

I'd be more curious to know what music did actually Chris listened to. The Evidence must be a very revealing speaker with 25kHz+ bandwidth, and Dynaudios are kinda clinical in evidencing flaws on the audio chain...

[labjr]

I'd like to see more comparisons with other amps vs Class D. Hypex based amps have been getting real good reviews. A lot of people have made the switch.

 

BTW I like those Macramé power cords. I bet they'd look nice with some beads

[Cyrus]

@mourip @The Computer Audiophile

 

and others who have done so,

 

Since you have installed the Gen 5 Board, is there a break-in period?  Thanks.

[The Computer Audiophile]

40 minutes ago, Cyrus said:

@mourip @The Computer Audiophile

 

and others who have done so,

 

Since you have installed the Gen 5 Board, is there a break-in period?  Thanks.

Not that I’ve noticed. 

[mourip]

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Not that I’ve noticed. 

 

I will need to side step this one. I installed the board. Basically I put it in and then played music for a couple of days. I pretty much assume that most things audio benefit from break-in, some more than others. Once I let it run in for a while I compared it in my headphone system to my Focusrite Rednet D16 ethernet to AES converter with AES out to my Yggy. Although the Gen 5 board did sound really good, to my ears it was still bested by the D16 using the AES input. I also preferred using a Mutec 3+ USB with USB in and AES out to the GEN5 board.

 

In my mind just approaching the D16 gives it high marks and I am sure that it sounds better than the original board.

 

[Cyrus]

Thanks Chris and mourip. I'll install it tomorrow and if I notice anything worth posting, I will.

 

Others have also mentioned the Mutec 3+  being beneficial. I'll look into the Focusrite D16. Thanks.

[fheller]

Thank you very much for the review. It is really well written and usefull.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Please note that this article was written with the new Schitt Yggdrasil Analog 2 update already in my DAC :~)

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Part 2 is up!

 

 

[Bullitt5094]

I would love to compare this system to the Lyngdorf 2170. It's a single box that will do everything those 4 boxes of Schiit do. (Sorry. couldn't help myself) I'd put my money on the Lyngdorf. In fact after comparing the 2170 to some pretty well accepted Linear Tube Audio and Odyssey Kismet hardware, I did put my money on the Lyngdorf.

[mourip]

22 minutes ago, Bullitt5094 said:

I would love to compare this system to the Lyngdorf 2170. It's a single box that will do everything those 4 boxes of Schiit do. (Sorry. couldn't help myself) I'd put my money on the Lyngdorf. In fact after comparing the 2170 to some pretty well accepted Linear Tube Audio and Odyssey Kismet hardware, I did put my money on the Lyngdorf.

 

Which LTA units were you listening to and which DAC with them? Thanks.