Schiit embarrassed at AXPONA

[GUTB]

Schiit was at AXPONA again this year. They were showing a Salk music server streaming into a Gungnir Multibit (?) feeding a Freya and two Vidars. Speakers were the Salk Song 3As.

 

So what happened?

 

Esoteric was just next door. This allowed attendees to move immediately from one room to another. Esoteric was showing a full stack of thier latest separates plus a VPI Avenger for analog. Speakers were a pair of Cantons I didn’t get the model of.

 

The Schiit room, while not bad, was completely destroyed by the Esoteric room. Esoteric played one SACD that unfurled a massive soundstage that I could sense even not being in the best seat. The sound of the Esoteric system, both via SACD and vinyl was dynamic, resolving, extremely musical, collected, vibrant, both large and delicately structured. It was a system that got all the minor details right. Such a good setup. The Schiit setup, while unoffensive, clean, and musical in its own right, simply couldn’t face the Esoteric in inner detail, soundstage, reality and low-level dynamics.

 

Why did the Schiit system fail so hard vs the Esoteric? Part of the reason might have been the junk cabling used by Schiit. Peaking behind the system I was Blue Jeans speaker cables and mess of power bricks, basic cabling, etc. I don’t know how much of the Schiit’s performance was compromised by inferior cabling, but I’m curious how close it would have come to the Esoteric had Schiit paid some basic attention to that area.

 

 

[TubeLover]

Could it have been because just the tax on the Esoteric system would have paid for the entire Schiit system plus a good hotel room and dinner?

 

JC

[Ralf11]

3 minutes ago, GUTB said:

... Peaking behind the system I was Blue Jeans speaker cables ...

 

 

 

I hope you didn't get caught

[asdf1000]

54 minutes ago, GUTB said:

The Schiit room, while not bad, was completely destroyed by the Esoteric room.

 

As TubeLover hints - price difference between the 2 systems?

 

[firedog]

Please explain why BlueJeans cable is no good. 

[semente]

Haven't you even considered that the speakers might have influenced the final result at least as much as the speaker cables? 

 

In my experience it's not easy to judge electronic equipment performance in a show...

[JoeWhip]

Don’t feed the...... you get the point.

[Nordkapp]

#audiogossip 

[diecaster]

I think the thread title should read:

 

GUTB embarrassed at AXPONA

[firedog]

25 minutes ago, diecaster said:

I think the thread title should read:

 

GUTB embarrassed at AXPONA

Not fair. He's not embarrassed.

[Rexp]

Doubt its cables, stick that Esoteric player in the Shiit system and the difference would be marginal rather than fundemental as you heard it.

[firedog]

8 hours ago, TubeLover said:

Could it have been because just the tax on the Esoteric system would have paid for the entire Schiit system plus a good hotel room and dinner?

 

JC

Schiit is value equipment. "Audiophile" level - better than consumer level - but not really the absolute best. Better than some stuff than costs considerably more than it does.

Other than the Yggy, they don't really claim their stuff is as good as "anything out there". And at least with the Yggy there are plenty of users and professional reviewers who've favorably compared the Yggy to DACs costing $10-$20K. The Gungnir Multibit costs around $1250 and isn't even their best DAC. As it says on it's product page:

The result is exceptional performance for the price—frequently lauded by the press as the best in its price class.

As noted, the Esoteric stuff probably cost many times what the Schiit stuff does. 

[GUTB]

I’ve been told constantly on this forum that price doesn’t matter so I didn’t bring it up. Schiit claims in thier marketing print that thier gear stands up to the high end through smart engineering and efficiency.

 

[BigAlMc]

2 hours ago, diecaster said:

GUTB embarrassed at AXPONA

 

I'd have gone with:

 

Embarrassing schiit at AXPONA

[Priaptor]

Just my opinion but shows are a hit or miss for demonstrating one's wares. 

 

My buddy is showing the new Gobel Epoque Aeon Fine that were in my very large room for a month that while in my room was blowing away every single person who heard them.  He sent me a picture of his tiny room at Axpona that he was able to get in haste for Axpona and I was sure his first introduction of these amazing speakers was going to be a dud.  Apparently they are a huge hit.  One thing I have learned is to never give a definitive judgement of a component or system from what I hear at a show. 

[Brinkman Ship]

10 hours ago, GUTB said:

Schiit was at AXPONA again this year. They were showing a Salk music server streaming into a Gungnir Multibit (?) feeding a Freya and two Vidars. Speakers were the Salk Song 3As.

 

So what happened?

 

Esoteric was just next door. This allowed attendees to move immediately from one room to another. Esoteric was showing a full stack of thier latest separates plus a VPI Avenger for analog. Speakers were a pair of Cantons I didn’t get the model of.

 

The Schiit room, while not bad, was completely destroyed by the Esoteric room. Esoteric played one SACD that unfurled a massive soundstage that I could sense even not being in the best seat. The sound of the Esoteric system, both via SACD and vinyl was dynamic, resolving, extremely musical, collected, vibrant, both large and delicately structured. It was a system that got all the minor details right. Such a good setup. The Schiit setup, while unoffensive, clean, and musical in its own right, simply couldn’t face the Esoteric in inner detail, soundstage, reality and low-level dynamics.

 

Why did the Schiit system fail so hard vs the Esoteric? Part of the reason might have been the junk cabling used by Schiit. Peaking behind the system I was Blue Jeans speaker cables and mess of power bricks, basic cabling, etc. I don’t know how much of the Schiit’s performance was compromised by inferior cabling, but I’m curious how close it would have come to the Esoteric had Schiit paid some basic attention to that area.

 

 

fake news. yawn.

[daverich4]

3 hours ago, diecaster said:

I think the thread title should read:

 

GUTB embarrassed at AXPONA

 

Based on your post I assume you too heard both systems. What did you think?

 

[BigAlMc]

30 minutes ago, daverich4 said:

 

Based on your post I assume you too heard both systems. What did you think?

 

 

I know the above is not to me but as a general response.

 

At the last hifi show I attended the Bryston room sounded very, very average.

 

I was also excited to go into the Auralic room - think it was the Vega G2 they were demoing. And better still the main man (Xuanqian Wang) was there. But I listened politely the sound so was very bland that I left the room without asking any questions.

 

Does this equate to do I now think Bryston or Auralic make rubbish sounding components. Not at all. Just echoes @Priaptors point about audio shows often being terrible places to audition gear.

[daverich4]

32 minutes ago, BigAlMc said:

 

I know the above is not to me but as a general response.

 

At the last hifi show I attended the Bryston room sounded very, very average.

 

I was also excited to go into the Auralic room - think it was the Vega G2 they were demoing. And better still the main man (Xuanqian Wang) was there. But I listened politely the sound so was very bland that I left the room without asking any questions.

 

Does this equate to do I now think Bryston or Auralic make rubbish sounding components. Not at all. Just echoes @Priaptors point about audio shows often being terrible places to audition gear.

 

I took the post by diecaster to be that he disagreed with the assessment of those two specific systems by GUTB AT the show.  He could only legitimately do that by hearing the same two systems AT the show. Is either system at its best under show conditions? Probably not but that isn’t the point. 

[Miska]

I have to wonder how many systems would sound better at shows if they'd use digital room correction...

 

[ElviaCaprice]

3 hours ago, GUTB said:

I’ve been told constantly on this forum that price doesn’t matter so I didn’t bring it up. Schiit claims in thier marketing print that thier gear stands up to the high end through smart engineering and efficiency.

 

Guess you found out differently.   Best to leave it at that, instead of making up excuses as to why.

[Ralf11]

12 hours ago, firedog said:

Please explain why BlueJeans cable is no good. 

 

 

Low Price

[Nordkapp]

1 minute ago, Ralf11 said:

 

 

Low Price

Yeah right, it doesn't cost $3K per meter!

[Brinkman Ship]

Perhaps one the most pointless threads in recent history....

[Ralf11]

We should thank him for reporting on his experiences however