Schiit Yggdrasil Vs PS Audio Directstream Junior

[asdf1000]

27 minutes ago, Roy724 said:

What I have learned is that for me at least when I A/B dacs I cannot really hear a difference. If I quickly switch back and forth they sound the same. However, after I listened to the directstream for a week and returned it, I went back to my Dacmagic. Clearly there was something missing. The dacmagic suddenly sounded like crap. All my music lost the magic. Everything just sounded canned and recorded. Flat and muffled. But now that I got the directstream back what a transformation!

 

I don't know if there's real science to back this idea up and I definitely won't claim there is, but some people have said quick A/B'ing can confuse/stress the brain which can cause things to start sounding the same.

 

From my personal experience (not expertise) I do believe this idea and thus prefer to compare things over days/weeks and 'the feeling' you get over long listening sessions. Similar to how you described the 'feeling' that something was missing and not right.

[ShawnC]

2 hours ago, Roy724 said:

Sometimes a story ends with a twist and this is one of those times. Turns out I made a mistake. After I returned the directstream I went back to listening to my dacmagic and something was clearly wrong. My music sounded awful. I realized that the directstream was doing something significant after all. So I contacted PS Audio and asked to cancel my return and if they could send the dac back to me. They said yes and it arrived yesterday morning.

 

I deeply regret all the negative things I said in this forum. I emailed the people who run this website and asked them to remove this topic I posted altogether or at least delete all my postings. Unfortunately they ignored me and I don't know how to delete these posts. So let me at least fix things the best I can.

 

I just wanted to share with you my new impressions of the Directstream. I think they did something to it at the factory because now it sounds stunning. On headphones, I still can't really hear much of a difference. To me the sound is in your head and just does not sound right. But on my speakers...oh, glorious! On my speakers, there is this 3D holographic sound illusion floating in my room. It's almost a psychedelic experience. You can hear so much depth way past my back wall and to the sides. You can pinpoint the exact position of every instrument in that soundstage and they all sound like they are floating with air around them. The singer's voice in usually in the middle but sometimes a little to the left or right or further back or further forward. But you can hear the positioning like it's live in real life. The instruments have this tone to them that sounds realer than anything I've ever heard. Sometimes there is this slight reverberation to guitars like you can hear the strings vibrating. And drums have a texture to them where you can almost feel the material the head is made of. They have a resonance that reverberates off the "walls" of the hologram and naturally fills the room. The whole sound actually feels like some kind of illusion. Everything is so layered and detailed. I never knew my speakers where capable of sounding THIS good. If I close my eyes, I'm there at the performance it sounds so realistic.

 

A few days ago I was testing with two albums on my Cambridge Audio Dacmagic. I listened to Guns N Roses "Appetite For Destruction" and Kiss "Destroyer" albums. On the Dacmagic they did not sound right. They sounded compressed and grainy. The instruments sounded recorded and vocals sounded kind of muffled. Everything just sounded flat. Today on my Directstream, I listened to those same albums and they were glorious. The dynamic range was stunning; everything felt big and full. Vocals were natural and clear and instruments sounded totally different tonally. They sounded live. You could hear the tiniest detail in the harmonics of the guitars. And drums sounded so punchy and cymbals so crisp. It was like listening to totally different songs on those albums. They went from bland to bodacious. I really do feel like the directstream transforms my music; it makes it sound more real and less recorded. I played some concert recordings and when the audience started making noise it was freaky. I could hear people talking and it sounded exactly like what you would hear if you were there as part of the audience.

 

I can't believe that I returned this dac. What a mistake. What I have learned is that for me at least when I A/B dacs I cannot really hear a difference. If I quickly switch back and forth they sound the same. However, after I listened to the directstream for a week and returned it, I went back to my Dacmagic. Clearly there was something missing. The dacmagic suddenly sounded like crap. All my music lost the magic. Everything just sounded canned and recorded. Flat and muffled. But now that I got the directstream back what a transformation! My music sounds vivid. Like I said, to me it sounds like a hallucination it's so real and textured and layered. I've never heard anything like it before. The directstream was definitely worth every penny. I feel like I've started a whole new journey into listening. Like I've gone from the black and white world of Kansas to the technocolored wonderful world of OZ.

 

Please disregard all the things that I posted previously. Anyone interested in the directstream should get it and be happy. This dac truly is magnificent. And now this will be my final post for real. Good buy everyone.

It’s ok not to like this DAC, not everybody does. Just think how much money you saved. That was a good post though. Made me laugh this morning. 

[tapatrick]

On 9/6/2018 at 5:24 AM, Roy724 said:

 

Anyways, this is my final post here. No this was not a joke like one of you declared. It's all real. The directstream did not do anything claimed and was a total waste of money. To anyone reading this who is thinking about buying an expensive dac, I'd suggest that you put your money into better speakers or headphones like I'm going to do.

This is an unreal thread jeez!

 

[rickca]

5 hours ago, Roy724 said:

After I returned the directstream I went back to listening to my dacmagic and something was clearly wrong. My music sounded awful. I realized that the directstream was doing something significant after all.

Lots of people have discovered this works better than quick A/B comparisons.  You definitely did the right thing by coming back to CA and setting things straight about your experience.

[firedog]

At this point I’m not sure the whole thread isn’t a put on.

[mintakax]

5 minutes ago, firedog said:

At this point I’m not sure the whole thread isn’t a put on.

 

I think its for real. Some of us can become pretty conflicted with respect to audio equipment purchases. Especially at the prices for some of the mid level equipment. The conflicts are just exacerbated by all of the controversy surrounding many of the products like high end cables, power cords, interconnects , etc. Add to this the extremely subjective element of audio perception. I just completely upgraded my system after close to 20 years of abstinence, but  I'm hoping to get back on the wagon soon !

[Blake]

This thread is a complete train wreck.  So the OP is back to having a $6,000 DAC, with a $400 mid-fi receiver and $1,000 speakers.  Perfect.  Reading back through some of the OP's spastic, back and forth roller coaster claims and impressions, now I don't believe any of it.  

[Cortes]

10 minutes ago, Blake said:

This thread is a complete train wreck.  So the OP is back to having a $6,000 DAC, with a $400 mid-fi receiver and $1,000 speakers.  Perfect.  Reading back through some of the OP's outlandish, spastic, back and forth roller coaster claims and impressions, now I don't believe any of it.  

 

very true ;-). This hobby is designed to make happy only the 0.001% richest of the world population. $6000 for a DAC, yeah!, only if one forgets the amount of fun and  useful stuff one can have for that amount. 

 

 

[Nordkapp]

This thread is the proverbial auto wreck that you just have to slow down and stare at. This thread will likely be studied now for years to come as an exercise in complete futility.

[smodtactical]

I am considering the directstream vs terminator vs R2R7HE for my HD800S, Auteur and Atticus. This will be via HE9 amp.

 

Do you think the directstream is over kill for headphones and as Roy said I won't be able to appreciate them as oppose to 2 channel? I am getting a great deal on them... around 3.4k lightly used and still has warranty.

[Nordkapp]

15 minutes ago, smodtactical said:

I am considering the directstream vs terminator vs R2R7HE for my HD800S, Auteur and Atticus. This will be via HE9 amp.

 

Do you think the directstream is over kill for headphones and as Roy said I won't be able to appreciate them as oppose to 2 channel? I am getting a great deal on them... around 3.4k lightly used and still has warranty.

I think that is reasonable. I'd say go for it. 

[christopherv]

On 8/25/2018 at 12:04 AM, Roy724 said:

You guys might be right about burn in. I ran the Directstream for about 10 hours and suddenly tonight the sound started changing. It got much better, especially on my HD800.

 

How high is this roller-coaster you are riding?

[exdmd]

For even HD800S any DAC that costs more than a Yggy is overkill IMO. For two channel with excellent speakers like Maggies not at all though. Personally I would not spend more than a Yggy unless I had a trial period with return and refund guarantee if bought online. It's your money though spend it how you please.

[Latenight]

i would go for it, IMO Schitt customer service is some of the worst i have

dealt with. Though bad customer service is pretty common in hi fi. PS audio is some of

the best i have dealt with. That alone is worth it for me! 

[senorx]

Schiit's customer service might live up to their name (though that hasn't been my experience) but they clearly dodged a bullet by "firing" the op ab initio. Some customers are more trouble than they are worth.

[Latenight]

Another schitt super fan..... 

[mav52]

I say buy them both, and send one of them back that you don't like.

[mav52]

still waiting on a refund on a Loki tone control that had a horrid hum in it.  Schiit sent me a Return auth number , I sent the unit back via 3 day UPS and nothing, zip . Its like it went into some dead Schiit zone. I'm just glad it was only $149 bucks

[mintakax]

5 minutes ago, mav52 said:

still waiting on a refund on a Loki tone control that had a horrid hum in it.  Schiit sent me a Return auth number , I sent the unit back via 3 day UPS and nothing, zip . Its like it went into some dead Schiit zone. I'm just glad it was only $149 bucks

 

I've seen several posts which reference very poor customer service from Schiit. I'd be really hesitant to buy anything from them regardless of the quality.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Out of line posts removed. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Off topic posts removed as well. Get over it people. Get on with the business of having fun.

[GrussGott]

On 9/25/2018 at 12:44 AM, Latenight said:

Another schitt super fan..... 

 

What a crazy thread ... As for the OP's experience, the lesson is build a full system with synergistic components.  You can't randomly drop a huge $$$ component into any system and have it automagically improve everything.  It's super important to ensure your components will compliment each other - and those are the reviews to read and the questions to ask: the one where the reviewer has a system similar to yours. 

 

As for "Schitt super fan" stuff - I think some on this thread have a misconception about what the company is.

 

Schiit's whole premise is to cut out every possible cost so that you get a big $$$ sound for small $.  Being angry at them for not taking phone calls is like being angry at them for not having a dealer network or great ad campaigns - they purposely don't have that stuff because then you'd have to pay for it.  And yes, they use specific parts for specific reasons (cost, quality, design, etc) and sometimes they can't source them (I have zero to do with Schiit and am not a superfan, I've just read their forum posts)

 

It's like going to the fanciest car dealership and then being shocked their prices are higher than the pole barn dealership that'll sell you the same car - who do you think is paying for the fancy dealership buildings?  You!

 

With Schitt, they sell direct, have no marketing, and email only support.  And, yes, if you are costing them a lot of money in support - or they think you will - then it's better for both of you not to do business together (and it's perfectly reasonable for them to make that one-sided decision).

 

If you got banned by Schiit, it's their way of saying, "it's not you it's us", and you'll both be better off.  Being bitter about it with hate posts just kinda proves they made  the right call.

[OldBigEars]

On 8/20/2018 at 2:48 PM, Blake said:

OP: I am not aware of anyone who has more experience buying, trying and comparing DAC's than Torq.  Torq buys this stuff and doesn't receive any freebies, etc.  Of course this is not gospel, but it is another very good, independent source of info.  Some of the DAC's mentioned are uber expensive as well.  Go to page 1 and start reading:

 

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/life-after-yggdrasil-watering-the-ash.4036/page-45

 

 

 

I'm sure Torq's a great, well-intentioned bloke.  He certainly tests a lot of products and shares his opinions / findings on that website ad infinitum.  He's kind of King of the Castle over there.  He absolutely loves Schiit products.  You decide if he's a fan boy of that brand, or not.  I bought a Schiit Eitr based on his strong recommendation and I haven't regretted it for a moment.  However he totally over-stated its performance.   According to 'Torq's Law', nothing placed upstream of the little Eitr matters, it's *that good*.  So forget your fancy streamers and their power supplies etc.  It didn't take me long to discover this is rubbish.  Torq was adamant and strident about his POV, as he tends to be. Loads of people have since disproved his theory comprehensively.

[GrussGott]

1 hour ago, OldBigEars said:

According to 'Torq's Law', nothing placed upstream of the little Eitr matters, it's *that good*.  So forget your fancy streamers and their power supplies etc.  It didn't take me long to discover this is rubbish. 

 

I'm not sure that's exactly how he meant it but nevertheless, to your point, the Eitr is a great product; however Schiit is the first DAC company AFAIK that's a member of USB.org and as such have now developed their own chip-set USB implementation which should be rolling out in 2019.  That sounds like a game-changer and whatever their Eitr equivalent is, is likely going to be be much closer, if not full-on Torq's law.

[Mjack777]

On 8/24/2018 at 9:41 PM, Roy724 said:

I used Elac Uni Fi UF5 tower speakers with an Onkyo TX-NR676 receiver connected to the Directstream with analog RCA cables. Also I used my Sennheiser HD800 headphones with a Schiit Lyr 2 headphone amp connected with RCA.

You have a $250 dollar amp/receiver connected to a $6000 DAC?? That literally makes no sense to me. To get the fullest impact from that DAC you would have to have at least a Stereophile class B rated amp/ preamp combo. Otherwise....you are just wasting your money. 

It's like putting some Pirelli P-zero Lamborghini Countach tires on a Hyundai. It's not going to work son. Get a better Amp, then better speakers, then better wire, then...start worrying about that DAC. It will work then.