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Review and Measurements of Schiit Yggdrasil V2 DAC

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amirm

amirm

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We know that Amir is an industry figure (i.e., audio dealer and audio forum owner)
My company, Madrona Digital is not an "audio dealer." We have no showroom. Our business is custom electronics in people's homes and businesses. That does include audio but it is almost never to audiophiles. Typical business for us is a $200,000 whole house automation, security, lighting, shades, and whole house audio distribution.

But yes, as a person in the industry when I go to shows and talk to companies, I get the inside scoop. I get to know the cost of gear, dealer margins, real performance of products, etc. that as customers you all are not privy to.

All of this is beside the point. We are not here because I am "audio dealer" or "forum owner." We are here because I have had a good 40 year career in both hardware and software and have learned to do what I do and present to you all. Being a forum owner and audio dealer would not remotely enable you to do any of this. Click in my signature if you have not read my background before.
 
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amirm

amirm

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We know that Schitt Audio have been very critical and outspoken against MQA
Not that I have seen. Yes, they keep saying they don't want to implement MQA but outside of that, their voices are not heard. There are a lot of people who are soldiers of anti-MQA and Schiit is not it. Even if they were, it would not matter one bit to how I review their product.

Really, people seem to not be able to understand that I can put aside my emotions in every review I do. But that is absolutely the case. My reputation for truthfulness is worth more than anything to me. What on earth would I get out of bashing Schiit? And how would I do that with measurements that can be used to objectively prove that? It is not like I can just beat on it using subjective words/listening tests and be in a position of no one disputing that. With measurements, there is no place to hide.

I encouraged my son to buy a Schiit BiFrost when Schiit was a new company. I heard the name and thought they must build cool stuff. Then I measured it and noticed that they did not. That was it until I formed this forum and was asked to measure their stuff. I discovered issues and reported on them.

The message quietly sunk in at Schiit. They threw out their obsolete audio analyzer and bought the same one I have. They built a new DAC using proper engineering and I gave it the high marks it deserves: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...w-and-measurements-of-schiit-modi-3-dac.4742/

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So whatever conspiracy theory you are trying to create is just that. My only value to you all is to provide correct, proper and repeatable objective data about audio products. Lose that and there is no reason for me to do any of this seeing how it is not a source of income for me.
 
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amirm

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We also see bias. For example, why such a heavy focus on analyzing gear of certain manufacturers while others get a pass? When are we ever going to see measurements and review of Mark Levinson gear? And how about a review summary regarding price/performance of ML gear? That’s what this site is all about, is it not? Amir is a dealer and owner of ML gear, so any piece should be readily available, yet not a single review to date.
Who gets a pass? What I test is a function of what people loan me and what I buy within my budget. I hardly ever turn down the offer to test any gear regardless of brand. Recently I tested the Lyngdorf gear which my company deploys and gave it a thumbs down on objective performance. I personally know one of their executives. It was not easy to pass such judgement but the data was the data.

I have also tested the Crown amplifier for which we are a dealer and sell probably more than any company on the west coast.

As to Mark Levinson, they are very high power amplifiers and weigh a ton. I don't want to move them. I ripped them apart for the Lyngdorf test and they are still in pieces. :( If there were genuine interest in membership wanting to buy them, then I would go through the trouble. There are some things I am willing to do for you all, and some not. :)

The other thing is practical. My main amps produce nearly 1000 watts of power into 4 ohm. I do not have the dummy load for that.
 

rmo

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I am not at all pro-MQA. I critique people who say things about MQA and Bob Stuart that is not correct. I don't own or use MQA DACs. Occasionally Tidal streams some MQA content that I play. That is that.
I've listened to Tidal MQA off and on and honestly don't think it sounds as good as 16/44 .
 

celander

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You are kidding, right? There are hardly any objective measurements of DACs at head-fi. I do more reviews in a week than they do the entire year or the lifetime of head-fi.
My discussion is about Yggy. Nice try at stating otherwise.
 

celander

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Not a fan boy. When I make posts about reviews of a given product, it is because I’m researching the product for a potential purchase.

I’m interested in the Exogal Comet, but I didn’t bother asking about that product here. No review appears here for that product.
 

celander

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His wording reflects the performance of the product, not the other way around.
Aesthetics have nothing to do with the performance of a product, nor the measurements of that product. When I refer to a reviewer “opining and measuring,” I refer to the entirety of the opining. In this case, characterizing the aesthetics as “bland” has a separate meaning aside to a given measurement leading to a perceived “bland” sound quality based on that measurement. I apologize for not making that clearer in my post.
 

gvl

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The other thing is practical. My main amps produce nearly 1000 watts of power into 4 ohm. I do not have the dummy load for that.

Perhaps a clothes iron will do?
 

Hemi-Demon

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My discussion is about Yggy. Nice try at stating otherwise.

Man you're troll game is serious :p:D:p. You just came out of nowhere, in a dormant thread, with all sorts of misdirections and unfounded conspiracies. If you dislike or disagree with the findings in the THREE Yggy posts, why not just buy one and post your own data.

Some folks get on amirm for posting subjective reviews, and now it's a bad thing to say anything that isn't just data. Dude can't win.
 

SIY

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Aesthetics have nothing to do with the performance of a product, nor the measurements of that product.

How dare reviewers state their opinions on that! Scandalous.
 

SIY

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Some folks get on amirm for posting subjective reviews, and now it's a bad thing to say anything that isn't just data. Dude can't win.

To be fair, this fellow has already said that he can't distinguish between graphs and prose, so cut him a break.
 

celander

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I have no interest in any DAC that can handle data streams besides Redbook CD. Those who care about those other data streams is not my concern. And I perceived no bias from Amirm based on Schiit’s decision not to pursue certain digital processing pathways. He did his measurements as best he could. I’m just trying to understand how many Yggy products he tested or whether he simply accepted Schiit’s word that nothing was broken. He answered that. I’m satisfied with his answer.
 

jtwrace

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My discussion is about Yggy. Nice try at stating otherwise.

Not a fan boy. When I make posts about reviews of a given product, it is because I’m researching the product for a potential purchase.

I’m interested in the Exogal Comet, but I didn’t bother asking about that product here. No review appears here for that product.

This is a bit contradictory. However, you can buy the Exogal and send it to Amir for measurements. Free of charge too! Head Fi ain't doing that.
 

JohnYang1997

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I am neutral to DXD/HiRes but against MQA. Actual meaningless.
 

617

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I am immensely skeptical of the motives and opinions of anyone who gives this much of a shit about a DAC. Forgive the profanity but I am taken aback by the animosity in threads like this. This is literally the only website that publishes actual data on audio devices which may be of use to hobbyists. My only complaint is the focus on DACs - if most of them are audibly perfect, or very close to, why focus there instead of amplifiers? But I digress.

I am diy speaker designer and I rely on information from the internet to make informed decisions about what drivers to use. There are very, very few sources of this information; distortion is not easy to reliably measure in a comparative way, and measuring drivers is time consuming and expensive. Vance Dickason at Voice Coil's Test Bench, Zaph Audio and Hifi Compass are three good sources.

When you are actually trying to make something of value you can't rely on opinions, you need measurements, and information about measurement protocol. As someone who does this hobby for fun (not the 'love of music' or any elevated bullshit like this) I am immensely grateful for the people who test drivers, DACS, write simulation software, and otherwise make tangible efforts to help others in the hobby. People opining on forums contribute little more than but butt hurt and noise.

If you think a DAC sounds good, buy 10 competitors and do a blind test with 10 people.
 

617

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