Review and Measurements of Schiit Yggdrasil V2 DAC

[Blumlein 88]

Well if you want to get into listening, you could use the RME ADC to record a few songs from the Yggy and the Topping. Level match the files after recording. Let people find out if they hear a difference by making the files downloadable.

Then maybe you could get Steven Gutenberg to give a listen and let us know how this unit competitive with SOTA DACs costing much more compares with the Topping.

"Schiit’s flagship converter, the Yggdrasil Analog 2, sells for a fraction of the cost of the best high-end converters, but it’s right up there in performance" quoted from Steve Gutenberg.

This seeing as how Mr. Gutenberg posted this article today.
https://www.cnet.com/news/the-best-schiit-ever-the-yggdrasil-digital-audio-converter/

The Best Schiit Ever!

 

[Blumlein 88]

I mentioned power isolation. Do you have, or have access to an isolation transformer?

On the one hand, isolation, physical or electrical might be intriguing if we see other measurements that differ and don't know why. On the other hand, I agree for more than $2k it should come with all the space and electrical isolation it needs to perform its function. Or the maker should be very clear what is needed and make it available at additional cost being very clear it won't function properly without such attention.

 

[Thomas savage]

I mentioned power isolation. Do you have, or have access to an isolation transformer?

We don’t want products that need isolation transformers, I have one but you can’t ( as a manufacturer) expect people to use one. Imo if your dac needs a TX it’s a bad design period.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

On the other hand, I agree for more than $2k it should come with all the space and electrical isolation it needs to perform its function.

Yes, That could be a valid assumption.

But who knows?

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

We don’t want products that need isolation transformers, I have one but you can’t ( as a manufacturer) expect people to use one. Imo if your dac needs a TX it’s a bad design period.

Well, I do things out of habit and the notion that cleanliness is next to godliness.

 

[Thomas savage]

Well, I do things out of habit and the notion that cleanliness is next to godliness.

Nothing worthwhile is clean.

 

[Alcophone]

Would putting it on the floor satisfy?

Not if you have carpet Unless you put a piece of wood underneath or something.

If so, tell me one test you want me to re-run on it and will do so.

Any of these, I suppose:

View attachment 13499

View attachment 13506

View attachment 13507

 

[amirm]

16*6.02 = 96.32dB undithered. Dithered is 110-120dB ish.

Dither costs you half a bit so you lose 3 dB down to 93 dB. How much signal you can then get out of noise is a different animal.

 

[SIY]

Just for fun, I used Amir's project file to run a J-test check on a cheap DAC I had on my bench. Only change from his setup was that I addressed the DAC's ASIO driver directly instead of using ASIO4ALL. The low output will probably give away the identity, but at under $100, that should demonstrate what jitter performance could be engineered into just about any product.

 

[lotse888]

Wow!! That's very clean .... for a "cheap" DAC.

 

[SIY]

Engineering >> design.

 

[raband]

Out of interest - is there much/any difference in the Topping when using the ASIO drivers vs the ASIO4ALL?

 

[amirm]

Any of these, I suppose:

OK, here is the dashboard. First, as located on top of Audio Precision in the picture (with Topping removed from top of it):

As noted, this is with AES input. My USB cable is too short and at any rate, I was running the AES digital input tests before so I ran with it. This way we have another data point on the unit.

While everything was connected, I gently picked it up and put it on the floor and took another screen snapshot:

There are tiny variations but those are normal as all the measurements are dancing around a bit prior to taking the snapshot.

 

[derp1n]

Where has the 80ppm clock error gone?

 

[amirm]

Hmmm. I see that the frequency counter is now showing the correct value at 1.00000 kHz. I wondered if the USB input is running too fast so reconnected that and measured one more time:

Yup, it is back to 1.00008 kHz. So the USB clock is running fast. If you like your life in the slow lane, use AES (or S/PDIF?) inputs.

BTW, this is your 2nd day warm up snapshot. Performance is identical to day one.

 

[Blumlein 88]

OK, here is the dashboard. First, as located on top of Audio Precision in the picture (with Topping removed from top of it):

View attachment 13520

As noted, this is with AES input. My USB cable is too short and at any rate, I was running the AES digital input tests before so I ran with it. This way we have another data point on the unit.

While everything was connected, I gently picked it up and put it on the floor and took another screen snapshot:
View attachment 13521

There are tiny variations but those are normal as all the measurements are dancing around a bit prior to taking the snapshot.

So now is the clock speed right. Showing 1.00000 kHz. Whoops a few seconds late. And actually that is expected since with AES3 it uses a PLL to synch with the source.

The on board clock is maybe 80 ppm fast, but synched over AES3 its working correctly.

Oh, and since numbers worsened you must have a bad "floor". No wonder all your results are suspect.

EDITED: due to replies during my posting.

 

[amirm]

Where has the 80ppm clock error gone?

Can't get anything past you guys. I noticed that and remeasured. See my previous post. It is the USB that has the fast clock.

 

[derp1n]

Oh, and since numbers worsened you must have a bad "floor". No wonder all your results are suspect.

I propose all measurements should be suspended until Amir has an exorcist (or the audiophool equivalent) visit and cleanse his measurement area of THDaemons.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I propose all measurements should be suspended until Amir has an exorcist (or the audiophool equivalent) visit and cleanse his measurement area of THDaemons.

Yeah, least he could do is get a Shun Mook mpingo disc or something.

Or maybe get a seance going and contact Peter Belt. Maybe you can get an ouiji board made of mpingo wood.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

I propose all measurements should be suspended until Amir has an exorcist (or the audiophool equivalent) visit and cleanse his measurement area of THDaemons.

Something somewhere somehow is causing a difference between these measurements and the other testers.