Review of the new Schiit URD

[CapMan]

1. USB-C stream output
2. Metal CD tray and mechanism from StreamUnlimited
3. Made in USA
4. Dual linear power supplies - one for the drive
5. Dual USB-C outs

Schiit’s Urd shreds the CD player rulebook | Darko.Audio

CDs or streams? Yes.

darko.audio

Tried to open the link and got a 403 forbidden - but I was able to get to the page via Google. Is darko blocking click throughs from ASR, or is this just a glitch?

 

[voodooless]

Is darko blocking click throughs from ASR, or is this just a glitch?

Yes, he is

 

[CapMan]

Yes, he is

Says it all really, the emperor has no clothes!

 

[raif71]

 

[Bikerbw]

I suppose it makes sense for the URD in the Schiit biosphere, but personally I have no use for all of these USB input/outputs as I have plenty on my other non-Schiit equipment so I'd probably use the AES output. I don't like that I don't have a TOSLINK option.

Haven't really read/seen a good review yet of this against what I would call the direct competitors (price differences notwithstanding) the CA CXC V2 or the Audiolab CDT6000/7000/9000. Would be interesting to see how it scales up with better supporting equipment than I've seen.

The price point gives me pause as well, because you're now out of the under-$1000 range and I opine that anyone willing to go $1299 plus tax and shipping (in the states) puts it over $1400 for a lot of people and moves it into the realm of customers who would stretch to consider a Jay's Audio transport or such. I understand that the cheapest Jay's transport is $2500 and a thousand $'s isn't chicken poop but possibly no tax and free shipping for the Jay's (again in the states).

Of course, you can bypass the entire affair by either just streaming or playing ripped digital files through another unit.

 

[TonyJZX]

these are 100% made in the us right?

so there's somewhere in the us where they are making sleds and optical reader lens etc? that's quite amazing

 

[Nutul]

For $1300 it had better play everything: CD, DVD-A and SACD. With other features like HDCD decoding and proper de-emphasis. And emit the raw bits without downsampling or conversion. And have optional built-in DSD to PCM conversion, for DACs that are PCM-only.
It doesn't, which makes it overpriced.

Don't agree here. It's a transport, then YOU DEAL WITH THE OUTPUT.

 

[Nutul]

i took an old dvd player and plugged it into a random dac in my setup and i really doubt i could pass an abx on this vs. a laptop sending out the same ripped flac

btw.

Viking

Manufacturer of hi-end audio electronics - amplifiers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, D/A converters, CD-players and custom installation amplifiers.

www.hegel.com

we all know Hegel is a favorite brand of ASR

i'll let you work out the price

Admittedly, Hegel products are SOTA, so this alone can easily make them the favorite of anybody; and generally speaking, the people messing around here do know things...

 

[MRC01]

Don't agree here. It's a transport, then YOU DEAL WITH THE OUTPUT.

But it can't even read SACD or DVD-A, so there's no output to deal with.

 

[Nutul]

But it can't even read SACD or DVD-A, so there's no output to deal with.

My comment was more of a generic one, regarding just the DSD => PCM conversion.
If I had read the specs, though, I surely would have commented differently...

 

[EJ3]

Does that drive REALLY make a difference? I would assume that if a DVD drive from a PC had too much vibration for CD playback, you'd hear digital noise and dropouts. That has never happened to me.. I also have a pretty decent drive that I use EAC with and it has good error correction, so can anyone explain these super expensive drives?

some people are clumsy & break the drive when it is in the out position (maybe they put their coffee mug on it, [apparently Schiit thinks that might be the case])
From the Schitt URD manual:
"1 CD Tray. Put your CD in here. After
ejecting the tray, that is. And by “CD,” we mean Redbook CD, not some weirdo thing with SACD or MP3s or FLAC on it.
And no, it’s not for holding your coffee mug either".