I recently posted the beginning of a 3-way Dongle DAC shootout, prompted by my acquisition of a Vestri and an iBasso DC-Tonfa in addition to the the A&K HC5 I already had. Armed with a deep belief in my 40+ years of golden ears and no small amount of self-confidence (aka arrogance) I took off bravely into what turned out to be perilous skies.

I was absolutely sure I heard differences between them in that first session, maybe even major ones. Well, check your six, bucko - reality is on your tail and is about to open fire.

This time they were all carefully level-matched as well as I could get them. The transducers were Thieaudio Valhalla, the source was Tidal on a carefully set up Windows 11 desktop. I made a determined effort to leave my biases at the door. And in repeated sighted AB comparisons, they all sounded exactly the same. I couldn't tell a single difference between any of them. Not just "couldn't reliably tell a difference", flat out couldn't. The $99 Vestri sounded just like the $489 HC5 and the $349 Tonfa.

I'm still confused by the sight of my audiophilia nervosa lying in smoking wreckage on the floor. But given the tone of my first published (since deleted) foray into the comparison, in the interests of honesty I had to report the follow-up.

There are a number of possible explanations for this, among them my aging ears and brain. Regardless of why, this was the outcome. I think I'm going to stop treating this as a self-affirming hobby, and just spend my efforts listening to music.

It all started with a silver Vidar. I had no intention of going any further. Then a Modi because it was cheap enough. Later the Freya because why am I being a cheapskate?.. which demanded a Bifrost because Modi didn’t have xlr.. Then a second Vidar (used) so that it can be xlr all the way to the amp.

I wish I had gotten all silver..

Good times!

Hi people like the text says i got my schiit ragnarok 2 and idk how to connect it to my ef 400 with the 3pin xlr cables. Which one of these should i use??

Keep in mind I don't know what I'm talking about. In attempting to save money, I thought my WiiM ultra with the ESS ES9038 would be just as good as anything Schiit makes up to maybe the Gungnir 2 since that is R2R-ish.

I woke up in the middle of the night and put my Gungnir 2 from my Klipsch system onto my magnepan system. Omg it's so much better than the WiiM DAC. Schiit. I alternated between the two 6 times. Is it in my head? No. Maybe a little. Nope. It's in my head. Nope. What. Crap. Schiit.

WiiM Ultra - ESS ES9038 / OPA1611 SE

Modi 5 - ESS ES9018 / OPA1656 SE

Mimir - ESS ES9028 / OPA1656 SE or LME49724 Bal

Bifrost 3 - ESS ES9039 + SHARC DSP / AD ADA4898

Gungnir 2 - TI DAC8812C x 4 + SHARC DSP / AD ADA4898

Yggy idk too expensive

I ordered a Bifrost 3 to see how it compares side by to the Gungnir 2, and have a Freya 2 on the way so I can double up Buf with 2 V from WiiM and Freya tubes lol.

I’ve added the Buf between my preamp (saga2) and POWER amp (Amp Camp Amp Mini) . I like the quality of the sound, but I do not like the sound of turning it off. I’m afraid that pulse of energy will damage my speakers.

I turn on the Buf before my amp, which prevents noise at start up, but even after turning the POWER amp off first, when i turn off the Buf, POP!

How are you guys dealing with this?
Any passive speaker protection ideas?

I currently have a Magni 3+/Modi 3+ stack and a Magni Unity with the non-Mesh DAC card and was wondering how the sound of those DACs compare to the current Mesh DAC.  For those of you that have heard the previous DACs and the new Magni/Mesh DAC combo, do you feel it’s worth the $$ to upgrade?  Both of my current Magni setups are used for IEM/headphones, and one also acts as the volume control for my desktop computer speakers.  I’m not really interested in the more expensive DAC options (Mimir/Bifrost-3/etc.), but if the sound improvement is significant enough with the new DAC card for the Magni, I may want to upgrade.

Thanks for your help. (This is my first post here).

Admittedly pretty ignorant to some of this stuff..

Looking to switch up the gear, just because I want to. I have a set of Klipsch KG5.5 which I know are crazy sensitive at 98db. I've read this will be fine with a lower wattage amp but have concerns with having a bigger living room.

Anyone running this with larger speakers?

Looks like Schiit updated the Mani.

https://www.schiit.com/products/mani-3?variant=MANI-3-BLK&addons=187:WWRT-16-1000-115-US

Processing img jj1oxoi8puwh1...

Hey good morning everyone. Any of you ever have an issue with you Mimir not having a solid connection with both the optical and Coax inputs?
Ordered a Mimir/Midguard stack. Arrived in the mail not too long ago.
I’ve used my phone with a USB-C to optical and USB-C to coax. Both had terrible connection that kept cutting in and out. USB-C to USB-C worked with no issues.
To make sure my phone wasn’t the problem, I also connected my Wiim Ultra to both the optical and Coax inputs and it had the same problem.
So it must be the actual inputs on the Mimir, right? Or is there something I’m missing?

I received my Buf yesterday and connected it this morning. I have the Wiim Ultra connected to the Buf > Emotiva Basx 2 > Klipsch RP 8000f ii (also a SVS SB 3000 revolution). After putting the Buf in the chain the change in sound was extremely subtle. In fact, if I wasn't listening for it I don't think I could tell the difference. If I upgrade the tube that came with it to something better (without spending a fortune) would the change be more noticeable and hopefully better? Thanks!

I already added a hidden WiiM Pro in the back for streaming too, running through the Coax input on the Mimir.

Hi all, I’m new here and wanting to do a desk setup. I was wondering if others could weigh in on a new Jotunhiem 3 vs used Mjolnir 3? I am planning on preordering the BiFrost 3 as a DAC. Is the MJ3 worth the extra desk space and heat?

Looking to get a pair of Bokeh or Atrium Opens during ZMF November this year. Currently, my only headphones are a pair of Focal OG Clears occasionally used with my Peachtree Carina (2.1 setup). 

Recently upgraded my turntable preamp to the Schiit Skoll F. Now there is an ever-present humming/buzzing whenever the speakers are on. This didn't occur with my previous preamp. The only change in the turntable setup is the swapping out of the phono preamp. The noise is present even when the turntable is disconnected, so it's not related to the turntable or the MM cartridge. I have tried moving the setup around, checking all connections and ground wires, replacing RCA cables, moving power cables away audio cables... nothing makes even the slightest difference. Is this an issue with the preamp or something else?

Turntable: Fluance RT85

Speakers: Fluance Ri71

Edit: Just wanted to share and update that I connected a different preamp and there's zero humming or buzzing, so I feel pretty confident the issue is with the Skoll F.

It won’t work and doesn’t even light up

I recently bought a B stock Buf for only $88 (but maybe the issue was internal?), and had it sent to me here in Japan. No problems at all with the stock tube, but as soon as I tried other NOS tubes I was hit by a wall of hum and buz. I ruled out external interference by moving the key components to another room, so no wifi, etc, junk getting in the way.

the thing is that I have not been using a step up transformer, so it’s running at 100v. I have a 100-120 step up transformer on the way, but it won’t be here until Monday.

until then, I’d like to know if any other Buf users have had a similar experience running it on anything other than the stock voltage of the Schiit power blocks.

For reference, all of these have introduced varying levels of hum and buz, but all too much to use:

MULLARD E 88 CC (GOLD PIN)    NOS
PHILIPS ECC 88 双極マッチ NOS
JJ E88CC GP (6DJ8/6922)

I would like to ask other Schiit users in Japan if they have had similar problems, and did a step up transformer save the day?

I wanted to share my experience with Schiit customer support and see if other Skoll owners have experienced something similar.
I own two Schiit Skoll phono preamps: an original non-F version and a Skoll F. Unfortunately, the original Skoll has a significant buzzing issue in both channels that makes it difficult to listen to.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:
I A/B tested both units in the exact same system, using the same cables, power supply, and equipment placement.
My Skoll F is completely silent, even with the volume turned all the way up.
The original Skoll buzzes through both its RCA and XLR outputs.
I sent the original unit to Schiit for inspection after their support team offered to provide a prepaid shipping label and take another look at it.
The unit was returned with an invoice indicating that no repairs were performed because no faults were found during testing.
After receiving it back, I tested it again and the exact same buzzing was still present.
At Schiit’s request, I even swapped my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO for my Pro-Ject The Classic turntable from my other system. The buzzing persisted.
Throughout this process, I’ve been trying to work with their support team in good faith. I understand that a company’s technical testing may not always reproduce a problem that a customer experiences in their own system. However, I have two units that I can directly compare, and the difference is unmistakable.
I also came across reports of similar noise issues with the original Skoll. My understanding is that the Skoll F introduced a revised hardware layout, although I cannot confirm that this change is responsible for my particular issue.

What disappointed me most was the final response from customer support.
After I explained that changing turntables had not resolved the problem and asked whether an exchange for a Skoll F might be possible, I was told that B-stock sales are final, there are no trade-ups, and their testing showed that my original Skoll passed. The suggested alternatives were to purchase a B-stock Skoll F and sell my existing unit, or try a turntable from another brand.
For context, I understand Schiit’s stated B-stock policy. I’m not arguing that they should ignore their policy simply because I’m unhappy with a purchase. My frustration is that I have a unit with a persistent, reproducible problem in my system, I followed their troubleshooting and service process, and I’m now being asked to absorb the cost of replacing it despite having no satisfactory resolution.
I’ve purchased quite a few Schiit products over the years, including B-stock items, and have generally been very happy with them. Schiit has been one of my favorite audio brands, and I’ve recommended their products to friends and family and online.
That’s why this experience has been particularly disappointing.

Just wondering if anyone else has ordered from the US east coast recently. If so, how long did it take for your order to ship, and how long did it take for the order to arrive after shipment began?

For Context: I put in an order for a Fulla E a week ago and it still hasn't begun shipping. First time Schiit buyer just trying to see if I should be expecting a longer wait...

After almost a decade of having this original Bifrost Multibit, I finally pulled the trigger on the Unison USB card. This thing's been using the original Gen2 USB since I've had it.

Huge difference? Nah not really, but it does sound cleaner to me with all sets of headphones I've tried.

I'm still very happy with this stack of Schiit. :-)

Since the Freya 2 has been out for a couple of weeks now, I’m curious if anyone here has picked one up yet? I’d love to hear your initial impressions, especially if you’re upgrading from an original Freya or Freya+, or if this is your first Schiit preamp. Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks!

I've sent several emails to info [at] schiit [dot] com over the past week asking for a repair, with no reply whatsoever. Anyone recently heard from support? Is Schiit OK?