Schiit Audio Yggdrasil Review

Gentlemen all.......I am happy the review is an enjoyable read. The Yggdrasil is such a sweet DAC it is difficult not to gush about the performance.

For those who want to see a Yggdrasil / K-01X shootout, it will happen before long. I am curious, too.
 
Dan, Dan, Dan, what an fantastic and utterly enjoyable review!
Wow!

I notice something a bit different from the style of your former reviews.
It comes more from the heart, or even deeper, from the belly.
And that is exactly where we experience music at the most intense level.
Beautiful sounds coming from lovely voices and well tuned instruments do not only touch our brain, they affect our whole body, or should do so.
Reading your highly eloquent appraisal makes me realise that this time, a component has really made you come closer to the essence of music.

Bravo!
You are a great author.
Enjoy the Iggy in good health.

I'm looking very much forward to your comparison with your other formidable DAC, the Esoteric K-01x.
I will not be too surprised when it appears that the Schiit component holds it own quite well in such a noble company.
 
Bart.......Thank you so much. It pleases me to no end when my reviews are fun, informative, and entertaining for those who read them.

I received a number of comments before this review was posted and since, with many people interested in how the Yggdrasil stands up to the Esoteric K-01X. I am curious, too. The reason I did not make that comparison in the Yggdrasil review is because I feel a Yggy / K-01X shootout deserves more than a passing mention in a paragraph. The Yggdrasil is an incredible DAC, as is the K-01X. Comparing these two DAC's deserves its own cover.
 
Awesome review, for sure. It's great seeing companies like Schiit succeed.
 
Sean said:
Awesome review, for sure. It's great seeing companies like Schiit succeed.
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Sean.......Thank you. Schiit Audio has an very nice line of DAC's, headphone amps, preamplifiers and amplifiers. By all accounts they are all performing well above their price points.
 
Well I caved and had to hear what all the Schiit was about for myself.

I’m not sure my first impressions are quite as favourable as Dan’s were. I’ll leave it at that for now and give the DAC some time to get it’s mojo togethor.
 
Jeff.......Keep the Yggdrasil powered on and a digital signal fed to it continuously 24/7. It will gradually open up to reveal its true sonic personality. After about 300 hours you will be in high cotton. There is no shortcut for break-in. You are not only performing break-in on the DAC and digital input board, you are also performing break-in on the analog output boards. Patience will be rewarded.
 
Mr. Dandy,

Dear Jim.

well, THANKS FOR NOTHING!! it is solely due to you, that i must TRY to explain to my wife, a $2400 charge to my Visa card. (i live in fear!) i have not yet read your remarkable review, but it is obviously written by someone quite bright, and who LOVES MUSIC! i have played violin in several orchestras, and i like lots of types of music. i am dying to get my Yggy! should be this week! if i just plug it in, with nothing going in, will that break it in? i plan to keep it always plugged in. i guess i could somehow ?program? the OPPO 105 to constantly play???? i am prepared to not like the sound at first.

OK, dumb question: would a GOOD power conditioner improve my sound, to the extent that i could HEAR the improvement? my budget is running dry.
congrats, and thanks!
sincerely
Bob
 
Old Bob said:
Mr. Dandy,

Dear Jim.

well, THANKS FOR NOTHING!! it is solely due to you, that i must TRY to explain to my wife, a $2400 charge to my Visa card. (i live in fear!) i have not yet read your remarkable review, but it is obviously written by someone quite bright, and who LOVES MUSIC! i have played violin in several orchestras, and i like lots of types of music. i am dying to get my Yggy! should be this week! if i just plug it in, with nothing going in, will that break it in? i plan to keep it always plugged in. i guess i could somehow ?program? the OPPO 105 to constantly play???? i am prepared to not like the sound at first.

OK, dumb question: would a GOOD power conditioner improve my sound, to the extent that i could HEAR the improvement? my budget is running dry.
congrats, and thanks!
sincerely
Bob
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Go get a $5 USB cable if you don't have one and plug it into your computer and use any old software player to send some music to it on repeat.
 
Dr Tone said:
Go get a $5 USB cable if you don't have one and plug it into your computer and use any old software player to send some music to it on repeat.
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If he is using his Oppo 105 as a disc player with no computer audio setup. Perhaps also try using the Oppo as a transport by connecting a SPDIF to the Schiit's SPDIF input and interconnects on the DAC output to your integrated amp. That way when playing CDs via the Oppo you'll be using the external DAC as well as the Yggy's output stage.

Which most likely after some break in will be far superior to the Oppo 105 sonically.
 
Old Bob said:
Mr. Dandy,

Dear Jim.

well, THANKS FOR NOTHING!! it is solely due to you, that i must TRY to explain to my wife, a $2400 charge to my Visa card. (i live in fear!) i have not yet read your remarkable review, but it is obviously written by someone quite bright, and who LOVES MUSIC! i have played violin in several orchestras, and i like lots of types of music. i am dying to get my Yggy! should be this week! if i just plug it in, with nothing going in, will that break it in? i plan to keep it always plugged in. i guess i could somehow ?program? the OPPO 105 to constantly play???? i am prepared to not like the sound at first.

OK, dumb question: would a GOOD power conditioner improve my sound, to the extent that i could HEAR the improvement? my budget is running dry.
congrats, and thanks!
sincerely
Bob
Click to expand...

Bob.......I think you will be extremely pleased with your new Yggdrasil, and if your wife also enjoys music, she will quickly forgive the expense once she has been captured by the performance of this DAC.

Break-in, as far as I am concerned, requires all the circuits be active, not just the power supply idling the remainder of the DAC. Schiit Audio has a burn-in rack where the Yggdrasil gets 72 hours of being energized without an audio signal applied. My preference is that break-in should take place in the same manner you plan to use it, i.e. with a signal passing through it. That way the digital input boards, the DAC, the closed-form filter, and the Analog 2 output boards all get constant signals and electron flow through all their parts.

Jeff's (Dr Tone) suggestion of using a USB connection from a computer is good. Just as easily you can use the Oppo player you mentioned with a CD spinning on Repeat. Be prepared for about 20 to 25 days of break-in playing the DAC 24/7. At the end of that time period you will be completely mesmerized by the Yggdrasil's performance.

As for power conditioners, a high quality one is always a sound investment your system.
 
Dr Tone said:
Well I caved and had to hear what all the Schiit was about for myself.

I’m not sure my first impressions are quite as favourable as Dan’s were. I’ll leave it at that for now and give the DAC some time to get it’s mojo togethor.
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Today my unit has logged 58 hours and I can attest it is now noticeably better than when I first fired it up. If this is the indication of what is to come after break-in, I'm very excited.
 
kzhtoo said:
Today my unit has logged 58 hours and I can attest it is now noticeably better than when I first fired it up. If this is the indication of what is to come after break-in, I'm very excited.
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kzhtoo.......Keep truckin'. It will continue to open up and reveal its true sonic signature. You don't have to have your sound system on, just as long as the Yggdrasil is energized and a digital signal is being fed to it the break-in will progress. Keep us posted.
 
jdandy said:
kzhtoo.......Keep truckin'. It will continue to open up and reveal its true sonic signature. You don't have to have your sound system on, just as long as the Yggdrasil is energized and a digital signal is being fed to it the break-in will progress. Keep us posted.
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Yep, that's what I'm doing.
 
I've lost track of the logged hours (long story). [emoji20] Should be between 264 and 360. Wondering how much more it could change?
 
kzhtoo said:
I've lost track of the logged hours (long story). [emoji20] Should be between 264 and 360. Wondering how much more it could change?
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kzhtoo.......Once you have past 500 hours of break-in you will be 98% there. My Yggdrasil now has 924 hours of continuous break-in. Once past 500 hours I noticed only slight improvements in timbrel accuracy. Instruments, particularly acoustic instruments like guitar, double-bass, violin, piano, drums, and horns, achieve an astonishing accuracy that is so satisfying. Instruments and voices sound real, whole, full of life. Once I past 700 hours I have notice little to no additional change in the Yggdrasil's sonic signature, but I made the decision to keep a digital signal fed to it through 1000 hours. That should arrive by next Monday. At that point in time I will consider the break-in officially complete and will cease the 24/7 digital feed, but I will keep the Yggdrasil energized as recommended by Schiit Audio. It will always be ready to immediately rock when I send a digital file to it.

There is no shortcut for break-in. Keep the Yggdrasil energized and fed with a signal 24/7. The hours will while away before you know it. Nothing says you can't enjoy listening to it along the way.
 
My upgraded Yggdrasil should arrive today. Looking forward to hearing any improvements / changes, although not excited about breaking it in all over again.
 
Mrppv said:
My upgraded Yggdrasil should arrive today. Looking forward to hearing any improvements / changes, although not excited about breaking it in all over again.
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Mrppv.......I am happy to see Yggdrasil owners taking advantage of Schiit Audio's latest upgrades. The whole idea of being able to keep your Yggdrasil current with the newest features offers a tremendous value to Schiit Audio owners. I will be watching for your impressions once you've gotten some hours on your "new" Yggy.
 
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