Orange5o
500+ Head-Fier
Any more of those good deal WE's left?
Schiit Folkvangr - Impressions Thread
- Thread starter XERO1
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tutetibiimperes
100+ Head-Fier
I got them from vacuumtubes.net but picked them up right before they did a price increase. They’re up to $75/tube now, which is still less than a lot of eBay sellers though. They also include matching at no additional charge.
Well I ordered the LIM version. Should be here next week some time
So this evening I was comparing my various headphones, IEMs amps, etc. with the goal of seeing which combo sounds best when playing Tool’s Chocolate Chip Trip (CCT). I’m a big Tool fan so CCT has been high on my favorites list for a while but I’ve never listened to it when comparing gear before.
The thing that really amazed me was just how different CCT sounded with every variation of gear. It was pretty obvious where the synergies were. What’s more, it did a great job of identifying problem areas. CCT is also a great song so the better the synergy, the more it sucks you in.
For my tastes and gear, the best combo by a fair margin was the Bifrost 2, Folkvangr and the ZMF VC. 2nd best was the BF2/FV/Focal Clear. This actually kind of surprised me- I thought the LCD-X would beat the clear, but such was not the case.
It also reminded me why I like tube amps. With a good one you get all the clarity and detail without the hard edges I hear with SS. There’s probably really sweat SS amps out there, but I don’t think I’ve heard one.
EDIT: forgot to add- this was the 24 bit 96 kHz FLAC version of Chocolate Chip Trip streamed from Tidal. Dunno if it makes any difference and I’m too lazy to hunt up a lower bitrate recording for comparison.
The thing that really amazed me was just how different CCT sounded with every variation of gear. It was pretty obvious where the synergies were. What’s more, it did a great job of identifying problem areas. CCT is also a great song so the better the synergy, the more it sucks you in.
For my tastes and gear, the best combo by a fair margin was the Bifrost 2, Folkvangr and the ZMF VC. 2nd best was the BF2/FV/Focal Clear. This actually kind of surprised me- I thought the LCD-X would beat the clear, but such was not the case.
It also reminded me why I like tube amps. With a good one you get all the clarity and detail without the hard edges I hear with SS. There’s probably really sweat SS amps out there, but I don’t think I’ve heard one.
EDIT: forgot to add- this was the 24 bit 96 kHz FLAC version of Chocolate Chip Trip streamed from Tidal. Dunno if it makes any difference and I’m too lazy to hunt up a lower bitrate recording for comparison.
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Daniel Johnston
Headphoneus Supremus
I've not been enamored with the FV and planars. Maybe with some acoustic music/classical I can get the Meze Liric and DCA AN2 sounding spectacular.
But, the Focal lineup and Grados just sound better to me overall. YMMV
I suspect a little equalization would have gone a long way with the LCD-X. It had the technicalities, but just didn’t have the euphonic tonal balance of the VC and Clear. I’d say the same for the Moondrop IEMs. Technically brilliant but the tuning doesn’t work with CCT.
Pictograms
500+ Head-Fier
Has anyone experimented with how much input voltage FV can take? Curious if upping the voltage would change anything for harder to drive planars.
Daniel Johnston
Headphoneus Supremus
I've set Mojo2 to 3V output without issues. I did get more volume compared to 2V. I don't think this made it drive my harder to drive planars "easier". It did squeak out a little more gain though. Louder, to me, isn't the only factor on an amp driving a headphone properly.
The problem I’ve found with planars is the hard to drive ones tend to be inefficient and have impedance less than 50 ohms. In other words, they need an amplifier designed to deliver a lot of current.
Tube amps without an output transformer like the FV can deliver a lot of voltage, but not so much current. The FV does better than most OTL amps because it has 4 output tubes per channel, but it still performs best with headphones that don’t need much current.
RONJA MESCO
1000+ Head-Fier
cool living roomThought I would share this evening’s activity- FLAC recordings of instrumental jazz through a Bifrost2 -> Shiit Saga -> Folkvangr -> ZMF Verite Closed.
Accessories include fireplace with fire, lab dog sleeping in front of the fire, a Hendricks martini, ekornes leather seat and 5 above zero outside.
It’s times like this when life feels pretty good.
Thanks, though it looks better in the pic than IRL. That said, it’s a great place to sit and listen to headphones. Especially in the winter when it’s dark and cold outside.
G
The LIM has landed! It’s currently warming up / breaking in but I did have a listen- sounds really good!
Some thoughts on the Yggdrasil LIM vs the Bifrost OG.
In my experience, differences between DACs are small, but audible. My Bifrost2 was a bit of an exception when I first got it because it was quite clearly the best sounding DAC I had heard. I loved the solid, tight bass and energetic character combined with a warm, slightly thick sound that never the less was detailed and natural sounding.
The LIM is maybe not as big a step up as the Biffrost was (diminishing returns and all that), but there’s a few areas where it really shines and it’s definitely a step up. The clarity and imaging are so good even familiar tracks are mesmerizing. That clarity extends all the way down to the sub bass range, making for a very tactile sound. Detail is also improved and so are micodynamics, though not by much.
Similar to the BF2, the sound is warmish, but not as thick as the BF2, with a very natural overall tonality. Imaging is better than the already excellent BF2 imaging, but similar in width and depth.
Long story short, if you’re looking for a high end DAC with a sound not too dissimilar from the BF2, it’s a good choice.
In my experience, differences between DACs are small, but audible. My Bifrost2 was a bit of an exception when I first got it because it was quite clearly the best sounding DAC I had heard. I loved the solid, tight bass and energetic character combined with a warm, slightly thick sound that never the less was detailed and natural sounding.
The LIM is maybe not as big a step up as the Biffrost was (diminishing returns and all that), but there’s a few areas where it really shines and it’s definitely a step up. The clarity and imaging are so good even familiar tracks are mesmerizing. That clarity extends all the way down to the sub bass range, making for a very tactile sound. Detail is also improved and so are micodynamics, though not by much.
Similar to the BF2, the sound is warmish, but not as thick as the BF2, with a very natural overall tonality. Imaging is better than the already excellent BF2 imaging, but similar in width and depth.
Long story short, if you’re looking for a high end DAC with a sound not too dissimilar from the BF2, it’s a good choice.
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Orange5o
500+ Head-Fier
These are my two favorite DACs...I love my LIM. Also, I put in and then removed and sold my 2/64 card. The BF2 OG is an all-timer..
I just read a couple reviews comparing the BF2 OG to the BF2/64. Given the Yggy LIM and BF2/64 have the same quad 16 bit DA chips, it’s not surprising that I hear those same differences when comparing the BF2 to the LIM (less thick, more detail). Not having heard the 2/64 myself, I’m guessing the LIM has better imaging and clarity compared to the 2/64 thanks to all the other parts in the box.
The fact that you returned the 2/64 card and yet have a LIM gives me confidence I made the right choice, even though it would have been far less expensive to upgrade my BF2. Also nice to see the FV has no problems resolving the differences between these DACs, showing that it is a very capable tube amp.
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