[axle_69]

Well I did an experiment. Due to the sheer size of the yggy, I needed to buy longer XLR cables so I could locate it a couple feet away from my amp (simply not enough room to stack both on my desk), so I bought some, what I thought, were high quality 6 ft XLR cables on amazon. But they're advertised to be more for use for microphones & not really specifically geared toward hifi audio. Anyway, as a test, I took my old, shorter XLR cables that are designed specifically for audio amplifier use, and I immediately noticed a cleaner sound. It's not mind-blowing mind you, but it absolutely improved the sound.
I had a sneaking suspicion it could have been those XLR cables, but again they weren't cheap, about $35 each.
So based on this, you guys have any XLR cable brands you recommend? I'm firmly in the camp that cable quality can absolutely alter sound. So I'd like to use the best quality XLR cables that this dac deserves (within reason of course). Also explains why RCA sounded better than XLR.

Interconnects are often the same cable as the microphone cable, only with the colour code. My reference for a neutral cable is the Vovox Sonorus direct S but they are not shielded, when it's difficult to route cables properly and avoid a mess, I use Sommer Epilogue, they sound almost the same as the Vovox but shielded. The QED Reference 40 is also very good. Mogami is also good, if you are on a budget you can buy W2549 (Gold line) in bulk and solder to Neutrik plugs or use quad cables if the environment is noisy (but the capacitance is higher). There are also pre assembled W3402 cables (Platinum line). Canare also has very good cables.

 

[Slackaveli]

man it's worth it just for the peace of mind when you have a $2k DAC feeding a $1500 amp.

 

[DeeT79]

I use the PYST Snake Oil XLR cables that Schiit sells. Found them to be a significant improvement over the previous Amazon cables that I was using although they're not very expensive. I believe in quality cables but it's not rocket science and you don't have to break the bank to get good sound. Yggy OG A2 sounds superb with those cables feeding a Feliks Envy and Burson Soloist 3X Performance.

 

[roderickvd]

For reference, which were those Amazon cables exactly you were using?

 

[DeeT79]

Cable Matters Premium 2 pack XLR cables. They are OFC cables and have good reviews but are advertised as microphone and speaker cables. That could be why there was improvement when I replaced them.

 

[Luckyleo]

While I've never heard the A1 or LIM, when I had my MIB, it took a solid 100 hours or more of continuous playback for it to sound the way it should. It should not sound muddy. From what I understand, it's also best to always leave the Yggy on, as it can take a long time to sound it's best after leaving it off for a decent length of time. I never actually tested this myself, so I'll leave others with more experience to comment.

I've found that this only applies to a new unit. If you've previously put that 100+ hours in, it takes only a few hours after turning on to come up to "specs". Of course YMMV....

 

[Hisma]

For reference, which were those Amazon cables exactly you were using?

They're were monoprice xlrs
Monoprice XLR Male to XLR Female Cable - 6 Feet - Black, 16AWG, Gold Plated, Microphone & Interconnect - Stage Right Series
https://a.co/d/0Tk4Nc3

Actually they are quite cheap. I agree I probably didn't need to go with nearly $200 XLR cables to get the best quality, there was probably a sweet spot in something less extreme. But the monoprice xlrs very audibly lowered the quality of the sound coming out of the yggy, compared to the xlrs I am using now that I know were advertised for hifi use. And I doubt I paid more than $50 for them.


Have to say, now I'm hearing what I believe I'm supposed to be hearing and why everyone finds this dac special. It sounds excellent now. Excited to see what the LIM adds on top of what I'm already getting. Who ever thinks of cable rolling XLR cables when troubleshooting Sq issues? Or if anyone ever deemed a piece of gear as trash bc they were using something like monoprice xlrs like I was
Always learning something new in this hobby

 

[Kristofa]

My XLR cables in my Yggdrasil-Loki Max-Kara chain are nothing fancy but certainly do the job for me. They are a pair of Star Quad (BJC) and a pair of Schiit PYST (Snake Oil). I have a pair of long Audio Technica XLR cables that have always been my in-a-pinch balanced cables that have never let me down. They are being used from my Schiit Skoll to Kara at the moment and sound fine. One day I will replace them with a more reasonable length of BJC Star Quad cable, but that is super low priority.

 

[bearFNF]

So based on this, you guys have any XLR cable brands you recommend?

I use blue jeans cables: https://www.bluejeanscable.com/index.htm
Specifically: Canare L-4E6S Balanced Audio Cable, 4 foot, XLR Male/XLR Female, Black~0.278~111~2).
About $32 each back in 2016 so not sure how much they cost now.
Edit: I just checked and they went up $1 since 2016, damn inflation

 

[Nick76]

I just use mogami gold xlr cables from guitar center, good quality and lifetime warranty no questions ask, just walk into any authorized dealer and they’ll hand you a new one. Fairly priced at 60 bucks a cable

 

[Bowmoreman]

So I’ve had my A1 OG (@Slackaveli ’s) about 10 days now, I can say it’s gotten better from being excellent in my system. Going from SE to Balanced is huge delta. Oh, and don’t connect both simultaneously in my A/B of that scenario, it’d dynamics were quite impacted. I suspect the output drivers were maxing out (the reason for the change to A2 IIRC?). But pure balanced? Excellent.

I’m pretty certain that Yggy A1 is more than scalable enough to allow for system synergies to be reached.

Do go balanced.

 

[mjstealey]

recently bought a used OG A1 with USB gen 5. I'm not happy w/ it. It sounds objectively worse than my shanling H7 with the latest AKM 4499EX DAC when connecting to a Mjolnir 3 over RCA.
The H7 w/ its AKM DAC has noticeably tighter and ethereal sound, and more importantly, noticeably more detail especially in the treble region. The OG A1 sounds veiled & muddy in comparison, and the details that effortlessly pop out on the H7 I almost have to strain to notice with the yggy. I notice nothing "special" about the yggy, aside from a more analog, organic sound compared to the H7, which is to be expected given the differences between R2R/multibit vs DS sound signature.
My question is, will adding a LIM to it help bring out more detail? I have read that the OG A2 is actually described as "aggressive" and "fatiguing" with lots of detail & energy, compared to the LIM which supposedly has a more neutral smoother sound.
But what about the A1 compared to the LIM? Sonically is the A1 considered to be darker and less detailed than the A2? And do people here that own LIM yggys think that I will notice an improvement in the treble and detail retrieval region over the A1?
Also worth mentioning I already upgraded to the unison USB from the gen 5. I do think the unison did minorly improve layering and texture of the sound vs the gen 5, but I still find the H7 hands down sounds better, despite being a portable headphone dac/amp that's 1/10 the size and weight of the yggy and less than half the cost.
FWIW, my headphones are the goldplanar GL850. Not popular I know, but consider it very similar to a heddphone, as its the same tech. And it sounds absolutely sublime w/ the H7 + mj3.

ps, also seeing all these A2 deals pop up only a week after I bought my used A1 for $1300 is also making my stomach turn a bit. Felt like I was getting a deal but when upgrading to unison + LIM I'm $2k deep into this hunk of metal now :\.

OG A1 is indeed a formidable hunk of metal!

Sounds like you've done your homework and all I can say is take your time on the card swap. Go slow, stay organized, and be ready for lots and lots of tiny screws. The newer Yggy+ chassis made this easier, but there are plenty of YT resources for how to swap cards in the older chassis. Or if you're curious, and have about 30 mins to spare, there is a good video of a full Yggdrasil build.

I've stopped using the USB in to my DACs, and instead go USB to a DDC and then AES/EBU or BNC into the DAC. It's a personal preference, but I find it to be audibly cleaner/tighter/more precise, and more to my liking than using any of the Gen5 or Unison USB implementations. My source is generally a laptop running God knows what at the time, so my USB output is probably not the cleanest thing in the world to begin with... as always YMMV

Worst case is you wind up finding the Yggy with LIM to be meh in your system, it happens sometimes, no harm, no foul. The good news is there are plenty of folks (myself included) who would be happy to pickup the LIM boards, or OG A1 Yggy from you if you do decide to sell. It's a hobby, have fun, and enjoy the music!

 

[jlemaster1957]

I just use mogami gold xlr cables from guitar center, good quality and lifetime warranty no questions ask, just walk into any authorized dealer and they’ll hand you a new one. Fairly priced at 60 bucks a cable

All I use as well and ever will: 1) they work great and 2) once I start down the path of inter-connect comparisons I know I’d never stop. It’s a game for those pursuing the very last iota of SQ excellence. I’m working on my ‘JOMO’ these days.

 

[Slackaveli]

All I use as well and ever will: 1) they work great and 2) once I start down the path of inter-connect comparisons I know I’d never stop. It’s a game for those pursuing the very last iota of SQ excellence. I’m working on my ‘JOMO’ these days.

exactly why Im using World's Best Cables Mogami 2549 with Neutrik. For $35 bucks it's JOMO. Part of my brain occasionally tries to order some pure silver interconnects but wallet has rejected those attempts so far.

 

[psy472]

For the ridiculous prices out there for cables, I’m surprise we don’t see people walking around with cables around their neck instead of necklaces. Interconnect earrings anyone?

Slackaveli already has his cable bracelet I see.