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Schiit Bifrost Multibit option

Just seen this new option/upgrade and wondered if anyone has tried it yet?

Thanks
williewonka

Showing 8 responses by williewonka

williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
George - my Bifrost is superb as-is, but it did require some tweaks.

Having said that - it doesn't hurt to push that envelop :-)
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
Gh, I tried their USB upgrade, only to discover the v-link was far superior.

I'm now looking at Musical Fidelity based on the quality of the v-link

I'm not impressed with their upgrades

Btw, I also believe Gearoge's tongue was firmly planted in his cheek :-)))

Cheers
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
Just to complicate matters there is also the Bifrost 4490 upgrade @ $100, which states...

This DAC/Analog upgrade card betters the sonic and measured performance of all previous Bifrosts, including Uber. It incorporates the AKM AK4490 Verita® D/A converter, followed by a sophisticated fully discrete summing and gain stage with no capacitors in the signal path.

Is this an even better upgrade than multibit?

Where I am having the problem is...
1. the Multibit works with the Uber Upgrade
2. the 4490 upgrade sounds better than the Uber
- (but is that with the Multibit?)
3. seems the Multi-bit and 4490 are mutually exclusive?

So which option sounds better?

Is anyone else confused like me?
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
George - on second reading of the Schiit site it appears that both upgrades sound better than all previous Bifrost config's as well as Bifrost + Uber.

It appears that the Multibit and 4490 upgrades eliminates the need for Uber, which is not too good if you have bought into it.

I'll drop schiit an email for clarification

Thanks for the clarification
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
Well, I guess my curiosity got the better of me - I just placed an order for the 4490

At $70 for the self install option it was just too good to pass up

I guess we'll have opinions on both upgrades in the coming weeks :-)

Regards...
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
The 4490 board arrived this morning and has been up and running for around 2 hours.

My old Bifrost environment was
- Uber Analogue Upgrade option
- V-Link192 in place of the Schiit USB port
- excellent power cables, USB, IC's and SPDIF cables

I have always liked the Bifrost for it's "spirited" and detailed abilities, but the 4490 has now upped the anti in a very good way...

- The dynamics are a little more punchy
- The image is very cohesive - the best I've ever heard it
- the mid-upper frequency details and clarity has improved
- The high end has much more body - not quite so shrill
>>> upper register of violins is much smoother
- Micro details have improved
>>> excellent venue acoustics reproduction
>>> significantly improved decay of cymbals
>>> more whispery textures on vocals

The upgrade from the Uber Analogue to the $70 4490 was well worth it, so I would imagine upgrading from a stock Bifrost to the 4490 would appear even better.

I was not impressed with the USB Gen 2 upgrades, since its performance was trounced by the v-Link192.

But the 4490 upgrade shows that the Bifrost Team can pull off a very worthwhile upgrade for a very affordable price.

This is as close to analogue as I've ever heard it!

It should be really nice - once it's burned in :-)

Regards...
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 
Well, after 11 days continuous burn-in the 4490 has provided an exceptional improvement in SQ and is providing the most cohesive reproduction I've ever experienced on my system.

All aspects of fidelity, i.e. timing, image, spatial accuracy, dynamics, clarity, and details have exceeded my expectations for a $70 upgrade. Only leaves me wondering what the Multibit is capable of.

Comparing the Uber Upgrade board to the 4490 reveals a remarkable similarity in the components used and their placement - I would guestimate 90% the same - which leads me to believe that the Uber Upgrade is also included.

If you are considering 4490 upgrade I can highly recommend it :-)

Regards...
williewonka OP
3,067 posts
 

Backgroundblur - some questions (sort of)....

  1. are you using the power cable that came with the DAC? - the Bifrost really ups its game with a good power cable :-)
  2. are you using the USB port? - I upgraded to the new Gen 2 USB, but on a whim I tried a v-link192 USB-SPDIF converter - the improvements were nothing short of amazing - seems Schiit has a lot of work to do on their USB Interface
  3. What interconnects are you using? - the Bifrost rounds out its game with the selection of really good IC's

You are right about burn-in - I've had the 4490 installed for about a month and it's taken most of that time to really settle

I upgraded to the 4490 and could not believe the improvement in details, image, clarity and punch - the multibit is supposed to be even better.

The "analogue feel" should come over time, but it takes around 200-300 hours of playing for it to get close - 300-500 hours and it will start to "fill out" very nicely.

I listen to classical and for the first little while the upper register of the violins and high notes from sopranos could be very shrill - not any longer - just incredibly rich, full bodied and very detailed.

I did think about the Multibit upgrade, but figure I'll wait until I upgrade to the Gungnir :-)

Enjoy.




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