New Yggdrasil - First (and second) Impressions

bcgator,
Anticipating an audition of the low-end Denafrips DAC on Monday, the Ares, and having followed this post with much interest given the varied opinions of adding the Yiggz to a system with OP's Oppo 205CD player, I think your take is spot on:  "if you haven't had your "wow" moment already [with the addition of the DAC], it's not going to happen."  I will admit that my Spatial Audio open baffle speakers took a very long time to break in, and we all understand the physical break in process of drivers, but I remain dubious of the "need" to breaking in DAC's or most electronics for longer than maybe a week or two.

I admit that my frame of reference, to your point, is that if I don't hear a perceptible benefit in SQ with new electronics within a pretty short period of time -- either from the first measure of music played ... to a week or so -- then it isn't going to happen.  

The Denafrips Ares I am getting on Monday is well broken in so I can forget about the "run-in" issue.  I will share my impressions on a new thread on AG.  

I have come to two conclusions on this discussion.  First, the Oppo variants are astounding musical CD players for not much coin of the realm.  My Oppo 103D was immediately more musical than my far more expensive Consonance tube DAC -- it was a "wow" moment from the first note of the music.  Forget about "run in", right out of the box, it was clearly more music.  Second, I think that to significantly improve on the sound of the Oppo 205D using an external DAC, you probably will have to spend $3K-$5K to get there.  However, for me, to spend an amount of money for this improvement in my ~$10K system is not in my view worthwhile... the Law of Diminishing Returns sets in.   

To reiterate, I think the Oppo CD's players are simply astounding in their ability to reproduce digital music and perhaps are the best price/performance audio components extant.     

To reiterate, I think the Oppo CD's players are simply astounding in their ability to reproduce digital music and perhaps are the best price/performance audio components extant.  

@whitestix 


Agreed, the Oppo's are "simply astounding in their ability to reproduce digital music and perhaps are the best price/performance audio components...."

However, overall I would give whatever edge *in sound* to the Yggy relative to Oppo 205, using its default mini phase fast filter setting. However the "edge" in overall value clearly goes to the Oppo. 

@dc_bruce

You’re post is rather informative, especially coming from a person whose only made two of them.

Yes, I have an acquaintance with a good system. There isn’t a need to go that route at the moment as I *can* discern a difference. Blind A/B testing though is inconclusive at the moment. I’ve enlisted the ears of  my (bass guitar musician) friend and we have listened together for about 4 hours. I need to digest his feedback, our overall preference, etc. But we can discern a difference with certainty *if not blind*. To your point of derived benefit of balance, I would agree. However, I’m not interested in exploring that aspect at the moment.

@whitestix
Yes, you and I are on the same page regarding speakers vs. dacs.  I agree that that is where you hear the biggest differences, that's where I've had my "wow" moments, both good and bad.    Get the speakers right for your room and listening tastes - and assuming you have an amp capable of driving them properly - and there's a pretty good chance you'll be happy with your system.