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Schiit not that Good?

Schiit was at AXPONA again this year. They were showing a Salk music server streaming into a Gungnir Multibit (?) feeding a Freya and two Vidars. Speakers were the Salk Song 3As.

 

So what happened?


Esoteric was just next door. This allowed attendees to move immediately from one room to another. Esoteric was showing a full stack of thier latest separates plus a VPI Avenger for analog. Speakers were a pair of Cantons I didn’t get the model of.

 

The Schiit room, while not bad, was completely destroyed by the Esoteric room. Esoteric played one SACD that unfurled a massive soundstage that I could sense even not being in the best seat. The sound of the Esoteric system, both via SACD and vinyl was dynamic, resolving, extremely musical, collected, vibrant, both large and delicately structured. It was a system that got all the minor details right. Such a good setup. The Schiit setup, while unoffensive, clean, and musical in its own right, simply couldn’t face the Esoteric in inner detail, soundstage, reality and low-level dynamics.

 

Why did the Schiit system fail so hard vs the Esoteric? Part of the reason might have been the junk cabling used by Schiit. Peaking behind the system I was Blue Jeans speaker cables and mess of power bricks, basic cabling, etc. I don’t know how much of the Schiit’s performance was compromised by inferior cabling, but I’m curious how close it would have come to the Esoteric had Schiit paid some basic attention to that area.


madavid0
alteredstates
7 posts
 
First time posting.  I read most of the posts on this thread and am amazed that there is a discussion on comparing 2 different systems in 2 different rooms without using exactly the same music, recording and source.  How can anybody compare systems that way?
chrisoshea
350 posts
 
Wolf-Garcia,

Just goes to show you what happens when I make an assumption based on my background and focus....Have other posters mistaken you for a Jerry fan as well?  
timlub
2,039 posts
 
I think it is natural for all of us to compare systems, even in different rooms. What I find odd is to make hard comparisons between two radically different priced products. 
If you can,  you need to be calling the inexpensive product... Product of the year!
wolf_garcia
6,610 posts
 
I've been somewhat of a "Jerry Fan" since they did a couple of shows in Honolulu in 1970 (I recently found my original $3 ticket in some stuff from my late mother's house). To me, and most musicians around at that time, you could not imagine that band would be around as long as they were (and are in some form), but I never again saw them live as I'm not so much a festival attendee. I did frame the ticket, and there has been a recording of the Honolulu Civic shows from 1970 released recently…I should get that recording...
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Speaking of Jerry, since we're on the topic, I always looked at the Dead concerts as a happening, certainly nothing too substantive in the big picture as any kind of seminal band that had a real impact. Just kind of cool place to hang for 5 hours. Of course it didn’t hurt to have and sustain a good buzz, "Those were the days my friend we never thought they’d ever end" but they did, kind of, "All things must pass" but our remberance is pretty cool too especially reliving those times through the music and good friends.
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