Any upgraded to a Schiit Yggy Singular?

At the moment I do not have a pure preamp. I sold my Benchmark HPA4 to raise cash for the D-1. The D-1 must go into a DAC to get the full effect. I thought I would not need a preamp going forward, but now I am on Plan B.

At the moment I am using the Schiit AsgardX headphone amp/preamp to burn in the unit. The volume on the AsgardX was used. I am connecting everything by RCA.

This morning, I inserted the provided Forkbeard USB stick to the Byggy, that provides wireless BlueTooth connectivity to my iPhone. The Byggy Forkbeard stack has all the function of the remote including volume adjustment. I could set the volume on MAX on the Byggy (the way it was defaulted too) and use the AsgardX or I can use the Byggy volume from my iPhone and lower the AsgardX volume to compensate.

Later, today I will use the XLR out of the DAC direct into my CODA #16 amp and use Forkbeard to control the volume. I was hoping to use the D-1 with a Balanced Y cable to my 2 amps but that failed and I blew a fuse on my CODA #11. Not a biggie but the Byggy will now be used with the #16 and the D-1 with the #11.

BTW - this DAC is again starting to get fatiguing again; it will be a roller coaster ride for 2-weeks of heavy play before it settles. This is the universal sentiment on Head-Fi on this DAC.

I should add that to recover from selling the HPA4 preamp, I have ordered the $500 Schiit Valhalla 3 OTL/OCL headphone amp/preamp. It only takes 1 RCA input and has no remote. However, I am getting an audiophile level custom RCA switch built by SpaceTechLab. They were recommended on A’gon.

This passive switch with a knob for input selection (not degrading audio quality) will go into the Valhalla 3 single RCA input. The RCA output of the Valhalla will go into the CODA #16 RCA input. I will also have my tuners connected by RCA (only way) to the passive switch.

I will also have the Byggy connected directly into the #16 with the XLR

Volume for both RCA and XLR can be done via the iPhone, and the Valhalla 3 will have a volume knob for the RCA path, just like the AsgardX.

The reason I am trying this is the best preamp I ever heard is the $33k Allnic OTL/OCL top end model. I am attempting a poor man’s equivalent. Here is a quote by Schiit.

Nothing Between You and the Tubes

With Valhalla 3, there’s nothing between the tubes and your headphones. No transformer. No capacitors. You’re hearing nothing but the tubes. This OTL/OCL topology makes Valhalla 3 the rarest of breeds, an amp where tubes directly connect to your headphones. 

Hey YYZ, mind giving an update on the sound of your new Schitt Singular "Biggy"?

I'm waiting on mine and would love to hear how it is breaking in, for you.

Thanks and Best, Jim.

Owned the Singular for 4 months - not modified, brand new.

It takes about 17 days of being on before they shape up - caps? chips?  Who knows, but quite disquieting until about day 5.

IMO it crushes all the Schiit DAC's before it - with the Gungnir 2 and MIB doing the best of the rest.

I'm handing it down to one of my sons when I get off this mortal coil.  In fact after 52 years of building kits, selling, modifying, designing listening rooms and my cataclysmic downsizing of 10 years ago. I have my endgame now.

TIDAL->Silent Angel w/ outboard PS network transport->Singular->Kara->Wotan->BMR Philharmonic Monitors v2 on Kanto SX-22 stands with Gaia 3 feet.

@jimintally I just saw this post of yours. The Byggy is a super detailed DAC. I loved it and my 2 favorite Schiit DACs are the Byggy and the Yggi+ OG. The MIB is not bad, and I did not like the LIM after I got the OG.

I compared the Byggy to the Meitner MA3i and found the MA3i was more to my liking. If I had not heard the MA3i I would not have questioned the Byggy. However, the cost of the MA3i is almost 4x more. I have not purchased the MA3i.

I also compared the Byggy to my imersiv D-1 and found them similar in that they are super detailed. However, the D-1 digs deeper and is mellower at the same time. Unusual that way. I do like the D-1 more than any DAC I have heard.

Since the Byggy could not do DSD, I sold it with the long-term plan of buying the MA3i which does DSD and PCM and does it really well. However, the price of the MA3i is making me wonder if I should just use my RME ADI-2 DAC for DSD (my SACD disks) and get the Byggy once more for PCM music. Another option is getting a used Holo Audio May KTE which supports the DSD I need and PCM.

If I did not put such a premium on getting DoP on SPDIF (DSD) I would get the Byggy since it offers tremendous value and is almost as good as the MA3i.

BTW - Since I place such a high important of DoP on SDPIF I bugged the designer at imersiv to see about modifying the D-1 to support that feature. The DAC currently only does DSD only on USB. They are looking into it this week and if it works, they will roll it out on all future D-1 DACs.