Just upgraded my living room system to microRendu+Teddy Pardo LPS>Schiit Yggdrasil>Hegel H360, keeping the same KEF Reference 1 speakers and REL T7i subs. Scarily real, especially with well recorded hires material, such as Lucy Russell & John Butt’s Back sonatas for violin and harpsichord (Linnn CKD 433 96/24 PCM).
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I was going to pull the trigger on a Yggy this month, until I found a mint/ gently used Gumby (Gungnir Multibit) for a great price on Agon. Should have it in hand by mid-week.
Excited to try out the Schiit multi-bit DAC on my PCM flacs…the Gumby is a step down from the Yggy, but figured I’ll give this one a tryout first - the “used” Gumby ended up being about a third of the cost of a new Yggy.
My other DAC is a Wyred4Sound DAC-2 with femto clock upgrade. Should be a fun listening session comparison.
[quote=“Fernando_Pereira, post:223, topic:8657”]
Schiit Yggdrasil
[/quote]Bought a yggy last December and I’m very happy with it. I can’t see myself ever reverting to a delta/sigma DAC in my main listening environment. In fact, I’d go as far as to say my hi-fi has now reached end-state for me…there’s nothing left to chase that’s going to add anything worth anywhere near what it’d cost.
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I agree, this microRendu>Yggy>H360>KEF+REL setup is so good, the music is so real, that I’m set to just listen and stop searching for unicorns 
I have an ESS 9018-based source (iBasso DX-90), which I enjoy on the road, but does not compete with the Schiit multibit DACs I have, even the lower-cost Bifrost. I’m sure the DAC-2 does a lot more with the ESS 9018, but I’d be surprised if it totally suppressed the slight glare I hear in the highs compared with Schiit multibit DACs.
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That’s what I like most about the yggy. I have a custom Sabre based DAC that sits very comfortably in PS Audio PWD MK II and W4S DAC-2 company. When listening using it you don’t pick up that little digital edge until you switch to the yggy, at which point its absence becomes obvious.
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The Schiit Gumby is installed. Paired up with my microRendu and Tube buffer. Sounds really nice. 
Mac Mini > Roon > HQPlayer > Gustard U12 > Naim NDac pretty nice sound!
I’ve just switched from the Auralic Aries to the PS AUDIO Direct Stream Junior and more as happy with the move…
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Morey, I also switched to the ps audio direct stream dac and would be surprised if there is anything better.(I know they worked hard with the roon engineers on a software update to make the direct stream dac compatible with Roon).
CDs from tidal played through roon sound as good, if not slightly better, than playing CDs directly through my system and I am very happy with that.
I have not yet tried any hi Rez (DSD) downloads from hdtracks, acoustic sounds, etc (due to their cost) but plan to do so soon. if you have done this please post your opinion on the sound.
Are you familiar with their Trade-In program? How legit is it? They seem to offering an awful lot of $$$ for old, outdated equipment. I feel like there has to be a ‘catch’ somewhere. I’m contemplating adding the DS Junior to my other listening room and making ends meet by trading in some older equipment. The website makes it sound too good to be true.
It is very legit. They sell all trade-ins to a third party used gear vendor and in most cases, reduce the list price somewhat to make the deal attractive to customers.
Makes one wonder if their equipment is marked up expecting to provide deep discounts via trade-ins. Is the PS Audio DSJ really a $2K DAC with a $4K price tag to account for the trade-ins? That’s ok if you have the equipment to trade-in but those people buying list price look to be losing.
The real problem these days is trying find places to hear this equipment before you buy. We’re at the mercy of published reviews and owner testimonials. Gone are the days of walking into your favorite audio shops and doing some comparative listening.
I have a Mytek Brooklyn attached to my MacMini running Roon Core. I really like the Brooklyn lots, very happy with it. Note I bought it after trusting a number of reviewers and bought it blind. But now I need another DAC streamer for my primary listening room.
The DSJ is attractive because it doesn’t require yet another network device to feed it. The reviews of the DSJ all look good, plus it allows me to dump some older audio equipment (at ridiculous trade-in prices that I could never dream of getting). But there is a part of me that worries if it seems too good a deal to be true then it probably isn’t. Is the PS Audio DSJ a $2K DAC in a $4K clothing???
All manufactures and dealers mark up their goods in order to make a profit and stay in business and PS audio is no exception. Based on your analysis the Myteck Brooklyn is probably a $1000 unit selling for $2000. Same analogy.
Desktop
Macbook Air (USB) => Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100
Living Room
AppleTV (soon to be replaced by Bluesound Node, so help us the Almighty) (optical) => Schiit Bifrost Multibit
Warren I believe you missed my point. Mytek is not handing out generous mark downs for 15 year old equipment like PS Audio. I do agree with you that the equipment is marked up heavily. These guys need at least 100% margin (probably more!) to survive because they can’t do it in volume. I don’t see though how PS Audio can survive taking my 15 year old equipment and reducing their price by 50%, unless they’re still in near 100% margin after trade-in.
Ultimately it is about the sound and if it sounds great who cares. But to my other point - it is damn hard to find shops where you can hear audio equipment anymore. So you’re left trusting the professional writers and try to align yourself with one that has worked well for you.
Another possibility is that PS Audio is trying to build some ground swell on their brand and are willing to sacrifice profits for the time being while they build that demand.
They don’t – the max trade up value is capped for each device. PS Audio mention a cap at $1800 when buying a DirectStream DAC at $5990, so I guess this cap would be somewhat lower for the DS Jr.
See: Search – PS Audio
Thanks Rene - the DS Jr has a $1200 cap. Although the cap hurts my pocket as I have a bit of equipment to unload, it makes more sense. I no longer feel like I’m getting a lot for very little. BTW PS Audio has put a lot of very good videos on YouTube explaining DSD, DirectStream, Jitter and even attempting to explain Ted Smith the man All together they do a very good compelling sell job. Now if I could only hear it somewhere.
Rayski, I think perhaps you have also missed my point. Your supposition that the PS audio dac is a $2000 dac selling for $ 4000 is no different from the supposition that the mytek deck is a $1000 dac selling for $2000 - totally aside from the trade-ins that PS audio is doing.
Different companies use different techniques to market their products. PS audio, uses this trade in program that you are questioning as a marketing device while Mytek for example may use heavy advertisements and trade show appearances, etc.
I agree with you that is difficult to ascertain the quality of a particular unit without a live demonstration preferably in your own home.
But I will say, based on my research and listening, the PS audio directdream dac will hold it’s on with dacs up to $10,000. So, as you can appreciate, I was somewhat concerned with your obviously negative comments regarding the ps audio $4000 deck selling for $2000.
Good luck in your quest for better sound
Warren I think we’re both on the same page. You’re points about different marketing techniques is very good. Cost to advertise has to be figured into the overall cost of the equipment and thereby drives up the cost further. Mytek does advertise the Brooklyn pretty heavily, I don’t believe PS Audio advertises as much for their DS Jr. So discounting for trade-ins might be offset by less dollars for full page ads in the audio magazines.
I really do love my Brooklyn, but I’m very leery to invest in the same solution for my second listening setup (I’m always skeptical about throwing all my eggs in one basket), plus it does add a lot more fun having two very different DAC approaches and being able to play with the differences at home. The DSD solution of the PS Jr is very compelling - I’ve drank the Ted Smith Koolaid from YouTube.
The other thing I like is a Roon ready device. It worries me when I read all the war stories on this forum trying to get this DAC or that DAC working, or it worked yesterday but not today. The Brooklyn was just too easy and has never presented a problem communicating with Roon. DS Junior is Roon Ready and that really gives me a warm feeling of no integration headaches and just music listening.