Big Schiit Rockin' 04Mar18

It's here and it's sparklingly tight; I'm hearing every instrument spread across the stage or studio while still encountering a warm and unfatiguing presentation. This sounds like bullshit but the Gungnir multi-bit DAC is sweeter than I've ever heard from a DAC; its the first multi-bit design I've owned (vs more typical delta sigma design). And the Mjolinir 2 balanced AMP reproduces deeply and faithfully. This is a fully balanced system when driven from USB or optical as there's balanced out to the AMP and the AMP is balanced out to each of my ears under my calibrated Ether C Flow cans. The big Schiit was indeed bigger and heavier than I expected and I felt it best to spread out my listening station from prior.

I've now rolled through a number of pre-amp tubes in the Mjolinir 2 AMP - all new old stock (NOS) tubes from the best factories of the 60's & 70's and purchased in matched pairs. I tried the "stock" Schiit solid state LISST "tubes" which were great & fast but a smidge colder; 

I tried the Czech Tesla gold pin E88CCs which were very nice & warmer but a bit more smeared than the next rolls;

I tried the famous special quality Dutch (Herleen) Amperex D-getter gold pin E88CCs (marked Phillips and sold through Dario Miniwatt) which were superior with sound stage and frequency extremes;

I tried the rare German diamond base Telefunken white label gold pin E88CCs which were fabulous and clean and a bit flatter than the Amperex tubes.

All things considered I liked the latter two better than the rest and while I hear differences, I don't prefer one over the other. I'd say I like the Amperex tubes a bit more in rock & roll and the Telefunken a bit more on more subtle tracks. I am using a socket saver beneath the tubes, at least while I'm rolling, and this makes the tubes sit proud above the amp - kindof a nice look IMO.

To complete the update I'll describe again my current reference sound chain delivering my source material to the standout new reference DAC/AMP stack. FLAC/MP3/DSD/WAV files start on my Win7 server - a Win10 Surface Pro running JRiver MC23 maintains a library of all of them and allows me to sort, choose and play anything bit-perfect via USB to the DAC. I do a bit of signal processing on the stream within MC23 before its delivered: 1st I mimic standard speakers for my headphones by having a bit of each channel played in the opposite channel with a nano-moment of delay (in a live, non-headphone, environment our ears hear both sides) and 2nd I apply a headphone frequency response calibration curve to the signal through the Sonarworks Ref4 plugin to MC23.

The only strange things with the new big Schiit is that Schiit made the logos on these components different sizes: why, who knows - and on the rear panel the Right channel is on the left and the Left channel is on the right: why, who knows - and the on/off switches are on the rear panel instead of the front: why, who knows. All in - I doubt I can make anything sound better anymore on headphones - this system is reference and just sounds completely gr8.