[Slackaveli]

What optical cable are you using? Glass? I just hooked up a decent optical cable from my cd player to Gumby and actually thought it sounded better than coax out. Maybe I'm crazy.
I kept cycling from coax to optical and back. Each time, it sounded like optical was slightly better.

Thats how I felt on my A1 Yggy OG, the optical was just a tiny bit cleaner than the USB Gen 5. But my A2 OG has Unison and they sound identical.

 

[mystaiced]

I may be picking up a Holo Cyan 2 soon, and will be really curious to hear it compared with my Unison A2 Gumby. From what I hear, the Cyan 2 is as neutral and natural as they come in terms of R2R DACs, but I can’t imagine how I wouldn’t miss the Gumby’s personality. The bass slam, the way the vocals “pop,” and the expansive stage are so enjoyable. If it’s a trade for all that with some added resolution and smoothness, I’m honestly not sure which one I’d pick. Stay tuned…

Keep us posted. Interested to hear how Gumby stacks up

 

[MacMan31]

Is there a way to reset the Gungnir to get the proper reclocking?

Anyone know about this?

 

[mystaiced]

Anyone know about this?

What is going on that it is not reclocking? Turning off and on is the only way reset Gungnir. If there is something else going on, it probably needs to be sent back to Schiit for diagnosis

 

[MacMan31]

What is going on that it is not reclocking? Turning off and on is the only way reset Gungnir. If there is something else going on, it probably needs to be sent back to Schiit for diagnosis

well I was looking at this in the manual but perhaps I misread it. The clock mode LED is off on my unit which according to the manual seems like a good thing. Perhaps I have nothing worry about.

 

[AudioDuck]

well I was looking at this in the manual but perhaps I misread it. The clock mode LED is off on my unit which according to the manual seems like a good thing. Perhaps I have nothing worry about.

Correct, if that LED remains off you’re all good!

 

[MacMan31]

I became curious so I reconnected my BF2 to my Schiit Midgard via RCA. My Gungnir Multibit is connected via XLR. I have both DACs being fed via USB from my Mac. I thought I would compare the two DACs. I have to select the DAC in the menu bar and switch between RCA and XLR on the Midgard. Perhaps not the most convenient way to do this. I have to increase the volume on the Midgard if I'm using the BF2. Guess the Gungnir has a higher output. But the Gungnir seems more lively or open by comparison to the BF2. I also do think I hear more detail with the Gungnir as well. I'm using the HD660S2 for the comparison.

 

[mystaiced]

I became curious so I reconnected my BF2 to my Schiit Midgard via RCA. My Gungnir Multibit is connected via XLR. I have both DACs being fed via USB from my Mac. I thought I would compare the two DACs. I have to select the DAC in the menu bar and switch between RCA and XLR on the Midgard. Perhaps not the most convenient way to do this. I have to increase the volume on the Midgard if I'm using the BF2. Guess the Gungnir has a higher output. But the Gungnir seems more lively or open by comparison to the BF2. I also do think I hear more detail with the Gungnir as well. I'm using the HD660S2 for the comparison.

I had a similar experience but with speakers. Bifrost 2/64 was good, but Gungnir was significantly better. It was almost like the Gungnir could dig a little deeper into the proverbial groove and retrieve more detail from the recordings. I was really close to trying to sell my Bifrost and look for another Gungnir before sanity set in.

 

[AudioDuck]

I had a similar experience but with speakers. Bifrost 2/64 was good, but Gungnir was significantly better. It was almost like the Gungnir could dig a little deeper into the proverbial groove and retrieve more detail from the recordings. I was really close to trying to sell my Bifrost and look for another Gungnir before sanity set in.

I remain very, very impressed with my Gumby. It turns out that tbe best remedy for the DAC upgrade itch is listening to your Gumby…

But to be more specific, listening to a range of music (the new Billie Eilish album, jazz by Gogo Penguin, The Smile’s recent album, Sufjan Stevens) shows how detailed and tonally rich yet balanced the Gumby is in a fairly resolving system.

I use the Gumby as the source for a Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE preamp controlling a pair of active ATC (SCM-19A) towers supplemented by a Totem Storm subwoofer. The ATCs are dynamic, detailed speakers, yet with the W4S preamp and Gumby they remain relaxed-sounding, which is wonderful.

In a head-fi system I’d say the Gumby does an excellent job as well, and able to do a nice job rendering an airy, fairly expansive soundstage with closed-back headphones that can image well (like the ZMF Verité Closed and Atrium Closed).

 

[Slackaveli]

I remain very, very impressed with my Gumby. It turns out that tbe best remedy for the DAC upgrade itch is listening to your Gumby…

But to be more specific, listening to a range of music (the new Billie Eilish album, jazz by Gogo Penguin, The Smile’s recent album, Sufjan Steven’s) shows how detailed and tonally rich yet balanced the Gumby is in a fairly resolving system.

I use the Gumby as the source for a Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE preamp controlling a pair of active ATC (SCM-19A) towers supplemented by a Totem Storm subwoofer. The ATCs are dynamic, detailed speakers, yet with the W4S preamp and Gumby they remain relaxed-sounding, which is wonderful.

In a head-fi system I’d say the Gumby does an excellent job as well, and able to do a nice job rendering an airy, fairly expansive soundstage with closed-back headphones that can image well (like the ZMF Verité Closed and Atrium Closed).

Gumby really does perform well. In fact When I had Gumby Unison vs Yggy A1 Gen 5 it was seriously close and very similar sounding. Things like sound staging were the same. There was just a touch more detail and a bit of smoothness coming from the Yggy but Im talking like 10% at most, and on most things they sounded almost the same. I do think the Yggy was a bit more dynamic but, again, like 10%.
Since then Ive aquired A2 OG and it's another 5-10% more from there again. But all that to say (since Gumby market is all used now and GS2 is also a used chip) Gumby for ~$650-750 is a damn steal. If the GS2 is a great value (it totally is) then a used Gumby Multibit is a damn steal considering it's within 10% sonically for half the price.

Now a case can be made for OG A2 Yggys when you see them for $1300-$1600 as being as good a deal. It's a very special DAC at that price point and what I'd be targeting if I was a happy Gumby owner that caught the upgrade itch.

 

[artur9]

.... before sanity set in.

Are you sure this hobby is for you?

My current DACs are all on the more analytical side of the fence and more technically advanced and yet the Gumby I had still has pride of place in my memories.

 

[mystaiced]

Are you sure this hobby is for you?

My current DACs are all on the more analytical sound of the fence and more technically advanced and yet the Gumby I had still has pride of place in my memories.

Hahaha. Maybe....maybe not...

I guess I'm trying to be realist and stop chasing the audio nervosa. But I do think Gumby is my end game DAC. It's going to be hard to beat it, especially at the price I paid for it. Now when Gungnir 2 comes out, maybe I'll have to rethink those decisions.

 

[artur9]

Hahaha. Maybe....maybe not...

I guess I'm trying to be realist and stop chasing the audio nervosa. But I do think Gumby is my end game DAC. It's going to be hard to beat it, especially at the price I paid for it. Now when Gungnir 2 comes out, maybe I'll have to rethink those decisions.

Nah, G2 is going to be delta sigma, at least to start. I don't think even Schiit can capture the magic of the Gumby using DS.

Now, it may be a great sounding DAC, don't get me wrong. It's just that the Yggy OG and the Gumby OG have a sound untainted by the mass proliferation of APx500s.

What do you think tube amps would sound like if they also had to pass the gate of an APx500? That's right, dry, analytical, non-romantic....