Quick question about a Yggy I recently got…
Link: Sold: Schiit Yggdrasil OG A2 USB Gen 5 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org
Does this need the Unison USB upgrade to be ‘up to date?’ with the current Yggy (for everything besides the shell)
I’m thinking of sending it to Schiit to fix the top left screw (if I decide on keeping it).
The board is the same (called A2, now OG ) for the Gen5 usb and Unison usb. So everything is the same only an upgraded USB input.
On the powering off question, I have a mixture.
Northern European homes were not built for the kind of weather we get now so unless you live on the coast or are one of the rare people with AC it is pretty sweltering now in summer.
The streamer stays on permanently. It doesn’t get hot and R-Pi’s are perfect to do this with so I see no need to, that way it is always on hand for music. Dacs I leave on 24/7 as well with the exception that once it heads over 30 degrees Celsius ambient then I turn off the BF2 for the summer as it gets really hot and the air is pretty humid. I feel it would do it no favours to let is sit there cooking for three months. Since I switch to IEMs in that kind of weather I am not using anything the BF is connected to anyway.
For my Mini ACA I have built in a 12v fan since it got too hot in the new case and I have a USB fan directed at the case exterior on the hot days and that has done the trick. It has a built in soft power off so I use that when not listening.
We’ve also had extremely high power costs since the war in Ukraine began so in general we are turning things off unless they are in regular use, this includes computers, amps and other electronics.
12 posts were split to a new topic: Air Conditioning
I’ve recently been considering selling all my amps (tube and solid state) and buying one TOTL solid-state amp to replace them all. My current solid-state amp, the Cayin iHA-6, is good enough with my Meze Elite that I can imagine getting out of the tube amp game altogether.
The amp I’m considering as my one-and-only is the relatively new (at least to the Western market) Cen.Grand 9i-906 “Silver Fox”. There’s a dedicated thread over on Head-Fi that I’ve been following. Many of the owners have used many of the well-known TOTL amps, both tube and solid-state, and put this Silver Fox on the same level or even a little ahead of some of their other favorites. I’m tempted for sure.
Then again my current setup sounds great whether I’m using the Cayin or Quicksilver, so the other option is to buy nothing and keep enjoying what I already have. It’s a tough call!
I have a serious amount of money invested in 12AX7s and EL84s, so if I sell both amps and my whole tube stash, I could probably cover more than half of the cost of the Silver Fox.
Does anyone hear have any experience with this amp by chance?
If you send it in, you’ve already committed some semi-serious $ for shipping, it might(?) be worth it to do the case and Unison USB upgrade. (?) It would also include a remote and ability to use it in NOS mode.
I have the OG in the old case, and will wait for some other upgrade down the road to send mine, I don’t think it’s worth it for me.
But for you I think Schiit would also give a 3 yr warranty if you send it in for upgrade. It might be worthwhile, plus then you can do any future upgrades yourself, as they will be modular (like BF2 is). Just something to consider… 
spending more time with the x9k/z10e and listening to Utopia on Bliss made me realize how special the synergy of the wavedream/mz3/utopia really is.
I’m wondering - what could be a as-close-to-direct upgrade as possible over the MZ3? unfortunately I don’t think it’s one of the other LTA amps so maybe someone else can come up with a similar sound but with higher technical capability or any other form of upgrade?
The Shit List has these as the next tier for Utopia:
Angstrom Stella SHA20 MK2, Viva Egoista 845, Riviera AIC-10, Eddie Current Studio T, Mass Kobo 394 II
I haven’t heard either of them but from reading it doesn’t sound like any of them would stay close to the LTA sound.
I agree that the UL+ doesn’t have the same sound. I just sold my MZ3 and am wondering if I’m going to have to buy another one (or preamp) at some point.
Would you consider the Z40 the closest to an upgraded MZ3? I only had a short time with the Z40 at Axpona, but it had the richest sound out of all the LTA amps I listened to.
I haven’t heard the UL but I’d say from a warmth and richness perspective it’s probably Z40 > MZ3 > Z10e … And I’m guessing UL is to the right of Z10E but purely guessing here.
I don’t think either of them is highly more technical than the other so it’s more about slight changes in sound and pure power over anything hence why I don’t think the upgrade would be anything on the current LTA lineup.
Really hard to find something like that imo
All very good options, all don’t really sound like the LTA lol.
The closest thing mentioned I might say would be the studio t, but even then it’s a stretch, and I don’t think that has as good of synergy with the wd as the lta does (then again, I’m not super partial to the wd sig synergy with the mz3 as well, so that actually might work out for you lol). It sort of continues the more clean and very energetic approach of the mz3, although spatially is a bit more grandiose and natural and not as spherical but still overall more technical in stage (more traditional), it’s more micro focused than the macro focus of the lta, it’s going to be a bit sweeter/richer but not by a massive margin, and just generally overall presentation wise doesn’t sound like the lta, but it’s also something that I’d personally say is sort of close enough for overall what I want out of the headphone with a cleaner leaning amp that’s still engaging in both macro and micro, and I’d 10/10 take one over a lta for the utopia, so there’s that.
The viva would really focus more on the macro side of things to another level from the lta, and I do like the synergy of the wd sig pairing, but I don’t think it’s really all that like the mz3 for it’s overall presentation (huge, massive, and just explosive, but it doesn’t really have that intimacy and small spherical approach and isn’t as overall even sounding) and tonality (will lean richer and almost a bit more bass focused), but if you were loving the macro capabilities of the mz3, and wanted to continue forward in that regard, then I think the viva is an obvious choice. It’s just a next level amp in comparison, and while overall different, I can see someone who enjoys the lta easily enjoying the viva in most cases. You just better enjoy a macro focus, otherwise if you’re looking for something more restrained then this isn’t the amp lol.
The mass kobo actually shares kinda some similarities in being on the dryer side of things and a bit more edge and forward, but I think it’s a overall much more no nonsense amp in sound, and a bit more dry and technical, but still organic. It’s something that I actually think could be a reasonable pick, but I don’t think it’s as immediately engaging for fun over the lta. I’d still personally rather have one over the lta from a technical perspective, but from an enjoyment/fun perspective it might actually be a bit of a toss up lol (would still end up going for the mass kobo more often though). I feel like I don’t have much to say here, the mass kobo feels a lot more even, textured and tactile, pinpoint, and clean, but doesn’t have the immediately wow factor in space and dynamics, and is just really balanced in most aspects, and a technical step ahead of the lta. It does pair well with a wd sig tho.
The stella is really good, but in a way that I struggle to immediately say, I think mentally I’m having a bit harder of a time putting a comparison into words lol. I will say it’s not like the LTA in most aspects right off the bat. But I do think it’s worth a look, but I did try it with a wd sig, and it wasn’t really to my taste moreso than the studio t. If I had to try and describe it, the stella feels less “special” in presentation but also way more overall realistic and balanced, something sweeter leaning but very organic, great overall energy, and can be pretty dynamic when needed. I don’t really think it has the overall level of bite and edge that the mz3 has but that’s also something I forget about a little bit when listening lol. It’s just extremely nuanced and organic without going too far into warmth and richness.
The aic-10 is a generally different direction, and don’t think it shares much similarities with the lta, but still an awesome option, but likely not what I’d even consider if your goal is as-close-to-direct upgrade, because there’s just not many similarities I can pull lol.
For things not mentioned in the list, honestly, while this wouldn’t be my immediate first suggestion, the allnic hpa 5000xl actually might be worth looking into. I do think it shares a similar level of really unique presentation and directness that the utopia is just extremely interesting in, it’s less spherical and more just all around you popping in and out, dynamically it’s pretty macrodynamic like the lta, and I also think it pulls more inner detail and nuance than the lta, and it’s also very direct and upfront like the lta. The thing is, while there’s a lot of similarities with how I compare this, the lta felt a bit more refined with the utopia than the allnic, the allnic felt a bit more at home with lower impedance cans to be honest, but I think it’s still absolutely worth a look and closer than other options for direct upgrade level in a sense, and would be a technical improvement over the lta in most aspects imo.
Really though in the back of my mind, it’s really been saying ac genus 845 lol. Now it’s massive, extremely expensive, and going to be a pain in the ass in some regards, but I think while not like the lta, it’s a case where I don’t think I could see anyone ever preferring the lta over the ac, at least from an exclusively sound perspective lol. It takes everything that makes the lta a good pairing, elevates it multiple levels, and adds even more on top, it’s kinda just got it all, and really just takes advantage of every aspect of the utopia. It still doesn’t sound like you’re listening to a lta amp to be clear though. The reason I don’t suggest it normally though, is because I think it’s overkill for a utopia, the utopia can really scale, but I think that’s going past it’s limit for the cost, where I think to take full advantage of the amp you’d likely be wanting to go for something like the susvara or mysphere or what have you, because it’s just a bit insane cost wise if you aren’t running multiple cans, or if you aren’t 100% diehard dedicated to the utopia lol. It’s cheating, it’s not really a headphone amp, it’s a speaker amp with a headphone tap
Thanks @M0N super helpful and detailed as always. I’ll try and get some time with some of those options if life ever allows it but in between the lines you kind of confirmed what I was thinking - it’s possible I’ve reached what would reasonably be peak Utopia for my tastes and it’s better to keep investing in the other headphones chains I have (Susvara mostly, perhaps X9000, perhaps Shang Sr). It’s actually reassuring that for the cost of that chain I have such an awesome secondary listening experience. Maybe just better to leave it like that.
You’d likely have the highest chance with the viva or riviera to try out since those seem to be showing up at shows now, and there’s actually us dealers for them. Mass kobo you could just order but you won’t find them at shows although they’re sometimes showing up used from time to time and you can import them easily since they’re multi voltage/freq. Allnic sometimes show up used, but there are dealers and you might be able to get a decent discount new eve (don’t know though).
Angstrom would really be a stretch and a hassle, same with ac even moreso. Good luck finding a studio t lol.
Reasonable idea, you could either go that route with keeping a seperate utopia chain, or put everything into one amp to drive the susvara that also does the utopia well (egoista, aic 10, actually hpa5000xl to a lower extent, and obviously genus lol, but you could consider throwing in something like a trafomatic primavera although that more favors the susvara), either option makes sense depending on what you want to do. Although you’ll basically have to go separate chains for stats unless you also get a headphone amp with a speaker out and use a transformer (which will be hit or miss)
The lta + utopia is seriously good value, and that’s one of the reasons why I have the amp higher up on my personal list, because when it has a good pairing, it’s a really good pairing that’s harder to get elsewhere, pretty unique amp (and pairing). You could always go higher on the dac side of things, but that would also be another deviation, although if you’re planning another chain with those cans it could be worth it, but the step up from a wd sig is likely going to be equally expensive (although at least you could use it for both chains)
You have a lot of options you could continue to bolster your chain by, but they aren’t really going to be direct upgrades from what you have since you’ve reached the top of lta, and the top of rockna (for now at least until the ultra comes out). Guess you could go harder into cabling, or pick up a wd net lol (with the wd net likely being the more reasonable option in your case) for the closest upgrade of what you already have
tbh none of those options really excite me for Utopia but perhaps for Susvara and I’m still waiting for my HM1 to arrive so hard to commit to any upgrade on that chain for now.
That’s definitely something I’m considering. Keep in mind my MZ3 is the preamp so if I find a really good power amp to drive Sus with and then a transformer like the Woo Wee after that for the estats part that’s kind of ideal in my eyes. At least for X9000. If I go up to Shang Sr then everything changes lol
Also something I’m definitely considering. It might move me a bit from my current chain synergy but I think that’s most likely the upgrade that I’ll enjoy on all fronts (immediately improving the Susvara and stats chain).
Currently on the short list are the Ultra (that’s going to have a streamer built in so major win), Pacific, Berk, SW1X IV, Triunity and maybe Playback Designs.
Ultra will have a streamer. And for the cost of a used NET and my WD Sig I can get a Pacific which is probably the smarter upgrade.
damn…
If I had to pick 2 headphone amps for basically do it all mostly master of all, it would be the genus 845 and the aic 10 lol. Crazy good with mostly anything I could throw at them for both headphones and dac, although very demanding on the rest of the chain for the genus but less so for the aic which is a bit more forgiving, but both of them really need the rest of the chain to be up to snuff to really shine imo. Which is likely why I’ve ended up with both aries cerat and riviera power amps for headphones to just get more of what made the headphone amps great lol.
Probably a long shot but anyone here with thoughts about Eksonic (Kerry) T2 vs things like 3ES and Z10e?
Just second hand info (and only against the Z10e its self), but a buddy of mine got to try Z10e at canjam chicago and owns a T2 (and BHSE and previously a carbon CC as well IIRC). While he was suprised at the Z10E he seemed pretty damn confidant that the T2 is simply a higher tier of amp over all (this was using SW1X Dac III SPX → Z10E and he has HMS → dave → T2 at home).
As for 3es vs T2, you can try bugging cigiavelli (SP?) on headfi. He has a 3es elite and had an extended demo of T2 at his friends place (both with shang sr). I dont think anyone here has heard both in similar conditions, much the less on the same system.
I would say from my demos of a few diy t2, owning the 3es elite, and a longer demo of the z10e, the z10e does lag behind the aforementioned, that being said, I’d rather have the shang on the z10e over a t2. The t2 is clearly ahead for stax, and the 3es is clearly ahead for things like the shang. That being said, the z10e is still really good for most things, and sounds more fun than either the 3es or t2. But never had all 3 side by side, and spent the most time with the 3es ee
Going off of just one demo with T2 TBF (on shit tubes and a base model sokeris dac), but I cant say I echo this sentiment. Honestly, the Z10E just ends up quite bass light overall with shang. Its got good stage, but shangs propensity to lean bright as is combines with the lack of power realy ends up being a fairly underwhelming combo IMO. Maybe a 3es (not elite) would be a better pick at that price but i cant say. The T2 did feel a little bloated in the bass (just a little, almost sounded like a slighty too high output impedance does with something like a utopia) but also much more balanced overall. I also had the feeling (and have been told, though not by people that have heard 3es/viva) that this can be largely fixed with tubes as well (since apparently the tubes used at the show were ass).
Over all, i can see taking Z10E over T2 for shang, but tbh, I wouldnt even go so far as to say most would since its just a far more unbalanced sound IME
That’s fair if that’s something you’re picky on, but imo the shang feels a lot more spatially capable with the Z10e than the T2 did, and I think there’s better representation of lower level information than on the T2, T2 just feels flatter in comparison. But I’d agree that in bass, the Z10E is lacking with that pairing. Was also underwhelmed with the Z10Es bass performance with something like the 007 mk2.9, but felt it was better with things like the 009. The Z10e is absolutely less overall balanced than the T2 with the shang, but personally I’m fine with the tradeoffs for what it brings instead. Really neither were what I’d consider “best” for the shang, but I’d personally rather live with the z10e with the shang if I had to choose
Yeah that’s just something that I’d feel lol