Schitt Audio Yggdrasil DAC Review

Certain products defy expectations. Take the Schitt Audio Yggdrasil ($2299.00 USD). It's 1/2 of a pre-amp / DAC. The other half: The Schitt Audio Ragnarok Integrated Amplifier for Headphones and Speakers ($1699.00 USD). We've covered it, previously.

You'd expect the Yggdrasil to include a pre-amplifier section (volume control and/or switching), and yet at $1699.00 USD, a very good price considering the case-work (and 25 lbs component / case, total), it does not. You'd also expect, given it's 2015, it to have 24 bits of precision, and yet, it dropping 3, spots 21. How is it bit-perfect?

It's a very good question.

For $1199.00 USD today, you can get a Oppo HA-1, which spots a headphone amplifier, and an ESS 9018 Sabre 32, which will work with not only 24-bit audio (and 32-bit) up to 384 kHz, but also today's stereo DSD.

That's DSD 64, 128 and 256, actually. Although you'll find cheaper products offering DSD 512.

The more apt comparison to the Schitt (Yggrasil and Ragnarol) combination would be the Canadian Moon 430 HA by SimAudio. $4300.00 including DAC (vs $3998.00 USD, Schitt "Total") or $3500.00 USD, headphone amplifier.

It's silly for us to pit US against Canada. The Schitt Audio Yggrasil and Ragnarok are made by very competent people. Mike Mofat of Theta, and Jason Stoddard of Sumo. That's some serious name-dropping by hi-fi criteria.

Sumo is famous for the Andomeda (1981), a 200 watt amplifier of Stereophile value proportions, that was slated to pair well with the famed Spica TC-50 Loudspeaker, a loudspeaker which we once  imported from Montreal.

Theta, today famous for the Dreadnaught Amplifier (... watts) is most known in the audiophile pastor community for it's DAC's, Home Theatre processors (amazing quality), and digital transports (DVD, CD, Laserdisc).

Let's look at the back of it's DaVID.
Just note the quality of connectors.

Dahlquist DQ-10 loudspeaker

It would be better to go across the water to the UK, to compare the Schitt Yggdrasil with the Chord Electronics QB76 HSDC DAC.

Technical specifications

� Harmonic disortion:
< -103 dB (1kHz, 24-Bit @ 44.1KHz Sample Frequency)
< -110dB (100Hz, 24-Bit @ 44.1KHz Sample Frequency)
� Signal to noise ratio: >120dB
� Channel separation: >125dB @ 1kHz
� Dynamic range: 122dB
� Switchable digital inputs:
2x 75ohm S/PDIF BNC coax
2x AES balanced XLR input
2x plastic fibre optic (TOSlink)
1x USB (B-type ) 44-48kHz capable
1x 4-pin high-speed to USB (A-type ) 192kHz-capable
� Analogue outputs: 2x RCA phono, 2x balanced XLR
� RAM buffer, 3 settings: off, min and maximum
� Phase switch, 2 settings: positive/negative output phase
� Sample frequencies:
44kHz � 96kHz Optical, AES
44kHz � 192kHz Coax Single Data, USB
176kHz and 192kHz Dual Cable Optical, AES, or Coax
� Output max: 6V rms. balanced. 3V rms. unbalanced
� Output impedance: 75ohms (short circuit protected)
� Dimensions: 338x60x145mm (Width x Height x Depth)
� Weight: 7kg



Yggdrasil $2299