Design the zdac is a compact but full featured unit with plenty of connectivity. With the parasound zdac, however, i hear all the mistakes i created when i produced these recordings. This allows retrofitting of the 24192 asynchronous usb board which is built around the cmedia cm6631 usb receiver. The uber analogue and gen 2 usb boards promise performance superior to the original. I agree with the schiit philosophy that changing the original signal as little as possible is best. I have found the bifrost to be a little analytic and lean compared to the more weight on the bones of the zdac.
Id be treating it the same way as i treat my bifrost, switching it on in the morning and off before bed. People can buy, sell, or trade hifi equipment in our marketplace. The parasound zdac took me by surprise as i wasnt expecting to enjoy it nearly as much as i did. Mar 15, 20 i thought the zdac had better imaging, a more realistic soundstage, and deeper, more lively bass. Seller did not upgrade this unit because he upgraded to a schiit yggdrasil. After reading extensively on this site, i think ive narrowed it down to either a schiit bifrost with usb and uber stage or a parasound zdac. Usb was a tad too lean for my tastes making it less engaging.
Refreshingly, the goal was an affordable design, bucking the recent trend of multithousand dollar models. When the bifrost arrived i was immediately impressed by two things. Bought as bifrost uber and then upgraded to multibit original dsp board and upgrade certificate included. Im thinking of picking up a pair of the dekoni blue t50rp headphones, and based on what everybody says about how hard they are to drive, i dont think my current dacamp, the sennheiser gsx, is going to cut it. I popped it into my system, where, moments before, the msb had held court. The zdac has a very detailed yet never sterilecold sound. Teac ud501 dualmonaural pcmdsd usb digital to analog converter. Schiit audio bifrost multibit dac computerusb audiogon. The first thing i did was unpack the bifrost 2 and hook it up to my parasound p5 preamp. If windows does not install drivers automatically, see our drivers below. Ive been using the parasound zdac for about 3 weeks now and im. The parasound zdac is part of the californian companys z custom series, which also includes a matching stereo amp, phono stage and cd player. Very good condition, used in home with no smoking and no kids. Im also considering being a bad boy and just getting a gungnir.
Usb input for playing music from pc or mac driver less for easy setup asynchronous sample rate conversion for all inputs including the usb input. Schiit gen 3 usb driver 29 mb once youve downloaded the drivers. Aug 01, 20 late last year came an epic audiophile moment. Usb input for playing music from pc or mac driverless for easy setup.
True to its word, the uber analogue and asynchronous usb boards can indeed be added to the standard model at a later date. Money is an issue is the differance great enough to justify waiting a while to get the better one. Computer hifi audio system upgrade part 2 of 2 schiit asgard 2 zu audio power cables isoacoustics. Premium analog devices ad1853 24bit192 khz digital to analog converter ic. Schiit audio bifrost wspdif dac processors by tubeham upsamplers, dacs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. Mar 26, 2015 gungnir is now in my home office system audio research sp6b, odyssey khartago wmax upgrades from klaus, and jade 3 speakers. Up to 5 year warranty 15day moneyback guarantee designed and built in california. In a market filled with dacs, parasound has set a new standard for performance and value with the help of acclaimed danish digital experts holm acoustics. I have no doubt the zdac would perform to a similar level however, the bifrost may have some other upgrades coming e.
I agree with pretty much all that has been saidincluding a lack of precision in describing bass sound. My system also consists of a rogue audio cronos magnum with kt120 driver tubes and psvane 12au7 and 12ax7 replacements for the other tubes. I am just starting to get into audiophile headphone listening. Works with any format file on your computer up to 96 khz 24 bit. Schiit is unlike other audio manufacturers in that they actually seem to have a sense of humor or, if you are a cynic, a well thought out marketing plan. It got the big thumbs up regrading its performancecost. Hey b limo, thanks for your thumbs up on my system. It made the bifrost seem comparably flat and 2dimensional, and not very engaging. It replaces my bifrost multibit now sold to some luck buyer. Parasound has added a separate analog volume control for its line outputs so you can now connect the zdac v.
Nov 16, 2012 schiit v schiit if i was to pick a preferred method of connecting to the bifrost, id go with either coax or toslink. The zdac hails from parasounds zline of ultracompact components that includes. This led to the purchase of a new schiit bifrost unit. Usb digital to analog converterheadphone amplifier input. Mar 25, 20 with the parasound zdac, however, i hear all the mistakes i created when i produced these recordings. Audiogon is the worlds largest highend audio community. As schiits first converterword on at least two more models is already outthe bifrost was conceptualized as their entrylevel offering. Can anyone offer any comparisons between these two. Mar 06, 2014 finally have a little cash to become active around here again. In addition to rca and balanced xlr outputs it includes a headphone. If you can live with its 2496 limit for the usb input and high output impedance for headphones, the zdac offers up a tightly knit musical package that can get you up and out of your listening seat, moved by the music.
You will enjoy more of the warmth and depth that has previously been associated only with the finest analog sources. The zdac replaced a more expensive bladelius dac and the system sounded. Schiit audio bifrost multibit da converters audiogon. Schiit got started when two audio industry veterans decided it was time to shake things up a bit. Bottom line the bifrost outperformed the chord qutehd and the mytech 192 at least to these ears. The halfwidth look is functional rather then funky, but despite its rather drab appearance, the zdac boasts solid enough build quality for a. The zdac sounds more natural and less digital than dacs selling for far more because of its innovative design and high quality parts. Apr 24, 20 parasounds zdac adds to the companys offerings. Originally, i was planning to sell gungnir after purchasing yggy, but after i swapped out my parasound zdac in home office set up for gungnir, i could not go back to the parasound. Ive never heard the parasound, but ive had a bifrost uber usb dac for the last few months and love the sound it produces. This is what i perceive to have happened with parasounds new zdac.
Zdac inside a cabinet, it needs a space thats at least 11 inches wide so youll be able to turn it around for access to its rear panel connections. Schiit audio bifrost 2 dac and ragnarok 2 nexus integrated. Finally have a little cash to become active around here again. Please leave any questions or comments in the section below.
Works in variable volume mode in windows for connecting direct to a power amp no preamp needed. Sent that to my reference sanders magtech power amplifier. The dac800 digitaltoanalog converter has been designed to extract greater musical detail from any digital source. If youre going to use a windows pc with bifrost or gungnir via usb, you. Schiit audio bifrost multibit digital to analog converter.
Parasound zdac usb supports 16 and 24 bit up to 96khz, with the u192s i will be able to transmit up to 192khz. My thought is if you find the tweeter fatiguing is to wire a 1 ohm resistor in series with the tweeter. Considering their respective sound and feature sets, the zdac seemed to me like the obvious choice. Both came from the same school in terms of having a somewhat musical sound signature, but the zdac was a mature senior while the bifrost was a lowly sophomore at best. Ive got the bifrost with usb and uber analog and use it in my speaker rig. Its a pretty decent piece of gear and you could probably use it for something down the road even if you arent now. All inputs feature jitter reduction and are reclocked and upsampled to 422 khz 24 bit. First how wellpackaged the bifrost was and second how heavy the unit is weighing in at a hefty 5 lbs schiit is known for making simplelooking products that sound really good. Product lines parasound z zdac digital to analog converter. Go to your downloads folder or desktop, or wherever you had windows put the drivers.
Mar 19, 20 the parasound zdac took me by surprise as i wasnt expecting to enjoy it nearly as much as i did. Headphone amp lest we forget, the zdac also has an integrated headphone section. Bifrost owners in need of these additions can return their dac to schiit or electromod and have the boards professionally installed at a cost of. Feb 02, 2016 computer hifi audio system upgrade part 2 of 2 schiit asgard 2 zu audio power cables isoacoustics. Remove any current schiit usb drivers before proceeding further. And its difficult to separate out roombass driver interactions that will take the fastest woofer and smear its response in time and make it sound less than agile. The zdac is a true overachiever whose performance bests that of much more expensive dacs. Parasound zdac digital to analog converter quest for sound. In a great example of we all hear things differently, i came away from the comparison with a contrary result. Dedicated schiit yggdrasil thread page 11 steve hoffman. I broke in the schitt for 100 hours and then hooked it up. The zdac sounds more natural and less digital than dacs selling for far more.
I slapped a final length of tape on the box of the awesomesounding msb diamond dac stereophile, october 2012, in final preparation for its trek to john atkinsons testing lab, in brooklyn. Using rca splitters yes the impedance is cut in half, but the impedance its looking into is high z 50k ohms or more so it cant tell the difference. Parasound says that zdac has asynchronous sample rate conversion for all inputs including the usb input, so id like to compare this feature of zdac isolated vs. Unlike most inexpensive dacs the zdac has powerful, deep bass that is punchy and never boomy. Mar 11, 20 parasound says that zdac has asynchronous sample rate conversion for all inputs including the usb input, so id like to compare this feature of zdac isolated vs. View and download parasound zdac owners manual online. My mf dac sat around for a while after switching to a bifrost, but it is next to my treadmill now and still works well. Aug 01, 20 after reading extensively on this site, i think ive narrowed it down to either a schiit bifrost with usb and uber stage or a parasound zdac. Its a member of parasounds small footprint series of electronics whose halfsize width permits sidebyside mounting in a standard rack space. Computer hifi audio system upgrade part 2 of 2 schiit asgard. I was planning to sell gungnir after purchasing yggy, but after i swapped out my parasound zdac in home office set up for gungnir, i could not go back to the parasound. I cannot remember if a driver is needed or not for windows, but schiit has a drivers page on.
Most notable is more top end detail without digital glare. The bifrost 2 is nothing less than a complete rethinking of what an affordable dac should be. From the slightly offcentre vocal in one song, a narrower than 180degree soundfield imaging in the other, to that one digital clipping in one of the songs i produced, i can hear it all. Rack mounting your parasound zdac black zdac only the zdac occupies only half the width of a single rack space in a. Amplification was handled by a parasound halo a23, driving salk wow1 monitors. Aug 07, 2014 true to its word, the uber analogue and asynchronous usb boards can indeed be added to the standard model at a later date. Computer hifi audio system upgrade part 2 of 2 schiit. Im also considering being a bad boy and just getting a gungnir, which would make the choice easier in a way. Teac ud501 dualmonaural pcmdsd usb digital to analog. We recommend that you make an extra copy of your original purchase receiptbill of sale and store it inside the zdac v. Started life as an original bifrost, i upgraded it later to an uber 2 new dac board, gen. The gen 3 driver will work for both usb gen 2 and usb gen 3 inputs. Through either spdif input, music was generally more meaty, more fullbodied and harmonically developed.
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