The smartest DAC on the market!

[@SallyMcCracker]

I personally suspect that we've yet to see the full capability of Schiit DACs w/ the new Unison 384 USB module and Forkbeard. Jason has offered some hints to the upcoming Schiit "Jord" which will contain the capabilities of what was formerly known as the "Gadget". Essentially it's a digital unit that will contain various digital "toys" which I understand are only enabled by the use of the new Forkbeard module. So this should be considered a value-add to the Gungnir 2. Bifrost and Yggdrasil do not currently support Forkbeard so I understand that both models are due for an upgrades. Jord is supposed to be released in 2025.

[@WillieBloom]

Thanks. You’re getting good at this, mate. Production quality, lighting, spoken cadence, length of video and covering all the bases. Oh, yes! And reviewing good Schiit! I suspect that the creative process over at Schiit Audio is kinda like Seth MacFarlane’s when he was making Family Guy. While most Chi-Fi is repackaging the same product over and over again with incremental gains, Schiit throws everything at the wall to see what sticks. In other words, they give us some surprise and dare to do things differently. I would like to see more of this affordable American ingenuity in other industries. I think Schiit’s on to something. I look forward to investing in my first balls-to-the-wall Schiit stack! I’ve waited long enough. Anyway, cheers!

[@PRicanGeek]

Son of a . . . lol I'm relatively brand new to the audio hobby world. My current setup is Chord Mojo 2 dac connected to Lokius and then to Jotunheim 2. I have Hifiman HE1000se (upgraded from the Edition XS) headphones and Kali Audio IN-8 v2 monitor speakers w/subwoofer. I've been debating upgrading from my Mojo 2 to get even more depth, timbre, resolution, etc. for my classical/orchestral listening. I was first looking at the Bifrost 2/64, but realized my Mojo 2 was already in the ballpark. Then looked at the Yggdrasil but was scoffing at the price. And I relatively recently saw his review for the Geshelli Dayzee dac and thought I found the best bang for the buck, and I'm just waiting on tax returns to help fund that purchase (and put up my never-used DCA E3 up for sale on eBay) . . . and then I watched this video review. (smh) I was SO dead-on set to get the Dayzee, I've even been in communication with them nailing down what I'll be ordering when I'm ready. And now . . . I don't even know anymore. lol I'll definitely be upgrading from my current Jot 2 someday (looking at you tube amps) to add a warmer timbre to my music. But now with this video also, maybe I should save up for the Yggy instead? I've spent frivolous money on stuff that I'm now realizing isn't enough and I need to upgrade. And I'm really trying to stop wasting money on step up purchases that will eventually be irrelevant for me as I continue my upgrade path. But now I'm at a complete loss on what to do. lol Meh, I'll just give it some time as I mull it over and check out other reviews. But damn... I really thought the Dayzee was close enough to the Iggy that I could just get that and be happy pretty much forever.

[@Neonmirrorblack]

Forkbeard was a Danish king.

[@s.daniel9224]

Thank for this review. I’m a Schiit fan and a geshelli fan. I’m about to pull the trigger on the tyr’s. The Wotan looks nice, but the tyrs double the capacitor amount. And I’m also a fan of mono’s. To me, the more capacitors gives the music more depth and all-around a better listening experience-more of a class a sound. I’ll definitely be looking at the Gumby 2.

[@gatila76]

Some titles from your recent videos: "smartest ... on the market" "defy the laws of phyics" "found my perfect headphone" "most enjoyable ... ever" "perfect compact ...." "redefines portable audio brillance" "military spec sound" "... just changed the game" "tune your hifi to perfection with ..."

[@kyuushin84]

if he doesn't use clickbait titles he doesn't get views as just as it work for website news

[@gatila76]

@@kyuushin84 Such clickbaits make me stay away.

[@_DeepGroove_]

You gotta find something uniquely positive to get views and keep the brand happy. One day we will have : the best smelling DAC, this amp makes a great door stopper etc. :)

[@bunjidogg]

You Tube reviewers are now the marketing dept. for sellers.

[@PassionforSound]

We're not marketing for the sellers, but we DO need to market our own videos or they don't get watched. If they don't get watched, the channel doesn't make any money and we can't afford to keep making content. End result? You don't get any free videos.

[@orthosympa6993]

How does the Gungnir 2 stack up to the OG Yggy which is currently on sale for 1700-1800$ on schiit's website?

[@Elboogs]

Great video as always! Curious how you think the Laiv Harmony sounds compared to the yiggy? Thanks!

[@PassionforSound]

I'm pretty sure I did that exact comparison in either my Yggy review or the LAiV Harmony review.

[@jyharris]

This is the video I was waiting for. Trying to decide if I want to upgrade my Bifrost 2/64 to the Yggy MIB or the Gumby 2. Looks like I'm getting the Gumby 2 Forkbeard with the promise of an Android app in the near future. However, the comment about an already highly resolving system and inserting an Yggy sounds better made me think. I have a fully balanced system that has components well over $1K. The Forkbeard option makes me still lean toward the Gumby 2, but ultimately sound quality is my ultimate goal. 🤔

[@mattman7495]

Schiit makes great entry-level products. They made great DACs before everyone else. Now technology has caughten up and they are falling behind. I compared the Yggy to the Cyan 2 (a DAC that’s less than half the price) and the Cyan 2 sounds better in every way. Even with the modular design, I don’t think Schiit will be able to keep up with the state-of-the-art products moving forward.

[@JPWinters]

I don't think so. I found the Bifrost 2/64 better than the Musician Pegasus II.

[@PassionforSound]

Yep. I haven't heard the Cyan 2, but I know the Spring 2 couldn't match the Yggy OG for my tastes and the Yggy MIB is better than the OG.

[@tupuhumuhumunukunukuapuaa3093]

Okay the Forkbeard module is cool. Gustard annoyingly only has some basic stuff via their streamer, but I feel that there should have been some control via the LAN in general.

[@Shozimus]

Have a Freya + and, a Lokius. They really rock, offering great quality. Now I'm waiting for Mlonir 3 sadly Schiit in EU is not as priced as in US. And sadly could not find anybody having their lineup to test at a location :(

[@SastusBulbas1]

Nice review, two of my favorite DAC's were Theta, I have heard Schiit Audio bear some resemblances, in no part due to the once Theta designer Mike Moffat.

[@middleearthltd]

There have not been enough reviews of the Gungnir 2 I have been waiting for you to review it I am going to wait some more as Jason seems to be implying that Schiit’s Delta Sigma Chip may be their apex level DAC sound-wise I too would also like to see a review of the Pontus 15th so +1 to that Thank You

[@PassionforSound]

They'll have to work some real magic to outdo their Multibit DACs, but that would be very cool.

[@ipman8646]

This is the review I have been waiting for, thanks so much. Gumby 2 is my next purchase!

[@PassionforSound]

It's honestly a wonderful DAC. Enjoy!!

[@fatdoi003]

so finally a Schiit with 384khz sampling..... and i feel Jason will upgrade the Yggy from 1 to 2 pretty soon as well and that will be for most the absolute endgame DAC there is...

[@jarekharmening8993]

Honestly i prefer your longer more in depth review videos from before . The new usual format is pretty good but still i like the old format. It's great this was long form tho!

[@Nebo600]

Man, I truly wish you had a Denafrips Pontus 15th anniversary. I’m trying to decide between the Dayzee, Pontus and Gumby 2.

[@jos5067]

The Cyan2 would be a great option too!

[@theonlyegg]

They’re all gonna sound the same bud.

[@Koopagamelouda]

​@@theonlyegg Only if the rest of the system isn't revealing enough to notice the difference. Even then, r2r dacs always sound different to delta sigma dacs.

[@paulwisconsin456]

Throw in the new Laiv Harmony Dac

[@PassionforSound]

Yep, we're spoiled for choice at the moment with so many great DACs!

[@aklegal8271]

I tend to like your reviews but you are crazy if you think the Yggdrasil More is Better out-resolves the Dayzee with the Sparkos opamps. I still own both of these dacs and have heard them through my speaker system and the following headphone amps: Schiit Mjolnir 3, AMB M³, Eddie Current Zana Deux Super, Eddie Current Studio B. Not one time did the Yggy MIB outresolve the Dayzee - particularly in the upper mids and treble. The Yggy trades upper mid and treble resolution for a slightly richer midrange and vocal region. This is maybe a great match with amps with a thinner and "hotter" or more aggressive presentation but it is a compromise. They are both amazing dacs but the Dayzee is the better dac.

[@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo]

I would like to see a feature like I2S, but also don’t really feel that a feature like I2S is very characteristic of Schiit. They’re a sort of American spirit, muscle car, brutalist architecture type crew, and I like that it’s more meat and potatoes with them. I2S usually just appears on the Chinese manufactured stuff, but if they did include it, and made a proprietary version of it like they did with USB, it would be very convenient. And cool.

[@jos5067]

PS Audio is an American 🇺🇸 company and does promote I2S too. And they are making great DAC’s.

[@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo]

@ oh aye, forgot about them, they are a company that absolutely does suit that technology style wise.

[@kopczas]

@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo it's all about their "proprietary" input. It's not any industry standard as would be needed to I2S, I2s is basically kind of routing that ommits input decoder as all data is not coded. I guess that whole multibit technology as far differrent that typical chip or r2r that is why they are not able to process DSD or input I2S cause their dacs do not use typical data lines.

[@PassionforSound]

There's no doubt that I2S is a great input, but there are still FAR more source devices on the planet without I2S than with it so I would prefer that brands emphasise the sound of their devices and other innovations (like Forkbeard) before they focus on I2S. That's just me though. 🙂

[@mehmetcamat4458]

How would you compare the gungnir 2 to Gustard R26 since you have tested that dac as well

[@PassionforSound]

It's been a LONG time since I had the R26 so I can't begin to compare them. I suspect they would be similar in overall performance, but I would have to try them side-by-side to be certain of the details.

[@fatdoi003]

i think he'd preferred the schiit.....

[@jeffreylowy3180]

I’m full of Schiit products. Just wish I could afford the “big boy” gear. I’m using Modius, Lokius. Midgard. Love the stack but can only wonder how much better it could be. Thanks for the review.

[@PassionforSound]

You're welcome! Thankfully, Schiit make really nice products at all levels, but if you do get a chance to step up to just the Bifrost 2 and Jotunheim 2 (or similar level amp), things get extra fun. 🙂

[@seanb3303]

Interesting that your Schiit links aren’t affiliated. Schiit gives affiliate links to cheap audio man. Nice review

[@fabriziosiano7210]

great review and comparison! Any chance you tested the rca Vs the xlr output of the dayzee and gungnir2? which has better RCA output?

[@PassionforSound]

I find both to be equally as good. Neither company "cuts corners" with their balanced vs single ended outputs so what you get from XLR is the same (in sound quality) as the RCA output. 🙂

[@altwolfe14]

rightly or wrongly, this is the first time i’ve felt your review was unduly influenced by a manufacturer. still a fan, but lost a little trust. apologies if i’m wrong - just my honest reaction.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

Do you feel all negative reviews are "honest reviews" as well?

[@altwolfe14]

negative or positive doesn’t factor into my reaction. i am also making no claims that this video was in fact NOT a best effort at an objective review. just sharing my honest feedback on how it struck me.

[@curtisayers7933]

@@altwolfe14I had the same response to the video also.

[@PassionforSound]

There's not really anything I can tell you that will change your feelings about this. Every review I do is the same - I spend time with the products and I share what I liked and didn't like. Sometimes, I like everything (or almost everything). There is zero influence from anyone in any of my reviews. I won't accept products from anyone who wants to pay me for a review or have any control over what the review says.

[@pauljordan3828]

I happen to agree

[@nesutoneko]

Does the Gumby 2 make a VERY audible click any time there is a hiccup/pause in the streaming signal? My OG Gumby did this often enough that it drove me crazy and I removed it from my system. No other Dac I have had before or since does this. Yeah Schiit has their reasons why the dac does this but that made it no less annoying to live with.

[@daveg6092]

Any thoughts on the Gungnir 2 vs the Yggdrasil GS2?

[@PassionforSound]

I haven't tried the GS2 next to the Gungnir 2 so I couldn't say. Sorry.

[@daveg6092]

@@PassionforSound Damn, I've been split between the two since the Gungnir 2 was released.

[@giulianof8687]

can i power on the iggy by using the app or the remote? if not, why in 2025 this Dac lacs of a trigger in?

[@JohnZolla-bp7tl]

I've had the Gumby OG for years. It's a classic and I'm not about to get on the upgrade treadmill.

[@davidfairchild1640]

Yep, still love my OG Gumby

[@PassionforSound]

That was my first really proper bit of gear when I started out down the Head-Fi rabbit hole!

[@ロクアンドロールしかないでも好きだ]

Getting a little tired of the pronunciation mistakes especially since Schiit actually made a video about it and because my last name also gets pronounced incorrectly the pronunciation of Schiit is Sheet not Shit.

[@Harvy75a]

Now we need a comparison vs the Gustard X26 III that costs much the same

[@fatdoi003]

X26 is delta sigma maybe comparable to the Dayzee

[@PassionforSound]

First, I need to get my hands on one. :D

[@stevezeidman7224]

I think you did a great job with this vid. I admit to be a Geshelli fan boy. I also had the OG Bifrost 2. I really didn’t like it. It seemed grainy and narrow. I sold it and moved to Geshelli. The Gungnir seems much better than my Bifrost. I have a tricked out J2 and don’t feel the need for a Dayzee since I only use single ended out as my electronics are vintage McIntosh. However I do see the value in all the outputs. I’d probably still stick with Geshelli.

[@PassionforSound]

You definitely can't go wrong with the Geshelli gear. Those of you in North America are lucky to have easy access to two (or more) of the best manufacturers in the game.

[@Adam-p8s2i]

I'm curious if your DAYZEE has the upgraded Sparcos 2590 op -amps. It's really hard to be the DAYZEE with the 2590s.

[@PassionforSound]

Yes. I showed that in the video. 😉

[@MJ-ge6jz]

Gumby2 seems to be impressive, something to ponder. They should rename the Iggy to Pokie.

[@ruudsmith3836]

Topo47 ... Nordic Jazz on ECM CD on ML31 AES/EBU to YggMIB...MJ3/Freya+...AyreV3/Alon5...no need to go any further.

[@mitchy5994]

I bought the Gungnir 2, only to return it two weeks later. Seemed very flat, and pushed out, which isn't a bad thing, just not for me. I couldn't justify spending this much money to dislike it compared to 1/4 of the price dacs like the J3 and Bifrost(used).

[@ipman8646]

That is odd concerning the flat description. Did you A/B on a bunch of different material? Sounds like you gave it a fair 2 week shakedown, though. More thoughts if you have time, thanks.

[@mitchy5994]

@ I did A/B a bunch of different material consisting of classic rock, vocals, edm, rap, alternative. I have the Mjolnir 3 as the amp, the Gungnir 2 the xlr input, and either the bifrost or the Geshelli J3 on the RCA input which I have sending balanced out to my Hifiman Arya Organic headphones. I'd go back and forth with the analog switch and noticed I preferred the bifrost over the gungnir, and the J3 over the bifrost. I even went the lengths of having one of my friends randomly switch between them without my knowledge of which I started on and found the same. It was quite obvious which I was listening to. I just noticed the Bifrost and J3 sounded meatier. Low end was considerably more present and punchy. The gungnir basically took away the "feel" factor of the songs. What I did notice was it has quite better resolution, but the trade off was not worth it for me.

[@PassionforSound]

I often find that some people prefer a less spacious presentation because the perception is a loss of presence/weight in the sounds that are further away. You're not alone.

[@mitchy5994]

@@PassionforSound That could definitely be exactly what I was perceiving.

[@johnshepherd708]

This is pure marketing in the form of a product introduction. None of these reviews ever mention the importance of the Yggy’s shunt regulated power supply over any of their other DACs let alone anyone else’s. No mention of the difference between a shunt regulation vs. series regulation. So much bla, bla.

[@theonlyegg]

All your subjective descriptions of the sound quality was done via blind ABX testing, right? Otherwise this is all just word salad opinions being as though the aural memory of our brains is less than half a second.

[@PassionforSound]

Stay tuned for the upcoming video that explains exactly why AB testing doesn't work...

[@dezfoto7534]

I can’t believe in just listened to someone say to the world that the AES connection sounded different that the SPDIF connection, they’re carrying the same digital signal. The only reason to use AES is if you need really long cable runs. They will both sound exactly the same unless you ignore minimum/maximum cable lengths and end up with jitter. Otherwise, it’s not possible for them to sound different.

[@dixieflatline1189]

I'm interested in the engineering & evidence behind your statement. Can you expand on the why and how please. Or are you writing in principle / abstract terms?

[@petermajak2065]

I wholeheartedly disagree :)

[@dezfoto7534]

@@dixieflatline1189 AES and SPDIF carry the same digital signal, the only way I can see there being any issues between the cables/connectors is if someone not using a proper 75ohm BNC cable and just using a regular RCA cable for the SPDIF, or if they're not using the proper cable length.

[@dezfoto7534]

@@petermajak2065 Please explain why there would be a difference between the two connectors that are carrying the same digital signal.

[@petermajak2065]

@ From my experience , there is difference in sound between AES and BNC. I used to love my dac using BNC (chord shawline)and RCA cable (QED reference digital audio 40)...But then i tried AES cable (qed reference digital audio 40) and i like the sound even more. But if you believe in objective metrics , then there are jitter measurements of my streamer PI2AES , where RCA , BNC and AES EBU does not measure the same :)

[@baronvonaux8294]

lol. People still using Android?

[@TriAmpMyFi]

This is Crap, even though I like Schiit................. Well not crap but I was expecting a new Schiit DAC hoping for a few things including the i2S and especially an SFP Fiber-Optic connection. Wish USA made a competitor for the evil Denafrips Enyo Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass🔈🔉🔊

[@craiglevine7019]

Did you try requesting this on the Schitt Happened Head-Fi forum? Several design items and products have come from discussions on the Forum - heck, Jason Stoddard even hired a regular there, Martin, who independently designed ForkBeard and got a meeting to present it! Jason engages with the forum and takes suggestions. Sitting back passively and hoping won't get you very much.

[@TriAmpMyFi]

@@craiglevine7019 . Ah, very good Craig. I'll be 'sitting back' actively now lol. Thanks for the directions.👍 Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass🔈🔉🔊

[@socksumi]

Lotta hype. Links to the site to buy? Hmmm, I wonder who gets a kickback.

[@marchuvfulz]

Concerning the Forkbeard, it just irritates me no end when firms like Schitt pretend Android owners don't exist. Apple has about a 20% market share in the global smartphone market. It has about 55% in the US, and about 24% in Europe. We're half the freakin' US market, and a majority in the EU and Asia! Not doing an Android app when Android users are a majority in most markets seems obtuse, to put it mildly.

[@kopczas]

They also try to convince everybody that no one is using DSD files.

[@PassionforSound]

They have clearly stated that they are already working on the Android version. I don't know the reasoning behind the choice to support Apple first, but it's most likely none of the reasons suggested here and more likely due to the app designer being an Apple user and therefore more familiar and quicker with that system. Or perhaps it's easier to port an Apple app into Android than to go the other direction. I don't know, but they had to start somewhere and there will be a good reason why.

[@DrParticle]

The guy who invented forkbeard didn’t work for Schiit at the time…and…he made his living writing iOS apps. Only iOS apps. Schiit was impressed with it and hired him. So he polished the iOS version and Schiit started selling it. Now he has to learn Android development, the SDK’s and all the flavors of Android. Every Android implementation is different so you have to learn the idiosyncrasies of each. A good SDK helps, but you still have to test each one individually. So, no evil conspiracy, just an accident of fate. You can read the details on the headfi blog.