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Topping D50s vs Schiit Bifrost with 4490 mod

RunOutGroove

RunOutGroove

Addicted Member
I own the Topping, which I hear as a very slight improvement over the native DAC on my Onkyo DVD player. It's OK, but I wonder if I might hear some improvement over that with a Bifrost with 4490 mod. I see one of those used for sale and the price of it isn't much more than I paid for my Topping, which I also got used. I imagine that if I were to buy the Bifrost I could sell the Topping and have a very inexpensive upgrade. What are the differnces and are they at all dramtic between these two. I like the fact that the Topping has a remote (very convient) and Bluetooth (though I rarely use that), but I would easily give that up for something that has a warmer, more engaging sound. The Topping though, I must say does seem to be plenty detailed, but maybe the Bifrost is even better in that regard as well...

Should I buy the thing and do the swap?
 
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Read posts #23-26 in that thread. Those comments alone would be enough to convince me to buy it (if I didn't already have 3 different DAC's-----although, I may buy one anyhow. ;)).
 
Aaron Hayman said:
I own the Topping, which I hear as a very slight improvement over the native DAC on my Onkyo DVD player. It's OK, but I wonder if I might hear some improvement over that with a Bifrost with 4490 mod. I see one of those used for sale and the price of it isn't much more than I paid for my Topping, which I also got used. I imagine that if I were to buy the Bifrost I could sell the Topping and have a very inexpensive upgrade. What are the differnces and are they at all dramtic between these two. I like the fact that the Topping has a remote (very convient) and Bluetooth (though I rarely use that), but I would easily give that up for something that has a warmer, more engaging sound. The Topping though, I must say does seem to be plenty detailed, but maybe the Bifrost is even better in that regard as well...

Should I buy the thing and do the swap?
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I've owned the Bifrost 4490 and the Modi 3, also an AKM4490, very little difference in their sound. For $200 the Modius, AKM4493, beats them both. I've also owned the Modi multibit and Bifrost multibit but I prefer the Modius over those too. Purely subjective opinion based on my ears. I had a D50s also but only kept it a few weeks.
 
ssmith3046 said:
I've owned the Bifrost 4490 and the Modi 3, also an AKM4490, very little difference in their sound. For $200 the Modius, AKM4493, beats them both. I've also owned the Modi multibit and Bifrost multibit but I prefer the Modius over those too. Purely subjective opinion based on my ears. I had a D50s also but only kept it a few weeks.
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Good to know... I feel like out to give this new Modius DAC a try. I don't have a lot of spending cabbage at this point, but might be able to justify it by the thought that I might still get a decent price on my Topping D50s even if it's inferior in sound because it has a remote and Bluetooth....

As for "subjective opinions" that's what I look for! I'd rather take advice from folks who have actually heard these things rather than make a decision based on spec sheets. I happen to believe there's a lot more to sound than the kind of stuff that can be objectively measured...
 
ssmith3046 said:
I've owned the Bifrost 4490 and the Modi 3, also an AKM4490, very little difference in their sound. For $200 the Modius, AKM4493, beats them both. I've also owned the Modi multibit and Bifrost multibit but I prefer the Modius over those too. Purely subjective opinion based on my ears. I had a D50s also but only kept it a few weeks.
Click to expand...

+1 100% :thumbsup:

The Modius is better than my Modi 3, Bifrost (4490 D/S or MB cards), and Gungnir D/S. Just more there; air, low level detail, dynamics, and soundstage. Only the Gungnir beats it in bass extension and impact.
 
Aaron Hayman said:
Good to know... I feel like out to give this new Modius DAC a try. I don't have a lot of spending cabbage at this point, but might be able to justify it by the thought that I might still get a decent price on my Topping D50s even if it's inferior in sound because it has a remote and Bluetooth....

As for "subjective opinions" that's what I look for! I'd rather take advice from folks who have actually heard these things rather than make a decision based on spec sheets. I happen to believe there's a lot more to sound than the kind of stuff that can be objectively measured...
Click to expand...
I agree with you on the measurements that some folks might base their buying on. Not to knock them though because those are the more analytical types I suppose. The Modi multibit and Bifrost multibit measure poorly but both sound great to my ears. Schiit has a good return policy but I really don't think you'd be sending the Modius back. I'm retired so I have to watch my cabbage too.
 
ssmith3046 said:
I agree with you on the measurements that some folks might base their buying on. Not to knock them though because those are the more analytical types I suppose. The Modi multibit and Bifrost multibit measure poorly but both sound great to my ears. Schiit has a good return policy but I really don't think you'd be sending the Modius back. I'm retired so I have to watch my cabbage too.
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It seems like the measurements with this sort of gear is so good that it maybe isn't too much of a factor. If one thing were rated a few percent distortion and another a few hundredths of a percent the specs might point to a perceivable different. If you're talking about a couple of thing that are both rated in hundredths of a precent of distortion though, even if one is twice what the other is, it's still not likely to make a perceivable difference. If it's a given then that the specs are all going to very good, then the best thing to do is to just ignore them and focus on the kind of subjective impressions that measurements don't address...
 
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