I don’t think the impedance is the problem here.CXC specifications mention that the impedance is around 75 ohms but not beyound that ,I know it's strange to quote it this way but the bottom line is that the impedance is actually 75 ohms.
Rvpiano 11-12-2017 I don’t understand why the Gungnir doesn’t sound better with the Cambridge. I thought it would. Maybe it is a question of break in. Shrill is perhaps too strong a word for the problem with the sound. It just seems lacking in fullness.
Rvpiano 11-13-2017 Interestingly, the Cambridge really sounds great with the old Theta DS Pro Prime DAC — full-bodied and detailed. It should sound even better with the Gungy. But it sounds too analytical and cold, without depth.
A possible explanation might relate to the fact that the impedance of the CXC’s coaxial S/PDIF output is specified as "< 75 ohms." That is a strange specification. Ideally the impedance should be 75 ohms +/- some very tight tolerance, not "less than 75 ohms," which is what "<" denotes.
It is common for a manufacturer to not indicate a +/- tolerance, but in most cases what is stated is simply "75 ohms," not "< 75 ohms."
If in fact the impedance is substantially less than 75 ohms the resulting sonics can be expected to have considerable variation depending on the happenstance of the design of the DAC and probably also on the length and other characteristics of the cable that is being used.
You might want to contact Cambridge Audio and ask them **how much less** than 75 ohms the impedance is.
I had the Rotel RCD-1570 before which cost twice the CXC , It wasn’t a bad CD player but when I bought the Mcintosh DAC I felt that as a pure transport it degraded the sound severely .In the future maybe I will upgrade the CXC to the CEC TL5 .
I believe synergy is the issue as well. It’s really a shame if so. But, I even if so, I’ll be happy with the alternate combo. Its a big improvement over what I had. And I’ll pocket the return of the Cambridge. Or, alternately, fix the mistracking and keep it as a backup for the Theta (I’m listening to it now — very satisfying.)
Synergy between components is very important maybe the CXC and the Gungy are not a good match .The CXC ia a pure transport so its sound is very neutral this allows the DAC to determine the sound signature . I achieved big improvement with the CXC in 2 main areas :The dynamic spectrum is wider the bass is stronger and deeper and the highs are more precise, Secondly much more details and accurate sound stage. I realy don't know what eent wrong in your system.
Interestingly, the Cambridge really sounds great with the old Theta DS Pro Prime DAC — full-bodied and detailed. It should sound even better with the Gungy. But it sounds too analytical and cold, without depth. The best sound, analytical but warm, is with the combination of the Oppo and the Gungy, so far.
Very strange that the Gungnir doesn’t sound better with the Cambridge CXC once I hooed up mine to my McIntosh dac the improvement was immediate and substantial with explosive dynamics and huge soundstage maybe it’s due my Tellurium Black coax cable which allows the CXC to perform very well ?
Sorry to read of your equipment issues. As you say, it would seem to be a host of bad luck. That said, and not knowing what is or isn't wrong with your Gungnir and Oppo, you might be pleasantly surprised when you receive those items back from the manufacturer. Perhaps the shrill sound you describe is related to the reason you have returned it to Schiit. Even if not related, it could conceivably be "mysteriously" fixed upon its return to you. Sorry I cannot be more help other than to provide good karma. Best of luck.
First, to answer the edit: question, the light does not go on with the Gungnir.
I have been having some incredibly bad luck with my equipment:
1. The new Gungnir stopped working. It’s now on its way back to Schiit. 2. My Oppo 105D stopped working. It’s on it’s way to Oppo. 3. The new Cambridge CXC transport is evidently having trouble with error correction. It skips or mistracks.
As I mentioned, for whatever reason, the most natural sound Ive been getting is from the combination of the Oppo and the Gungnir, both of which are out for repair. So, currently I’m using the Cambridge with my old Theta DAC. The sound is actually fairly good but not as good as with the previous combination.
I don’t understand why the Gungnir doesn’t sound better with the Cambridge. I thought it would. Maybe it is a question of break in. Shrill is perhaps too strong a word for the problem with the sound. It just seems lacking in fullness.
I’ll try again when the equipment comes back from repair.
.....the Schiit Gungnir (and of course the Yggdrasil) have an indicator light (meant for user observation) that would indicate whether or not there is an "issue" (widely defined, see respective Schiit documentation for specifics). Therefore, and in the OPs case, if that light isn’t illuminated, he/she likely *does not* have an "external jitter issue", a "transport issue" or a "coax or particular input cable/source issue".
EDIT:
@rvpiano
Is there anything you can report regarding the status of the Gungnir VCO/VCXO indicator light?
Shrill sound? Looks like you have a jitter problem with the Gumby and it prefers the Oppo. Bits are bits but how well a DAC handles jitter is part of the DAC design.
The following quote is from Schiit Tech support in response to the noise you are hearing when you are pausing music. My *assumption* is that the same response would apply to your Gungnir.
"The Yggdrasil doesn' t trigger on silence itself, it triggers on the loss of signal. If the CD Player outputs silence but maintains the stream that will be fine, however if your CD Player actually stops the stream entirely then you will get the click. Different CD Players behave differently."
So basically what they are saying is that the device you are using as transport *stops the stream entirely*. You may test that of course by using a different playback device. In my particular case, every device I have used as transport does not cause my Yggy to make any kind of "shattering electrical noise". However, I agree with you that it is rather inconvenient if this is your experience. I don't know what else to offer you in the way of a response. Perhaps send an email to Schiit with the details of your specific hardware and they can recommend something.
As to Schiit's lack of phone support, I wasn't suggesting they be given credit for it. Rather, I'm giving credit only in-so-far as they disclose the fact that they don't.
i don’t understand how “it’s a good thing” that you can’t pause a selection in mid stream without having to hear a shattering electrical noise. If the telephone rings, or you have to go to the bathroom, you have to start a CD from the beginning, even if you are three quarters of the way through a symphony you’ve been avidly listening to for 45 minutes. It’s not a good thing if, effectively, you can’t utilize a pause control, like virtually with every other similar device. Also, I can’t give a company “credit” for not answering their phones just because they say they won’t.
On the plus side, they are replacing my faulty Gungnir after I’ve had it for about a month.
....HOWEVER when I put the Cambridge transport on pause I do hear a clicking though the DAC. It is very irritating and I have no idea what to make of it? ....
....Forget about calling Schitt and asking them whats up. They have lousy phone support!!!!! (Many of my audiophile friends have also experienced customer phone support problems with Schitt)....
@char2
Charlie -
Heads up here. In a good way :)
First, I do not have the Gumby, I have the Yggy, but the same concept applies regarding the "clicking". This is "normal’ and correct behavior! Don’t believe me, send Schiit an email and ask (see next paragraph). In my case, the Yggy does an *outstanding* job of "recognizing" whether or not a device connected to it is turned on or off. Its almost as though their DACs are "smart devices", it's that good! What you are hearing are the relays engaging/disengaging, and the Schiit DACs *react differently depending on the device connected to it*. You should (IMO) view the pause as a good thing. So much so that if you pause your Cambridge transport and don’t hear a pause *then* you have a problem!
As to phone support, I can’t understand why people such as yourself write they have lousy support. *HELLO*, they essentially advertise they *DO NOT HAVE ANY PHONE SUPPORT*. So, in this instance, give Schiit all the credit in world in that *they disclose* this up front. Now, if you were to ask or mention that they *should* have phone support, absolutely. I too do not like the fact they do not answer a telephone like a "normal" *BUSINESS* would, however, again give them credit here in that they do clearly state customers must use email.
It seems we have many coincidences. I, too, have an excellent silver coax cable.
The problem with the noise on pause, I’m sure, is a Gungy phenomenon. I get it too. If the unit weren’t so good, it would be a most definite deal breaker. We’ll have to live with it if we want to keep it. Interestingly, I much prefer the sound of the Gungnir with the Oppo transport. The definition is probably better with the Cambridge, but there is, on my system, a shrillness I don’t like. The Oppo just sounds better and has plenty of detail. Maybe the Cambridge will sound different after more break in.
I love the improvement in every dimension the Gungy makes over my old Theta, which I’m using now because the Schiit stopped working! (I guess you could say, it crapped out.) They are sending me a new one. (High marks to them for doing that after I had it for almost a month.) I’m probably going to return the CXC when I get the Multibit back if the synergy doesn’t improve. Even though it sometimes mistracks now, I’ll keep it until I send it back.
I have had the Cambridge Transport for two months and I did hear some improved difference in the sound of the transport going into the Gumby DAC over a five day period of use. Strangely the subjective output volume of the DAC (which is supoose to be constant) seemed to wax and wane with the break in period. In addition I too have had on and off problems with the dac accepting the signal from the Cambridge transport. Like you I previously used an OPPO 103 as a transport to the Gumby dac and for the most part did not have too many problems with signal lock. However on some occasions I would experience problems with the OPPO/DAC signal lock. I have no idea why? I purchased the Cambridge Transport thinking it would be superior to the OPPO as a Transport. To my ears it is superior in sound to the OPPO; and for the most part I have not experienced any signal lock problems. HOWEVER when I put the Cambridge transport on pause I do hear a clicking though the DAC. It is very irritating and I have no idea what to make of it? It is my inclination given that I have experienced problems with signal lock with both the OPPO and the Cambridge that there is something amiss with the GUMBY. It's a pain in the ass to box up the dac and send it back to Schitt but I may do it? Forget about calling Schitt and asking them whats up. They have lousy phone support!!!!! (Many of my audiophile friends have also experienced customer phone support problems with Schitt). Sorry about the problems you are having. One last thing I use a very good silver coax digital interconnect (audio sensibility) between the transport and the Gumby. It seems to my hears and many of my colleagues ears to be superior to some of the other mid priced digital interconnects out there. Best wishes Charlie
It’s aggravating to find out the CXC is capable of accessing tracks but can’t because of marketing! Also, I’m having issues with mistracking on the unit.
A big complaint with the now popular CXC is the all in one remote. I have found that Cambridge uses the common Phillips RC-5 protocol meaning many remotes will work with it. I had a remote from my Classe CDP-1 that to my surprise not only worked but the numeral buttons allowed direct track access. This means the CXC has the software to perform this function but marketing decided to have one remote for their whole component line. Anyways I am very happy with mine post break-in.
Equipment from the best dealers does not require a break in time; however, dealers who do not accept returns, or those who go all out to avoid them, say that 3 months is necessary. This coincides with how long a credit card charge can be disputed.
In addition to many CDPs I've owned, I've also owned 3 CD transports and numerous DACs. I don't recall any of the transports requiring significant break in time.
Yes, I tested the inputs several times, and unplugged it numerous times. I spent so much time on the floor in back of the stereo all day yesterday that I developed a huge blood boil on the top of my foot where I dragged it to get up. Just came back from the foot doc who lanced it and put me on antibiotics. Who said audiophilia is not a blood sport?
Meanwhile I hooked up my old Theta DAT with the Cambridge spinner and the sound is very warm but not as refined as the Gungnir Multibit when it was working. I’ve yet to call Schiit about the problem. Will do that now.
If what jea48 suggests doesn’t fix anything, one thing you could do is connect the digital out from CXC to digital input of the Oppo and use Oppo as a “DAC”. This would at least confirm that CXC is working properly.
The Oppo is now able to turn on. The problem had something to to with the power cord. .(too complicated to go into now.)
However, I’m not getting any sound from the Oppo or the Cambridge transports at this point. The problem is obviously in the Gungnir DAT which is not working at all, regardless of what inputs I use. I’ll have to return it. It’s certainly caused me enough aggravation.
RV, I’m thinking that it may not be coincidental that problems involving multiple components appear to have arisen during a time in which connections were being changed. The connections involving RCA connectors, for which there is a brief instant during insertion or removal when the signal pin is connected but the ground shell is not.
When you were changing connections was everything powered off completely, as opposed to just being in a standby mode? For example, was the power switch on the rear panel of the Gungnir DAC turned off?
Also, by any chance were cheater plugs being used on the AC plugs of any of these components, to defeat the AC safety ground connection. Which would mean that the chassis of the component would have been in a "floating" condition, at an uncontrolled potential (i.e., voltage), if the component had power applied but was not fully connected. Including during that brief instant I referred to above.
In any event, good luck as you proceed. Regards, -- Al
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