Schiit not that Good?


Schiit was at AXPONA again this year. They were showing a Salk music server streaming into a Gungnir Multibit (?) feeding a Freya and two Vidars. Speakers were the Salk Song 3As.

 

So what happened?


Esoteric was just next door. This allowed attendees to move immediately from one room to another. Esoteric was showing a full stack of thier latest separates plus a VPI Avenger for analog. Speakers were a pair of Cantons I didn’t get the model of.

 

The Schiit room, while not bad, was completely destroyed by the Esoteric room. Esoteric played one SACD that unfurled a massive soundstage that I could sense even not being in the best seat. The sound of the Esoteric system, both via SACD and vinyl was dynamic, resolving, extremely musical, collected, vibrant, both large and delicately structured. It was a system that got all the minor details right. Such a good setup. The Schiit setup, while unoffensive, clean, and musical in its own right, simply couldn’t face the Esoteric in inner detail, soundstage, reality and low-level dynamics.

 

Why did the Schiit system fail so hard vs the Esoteric? Part of the reason might have been the junk cabling used by Schiit. Peaking behind the system I was Blue Jeans speaker cables and mess of power bricks, basic cabling, etc. I don’t know how much of the Schiit’s performance was compromised by inferior cabling, but I’m curious how close it would have come to the Esoteric had Schiit paid some basic attention to that area.


madavid0
If you have any confidence in your own ears, anybody providing less than positive comments on gear you own really shouldn’t matter, unless maybe it’s seen as a fire hazard. I’ve heard very well regarded gear at high end hifi "salons" or friend’s homes that sounded "meh," but since it’s not in my house being listened to carefully over time it will merely provide a moment’s entertainment, and for me it usually points out how much I like my personally sorted rig. Sorted over years of sorting...Commenting on how much one likes a piece of gear they own isn’t necessarily "pushing" it as personally I don’t care what other people buy, but in the case of the Schiit products I own, a Freya and a Loki EQ, I am guilty of pointing out my experience with these specific things as sounding world class in my rig. If they’re not "giant killers," they’re at least "giant embarrassers" if based only on the quality of construction and the price. Something that works really well and sounds great at a fraction of the cost of its competition (or based on design, cost, and performance seemingly having no competition) is fairly rare around here, and that factor alone will fuel some positive commentary, and so what? Audio stuff often has arbitrary pricing based less on manufacturing costs than simple greed…not disclosing inexpensive Chinese manufacturing, relying on the reputation of "being expensive" to be expensive…that’s the retail high end world. I own a Dennis Had hand made tube amp that has premium parts and sounds astonishingly good…why is it less expensive than a Shindo or Audio Note amp? Who knows, but its being WAY less expensive should be noted as at least an interesting fact. WOOF!
Now that we’ve gotten the "OP is a troll" ceremony out of the way, have any of you guys actually listened to the rooms? If so, what are your thoughts?
Amen to that Wolf,  and cutting to the chase of the matter. I appreciate it particularly in a seemingly growing climate of silly narratives and out and out nonsense. Go Schitt just faster, need to generate more dust!

Disclaimer no fanboy or vested interest other than "what is the point of this thread"? 
As trelja pointed out.
What a surprise @madavid0, would initiate this thread.

Past efforts by the Norman Vincent Peale of Audiogon:
Anticables: Scam?
Rega and Proac: Bad?
Class D = Trash?
Synergistic Research: SCAM
CD players = dead?
Basis Turntables: Worth it or Ripoff?
Cartridges: Complete Scam?
Mapleshade Isolation: Does Nothing?
Integrateds: Why do they all SUCK?
Isolation stands: snakeoil?

What is the point to incite or inflame?

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/39108-schiit-embarrassed-at-axpona/

What about "Schiit embarrassed"?

Sorry I am not part of that stuff.... I am out.
 


This is probably a legitimate off-topic question so please feel free to ignore - How come the iFi products don't get much respect around here? They seem to follow the same business model as schiit does with very innovative designs at reasonable prices.
Sorry, just crossed my mind.....