Schiit Reference Sytem review: Freya into Yggdrasil, into Vidar

Schiit (I spell this wrong often) has hinted (in their site info) that the Loki Mini might be joined by another EQ…Loki Maxi maybe? I bet balanced could be in the offing if that happens. Kalili…my review, such as it is, is here on Audiogon someplace…although Schiit is misspelled. Note that now that I've been using the damn thing for a few days I remain astonished by the fact that it's so quiet, easily tested by flipping it in and out of the line.

Okay, I'm going to buy one of those Lokis for Christmas, got to try it out.  I"m also eyeing the Vidar amp.  Funny that this thread is about a Schiit system review, and gets hi-jacked over some DAC bickering.  What is it with audiophiles and having to prove the other brand(whichever brand they hate at the time) is not as good as theirs?

It’s only an advantage with noise, if the interconnects are over 10mts long. Single ended in most cases sound better, because many balanced inputs or outputs are just a balanced opamps thrown into the signal path before or after the true single ended input or output!!

I believe balanced is advantageous from a noise perspective regardless of the length. But sure, the longer the length, the more advantageous.

And, while I do agree that balanced cables doesn’t necessarily mean a true balanced circuit in its entirety, the signal level is typically +6 db hotter than straight SE, and that too can (although sometimes not do to clipping) also be advantageous.

I disagree, however, that SE sounds better in *most* cases. In fact, I believe the opposite is true, that balanced sounds better in most (but do agree not all) cases.

EDIT:

And what does this have to do with the topic/thread? Well, in the case of the Yggdrasil, Schiit prefers balanced by stating (in the manual) "if you don’t have balanced gear, we’ve provided two sets of summed single ended outputs that preserves much of the balanced "magic" of the Yggdrasil."

I think the operative word there is that it preserves *much* of the balanced magic, but not all.

I disagree, however, that SE sounds better in *most* cases. In fact, I believe the opposite is true

This is your belief, I found the opposite true with 2mt or less interconnects. Who wants extra opamps in the signal path for balanced operation if not needed.

And what does this have to do with the topic/thread?
"To bad the Loki doesn’t have balanced connectivity in/out. Now, "that would be something" :)"

I simply answered to this.

Cheers George

@georgehifi

To your thread, which involves a Freya, Yggdrasil and Vidar, all of that can be connected via balanced cabling, true? I’m assuming Vidar in mono. If so, and the owner of said equipment desired to go that route, how would the Loki be connected within the systems three components? Hence the reason I stated " to bad the Loki doesn’t have balanced connectivity in/out".