I ended up talking with Schiit today about the Freya+ and also discussed the Unison USB for Yggdrasil. They are planning for a January release! Also for what its worth, they dont have an eta on any other updates to the Yggdrasil including a Yggdrasil2 or the Autonomy Platform…
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If only they would put the Freya + out in black!!! Lol
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I have a silver Yggdrasil so I’d have to go with the silver Freya… but if they do the Yggy2… I’m going to for sure go for black! 
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I know it’s been some time, but would this still apply for the updated ADI-2? A less expensive alternative is always a win for me.
Thanks.
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Would what still apply?
Your preference of the Bifrost 2 over the ADI-2 (v2).
(Apologies for the lack of clarity)
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Yes, I still prefer Bifrost 2.
In normal “listening for pleasure” use, as a DAC, I hear no difference between the original and new 4493-based RME ADI-2 DAC fs (see here).
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I had never considered Schiit before (perhaps an aversion to the name), but so many here have spoken so highly of them. I may have to make the jump and try this.
Thank you.
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I’ll be comparing the two soon. I intend to use the RME for nearfield monitors, and so I can split outputs from the PC to different DACs simultaneously for different things, but it will go into the headphone chain first anyway for comparisons.
FWIW, I prefer the BF2 to any other DAC I’ve had in my system - except Yggy A2 W/ Unison - including Gungnir A2, the full sized Cambridge Azur DAC thingy (I can’t remember the model number), UD305, Soekris 1421, the baby Grace DAC, Matrix xSabre pro, etc…
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Awesome. Looking forward to your comparison!
That’s quite the praise, especially with the dacs listed.
Thanks!
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Ian did you ever pair the Bifrost 2 with the LYR 3 and if so what did you think of the combo?
Sweet!
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Linking to the Bifrost 2 vs ADI-2 DAC fs review… Because it’s almost as much about the Bifrost as it is the ADI.
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I am looking forward to getting the Bifrost and LYR 3! From everything everyone has said it’s going to be a great combo!
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I just wanted to say great photos, everyone.
The photos I’ve seen posted on this forum are better than the photos displayed on Schiit’s product page.
It does look better than how I thought it would (I focus a bit more on aesthetics than I should), so thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to photograph this great little dac.
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I didn’t.
The Bifrost 2 didn’t exist when I last had a Lyr 3 to hand.
Though I would bet they’re an excellent combination, given a) how much I like the Lyr 3, and how well it paired with the original (circa October 2018 rumored update) Bifrost MB and b) how much more I like the Bifrost 2 over the original.
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So I was almost set on making the ADI-2 DAC my next DAC upgrade until I came across this thread and @ProfFalkin’s and @Torq’s recommendations. At this rate I’m going to have to buy both and decide which one to keep after testing it myself. I really wonder how many of the features from the ADI-2 I will really need.
Looking forward to further reviews and impressions of this one.
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Ok, I have been doing this stuff for many years and I think I know when I hear something thats really good and really bad or really mediocre.
It doesnt make take days and days of listening to tell if there is a dramatic or stark improvement in things.
At least if there really is some delta.
So only after a few hours using the new Schiit Bifrost 2 I have already formed an opinion.
So one of the reasons I bought this new dac was because of the Bifrost 1 which for a few years has worked wonderfully and provided me with many happy hours of listening with many different sets of amps and headphones. The other reason was to compliment by being able to use the balanced outs of the Monoprice THX AAA 887 amp I got a few months back, which I still think is absolutely stellar for its price point.
So you add up the new chips, power supply improvements, the Unison USB, balanced oututs, True MB, a remote (?), the new Autonomy Architecture (field upgradeable for future adapters and firmare vis micro memory card), and this statement from Jason in his FAQ "Well, leaving aside the fact that there probably ain’t nowhere near 24 usable bits in any recorded music, no matter the audiophile cred, if you’re looking for resolution below the 18-bit level, take a look at our measurements, showing Bifrost 2 clearly resolving a -144dB signal. That’s -24 bits. Boom. "
Boom! 
All this for $699, well $599 for previous owners of Bifrost 1…not too shabby if its really a world class DAC.
I mentally debated over spending the coin on this or another set of headphones and was hoping my recent Ananda experience would have swayed me back into the planar headphones, but alas it did not,
So, here I am with a B1 and B2.
So was it worth it.
One word: YES.
We all want new stuff to really WOW us and sometimes it does and sometimes it doesnt, and sometimes we have a hard time admitting that that new toy is not as good as I thought it might be, especially after a few days and the new “toy” syndrome wears off.
So how can I say “YES” in just a few hours? Well because I have done this for years and at my age lying to myself is not a good thing mentally to me…each day, each hour I am able to listen at this ripe old age of 70 is well, important and quality really counts to me.
I have been blessed with really good hearing and still can hear up to 14Khz!!
Ok, the first time I turned the dac and amp I heard nothing!! zip, zero, nada!! OMG I got a dud!! So what was it, the W10 OS? the balanced outs of the THX AAA amp? or the DAC itself, so unplug the balanced cables, try the RCA inputs on the dac, voila music!! Ha!
Go back to the balanced setup, double check conncections, right, left etc…still no music.
Hmmmm, Oh! whats that little black pushbutton switch on the right side of the THX AAA amp, it says
“INPUT”??? Now at least I had the common sense to turn DOWN the volume control and depressed the INPUT button!!
Voila !! As I cranked up the volume : MUSIC!!! Hahahahaha!!! Why did I go through this lesson…well we all can do stupid things in the heat of the battle especially when we are in a hurry etc…
Ok…so the first song I listened to was Preston Reed’s Instrument Landing “Inside A Face”, totally instrumental. I was floored.
Holographic imaging, beautiful depth and wide soundstage…the tone and realism was so, so nice.
Smiling immediatley.
Going back and forth between the B1 and B2 I could detect a difference in clarity and resolution of most everything, the live presentations with the B2 using the balanced connections is so much real IMO, its like your sitting in the audience and the hand claps listening to Bill Whiters Live at Carnegie Hall is Sublime…
I cant say specifically what particular frequency ranges are better its the overall “enchilada” thats improved…everthihng is better defined, more “musical”…sounds closer to the real thing.
That said medicore stuff now sounds even worse!!
Earl Klugh’s acoustic guitar in Whispers and Promises, “Fall In Love” is to die for nice, the tone of his guitar strings are so natural. The metal stringed guitars for the Acoustic Alchemy group’s Blue Chips bright and stattaco like…I know this well because I sat next to them in a live concert and I mean right next to them (couldnt hear well for a few days!!)…Female voice like Anne McCue’s Roll and singing “50 Dollar Whore”…OMG good, bass drum, drum swishes, and her voice altogether so well articulated, lucious sounding. Ben Harpers, Fight For Your Mind…Drum whacks, stacotto like !!
The volume cranked up FULL tiilt at any gain on the THX AAA amp with music of pause is dead silent with the clears. I use gain 2 most of the time with the Clears.
So the trait using this dac with this amp and heaphones IMO is well “everything is so open, clear and transparent as the material is recorded” when recorded well this setup is close to a TOTL for me.
Switching back to B1 its still great, but like maybe 10% less overall great…you dont know what your missing until you compare. Its like I got a bottle of Discwasher for my Clears with this new toy.
Now this is a totally subjective experience, not going into measurement land and languish there…the only number I mention is that 144dB resolution thing above…
So as listen and type I can honestly say, this dac is indeed a winner to me, well worth the expense. It may not work any better for you and what your setups have today, or it may. The only way for you to know is to try one.
I whole heartedly would recomend this dac to anyone, especially if you have a balanced input amp…a marraige made in heaven!!
Pardon any mis-spellings!
Alex
Note: The remote!! It mutes and selects the different inputs, and has a mute of phase button. Havent really played with the phase yet.
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