Things I’ve Tried and Do Use and Things I’ve Tried and Don’t Use
Current System
I am happier than I’ve ever been with the setup I have now. Even if I fell into a bunch of money unexpectedly, I’m not sure I would make any changes. Truly, I feel like my system is exactly where I want it.
I have subscriptions to streaming services Tidal, Spotify, and Qobuz. I also have a couple hundred digital files located on an iPad. I stream all of this through a Wiim Pro which I operate with Wiim’s great (if not quite excellent) iPad app.
I feed the Wiim Pro into a Schiit Audio Bifrost 2/64 DAC via digital coax and optical TosLink (I prefer the coax). I also have my Mac Mini plugged into the DAC via USB. That’s one of the cool things about the Bifrost — It has three separate inputs which makes it super flexible. The signal from the DAC goes into a Jottunheim, also from Schiit, which is a headphone amp and preamp. When I listen through my old — but still awesome — Grado SR125 headphones this is where the signal ends. To listen to music without headphones the signal continues its journey from the Jottunheim to two Gjallarhorn amps (they’re from Schiit, too), one for each speaker. All of the connections from the DAC to the amps are made with balanced XLR cables. My speakers are Klipsch RP-150Ms.
The entire system — including the speakers — sits on a desk that is 48 inches wide by 27 inches deep. This is what’s called a nearfield listening experience. The speakers, measured from their centers, are about 38 inches apart. I sit about the same distance from the speakers. The Klipschs are toed inwards maybe about ten degrees or so, with the goal of aiming them directly at a space just behind my ears.
Pretty simple. Maybe $2,500 total based on list prices at time of purchase. The iPad was my dad’s that I inherited. The most expensive component is the DAC, which was intentional. I did not want to skimp on the DAC. In my opinion, that is the make-or-break piece in an all digital system. That and the transducers (speakers, headphones).
Tidal and Qobuz
Tidal has become my preferred streaming platform. I’ve spent a great deal of time trying to see if I can tell a difference between the same song on each platform and I cannot. There is a lot of chatter online about how Qobuz’s sound quality is slightly better than Tidal’s but this has not held true for me. Plus, and this is not insignificant, Tidal’s catalog and UI are better than Qobuz’s. Also, and perhaps more significant still, the Thrill Jockey label is not on Qobuz. Some of my favorite music is on that label (Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, Rose City Band, Marisa Anderson). Because of that, I do not plan to renew my Qobuz subscription when it comes due.
Spotify
Spotify is not something I listen to at my desk, but when I am away from home I use it exclusively. Hi res files are really only hi res when the whole system is wired. Bluetooth technology is not quite there yet. Plus, to really appreciate high fidelity audio, regardless of the source, it is important to do so actively, with a good system in a quiet room. Outdoors, airports, cars, coffee shops, etc, are all noisy environments and I would wager that the gain in quality of hi res streams is lost in those confines. Plus, Spotify has fewer drop outs due to poor cell reception when I am out and about.
Schiit Audio
When I first started seeing the Schiit Audio name pop up in hi fi columns I’d read, I truly didn’t think it was a tongue in cheek joke of a name. I thought probably it was a European company, maybe Dutch or Belgian. Not even close. Turns out it was started in 2013 by two industry veterans (one of whom was instrumental in early digital to analog conversion technology) in California. The name was coined by co-founder Jason Stoddard’s wife in reaction to Jason always saying, “I have so much shit to do!” when he was trying to get the company’s first products ready for launch.
I like their general philosophy. No unnecessary switches, features, knobs, or buttons. And no skimping on crappy internal components or design elements that really do matter in the end. Consequently, their stuff is almost old school in the sense that there are no displays on any of their products. The volume knobs are actual potentiometers that don’t rotate infinitely. Everything is made out of metal. Switches and knobs feel substantial. And they’re products are routinely very well reviewed and “punches above its weight” is a common phrase used. And many of their products have five year warranties, which is largely unheard of these days.
Conclusion and update
I wrote this post up to this point probably almost a year ago and kind of forgot about it. So here I am about a year later and it’s still spot on. As I hinted at, I did terminate my Qobuz subscription. Other than that, everything above is 100% accurate and, most importantly, I am still thoroughly happy with the system and would not change a thing.
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