[US Blues]

Today I welcomed the newest member of my audio system- the Schiit Gungnir DAC. Gungnir is the spear of Odin, which never missed its mark. This has replaced a Cambridge DacMagic (with the upgraded Pangea power supply), which is now happily making my bedroom system sound better.

For those who don't know Schiit (yes, the name is pronounced that way), they are a young company started by a couple of industry vets who decided to build high-value gear, meaning great sound quality and design for the dollar. By selling internet direct they keep prices lower than if they were selling regular retail. While some may decry this approach, as a value-conscious consumer I appreciate being able to buy quality gear direct without the mark-up. Plus, the unit is upgradeable, meaning in a few years time Schiit will offer new DAC/analog stage boards as technology evolves. The DAC can be purchased with or without USB capability, and the USB board can be added later if needed. I got mine without USB, as I will use it with my OPPO BDP-93 and on rare occasion with my MacBook via toslink.

The Gungnir is solidly built, with a very clean design in aluminum, one front panel button to select inputs and a white led to indicate input, and another led to indicate difficult-to-clock sources. On the back are inputs- USB, to slink, RCA digital coax and BNC coax; and outputs- 2 sets of single-ended RCA outputs, and features a true-balanced analog audio stage with XLR connectors. The Gungnir also uses a built-in power supply, no wall warts or extra boxes.

Cold out of the box the Gungnir is far superior to the DacMagic in every way- frequency extension top and bottom, inner detail, spacial placement and resolution, with a more relaxed and musical presentation. For a few months earlier this year I had a friends PS Audio Digital Link III in my system, and while I cannot compare the Gungnir to it directly, what I am hearing reminds me of what the DL III offered sonically in my system, which I enjoyed and inspired the quest for a new DAC. As I have listened the last few hours the sonic signature of the Gungnir has gone through a few changes, and early user reviews online indicate a 200 to 300 hour break-in period, so lot's more listening before I know the true nature of this DAC.

So far I am very pleased with the new sound of my system, going much deeper into the music! Happy to answer questions and I'll be back with updates as the Gungnir breaks in.