Loki arrives...

[Puma Cat]

I was in San Antonio attending a JMP user's conference this week, and in the meantime, my Schiit Loki arrived.

Loki....trickster god of DSD!

Anyway...I will be hooking it up tonight and posting pics and first impressions. I already downloaded my first DSD file (Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue)....stay tuned!

[Puma Cat]

Here's Loki!



I've got Loki all set up. Configured Audirvana to import my DSD files as proxies into iTunes, so that I can manage DSD files via iTunes (and my iPad! Cool!) and have Audirvana's control panel set up for playing DSD files.

Loki sounds GRRREEAATTT! Very quiet and natural-sounding with excellent spatial rendition, timbral colors, resolution, dynamic range, and detail.

For $149, you can't beat it with a stick!

Great way to dip a toe into the waters and see what this DSD thang is all about. Highly recommended!

[Ritmo]

Pretty cool Stephen. Great to see value in pieces like this.

[Puma Cat]

Definitely!

[jdandy]

Steve.......Good looking DSD component. The price is almost unbelievable.

[doggiehowser]

ps is that a volume knob?

[Puma Cat]

Doggie,
No, that is the bypass to switch between your regular DAC and Loki. You can connect the output of your DAC to the input of Loki, and when you want to switch back to your PCM-only DAC, you press the button to bypass the Loki circuitry. It's a simple-pass through. You don't have to use it, but it saves you using another input on your preamp if you're input-limited. You can still just connect Loki and your DAC individually to your preamp if you have enough inputs. Loki is single-ended only, no balanced outputs at a price point of $149.

You have to switch the source DACs in Audirvana and Audio MIDI Setup when you go from Loki to a PCM DAC and back if you are using another USB DAC (you will also need to have a separate USB cable going from your Mac to each DAC).

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Steve.......Good looking DSD component. The price is almost unbelievable.

Thanks, Dan.

What's unbelievable is how good it sounds for $149...I spent most of the night last night listening to it, and it improved in just that short time of burning it in. it sounds remarkably good.

Now, you can try out the new DSD content from Super HiRez, Channel Classics, Blue Coast Audio, etc. for only $149. See if it's a format that works for you.

You may know that Sony Music will soon be licensing content to Super HiRez in DSD file form. No more being limited to an SACD player.

[Puma Cat]

I spent considerable time listening to DSD files with Loki today, and I have to say I'm very impressed. The quality of playback I'm getting with this little DAC is, I have to day, pretty astonishing. I've got 36 tracks of DSD files now, ranging from Keith Greeninger to Illinois Jacquet.

Everything sounds absolutely fab on Loki.

[Pider]

So, does this outperform either the Wadia or Bifrost? If so, because of the source files?