Take heed to our podcast interview with Schiit Audio co-founder Jason Stoddard concerning the Urd right here.
The rulebook. If the workers at Schiit Audio have seen it, they don’t care to learn it; at the moment’s announcement positively shreds any preconceptions of what a CD participant could be. The California/Texas firm’s new Urd CD participant is a CD transport: it accommodates no DAC of its personal. As an alternative, its rear-panel S/DPIF digital outputs – coaxial or AES/EBU – can be utilized to attach a third-party DAC to deal with D/A conversion. To date, so regular.
BUT! Subsequent to these S/PDIF sockets sits a USB-C output with which the Urd can hand off its digital disc learn to a USB DAC. To the very best of my data, no different CD participant on the planet (save this one from Shanling) can have, say, a Helm Bolt or Cayin RU-6 run as an outboard decoder. And but the Urd can.
The USB output is Schiit’s personal Unison USB know-how about which the press launch says, “Urd’s distinctive USB output was the main target of a number of person-years of growth at Schiit, so as to guarantee rock-solid efficiency and broad compatibility. Urd works with all UAC2-compliant sources and DACs which have been via Schiit’s testing; UAC2 is the accepted worldwide normal for USB audio, and is supported by all trendy working methods.”
The rulebook destruction doesn’t finish there. Urd additionally includes a pair of USB-C inputs for connecting a third-party community streamer or pill/smartphone for seamless switching between streaming sources and CDs. That is certain to fireside up these fascinated about evaluating the sound of a stream to that of a CD however it additionally means the Urd can act as a USB-S/PDIF converter – USB in, coaxial/AES out – or as a USB pipe cleaner – USB in, USB out. Marshaling this information routing complexity is a quad of 32bit microprocessors
And in case you believe you studied Schiit might need cheaped out on the inner elements to drag off this wizardry, know that the Urd makes use of a metallic CD tray and mechanism from StreamUnlimited, the ability provide is all linear and options two transformers, one in all which is devoted to the drive. Urd comes wrapped in a Freya-sized chassis (and with a Freya-styled distant) that’s made simply down the highway from Schiit’s Valencia facility the place Urd is assembled.
Worth? US$1299 in black, US$50 extra in silver.
Additional info: Schiit Audio
Pictures: Lee Shelly
