Category: Audio

Thirty years of research led to the “mega-combo-burrito” filter used in Schiit Audio digital audio players. Mike Moffat originally discovered the ATT Bell Labs paper on which it is based while he was working on DSP for oil reservoir seismic survey processing. Mike used this filter in his Theta Digital DAC products. Schiit reintroduced the filter in Yggdrasi in the roaring ’10s.

After debut in Yiggie, Schiit used this filter in each of its multi-bit (R-2R) DAC products. In 2026, this filter is now found in each music DAC offered by the company. Even little Vestri, a $99 dongle DAC/AMP combination. I’m a sucker for innovation so I bought Vestri.

The other thing I did this spring was to buy commercial streamers to replace the Raspberry Pi cobbler that was getting somewhat moldy. All were starting to experience strange stalls and other issues. Earlier, I auditioned a FiiO SR-11 stream receiver and found it a big improvement over the home brew.

But this article is less about my rig and more about how the DACS I have came to be. It is a long journey that begins with a fire, a fire at AKM’s Japanese foundry, sole source of the DACS Schiit had been using in most of its products. This forced a technical change that sparked strategic changes at Schiit. That’s today’s story pieced together from “Schiit Happened” articles at Head-fi.

Schiit’s Jason Stoddard introduced Eitr-2 with the usual flurry of marketing, a new post in Schiit Happened at Head-fi and an Ask Me Almost Anything session on YouTube. Eitr-2 is an update of an earlier product that cleaned up a USB digital input. The new one does the same, but this time with Schiit Unison USB Audio 2 replacing the C-Media USB audio device. Today, I’ll write about why one might want such a thing … in a word, new life for old DACS.

Both Schiit Audio and PS Audio provide this simple remote control with some of their products. It’s a simple but effective thing and the one shown here has survived 4 years of drops onto a hardwood floor. When that happens, the circuit board, secured by magnets, can be dislodged from the housing. It’s easy to fit back together. No self-respecting audiophile would put up with such nonsense and would immediately begin the search for a DIY mod to put an end to remotes gone MAD. There’s a simple cure offered and a bit of silly after the break.

I’ll make an assumption that the kids need shoes so budget is a concern. And I’ll make another assumption, that you are able to listen to music after baths and bedtime stories, so loudspeakers are out on space and familial considerations.

Modern headphones offer live concert detail without intruding on the household and do so at a price within reach of many.

For a million years I’ve been scowling at Apple Music and the iTunes Store as Apple sold lossy-compression renderings of all of the music offered. All of the gripes to Apple Feedback finally payed off somewhat with the initiation of Apple Music Lossless. An earlier article explained the switchology of setting up Lossless streaming and downloads. This article talks about the results. It’s simple, Apple Lossless delivers the Red Book original. Spatial and Dolby Atmos are another thing. It’s all about the mastering, who did it and their goals for the mix.

Apple now offers bundles of online service under the Apple One logo. Here at Dismal Manor we have

• Apple TV+
• Apple iCloud storage
• Apple News
• Apple Music

Since my storage plan was $10/month, Apple TV+ was another $10, and Apple News another $10, changing to Apple One Premier was the same out of pocket and allowed me to add Apple Music to the mix. Read on to learn my impressions of the new Apple Music Lossless offering.