My intuition was right! Well, off by a month! Guess I have one of the last BF2’s.
I’ll be watching for the comparisons!
PS…Crap!
I would not worry too much about it. Enjoy what you bought. I have one too, rebought a BF2 to replace one I sold. I have had, and have better DACs now, but I really like the sound profile of the BF2 - that’s why I rebought one, so not in a real hurry to upgrade. I’ll wait to see what others have to say - want to make sure that visceral slam/punch wasn’t traded away.
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My thoughts exactly
@Delta9K Thanks for the reassurance. I just had the feeling that something was
about to change with the BF or that it would be unavailable somehow. Turns out I was right…kinda, lol. It does have a special flavor that seems to make everything simply more enjoyable. The fact that others use it successfully with so
many other amps is one reason I purchased it. Based on the few headphones I have I feel any adjustments to sound profile lie there and not with the BF 2. 
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NEW Bifrost 2/64
https://www.schiit.com/products/bifrost-1
" Featuring Schiit’s Unique True Multibit™ — and NOS
Like all Schiit True Multibit products, Bifrost 2/64 uses completely unique D/A converters and our proprietary time- and frequency-domain optimized digital filter. In the case of Bifrost 2/64, four DAC8812 D/A converters—the same basic chip used in Yggdrasil Less is More—do the conversion, while the digital filter is implemented on an Analog Devices SHARC DSP. You can also choose non-oversampling mode (NOS) to bypass the digital filter entirely."
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wow didnt expect this at all…$300 upgrade
all the description about using the LiM Yggy chips and NOS mode has me on edge…its worth it, right?
D/A converters. The original Bifrost 2 used two Analog Devices AD5781 18-bit D/A converters, and the current Bifrost 2/64 uses four Texas Instruments DAC8812 16-bit D/A converters.
NOS mode. Bifrost 2/64 gives you the option to turn off our digital filter and run everything straight thru in non-oversampled (NOS) mode.
the site faq says its entirely DIY
Jason’s latest update is that once the firmware is updated, you can swap between the old and new boards and the firmware will detect which is which and act accordingly. Not clear whether you can use NOS with the old board, though.
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Confirmed that the new firmware enabled NOS mode on current Bifrost 2s
Quick update: the new firmware for Bifrost 2/64 DOES also enable NOS mode for the current Bifrost 2.
So, I will be putting this up on the site later this evening, after Tyler and I have discussed the subscription pricing model for our new firmware update.
update: it’s all the way live: Firmware | Schiit Audio
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Does anyone updated their BF2 OG and tried the NOS mode?
Some users in other forums reported updating the firmware but there are little to no sound impressions.
I have upgraded my firmware, but cannot perceive any definitive differences. The differences might exist, but I either cannot perceive them or my system cannot resolve them. I honestly have never been good at telling differences between DACs or DAC filters, though. Only time I could tell there were obvious differences was when I upgraded from my Modi 3+ to Bifrost 2.
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I upgraded but dont have much to immediately say, my desktop setup is very forgiving so these changes (like the inverse polarity button) might take some time to realize.
Hope the Bintendo 64 upgrade is more obvious
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Managed to update mine.
Too earlier for sound impresions.
NOS: Sounds brighter.
OS: Sounds warm.
I could tell the differences because Im using the soloists 3xp in power amp mode with the dt1990 pro.
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May be in my mind but I agree, NOS (on my tube amp) was a little more fatiguing which may have been from some upper range brightness making my low level headache worse
So, I have been using the BF2 in NOS he past few days.
The BF2 in OS Is very analog sounding,warm, engaging, smooth, lively, and rich vocals. But I find myself licking NOS more. I think the depht and staging is about the same, I like the extra brightness added which also adds some grain in the teble.
My question is regarding the amp pairing. I think the BF2+ Soloists 3xp make a good warm sounding combo which many people might like. Im even using my dt1990 with A-pads for extra clarity and resolution.
Any BF2 + Soloist users who can share their experiences with this stack.
I have gone thru several dacs and down to three ATM.
Two or NOS dacs…and my preference leans towards the NOS side.
I love to take NOS into a small low cost Schiit Vali 2 +.
With high impedance cans, like the ADX 5000’s at 420 ohms the match is magical.
Great choice with the new NOS capable Bifrost 2 upgrade etc…
Alex
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Got the upgrade module in just a bit ago, got it installed and updated the firmware. Don’t have much time, since I have to get ready and go to work, but I have gotten to listen to a couple of songs. I want to be very cautious here, but I want to say that the background is noticeably blacker. Things also seen more closed in, but the new module could just need time to warm up to fix that. Should also note that I’m starting my evaluation of things in NOS mode. Going to leave it there for a few days to let my brain adjust and then turn it off to see if can tell a difference. Will report back more once I have more time.
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So, now that it’s had all afternoon/evening to get up to temp, the closed in, claustrophobic feel to things has indeed gone away. It might still be a touch less wide than previously, but if it is I wouldn’t say that it’s significant. I’m also still cautiously saying that the BF64 module gives a cleaner, blacker background…but I reserve the right to rescind that given more time.
As for my impression of what it sounds like, and keep in mind I’m starting all of this in NOS, I think it loses some of the BF2’s warmth and a bit of the punch down in the bass. But it seems to have traded that in for a bit more in the upper-mids and lower treble. I’ll leave it to @WaveTheory to give it proper terminology, lol. But I was noticing it particularly with guitar strings and pianos. This really is just first impressions though, and is based on less than an hour of total time with it.
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The Head-Fi BF2 thread has a few posts about people having some issues with playback with the upgrade 2/64. My unit is working fine. I created this spreadsheet:
to compile info about the BF2/64. Working or no, please consider filling out the spreadsheet. My hope is it puts enough info for Schiit in one spot so they can find potential patterns about what works and what doesn’t in one place. Thanks!
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I’ve had my BF 2 about 2 mos. Whatever the reason, today my whole rig just came alive with amazing soundstage and presence. (finally settled in?) Live club music is almost holographic. What a treat!
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