Got my Gumby (Gungnir Multibit) for a few days.
I have a Chord Mojo and a Nuforce DAC-80 and I thought I’d compare Gumby with them so that it might help people who are also interested in these DACs.
The comparison between the three DACs is based on using Jotunheim’s amp section into stock HD800S.
(Gumby is running XLR input to Jotunheim, others are via RCA)
Soundstage & Imaging:- Mojo has a relatively small soundstage, its imaging is quite accurate but feels congested inside its soundstage.
- DAC80 has a larger soundstage with an excellent imaging ability. It creates a 3D-like experience.
- Gumby has a soundstage about the same width as DAC80, yet with deeper depth. It creates a more holographic experience. More on this later.
Micro-detail:
- Mojo is not capable of reproducing every last detail.
- DAC80 is significantly better than Mojo and obviously brings out a lot of details. Listening to DAC80 the first time brought out a lot of “Ah” moments for me.
- Gumby has the same details as DAC80, I can’t tell if it brings more details to the table, but is definitely more resolving.
Micro-dynamics:
- Being lack of micro-details already, Mojo is not in the contest with the other boys.
- DAC80 has a more compressed micro-dynamics, which means at first listen, it will demand more of your attention to showcase its micro-details. This creates a lot of “Ah” moments but when listened closely, these moments feel rather artificial.
- Gumby has more natural micro-dynamics. It doesn’t shout out details at first, but the way it transitions those details into existence is very realistic.
Dynamics:
- Mojo sometimes feel a bit shouty.
- DAC80 has much more breath in the music.
- Gumby has the greatest dynamics of the three and by a large margin. In fact, the dynamics is one of the biggest factors behind Gumby’s ability to make listening sessions emotional. It’s really easy to be pulled out of critical listening mode and just endorse myself in the music.
Tonal Balance:
- Mojo is a bit lacking in extension of both ends.
- Both treble and bass have a wider extension on DAC80 and Gumby, resulting in fuller vocal and deeper hitting drums.
- Tonally the DAC80 and Gumby are very much alike, both with a bit of a warmth to their sound, but Gumby’s sound has a finer finish to it. Chords struck sturdier, drums hit more solid, and the vocal has an life-like presence. Better slam/transparency/airiness/…. Better magic overall.
Overall impression:
- Mojo reminds me like a traditional 2D film with its accurate yet bland presentation.
- DAC80 feels like a nice 3D movie, even an iMAX 3D one with its larger soundstage.
- Gumby is like some holographic movie format not invented yet.
More On 3D vs Holographic:
- 3D movies have a sharp contrast between different objects of the scene: one can easily tell apart there are 3 or 4 layers in a scene, all the objects are installed on a certain layer, but there’s nothing in between, just one object floating above another. That’s the way DAC80 presents its sound.
- On Gumby, while you obviously can tell that one object is near or another is far, you won’t feel the disjoint between them. Focusing really hard on the space between two objects, you’ll still notice something happening between them, either there’s a presence of a floor or a hand or someone slightly shifting their position in a quiet corner.
Performance Ratio & Conclusion:
Actually, putting Mojo into the comparison is just for reference because of the popularity. It’s a fine portable gear, but desktop solutions are just in another league. On the other hand, the difference between DAC80 and Gumby is not really dramatic. Is it worth it? I’d say absolutely.
I know this sounds cliche, but for me, the sound coming from Gumby is like it’s drawing a perfect solid circle with consistent thickness and no wiggles found along the line. Imagine DAC80 draws up a circle just about the same size yet it comes with a little bit of wiggle and maybe 10% of variation in thickness along the course. That’s what the final 10% difference in sound feels like.
Really happy about this huge brick right now!
