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The tour of guts 'n' glory.


As per propaganda the Bifrost's main board with the power supply, LEDs, switches, connectors and output stage is piggybacked by two readily dismountable boards, one the optional USB input receiver/processor, the other the main D/A converter.


The trickiest part about reassembling the chassis is the input selector actuator. It's a loose disc that's held captive solely by being wedged between the actual switch and chassis cut-out. You'll probably knock the thing off its perch a few times whilst slipping over the grey metal insert before you pull it off. Small price to pay for upgradability and staying on top of the game.


Here's the mother board section hidden beneath the USB module. Essentially it's the 192kHz Cirrus Logic 8416CSZ digital receiver chip.


Here's the belly of the unseated USB module with its daddy long-legs contacts...


... and topside with the two discrete clocks for 44.1 and 88.2kHz (surprisingly no 176.4 for USB) and 48/96/192kHz.



Next are two views of the main digital board with AKM's 32-bit processor...


... plus sundry bits and bobs...


... and a passing glance at the FET-based output stage.


How would all this come together in sound?

Enlarge!