Schiit BIFROST User manual

UPGRADABLE DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTER
IN NORsE LEGEND, BIfROsT Is ThE fLAmING RAINBOw BRIDGE
CONNECTING AsGARD TO ThE EARTh (mIDGARD).
YEs, RAINBOws, hA hA.
TELL ThAT TO ODIN AND sEE whAT hE ThINks.
I DON’T ThINk YOU’LL BE LAUGhING AT hIm.
BIFROST
OwNER’s mANUAL

Welcome to Bifrost! Well, technically Bifrost is
more a conduit than a destination. But let’s get
past that. In Norse mythology, Bifrost is the
bridge that connects the land of the gods to the
common world—that is, where you and I live.
Which side is which for the Schiit Bifrost? We’ll
let you speculate on that.
INTRODUCTION
whAT’s IN ThE BOx
(1) Bifrost
(1) Power cord
(4) Stick-on feet
The following is required by the roughly 9,542
government agencies and regulations we have to
comply with. If you have some common sense, they
should seem pretty straightforward. In any case, read these
instructions before proceeding farther, follow all instructions,
and heed all warnings. Or else!
1. If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a
qualied professional to help.
2. Never use this device near water, and clean only with a
dry cloth.
3. Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation
openings, or place near heat sources.
4. Use only the supplied power cord or suitable replacement.
Route cords away from trafc areas and protect them from
being pinched. Unplug the cord from the outlet if the apparatus
is unused for a long period of time.
5. To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an
extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be
fully inserted.
6. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Service is
required when the device has been damaged, including cord or
plug damage, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into
the device, the device has been exposed to rain or moisture,
does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE.

GETTING sTARTED
1. Connect Bifrost to your source and your amp
or preamp. You’ll need RCA-to-RCA cables to
connect the Bifrost to your amp or preamp, and a
digital cable or cables (coaxial, Toslink, or USB)
to connect your sources.
2. If you are using USB and have a Windows
computer you may need to download the USB
drivers from schiit.com/drivers. Instructions for
installing the drivers are provided on the website.
3. If you are using a computer source, ensure it
is set to output to the Bifrost. Sometimes PCs
and Macs get confused and want to use internal
speakers, or your powered USB headset, or
whatever.
4. Select your source using the button on the
front panel. And enjoy your music!
ABOUT UPGRADEs
Bifrost is upgradable via modular DAC/Analog
and USB Input Cards. Upgrades can be
purchased on the Schiit website. All cards
must be added or changed by authorized
service personnel.
USB Card. When signicant changes happen to
USB technology, we can easily keep pace with
an updated USB input card.
DAC/Analog Card. We’ll announce selected
upgrades when there have been signicant
changes in technology—or, in other words, we
won’t be starting a D/A chip-of-the-month club.
If you’d like to be the rst to know about
upgrades as they become available, sign up
on the SPAM link on our site.

1 Input Select. Press the button to cycle through
Coaxial, Optical, and USB inputs.
2 USB Input LED. When this is lit, the USB input
is selected.
3 Optical Input LED. When this is lit, the optical
input is selected. Pretty simple, huh?
fRONT CONTROLs
4 Coax Input LED. When this is lit, the coaxial
input is selected. You probably already knew this
by now..
5 How Come These Holes Don’t Go Through?
Hey, you try getting FCC-friendly radiated noise
on a DAC that has vents in the cover. Go ahead,
try. But hey, they look cool, right?
IN
OUT
upgradable
discrete
24/192
32 bit D/A
SCH04E
000001
230VAC 12W
caution: risk of electric
shock— do not open.
no user serviceable
parts inside
1
2 3 4
5

1 RCA Outputs. Connect to your preamp, head-
phone amp, or integrated amp. Use SYS, Saga,
or Freya if you need volume control for a speaker
amp or powered monitors.
2 Coaxial Input. Connect your coaxial output
source with . . . wait for it . . . a coaxial cable!
3 Optical Input. Use a standard Toslink cable
to connect to the optical input. If you’re using a
digital source with a combined headphone jack/
Toslink jack, use a Toslink with a 1/8” plug on
one side, and a standard Toslink on the other.
REAR CONNECTIONs
4 USB Input. Use a standard USB A-B, 2.0-rated
cable 2m or less in length to connect.
5 Power Switch. Up is on. Down is off. It doesn’t
go sideways.
6 AC Input. Plug the power cord in here. Plug
the other end into a wall outlet of the correct
voltage. Trying to run a 115V unit on 230V will
result in a blown fuse, no music, and a void
warranty.
SCH-04
00000001
115VAC 12W
1
23
4
5
6

I hear hum from Bifrost. What do I do?
Bifrost’s noise floor is insanely low, so it’s most
likely a ground loop. To x a ground loop, try a
HumX or a ground loop isolator.
Hey, this thing clicks between songs/between
inputs/etc!
Yes, it does.
Care to explain why, smartass?
Sure. That’s the muting relay engaging when
there’s no input. Many computer sources turn off
the digital audio output between songs and when
changing sampling rates. We went with a muting
relay because it’s the best way to ensure there
are no clicks or pops when the input is unlocked.
But it does click a bit.
My Windows computer doesn’t see the Bifrost
via USB, what’s up?
You may need to download and install Windows
drivers. Go to schiit.com/drivers to get them.
How do I install the Windows USB drivers?
Follow the instructions at schiit.com/drivers.
fAQ
I installed the USB drivers, but Windows still
doesn’t see the Bifrost—what’s up?
You may be running into USB port power
management problems, bad cables, or any
number of other things. Go to schiit.com/faq/
dac-problems and schiit.com/faq/usb-problems
for troubleshooting.
I don’t get any sound from Bifrost!
Are your sources on? Check those rst. If you’re
using a computer source, ensure that your
computer’s sound output is set to go to the
Bifrost via SPDIF or USB in BOTH your Control
Panel/System Prefs AND your player software.
Can I leave Bifrost on all the time?
Sure, if you want to. It won’t hurt anything.
It doesn’t turn on, what do I do?
Plug it in to a different AC socket. Ensure you are
not currently in a blackout. Then email us if it
still doesn’t turn on.

5-YEAR LImITED wARRANTY
Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for
ve (5) years from the date of purchase. If a defect covered by this warranty occurs during this period, Schiit Audio will repair
the defective product, free of charge. Date of purchase will be based on customer receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing
will be used.
If you believe you need warranty service, contact us rst. Schiit Audio products sent back to us without a Return Authorization
(RA) will be returned to the sender without repair. To contact us and obtain an RA, email [email protected].
Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is modied or tampered with; (b) is damaged by
negligence, accident, unreasonably use, or other causes unrelated to defective materials or workmanship, or (c) has had the
serial number altered or removed.
Any implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and tness for a particular purpose, are hereby limited in
duration to the warranty period of 2 years. In no event shall Schiit Audio be liable for consequential or incidental damages
resulting from the breach of any implied or expressed warranties. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not
apply to you. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or province to province.

sChIIT.COm
[email protected]
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Modications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to
operated the equipment under FCC rules.
Application for Council Directives 72/23/EEC, 89/336 EEC
Conformity declared for EN60065, EN55022 Class B, EN50082-1