Schiit Audio has opened pre-orders for the Schiit Bifrost 3, a ground-up rebuild of the company’s long-running modular DAC. The new model keeps the familiar chassis and transformer of the outgoing Bifrost 2, but replaces nearly everything else: a new motherboard, a dedicated DSP card, and reworked input and analog boards, all built around Schiit’s newer Mesh™ conversion topology instead of the True Multibit architecture that defined Bifrost 2 and 2/64. Every unit now ships with the Forkbeard™ preamp and EQ module included as standard, and pricing actually drops: $699 in black, $100 less than the model it replaces.
Schiit Bifrost 3 Trades True Multibit for Mesh Conversion
Where Bifrost 2 and the later Bifrost 2/64 relied on Schiit’s ladder-based True Multibit DACs, the Schiit Bifrost 3 switches to Mesh, the hybrid topology the brand first developed for its flagship Yggdrasil Singular. A time- and frequency-domain optimized digital filter runs on a SHARC DSP, feeding a single latest-generation ESS ES9039 chip that’s used purely as a delta-sigma modulator rather than a conventional DAC-and-filter combination. Schiit says the result measures better than even its own multibit designs: THD+N comes in under 0.00015% (-118dB typical), signal-to-noise exceeds 125dB, and crosstalk is rated at -128dB across the audible band. An AD4898-based analog stage handles current-to-voltage conversion and filtering, feeding RCA outputs at 2V RMS single-ended and XLR outputs at 4V RMS balanced, both at 75 ohms.
Forkbeard Adds Preamp and EQ Duties
The headline addition is Forkbeard, Schiit’s over-the-air-updatable control platform, bundled with every Schiit Bifrost 3 rather than sold as a separate accessory. It turns the DAC into a full digital preamp, with volume control, parametric EQ, balance and loudness compensation, and – paired with other Forkbeard-enabled Schiit gear – system-wide control across an entire stack. An IR remote ships in the box for source selection, phase inversion and mute, while the Forkbeard module itself displays real-time information about connected sources and outputs. Firmware updates arrive wirelessly, so new capabilities won’t require sending the unit back to the factory.
Unison 384 USB and a Modular Upgrade Path
Digital inputs cover coaxial and optical S/PDIF, both good for 24-bit/192kHz via an AK4118 receiver, plus Schiit’s own Unison 384 USB-C input, rated to 32-bit/384kHz and fully isolated electrically and electromagnetically from the source – no drivers required across Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS or Android. True to the Bifrost name, the DAC and input boards slide in and out: Schiit confirms that both Bifrost 2’s original AD5781-based analog card and the later 2/64 board drop straight into a Schiit Bifrost 3 chassis and work correctly, while existing Bifrost 2 owners can retrofit the new Mesh analog card into their own unit via an SD-card firmware update, rather than buying a whole new DAC.
More on the shared Mesh/Forkbeard platform can be found in our coverage of the Schiit Jotunheim 3 headphone amplifier, which offers an optional Mesh DAC card of its own.
Pricing and availability
The Schiit Bifrost 3 is available to pre-order directly from schiit.com now, for a refundable $10 deposit, with the balance due before shipping. Full pricing is $699 in black and $729 in silver, including the Forkbeard module and remote, plus shipping and any applicable taxes. Schiit expects the first units to ship by the end of October 2026. The DAC carries a 5-year limited warranty and the brand’s standard 15-day money-back guarantee, less a 5% restocking fee, and is designed and built in the USA at Schiit’s Corpus Christi and San Antonio facilities.
Key specifications
- Conversion: Schiit Mesh™, SHARC DSP-based digital filter feeding a single ESS ES9039 used as a delta-sigma modulator
- Analog stage: I/V conversion and filtering via AD4898
- Inputs: Coaxial S/PDIF and optical S/PDIF (24-bit/192kHz via AK4118), Unison 384 USB-C (32-bit/384kHz)
- Outputs: RCA single-ended (2V RMS) and balanced XLR (4V RMS), 75-ohm output impedance
- Measurements: THD+N <0.00015% (-118dB typ.), S/N >125dB, crosstalk -128dB (20Hz-20kHz)
- Control: Included Forkbeard™ module (digital preamp, parametric EQ, balance, loudness, OTA updates) plus IR remote
- Power supply: 100% linear internal transformer, 11 stages of regulation, separate digital/analog supplies
- Dimensions and weight: 9 x 6 x 2 inches, 6 lbs; power consumption 15W
- Finishes and pricing: Black ($699) or silver ($729); 5-year limited warranty
