Schiit Bifrost 3 adds modular control—and starts $100 lower

Schiit Bifrost 3 adds more ways to control and upgrade the desktop DAC while lowering its starting price by $100. Pre-orders are open at $699 in black and $729 in silver, compared with $799 for the outgoing Bifrost 2/64, with shipping expected around the end of October 2026. The $10 pre-order charge is a refundable deposit credited toward the full purchase price.

Mesh replaces the True Multibit design

Bifrost 3 moves away from the outgoing model’s True Multibit architecture. Its new Schiit Mesh system combines what the company describes as a proprietary time- and frequency-domain optimized digital filter running on SHARC DSP with an ESS ES9039 serving as the delta-sigma modulator.

Forkbeard turns the DAC into a control hub

The included Forkbeard module adds volume adjustment, parametric EQ, balance, loudness, system control, and over-the-air firmware updates. That lets Bifrost 3 operate as a DAC, digital preamp, and EQ rather than handling conversion alone.

• Inputs: USB through Unison 384, coaxial SPDIF, and optical SPDIF
• Outputs: RCA single-ended and XLR balanced
• Maximum input rates: 32-bit/384 kHz over USB and 24-bit/192 kHz through the other inputs

Existing Bifrost 2 owners have two upgrade paths

The input and DAC cards slide into the unit and can be replaced. Schiit says earlier Bifrost 2 analog cards will work in Bifrost 3, while the new Mesh card can also upgrade a Bifrost 2. Forkbeard is the dividing line: adding it to the older model would require replacing the chassis, motherboard, and card, so owners must choose between a Mesh card upgrade and the complete Bifrost 3 control system.