Schiit Ragnarok 2

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Vtory, Feb 12, 2019.

  1. ofilippov

    ofilippov Acquaintance

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    you've got me thinking about this
    And also, I recalled that with headphones everything was fine. Small edit: I listened to the headphones when amp was on the table, and the DAC was sitting next to it, not on the top.

    Spent more time listening on medium gain today. It's clean as it should be! And driving Kefs quite good! Shit, I'm really sorry for posting misleading thoughts. The amp is cool! Am I an idiot? I regret to admit that it's true to some extent.

    I didn't notice it as I switched to higher gain, listened for a minute, and switched back promptly as I believed that it was bad. However, when I posted my first post about the rag, I clearly heard some harshness on the top of the spectrum. And some of my friends preferred the lowest gain. It's considering I didn't tell them what I changed and what to expect. Tried switching back and forth multiple times back then. I honestly don't know what was causing the issue, but I think part of the problem was that the equipment was sitting on the floor stacked on top of one another with nothing in between. Also, I changed crappy SMPS to sbooster on the source as well since then. And some other things. I guess, the distortion was just more audible on higher gains at that time.
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2021
  2. Grattle

    Grattle Friend

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    I am considering a R2 purchase. I will be using a separate sub woofer amp and running my full range speakers on the R2. What equipment do most R2 owners use for crossovers to split off the lower frequency signals for your subs?
     
  3. Grattle

    Grattle Friend

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    Is th R2 overpowered for a BK20 kit from Madisound using the FE208E Sigma?
     
  4. ofilippov

    ofilippov Acquaintance

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    I think I’d be fine. Let’s just say you have many options with those drivers’ sensitivity.

    I’d probably go with Aegir, or SE tube integrated for speakers with ~94+Db sensitivity.
     
  5. Ambugaton

    Ambugaton New

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    Hi friends. I got a pair of Buchardt S400's recently and have been quibbling between getting a Freya+ and a Vidar or a Ragnarok 2 to power them with. I also have a Bifrost 2 and a Mani. Does anybody here have experience with both of these combinations and could tell me which they think I would prefer? I mostly listen to John Zorn but that is a wide genre in itself. I like a lot of fairly heavy music like his jazz-metal bands Simulacrum and Moonchild in particular but a lot of "softer" stuff too like the Dreamers and his chamber ensembles. ATM I would have them in an open plan area with a lounge and kitchen, so I was leaning towards the extra watts provided by Freya/Vidar but I will probably be moving to a smaller place in the future and so probably wouldn't need the extra power and could make good use of headphones with Rag. I have read on here that people find the S400's to be power hungry and so they prefer Vidar, even though it is older tech. I have read a couple of reviews though where the reviewers paired S400's with Ragnarok 2 and found it to be an excellent pairing so I am left a little perplexed over which way I should go. I need to decide soon since I ordered Freya and it is due to ship at the end of this month. If I wish to cancel it and order Rag I need to let Schiit know ASAP. Thanks!
     
  6. Yethal

    Yethal Facebook Friend

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    I had the S400 loaner for a few days paired with Rag 2. I returned them after a few days because a difference between them and Fyne F500 I had at the time was too small to justify the cost. After I returned them I talked to a friend of mine that also auditioned them and told me you have to dump much more power into them in order to squeeze full performance.
     
  7. Ambugaton

    Ambugaton New

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    Thanks for your reply, Yethal. I did read your post, and rlow's reply to that. I was wondering if the speakers weren't burned in enough when you had them or if they really do just need more power. Reading the thunderdome shootout multiple times made me more interested in Rag due to it being newer tech. I've been going back and forth between them, unable to make up my mind. I emailed Schiit asking what they thought and was recommended Freya/Vidar but he admitted that he had never heard the speakers. He suggested buying both and sending back the one that I liked less but I am in New Zealand so shipping is expensive. Really sucks being at the bottom of the world and not being able to just audition them... I'm slightly less enthused about messing with tubes the more I read about them too. It's a shame that Schiit discontinued the Freya S. I did get an email from Schiit this morning saying that I could get Freya+ in black so there's that going for it.
     
  8. tranq

    tranq Friend

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    Hi, I cant comment on your speakers, but with the 3 sets of speakers ive used with Vidar and Ragnarok I much preferred Ragnarok. KLH Kendalls, Zu Omen DW, and Magnepan LRS. I also dont have a Freya.

    I have used Ragnarok as a pre into Vidar with the LRSs and the Zu. Bifrost 2 as a source.

    Ragnarok had good bass, well defined and articulate. Vidar has that plus a steely grip that conveyed more heft, authority, and impact. Not worlds of difference but more noticeable.. Vidar also has more power.

    As far as the mids, treble, depth, soundstage, separation, detail, and overall listening experience is concerned....I thought and still think that Ragnarok trounces Vidar and does it handily. You hear so much more of the music with Ragnarok. Its all woven together in a richer, more complete package. Extra points for the HP functionality, and all in one appeal. From my current viewpoint, Rag is an easy choice.

    I bought Vidar with Saga OG and Loki back in Sept 2018. I bought Ragnarok in Sept 2020. Vidar really improved with Ragnarok as its pre vs Saga OG.

    I think Ragnarok being a balanced differential amp helps overcome some of the power issues. If you have a balanced source you get an extra 6db of gain over SE. Its a detailed sound. Ragnarok is also far quieter of an amp than Vidar.

    Last Edit - I looked up your speakers, 89 db efficient? 8 ohm?

    Ragnarok will hit 105 db at 64 watts, and vidar will hit 108 db at 128watts. you dont gain much headroom with Vidar, how often do you hit that SPL anyway?
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
  9. Ambugaton

    Ambugaton New

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    Hey tranq, thanks so much for your thoughts. It is very helpful to hear a different viewpoint on this. I really am more attracted to Rag2 from what I have read about it. I was just hesitant about going with Rag based on the discussion between Yethal and rlow regarding the Buchardts and what I was suggested by someone at Schiit.

    The s400's are actually 4ohm and specced as 88db efficient, though I have read they are more like 86. Apart from the Magnepans, the speakers you mention are much higher sensitivity. How did you find it with the Magnepans? I honestly don't listen at particularly loud levels. I don't have a lot of knowledge about these things but my personal feeling is that I probably wouldn't miss the extra power from Vidar. I do appreciate grippy bass but I'm definitely not a bass head. My tastes are tending increasingly towards jazz and music that I think would be best suited to something detailed and articulate. In this, I do think that Ragnarok would provide a sound closer to the palette that I want.

    Ultimately, maybe I just bought the wrong speakers but I have read multiple reviews that indicated that the s400's and Rag do pair extremely well.

    I think I will just go ahead and get Rag after all. If I find they are not the best match I can always sell the speakers on and look for something different I guess, probably no big deal in the long run. Thanks again for the input!
     
  10. tranq

    tranq Friend

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    Hi, sorry I misread your post looked up the stats for the wrong speakers, the Fyne F500.

    I love Ragnarok with the Maggies. If i am able to get my way the LRSs are my preferred speaker, but that setup takes up more of the room, less space for my kids to play.

    Honestly I put Vidar into protection driving the maggies way more then I do with Ragnarok. 5 to 1. It could be the 11 ga cables dont like Vidar.

    The maggies and Ragnarok is quite the pairing from my point of view and usually use SE off of Bifrost 2 so i can put a loki in the chain.

    I think that Ragnarok does far better as a preamp into Vidar than my OG saga does. When Saga drives Vidar, its almost like some parts of the music were stuck behind a curtain in the back of the stage, but that could have been a tube deal. At any rate I think the preamp section of Ragnarok is fantastic, because I thought it was a vast improvement into Vidar compared to Saga. I do know many people that love Freya +, so its likely Freya and Ragnarok are closer in SQ. I typically dont listen very loudly, steady around 75 db. I listen to a wide variety, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, rock, pop, world, rap, classical etc.

    Also, dont sleep on the HP amp portion, seriously, Ragnarok with budget hps like HD6XXS and a balanced cable is really great.
     
  11. Ambugaton

    Ambugaton New

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    Oh right haha. interesting to read nonetheless. Do you feel that you need Vidar with Ragnarok or is Ragnarok alone enough?
     
  12. Mike_WI

    Mike_WI New

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  13. nilov

    nilov New

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    Hi everyone.
    Anybody tried Rag 2 like preamp with Aegir?
    Any impression mayby?
     
  14. Jigitz

    Jigitz New

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    Hey All,

    Has anyone successfully connected a Rel sub to the Rag 2 using the high level inputs?

    I am getting constant hum from my sub when I switch over to headphones and disengage the speaker amp.

    I have the “just an amp” version and I do not have a grounding lug. It has been suggested to me to connect the black wire from the Rel sub to that post but since I don’t have it that’s not possible.

    Since I don’t have this grounding lug is there any other options you guys can think of?

    Thanks!
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2022
  15. MellowVelo

    MellowVelo Friend

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    I’m hoping that somebody can help me understand the gain structure on the Ragnarok 2. I see on the spec sheet that the Rag 2 has a low-gain setting of 2x on the balanced headphone output. If I’m understanding this correctly, the amp will double the voltage with single-ended input/balanced output (for instance, 2 volts becomes 4 volts). If I use a balanced input of 4 volts (which is already double the voltage of a single-ended input), will the Rag double the voltage once again to 8 volts, or does it keep the voltage at 4 volts?

    In other words, is the low-gain setting with balanced input/balanced output effectively a unity gain?

    @schiit Jason, can you possibly answer this? Thanks!
     
  16. ofilippov

    ofilippov Acquaintance

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    Yes, I'm using T7i for a while.

    You could get to the ground by plugging black wire to any RCA cold (outer) contact (careful, don't fry your amp by shorting ground to the hot signal!) or by unscrewing any screw and attaching the wire to the screw (I checked it, it's short between those points and ground terminal). I actually have that grounding terminal. And according to REL you have to put the black wire to the ground when using balanced differential amp.

    But it won't help you to get rid of the hum in the scenarios when you switch to headphones, or changing source (a second while switching), or switching between gains (a second while switching), or just putting the amp to mute. To me, the last one is real PROBLEM. I need to stop the music via mobile app all the time. Even when I have a call, which is suboptimal, to say the least.

    So either I don't understand something, or this is just the amp's design. You could also contact REL, they're quite helpful. Will probably have to wait for an answer though. I didn't ask, I rarely listen to headphones. And I just turn the sub off when I do.
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2022
  17. Jigitz

    Jigitz New

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    Ofilippov, yep, you are having the same issues as I am - it sucks.

    It's definitely not a nice pairing. Earlier this afternoon I decided to give in and tried another sub that I have that has line in inputs where by I connect all 4 cables to the rag. This works. I have no hum issues when I disengage the speakers. I tried all of the grounding options you mentioned including undoing screws and that did not work.

    This amp just doesn't play nice with Rel and/or I have some ground loop issues that the pairing does not like.

    I will add before I made the switch the amp definitely shorted. I was listening on the louder side and it just turned off and went into protection mode. Not having that black wire connected correctly must have caused this.

    I am just going to sell the Rel and get a JL sub that has the line in option as well as pre-out connections.

    That said I heard that if you use the pre-amp outs with a sub it will not turn off the sub when the headphones are on. Is this the case? Kind of a really weird design choice by Schiit on the if true.
     
  18. Jigitz

    Jigitz New

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    Hey Y'all,

    Looking for some advice.

    I am running the Rag 2 with my Sierra Luna speakers which are 8 ohm and have ~86db sensitivity.

    My Rag goes into protect mode when I put into high gain and then set the dial to about 2 o'clock. It is somewhat intermittent and mainly happens when gaming. Is it that my speakers are not a good fit with the Rag 2 or do I possibly have a blown op amp or component? I also tried different speaker cables as well as my monitor audio Radius 90 (also 86db sensitive) speakers and same thing occurred.

    I have it connected to my Bifrost 2 and am using the SE pre-outs connected to my sub that is being controlled on/off with a sys. Could the sub be causing this? It's all on the same circuit and power strip.

    All of that said, and considering I tried different cables and speakers, is it possible that my Rag is shot and needs to be sent in for repair or are my speakers just too demanding? I know that at this volume it is pretty loud but I do use it like this often. Also, I got this used and has happened since I got it with this setup. Prior to this I had a Jotunheim 2 and Vidar and never had this happen. I really like the sound of the Rag 2 more so I really would like to keep it.

    Any thoughts or recommendations are greatly appreciated.
     
  19. Alcophone

    Alcophone Acquaintance

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    My Ragnarok 2 reliably goes into protection with a particular song because it has a DC offset at a particular point. The woofer movement made that very obvious.
    If it's always the same game, it could be an issue with a particular sound file used by it, I'd try to rule that out.
    If it's more random than that I'd contact Schiit about it.
     
  20. Jigitz

    Jigitz New

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    Yea, it seems to only happen when playing this game. I haven't really had issues so much while playing music. I am thinking it is safe to say I am clipping the amp with some specific sound.
     

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