New Schiit / Preamps and Power Amp (was Putting the Schiit Signal Up)

Of course at a certain price point anything makes sense. Schiit are philosophically against DAC/amp combos but they still made the Fulla. They aren't too keen on D/S DACs but they still got them. If you are looking for a desktop solution that's ~$100 with plenty of power you'll have to look toward Class D. Brands like Topping, SMSL and Lepai are pretty popular and even Bottlehead has a Class D kit. As much flak as Class D gets, I'd say you will have a much better sounding system if you put $900 into speakers and $100 into Class D amplification rather than $700 into Class A/B amplification and $300 into speakers.

Not only that, but it's a good entry level. My current obsession with audio started with a $30 Lepai amp. If the entry level was $200 I would have just stuck with built-in speakers.

 

The mAMPs are rated into 4 Ohm loads. The Vidars running in mono mode aren't. That's a big difference.

Also, why is lightweight bad?

 

Given the pervasive use of Sigma-Delta A/D in the studio recording chain, and the number of active studio monitors moving to class D amplification, I've always found their objection silly -- if you really believe Sigma-Delta taints the signal, then the battle was lost long ago at the A/D converter.

Also, FWIW, the Dynaudio Focus 200 XD, an active speaker with built-in digital direct PWM amps, was recently slotted into Class A (Limited LF).

 

Why compete? You can buy Ncore chipsets. Or go with ICEPower. Schiit doesn't make their own DAC chips, either.

 

How many basic Hypex amps can you fit on a market?

I don't think there's much profit left when you can buy dual NC500 for 1099£ (equals less than $1200 when VAT is removed for outside EU).
http://www.nordacoustics.co.uk/products

It seems having a fancy input buffer is the only separating feature you can have.

 

Just because you are making a turkey with ketchup doesn't mean you have to put it through a meat grinder

And seriously, triple posting?! Just edit your previous post.

 

It's a good thing @baldr seems to find your objections silly as well:

Now think about it for a second... Surely reproducing with fidelity a recorded approximation (if you are interested in fidelity, that is) is a better outcome than an approximation of an approximation (AD and DA), or even an approximation of an approximation of an approximation (AD, DA and amp).

 

If the Freya and Saga don't use a motorized volume pot (and it would seem it doesn't from the comments from Jason and descriptions), does anyone know how the remote volume adjustment works?

Does it have a separate electromechanical pulley attached to the attenuator, similar to some 1970s receivers?

 

It flips the appropriate relays to adjust the volume electronically, leaving the physical volume control's position disconnected from the real volume. For safety purposes, in order to use the physical volume control, you have to turn it down below the current real volume before it will take control again. There's an LED that indicates whether it's being remote-controlled or physical-controlled.

 

I have a Mjolnir 2, so was looking forward to fully balanced to both the head amp and the power amps.

But it looks like Freya has only 1 set of balanced outputs, so it seems this isn't possible....

 

Sure it is. Buy a y-split xlr cable, cheap or fancy.

 

Good point.

Although isn't this going to lead to the voltage being cut in half, and therefore a -3 dB drop on each?

 

No. The amps are wired in parallel, not in series. Both the headphone amp and speaker amp should have high enough input impedance where this isn't an issue.

 

Since I am the Rando who ****ed up this nice thread, go ahead and boot me out. You have a fair objection to my guessing about differences between Jason and Mike: I should have been less personal. I figured they respect each other's views enough that it wouldn't be a problem...but I was reckless.

What matters? The achievements these two guys have made in the field. I've talked up their work before joining this forum, but it bears repeating. I hope Mike and Jason read this:

Mike Moffat and Jason Stoddard, together with their team at Schiit, have *revolutionized* the audio industry. For decades there has been massive damage to the goal of high fidelity for reasons well known. For anybody like me who believes that music is a vital part of society, those men have made a very important, positive change to the lives of people. As their company and reputation grow, so will their impact.

Not long ago, Zeos Pantera, maker of "Z Reviews," said that all consumer playback devices are toys. He's wrong. Sure, there is vast waste in the high end and among collectors. But for the average person who wants to listen to music on a basic system, hearing music well enough to get a strong emotional response is a positive, healing act. Jason and Mike set out to make music playback better for less money and waste. With extraordinary talent and effort, they did. If they keep at it, those great sounds will comfort more and more people.

I got into the business with lofty goals, hoping the work I did on the high end would affect the rest of the industry. I had to bow out after six years, so I can only admire those rare folks, like Mike and Jason, who keep at for the best of reasons. I've met them before but if I see them again, it'll be to say thanks, and give 'em a high-five.

 

Sorry but I have to call you out on your B.S.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/sch...-most-improbable-start-up/13485#post_12949542

And you take the opinions of Zeos Pantera, maker of "Z Reviews" seriously? Come on, this guy is worse* than GUTB in every way. f**k Z reviews, he doesn't deserve a mention at all.


*
O2/ODAC = Zenith? Wow!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/4kyg38/guide_dacs_headphone_amplifiers/

 

In the interview, Jason said it could be considered for a small, entry-level Schiit amp. Then followed the personal incident that I should NOT have addressed earlier. I know Jason doesn't like it for better amps...yet. His disparaging remark ("DSD8") was off the cuff.

That is another wrong assumption. I watch Zeos because he's entertaining, but also 1) to learn practical stuff about headphones, which I rarely use; and 2) to see where people are getting it wrong: opposition research. I like to hear what people think of dirt cheap gear, and how they express what they hear. And once in a while Zeos gets it right: for example wrt spikes.

 

Close this thread

 

jk...