NOT: Theory on the new Schiit

I swore Jason has stated multiple times that 1) they will never be a tubed ragnarok (not possible due to some inherent characteristic of the amp's architecture) and 2) ragnorak will always be their flagship amp. Unless he's taking back those words, I believe that anything new will just coexist with rag. But that post you quoted from 3 days ago... Hmmmmmmm.

 

My guess is that the Ragnarok will remain (at least for 2016) at the top of the Schiit amplifier product line, serving a dual role as both a headphone amp and a 2-channel amp. Note that in Jason's 4th & 5th points above, he states why bother if the new 2-channel amps don't put out a lot more power and cost less than half of the Ragnarok.

Of course, keep in mind Jason's other point where he wrote that the new amplifier topology "can stretch from the 2-channel world to the headphone world pretty easily."

I guess time will tell...

 

Pretty sure he also mentioned it was the best sounding and best measuring topology they'd heard?

 

Yes... see my post from earlier in this thread:

 

Things change, things improve.

 

Sometimes the two are seperate.

Thanks Obama.

 

Pretty sure we were talking about Schiit amp topology here though. As much as Obama belongs in a discussion about schiit...

 

A standalone tube stage.

Nobody knows why old instruments actually sound better than new ones, they just do. Maybe similar for tube sound.

 

This might sound offensive but have you even read through the thread before guessing? The device is entirely digital as stated by Jason.

 

Well Yes I have.

It was indicated that the change in sound is in magnitude between Transducers and Amplifier. It was further stated that this will be "a Gadget." That leads to presume that it is a standalone item that can be added to existing systems. Ragnarok will be the flagship amp, and Schiit would not want to disappoint the customers that just shelled out a bunch of dough on that. Also, they cannot take away sales from the DACs by creating a competing product.

Furthermore, "the seed to this gadget was planted when I was wondering as a young blue grass player why old instruments sound better than new ones." That fact is universally known among musicians, yet science cannot quantify why that is. Otherwise there would be millions of stradivarius copies and they would sound the same. With tube it is somewhat similar. It is clear that Schiit believes that the Wyrd improves the sound of the DACs. Critics say that

Also, this is an entirely new gadget that in such form did not exist or was ever created before. The LISST are solid state tubes, so why not design a gadget that adds the "tubiness" to digital files. Schiit seemed to have some interest in adding tube capabilities to the Ragnarok, but because for cooling and some other reasons that was unfeasible. Having a standalone item like that would satisfy the demand for such a tube option on the Ragnarok and maybe tons of digital and solid state people would like to add some tube sound to their systems. It could be connected between source and DAC.

And finally Jason said this device will be digital, but that does not necessarily mean that it is ENTIRELY digital.

 

Hmm, but people have tried to do digital tube effects already. This is supposed to be teh awsum new.

 

mcsteve come on don't be a pedant. digital but not entirely digital? that's like Bill-P telling a girl he's straight but not ENTIRELY straight

 

As a fellow bluegrass musician I can definitely attest to what has been described by Jason. I have played a $20,000 instrument and sat across from a guy with a $50,000 instrument. The key to the effects he described have to do with physical properties, especially relating to resonance (Air volume, loading of the instrument top, un dampened back, etc). What is so curious to me is that while what makes an instrument amazing is tied to these physical (AKA analog) factors, the new product will be digital. Maybe the design concept is tied to resonance as a factor in euphonic/realistic sound.

 

While it's fun to speculate what Schiit may be working on, it will probably still be quite a while before we find out. One thing most of us can be certain of, is that whatever Schiit designs or comes up with, it will give us something to look forward to and probably kick-ass.

 

watching everyone squirm in this thread is fun.

And yeah, I'm sure a 2-channel dedicated power amp is on the menu from Schiit. Jason hasn't built any monoblocks in years so I'm sure he's getting that old feeling. All the cool kids are going back to speakers anyway. Just to be sure:

You want to release a Schiit Thor monoblock

 

Just build two amps and put them in the same chassis for spacial convenience.

 

Hmm - how about a multifunction unit. High-end DAC, High-end Amp, Decrapifier, an all-in-one.

Or just take a page from @OJneg and use some Փչ Ĵĕđĭ Ϻĭŋď Ʈŗĭċᶄᵴ չՓ

(yes I am stealing your pic @OJneg )



Either way, whenever Schiit comes out with a new product, most of us are like this:



And yes, I am stealing @ultrabike 's pic too (gosh I love this pic)

 

But with Schiit, that kid would only be throwing about a quarter of that amount of cash.

 

Come again?
http://schiit.com/products/ragnarok
Also, double-posting isn't necessary when we have an edit button. The more you know™.

I am very excited for the two-channel products as Emotiva is the only serious gear in my price range and it's still super-huge and unwieldy for someone in an apartment. There is such a lack of reasonable preamps as well. I hope that this analog push might include a more deluxe phono stage, perhaps something in competition with the Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ and other sub-$1000 picks. I know I can count on Schiit not to come out with one unless they can make a very strong value proposition.
The Gadget/Manhattan Project is, of course, of great interest to me.
They absolutely smashed the digital side of things in 2015. Here's to more of that with some analog punch in 2016. Overpriced manufacturers, live in fear. Especially with more ads in Stereophile and the like.