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

I wonder if they'll offer a remote control upgrade for the Ragnarok.

 

Thanks for putting that in perspective. I will get the Freya for the flexibility. That way any changes I can make to the system, Freya can handle.

 

The volume changing mechanism is identical with the new preamps. They wouldn't have to change the pot. However they would have to add in an infrared receiver though. But if you look at the internal pics of the Ragnarok, the control board is separate from the rest of the amp. They also don't have to change the entire chassis but just that strip of metal with the indicators. Not super cheap but it's doable.

 

Jason seems to indicate that they'll eventually add a remote to the Ragnarok:
"Ragnarok is hardly a desktop amplifier. If you're using it on your desk, you have a huge desk—or you have much greater patience than I do about how much crap you'll tolerate on your desk. It's really an old-school integrated, designed to be put in a rack. Yes, it's a headphone amplifier. And yes, it's a speaker amplifier. And yes, it really should have a remote. We'll get to that. Eventually."

 

I interpreted that as rag 2 will have a remote

 

Yep, that's exactly how I interpreted it also.

 

Nope, would need power to run the relays and microprocessor control for them.

 

Rag 2 will certainly have a remote. Upgradability isn't outside the realm though. I took a look at the front panel and you can definitely squeeze in an LED indicator and an infrared receiver.

For Saga it means it has a combo of tube and SS, like the Vali 2. While the Freya has an output that has no SS, like the Valhalla 2. The JFET output in Freya is something different, its similar to the output of the Yggdrasil.

The passive part might still work if you shut the preamp off. It will just stay fixed at whatever was you last input and volume setting. of course the relays probably need some sort of constant voltage to stay switched so it's not likely.

 

So a single balanced output on Freya . It really would have been cool to have an additional passthrough XLR line out to connect Jotunheim.

Can we speculate on the new, new Schiit? Yggdrasil and Gungnir Multibit updated with dual balanced outputs, AES/EBU input on Gungnir Multibit and AES67 in on Yggdrasil?

 

I am curious about one particular off-label use for the Freya. What about using high impedance headphones for the tube stage? There aren't too many all tube, balanced OTL amps out there. I wonder how 600 ohm headphones wired with dual XLRs sound with this.

Yeah, I was thinking about that too. Although it's only really an issue if you have balanced sources like the Gungnir or Yggdrasil. You probably don't gain much if using something like the Modi MB.

Probably use an XLR cable splitter if you are really bothered by it. I was going to suggest an XLR A/B switch but those are surprisingly expensive.

 

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Yep, I was also looking at the splitter devices (vs simple y-splitter). Given the cost of a totl balanced source etc. they're actually not too bad. The potential issue with a simple y-splitter would be impedance changes and voltage drop if I am correct?

I have no 2 channel gear to speak of, so I'm kind of glad I have some time before Vidar ships to figure out what to do. My 2 channel situation will be in the den - a smallish room - so with some efficient speakers it may just end up that Yggdrasil and Raggy II (with remote) is actually the ticket for me.

 

So does this mean that the Freya is the least coloration preamp for the Yggdrasil?

 

The least coloration would be to go completely passive with either preamp. Whatever would be the least colored for Yggdrasil would have the least color for anything I presume. Although it seems like any option you use is very low distortion, including tube output.

That's what I like about Schiit, they really try to use things the way they are meant to be used. Tubes don't have to be high distortion devices when used correctly.

 

This is how I benchmark coloration:

I am able to connect the Yggdrasil directly to my Yamaha HS8(these studio monitors have volume pots on the back) via balanced XLR. This is the most "naked" you can go.

With the Audio-gd Master 9 Preamp(adj. gain) chained up between the Yggdrasil and HS8, there was just a very slight drop in detail at Low Gain and a little bit hotter sounding at High gain vs the above "naked" connection.

I will be getting the freya and will see how it compares to the master 9 and the naked connection.

 

Isn't the least coloration not to use a preamp at all and use a stepped attenuator instead? Don't relays have some electrical noise associated with them (maybe it's too small to matter)?

 

Well I was referring to configurations of Schiit preamps. But you are right that a stepped attenuator would probably have even less noise. Although not so much from the relays which operate on DC voltage. I would think you get much more from the transformers themselves as well as the microprocessor.

The least color would be to skip the preamp completely and just connect directly to the amp. Set the speakers up outside and then get closer or further away to control the volume.

 

I am guessing that not all dacs have strong output voltages like the Yggdrasil. Which if you plug other dacs directly into an amp will produce less than ideal results, even with passive analog volume control mechanisms in place.

 

In that long chapter, he said: "And phono? Yes, there are tons of turntables out there. And we already have the Mani phono preamp. And if we wanted to do an even better phono preamp, it's better to devote an entire, much larger box to that functionality. One box, one function gives you a better chance that that single function is well-served. Or at least that's how we see it."

I hope they _do_ want to do that!