Schiit Ragnarok 2

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

  1. neogeosnk

    neogeosnk Friend

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    I may have had a bad unit, because mine sounded worse than my cheap amps. Sucks cause I liked everything else about it other than that.
     
  2. SnowPuppy

    SnowPuppy Facebook Friend

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    I would have contacted Schiit and/or used my warranty. Obviously it should not sound worse than the cheap amps. I can tell you that the Ragnarok 2 I heard sounded much better than the Magni 3.
     
  3. Maximillion

    Maximillion Acquaintance

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    Thank you.

    BTW, you're not disgareeing with me on resolution of the Ragnarok2... it wasn't me who mentioned it :)
    I have yet to hear it, but interested in it as a one box solution for amp, headamp and phono.
    For DAC i'll be sticking with my Gungnir MB as I love it.

    Sounds like I could actually also add the Freya+ later to the balanced input if I wanted to.
    I'll contact Mark to see if I can get a listen to the Ragnarok2 in High Wycombe.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2019
  4. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    I’m confused about this. The way this reads it sounds like the stepper is being used as a passive volume control/attenuator, but is that not effectively a preamp (albeit, a passive one)? Or is it some other design?
     
  5. Scott Kramer

    Scott Kramer Friend

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    Thanks @rlow, was thinking the same thing... is it purely passive when used as a "preamp", what happens if you try SE --> BAL if it's passive? And, does gain setting change this: 1/8/25


    Checked out Freya S/+ (point: is Ragnarok 2 pre one of those circuits)-->

    1/1/4 [passive/nexus x1/nexus x4]
    1/1/4 [passive/jfet x1/tube x4]

    Rag2:

    1/8/25 [gain low/mid/high]
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2019
  6. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    Correct, it is passive. And when all the way up, you have exactly one set of relay contacts in the signal path. THEN it goes to the Nexus stage.

    SE/Balanced and Balanced/SE is inherently handled in the Nexus stage. Nexus stage handles all gains.
     
  7. Azookey

    Azookey New

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    So if using as a pre amp, bypassing the nexus stage, will it not convert a single ended input to a balanced output?
     
  8. Azookey

    Azookey New

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    Just wanted to ask again. Does the *Ragnarok pre out convert single ended to balanced? Also is the output buffered or totally passive? I have a really low impedance power amp and doesn’t work well with passive preamps.
    Thanks
     
  9. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    How about asking [email protected]? And then be a good sport and let us know what you found out.
    :drunk:
     
  10. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    The preamp out is a preamp out, not passive out, meaning it goes through the Nexus gain stage. Which means it converts SE to balanced and balanced to SE inherently. And, since it's an active stage, the output impedance is a constant 75 ohms.
     
  11. Azookey

    Azookey New

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    Awesome, thanks for the info!
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Well it turns out that somewhere along the way, the amp may have gotten tampered with. There were several dents on the pot shaft in the setscrew. Could be possible the screw came loose and necessitating tightening it several times at different spots. However, the screws on top of the chassis were loose. Bias on one side was hot and the other was cold, looking like it may have been adjusted. I don't want to point fingers, but it is what it is. For all we know, it could have been the UPS guy. Seriously, stuff like this has happened before.

    It would make sense because some of the loaner impressions were wildly off from what I remember, with the Rag 2 being bassy and rich sounding. I still think the Rag 1 could have a bit better microdynamics though, but with a veil and too-smoothed highs. (The tonality of 1 and 1.5 differed though).

    I don't know if we should restart the loaner or cancel it. Let me process.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2019
  13. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    Actually it was hot on one phase and cold on the other for both channels. We bias each phase separately. Could it have gone out like that? Maybe, but unlikely, as it's checked twice in production.

    We could always send it back with tamper-evident seals, I guess...
     
  14. Scott Kramer

    Scott Kramer Friend

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    Interesting, now questioning what I heard... Please don't read into my adcom adventures as daring to adjust schiits nexus stage (if thats where the idea came from), I follow Jason's development posts! Also the top screws were extremely loose, actually finger tightened them- one was half out.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2019
  15. StageOne

    StageOne Friend

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    Thanks for the update and that's really odd. I'm also really glad what I had heard was not representative of the typical Ragnarok 2. When I received the amp, everything seemed ok physically, nothing loose.
     
  16. SnowPuppy

    SnowPuppy Facebook Friend

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    My Ragnarok 1 had an intermittent issue where the left channel would come in and out like there was poor contact on one of the relays or something. I know it was isolated to the amp. To make a long story short I sent it to Schiit for repair and they were not able to replicate my issue. So they replaced the boards and added new firmware. They clearly went out of their way to make it right. When I got my Ragnarok back from Schiit the issue was completely resolved and my Ragnarok seemed to sound better. Do you think I probably have a Ragnarok 1.5? What changes have you noticed going from a 1 to a 1.5?
     
  17. Josh83

    Josh83 Friend

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    What were your impressions of the differences in tonality between 1 and 1.5?
     
  18. zonto

    zonto Friend

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  19. Azookey

    Azookey New

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    I'm in the market for a strange combination of things. I have a couple low power class A amps that I want to drive with balanced inputs. I also am looking for beefier power amp to drive some more power hungry speakers. Also looking for a balanced preamp to control all of this madness (yes all in the same room).

    I was thinking Freya S/Vidar combo, but the Rag 2 looks like it can do the job plus a headphone amp to go along.

    Could you all recommend one over the other? Freya S/Vidar vs. Rag 2.

    Thanks
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Rag 2 actually sounds better, but lower power. If you have power hungry speakers, Vidar is better choice.
     

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