Schiit DACs (Bifrost and Gungnir down, one to go)? The information and anticipation thread. - Page 22

Who's to say the balanced amp would be nearly as powerful as the Lyr is, or even tuned with the same impedance goals in mind? The Lyr was a purpose built HE-6 and LCD-2 driver that just happens to work with other headphones. The next amp might return to more mainstream needs, instead of the HE-6 nuclear reactor type power demands.

And Jason,

If we're early enough in the planning stages for the top end DAC I would love to see 2 sets of RCA outputs that are selectable with a button on the face. I use a speaker and headphone rig off of my DAC and it gets really old switching cables back and forth every time I want to use the other output method. I would imagine many people would use a top end DAC as their primary DAC for all music listening regardless of output method just like I am.

Thanks!

Chris

Maxvla,

 

I use something a little fancier than this on my balanced dacs that have balanced and SE outpout.  This way I have 2 outputs available at all times and no cable switching, one goes to my headphone amp and one goes to my speaker amp.

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/410689-REG/Lynx_Studio_Technology_CBL_XF2RM18_RCA_Male_to_XLR.html

I will bet 100.00 it will be a tube amp.

More and more curious here Does it even have I2S input?

Definitely 4-pin XLR out on the balanced amp. Dual 3-pin XLRs is a huge mistake in the past and shouldn't be repeated.

I agree but there is too much out there that won't comply with single 4 pin output.  It needs to be 3 pin.  Maybe both but not just 4 pin.

Fair point, and certainly a likely scenario. Like I said, I can't see Schiit cannabalising the Lyr so soon. I'm really intrigued by these balanced components. It makes resisting the impulse purchase of the Bifrost much easier.

Hey all,

 

Thanks for the input!  

 

To clarify, yeah, we're looking at input about the headphone outputs of a hypothetical balanced amp (the fact we're asking this is a clue how early we are in development.) We'd love to leave the dual 3-pin arrangement in the dust, if we can. But if we have to have them, well, there you go.

 

As far as this cannibalizing the Lyr--nope. Like I said, I'm a fan of balanced, but only balanced done right. Far too many "balanced" amps aren't really balanced, and use things like balanced-to-single-ended conversion, then run through a 2-gang pot, before going to the balanced output stage. Or they're a single-ended amp with a 4-pin connector. Or they're some awful quasi-bridge thing like you'd see in 1970s stereo amps. 

 

Balanced done right is costly--it requires a quad pot (which is not even listed in the Alps catalog anymore, but if you want to buy 1200+ of them, yeah, you can sweet-talk them into it) and real balanced circuitry from input to output. It also requires twice the current (at half the voltage) of a single-ended amp. And if you start getting into, say, circlotron output stages, you're talking about a complex power supply. I guess what I'm trying to say is, well, hell, balanced ain't gonna be cheap. 

 

To bring this more on the DAC topic, the middle (balanced) DAC will be a lot more than a balanced Bifrost, and it'll have a couple of new tricks that I guarantee you haven't seen before on other DACs on the market. So comparing it to Chinese-made, non-upgradable, 16/48 USB-input stuff just ain't fair. 

Thanks for elaborating Jason. Your engagement in this community is greatly appreciated and I suspect your company will continue to garner support with your refreshing approach. Kudos.

this is what i have been waiting for. :-) thanks!

take your time, and surprise us. you guys are certainly very good at that. :-)

time to start saving again...

 

Sounds great. There are not many balanced tube amps on the market, would be nice if you can come up with a new option.

I thought the 4-gang ALPS pots are still floating around on the web, not sure about the availability for big quantity though.

Good suggestion, but my speaker amp is always on since it is a vintage amp and has no remote. I'd have to turn it off in order to listen to my headphones, which is just the same as swapping wires. My dac and headphone amp, however are within reach of my recliner.

As much as it sucks for the people with 2x3pin stuff, it's really beyond the time to keep carrying this poor Headroom choice forward. They can always get their gear reterminated or recabled for 4 pin. Once everything is 4 pin, everyone is happy.

Absolutely agree! I'd have purchased an amp from Schiit for my IEMs if there was one available that could guarantee black background on very low impedance cans. I really like their style (both as a business, and artistically with their gear's looks) and hope to end up with multiple pieces of Schiit. It's a bright future for Jason and company and I look forward to what their entire lineup will look like when they have matured. Yesterday amps, today DACs.. tomorrow.. ??

Bah, you guys always give me an itch in my wallet, I've been looking for a dac *insert obligatory schiit joke here* :(