[520RanchBro]

  Rule #1 of audio: you can't have too much power.
Rule #2: see rule #1.
 
I'm sure I've gone over this in detail in several chapters, but the bottom line is: if you can have extra power—without the downside of noise—there's no reason not to have it. 

I guess I'm more curious how power plays into sound quality beyond providing enough volume. I'm thinking this may have been touched on slightly in previous chapters so I'll do some digging. I'm sure it's more than just wattage but voltage, output and input impedance and the type of headphones (electrostatic, dynamic, planar). Just trying to discern why a headphone could be considered under-powered when the amp used could drive it far past listenable levels.

 

[reddog]

Allow me to add another one: Having all the power it can get makes Ragnarok future-proof. Who knows what the next stupid-hard to drive HE6 will be?

This said, I too am uneasy having so much power at the tip of a knob...

I need to get a HE-6 and see how well the Ragnarock will make that can sing.

 

[MWSVette]

I need to get a HE-6 and see how well the Ragnarock will make that can sing.

I bet that would be a great combo...

 

[StanT]

  Rule #1 of audio: you can't have too much power.
Rule #2: see rule #1.
 
I'm sure I've gone over this in detail in several chapters, but the bottom line is: if you can have extra power—without the downside of noise—there's no reason not to have it. 

The trouble with too much power is ...  ummm   ...  that you'll try to use it?
 
 
My PSB Imagine Bs are 4Ω and rated for a 20-100W amp. They sound wonderful connected to a Ragnarok, rated to 100W @ 4Ω.  What could go wrong?
 
I noticed one hell of a lot of speaker deflection while cranking "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", thought it would make a nice picture. Set up a tripod, slow shutter, then cranked it a few more clicks, just because.
 
The protect circuit in Ragnarok works as designed, apparently the PSBs drop a bit lower than 4Ω as you approach 100W. Tripping the protect circuit does nasty things to sound quality, even when it resets itself. Pull the plug, wave it in the air for a minute and all was fine.
 
To be fair, the volume knob was nearly to 5 o'clock and I was past ear-bleed volume levels.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

With great power comes great responsibility.

 

[AudioBear]

Lol. Very subtle! Or am I reading more into it than intended?

 

[senorx12562]

Lol. Very subtle! Or am I reading more into it than intended?

Or you've never read spiderman comics or seen the movies.

 

[taxiq]

I need to get a HE-6 and see how well the Ragnarock will make that can sing.

I think you would be pleased, but am not sure they would surpass your Ether's .  .  . which is the direction I am headed from the HE6's.
 
In any event you might give Sky Music, Kondonassis (Telarc) a spin in your chill out chair.
 
gl

 

[AudioBear]

Or you've never read spiderman comics or seen the movies.

Is that even possible?  

 

[landroni]

 
And the mystery? The mystery is why Stereophile could not reach our numbers for power output and THD. This is something that's difficult to guess about, since I wasn’t in the Stereophile lab to see how they were testing the product. As I have noted in 2015, Chapter 12, getting good, repeatable measurements is by no means a certainty.

Did you get back the unit from Stereophile? I was curious if you were able to redo the measurements as expected at Schiit HQs, or if it was likely a defective unit...

 

[sludgeogre]

 
Did you get back the unit from Stereophile? I was curious if you were able to redo the measurements as expected at Schiit HQs, or if it was likely a defective unit...

I'm very highly doubting it was a defective unit. The problem with the Stereophile review is that they were measuring the Ragnarok as if it were any ol' regular class A amp, well, it's not, so the same logic doesn't apply to it. The Rag was designed to make music sound awesome, not to make test tones sound awesome.

 

[tonykaz]

Hello Mr.Reddog,
 
I just returned from touring your neck of the woods, the Venice Area.   Your Intercostal is beautiful.  Someone put up a Sign declaring Bradenton Fl. as home to the Worlds greatest Cavalli owner, wonder what that suggests?  
Anyway, I heard those HIFIman headphones ( rebadged as Goldmund ) in Switzerland.  They sounded nice.  A bit pricy at $10,000 but they do have that fancy Name. 
I'm buying a home near you, hope you don't mind.  I'm a much nicer neighbor than a headphone person.  I didn't have time to visit Bob Katz in Orlando who manages to drive his Audeze Closed Xs with his iPhone. hmm. 
 
My wife will need a personal assistant, are you up for that kind of challenge?  I fired her last PA, the guy was a no-good, lying bum.  She's trying to hire me back but I'm having none of: changing her lightbulbs and all those other things she demands.  Un-fortunately she'll be joining me in Venice.  I won't say it's the chance of a lifetime but it will be an unforgettable experience ( probably in a bad way ), can you tolerate preaching and nagging? 
 
Tony in Michigan ( for now ) 

 

[swannie007]

Tony my friend I hate to break it to you but by marriage your are by default her unpaid, unappreciated lifetime PA.

 

[tonykaz]

Mr.Swannie,
 
I cringe from reading your assessment. 
 
After Fifty ( 5 oh ) years of this, aren't I deserving of a brief sliver of Freedom before they plunk me down in Oakwood Cemetery? 
 
I want a Red Convertible and a Vespa motor scooter, I want to wear tattered clothes, grow a beard and go native.  I want to be a Bon Vivant for the rest of my days. Not a care in the World. At peace, finally. Swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, buying Beers for folks. What could be wrong with that?   I'm weary from being a genteel Spouse to a Elderly Minister, I wanna cut loose a bit, open up my vocabulary to the vulgar, start talk'n like Donald Trump is free to talk. I wan't people to say that I retired and went to the Dogs.  
 
Thanks for trying to help.
 
Tony in Michigan 

 

[reddog]

Hello Mr.Reddog,

I just returned from touring your neck of the woods, the Venice Area.   Your Intercostal is beautiful.  Someone put up a Sign declaring Bradenton Fl. as home to the Worlds greatest Cavalli owner, wonder what that suggests?  
Anyway, I heard those HIFIman headphones ( rebadged as Goldmund ) in Switzerland.  They sounded nice.  A bit pricy at $10,000 but they do have that fancy Name. 
I'm buying a home near you, hope you don't mind.  I'm a much nicer neighbor than a headphone person.  I didn't have time to visit Bob Katz in Orlando who manages to drive his Audeze Closed Xs with his iPhone. hmm. 

My wife will need a personal assistant, are you up for that kind of challenge?  I fired her last PA, the guy was a no-good, lying bum.  She's trying to hire me back but I'm having none of: changing her lightbulbs and all those other things she demands.  Un-fortunately she'll be joining me in Venice.  I won't say it's the chance of a lifetime but it will be an unforgettable experience ( probably in a bad way ), can you tolerate preaching and nagging? 

Tony in Michigan ( for now ) 

Venice is a nice town, and I have thought of relocating there. I hope we can run into each other, once you get located in Venice.