[valiant66]

   
 
Quote:

Pic?

​Saga is now doing temporary duty until Freya becomes a reality. It will move to den.

 
Now that is totally le funny. A man so dedicated to his laziness he will stay up late building things so he can be lazy...
 
I do wish the pics had been larger, it took a while to figure out what I was looking at, whereupon I laughed. Out loud.
 
Cheers!
.

 

[mattlach]

Are you one of these kids by any chance?

Not dyslexic, just typing on a touch screen phone when I am used to a proper IBM Model M keyboard

 

[DougD]

 
 
$12. RF, Wifi not required. Can't be operated from your phone, which is unimportant in this use case. I use one like this to power cycle my ceiling mounted projector when it gets confused - something I would never need to do remotely using my phone anyway.
 
https://www.amazon.com/JTD-Auto-programmable-Electrical-Household-Appliances/dp/B013F9JJ72

 
I have a setup like this, with a red LED lightbulb attached. The wife has the remote control, upstairs. When I have headphones on and she want me to let the dogs out, she activates the do(u)g-light.

 

[Pandahead]

  Ah ok. I missed that. I know the feeling. I use a Valhalla 2 as a preamp. Awaiting the freya as well. How are you liking the saga?

Sonically as good as the Mjolnir 2 and obviously more practical. The stock tube buffer expands the sound stage and adds a little tube magic. It's not in your face. The RCA 5692 definitely makes for a wow factor. Rolling tubes in the Mjolnir 2 made for greater sonic flavor though, plus it has balanced input, so Freya will be a real treat. I gave up looking at new gear from all over after I bought a Lyr and learned Mike was working on an end game dac....so I waited, and waited. It was worth it. Then the Mjolnir 2 came out and LISST. It's fun stuff well made stuff that doesn't break the bank. You can always find a home for older Schiit gear too, den, bedroom etc.  

 

[AMRoberts]

   
 
Well, yeah, but standard line level is 2V right?  ...

 
I believe there are standardS, see:
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level#Nominal_levels
 
For a quick glance at the muddy history of consumer versus professional levels.  Also (with apologies to Pirates of the Caribbean), those standards seem more like what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.  Thus you have my venerable Hafler DH-110 preamp specifying a maximum output voltage of 14 Vrms, while the companion DH-220 power amp's specification is 115W of output into 8 ohms with 1.55 Vrms of input.  Perhaps my DH-110 manual has a typo in that spec (it has the look of something printed from master artwork that had been edited via cut-and-pasted typewritten bits in places), but other nearby numbers have decimal points where you'd expect them to be .
 
Needless to say I've never needed much from the preamp's volume control to get all the power I needed from the DH-220 in my small listening space.  When I first added a CD player to that  system, I used outboard fixed attenuators to get the CD into the same range as my older sources (your speakers and hearing are safer if your significant other doesn't always have to remember a large volume shift when a different source is selected).
 
Even in more modern times:
 
Maximum Output: 
Modi 2 and Modi 2 Uber: 1.5V RMS
Modi Multibit: 2.0V RMS 

 

[watchnerd]

   
 
Well, yeah, but standard line level is 2V right?  So one would imagine that they would optimize for say a 0V-2.25V range or so, in which case pinning your source at 2V would be the thing to do?

 
Right. Most consumer grade, non-portable CD players and DACs, for instance, typically put out 2V.

 

[watchnerd]

 
 
Maximum Output: 
Modi 2 and Modi 2 Uber: 1.5V RMS
Modi Multibit: 2.0V RMS 

 
Makes me wonder how many people think the Modi Multibit sounds better than the other Modis because it puts out more voltage, i.e. is louder....

 

[mattlach]

Right. Most consumer grade, non-portable CD players and DACs, for instance, typically put out 2V.

And your comment reminds me of why my thinking goes this way. I've never owned anything not consumer grade.

 

[mattlach]

I believe there are standardS, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level#Nominal_levels

For a quick glance at the muddy history of consumer versus professional levels.  Also (with apologies to Pirates of the Caribbean), those standards seem more like what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.  Thus you have my venerable Hafler DH-110 preamp specifying a maximum output voltage of 14 Vrms, while the companion DH-220 power amp's specification is 115W of output into 8 ohms with 1.55 Vrms of input.  Perhaps my DH-110 manual has a typo in that spec (it has the look of something printed from master artwork that had been edited via cut-and-pasted typewritten bits in places), but other nearby numbers have decimal points where you'd expect them to be .

Needless to say I've never needed much from the preamp's volume control to get all the power I needed from the DH-220 in my small listening space.  When I first added a CD player to that  system, I used outboard fixed attenuators to get the CD into the same range as my older sources (your speakers and hearing are safer if your significant other doesn't always have to remember a large volume shift when a different source is selected).

Even in more modern times:

Maximum Output: 
Modi 2 and Modi 2 Uber: 1.5V RMS
Modi Multibit: 2.0V RMS 

Yikes, that is quite a mess.

Sounds to me like the industry could use some ISO standardization.

 

[33na3rd]

   
 
Well, yeah, but standard line level is 2V right?  So one would imagine that they would optimize for say a 0V-2.25V range or so, in which case pinning your source at 2V would be the thing to do?

If you're spinning vinyl, your phono preamp would be putting out much less voltage than a DAC or CDP. I have two turntable set ups, the one puts out 0.60V & the other 0.88V. With my amp that has 0.89 volts sensitivity, they both sound good with a passive pre. With my other amp and it's 1.9 volts input sensitivity, the lower output phono set up sounds a bit anemic going passive. My DAC with 2.06V sounds good with either amp.

 

[FrivolsListener]

 
If you're spinning vinyl, your phono preamp would be putting out much less voltage than a DAC or CDP. I have two turntable set ups, the one puts out 0.60V & the other 0.88V. With my amp that has 0.89 volts sensitivity, they both sound good with a passive pre. With my other amp and it's 1.9 volts input sensitivity, the lower output phono set up sounds a bit anemic going passive. My DAC with 2.06V sounds good with either amp.

 
Your turntable needs to have the RIAA deemphasis curve applied, too.
 
OnTopic:  I would suggest a Schiit Mani or a Jotty with the phono-preamp option to properly level match AND handle the deemphasis.

 

[bigro]

+1 on the Mani
 
This guy does good reviews and I find him entertaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4PvNVBUQGY
 
This
http://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-6#pdRrktI7xj7FCXtc.97
 
And this
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/12/roll-your-own-vpi-nomad-with-pro-ject-and-schiit-audio/
 
"the Schiit Mani is the yardstick by which all other entry-level phono stages could be judged."

 

[JoeKickass]

  A Quick Holiday Update on Vidar   
 
In the end, it will look something like this:
 

 
 
Note that the heatsink reliefs on the top chassis may or may not end up making the cut…we’ll see, we’re still playing with the cosmetics a bit.

 
I hope you can keep the top cutouts over the heatsinks! They really do give it character and a more unique look!
 
Also quite like the look of the rear-end. (He said with a straight face)

 

[Baldr]

Yikes, that is quite a mess.

Sounds to me like the industry could use some ISO standardization.

ISO standards are generated by IIYIs (http://www.head-fi.org/t/784471/what-a-long-strange-trip-its-been-robert-hunter/1260#post_12969492).  These standards Gods generally have never engineered anything themselves or have any idea how to compete.  Their area of expertise is telling producers of equipment how to build it, regardless of cost to the end user.  The reason that our Modi and Modi Uber output are 1.5V is to reduce the sales price.  That output level is clearly posted on our website for both products, and does not affect its utility with other amps/preamps on the market.
 
Bottom line:  ISO standards assume that the ultimate client (whether he is a company or individual) is a moron who must trust a third party for input to his decisions.  In our industry, such standards do nothing other than raise prices.  I trust our users to make their best decision (whether they keep our gear or not) based on their own intelligence and market forces.  If I had to live with Coerced standards, there would be no way I could make DACs as competitively priced as I do.

 

[mattlach]

ISO standards are generated by IIYIs (http://www.head-fi.org/t/784471/what-a-long-strange-trip-its-been-robert-hunter/1260#post_12969492).  These standards Gods generally have never engineered anything themselves or have any idea how to compete.  Their area of expertise is telling producers of equipment how to build it, regardless of cost to the end user.  The reason that our Modi and Modi Uber output are 1.5V is to reduce the sales price.  That output level is clearly posted on our website for both products, and does not affect its utility with other amps/preamps on the market.

Bottom line:  ISO standards assume that the ultimate client (whether he is a company or individual) is a moron who must trust a third party for input to his decisions.  In our industry, such standards do nothing other than raise prices.  I trust our users to make their best decision (whether they keep our gear or not) based on their own intelligence and market forces.  If I had to live with Coerced standards, there would be no way I could make DACs as competitively priced as I do.

Fair enough, I appreciate your take on it!

I work as a Quality Engineer in an industry highly regulated by ISO-like standards and I know first hand how they can be a pain, but I've also found that they can pay off!

But wouldn't there also be benefits to the design on - in this case - the amp side, if you could assume - say - "line level" had a standard value and tolerance?

Just like - say - designing a DAC might be difficult if there were no standardized SPDIF, Toslink or USB standards. (Had to throw in USB there even though I know from the book how you feel about USB )

Im honestly seeking your opinion to help me learn, not trying to argue a point.