[eugenius]

I've not discredited Self's designs, I'm simply not declaring either the better piece of gear. That is, not until I've heard the Rag.

Automatically assuming the Schiit gear would lose is ignorant, if you're not ignoring Jason and team's experience and prior offering's. That's all I'm saying.

Way to answer without answering. Why don't you become a lawyer?

 

[drez]

Quote:

 
That means it has a brain

lol
 
Quote:

 
The DC level is the DC offset that needs to be kept in check or it will fry your dynamic headphones.  Many amps use an opamp based servo to keep the offset in check as it tracks the output.  This is the same except more fancy as it can track more things at the same time and cut off the output should the offset get out of control. 
 
The current is the current through the output stage.  Many manufacturers have done this in the past such as Krell with their "sustained plateau bias" so the amp can decrease or increase the current running through the output stage depending on what it going on.  If the load is not a problem then more current can be pushed through without overloading the heatsinks.  More current is always better. 

Interesting, I had some idea that quiescent current had to do with the biasing but wasn't sure what purpose the microprocessor would serve.
 
Quote:

Quiescent current is idle current. The microprocessor lowers it to keep from frying an egg on the heat sink case when nothing's playing.

If you're reasonable with your speaker choice (real 95dB and up) you can use it at 100dB levels with reasonable headroom for peaks.
But if you have that kind of speakers you already have some tubes laying around.

Yggdrasil could be way more interesting than Ragnarok IMO. If the REDACTED stuff means programmable filters and proprietary multibit dac's, it's GREAT value. If.

Still, the real Schiit is the Asgard2. Hats off for that one. Needs a black version.

thanks for the information x2.  I was kind of hoping that it would be something more exciting 

  

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

More quiescent ain't always better.
Read one of Douglas Self's book on power amplifier design.
The short version of the answer to the question what is optimum quiescent current is...........it depends. Normally quiescent current is adjusted to reduce THD, etc, etc.
Really it's a complicated subject.

 
In some cases that is true but not here.  We know exactly what the amp design is based on the old Sumo designs and by tearing the Mjölnir apart.  In some rare cases the actual amplifying components are also a factor here as some only behave when run on the edge. 

 

[paradoxper]

Quote:

Way to answer without answering. Why don't you become a lawyer?

Answer? I surely responded to you.

 

[Cristello]

More complex topology does not always a better amplifier make. As many have said before, Implementation is everything.
IMO, resurrecting an enigmatic topology seemingly much ignored by the mainstream and improving upon it is quite a interesting feat. I am sure there is advantages to both designs mentioned, but neither is any suitable example of poor engineering.
 
Besides... going into a review of an amplifier's capabilities with such heavy bias is surely a self-fulfilling prophecy of epic proportions.
I agree with ParadoxPer's response and would like to see this argument revisited in a stately manner...
 
once both parties have HEARD these amps in question.
 
Dismissing this new Schiit off-hand is a disservice to Jason and the rest of the Head-fi community.
Everyone should get a chance ('cause that's what keeps prices low[!!!]).

 

[commtrd]

Will be deeply interested to read reviews of these amp/dac stacks when they are actually released and people can start really assessing them. I do suspect that they will be exemplary if based only on the performance of the Mjo/gungnir stack I have now. Proof is in the listening!

 

[kuhchuk]

Pfft.  Who needs to save up for a car when you can save up for more audio gear (says the guy who's still using a $50 pair of Sony's as his primary cans). 
I'm definitely gonna try and get a Modi/Magni stack soon (with some new cans, of course) and if I like what I hear, I may try to buy the Ragnarok / Yggdrasil combo some years down the line.

 

[FraGGleR]

Quote:

That's indeed the point, give the GS-X Mk2 some competition as the best SS amp there is.  Two very different approaches to the same problem.  We are finalizing some new DIY offerings to up the ante even further so fun should be had by all. 

Can't wait for the DIY offering to come out!  

 

[holland]

Quote:

We are finalizing some new DIY offerings to up the ante even further so fun should be had by all. 

what????  that's awesome!  haven't seen much activity in the diy section, it's a graveyard there.
 
schiit, it looks awesome on paper.  i can't wait to see and hear the final product.

 

[David Chavez]

Hearing is believing. And I can't wait to believe in this product   Just wished it was smaller.
 

 

[M-13]

Quote:

Hearing is believing. And I can't wait to believe in this product   Just wished it was smaller.
 

It's only 30 lbs.... each!

 

[kevin gilmore]

Quote:

what????  that's awesome!  haven't seen much activity in the diy section, it's a graveyard there.
 
 

 
you must be looking in the wrong place
 
Quote:

It's only 30 lbs.... each!

 
 
I know of some desktop speakers that are 100 lbs each.
It should be easy to build a 350 lb executive desktop system.

 

[FraGGleR]

Quote:

 
you must be looking in the wrong place
 
 
 
I know of some desktop speakers that are 100 lbs each.
It should be easy to build a 350 lb executive desktop system.
 

Then you would definitely need that wooden behemoth of a desk that you linked to earlier.

 

[mab1376]

Jason,
 
Whats you feelings on external PSUs?
 
do you feel its a waste of time, or just a low cost/benefit ratio since none of your products have one.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Quote:

Jason,
 
Whats you feelings on external PSUs?
 
do you feel its a waste of time, or just a low cost/benefit ratio since none of your products have one.

 
Ha. Really both.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/603218/schiit-mjolnir-headphone-amplifier/2715#post_9546647
 
Bottom line:
 
1. With proper transformer design and PCB layout, there's no benefit in terms of hum and noise. And 2-box designs can actually be worse in this respect if stacked (see the link above.)
2. You want the regulation to be as close as possible to the circuit you're regulating, not in an external box. Of course, you can have an external box without regulation, and regulate locally.
 
but the biggest reason:
 
3. The chassis is usually the most costly part of a design. In some cases, it can exceed the cost of everything inside the box (usually not, in the case of our products, but when you go fancy, bring a big wallet.) So why double the chassis cost?