[Jamiee]

The LS50's are generally considered by many (even KEF themselves) to be a passive studio monitor.
They are a very resolving "clear" sounding speaker - which is why people tend to either love or loath them...
 
I'm curious as to why you'd anti up for the ROK and another pair of quasi-studio monitors -- when you could just move up the speaker line by replacing your AX5's with a stronger pair of powered monitors?  (Take the money you'll be spending on the ROK and put it into the speaker budget).
 
 
I will admit, I have thought about a dozen times over the last six months about adding a ROK to my own setup - and each time I've had to give my head a shake 

  If I want better sound (aka. better speakers), then why not just go out and get better speakers!
Sure, there's more variety in the passive speaker market, but that's really about the only significant benefit I can see to the ROK...
(OK, yes there's the headphone amp too.... but 90% of my at home listening is done through my Focal powered monitors anyway, so...).
 
 
 
Not judging...  Just adding my own $0.02 

 

[BagelJoe]

Thanks for the input and $0.02. I think in totality, a good solid pre-amp will trump better powered speakers in this context. I'm not against saving money but I think in my set-up the ROK and new speakers will better serve me.
 
Ordered ROK yesterday so the die is cast. Will move powered A5X to another application in the house. Ordering LS50 based on all I've heard and read. Also talked with some other audio nuts who say it's the way to go.
 
The journey continues.
 
Thanks

 

[Jamiee]

  Thanks for the input and $0.02. I think in totality, a good solid pre-amp will trump better powered speakers in this context. I'm not against saving money but I think in my set-up the ROK and new speakers will better serve me.
 
Ordered ROK yesterday so the die is cast. Will move powered A5X to another application in the house. Ordering LS50 based on all I've heard and read. Also talked with some other audio nuts who say it's the way to go.
 
The journey continues.
 
Thanks

Yeah, the pre-amp side does have its benefits... to get around that with my monitors, I used a passive volume attenuator.  Works well enough and gives me volume control right at my fingertips.
 
Anyway, you'll have to post some photo's here when you get your new toy's set-up 

 

 

[BagelJoe]

ROK ordered Wednesday and just shipped today. Hope to receive next week. Looking forward to new fun.

 

[DiscoSmoke]

After hitting the Ragnarok's gain switch and blasting my left ear pretty good, I'd like to make a safety feature suggestion. When the gain is changed, the amp mutes momentarily. I propose that before the relay fires to un mute the amp, the volume knob must be turned all the way down. This would insure that each gain change started at zero volume. I believe this is a simple test that the the amp's logic could perform on the position of the volume, before releasing the mute.
 
Even though I received less than a half-second blast through my Alpha Primes, It was enough to activate some tinnitus I already have. I've had to curtail my listening sessions for three days to let my ear rest.
 
Yes, I'll try to avoid changing the gain with my cans on again, but someone who switches between sources while listening could easily whack the gain button when going for the source selector. Keeping the mute engaged until the volume is returned to zero would protect every kind of idiot, including me.
 
What does everybody think?

 

[johnjen]

My simple rule was,
ALWAYS crank the MOAR Knob down before pushing ANY button on the front.
 
I used this rule until I got a 'feel' for how the amp responds to any changes I might make.
Now I only crank the MOAR Knob down when it is running at 'elevated' SPL's and I want to push buttons.
 
This advice is also applicable to any high powered amp, and is especially relevant with headphones.
 
Of course, YMMV…
 
JJ

 

[sheldaze]

My Ragnarok is used 99.5% of the time with speakers. And of that time, it spends about 90% plugged exclusively into a Yggdrasil.
 
So when I do switch inputs to watch the occasional movie (BluRay do not play through Yggdrasil), I quite often hit the gain button when my intent was to hit the input switch button. I personally would just be further aggravated by having to crank down the volume to get it to un-mute. So no, this feature would not help me.
 
And when I do use headphones, which have so many different efficiency levels, I always always always turn down the volume. My right ear is hurting, in sympathy, just thinking about a blast of too much volume. My last such blast was from a Ragnarok, at a headphone meet - my first meet, when I learned that some visitors just go around to each of the systems cranking up the volume, and listening for 30 seconds. Never follow behind one of these persons before first turning down the volume. In fact, just always turn down the volume, slowly raising it until you can just hear the music.
 
Sorry...I really do have a lot of sympathy for the issue. But it is not going to help me with my Ragnarok usage, or general headphone usage.

 

[45longcolt]

My long-established habit is to zero the volume before turning off any amp, so no nasty surprises next time. Guess how I learned to do this. At meets, of course, check everything before you put the phones on.

 

[lukeap69]

My long-established habit is to zero the volume before turning off any amp, so no nasty surprises next time. Guess how I learned to do this. At meets, of course, check everything before you put the phones on.

Good advice. Also this is applicable when changing gain. Or changing headphones.

 

[DiscoSmoke]

  My Ragnarok is used 99.5% of the time with speakers. And of that time, it spends about 90% plugged exclusively into a Yggdrasil.
 
So when I do switch inputs to watch the occasional movie (BluRay do not play through Yggdrasil), I quite often hit the gain button when my intent was to hit the input switch button. I personally would just be further aggravated by having to crank down the volume to get it to un-mute. So no, this feature would not help me.
 
And when I do use headphones, which have so many different efficiency levels, I always always always turn down the volume. My right ear is hurting, in sympathy, just thinking about a blast of too much volume. My last such blast was from a Ragnarok, at a headphone meet - my first meet, when I learned that some visitors just go around to each of the systems cranking up the volume, and listening for 30 seconds. Never follow behind one of these persons before first turning down the volume. In fact, just always turn down the volume, slowly raising it until you can just hear the music.
 
Sorry...I really do have a lot of sympathy for the issue. But it is not going to help me with my Ragnarok usage, or general headphone usage.

Yes, but for gain switching accidents this one test would prevent them, and the the Ragnarok has the logic circuits to carry it out. If you are sometimes accidentally hitting the gain when going for the input selector, aren't you sending blasts of volume to your speakers?

 

[sheldaze]

  Yes, but for gain switching accidents this one test would prevent them, and the the Ragnarok has the logic circuits to carry it out. If you are sometimes accidentally hitting the gain when going for the input selector, aren't you sending blasts of volume to your speakers?

Just gaps of low volume as I blip through the lower gain settings. I suspect most people stay on high gain with speakers.
 
Like I said, it's definitely happened to me before I realized people at the meets can be deaf 

 
Perhaps if they could implement what you suggest to only apply on the headphone port? But on the speaker port, it would drive me nuts, as I start at half volume (very quiet, on full gain through speakers) and move up from there.

 

[HemiSam]

driver error.  I'd rather see a competitive price point and less complexity than more.  You asked.
 
I am sorry about your hearing and hope it recovers completely and promptly.
 
HS

 

[rkt31]

great review by stereophile but the measurement part was a bit of concern after reading .

 

[taxiq]

 

 
Post #1040:  
"After hitting the Ragnarok's gain switch and blasting my left ear pretty good, I'd like to make a safety feature suggestion. When the gain is changed, the amp mutes momentarily. I propose that before the relay fires to un mute the amp, the volume knob must be turned all the way down. This would insure that each gain change started at zero volume. I believe this is a simple test that the the amp's logic could perform on the position of the volume, before releasing the mute.
 
Even though I received less than a half-second blast through my Alpha Primes, It was enough to activate some tinnitus I already have. I've had to curtail my listening sessions for three days to let my ear rest.
 
Yes, I'll try to avoid changing the gain with my cans on again, but someone who switches between sources while listening could easily whack the gain button when going for the source selector. Keeping the mute engaged until the volume is returned to zero would protect every kind of idiot, including me.
 
What does everybody think?"
_____________________________________
 
If you are worried about hitting gain button accidentally, easy fix it to prevent gain button from being press.  How? easy tape a piece of hard material over the gain button.  For example thin wood or plastic,but steel would be the audiophile (extreme) solution 

.   Now you will have to remove the tape to access the button . . . and you can enjoy the music in relaxed bliss.  
 
edited: to clarify quote comment is direct to.  I had mistakenly quoted shelaze (see below).   My bad.

 

[sheldaze]

  If you are worried about hitting gain button accidenally, easy fix it to prevent gain button from being press.  How? easy tape a piece of hard material over the gain button.  For example thin wood or plastic,but steel would be the audiophile (extreme) solution 

.   Now you will have to remove the tape to access the button . . . and you can enjoy the music in relaxed bliss.  

I think you have to step back a few posts, to #9140 

 
 
I've no issues with volume. Just when I look at the front of the Ragnarok in a dark theater environment, there are two equal sized shinny buttons. And I only hit the button about once a month to watch a BluRay - now maybe once a week, since Game of Thrones has started again. And when I accidentally take the Ragnarok out of the highest gain, I simply press the button a couple more times to return to full gain. Then I press the other button to switch the input from Yggdrasil to BluRay player.
 
Gag - tape. Back to the show