[Edoardo]

   
That's why I like them too, but all this talk about it being a "universal" amplifier has me worried.
 
 
I don't see how anyone who loves music and isn't homeless or in some other analogous situation would not own and use a disc collection, either vinyl or CDs.

I do own a CD collection and keep buying them, but I also do rip them...!

 

[cizx]

 
 
I don't see how anyone who loves music and isn't homeless or in some other analogous situation would not own and use a disc collection, either vinyl or CDs.

because people born after 1970 like music and know the value of a hard drive.

 

[Saraguie]

I do own a CD collection and keep buying them, but I also do rip them...!

+1

 

[NinjaHamster]

   
That's why I like them too, but all this talk about it being a "universal" amplifier has me worried.
 
 
I don't see how anyone who loves music and isn't homeless or in some other analogous situation would not own and use a disc collection, either vinyl or CDs.

Buy yourself a computer and then see if you feel the same way.

 

[cizx]

  Buy yourself a computer and then see if you feel the same way.

and if it makes you feel better, hard drives are platters covered in magnets... two popular analog storage formats in one.  

 

[CDCollector]

"Collecting" music on a computer is simply meaningless and joyless.
 
The appeal of course is that most of those who prefer this medium do so because they can steal their music. Individuals with taste and musical education however would find it impossible to find select music with acceptable sound quality through such means. This would take us back to purchasing the music, which again in downloaded form is downright inferior in every possible way. It often costs the same if not more than a CD, and you get nothing tangible in return and must even provide the storage medium at your own cost.
 
Then there is the whole ritual of listening to music. If you listen to garbage while doing email or surfing the web, all of this makes no difference to you. I prefer my CD player and playback equipment along with the listening experience to be disconnected from everything else.
 
A record collection (and personal library) is something real and abiding that tells a story of what your musical and intellectual development has been. What else will you keep and use fifty years from now, if not records and books? Computers, internet formats, and fleeting, fashionable technology on the other hand are the very definition of disposable. They cheapen and debase everything they touch.

 

[Saraguie]

  "Collecting" music on a computer is simply meaningless and joyless.
 
The appeal of course is that most of those who prefer this medium do so because they can steal their music. Individuals with taste and musical education however would find it impossible to find select music with acceptable sound quality through such means. This would take us back to purchasing the music, which again in downloaded form is downright inferior in every possible way. It often costs the same if not more than a CD, and you get nothing tangible in return and must even provide the storage medium at your own cost.
 
Then there is the whole ritual of listening to music. If you listen to garbage while doing email or surfing the web, all of this makes no difference to you. I prefer my CD player and playback equipment along with the listening experience to be disconnected from everything else.
 
A record collection (and personal library) is something real and abiding that tells a story of what your musical and intellectual development has been. What else will you keep and use fifty years from now, if not records and books? Computers, internet formats, and fleeting, fashionable technology on the other hand are the very definition of disposable. They cheapen and debase everything they touch.

To be taken seriously around here you need to include IMO = In My Opinion in your statements.  Because for me, ripping my 1000 CDs, editing out the songs I don't want from each, is a pain in the okole.  My digital library brings much joy and means the world to me.  Consider your thoughtless attack, your one free pass.
 
BTW what does any of that have to with Schiit!

 

[Rem0o]

Took years to build my music library on my computer and it's still growing and I enjoy it still. I understand the fun of having a physical format as a collector stand point but the rest of your argument is just a close minded mess.

 

[Anavel0]

If I want ones or two songs from an album I LEGALLY download them. If I want the whole album I buy it on vinyl when possible and CD after that. And saying people like digital music because you can steal it is just rude.

 

[girlystephanie]

Most of the music on your hard-drive have been rip with a cheap CD/DVD/BlueRay writer inside your or someone else computer. Even the one you buy generally. For data, where there is no timing involved, a 0 or a 1 bits are a 0 or a 1. No error there. But for music streaming, the punctured hole in the substract is not a clear pit. It lowers and raises at a random angle (like an explosion hole under a microscope). So where start the pit where you switch from a 0 to a 1??? At what depth? And where does it end? And is my rotational speed perfectly constant??? Again, for data, you don't care. THis is why computer CD writer don't care. Over 2k$ CD transports do care.
 
A stream coming from my computer to my DAC has not the fidelity of the stream coming from my CD transport (same DAC). It is easily audible. Of course, you need a good DAC/amplifier/headphones combo to ear the difference. But when you do, you keep your CDs . 
 
Oh... IMO and my ears, of course!

 

[cizx]

  "Collecting" music on a computer is simply meaningless and joyless.
 
The appeal of course is that most of those who prefer this medium do so because they can steal their music. Individuals with taste and musical education however would find it impossible to find select music with acceptable sound quality through such means. This would take us back to purchasing the music, which again in downloaded form is downright inferior in every possible way. It often costs the same if not more than a CD, and you get nothing tangible in return and must even provide the storage medium at your own cost.
 
Then there is the whole ritual of listening to music. If you listen to garbage while doing email or surfing the web, all of this makes no difference to you. I prefer my CD player and playback equipment along with the listening experience to be disconnected from everything else.
 
A record collection (and personal library) is something real and abiding that tells a story of what your musical and intellectual development has been. What else will you keep and use fifty years from now, if not records and books? Computers, internet formats, and fleeting, fashionable technology on the other hand are the very definition of disposable. They cheapen and debase everything they touch.

This sounds a bit pretentious.  Offering opinion as fact backed up with accusations of theft isn't going to win you any support.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

To get things back on topic, a quick update on Ragnarok and Yggdrasil:
 
Ragnarok:
 
1. Metal problems: solved and ordered. If the metal that comes in at the beginning of February is good, we're ready to start production.
2. Transformer hum: solved and ordered. Ditto the above, but we've only been surprised once by transformers that hum when the prototypes were quiet, so this is probably fine.
3. Gain stage: we've finished testing and optimizing the performance on the new design, and boards will be ordered as soon as we're done with the final integration torture test. Boards take only a couple of weeks, so that's not really a pacing item. 
4. Software: adding a couple of tweaks, but everything is working--bias and offset setting, output protection monitoring, input switching, level control, gain control, and headphone/speaker/both switching. Not really a pacing item, it's been pretty much hammered every way we can.
 
So what does this mean? Assuming the metal is right, and there are no transformer surprises, we'll begin production in February. Don't expect shipping immediately afterwards, since we essentially have to set up a "craft build" station specifically for Ragnarok. I wouldn't be surprised if we start shipping by the end of February, but it may slip a couple of weeks.  This is a massively complex device, and there still may be some production issues to work through. And, don't be surprised if the stocking status says something like,"Shipping in 7-10 business days after the order is placed." Ragnaroks are going to be perfect, or they won't ship.
 
Yggdrasil:
 
1. Metal: resolved with Ragnarok. Or not. We'll see how the first shipment goes.
2. Transformers/chokes: never hummed, not a problem.
3. Digital/DSP section: undergoing revisions for higher performance on the input side (SPDIF and USB) and beginning final code integration on the DSP side.
4. DAC/Analog section: reviewing two candidate approaches for the D/A side of things, and integrating a new "pivot point" current-feedback integrally balanced discrete output stage.
5. Software: operational software is relatively simple; DSP addressed above.
 
So what does this mean? Take Ragnarok, add 6-8 weeks if all goes well. 
 
And that's where we are right now...
 
All the best,
 
Jason Stoddard
Co-Founder, Schiit Audio

 

[Anavel0]

I can't not wait! Thanks for the update.

I remember musings about later hardware upgrades to tube hybrid. Any word on that? (I'm a tube junky but I really like the concept of this amp.)

 

[BournePerfect]

Thanks for the update Jason. Exciting times ahead. Looking forward to both of these beasts.
 
-Daniel

 

[aive]

Awesome, thanks for the update Jason - looks like things are on track. I'm one of those waiting for the Ygg to land, looking forward to it!