[tomlink]

I have been checking nearly every day since December on Head-Fi and Schiit.com for a Ragnarok availability announcement. Sure enough, I didn't check yesterday, and just saw it today.
 
I sold my WA22 earlier this year in anticipation of obtaining a Ragnarok so it is great that it is available - even as a beta.
 
I have both headphones (HD 800/Shure SRH840) and IEM's along with my Quad 21L, and JBL 4208 speakers in my study for music playback. I also run my guitars through my SRH840/JBL4208s via my Line 6 POD Studio.
 
The Ragnarok specs are tailor-made for my application. I think the HD 800s will really benefit from the higher power output and headroom that the Rag should provide. Powering my hifi and monitor speakers as well makes it a perfect package for me.
 
I might not be first in line, but I submitted my request to Schiit a few minutes ago.
 
Feels like Christmas is coming!

 

[rsgladwin85]

 
Q: Over the past decade and a half, I have been assembling the highest-performance system in the universe, comprised of a Scintillant Mega-Complex Uber-Transport, a Pinnacassio Modum 14 TransQuantum DAC, quad Puissance Series Seven Monoblocks (Rev 2 with new Series Z Output Transformers, hand-wound by Buddhist monks, of course), Bi-wired through Cantessa Gate Limited Edition Oxidized Gold cables to Stratoz Kemplaflammar Gas-Plasma full-range speakers. Do you think your new amp has the performance to match this system, and why? Please include a 1550-word or more dissertation on the design principles employed in this amplifier, including cryo-treating (which components), types of premium fuses used, type of wiring used internally, whether or not the PC board has been treated for maximum neutrality in a Black Gate Field, and other important considerations.
 
A: What? I fell asleep reading this.

 
LMAO, only you Jason.

 

[rsgladwin85]

Jason,
 
You have a typo on page 6 of the Ragnarok Manual.  You have the Volume listed as number 5, when it's shown as number four.

 

[XVampireX]

It's the end of the world as we know it - Ragnarok is in open beta! XD
 

 

[Sonic Defender]

  Hi,
 
I am interested in a great headphone amp, and would not mind replacing my integrated amp.
For headphones, I am currently using the Ultrasone Ed 8 (no real need for crazy amp as they sound great with the sony PHA-2 or even out of a portable DAP)) but I am considering the HD800 or Audeze LCD 3/X for home use (the Ed 8 are used on commute). The Ragna would do wonder with those I am sure.
However my speakers are B&W 705 and are currently powered by a Marantz PM15S1 quoted at 80W @ 8 ohms. And in some way I feel that this amp is really giving all it has to make those speakers sound good.
I am thus concerned that the Ragna might be too weak to feed my speakers with all the juice they might need.
 
I would appreciate any opinion you specialists might have.
 
The alternative at the moment is to simply add a dedicated headphone amp to my set-up, for which the Ragna might be an overkill. (if going with HD800, the HDVD600/800 would be the obvious choice)
 
Cheers,
Sleepow

Post the specs for your speakers. Unless you listen stupidly loud 60w should provide enough headroom unless the speakers are very inefficient. As well, do you do near-field listening or not?

 

[purplegoat]

I realize this may be a stupid question but I have a Denon PMA-750 I used for both my speakers and HE-6 (via modded HFM box, so basically taps). Would I see an improvement in quality from my speakers? (I'm assuming I would for my HE-6..)
 
Thanks

 

[babyryoga]

Glad to see this thread, I was just thinking about how I intend to integrate the Ragnarok into my desktop system - which runs both headphones and high-end bookshelf speakers, as my next big purchase earlier today, so I am excited to sign up.

 

[atubbs]

  I realize this may be a stupid question but I have a Denon PMA-750 I used for both my speakers and HE-6 (via modded HFM box, so basically taps). Would I see an improvement in quality from my speakers? (I'm assuming I would for my HE-6..)
 
Thanks

 
It's not a stupid question, but I'm not sure it's one for which there are a lot of answers or direct experience. About the Ragnarok, we have a spec sheet, a brand reputation, and a pretty good story. There are some positive anecdotal reports. The Denon PMA-750 is a very different device, made three decades ago. The Ragnarok has a novel design that sounds like it's trying to keep the signal path as clean as possible. My hunch is that you might find it an improvement, but I certainly have no idea.

 

[Sleepow]

 
Post the specs for your speakers. Unless you listen stupidly loud 60w should provide enough headroom unless the speakers are very inefficient. As well, do you do near-field listening or not?

 
Hi Sonic Defender,
 
The specs I can find online (but not from the manufacturer as they are not in production anymore) are:
Frequency response: 46Hz-25kHz, ±3dB; -6dB at 43Hz & 50kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (4.6 ohms minimum). Harmonic distortion (second & third harmonic at 90dB, 1m): ±1%, 90Hz-20kHz; ±0.5%, 150Hz-18kHz. Power handling: 50-120W, unclipped.
 
They actually do have a reputation for being inefficient, and 60W is close to the lower limit of the power handling mode (not sure if that was all the specs you needed, so I included everything).
I do not need crazy volume as my space is fairly small, and do not do near field listening (although at it happens I am often in a position close to what is recommended for it, which I did not know about until your asked)
 
Cheers,
Sleepow

 

[mikap]

Jason, if it makes any difference I'd like to add more headphones/speakers to my application too that I am going to run with Ragnarok:
- Senn HD800, HD650, Beyerdynamic Premium 880/600Ohm, Audiotechnica ATH-M50
- Speakers: Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1 with second coil powered by Anthony Gallo SA Reference Amp and main input powered by Ragnarok.
Thanks!

 

[KLJTech]

   
Hi Sonic Defender,
 
The specs I can find online (but not from the manufacturer as they are not in production anymore) are:
Frequency response: 46Hz-25kHz, ±3dB; -6dB at 43Hz & 50kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (4.6 ohms minimum). Harmonic distortion (second & third harmonic at 90dB, 1m): ±1%, 90Hz-20kHz; ±0.5%, 150Hz-18kHz. Power handling: 50-120W, unclipped.
 
They actually do have a reputation for being inefficient, and 60W is close to the lower limit of the power handling mode (not sure if that was all the specs you needed, so I included everything).
I do not need crazy volume as my space is fairly small, and do not do near field listening (although at it happens I am often in a position close to what is recommended for it, which I did not know about until your asked)
 
Cheers,
Sleepow

 
I'm pretty sure that you have to have double the output wattage of the amp for just 3db more output (SPL) from your speakers (if I'm remembering that correctly). So, I doubt you'll notice the difference in "loudness capability" that you'd get from using your amp or going to the Ragnarok. Sound quality may be a whole other subject.
 
In my office I'm using a Parasound A23 (125 watts into 8 ohms/ 225 into 4 ohms) for my B&W 805's but I'd be willing to bet that most of my listening uses less than 15-20 watts...if that. 
Good luck!

 

[Sleepow]

   
I'm pretty sure that you have to have double the output wattage of the amp for just 3db more output (SPL) from your speakers (if I'm remembering that correctly). So, I doubt you'll notice the difference in "loudness capability" that you'd get from using your amp or going to the Ragnarok. Sound quality may be a whole other subject.
 
In my office I'm using a Parasound A23 (125 watts into 8 ohms/ 225 into 4 ohms) for my B&W 805's but I'd be willing to bet that most of my listening uses less than 15-20 watts...if that. 
Good luck!

 
I have no doubt volume will be fine; my concern is SQ.
I guess the Ragnarok will not be a good replacement of the Marantz, especially that i was a few months back considering upgrading it.
 
Well, anyway it is not available yet (I am not in US) so I have plenty of time to convince myself of some other "good" reason to get it when it comes out (second system in bedroom?)

 

[KLJTech]

   
I have no doubt volume will be fine; my concern is SQ.
I guess the Ragnarok will not be a good replacement of the Marantz, especially that i was a few months back considering upgrading it.
 
Well, anyway it is not available yet (I am not in US) so I have plenty of time to convince myself of some other "good" reason to get it when it comes out (second system in bedroom?)

 
I have a feeling that the Ragnarok will be a step up for you given Schiit Audio's track record and the amount of time they've put into it. If there's one thing I've learned over all these years in this music lover/audio gear hobby is that we always find a way to convince ourselves that we need to upgrade. 

 
Another thing I've learned is once you've got your system the way you truly want it, the best thing you can do is try to forget about the audio components and get back to focusing on the music as that's really what's its all about. You don't want to spend years chasing the rabbit down the hole and only listening to gear and forgetting about the music. A friend and I had what felt like a competition for a few years to see who could build the home stereo setup and then one day I realized that I was enjoying MUSIC more in my car (on a standard car stereo) than with my rather expensive (to me) home system. It was because at home all I was doing was listening for improvements or differences with each new piece of gear I'd bought rather than simply relaxing and listening to the music that I loved. Don't mean that to sound like a rant but it does happen...
Good luck!

 

[Syan25]

Wish I lived in the US!

 

[SHAHZADA123]

  Jason, if it makes any difference I'd like to add more headphones/speakers to my application too that I am going to run with Ragnarok:
- Senn HD800, HD650, Beyerdynamic Premium 880/600Ohm, Audiotechnica ATH-M50
- Speakers: Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1 with second coil powered by Anthony Gallo SA Reference Amp and main input powered by Ragnarok.
Thanks!

I doubt the RAG will be able to power the Gallos. The 3.1s need a lot of juice, IME.
 
Anyway, I'd appreciate if one of you lucky testers would see how it does with the HE6 through the speaker taps.