[Kost]

Jason, I agree in principle. The more complex something is, the more things that can go wrong with it. However, the Samsung galaxy exploding thing was a bad example. For one thing the fault was in the batteries, not the devices, secondly the failure rate was massively over inflated by the media so they could get more clicks, the actual failure rate was something like .0014%. We're talking less than 40 batteries out of a couple million.
The story should have been "Media creates public hysteria, costs Samsung a billion"
 
Some of your reasons for not wanting to expand technology are good, like not wanting anything to interfere with the signal path or not wanting to spend time on features that less than 5% of your market base cares about. Some of your reasons aren't so good though. Exploding batteries? Make them replaceable. Obsolescence? There's sometimes as much as a decade before standards change. Opportunity cost? You're the owner of your company, you can always hire someone to do it for you.
 
Basically, don't be afraid to expand. Also, you should definitely be trying to put remote controls in all your future products.
 
Imagine a multibit DAC capable of decoding dolby atmos. Far fetched I know but it would be amazing.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Re "Magni 3."
 
You guys are funny. The first Vidar boards were done 18 months ago. We probably have 28 prototypes running around the office with various numbers on them (up to "5"). We play with a lot of stuff. 
 
You can cease the heavy breathing now.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

  Jason, I agree in principle. The more complex something is, the more things that can go wrong with it. However, the Samsung galaxy exploding thing was a bad example. For one thing the fault was in the batteries, not the devices, secondly the failure rate was massively over inflated by the media so they could get more clicks, the actual failure rate was something like .0014%. We're talking less than 40 batteries out of a couple million.
The story should have been "Media creates public hysteria, costs Samsung a billion"
 
Some of your reasons for not wanting to expand technology are good, like not wanting anything to interfere with the signal path or not wanting to spend time on features that less than 5% of your market base cares about. Some of your reasons aren't so good though. Exploding batteries? Make them replaceable. Obsolescence? There's sometimes as much as a decade before standards change. Opportunity cost? You're the owner of your company, you can always hire someone to do it for you.
 
Basically, don't be afraid to expand. Also, you should definitely be trying to put remote controls in all your future products.
 
Imagine a multibit DAC capable of decoding dolby atmos. Far fetched I know but it would be amazing.

You're discounting the enormous cost of customer service for half-baked tech, and increasing complexity of the business to service flaky gear. Excuse us if we wait for a while until it's at least 3/4 baked, like USB.

 

[Tro95]

  Re "Magni 3."
 
You guys are funny. The first Vidar boards were done 18 months ago. We probably have 28 prototypes running around the office with various numbers on them (up to "5"). We play with a lot of stuff. 
 
You can cease the heavy breathing now.

*Heavy breathing intensifies*

 

[Kost]

 
You're discounting the enormous cost of customer service for half-baked tech, and increasing complexity of the business to service flaky gear. Excuse us if we wait for a while until it's at least 3/4 baked, like USB.

To be fair, you didn't have to design your products to take USB power from the computer. That's really not what I was talking about though. You don't have to do wifi or ethernet or any of that other stuff. I was talking about more expanding what the Multibit DAC is capable of decoding like dolby atmos for instance and remote controls..

Edit: Sorry if I wasn't being clear enough. I was just pointing out some flawed reasoning, not that you should do those other things.

 

[45longcolt]

On black Schiit; fully understandable why they wouldn't want to be bothered with variety. Though that argument was more convincing in the garage days than now. Anyway, if Jason sez no black then that's fine. But when the black gear does appear, well, guess he didn't really mean it after all. A bit frustrating for those of us on the dark side.
OK, finished venting now... 

 

[Ran Perry]

Speaking of Ethernet. Any chance seeing an Ethernet input in future DACs?

 

[Kost]

 
On black Schiit; fully understandable why they wouldn't want to be bothered with variety. Though that argument was more convincing in the garage days than now. Anyway, if Jason sez no black then that's fine. But when the black gear does appear, well, guess he didn't really mean it after all. A bit frustrating for those of us on the dark side.
OK, finished venting now... 

 
You know if it's really important to you there's 3rd party people that paint professionally. You could send it in and have them do whatever you want to it, including designs. It's not cheap though. I was thinking about having my HD800 professionally done at one point.
 

  Speaking of Ethernet. Any chance seeing an Ethernet input in future DACs?

 
Pretty sure he said no and that he's mad people keep asking lol.

 

[Ran Perry]

I think he said no dedicated streamers which is not the same thing.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

 
To be fair, you didn't have to design your products to take USB power from the computer. That's really not what I was talking about though. You don't have to do wifi or ethernet or any of that other stuff. I was talking about more expanding what the Multibit DAC is capable of decoding like dolby atmos for instance and remote controls..

 
Um, we have remote controls.
 
Dolby Atmos? No, sorry, we'll leave that insanity for other companies. As far as I know, though, nobody's getting rich off surround processors (alone) these days.

 

[bigro]

I am Pretty Sure this is the Interview where Mike Addresses His experience when dealing with the surround sound world. He Having Been the first to design the first DTS Processor I get the feeling that's its more of a Been there done that, no thanks. I believe it was mentioned that we would rather Design Deep fryers.
 
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/12/number-two-reaches-number-one-schiit-audio-factory-tour-interview/

 

[darkarn]

 
My attempt at humor evidently failed. I suppose that I get the Rodney Dangerfield award.

 
Sorry, your post really looked like a genuine question to me.
 
Or maybe I need my caffeine before posting... (It was in the morning on my side just now) 

 

[darkarn]

And ok, an honest technical question right now: Why do we have switches in the first place, when just plugging in/out power supplies will suffice as switching on/off the product?

 

[Billheiser]

  And ok, an honest technical question right now: Why do we have switches in the first place, when just plugging in/out power supplies will suffice as switching on/off the product?

Yes, unplugging will suffice.  Same is true for lights, microwave ovens, and fans.  Don't need a switch, can just plug/unplug your lamps when you enter or leave a room.

 

[darkarn]

  Yes, unplugging will suffice.  Same is true for lights, microwave ovens, and fans.  Don't need a switch, can just plug/unplug your lamps when you enter or leave a room.

 
Fair enough if we are talking about those products. But how about in the context of Schiit products?