Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up
Aug 17, 2019 at 5:02 PM Post #49,426 of 145,647
My stepped-in-Schiit story is different from most. I was looking for speakers for home and ended up getting Salk Song3-As. While looking around for reviews of the Salks, I read that the Salk-Schiit pairings were well regarded at shows. I also thought it was very cool that Schiit purchased a custom pair of Song3s in a stunning gloss white finish. So I find the Schiit website and appreciate the value/quality message delivered with an anti-corporate tone. I then registered here, because for me, it was an unheard of opportunity to be able to communicate directly with product developers. Many thanks to Mike and Jason for the hours they spend in personal contact with their customers. Since I am not an EE, I read the technical bits in a slight fog, but I give it a go in hopes that it will eventually sink in. In time, I was able to convince the wife of the need for the Mani and the Modi-Multibit. I am very happy with both purchases.

The only thing that pisses me off about Schiit is that I did not know about them when I worked for a year in the Santa Clarita area.

My Schiit plan for the future is preamp, amplifier, turntable, and who knows, even a disc player.
I really love the Schiit - Salk combinations.
I've heard the pairings twice at AXPONA and loved the sound.
 
Aug 17, 2019 at 5:10 PM Post #49,427 of 145,647
If one looks at the boundary conditions. On the one end, all retail purchases are local and all retail sales are taxed. On the other end, if all purchases are done on-line from random locations around the country (USA), only 1/50 of retail sales are taxed (purchases from a business in your own state).

We are, of course, somewhere in the middle, but state and local regions have been steadily loosing income (tax) due to growing internet purchases. The money they spend on schools, roads, police, fire and other services has to come from somewhere. It is natural and inevitable outcome that a way will be sought to re-capture the lost revenue.

However conforming to every state and local tax structure is impossible and unsustainable.
My statement was made in regards to the fact that when government "discovers" a new tax revenue channel to fund their ambitions, they NEVER, ever, decrease the tax burden on extant tax channels. They just find ways to spend more----usually, on dead end programs.
 
Aug 17, 2019 at 7:55 PM Post #49,428 of 145,647
My statement was made in regards to the fact that when government "discovers" a new tax revenue channel to fund their ambitions, they NEVER, ever, decrease the tax burden on extant tax channels. They just find ways to spend more----usually, on dead end programs.
So sadly true.
 
Aug 17, 2019 at 8:55 PM Post #49,429 of 145,647
No intel there, but I for one would prefer a transport in one of the smaller form factors. A CD transport does not need to be 17” wide...

I’ve been looking at the Cyrus cd-t, the Pro-ject (I am amused that a company who made its rep with record players sells a CD transport that is more expensive than any of its turntables…), CEC and others, and the last thing I want in a cd transport is another anonymous black box full of empty space. A nice Schiit case with a slot cut in it (or top load; whatever) and a few discreet buttons would be a fabulous thing.
The new Audiolab gets very good reviews, slim but standard 43cm
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 12:36 AM Post #49,431 of 145,647
I was in the market for a used Theta DS Pro Generation V DAC. could not find one anywhere. A friend told me that Mike Moffat had come out with a follow up design called Yggdrasil and that his was on order. After it arrived, I went over his house for an evening of listening. There were four DACS in the competition ranging price from $1000 to $4500. When it was the Yggdrasil's turn, I literally dropped my single malt sipping whiskey onto the floor. After cleaning up my mess, I resolved to obtain one for my very own.

Upon returning home, I gushed to my wife how much I lived the new DAC and that I wanted one. "What's it going to cost me?" she asked dryly.

"$2300"

"No Way!"

"Look," I Said. "I really want this. We are going to argue about for the next six weeks, just like every time I want a new piece of audio equipment and in the end, you will relent." "Can we just pretend that we have already done it and you just say yes now?"

She gives me a stony, unblinking stare.

I return the stony, unblinking stare.

This goes on for several more seconds.

She blinks and says, "OK, you were going to get a Taurus SHO as you lease car. Get something cheaper and every dollar you save, you can spend on audio equipment."

"I'll take that deal every day of the week and twice on Sunday!"

So I got this:


and of course, this:


Being a car guy, I'd have to have the SHO and settle for a Gumby...
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 12:59 AM Post #49,432 of 145,647
So I have an interesting story to share. Well interesting to me at least. I mentioned awhile back that I planned on ordering Zu Omen dirty weekends to go with my Vidar, saga, modi multibit Schiit setup. I have spent about 6 months debating a few different brands and models, and what sold me on Zu was their customer service. Basically their approachability and willingness to spend a few minutes talking to you, without them making you feel like you were taking up too much of their day. They answered a bunch of questions before and during the order, both via email and phone. So the order got placed.

Then a few days later I checked a charge account bill from the local service/gas station. I hadn't paid attention to it for awhile, and had just been paying 150-200 a month on it. Welp it was 1700, and schiit that's about what my Zu order was after walnut finish, clarity caps, a few other extras, and shipping. So I talked to the wife and decided I'd better be responsible and cancel the order, there's always November. Imagine my surprise when after cancelling the order they got shipped by accident and showed up at my place. So I was left with a conundrum. What do I do? Open and listen, and then call? Send em back without listening? Keep em and don't say a word? I'm a decent person, but not a saint. I thought about the options, talked to friends and family, hemmed and hawed, angel and devil on the shoulder etc. After asking for feedback from some head fi friends I decided in order to feel good about my morals (not the same as liking the decision), that I should call before doing anything. They sat in my home entry way all night taunting me. All the while I'm thinking what if Sean says send em back immediately, are you going to open em anyway, this is a lose lose proposition, etc.

So I call and Sean wasn't available, and I leave my name and number and ask for him to call me back. It was maybe 3ish hours, but it felt like days. He finally calls and I'm nervous and stumbling & bumbling over my words. Eventually (probably 45 secs) I get out the gist of what I've typed above, and...... He was really cool about it all. Told me since they were there I might as well listen to em, they were made to be played. Letting me listen till the end of October before I send em back or call and chat with him again. He seemed genuinely happy I called. I didn't get sense they knew they had been shipped. We chatted for a few minutes about a few topics, he offered for me to call with any questions, told me to treat them as if I owned them. To me that means handle with the utmost care, my 20 y/o wharfedales are still a 9/10 condition wise. Anyway I thanked him for his generosity, he thanked me for calling and it was a good 8 min phone call. Great folks to deal with, hoping to visit RMAF in 2020 and Zu & Schiit would top the list.

After cancelling my zu order I couldn't shake my desire for some different speakers.

I ended up finding a set of open box KLH Kendalls on eBay, sold by an authorized KLH dealer, with free shipping, 30 day returns, and 24 month zero interest payment plan via PayPal credit. So for 33 bucks a month I figured ok. I went ahead and ordered these instead and got them a few weeks ago. 1300 retail, and I paid 780. So I now have two sets of great speakers to play with.

They are both spectacular.

Kind of fun listening to two sets of awesome speakers. Both very similar spec wise. 99 db vs 96. Work has been very busy this week, so I haven't done any proper AB, but the Zu are more sensitive and have a bit better separation, and detail, and they present certain instruments with greater focus then the KLHs do. The Piano or Keyboard really stands out with the ZU compared to what I am used to. The KLH's separate background vocals a bit better then the Zu, and get lower bass wise then the Zu. The Zu still hits low 30's in my room.. and once you get above 45 hz the Zu has real slam, weight, force. I also think the Zu handle the loud spls/volume level very well. The KLH's didn't seem as clean when pushed really hard as they do at low to medium levels..

Looks wise I feel like the Zu's are works of art. Real show pieces. They are part of the room decoration, not just space filler.

The KLHs seem well made, the magnetic gills are nice touch. The KLH binding posts aren't nearly as nice as the stuff Schiit or Zu uses.

All of this on vidar, saga gen 1, mimby.

Now I don't know what to do. Try and keep the Zu's and sell or return the KLH's? Or don't worry about it, enjoy the listening, and schedule a meetup with friends in the twin cities? Maybe ask the wife if I can try to keep both?

Anyway the sound in my house is improved, and feel like I validated how good my old wharfedales have been the last 20 years. They definitely held their own. Pushed hard or soft. Lots of listening to do the next few months.
 
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Aug 18, 2019 at 3:24 AM Post #49,433 of 145,647
I was in the market for a used Theta DS Pro Generation V DAC. could not find one anywhere. A friend told me that Mike Moffat had come out with a follow up design called Yggdrasil and that his was on order. After it arrived, I went over his house for an evening of listening. There were four DACS in the competition ranging price from $1000 to $4500. When it was the Yggdrasil's turn, I literally dropped my single malt sipping whiskey onto the floor. After cleaning up my mess, I resolved to obtain one for my very own.

Alcohol abuse of the worst kind, for which, it has to be said, Mike Moffat is responsible. I think that it would be best if the Yggdrasil manual would contain a warning/disclaimer from now on, to avoid similar events in the future.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 6:09 AM Post #49,434 of 145,647
In fact this is one of my favorites.

I did get a chance to try the 2016 Caprazo last night and my wife and I really liked it. It went well with fresh fruit and dark chocolate; not too dry, a fine accompaniment for steak. IMG_1129.jpg
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 11:42 AM Post #49,436 of 145,647
Presumably this won't affect us in Europe in any shape or form !! (I know nothing about the legislation, needless to say !) It's bad enough we pay import duty and VAT on the great stuff that comes out of the USA.

Correct—the USA sales tax law changes won’t affect any export prices.

For those of you in other countries shaking their heads and saying, “I don’t get this crazy ‘sales tax’ thing, and you US peeps are a pain in the rear because your prices in stores don’t include the taxes like we do with VAT,” here’s how the taxation system works:

1. The federal government sets a federal income tax rate. There are also some federal excise taxes, such as on fuel. This applies to everyone living in the USA.
2. THEN, the states ALSO get you for a variety of taxes:
A. Their own income tax. Some states have this, some states don’t. Rates vary,
B. Sales tax. This is like a state VAT. Again, some states have this, some don’t, and rates vary. What makes this worse is that counties and cities can add on to these sales taxes as well, so the sales tax rate can vary within the state. That’s why we end up with thousands of sales tax rates.
C. Property tax. States also typically charge a property tax on real estate that ranges from 0.5%-3% per year (could be higher, could be lower.)
D. Gas tax. States can also apply their own fuel taxes on top of the federal excise tax.
Now, there’s probably tons of stuff I missed, and honestly, it’s more interesting reading about how you found Schiit, and how you turned your friends on to Schiit, but I figured I’d clarify.

The good news for people buying from outside the USA is that none of the sales taxes are baked into the price (like a VAT), so you don’t have to try to claw it back. Nor are the prices changing due to the change in Federal law here in the US.
 
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Aug 18, 2019 at 11:52 AM Post #49,437 of 145,647
... and the reason it is an issue at this moment is that sales across state lines or on the Internet used to be (mostly) exempt from state sales taxes. Changing the law to impose these is what is causing both consternation and confusion, especially since Internet retailers may be subject to collect and remit the proper sales taxes at the point of purchase, not at the origin, and the requirement to do so has some strange threshold rules (google "sales tax nexus"). So it is both confusing and onerous on retailers, and could lead to some Internet vendors going out of business.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 12:23 PM Post #49,438 of 145,647
...clip...
Now, there’s probably tons of stuff I missed, and honestly, it’s more interesting reading about how you found Schiit, and how you turned your friends on to Schiit, but I figured I’d clarify.

The good news for people buying from outside the USA is that none of the sales taxes are baked into the price (like a VAT), so you don’t have to try to claw it back. Nor are the prices changing due to the change in Federal law here in the US.

I know that this will sound like a simple-minded solution, but if the US Federal government would set a national sales tax on items sold interstate at say 7.5%, then vendors would be liable to the states only up to 7.5%, no matter what the local tax structure. Up until now, those states have been getting 0% and to the states which have sales taxes in excess of 7.5%, sorry... This would allow a vendor like Amazon and Schiit to have a constant value, which is not destination-based.
Where I live, Mecklenburg Co. in North Carolina, I cannot honestly tell you what I pay in Sales Tax, as the politicians have made the computation almost impossible. Food has one rate, food to be eaten in the place is taxed differently than carry out, they have passed 1/2 cent taxes for Public Transit, rental cars, hotel rooms, and restaurants to fund attracting more out-of-town visitors to pick up the load.

I just think if everyone has a real number to work will, the collection and redistribution to the states will be simplified, Consumers will know upfront what an item costs, plus tax, plus shipping.
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 12:54 PM Post #49,439 of 145,647
Now I don't know what to do. Try and keep the Zu's and sell or return the KLH's? Or don't worry about it, enjoy the listening, and schedule a meetup with friends in the twin cities? Maybe ask the wife if I can try to keep both?

I haven't heard the KLHs but I have the Zu Omen Dirty Weekends and I love them. I will never part with them, even if I buy another speaker later. They look good and sound great!
 
Aug 18, 2019 at 12:58 PM Post #49,440 of 145,647
I know that this will sound like a simple-minded solution, but if the US Federal government would set a national sales tax on items sold interstate at say 7.5%, then vendors would be liable to the states only up to 7.5%, no matter what the local tax structure. Up until now, those states have been getting 0% and to the states which have sales taxes in excess of 7.5%, sorry... This would allow a vendor like Amazon and Schiit to have a constant value, which is not destination-based.
Where I live, Mecklenburg Co. in North Carolina, I cannot honestly tell you what I pay in Sales Tax, as the politicians have made the computation almost impossible. Food has one rate, food to be eaten in the place is taxed differently than carry out, they have passed 1/2 cent taxes for Public Transit, rental cars, hotel rooms, and restaurants to fund attracting more out-of-town visitors to pick up the load.

I just think if everyone has a real number to work will, the collection and redistribution to the states will be simplified, Consumers will know upfront what an item costs, plus tax, plus shipping.
IMO the easier solution (short of going back to Internet sales being tax-exempt) is to allow retailers to collect and remit at their local level. States would not like that however, and it would drive retail service centers to locate in areas with the lowest sales taxes.
 

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