[Balthazar B]

does this now mean that Schiit has an official position on BBQ?

It'll all be balanced out when they open the facility in Charlotte. And moot when the place in Memphis gets up and running.

 

[tincanear]

IIRC, Schiit was on a kick about how the whole company was obsolete and everything they made was obsolete a while back. Then that ad campaign became obsolete and they quit that schtick, which is the only un-Schiit thing I think I've ever seen Schiit do. After all, if the obsolete ads were obsolete, and Schiit got into the whole obsolete game because the company is obsolete, wouldn't the obsolete obsolete ads be the most Schiity ads they could possibly run?


Too meta of me?

sounds like a question for Tyler at the next Schiitrmeet.

 

[EELawson]

I have just agreed to buy a Mjolnir 2 after a lot of research, including this thread, and want to test my understanding. It think its of general interest because there is so much less online discussion about the Mjolnir 2 vs the other headphone amps, but it is an interesting part of the Schiit lineup and story.

As described here, Mjolnir 2 was a radical redesign of Mjolnir. The biggest change was the switch from solid state design to tube design. Schiit decided to do something funky at the same time and launched the LIIST solid-state 'tubes' which work in the Mjolnir 2 and other Schiit tube amps. Schiit marketed the bundle as providing the best of both worlds.

A few years down the line, Mjolnir 2 is still in the lineup as the end-game headphone amp. LIIST seem to be reviewed as decent, but not vastly better than tubes and were ultimately discontinued because of the complexity of manufacturing. For someone new coming in it can be condfusing to see reviews of the Mjolnir 2 that are based around it's capabilities as a solid-state amp, and which don't place it with the lineup of other Schiit headphone amps and modular amps. It seems Mjolnir 2 used to be differentiated as the balanced amp with tons of power, but it now has to share the stage with Magnius. It seems that Mjolnir 2 used to stand way ahead as the flagship tube amp, but it now has to share the stage with the Lyr 3 and its newer design including Continuity.

In a recent online discussion, it seemed like Jason was suggesting the sheer size and heat output of Mjolnir were also hurdles to its popularity.

Many people who own the Mjolnir 2 love it. I hope that's my experience too.

Do you know if those LIIST tubes work in the Freya+? I have 4 of those LIIST tubes. Should I try rolling 'em in?

 

[438555]

Do you know if those LIIST tubes work in the Freya+? I have 4 of those LIIST tubes. Should I try rolling 'em in?

The Mjolnir and Freya LISST tubes are different sizes. I have LISST for the Lyr 2 and for the original Freya.

 

[tincanear]

Do you know if those LIIST tubes work in the Freya+? I have 4 of those LIIST tubes. Should I try rolling 'em in?

there are aftermarket adapters to fit a 6922/6DJ8 noval 9-pin tube to an 6SN7 octal 8-pin device (like Freya+). are LISSTs inherently matched or sold in matched sets?

why not just use Freya+ in JFET differential buffer mode? (or just buy ANOTHER headphone like many other head-fiers do to get a different sound)

 

[Rattle]

@evanescent
Congratulations on your purchase of MJ2, I think you will like it. The circlotron topology does not bring you Continuity, but it does bring a sweet sound. By that I mean a tonal richness, a deeper timbre than many other designs, and one that sounds to me more like live acoustical music. I also thought it was significantly better than Lyr 3 (better ambience, better sound stage, more of a feeling of ‘being there’).

Two notable features:
1. There are only two tubes to roll. For @bcowen that is a terrible disadvantage, for me a nice advantage. It does get a little warm, but not really hot like four tubes would.
2. To my ears it does sound marginally better with balanced headphone cables. That’s with Senn600 or 650, Dan Clark Audio Aeons, Focal Elex. But that is marginal, subtle.
(My source for inexpensive but good headphone cables, Impact Audio Cables, may have gone out of business. Maybe someone else has a good suggestion.)

Enjoy
Noah

I talked to impact cables a couple weeks back. He was on break from Etsy a while but full swing again I believe.

 

[EELawson]

there are aftermarket adapters to fit a 6922/6DJ8 noval 9-pin tube to an 6SN7 octal 8-pin device (like Freya+). are LISSTs inherently matched or sold in matched sets?

why not just use Freya+ in JFET differential buffer mode? (or just buy ANOTHER headphone like many other head-fiers do to get a different sound)

I suspect that the LIISTs are in matched sets.
However, I ask the question out of curiosity only. I was really wondering if such adapters existed. Good to know they do.
I love the tube setting on the Freya+. It works soooo well with my Aejir monoblocks.

 

[EricDH]

I've never heard a pair of Quad ESL, of either "vintage", perhaps to my detriment. However, when I was celebrating my first real job after university the Martin Logan Sequel II were the top competition to the Apogee Stage I eventually bought. There weren't any Quad dealers where I lived. I pined for the CLS, but couldn't afford them. I don't remember what tipped the balance between the ribbons and the electrostats...

One of my dad's best friends had a Quad 44/405 combi and ESL63's, so I had many hours listening to good hifi before I even knew the audiophile world. I am sure that experience helped getting me interested in good sound.

 

[Derrick Swart]

One of my dad's best friends had a Quad 44/405 combi and ESL63's, so I had many hours listening to good hifi before I even knew the audiophile world. I am sure that experience helped getting me interested in good sound.

Agree 100% !! Here two experiences that were life changing for me:
- The father of by best friend has the bug too. He had one of those great SONY cd players and we did a game: guess the song and performing artist (creator of the original was bonus) as fast as possible. Then a certain day he had a PiedPiper kit and when they were finished I was amazed, for the first time I could hear the 'other' speaker. Soon after the hunt started and still hungry.
- Never was a wine drinker until I tasted an excellent Rioja far in my twenties. Well my love for Portuguese wine is great.

Experiences, that is why I like schiit, your wallet doesn't go entirely flat to 'taste' experiences. With the Vali two I learned tubes are not for me, made it easy to decide on a Freya S or Freya +

 

[Derrick Swart]

No stock yet but much nicer website now:
https://www.schiit-europe.com

 

[ev666il]

Wow, much nicer indeed!

 

[Timster]

I went down a different path for my speakers with another company which I am a huge fan of- ATC, which is based here in UK.

I too have gone down a certain path after hearing my first 15" Tannoy Dual Concentrics way back in late 80's. Funnily enough my dad back in '74 wanted some of these but couldn't get them due to a fire at the factory, and "settled" on JMR "2008" speakers...... look them up. They may look like Bose 901s, but a completely different beast. He still has them them, in white with chrome stands, and they sound awesome. I did help him replace the crossovers a while back, rebuilt with poly-caps and non-inductive resistors, as well as replace the tweeters with Vifa because one was scratchy. Still amazed at them.

Anyhooooo. For my 4th pair of speaker I managed to find second (3rd, 4th?) hand an old pair of Tannoy HPD-15s, in a home made cabinet. I replaced the compression drivers due to one had a broken away voice coil. Rebuilt the cabinets to make them more solid and they served me well but looked like Schiit with their cheap wood grain vinyl wrap. Ended up getting rid of them due to a new house and got some baby Tannoys, the 638. They were OK, but didn't have that emotional impact.

Cut to the chase, and a few years and speakers later, I managed to find a pair of DMT15 MkII from a recording studio in Sydney, and did the two day round trip to pick them up. The drivers in these are the same as in the Tannoy Churchills. Some would say they are not decor friendly, but schiit do they sound good. And we have a big enough space for them to sing. Even my wife says that I am not to get rid of these. She's right, I won't be.

 

[Les Strat]

No stock yet but much nicer website now:
https://www.schiit-europe.com

Thanks for this @Derrick Swart
I hope that the UK dealer , Mark Dolbear, is able to get some stock.
He is an absolute pleasure to deal with.
I bought my Yggy from him and he did the Analogue 2 upgrade ( and USB 5)
I bought my Yggy Unison USB upgrade board and Freya S direct from Schiit in USA, simply because Mark could not get any stock.
In the case of Freya S, I wanted to get one before they were all gone...
Despite the extra hassle and costs associated with import tax and shipping, Schiit handled both of my orders quickly and efficiently.
Superb service from a great company.

 

[45longcolt]

Looking forward to the measurements schmeasurements chapter. Jason seems to treat measurements with the same reverence that Banksy has for art, or Peter Schickele had for classical music. Jason knows how to design for "impressive" numbers - wasn't that the genesis of a recent amp? He also knows how to go his own way even if that discomfits the self-appointed experts. And we as listeners have benefited. Perhaps Jason will give us some insights as to how numbers relate to perceived sound qualities, and which specs he truly considers crucial vs. those which are strictly a matter of being "buzzword compliant."

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

You don't often see PDQ Bach referenced here. Well done!

JC