[Odin412]

 
No worries on more 2-channel stuff...with remotes! It's definitely in the plan. I can't say on timeline, though...

Great news! For headphone listening I don't need a remote (does anyone?), but any amp that's powering my main speakers needs to have a remote - at least for the volume control. Call me lazy, but I don't like to walk up to the amp to adjust the volume only to return to the listening chair to find out that I should have set the volume just a little bit higher or lower.

 

[Mediahound]

  I'd like a whole chapter on the [REDACTED] and why it still has the on/off switch on the back and NO remote.    

 
 

 
Look at the board and the location of the transformers. Compare to the depth of the switches used. You tell me where to put the power switch on the front.
 
Remotes? For headphone products?

 
I prefer the power switches at the back, that's right where the power comes in. Why have power cabling routed all through the chassis to the front? Way more chance for noise etc. 

 

[KLJTech]

   
 
 
I prefer the power switches at the back, that's right where the power comes in. Why have power cabling routed all through the chassis to the front? Way more chance for noise etc. 

 
Agreed! Love the cleaner look and I leave my gear on all the time anyway. I could always flip the switch on the back if needed. 

 

[FrivolsListener]

   
 
 
I prefer the power switches at the back, that's right where the power comes in. Why have power cabling routed all through the chassis to the front? Way more chance for noise etc. 

 
My ancient Rotel has a mechanical link from the front push-button to the actual switch in the back of the chassis.  They got the look and feel of all the buttons, including power, to feel nearly (or completely) identical.

 

[FrivolsListener]

Stupid question for Jason, though:  On the Fulla, why a USB Mini-B, as opposed to a Micro-B connector?  Better wear characteristics?

 

[bigro]

I have a question for Jason and Or Mike.
 
I have noticed that in the past few years the balanced topology has been include in more and more amps, pre amps etc. I Have used balanced when doing audio with long runs and in parties and such  primarily because it's supposed to be better at rejecting interference / noise from surrounding equipment and has been used in those environments for a while. There are a lot of opinions on the web about whether or not balanced has a sound quality improvement over Single ended. Was the decision to do balanced on some of the Schiit higher end DAC's and Amps because there really is an improvement in sound quality or just adding options for connectivity? and probing a little further, if there is or is not an improvement in Sound quality what would be the reasons?

 

[Mediahound]

  I have a question for Jason and Or Mike.
 
I have noticed that in the past few years the balanced topology has been include in more and more amps, pre amps etc. I Have used balanced when doing audio with long runs and in parties and such  primarily because it's supposed to be better at rejecting interference / noise from surrounding equipment and has been used in those environments for a while. There are a lot of opinions on the web about whether or not balanced has a sound quality improvement over Single ended. Was the decision to do balanced on some of the Schiit higher end DAC's and Amps because there really is an improvement in sound quality or just adding options for connectivity? and probing a little further, if there is or is not an improvement in Sound quality what would be the reasons?

 
From the FAQ section of the Gungnir manual:
 
"What’s better—the balanced or single-ended outputs?
We don’t really have to answer this, do we? While the single-ended outputs are summed from the hardware-balanced outputs, balanced is the best way to go. By far. "




 
http://schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/gungnir_owners_manual_2_1.pdf

 

[Jason Stoddard]

   
My ancient Rotel has a mechanical link from the front push-button to the actual switch in the back of the chassis.  They got the look and feel of all the buttons, including power, to feel nearly (or completely) identical.

Look at the photo of the Mjolnir 2 board. Tell me where you'd put the switch--or the mechanical linkage.

 

[theblueprint]

Stupid question for Jason, though:  On the Fulla, why a USB Mini-B, as opposed to a Micro-B connector?  Better wear characteristics?

Mini-B is more sturdy. I hate micro-B, they always fail on me.

 

[theblueprint]

I have a question for Jason and Or Mike.

I have noticed that in the past few years the balanced topology has been include in more and more amps, pre amps etc. I Have used balanced when doing audio with long runs and in parties and such  primarily because it's supposed to be better at rejecting interference / noise from surrounding equipment and has been used in those environments for a while. There are a lot of opinions on the web about whether or not balanced has a sound quality improvement over Single ended. Was the decision to do balanced on some of the Schiit higher end DAC's and Amps because there really is an improvement in sound quality or just adding options for connectivity? and probing a little further, if there is or is not an improvement in Sound quality what would be the reasons?

If sound quality wasn't better, Jason wouldn't have needed to mess around with cyclotrons and Mike wouldn't have bothered finding 4 DAC chips for each Yggdrasil (and needing to release them in limited batches, while dealing with angry people who can't wait).

 

[FrivolsListener]

 
Look at the photo of the Mjolnir 2 board. Tell me where you'd put the switch--or the mechanical linkage.

 
It wasn't a challenge, just an observation.  Peace.

 

[FrivolsListener]

Mini-B is more sturdy. I hate micro-B, they always fail on me.

 
The cables do go on me -- at least the cheapest ones do -- but I didn't know if Mini-B was getting less and less support.  (That said, I have several devices, all but Fulla no longer being sold, with Mini-B.)
 
I don't know anything about the reliability of a Micro-B socket vs. a Mini-B socket.

 

[FrivolsListener]

 
Look at the photo of the Mjolnir 2 board. Tell me where you'd put the switch--or the mechanical linkage.

 
I'd like to add to my reply that if you wanted to do it, you wouldn't design the boards exactly the same way.  Regarding the original subject, that Rotel -- it spent better than 16 years not powered off except to replace the fuse-lights.  Power switches aren't that big a deal for me.

 

[bigro]

   
From the FAQ section of the Gungnir manual:
 
"What’s better—the balanced or single-ended outputs?
We don’t really have to answer this, do we? While the single-ended outputs are summed from the hardware-balanced outputs, balanced is the best way to go. By far. "




 
http://schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/gungnir_owners_manual_2_1.pdf

Thanks. It did not cross my mind to look in the Gungnir manual
 

If sound quality wasn't better, Jason wouldn't have needed to mess around with cyclotrons and Mike wouldn't have bothered finding 4 DAC chips for each Yggdrasil (and needing to release them in limited batches, while dealing with angry people who can't wait).

 
I don't think The Multiple DAC Chips would be directly tied with balanced its done with 1 chip as well (alo International + seems to have only one chip).   But scouring back to chapter 17 Also Jason does state that circlotron is inherently balanced and Has Already addressed this issue with both the pluses and minuses of both balanced and single ended. I Am about to re read all of his posts now.
 
One thing stuck out at me though in that chapter
" in our experience, balanced designs offer better sonic performance than single-ended designs…as long as it is a purely balanced design." 
 
I wonder how many products out there are actually a purely balanced design? and that could be the reason why there is such varying opinions.
 
Oh yeah then there was this GEM!!!!
" why did we call our version of the circlotron “Crossfet?” Because it’s not really a circlotron, if it’s not tubes. "
 
The main reason why I have not even looked at Balanced is I am using a Valhalla 2 strictly as a tube preamp for my 2ch main setup. And it's sublime . its the Pre Amp I plan on running for a while.
 
Now Ill be day dreaming about this schitty Circlotron Tube amp that does not exist.why you ask
 
"Well, let’s leave the tubes out of the equation. Mjolnir was never going to be a tube amp (though we did have a design for a big all-tube amp in a Mjolnir-sized chassis, which we never did anything with, but that’s another story."
Please do tell this story

 

[webstaa]

Talking connectors, form factors of connectors, and the design philosophy involved would be interesting, at least to me.
 
USB's iterations (physically/data bandwidth) has evolved and grown significantly, but the USB audio standard (data) hasn't changed that much.  Connectors have changed to - both legacy connectors, small form factor Mini to micro-B standardization coming from the EU and now the C connectors.  Where does this leave audio - especially when computer manufactures like Apple are stripping extra ports from their devices to favor the USB C daisy chaining etc.  How does and will that affect your design and audio philosophy going forward?
 
Also, maybe expounding on your company philosophy - now that you've found and pretty well filled your niche, is it time to branch out?  You said that the second iterations of the product line are really the endpoint of their own design philosophies.  Is 2 channel audio/speaker setups mean expanding beyond the niche?