Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up
Aug 28, 2021 at 4:15 AM Post #81,061 of 145,769
  • Ragnarok 2 now has a toroidal transformer with likely similar power, but lower noise floor

Was there any other reason given for the switch to toroidal aside from lower noise floor?
 
Aug 28, 2021 at 7:06 AM Post #81,063 of 145,769
Aug 28, 2021 at 7:37 AM Post #81,064 of 145,769
I got some of the first Coasters going that were sent out to the public. I have done some Bottlehead just to check them out and the instructions are quite good. Anyone should be able to assemble one of their amps, even @bcowen. :ksc75smile:
Hey now. I learned which end of the soldering iron to hold on only the 2nd try. Took me 3 times with a hammer, so I’m obviously better at electronics than carpentry. :relaxed:
 
Aug 28, 2021 at 7:40 AM Post #81,065 of 145,769
Aug 28, 2021 at 7:46 AM Post #81,066 of 145,769
@Jason Stoddard

Bottom line: Schiit is not immune to inflation. Your favorite DAC now costs $150 more but is the same DAC. No A3. No innovation. No Gungnir 2. And Gungnir is still not available in black. Maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere for a DAC.
 
Aug 28, 2021 at 8:11 AM Post #81,067 of 145,769
Whoa! I’m glad I got my Yggy GS when I did! Even with the older tech it’s still the best dac I’ve owned. Makes all of my previous dacs sound like a compromise.
@corndog71 I am also glad I got my 'original' Yggy and then had it upgraded it to A2.
I love it at the heart of my digital system as it just sounds 'right' to my ears.
I auditioned about a dozen DACs at home, before buying my Yggy. It was the only DAC I really liked. All of the others were returned for full refunds!
Some were more expensive than the Yggy.
Eventually, I will be unpacking a brand new turntable- a Technics SL 1200G which I bought in a moment of madness about 4 months ago.
It will be interesting to hear how a vinyl set up compares with digital - CDs, streamed lossless files from hard drive and Qobuz- as I haven't had any vinyl playback for over 20 years!
Unfortunately, it will probably be several months before I finally unpack the turntable, due to problems here in the UK getting any building work done....
I will use an Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge, a Rega Fono MM Mk 3 phono stage, Freya S and Lokius between the turntable and my active ATC SCM 100 ASL speakers, using balanced XLR connections.
Not quite sure what I am hoping for...
If it sounds 'better' than digital, I will have entered a dangerous, and potentially ruinous, rabbit hole, as I'll be buying vinyl again.... :beyersmile:
 
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Aug 28, 2021 at 8:51 AM Post #81,068 of 145,769
Hey now. I learned which end of the soldering iron to hold on only the 2nd try. Took me 3 times with a hammer, so I’m obviously better at electronics than carpentry. :relaxed:
LOL I must have been thinking of another @bcowen, you ARE getting better. :ksc75smile:

I ended up with Ratheon 6sn7wgt and CBS/Hytron 5692's in my Freya +. I like the combo and spend more than enough time rolling tubes in other amps so I tend to leave the Freya and Cary power amp alone.
 
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Aug 28, 2021 at 9:06 AM Post #81,069 of 145,769
Was there any other reason given for the switch to toroidal aside from lower noise floor?

This is interesting because in the Rag 2 chapter Jason said they could not find a toroidal that would work, so he designed the transformer in the sealed box and had to redesign the chassis to make it fit. I wonder if they just found a toroidal that wasn‘t available back then and maybe it’s less expensive or easier to assemble than the boxed solution. I don’t have a problem with noise floor with any of the headphones I use, but the transformer hum is pretty loud when you‘re sitting near it.
 
Aug 28, 2021 at 9:16 AM Post #81,071 of 145,769
@Jason Stoddard

Bottom line: Schiit is not immune to inflation. Your favorite DAC now costs $150 more but is the same DAC. No A3. No innovation. No Gungnir 2. And Gungnir is still not available in black. Maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere for a DAC.

Why do you need “A3“ as you call it? Are the two new DAC options not innovation? I am looking forward to hearing impressions of the new models.
And yes, sadly, no one is immune to inflation.
 
Aug 28, 2021 at 9:20 AM Post #81,072 of 145,769
Why do you need “A3“ as you call it? Are the two new DAC options not innovation? I am looking forward to hearing impressions of the new models.
And yes, sadly, no one is immune to inflation.
The $99 dacs and amps are staying there, only company to do so! I think I like the priorities at Schiit. Love these guys.

Why do you need “A3“ as you call it? Are the 7 new DAC options not innovation? I am looking forward to hearing impressions of the new models.
And yes, sadly, no one is immune to inflation.
fyp
 
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Aug 28, 2021 at 9:36 AM Post #81,073 of 145,769
Thanks for the idea. Didn't know there was an ignore button. Works well.


Back on topic, was there any word previously if there would ever be a balanced hybrid tube amp in the footprint/size of a Lyr? Maybe Lyr 4?
It seems to me unlikely, but I am not one with inside information. Just based on the readings assigned, Jason loves the Jot2. I don't think he sees a need for a hybrid tube version.

Also I think he said it's too hot, so you'd have to go higher to keep the footprint that size.
 
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Aug 28, 2021 at 9:39 AM Post #81,074 of 145,769
@Jason Stoddard

No A3. No innovation. No Gungnir 2. And Gungnir is still not available in black. Maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere for a DAC.

Who said there wasn't an "A3" AD5791 board—that turned out to be one you don't want?

FWIW, the standard Yggdrasil AD5791 boards are "2.01." The DAC8812 boards are "3.02". The DAC11001 boards are "7.03." I have boards sitting on the prototype shelf up to "10.1." There have been a ton of prototypes, including what you might consider to be "Analog 3." And the "improved" AD5791 board turned out to be, ah, not so "improved."

Proof of 10 Yggdrasil variants:

IMG_1753.jpg


Excuse us for only producing the best-measuring multibit DAC, like, ever, as one of the options (More is Less).

Excuse us for reducing the cost of what most consider to be the best Yggdrasil option with 16-bit DACs (Less is More).

Excuse us for passing along a price increase for the OG, which is caused by significantly higher AD5791 and PCB prices, and is less than inflation since the Yggdrasil's inception, while also including Unison USB and Analog 2.

Excuse us for planning a true double-blind listening test with multiple reviewers, to help you choose the Yggdrasil that's best for your system (we're doing that next week.)

And finally, excuse us for changing up the You-Must-Upgrade-Every-Time-At-All-Cost-To-The-Universe-Shaking-New-Thing! narrative and saying what we really believe, based on lots of experimentation, "Once you're at this level of performance, there are flavors, and some flavors go better with certain preferences and systems."

Bottom line: could we do an "Analog 3" board and pimp it out as the best thing since sliced bread? Sure. But DACs don't need to change for the sake of change. Also, when you get to this level of performance, the changes are very rarely night and day. They're more flavors. So, out of a bunch of variations of Yggdrasil, we found a couple of flavors we felt were interesting. It's very possible most people will like Less is More, or More is Less, far better than Yggdrasil OG. But other people will still think OG is the best. Perhaps for the same reason "classic" components are rediscovered periodically. (Anyone out there hanging on to a Theta DAC, and still think it sounds better than the modern stuff? How about an ancient Class A amp? Tubes?)

Of course, perhaps we are incompetent. Perhaps every other manufacturer on the planet always has a clear win every time they decide to do an improved product, and the product is clearly better every time, and worth a significant price increase. That's entirely possible. I know I'm fallible. So maybe that's it.
 
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Aug 28, 2021 at 9:53 AM Post #81,075 of 145,769
Which of the two new Yggy flavors will you be buying?

Have you listened to any of the new versions as a beta tester?
I don't need another Yggdrasil (right now) and I was only a beta tester for Unison. But I am looking forward to Urd and to Lokius Maximus.
 
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