[Jones Bob]

This isn't a comment on Mike's technical acumen.

It's about go to market strategy and what you want to spend engineering time on.  There isn't a lot of room, or need, for innovation in RIAA basic equalization.  

Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making an homage to a classic RIAA circuit from the golden age of vinyl, such as the Marantz 7.

You're talking Chinese "market strategy".

Same problem with cinema these days, a rehash of the old with very little true innovation.
I don't know anyone who enjoyed Terminator 3 as much as the original. Let's not get started on The Force Awakens, OK?

As for RIAA circuits, or any circuit, there are innovations and implementations to be made that will differentiate the manufacturer from all others. That is where Schiit lives and breathes. They design and build what they want. Not in simply rehashing other company's designs from half a century ago.

 

[Angular Mo]

A remote control for every amp Schiit makes, really?

Can that be done with an analog potentiometer?

How would it work with a physical volume
Knob?

 

[Ableza]

A remote control for every amp Schiit makes, really?

Can that be done with an analog potentiometer?

Hownwould it work with a physical volume
Knob?

 
You can insert a potentiometer into any analog signal chain, and it is not difficult to motorized one with a remote control.   You can buy kits on Fleabay for $15.   Making it quiet so it has the least impact on SQ is the trick, and would be more expensive.

 

[watchnerd]

As for RIAA circuits

 
The RIAA circuit itself?  Not really, no.
 
What happens before and after that?  Sure.
 
But, again to my point: as smart as the guys at Schiit are, there are guys just as smart at companies that specialize in making making phono stages for a living at places like Clearaudio (the Clearaudio Nano is a heck of a phono stage for <$500).  It's not logical to think that Schiit, who isn't in the phono stage business as a core competency, will be able to magically out-engineer designers at companies where designing phono stages is what they do for a living.
 
Even if the aptitude is the same, there is the opportunity cost.  Time spent learning to make a phono stage better than what the market leaders already make is time that isn't spent making a better DAC, headphone amp, a new preamp, etc.  
 
This whole set of trade-offs is why companies license tech from each other.  It's not a slam on capabilities, it's just often more efficient.

 

[watchnerd]

A remote control for every amp Schiit makes, really?

Can that be done with an analog potentiometer?

Hownwould it work with a physical volume
Knob?

 
Probably not every amp, but the higher end ones that are likely to be used in a living room.
 
As for how it works with a physical volume knob, motorized pots are very common.

 

[Jones Bob]

The RIAA circuit itself?  Not really, no.

What happens before and after that?  Sure.

But, again to my point: as smart as the guys at Schiit are, there are guys just as smart at companies that specialize in making making phono stages for a living at places like Clearaudio (the Clearaudio Nano is a heck of a phono stage for <$500).  It's not logical to think that Schiit, who isn't in the phono stage business as a core competency, will be able to magically out-engineer designers at companies where designing phono stages is what they do for a living.

Even if the aptitude is the same, there is the opportunity cost.  Time spent learning to make a phono stage better than what the market leaders already make is time that isn't spent making a better DAC, headphone amp, a new preamp, etc.  

This whole set of trade-offs is why companies license tech from each other.  It's not a slam on capabilities, it's just often more efficient.

What does that business model have to do with Schiit?

 

[watchnerd]

What does that business model have to do with Schiit?

 
Economics, market forces, competitive landscape, core vs peripheral target markets....everything, really.

 

[bigro]

What does that business model have to do with Schiit?

Agreed. Taking some other companies product and slapping a sticker on it,  At that point why even bother? Just let the other guy do it. Speaking for myself I like Schiit products because they do not do that.  A re branded phono stage or any other product for that matter does not intrigue me. Why not just buy they original?

   
Probably not every amp, but the higher end ones that are likely to be used in a living room.
 
As for how it works with a physical volume knob, motorized pots are very common.

 
This is where a pie in the sky big sys would work. Like the preamps of the standard non integrated gear. Sources usually do not have volume controls or amps for that matter. It all lies in the Pre amp. A remote controlled Ragnarok  volume control would be stellar in something like this.

 

[watchnerd]

 
Agreed. Taking some other companies product and slapping a sticker on it,  At that point why even bother? Just let the other guy do it. Speaking for myself I like Schiit products because they do not do that.  A re branded phono stage or any other product for that matter does not intrigue me. Why not just buy they original?
 
 

 
That's not how technology licensing necessarily works.  Do you think every CD player maker that licensed the core tech from Sony/Phillips made clones?

 

[bigro]

   
That's not how technology licensing necessarily works.  Do you think every CD player maker that licensed the core tech from Sony/Phillips made clones?

"License the Hagerman Cornet 3 design from Hagerman Labs ?
 
 
 
 
Sounds like taking their design and slapping your sticker on it to me.

 

[DougD]

whoops. posted prematurely. deleted.

 

[Jones Bob]

Economics, market forces, competitive landscape, core vs peripheral target markets....everything, really.

Buzz words.

 

[painted klown]

Volume controls with remote controls can be added to analog gear. This can be done (as previously mentioned) by motorizing pots, however, this can also be achieved by using a digitally controlled analog resistor ladder. IMO the second method works very well and was done by Emotiva in their XSP-1 pre-amp.
 
I have the Gen 1 version and the volume knob does not turn when using the remote control, but you can physically turn the (infinitely rotating) knob to adjust the volume level as well.
 
From the Emotiva website, on the XSP-1 page:
 
Refining Balanced Performance
The XSP-1 Gen 2 combines a pure, all-analog, audiophile topology with an advanced digital control system. This maintains the purity of the audio signal, while offering advanced features, resolution, and accuracy far surpassing traditional designs. The XSP-1 Gen 2 delivers an uncompromised listening experience in Reference Playback mode by totally avoiding single ended to balanced conversions from the signal path. Combined with instrumentation grade relays for input selection and high voltage, and a digitally-controlled analog resistor ladder network with 0.5dB per step resolution for volume, the XSP-1 Gen 2 maintains signal integrity and near perfect channel matching - even at very low listening levels.
 
http://emotiva.com/products/pres-and-pros/xsp-1

 

[AudioMan612]

I agree with using internal power supplies over wall-warts for larger equipment.  Not only is it more convenient, but it gives you more room for a better and more powerful PSU as well.  If they get really high-end, they could do separate power supply units...maybe they could even make a large one that could drive several pieces of their speaker-oriented gear at once from one chassis.  That would be awesome.
 
As far as remotes go, yeah, as others have said, motorized pots, such as the ALPS RK27 Blue Velvet, which comes in both standard and motorized versions, have been around for decades.

 

[disastermouse]

   
If I were Schiit, there is a quick and easy answer to this:
 
License the Hagerman Cornet 3 design from Hagerman Labs (I'm speaking as someone who owns a Cornet 3).  Benefits:
 
1. All tube design that sounds good, has pretty good specs, and has been field tested.  Also an existing fan-base of Cornet 3 fans that could be marketed to.
 
2. It's transformer-less, so has some space and form-factor advantages.
 
3. As a DIY design, it could benefit from a cosmetic facelift and a few other upgrades.
 
4. It's just about the right size to fit into an Lyr-sized case with some room to spare.
 
5. The retail price is such that there is still room for a profit, and presumably the margin could be higher with an OEM licensing deal.
 
6. Provides a platform for a future Mjolnir-sized version that adds balanced outputs.

The one thing about Schiit that really comes through is that, as much as Jason likes to fake-complain about them (they make for great stories!), figuring out the challenges of doing things differently and better is the why of Schiit and the reason he and Mike do what they do. I mean, it's not like they don't integrate others' work into their designs, but it seems that they really aren't interested in simply profiting without innovating in some way - even their less expensive offerings are innovative in that they solve design problems inexpensively and bring their stuff out at unexpectedly low prices.
 
Maybe I've misread their intentions, but I really don't think so. It's one of the more appealing things about Schiit as a company.