[Andrew Randle]

Working on one of my own... it's no Tesla, but it'll have to do...

https://jmimac351.smugmug.com/289CobraLemansReplica

This week I was working out which two seater to add to my collection

Andrew

 

[Les Strat]

Question for everyone: I have an acquaintance in Richmond (VA) who has some pretty high end gear and cans, and he’s always been scared of Schiit as it’s priced too low to be any good. Anyone in the area willing to let him have a listen? Seems a good guy, but needs a Bit of education. Obv I really am asking for a friend!

Why doesn't he just buy some 'low end' Schiit gear and try it...?

Seems a pretty crazy argument to be 'scared ' because Schiit gear is too cheap! Would he be happier if they doubled their prices..?

I'd be tempted to leave him to his 'high-end' gear if it makes him happy.

Schiit's 15 day return policy means there is almost no risk for domestic US customers, and he can clearly afford the gear!

Due to an acute lack of stock in UK, I have bought several Schiit items direct from the States, including:
Freya S
Lokius
Magni 3 +
Unison USB upgrade board for Yggy
Folkvangr.

I am happy with all of these purchases.

There is no easy return policy when buying direct from the States, as there is additional shipping cost, plus taxes and customs duty in UK.

However, I already knew how good the Yggy was (which I bought in the UK) so I took a chance.... several times!
I have great faith in Jason and Mike.

No 'buyer's remorse' here

 

[Les Strat]

Yes, they do IMHO also. Hard to explain. My 20-year-old (yet built like a 45 lb tank) Musical Fidelity A308CR CD player, coax digital out to my OG Yggy Analog 2... timing is impeccable; the whole "PRAT" thing is perfectly demonstrable with this setup. Like any other recordings, some CDs contain schittily-produced music, and others are simply spectacular.

Listening to "Monuments and Melodies" by Incubus. I'm way off-axis, far-field (upstairs) and the sound - while mono - is tall and wide and just simply spot on. It's a good production and an even better recording.

Really can't wait to get my hands on an Urd. I will be one of the first to order one. Hope that Jason has a good call with the transport supplier this week... ohpleaseohpleaseohplease.

I had the same experience with CDs @dstrimbu

Last night I spent several hours listening to music purely from 'physical media'- CDs and Vinyl, with no computer in sight!

It was great!

I have finally settled on a favoured output from my Jay's Audio CDT2 Mk 3; I have found that its AES/EBU output is my favourite connection to Yggy OG A2, slightly ahead of BNC.
(CDT does not have a USB output).

Listening to some CDs which I have owned for many years, they sounded even better than the ripped, lossless copies on my hard drive and the same albums on Qobuz.
The differences are subtle, but CDs are now my favoured way of playing digital music.

It is far less convenient than streaming, but I found that I got immersed in albums when using physical media, instead of jumping from track to track, as I do with streaming,
I also enjoyed the whole ritual of placing a CD in the top loader of the CD transport and then reading the liner notes.

As for vinyl... that takes inconvenience to a whole new level, but I love it!

Last night I tried a cheap(er) cartridge on my Technics SL 1200G.
I bought an Ortofon 2M Red MM, specifically for older, worn vinyl.

At less than a fifth of the cost of the Ortofon 2M Black, I wasn't sure what to expect.

It is superb! It is slightly 'warmer' than the 2M Black, and there is a bit less top end detail, but I really liked it and listened for hours.

There was less surface noise on older vinyl than the 2M Black.

It was great advice from forum members to try an elliptical stylus on old vinyl Thank you.

I now have the luxury of four music sources:

• Qobuz
• Ripped CDs on hard drive
• CDs
• Vinyl

I enjoy all of them, for different reasons

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

Question for everyone: I have an acquaintance in Richmond (VA) who has some pretty high end gear and cans, and he’s always been scared of Schiit as it’s priced too low to be any good. Anyone in the area willing to let him have a listen? Seems a good guy, but needs a Bit of education. Obv I really am asking for a friend!

You should reevaluate your acquaintances…

But in all seriousness, as stated above, why bother? My (purely accidental) entry into a world full of Schiit was a Hel2, of all things. If your acquaintance has some "pretty high end gear and cans," he should have no problem to find a bit of change between his sofa pillows for a Magni or Vali 2+/+ and a Modi.

So, from where I'm sitting, your acquaintance either financially overextends himself to buy the gear he has, or he's not in it for the sound but for some perceived bragging rights. Either way, I don't really see why you should bother trying to "convert" him.

Could be a false dichotomy, of course, but I struggle to come up with a third and less negative sounding reason for him to refuse to give Schiit a shot, especially considering their entirely too generous return policy.

If someone doesn't want to listen to good advice, sometimes it's more fun to just lean back and watch them suffer.

 

[audio philestine]

"But I want balanced and tubes and—
Yeah. We did that. It was called Mjolnir. It was big and inconvenient and we couldn’t move it with bran."

What does "move it with bran" even mean? I'm assuming it means it didn't sell well, but I've never heard that phrase before. Not going to hold my breath for a MJ3 after that statement though...

Hodor?

 

[Roy G. Biv]

I don't use the Bluesound Node's DAC/Audio-Out, but via optical to an external DAC (in my case, specifically the Chord Qutest) it does represent an excellent front-end.

My Node is connected to the DAC via coax, as is my Oppo DVD player. One nice feature of my Ares DAC is that it has 2 coax inputs as well as 2 optical and 1 USB. Not many DACs that I can think of that has that combination of inputs.
A few months ago I connected the pre-outs of the Node directly to my powered speakers effectively using it as a pre-amp. It sounded surprisingly good.

 

[Erratic Gravy]

Why doesn't he just buy some 'low end' Schiit gear and try it...?

Seems a pretty crazy argument to be 'scared ' because Schiit gear is too cheap! Would he be happier if they doubled their prices..?

I'd be tempted to leave him to his 'high-end' gear if it makes him happy.

Schiit's 15 day return policy means there is almost no risk for domestic US customers, and he can clearly afford the gear!

Due to an acute lack of stock in UK, I have bought several Schiit items direct from the States, including:
Freya S
Lokius
Magni 3 +
Unison USB upgrade board for Yggy
Folkvangr.

I am happy with all of these purchases.

There is no easy return policy when buying direct from the States, as there is additional shipping cost, plus taxes and customs duty in UK.

However, I already knew how good the Yggy was (which I bought in the UK) so I took a chance.... several times!
I have great faith in Jason and Mike.

No 'buyer's remorse' here

Yep - he is missing out - replaced expensive Ming Da MC7 tube pre amp with Saga and added a Bifrost Multibit from UK supplier a couple of years ago - hooked up into Meridian actives and a DVD transport - utterly superb bits of kit for the money - Oh and BTW - I use DNM cables that are also superb value for money and made only up the road from me !!

 

[GearMe]

You should reevaluate your acquaintances…

But in all seriousness, as stated above, why bother? My (purely accidental) entry into a world full of Schiit was a Hel2, of all things. If your acquaintance has some "pretty high end gear and cans," he should have no problem to find a bit of change between his sofa pillows for a Magni or Vali 2+/+ and a Modi.

So, from where I'm sitting, your acquaintance either financially overextends himself to buy the gear he has, or he's not in it for the sound but for some perceived bragging rights. Either way, I don't really see why you should bother trying to "convert" him.

Could be a false dichotomy, of course, but I struggle to come up with a third and less negative sounding reason for him to refuse to give Schiit a shot, especially considering their entirely too generous return policy.

If someone doesn't want to listen to good advice, sometimes it's more fun to just lean back and watch them suffer.

Agree with the 'why bother' concept...

If he's in it for the 'prestige' of owning expensive gear going for $$$$$, it's unlikely he'll see the value proposition.

Hope they enjoy their gear music!

 

[OldRoadToad]

They will only get my Asgard 3 from my... not an appropriate quote in 2022.. but you get the point, it ain't going nowhere!

The way it sounds with many of my headphones is perfect.

I may have to learn to appreciate what I have?

Well said, brother! The grass is not always greener, it is just that sometime we have to mow our own lawn to see it for what it is. Ours.

ORT

 

[Charente]

.....

Due to an acute lack of stock in UK, I have bought several Schiit items direct from the States, including:
Freya S
Lokius
Magni 3 +
Unison USB upgrade board for Yggy
Folkvangr.

I am happy with all of these purchases.

There is no easy return policy when buying direct from the States, as there is additional shipping cost, plus taxes and customs duty in UK.

Perhaps Schiit USA could come to an arrangement with their Non-US distributors for equipment that is currently purchased from the USA by people not in the USA ... maybe an option so that they could provide post-purchase support, like warranty work ??

 

[OldRoadToad]

I enjoy my Bluesound Node 2i but CDs played on my Oppo DBP93 thru the same DAC sound better. Not a huge difference but certainly noticeable.
He's continuing to grind my gears a bit but Darko recently did a video about this topic.

Well, I must admit (I probably already have and just can not recall doing so!) I loathe Darko. He strikes me as a frAudiophile but mayhap that has change in the last few years?

For me 'tis simple. I find comfort in physical media. To me they do NOT sound better but to me they do make ME feel better. It is subjective and unlike some in the real world I readily admit to this facet of what it means to be human. I recently added a vintage Fisher Direct Drive (Double D!) with semi auto function to my tiny stable of 'tables. I have a slight physical handicap that makes having to get up and take the tone arm and move it back at the end of the record a bit of a pain. Not always but enough so that I like having not to do it all the time. I also have fully automatic tables and a couple of manuals too. There are some that will claim noise is induced (and they can hear it, LOL!) by semi or fully auto machines. Riiiiiiiiight...

My troubles with Darko are pretty much attitude based. I do not care for his and he does not care for mine. So I quit reading or viewing him several years ago. The point being, there are two things you should listen to and Darko ain't one of them.

1) Listen to your music, not your equipment.

2) Listen to your self, not Darko, not any frAudiophile and never to a toad.


I trust your judgement and we have never met. You should trust your judgement too. Enjoy the soundtrack of your life, my friend.

Be well, brother!

ORT

 

[Bonehead7171]

Listening to "Monuments and Melodies" by Incubus. I'm way off-axis, far-field (upstairs) and the sound - while mono - is tall and wide and just simply spot on. It's a good production and an even better recording.

I turned on the first CD and my wife yells from the kitchen "That sounds SOOO GOOD!!!" There is something in the core of the sound with CD that is not there in streaming.

 

[Odin412]

At what tube price point do you consider it bonkers to continue to use the Vali 2? $149+? Does the amp always have to cost more to match the tube cost? Thanks in advance.

No, the price of the tube is entirely up to your (and your wallet's) tolerance level.

 

[StimpyWan]

Wish we had some of that New England coolness here. Florida is getting hotter every year: thinking about moving several hundred miles north.

NC is always looking for 'good' people. Just bring a pallet of cardboard with you, and you'll be welcome with open arms. Probably given a key to the city...!

 

[golfbravobravo]

Iirc, wasn’t part of the Asiana landing a crew input (cultural) fail? coming from an ICBM background, the crew aspect is vital in command and control situations is vital, and the ability/willingness for the deputy/copilot to speak up in a mandate. Didn’t happen there, though the copilot may have understood and recognised the problem. Or am I remembering wrongly?

I believe you are correct. The cultural aspects were remarked upon in the final report IIRC. The US and Europe has done a lot to address CRM in recent years with significant improvements IMO. I'm sure that @Roy G. Biv can comment more fully on changes in this arena.