[KoshNaranek]

Parasound already makes a mini power amp. I would prefer something with a volume control

 

[Letmebefrank]

A desktop amp is small form factor, relatively low watts for driving near field speakers, and has a volume knob. No need for a remote as the amp is at hand. Anyone talking about using the saga to feed monitors, that's $349 all by itself, and then you have the low quality class D amps built into the speakers. I'll pass on that.

 

[wink]

Schiit這牌子在香港很少人用，但它的產品真是很便宜啊！

 

[left] t few people use this brand in Hong Kong, but its product is really cheap ah![/left]

 

[GoodEnoughGear]

A desktop amp is small form factor, relatively low watts for driving near field speakers, and has a volume knob. No need for a remote as the amp is at hand. Anyone talking about using the saga to feed monitors, that's $349 all by itself, and then you have the low quality class D amps built into the speakers. I'll pass on that.

Depends on the speakers. Genelec are A/B.

 

[hekeli]

Anyone talking about using the saga to feed monitors, that's $349 all by itself, and then you have the low quality class D amps built into the speakers. I'll pass on that.

 
Obviously $49 Sys is the choice to feed budget monitors. Or Emotiva control freak. Or even software volume control.
 
When you can get a pair of LSR305 for under $300, it's pretty hard to justify going fancy schmancy class A/B for the same price and that's the amp only. Then you actually need passive speakers that are decend quality to show all this glory.
 
But yes, personally I hate that most actives have quite high self-noise. I would go for whisper quiet amp+passive setup. Then again, I can't stand any budget speakers even for desktop so I'd probably have Vidar going on.. or Hypex..

 

[hornytoad]

Depends on the speakers. Genelec are A/B.

And damn good!

 

[limelake]

  I'm currently running a 15 watt Fleawatt amp into a pair of speakers for my main rig, so I imagine there could be interest for a product like Jason proposed. This thing is about three times the height of a Modi and about 1.5" wider on each side. probably 3" deeper. Still very desktop sized.

Can I ask what your flea watt amp is ?

 

[ahleung]

The fleawatt amp can drive Salk exotic monitor which I think would be my next target.

 

[bigro]

Parasound already makes a mini power amp. I would prefer something with a volume control

It was a top contender but Its not exactly small enough to house it self on a desk with 2 Computer monitors and 2 passive speakers along with HP gear. Space did not allow a separate rack. I could see Having a volume control being useful for some scenarios, Like for a secondary system and wanting to plug in a network player in with out extra devices. This Non Existent amp is generating some good discussion. I think the Balance of trying to meet a certain price point with out compromising performance or reliability is going to be a challenge. Reading about the Vidar puts the trials and tribulations of designing a Power Amp into perspective.
 
 
Quote:

   
Schiit's engine is not built based on any such model.  We are small enough to be flexible for quick prototyping to production times and large enough to be self-supporting as manufacturers.  Since  both Jason and myself are creatures of freedom, we are also less constrained to a crowd-sourced product which may be partially or completely obsolete by the time it has its number of depositors and a go-ahead to build. I know that Jason will agree that crowd-funded projects are built by the under-capitalized or those who lack confidence in their own abilities. 
 
Both Schiit and Theta were always self supporting.  A client is a client, a bank is a bank.  A manufacturer who builds good stuff and does not spend more than it makes has no reason to ever confuse a client with a bank.  I seldom chime in on Jason's thread.  This time, I could not resist recording my utter contempt for crowd-funding.

 
This Thread and Your Thread Seem to Crowdfund Ideas. Sure there is disagreement as is possible with any healthy conversation but in the end we as the Client/ End user have the ability to give feedback and suggestions, be it good or bad and as you stated that gives the Schiit team the flexibility to prototype and the freedom make changes and even veer off the easy path and experiment with new designs and Architectures. From My perspective it seems to work out for both parties in the long run.

 

[valiant66]

I did not get the sense Valiant 66 was referring to an integrated.

 
Correct!
 
I'm envisioning the computer I'm working at as the source, into a Modi 2 U which I already own, into a Mani 2 U which provides the headphone amp and the volume control, into a similarly-sized power amp (stereo if possible, 2 mono blocks if not) driving my near-field speakers, which I already own.
 
The result is a rig that plays headphones and speakers both, no remote - volume "at hand" - with a compact footprint and even more than a bazillion choices in passive speakers than those bazillion (mostly) Class-D active speakers.
 
That's just my use case. A compact amp can also be used in so many other ways. And a good solid state amp does not drop out of usefulness over time and can be repurposed as your rig evolves.
 

A desktop amp is small form factor, relatively low watts for driving near field speakers, and has a volume knob. No need for a remote as the amp is at hand. Anyone talking about using the saga to feed monitors, that's $349 all by itself, and then you have the low quality class D amps built into the speakers. I'll pass on that.

 
I don't need a volume control on the amp since I'm planning to use a headphone amp as a preamp, not the Saga. It's just a power amp, nothing more.
 

Possibly with a power switch on the back and a power-on LED on the front bright enough to read by...

 

Parasound already makes a mini power amp. I would prefer something with a volume control

 
A single competitor making something is not a good reason for Schiit to not make one also.
 
And if you throw a volume control on there, you might as well put in a couple of input selectors, and next thing you know you're talking about yet another integrated amp, not a power amp.
 
Doubling down on Jason's stated preference for single function products, a power amp is just that: a power amp. Small voltage comes in, large watts go out. There's no volume control on the Vidar, you'll notice. Or remote control for that matter.
 
.

 

[r2muchstuff]

Bifrost sized stereo power amp (on off switch, RCA inputs and indicator LED only) or the same as mono blocks, maybe with balanced and RCA inputs.
 
Lots of uses, paired with a headphone/pre amp or with a pre amp or with anything that has volume control.
 
JMTC.
r2

 

[Mr Rick]

  Bifrost sized stereo power amp (on off switch, RCA inputs and indicator LED only) or the same as mono blocks, maybe with balanced and RCA inputs.
 
Lots of uses, paired with a headphone/pre amp or with a pre amp or with anything that has volume control.
 
JMTC.
r2

+1
 
Exactly what I was hoping for. RCA and XLR inputs and 60 WPC. No frills. 

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Reality check on any future small Class AB speaker amp:
 
1. It wouldn't be Magni/Modi size. That's the realm of Class D. Period.
2. It wouldn't be 60 watts in Asgard/Valhalla size. That's outside the realm of power dissipation reality.
3. It wouldn't be $100, or $150, or probably even $200. 
 
If we did anything, it would be Valhalla/Asgard sized,15-20 watts per channel, $249-299. Which is why I'm not so excited about it. Specs-wise, it doesn't appeal to many who will simply look at the superior power output and smaller size/cost of Class D and call it a day.

 

[KoshNaranek]

Reality check on any future small Class AB speaker amp:

1. It wouldn't be Magni/Modi size. That's the realm of Class D. Period.
2. It wouldn't be 60 watts in Asgard/Valhalla size. That's outside the realm of power dissipation reality.
3. It wouldn't be $100, or $150, or probably even $200. 

If we did anything, it would be Valhalla/Asgard sized,15-20 watts per channel, $249-299. Which is why I'm not so excited about it. Specs-wise, it doesn't appeal to many who will simply look at the superior power output and smaller size/cost of Class D and call it a day.

Which is why it needs a volume control. It needs to sit ON TOP of the schiit stack for cooling. It will not be able to sit on top of a Valhalla or Lyr, and compromise cooling on the Asgard.

I do not want something that requires a second pile of Schiit. Then what would be the point of smallness?

Still interested? I am

 

[Ali-Pacha]

  Reality check on any future small Class AB speaker amp:
 
1. It wouldn't be Magni/Modi size. That's the realm of Class D. Period.
2. It wouldn't be 60 watts in Asgard/Valhalla size. That's outside the realm of power dissipation reality.
3. It wouldn't be $100, or $150, or probably even $200. 
 
If we did anything, it would be Valhalla/Asgard sized,15-20 watts per channel, $249-299. Which is why I'm not so excited about it. Specs-wise, it doesn't appeal to many who will simply look at the superior power output and smaller size/cost of Class D and call it a day.

And in a Mjolnir / Gungnir enclosure...?

Ali