[bigro]

AudioMan.
I agree that remote options becomes more of an issue than a nicety when you have a coffee table, a dog and possibly small children standing between you and the gear rack and your volume knob, as opposed to just reaching your arm out. Now That I think about it more there is the remote consideration, There is the Size of the products and the use of wall warts will take up to much room on those expensive power centers. So now they all should have internal power supplies.
 
My opinion is if you look at most gear the preamp does a a lot of the control. Volume and Source switching etc. For Analog switching schiit really just needs a bigger sys. But the Dacs do  the digital switching so you are half way there. It would be almost pointless to redesign all the dacs at this point. But my pie in the sky big sys which has analog inputs and outputs but also has USB, Optical and Coax switching Built in. All your digital sources do not plug into the DAC but the Big Sys. Then By Some magic it would then it would then pass a clean digital signal via Only one cable, coax for example to the Dac. Then analog out from DAC back to the apple pie sys. No Need to Switch the inputs on the dac anymore,  So your volume control, analog and digital switching and maybe even a built in wyrd in one box.It is now easy to control your schitty world from your couch or bean bag chair.  Then you have a Product that will work for practically the whole line and possibly even play well with other non schiit dacs.
 
Excuse me now, Need coffee. If this makes no sense it is because I started dreaming obviously and forgot to make coffee.

 

[aamer23]

  AudioMan.
I agree that remote options becomes more of an issue than a nicety when you have a coffee table, a dog and possibly small children standing between you and the gear rack and your volume knob, as opposed to just reaching your arm out. Now That I think about it more there is the remote consideration, There is the Size of the products and the use of wall warts will take up to much room on those expensive power centers. So now they all should have internal power supplies.
 
My opinion is if you look at most gear the preamp does a a lot of the control. Volume and Source switching etc. For Analog switching schiit really just needs a bigger sys. But the Dacs do  the digital switching so you are half way there. It would be almost pointless to redesign all the dacs at this point. But my pie in the sky big sys which has analog inputs and outputs but also has USB, Optical and Coax switching Built in. All your digital sources do not plug into the DAC but the Big Sys. Then By Some magic it would then it would then pass a clean digital signal via Only one cable, coax for example to the Dac. Then analog out from DAC back to the apple pie sys. No Need to Switch the inputs on the dac anymore,  So your volume control, analog and digital switching and maybe even a built in wyrd in one box.It is now easy to control your schitty world from your couch or bean bag chair.  Then you have a Product that will work for practically the whole line and possibly even play well with other non schiit dacs.
 
Excuse me now, Need coffee. If this makes no sense it is because I started dreaming obviously and forgot to make coffee.

yes please want a big sys 

 

[MWSVette]

  AudioMan.
I agree that remote options becomes more of an issue than a nicety when you have a coffee table, a dog and possibly small children standing between you and the gear rack and your volume knob, as opposed to just reaching your arm out. Now That I think about it more there is the remote consideration, There is the Size of the products and the use of wall warts will take up to much room on those expensive power centers. So now they all should have internal power supplies.
 
My opinion is if you look at most gear the preamp does a a lot of the control. Volume and Source switching etc. For Analog switching schiit really just needs a bigger sys. But the Dacs do  the digital switching so you are half way there. It would be almost pointless to redesign all the dacs at this point. But my pie in the sky big sys which has analog inputs and outputs but also has USB, Optical and Coax switching Built in. All your digital sources do not plug into the DAC but the Big Sys. Then By Some magic it would then it would then pass a clean digital signal via Only one cable, coax for example to the Dac. Then analog out from DAC back to the apple pie sys. No Need to Switch the inputs on the dac anymore,  So your volume control, analog and digital switching and maybe even a built in wyrd in one box.It is now easy to control your schitty world from your couch or bean bag chair.  Then you have a Product that will work for practically the whole line and possibly even play well with other non schiit dacs.
 
Excuse me now, Need coffee. If this makes no sense it is because I started dreaming obviously and forgot to make coffee.

+1 for the Big Sys....

 

[Vtsailor]

AudioMan.

But my pie in the sky big sys which has analog inputs and outputs but also has USB, Optical and Coax switching Built in. All your digital sources do not plug into the DAC but the Big Sys. Then By Some magic it would then it would then pass a clean digital signal via Only one cable, coax for example to the Dac. Then analog out from DAC back to the apple pie sys. No Need to Switch the inputs on the dac anymore,  So your volume control, analog and digital switching and maybe even a built in wyrd in one box.It is now easy to control your schitty world from your couch or bean bag chair.  Then you have a Product that will work for practically the whole line and possibly even play well with other non schiit dacs.

Hmm, this is a very interesting notion because it offers the ability to add remote control to legacy equipment. This device could clean up the USB signals with Wyrd components and provide source switching, volume and balance control remote capability. It would eliminate the need to incorporate remote capabilities into individual components--making for a universal remote--and allow for a simple upgrade path as we purchase additional components from Schiit. If it used existing remote coding schemes, hopefully royalty free, Schiit wouldn't even have to construct the remote itself if they chose not to.

Count me in!

 

[45longcolt]

  I think what the people who have posted want isn't a Mani 2, but a totally new product at a higher pricepoint and more features.

 
This. A tubed phono stage from Schiit at $1K or under would really catch the attention of the larger market. As for "more features," the Mani is pretty versatile as is. About the only thing to add is an ADC, which a few here have already suggested. But that's a different, and more niche, product. Depends on whether you wanna archive your vinyl, or spin your vinyl.  

 

[ToTo Man]

   
This. A tubed phono stage from Schiit at $1K or under would really catch the attention of the larger market. As for "more features," the Mani is pretty versatile as is. About the only thing to add is an ADC, which a few here have already suggested. But that's a different, and more niche, product. Depends on whether you wanna archive your vinyl, or spin your vinyl.  

More options on loading and capacitance would be useful IMO.

 

[watchnerd]

   
This. A tubed phono stage from Schiit at $1K or under would really catch the attention of the larger market. As for "more features," the Mani is pretty versatile as is. About the only thing to add is an ADC, which a few here have already suggested. But that's a different, and more niche, product. Depends on whether you wanna archive your vinyl, or spin your vinyl.  

 
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.

 

[Serenitty]

   
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.

I just can't see Schiit licensing someone else's design when design is one of their strong points. 

 

[watchnerd]

 
I just can't see Schiit licensing someone else's design when design is one of their strong points. 

 
Design covers a lot of technical territory, not all of which a given company is equally good at.  Schiit is most famous for headphone amps and DACs, while Hagerman Labs has a good track record with multiple phono stages.  Schiit could license the basic circuit, then improve it to make it more Schiity.

 

[bigro]

Ehem..
 
http://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-6

 

[artur9]

   
On the A/D converter, I will admit at first I had headaches trying to figure why a USB connection is on a TT. Then you run into this world of Vinyl that CD/Digital versions are impossible to find or just never was made. .... You Clean the hell out of that vinyl and try to get a digital copy to preserve whats there. 

 
That's right.  What's really obscene is what they do to e.g. Adele's 25 album (link to loudness DB).  The CD is total crap compared to the LP, dynamic range wise.
 
My POV now is that one can buy well mastered Jazz and Classical on CD or high-res downloads.  But new Pop/Rock etc needs to be purchased on vinyl and needledropped to reach acceptable quality.

 

[watchnerd]

  Ehem..
 
http://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-6

 
It's great that the Mani has a nice review. It gives Schiit track record of making one good-for-the-money solid state phone stage.  It's a good start.
 
But Schiit doesn't have a strong brand identity in phono stages (unlike DACs and HP amps) and making one model is not the same as having a track record of making multiple models at multiple price points, using different topologies and technologies.  Schiit isn't a name that comes up a lot in the context of phono stages on vinyl-focused forums.
 
After decades of work, RIAA circuits are pretty much a solved problem at this point.  There are only so many engineering hours in a day, and it would probably make the most sense for Schiit to beef-up / do an incremental improvement on an existing circuit, whether licensed or something like a classic Marantz tube circuit.  Which would also give some interesting branding / street cred.

 

[Jones Bob]

^Sheesh. Mike doesn't need to copy or license ANYONE else's designs.

 

[watchnerd]

^Sheesh. Mike doesn't need to copy or license ANYONE else's designs.

 
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.

 

[bigro]

   
That's right.  What's really obscene is what they do to e.g. Adele's 25 album (link to loudness DB).  The CD is total crap compared to the LP, dynamic range wise.
 
My POV now is that one can buy well mastered Jazz and Classical on CD or high-res downloads.  But new Pop/Rock etc needs to be purchased on vinyl and needledropped to reach acceptable quality.

Yeah I constantly comment on how poor her CD's not her sounds. I was curious about if her LP's sound better. It interesting you mention being able to get better quality in the LP to Digital conversion on your own in certain cases. This Person had similar findings on the Gumby Thread.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/603219/schiit-gungnir-dac/3120#post_12200610
 
The Better Pressings are Pushing $30 a pop. There are cheaper ones, Although they seem to be noisy . My TT is not the best but not the worst. I picked up an older Miles Davis and it was damned Near perfect and it was not noisy at all. A Brand New Norah Jones album was really noisy and it just sounded bad. I have the "Audiophile" pressing on my list. The Audiophile pressing is a different Company than the standard one. I am guessing the rumblings of some companies just pushing out crap pressings possible recorded from less than perfect digital sources to get on the Vinyl Bandwagon and make a quick dollar is true and it seems crosley is selling a bazillion of those cheap TT's. Which probably makes everything spun on them sound the same... like that Adele CD.