[KoshNaranek]

You don't want to "max out" anything.  Like I said it's analog.  Just balance the two volume controls to a nice level on both.  No biggie.  If you wish to drive a headphone amp off a preamp there is really no magic, just connect them together - although if the pre only has one output set you'll need to use Y-cables.

Put the Y cables on the DAC and KISS

 

[Rowethren]

Put the Y cables on the DAC and KISS

 
That is what I do from my Gumby to my Mjolnir 2 and my Rotel RA-1570 and it works perfectly. I used to daisy chain from a Lyr 2 to my Rotel RA-1570 but one of my tubes popped and almost blew my speakers so never doing that again! Was a LISST as well which was a bit of a shock.

 

[MWSVette]

I use these to split the signal from my Bimby to both my Lyr and Jotuheim;
 
https://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-adapter-male-female-assembly/dp/B0009MFRW0/ref=pd_ybh_a_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QP2MXFW9AR0H9YPZWETE

 

[notfitforpublic]

Yup, no issues between my Valhalla and Polaris
 

 

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

I prefer my schiit fulla over my vali 2, does that mean my ears are broken?  ; ;  bass hits good, vocals are silky... whats wrong with me?  :/

 

[OldRoadToad]

.

 

[slefty]

Put the Y cables on the DAC and KISS

That doesn't work if your DAC isn't your only output. What if you also have a turntable and an SACD player? Or you have a Solid State power amp for your speakers that sounds best if left warmed up all the time? Then you can leave the preamp volume ll the way down, and using a fixed output to feed your headphone amp, use its volume control?

 

[bigro]

  That doesn't work if your DAC isn't your only output. What if you also have a turntable and an SACD player? Or you have a Solid State power amp for your speakers that sounds best if left warmed up all the time? Then you can leave the preamp volume ll the way down, and using a fixed output to feed your headphone amp, use its volume control?

 
 
 In this sense no, all inputs would have to go to some kind of switching device Like the freya or saga.
The Freya and Saga were Designed for use with 2 Channel Power amps for speakers which have no volume control.  So yes in the HP world it would seem a little weird with the volume control but in the 2 channel world it is exactly what is needed in a preamp. If you wish to use the freya for volume control set the HP amp volume to comfortable setting and use the volume control on the Freya exclusively. As Albeza said .Its not rocket science. But if you choose the use a 2 Channel Preamp to do double duty to feed an HP amp you do not want to power down your power amp you may need to get creative as preamps in general do not do switching of outputs. If you choose to run it this way you have to get something in line to your power amps to cut the signal Like a sys.

 

[Oklahoma]

Jason Stoddard I am curious what the distance from the side of Freya to the first tube is? Can one stack a jotenheim or lyr on the one side of a Freya without hitting the first tube?

 

[slefty]

   
 
 In this sense no, all inputs would have to go to some kind of switching device Like the freya or saga.
The Freya and Saga were Designed for use with 2 Channel Power amps for speakers which have no volume control.  So yes in the HP world it would seem a little weird with the volume control but in the 2 channel world it is exactly what is needed in a preamp. If you wish to use the freya for volume control set the HP amp volume to comfortable setting and use the volume control on the Freya exclusively. As Albeza said .Its not rocket science. But if you choose the use a 2 Channel Preamp to do double duty to feed an HP amp you do not want to power down your power amp you may need to get creative as preamps in general do not do switching of outputs. If you choose to run it this way you have to get something in line to your power amps to cut the signal Like a sys.

Okay, I get it, even though I don't post a lot on here. It seems to me that most people here are (obviously) primarily headphone people, and generally single source digital listeners. I also get a general sense that few are long time "audiophiles" or people with full multi-source speaker based systems. It might come as a surprise to many of you, but some of us who have been in this hobby a long time, who have a dedicated room, a full speaker based system, and listen equally fondly to both analog and digital, use headphones in our systems too. A preamp in a system like that has to be able to feed either the speakers or the headphone amp without interfering with the other. We aren't going to compromise our systems with kludge to work around a function that is missing. 
The surprising part to me is that both Mike and Jason come from a long history of quality speaker based audio, and you would think that in making a preamp, as a company that makes really good headphone amps, they would want to accommodate listeners who want to play through their speakers sometime, or switch easily to use their headphones other times. As much as I have mentioned how much I like the Burson Conductor Virtuoso as a preamp, it generally doesn't get use in my system. Not because I find other DACs better (I can feed other DACs into one of its line level inputs) but that its otherwise highly regarding headphone amp doesn't mate up with the 600 ohm headphones I prefer. The Schiit Valhalla works and sounds much better. I just can't hook it up when the Burson is in the system. I mostly use a homemade DIY passive line stage, which lets me switch between two inputs (usually a phono preamp and a DAC) and also between two outputs, a variable out to the power amp, and a fixed level to the headphone amp. For about $100 in parts it works great. Channel Islands Audio makes a similar device that looks a lot nicer for about $300. 
I would like to find an active line stage, and due to the focus on lower priced, high-value gear I write about, one that isn't crazy expensive, that has the sound quality I want, with the functionality I need (and a remote!. I was hoping the Schiit Line Stages would fit the bill. 

 

[Kost]

Jason, is the Jotunheim topology compatible with tubes? Is anything like that currently in the works?

 

[bigro]

  Okay, I get it, even though I don't post a lot on here. It seems to me that most people here are (obviously) primarily headphone people, and generally single source digital listeners. I also get a general sense that few are long time "audiophiles" or people with full multi-source speaker based systems. It might come as a surprise to many of you, but some of us who have been in this hobby a long time, who have a dedicated room, a full speaker based system, and listen equally fondly to both analog and digital, use headphones in our systems too. A preamp in a system like that has to be able to feed either the speakers or the headphone amp without interfering with the other. We aren't going to compromise our systems with kludge to work around a function that is missing. 
The surprising part to me is that both Mike and Jason come from a long history of quality speaker based audio, and you would think that in making a preamp, as a company that makes really good headphone amps, they would want to accommodate listeners who want to play through their speakers sometime, or switch easily to use their headphones other times. As much as I have mentioned how much I like the Burson Conductor Virtuoso as a preamp, it generally doesn't get use in my system. Not because I find other DACs better (I can feed other DACs into one of its line level inputs) but that its otherwise highly regarding headphone amp doesn't mate up with the 600 ohm headphones I prefer. The Schiit Valhalla works and sounds much better. I just can't hook it up when the Burson is in the system. I mostly use a homemade DIY passive line stage, which lets me switch between two inputs (usually a phono preamp and a DAC) and also between two outputs, a variable out to the power amp, and a fixed level to the headphone amp. For about $100 in parts it works great. Channel Islands Audio makes a similar device that looks a lot nicer for about $300. 
I would like to find an active line stage, and due to the focus on lower priced, high-value gear I write about, one that isn't crazy expensive, that has the sound quality I want, with the functionality I need (and a remote!. I was hoping the Schiit Line Stages would fit the bill. 

Lets look at the functions that you get, a Fully balanced Tube Pre that can be switched to Jfet Buffers Or passive. for $699 There are barely any balanced pre's that are less than $1,000 and then you get into tubes and good luck. You get all of this in one box. $300 for a passive pre? Try $349 for a passive pre that can switch to a active tube hybrid, with remote control and a stepped attenuator volume control. One can argue that at $300 that channel islands passive pre is missing some functions Like an active stage and maybe some inputs as well.
 
I have been a 2 channel, multi source listener for many more years than I have been an HP listener. There are some here that been into 2 channel many more years than I have. I am sure most would agree that there is way more functionality in the schiit preamps than just about any other pre amp in the price range. Where in this galaxy can you find a fully balanced tube pre for less than $1,000? If you have been into the "audiophile" world for some time, I am sure you are well aware that there are preamps with the price tag of a compact car. No one is asking you to "Kludge" anything up. If you go back some pages  in this thread this horse has been beaten, its a done design so at this point we are offering solutions in the event you decided to go with any of the schiit preamps.  if the shoe does not fit then try a different one.

 

[KoshNaranek]

Quote:  Okay, I get it, even though I don't post a lot on here. It seems to me that most people here are (obviously) primarily headphone people, and generally single source digital listeners. I also get a general sense that few are long time "audiophiles" or people with full multi-source speaker based systems.
 
 
There are a few of us who are speaker guys who later discovered the headphone scene(Ableza and Jcal1 among them). Speaking for myself, my memory is long enough that I have experience with equipment that did not fully meet my desires but sounded good enough that I would put up with its foibles. Schiit equipment falls under that category
 
You are correct that I, at least, only listen to digital sources. Again my memory is long enough that I am over the whole LP and tape thing. So, I do not immediately think about other use cases. I am sorry that we are not more helpful.
 
For headphones, at least, Schiit equipment is good enough and (at least to me)cheap enough that It justifies its own listening stations in my house. You may think it is flippant when we respond with "kludge" solutions, but they meet our needs and in the end we will do what makes us happy.
 
I do not mean to be unfriendly or unwelcoming. I hope you find what you are looking for, and I suspect that if you wait, Freya 2 will have it, given the blog postings so far. Good Luck and Good Listening.

 

[JohnBal]

Okay, I get it, even though I don't post a lot on here. It seems to me that most people here are (obviously) primarily headphone people, and generally single source digital listeners. I also get a general sense that few are long time "audiophiles" or people with full multi-source speaker based systems. It might come as a surprise to many of you, but some of us who have been in this hobby a long time, who have a dedicated room, a full speaker based system, and listen equally fondly to both analog and digital, use headphones in our systems too. A preamp in a system like that has to be able to feed either the speakers or the headphone amp without interfering with the other. We aren't going to compromise our systems with kludge to work around a function that is missing. 

The surprising part to me is that both Mike and Jason come from a long history of quality speaker based audio, and you would think that in making a preamp, as a company that makes really good headphone amps, they would want to accommodate listeners who want to play through their speakers sometime, or switch easily to use their headphones other times. As much as I have mentioned how much I like the Burson Conductor Virtuoso as a preamp, it generally doesn't get use in my system. Not because I find other DACs better (I can feed other DACs into one of its line level inputs) but that its otherwise highly regarding headphone amp doesn't mate up with the 600 ohm headphones I prefer. The Schiit Valhalla works and sounds much better. I just can't hook it up when the Burson is in the system. I mostly use a homemade DIY passive line stage, which lets me switch between two inputs (usually a phono preamp and a DAC) and also between two outputs, a variable out to the power amp, and a fixed level to the headphone amp. For about $100 in parts it works great. Channel Islands Audio makes a similar device that looks a lot nicer for about $300. 
I would like to find an active line stage, and due to the focus on lower priced, high-value gear I write about, one that isn't crazy expensive, that has the sound quality I want, with the functionality I need (and a remote!. I was hoping the Schiit Line Stages would fit the bill. 

I totally agree that a fixed output would have made it perfect. My system now has the same omission. I run a cable directly from my source to both my integrated amp and to my headphone amp. As long as I want to listen to digital this is perfect :rolleyes:. This still has not stopped me from enjoying my system as it is, but to me, it's not a "perfect" situation.

 

[JohnBal]

I'll add that if I decide to move away from an integrated amp to separates, a Freya is the pre I would probably buy, as it is probably he most cost effective solution for the highest quality sound. And to me, that is MOST important.