[Jason Stoddard]

What a cool idea. I love your description of how this was created. So many great ideas come from off-hand comments, or fantastical "what ifs" or flights of fancy. It's just rare to be in a position to turn one into reality. Kudos.

The one design criteria you have not mentioned yet is also the one I find is many times the most difficult to meet: target price point and how that affects both design and component selection.

True, I totally downplayed the price point angle here, other than a mention of "low cost to build." I probably spaced it because I figured, "well, this is DIY, we can be a bit nebulous." I also figured on picking affordable devices, connectors, etc (even the submini tubes are cheap).

But I should have included more discussion of costs, because price is top of mind when developing finished products.

Thanks for the catch!

 

[Ableza]

True, I totally downplayed the price point angle here, other than a mention of "low cost to build." I probably spaced it because I figured, "well, this is DIY, we can be a bit nebulous." I also figured on picking affordable devices, connectors, etc (even the submini tubes are cheap).

But I should have included more discussion of costs, because price is top of mind when developing finished products.

Thanks for the catch!

Most design Engineers either don't consider price point or don't have to consider it when they are creating, and then when the costs are put on paper by a management type like me for their new whiz-bang widget that does everything plus butter your bread they are shocked. And then when I tell them to cut the BOM cost in half... that's when the real fun (and the pain and the TIME) begins. As you are in the role of both designer and business owner I suspect you find yourself creating designs with price considerations part of your process without even thinking much about it. That's pretty unique.

 

[Charente]

If track record is anything to go by, it won't coaster lot !

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Nice coaster indeed.
Alas, I don't use them.

 

[yonson]

2018, Chapter 2:
Engineering, Part 1

And then I had an even crazier idea:

What if the PCB was buildable into a product that actually did something interesting? What if it lit up? What if it was a VU meter? Or, what if it did something really useful? Hell, what if it was…a small headphone amp?

I laughed out loud.

There you go enabling ORT...

 

[terminatetrails]

.

 

[US Blues]

I don't expect ORT will let this one go.

He's been slowly wearing down Jason's resistance.

 

[terminatetrails]

Asking for a friend, does it come in BLACK?

 

[Ableza]

This is the only place where VU meters belong:

 

[OlDNuke]

Sooooo close to a battery powered portable Schitt device, soooooo close....

 

[belgiangenius]

Did you guys see this post?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wha...n-robert-hunter.784471/page-428#post-13982140

Also, best to ask Mike over on that thread (which is his), instead of this one (which is Jason's).

I did. Relatively little was said about what improvements were made, apart from firmware fixes.

Mike did mention that he viewed some of it as proprietary. Hopefully that doesn't stop him from throwing us a few entertaining bones in the future.

 

[Mr Rick]

Just got my March 2018 edition of TAS. It features the 2018 Editor's Choice Awards. If you look on page 139 you will find an "obscene" ad featuring not one, not two, but FOUR Schiit products that were awarded Editors Choice Awards.

Congratulations Jason, Mike and the whole crew at Schiit!!!!!

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Maybe Jason will post the ad here for the benefit of us who have let our TAS subscription lapse...

JC

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Maybe Jason will post the ad here for the benefit of us who have let our TAS subscription lapse...

JC

I'm pretty sure I posted it before, but I could be mistaken.

 

[Rtg97229]

Most design Engineers either don't consider price point or don't have to consider it when they are creating, and then when the costs are put on paper by a management type like me for their new whiz-bang widget that does everything plus butter your bread they are shocked. And then when I tell them to cut the BOM cost in half... that's when the real fun (and the pain and the TIME) begins. As you are in the role of both designer and business owner I suspect you find yourself creating designs with price considerations part of your process without even thinking much about it. That's pretty unique.

Sure, fair point. There is a big variation of Engineers experience and project types. Some Engineers do a better job than others of considering compliance regulations (Safety/Environmental/EMC) with their design choices as well. There is a lot to consider for a successful project.