[Pandahead]

I also understand they're showing the Sol setup video at the show, in order to discourage people from buying it. LOL!

It is all true:

".....and you still want to buy one?"

 

[dieslemat]

The Raal direct drive amp is one of the most fun things I've done recently, a real engineering challenge. I'm building what should be the final prototypes next week, then we'll get it scheduled.

I cant wait for this!
My freya+ and Aegirs drive my Sr1a really well but its a living room setup. With this small form factor I can have it in my study.

Really thanks Jason for coming up with such a product.

 

[Robert Padgett]

It is all true: ".....and you still want to buy one?"

I think it a great service to a potential customer, to be advised what they are getting into. A friend always wanted to own a BMW, and when he finally got the BMW, he was shocked at what the dealership charged for service.
I would rather have them say-- this is a delicate piece of equipment and it is complicated to set-up-- then to compromise all the "over $1,000" features to put out a cheap plug and play.

I hope that SOL will be the Maybach of the Schiit line-up, not destined for the newbie with a Modi 3 and Magni 3, who wants to try vinyl next... Actually, the best way to sell is to make a great "bespoke" product which you can sell at 50% the price of the nearest competitor.

 

[Alcophone]

Kudos Jason, no wonder you were too busy for RMAF!

Oh yeah...







Sol, Salk Streamer, Bifrost 2, Freya S, 2x Aegir:



Innuos also has a Ragnarok 2 to play with:

 

[MatthiasP]

Wow!
1. First it looked kind of sparse for the price. But then I start to appreciate the overall look and the metal I see. I always thought Schiit products looked great and this is no exception.

2. I think you guys are SERIOUSLY under-estimating the support issues that's coming your way. On your website, huge warning letters that stress that you are essentially assembling and configuring a turntable piece by piece needs to be slapped on next to the buy button.

How many people who purchase this would realistically be able to/willing to set it up? Are you prepared for a large amount of returns on brand new sols just because people didn't realize how involved the setup process is? 18 minutes in, I see somebody tying a fishing line to balance a weight! I have to physically move the belt from one attachment to another to go from 33 to 45 rpm not to mention that tone arm setup looks complicated.

That setup process seems so tough that I am going to have to pass till you guys figure out a ready made version. Sorry to come across as such a downer (record scratcher?) on what must be a real cool milestone for you guys. This is all probably basic vinyl 101 but I am clearly not experienced enough for it.

2 things:
1st: Baldr is the first guy who made a DAC, so he's got more experience, professionally and privately, than most of the people. But he ever kept to listen to vinyl, as he wrote.
So, if someone like him is the driving force behind a turntable design, he's very much getting what he had intended to get from the paid well known designer. If you can adjust every aspect of a mechanical machine, and it stays in these parameters, it is a high precision tool, and in this case, not a ready to use entry level turntable, but a cheap player wildering in the high end territory!
It is so clear, as stated: If you want a ready to go unit, buy somewhere else

2nd: Yes, this is real life! If anybody is spending money on something without knowing what he will get (and it would have been so easy so check this), why should a company which isn't intending to hide something, be responsible for it? Maybe this is just a guy speaking coming from a culture which used to stress one's responsibility for the decisions he took.
Or to put it in another way:
I'm optimistic in that the typical client of a niche online company in a niche businesses has to have some level of intelligence to inform himself before handing over his money for a purely luxury good.

If not, than I'll have no other possibility than to buy a returned Sol and to start a Vinyl collection.

 

[artur9]

Is Unison so much better than S/PDIF that I should use it instead of the BNC I am currently using? Is this a question better asked in Mike's thread?

 

[Rensek]

Is Unison so much better than S/PDIF that I should use it instead of the BNC I am currently using? Is this a question better asked in Mike's thread?

Speculation ahead - From what I have read elsewhere, it seems to me the new USB hardware (and software) allows Schiit to play around with all kinds of bits and settings, that they couldn't, wouldn't, didn't, play with before. It appears to have given them a hands on ability to make the USB do what they want, to get it to more closely align with what a person would hear from spdif. I think I read somewhere that folks thought USB with unison was somehow getting fed into the DAC differently then it did before. Something to do with I2S and PCM.

Whatever the case it sounds like a good deal of knowledge and engineering have gone into it, and it's completely different then what USB usually sounds like on Schiit.

In my case this is a huge draw, in my opinion USB into modi 3 and Modi MB is great for headphones, but leaves me desiring more with 2 ch. USB into 2ch on those two devices leaves me with the feeling of a collapsed, smaller, and claustrophobic soundstage, when compared to spdif. All of the sound is still there, it's just not as spacious and grand as spdif. In 2ch only. With headphones I hardly notice a difference, and might actually prefer USB, especially with tidal or qobuz, where USB more easily allows higher sampling rates then on my Chromecast Audio.

 

[MatthiasP]

It's clearly not 100% clear, as you state correctly "that I should use", I mean it depends on your hifi setup if it's good enough to hear it and your listening habit (ambient sound or concentrated listening in the first place.
If you are hunting for your audio nirvana there is some info in the other forum
@earnmyturns described it nicely that he sold his expensive AES network box, because Unison is in his judgment clearly better than AES.
And Baldr said also, that now their USB sounds better than SPDIF and AES, if we are talking streamers.
Really truly high end CD Transports can sound better.

Is Unison so much better than S/PDIF that I should use it instead of the BNC I am currently using? Is this a question better asked in Mike's thread?

 

[garbulky]

2 things:
1st: Baldr is the first guy who made a DAC, so he's got more experience, professionally and privately, than most of the people. But he ever kept to listen to vinyl, as he wrote.
So, if someone like him is the driving force behind a turntable design, he's very much getting what he had intended to get from the paid well known designer. If you can adjust every aspect of a mechanical machine, and it stays in these parameters, it is a high precision tool, and in this case, not a ready to use entry level turntable, but a cheap player wildering in the high end territory!
It is so clear, as stated: If you want a ready to go unit, buy somewhere else

2nd: Yes, this is real life! If anybody is spending money on something without knowing what he will get (and it would have been so easy so check this), why should a company which isn't intending to hide something, be responsible for it? Maybe this is just a guy speaking coming from a culture which used to stress one's responsibility for the decisions he took.
Or to put it in another way:
I'm optimistic in that the typical client of a niche online company in a niche businesses has to have some level of intelligence to inform himself before handing over his money for a purely luxury good.

If not, than I'll have no other possibility than to buy a returned Sol and to start a Vinyl collection.

Maybe I'm too pessimistic. I work with the public where the only thing I could count on is that people don't read. I joke that if people actually read, I would be out of a job!

 

[Derrick Swart]

I don't really have a strict budget but around €100 - €200 would be in the "Okay" range and fit with the Asgard price.

The cans I have are Sennheiser HD58X, and Philips SHP8900.

Anyway if Jason himself says that the built-in boards are good enough for him, then I guess they're good enough for me...

--Tim

Asgard3 plus multi bit card shall cost you about 420€ and 4-6 weeks patience

 

[Tim van der Leeuw]

I didn't see anybody answer your questions, so I will try. It's tough to navigate around all the tube "info" here

The short answer ... you certainly will hear a difference.
In my Gungnir MB DAC, I went from USB Gen2 to Gen5. A huge improvement in SQ and stability.

Now, folks are openly posting they were Unison beta testers, so it's public.
I know a person who participated. He wrote the SQ of the Unison is ~20% better than the Gen5.
As in ... a game changer. Not really like USB at all, more like (or even better than) AES. That's saying a lot.

I think you asked which DAC or DAC card to buy.
If you have the funds, I suggest purchase of the new Bifrost 2 (includes Unison) to pair with your Asgard 3 (with no DAC card). That would be a very decent rig!
If you can't swing the Biftost 2, then go for the Asgard 3 MB card. The Schiit MB tech blows away the Delta Sigma, IMO.

Oh, and welcome to Head-Fi
My best,
RCB

Thanks for your extensive answer and thanks for the welcome!

I don't have the funds now for a Bifrost, but can probably afford for an Asgard 3 with a card ... So I'm swaying towards ordering an Asgard with a D/S DAC card soon-ish and then saving up for an improved DAC to add later.

I really don't feel a need for additional inputs, but a better DAC is always tempting.

I wish I could listen to some of Schiit DACs and amps somewhere to hear for myself the difference between their D/S DACs and Multibit DACs! That would probably help me to make up my mind, if I know what I will be choosing for. Either way my gut feeling tells me that the Asgard 3 is the right starting point.

 

[EricDH]

Thanks for your extensive answer and thanks for the welcome!

I don't have the funds now for a Bifrost, but can probably afford for an Asgard 3 with a card ... So I'm swaying towards ordering an Asgard with a D/S DAC card soon-ish and then saving up for an improved DAC to add later.

I really don't feel a need for additional inputs, but a better DAC is always tempting.

I wish I could listen to some of Schiit DACs and amps somewhere to hear for myself the difference between their D/S DACs and Multibit DACs! That would probably help me to make up my mind, if I know what I will be choosing for. Either way my gut feeling tells me that the Asgard 3 is the right starting point.

Even with the D/S DAC you will have a very nice and good sounding headphone amp. But if you could wait until you have the extra €90 required, the multibit DAC will be a more perfect match for the quality of the amp. I know, choices choices..... I just want to make sure that you understand that the multibit DAC is worth way more than the €90 difference suggests. But of course you can start with an Asgard + D/S first, and upgrade to multibit later.

 

[Rensek]

Either way my gut feeling tells me that the Asgard 3 is the right starting point.

Another option to consider would be buying a modi 3 and a Loki, to pair with Asgard.

Modi 3 is a fantastic little DAC, it's got it's own box, so it can easily be repurposed or resold when you want something else, independently of the HP amp. Then, add Loki to the mix, and you can play with tone controls to your hearts content. I've long said a modi 3 and Loki is a very attractive and competitive option vs a modi multibit, and also vs a multibit card.

Lots of fun choices for you. Can't go wrong either way.

 

[RCBinTN]

Does anyone know if there's an impressions thread for RMAF ... other than the pictures posted here?

 

[RCBinTN]

It is all true: ".....and you still want to buy one?"

Is that Tony of Schiit Audio in the pictures?