[jaxtrauma]

It’s dead, Jim.

I'm a doctor not a bricklayer!

 

[jaxtrauma]

Congrats, your enthusiasm is wonderful.

Hey, thanks very much

 

[Zer0.p0int.Zer0]

IS MY VALHALLA 2 SIMILAR TO THIS KT88 - Single Ended Tube Amplifier?

I've always been curious about those glowing light emitting diodes in my Asgard 2 and Valhalla 2. I've been following this hobbyist and am going to watch him build an all-tube amplifier. If you're curious, it's an interesting safe-and-sane 2017 series...
...I'd like to give a nod to Schiit's COASTER product (link).
[/QUOTE]


That guy has some good YouTube content, haven’t watched him for a while though. Think I bought some tubes from him on eBay too.

 

[Pedro Janeiro]

Nice Work you have been in many awesome places and photograph them very well!
contratulations

 

[JamminVMI]

Hey all!

Any Fulla 2 owners lurking?

Looking at pics, it appears Fulla 2 uses the "painted steel" top, so if I were to get a matching SYS, I would want steel, not aluminum, correct?

(The SYS would be to control a sub level separately from the Fulla2 pot)

I cant let all this b-stock action pass by without picking something up...LOL.

You are mistaken. I clearly remember the dancers' look of surprise as I removed Kennedy Silver Dollars from my backpack and called them over to my side of the bar. It was well worth all the lawns I had mowed that summer!!

Those were Kennedy half-dollars, right? They just pegged you for a cheapskate, even at that tender age... (How do you put a half-dollar in a G-string, he wonders aloud...)

 

[Ripper2860]

Yeah. Getting old is a bitch. Memory is fading. Kennedy's were 50 cent pieces. The Eisenhower's were the Silver Dollars. As far as being a cheapskate goes, it was 1971 -- a dollar was a lot back then!!

Sure placing a Silver Dollar in a G-string as a bit awkward and uncomfortable for the dancer, but 'making it rain' with those big-ass coins was downright dangerous and what got me banned from clubs until middle school!!!!

 

[JamminVMI]

Yeah. Getting old is a bitch. Memory is fading. Kennedy's were 50 cent pieces. The Eisenhower's were the Silver Dollars. As far as being a cheapskate goes, it was 1971 -- a dollar was a lot back then!!

Sure placing a Silver Dollar in a G-string as a bit awkward and uncomfortable for the dancer, but 'making it rain' with those big-ass coins was downright dangerous and what got me banned from clubs until middle school!!!!

Dying!

 

[tincanear]

IS MY VALHALLA 2 SIMILAR TO THIS KT88 - Single Ended Tube Amplifier?

I've always been curious about those glowing light emitting diodes in my Asgard 2 and Valhalla 2. I've been following this hobbyist and am going to watch him build an all-tube amplifier. If you're curious, it's an interesting safe-and-sane 2017 series...
...I'd like to give a nod to Schiit's COASTER product (link).

That guy has some good YouTube content, haven’t watched him for a while though. Think I bought some tubes from him on eBay too.
[/QUOTE]

no Valhalla 2 is not exactly the same. Valhalla uses similar front-end tube (6N1P, 6DJ8, etc) but is output transformerless and uses 6N6P (6H6N) which is like triple-strength 6N1P, but lower power than KT88.

the glowing LED's inside Asgard 2 and Valhalla are likely there as voltage references for the constant-current sources.

 

[jaxtrauma]

That guy has some good YouTube content, haven’t watched him for a while though. Think I bought some tubes from him on eBay too.

no Valhalla 2 is not exactly the same. Valhalla uses similar front-end tube (6N1P, 6DJ8, etc) but is output transformerless and uses 6N6P (6H6N) which is like triple-strength 6N1P, but lower power than KT88.
[/QUOTE]
Tubes, grrrr. Freya+ is just waiting for me to order.

 

[Jnan]

Folks have some queries on my gear and pardon me of stupid queries. I have recently moved from Old Kef Ref 203/2 (89dB) to New KEF Reference 1 and i have some thoughts to move into Schiit gear.

There is some time for me (another 6-8 months, Covid restrictions for travel) to pick up Vidars (2x) but very much interested in Aegirs (2x) and I read one part of review from JA's (Stereophile) measurements on power.
Link: https://www.stereophile.com/content/schiit-audio-aegir-power-amplifier-measurements -> Also Congratulations to Schiit for excellent review by many reviewers and its part of Steriophile Class-A equipment list. Not that their opinion matters, just a matter of news.

Comments from JA Copied here : In mono output mode, Schiit says that the Aegir will deliver 80W into 8 ohms (19dBW). With a balanced, bridged output, the maximum voltage swing is twice that of each individual stage, meaning that the potential maximum power is increased by a factor of four. However, when I measured the maximum power delivery in mono mode, the Aegir's protection circuitry cut off the output at 49Wpc into 8 ohms
Any thoughts here ? is this fixed or cannot be fixed in Mono mode?

My Keen Request and willing to wait little longer / $$+ : Dedicated Aegir Mono blocks with higher power capable coming up, maybe 80W or 100W ?

Alternatively :
(1) Will Vidar 2x in bridge mono work out well too
(2) Bi-Amp : Aegir for High/Mid and use Vidar for Low ports + Freya (Is this possible and how ?) Like DAC to Freya and Freya driving both Vidar and Aegir?

Speakers: KEF Reference 1 (with 85dB sensitivity)
Room : Small (16' x 16') -> But keep moving to lossy room too.
DAC: Using MODI-MB as back up plan, but moving to better DAC ( BIFROST, Gumby MB)

 

[ev666il]

- The Threat Is Real. Next year, I might want to preface a grade 10 science test with this little ditty.
- Dystopia. Clear and clean on my rig.
- Fatal Illusion. A-okay on my end.

I'm a weekend audio warrior, @ev666il . I wonder if your player's misbehaving? My gurus on this thread might also suggest one look at the original rip-from-disc. Dunno...

Thank you for checking this, @ScubaMan2017 .

My chain is Audirvana > Bifrost 2 > Asgard 3 > Focal Elegia. I streamed the album lossless from Tidal and bought the Mastered for iTunes version in AAC as well, seeing as that one tops at 0 dbFS which is supposedly enough to avoid clipping (provided that one's DAC has enough headroom to handle inter-sample peaks, which I'd be surprised if the Bifrost 2 didn't.) In both cases, there is audible clipping distortion in many tracks. Title track "Dystopia" is a major offender, especially during the solos, which were seemingly recorded in a fast food cause that clipping distortion sure gives the illusion of frying oil in the background.

A shame, cause I really like the music on the album—but when it comes to sound quality, a first pressing of Peace Sells this is not. (But I mean, Trivium's latest album "What The Dead Men Say" is equally compressed and sounds leaps and bounds better.)

 

[tincanear]

Folks have some queries on my gear and pardon me of stupid queries. I have recently moved from Old Kef Ref 203/2 (89dB) to New KEF Reference 1 and i have some thoughts to move into Schiit gear.

There is some time for me (another 6-8 months, Covid restrictions for travel) to pick up Vidars (2x) but very much interested in Aegirs (2x) and I read one part of review from JA's (Stereophile) measurements on power.
Link: https://www.stereophile.com/content/schiit-audio-aegir-power-amplifier-measurements -> Also Congratulations to Schiit for excellent review by many reviewers and its part of Steriophile Class-A equipment list. Not that their opinion matters, just a matter of news.

Comments from JA Copied here : In mono output mode, Schiit says that the Aegir will deliver 80W into 8 ohms (19dBW). With a balanced, bridged output, the maximum voltage swing is twice that of each individual stage, meaning that the potential maximum power is increased by a factor of four. However, when I measured the maximum power delivery in mono mode, the Aegir's protection circuitry cut off the output at 49Wpc into 8 ohms
Any thoughts here ? is this fixed or cannot be fixed in Mono mode?

My Keen Request and willing to wait little longer / $$+ : Dedicated Aegir Mono blocks with higher power capable coming up, maybe 80W or 100W ?

Alternatively :
(1) Will Vidar 2x in bridge mono work out well too
(2) Bi-Amp : Aegir for High/Mid and use Vidar for Low ports + Freya (Is this possible and how ?) Like DAC to Freya and Freya driving both Vidar and Aegir?

Speakers: KEF Reference 1 (with 85dB sensitivity)
Room : Small (16' x 16') -> But keep moving to lossy room too.
DAC: Using MODI-MB as back up plan, but moving to better DAC ( BIFROST, Gumby MB)

Freya can drive both Aegir and Vidar at the same time, but problem is the gains are different (Aegir Av=12, Vidar Av=22) so almost 6dB difference if trying to bi-amp. I recommend trying 2x Aegir in monoblock mode for this speaker and seeing how it sounds. For DAC, I recommend Bifrost 2 or better instead of Modi Multibit, especially if using USB source connection.

 

[tincanear]

Thank you for checking this, @ScubaMan2017 .

My chain is Audirvana > Bifrost 2 > Asgard 3 > Focal Elegia. I streamed the album lossless from Tidal and bought the Mastered for iTunes version in AAC as well, seeing as that one tops at 0 dbFS which is supposedly enough to avoid clipping (provided that one's DAC has enough headroom to handle inter-sample peaks, which I'd be surprised if the Bifrost 2 didn't.) In both cases, there is audible clipping distortion in many tracks. Title track "Dystopia" is a major offender, especially during the solos, which were seemingly recorded in a fast food cause that clipping distortion sure gives the illusion of frying oil in the background.

A shame, cause I really like the music on the album—but when it comes to sound quality, a first pressing of Peace Sells this is not. (But I mean, Trivium's latest album "What The Dead Men Say" is equally compressed and sounds leaps and bounds better.)

Does switching the gain on Asgard 3 between Hi and Lo change the clipping point? May be a software / setup issue on the host PC (something about enabling Exclusive Mode, set bit depth to 24 bits, etc.)

 

[strider1007]

Ok guys, here it is, don't hesitate to critique , I didn't know whether to post it here or the Clear thread, maybe both?


FOCAL Clear (and Jotunheim) review - part 1

They named her well. I was going to put up a review sooner, as I'm done going over my notes. However, I wasn't able to take the hp off long enough to write one. Don't try writing while using the Clear, it will demand your complete attention. Where to begin? I suppose I should start with my experience. I don't think I'll be able to write this review strictly focused on the FOCAL Clear. I'd never experienced a balanced system before. I got the Clear about a month ago, and it was killing me wanting to know how it sounded balanced. FOCAL included a ten-foot balanced XLR Neutrik terminated cable. So I just had to get a balanced amp. I had a great experience with my little Schiit stack but it was time to get serious. Once I had the Jot and balanced Modius DAC in my hands I found out how serious.

I ordered the FOCAL Clear about 4 weeks ago from HeadAmp. Justin and co. did a great job for me. The very next day, I received a beautiful, brand-spanking new Clear headphone via insured Fedex (driver got my signature, precluding delivery going amiss). I'll just say that was a real treat. Did I mention the fact that overnight was included in this deal? And if there ever is a problem, I'm know HeadAmp has my back, with their return policy and personalized customer service.
I got the Jotunheim and Modius (from the mothership) last week so I could hear the Clear balanced, and reaped rewards with my loudspeakers, as well. These guys really know their Schiit. Amazing difference when you upgrade to a true audiophile quality balanced amp and dac.

For these tests I ended up wearing the Clear for about eleven hours in a caffeine-fueled rush of experiencing balanced audio. Proof enough of their comfort. I'd never worn hp that long before, but they just disappeared. I can't give a higher compliment than that. It was a joy to live through. I even took notes, I was so impressed. I didn't go through my entire music library, but its fair to say it was an extensive sampling. Some albums I had to hear in their entirety. I was so enchanted once again by music.
I started with the single ended 1/4" terminated cable, in order to properly compare to my other, single ended HPs, then I did an A/B test with the HD 6XX and the HE-4XX (I guess it was A/B/C). I was really surprised at how well the Sennheiser held up compared to the Clear. The HIFIMAN fell by the wayside early (a surprise for planars), sounded like maybe it was driver breakup. All I know is I started hearing distortion at even moderate SPL. The HD 6XX hung in until I tried them at a bit more power, then the Clear started to show why they sell so dearly. I got 'jumpscares' from music with which I was intimately familiar. If the separation wasn't startling me, the overall tonal quality literally gave me goosebumps, like when I played 'Abbey Road' balanced. The harmonies were simply beautiful. Its not like I didn't know that, but the Clear is so resolving that 50+ year-old recordings sound brand new. With the Magni and Modi 3 stack and single ended HPs I wasn't able to hear any of this at this level. I expect an improvement in sq when upgrading to a better amp, but the Jotunheim is fantastically rewarding.

Clear balanced, then it was game over for the Senns. High-end had crystal clarity. The Senn seemed 'veiled' a bit on the highs (I know ). Its really the mids where the Clear started showing it's stuff. Never heard vocals like this. The presence. The sq of the dynamics that must be heard to believe. The soundstage wasn't just wide, I think it was half in the neighbors yard. It wasn't merely three-dimensional, it was truly holograpic, all-encompassing. I can't believe what I've been missing, if you haven't gone balanced you need to try it, just to experience what its like to be in the studio when they're recording. Its Clear, alright.
Its the low end with the Clear that got my attention most, I put on the first track from 'Dark Side of the Moon' on TIDAL flac. 'Speak to me' started with the bass drum and low synth, I felt my entire head reverberating to the almost heart-beat like thrum. I could literally feel the bass down to my toes, with headphones!! I seriously had never heard low end, this...low. The other hp just played it as bass notes, without attack and prolonged decay. Not even out loud with tower speakers had I heard notes this deep. Not even with the new Jot and Modius sending to my Audioengine HD6 and the Klipsch R100-SW subwoofer. I had to keep telling myself to calm down. I also had to keep reminding me that this is headphones we're talking about. Headphones! Several times I reached for the speaker volume, forgetting that its not them!! Fast, fat, smooth and deep? Check. Sub-sonics? Check. Cliche I know, but there were things in there I'd never heard, and I've heard 'Dark Side' a hell of a lot! My God, when 'Money' started I heard each and every ha' penny as they fell into the till. The Clear has the low end to end all low ends. Or high end. Never was the high end fatiguing in the slightest. It was like little tweeter fairies were bonking me on my ears with their little fairy wands. Crystalline cymbals. Even the little tinkle of bells, harps and triangles were clearly heard. There's that word again: Clear. That's probably due to the upgraded voice coil in the Clear. The inverted dome driver with pure copper formerless vc in the Clear is an upgrade (among others) from the Elear, which I haven't heard.

Don't get me wrong: they're no bass cannons, but they damn sure reproduce whatever bass notes are there, just no BS extra fake oomph added in. I've read comparisons to the Utopia and the sound architecture of FOCAL is on display here, to reduce harmonic distortion in the fragile mid-range register, which is so very crucial for presenting the artist’s emotions, the Clear doesn't have the berylium dome like the Utopia, but it is hyper-fast and resolving of the most minute details.
To be fair, I need to get balanced cables for the 6XX and the 4XX (right, just an excuse to get more gear lol), for a proper comparison. When I auditioned using single ended, the two others tried to keep up, but the 4XX went down first and the 6XX lasted longer but failing, in the end to keep up. Nice to know the more expensive one sounds better. The Clear took everything I threw at it and said "Thank you sir, may I have another?". The Jotunheim balanced would not let me turn the Clear up past nine o'clock (on low gain!). It was overpowering any louder than that. Amazing separation, as expected with balanced, and there's so much more power that way you have to be careful not to hurt your ears. Its a good thing that good amps sound good even at low volume.

The Clear is one of the finest-looking headphones on the planet (not just my opinion, but I agree). Leather over the headband and solid aluminum yokes and driver screens. All with French styling. Sweet. The cables are even better than Utopia or Elear. Lighter, fabric covered with black and white stripes. You get three cables with the Clear: A 1.2 meter with 3.5mm termination for portables, a three meter cable with 1/4" termination and a three meter balanced cable with Neutrik XLR termination. Comes with the gorgeous FOCAL hard-shell form-fitting case, standard. Easier to drive than Utopia or Elear at 55 Ohms, but quite scalable and will definitely resolve even more with a good amplifier.

The comfort is almost unbelievable for a set of over-ears, due to their innovative cushioned and pivoting headband and gently springy ear capsule design which keeps equal force around the ear, no hot spots! The ear pads are microfibre and 20mm memory foam, the most plush I've ever felt. FOCAL designed these capsules deep, with angled-forward mounted drivers, they treat the space as their 'room', employing techniques pioneered in their (legendary) loudspeakers. The critics say the Clear gives you 95% of the Utopia sound quality, just as the Elear is said to bring 90-95% of the Clear's sq. FOCAL has said they want you to forget you're wearing hp and think you're listening to loudspeakers. To my ears, I can tell you they've succeeded admirably. Stated simply, they have the most balanced tonality of any hp I've ever heard.The sound is just...open, with nothing between you and your music. Reference, resolving, yet musical. When I say the sound is simply beautiful, its an understatement. If you'd hear them you'll know why they called it the Clear. That's my prejudiced and totally biased opinion anyway.

I'll try to write more about the comparisons and the music choices at a later time. Any mistakes are mine, any of the beauty described here belongs to FOCAL Clear and Schiit Audio.

I'm tired now, lol.



Edit: lots. I really am a jazz fanatic but I wanted to start with something, um relatable. Will look into some more powerful recordings in part 2...

Yep, that's what I was afraid of and didn't want to hear. It is a great sounding combination.. blah blah. Best sound ever.. meh....

Man, now I have to go into money-saving mode until I can afford a Focal Clear... Thanks a lot..

Great review by the way. You're not bad at this like at all..

Looking forward to part 2 already.. Ehh.. I mean.. Hoping that in part 2 you admit you were drunk when you wrote this and the combo is really, really bad...

 

[ev666il]

Does switching the gain on Asgard 3 between Hi and Lo change the clipping point?

It doesn't.

Audirvana can only run in Exclusive mode and I typically set it to no forced oversampling and no digital volume control. Disabling my plugins also doesn't make a difference. It looks to me like the album just got a poor mastering job