Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up
Aug 1, 2020 at 9:39 AM Post #62,551 of 145,691
We looked into installing solar here a couple of years ago. Had a company here and Tesla. The company was perfectly willing to install a system but I got a call from a Tesla engineer from Nevada who said not to waste my money. He emailed me the photos they took of the sun panning across the sky. We live on the side of a steep hill that is wooded. While I have cleared out the trees around my house, all the homes up the hill haven’t. As a result, while I would get OK results in the summer, I would get little power in the fall and none in the winter. Didn’t make any financial sense. Plus, they couldn’t yet integrate our whole house 27kw generator into the system.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 10:16 AM Post #62,552 of 145,691
why not wait till the current system fails (usually just after the warranty expires)? are the new inverters more efficient, or lower electrical noise? :) presumably the photovoltaics can be re-used, so the upgrade would not be as expensive as a full replacement.
I am planning to upgrade the battery only. The rest of my electronics are already all Enphase.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 10:28 AM Post #62,553 of 145,691
What is it with people who shoot down an honest request of someone else by comparing their own reasons not to have the same request?
If someone asks for an ice cream that you don't like, do you ridicule them by saying you don't like the taste and therefore their request is not a valid one?
Don't do that here please.

"I don't get it" ≠ "Request is not valid", and

Reasoning ≠ ridicule.
 
Aug 1, 2020 at 10:53 AM Post #62,555 of 145,691
....I wish the Strata came in a just an amp package.

First off, thanks for the tremendous and detailed review. On this point in particular: there is an amp-only version of Strata - it’s the Stellar S300. Half the price of the Strata, and 300 wpc into 4 ohms (PS Audio’s naming convention). I ran with one for about 6 months and decided it was good enough to upgrade to the m700s. Fed by a Freya+ in tube mode (or another tube source), it’s a great non-fatiguing and yet detailed combo.
 
Aug 1, 2020 at 11:09 AM Post #62,556 of 145,691
"I don't get it" ≠ "Request is not valid", and

Reasoning ≠ ridicule.
Ah, another illiterate.
There's context and content.
Just learn to respect other's questions as asked and not approach them like a toddler does.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 11:15 AM Post #62,557 of 145,691
Are either SRP or APS incentivizing an upgrade, or are you aiming to be grid-agnostic?
My utility is SRP and no incentives. I want to retain power when the grid goes down (not uncommon in my neighborhood,) My current battery is relatively small and I need more capacity. I am already pretty much "grid agnostic" in that I average more generation than I use.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 11:55 AM Post #62,558 of 145,691
First off, thanks for the tremendous and detailed review. On this point in particular: there is an amp-only version of Strata - it’s the Stellar S300. Half the price of the Strata, and 300 wpc into 4 ohms (PS Audio’s naming convention). I ran with one for about 6 months and decided it was good enough to upgrade to the m700s. Fed by a Freya+ in tube mode (or another tube source), it’s a great non-fatiguing and yet detailed combo.

Thanks, yeah they sell a power amp version. I'm sure it's fantastic. I've read up on it over the years but wanted an integrated. They don't sell an integrated other then sprout and strata.
 
Aug 1, 2020 at 12:31 PM Post #62,559 of 145,691
Sounds like a ground loop spitting noisy switching noise into your signal ground.

Usual fixes are making sure your amp and grounded source (laptop) are on the same outlet.
ebTech HumX usually does the trick.

you may be fine with the upgrade gear, it’s hard to guarantee though.
If you unplug your laptop, does the noise stop? If so, David is probably correct that it is a ground loop. The USB on the Modius should be better than Modi 3.
If the Modius, Eitr, and / or Wyrd don't help, then I would recommend trying the ebTech ground loop isolator, or using a new setup with laptop -> bifrost -> magni 3 ->Vidar. for the Bifrost, either the original model, but should be equipped with either Gen 5 or Unison USB (both of these are electromagnetically isolated), or the Bifrost 2 which always has the electromagnetically isolated version of Unison included. Note that the Modius has Unision USB, but it isn't electromagnetically isolated like on Bifrosts listed above.

I did a little bit of testing and found there are at least three different noise sources:
1) always on fan-like noise
2) higher pitched screech when the disk is being written
3) low volume hiss

1 and 2 go away if I plug the DAC straight into the laptop (I am using a new USB-C monitor as a hub and had it plugged into that). 3 exists all the time, even with the laptop unplugged. It is kinda weird that 2, which is based on usage of the computer, also goes away when not plugged into the monitor's USB port. Also of note, everything is plugged into the same wall socket via one power strip.

I would have bought Modius anyway because I like shiny new toys, but grabbed and Eitr too because it was in stock on the B stock page and might be hard to get later if Modius didn't fix the problem. Wyrd I bought because I saw one on eBay for a pretty good price. Luckily resale value on schiit stuff is pretty good, so I should be able to flip whatever doesn't work on eBay.

edit: regarding bifrost, I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on a DAC that costs that much.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 1:31 PM Post #62,560 of 145,691
edit: regarding bifrost, I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on a DAC that costs that much.

Same here. Bifrost 2 (or Gungnir MB if I can stretch it) is what I would consider, for me, my future endgame DAC. Simply cannot afford something like the Yggdrassil.

In the meantime, I'm blissfully happy with Eitr + Modi MB as digital front end. I got good B-stock deals on both.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 1:55 PM Post #62,561 of 145,691
It is kinda weird that 2, which is based on usage of the computer, also goes away when not plugged into the monitor's USB port. Also of note, everything is plugged into the same wall socket via one power strip.
How is the disk connected? It sounds like bus noise. A drive connected via USB can cause bus noise. I suspect the Unison USB should get rid of the bus noise.
 
Aug 1, 2020 at 4:15 PM Post #62,563 of 145,691
Ah, another illiterate.
There's context and content.
Just learn to respect other's questions as asked and not approach them like a toddler does.

Who are you to constantly be calling people out on here? You're awfully full of yourself and it's tiresome.

I pointed out the reasons I don't think USB Micro vs USB C is a big deal for Modius and the reasons Schiit went with USB Micro. I was adding to the discussion here. You are sowing nothing but discord and bringing nothing to the discussion with your constant holier than thou nonsense.

The original poster asked if Schiit had any plans to upgrade theUSB of a newly released product. Jason has already addressed this and is unlikely to answer it repeatedly. There are three possible outcomes to his post, everyone ignores it and the thread becomes a wasteland of unanswered questions, I could have taken your tack and called the poster illiterate and or lazy for not finding the brief answer given earlier in this 4000+ page thread, or I could expand on the reasons Schiit opted for USB Micro and why in my opinion that decision was OK. I know which sort of discussion I'd rather be a part of.

There was no reason for you to take exception with my response and insult someone as illiterate for defending my response.
 
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Aug 1, 2020 at 5:46 PM Post #62,564 of 145,691
I did a little bit of testing and found there are at least three different noise sources:
1) always on fan-like noise
2) higher pitched screech when the disk is being written
3) low volume hiss

1 and 2 go away if I plug the DAC straight into the laptop (I am using a new USB-C monitor as a hub and had it plugged into that). 3 exists all the time, even with the laptop unplugged. It is kinda weird that 2, which is based on usage of the computer, also goes away when not plugged into the monitor's USB port. Also of note, everything is plugged into the same wall socket via one power strip.

I would have bought Modius anyway because I like shiny new toys, but grabbed and Eitr too because it was in stock on the B stock page and might be hard to get later if Modius didn't fix the problem. Wyrd I bought because I saw one on eBay for a pretty good price. Luckily resale value on schiit stuff is pretty good, so I should be able to flip whatever doesn't work on eBay.

edit: regarding bifrost, I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on a DAC that costs that much.

glad that you made some progress on finding the noise sources. the monitor's hub is best avoided, as the power supply for it is also driving the display panel (refresh timing is in the tens of kHz) plus the backlight (very noisy pwm circuits typically). hopefully eitr and / or wyrd will help improve the situation further. otherwise, the Ebtech ground loop isolator on the vidar's AC power line may be the best solution. Note that defeating the AC grounding prong can result in electrical hazard(s) and is not recommended.

Modi's and Magni's use two-prong AC wall warts, so the ground loop problem doesn't exist with them.
 

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