[ricksome]

I need to do other work right now but if you just want to switch between two headphone amps I could help down the road.

Does this get the cardboard treatment like a lessor person on this forum or does this get the beautiful wood treatment like a real person.

 

[JLoud]

Jason predicted as much. I think the Folkvangr is a very niche amp. I was looking for something very different from my SS amp. It fits the bill for me.

 

[EELawson]

It's really quite something to sit 3' away from an amp...and feel the radiated heat. Like an IR sauna. A mild one. No health claims or benefits here.

That said, I'm thrilled you are enjoying Folkvangr. I'm certainly enjoying mine (at the same time as a new inexpensive solid-state experiment which may never see the light of day...sorry, get used to it, I have a pile of like 15 Magnis that would never work for various reasons.)

In light of some comments, I thought I'd answer a couple of implied questions:

If tube stocks improve, will this become unlimited production?

In short, no. This product has proven that yeah, you can do an OTL/OCL tube amp...at high cost, high heat, poor measurements (though to me it sounds fantastic.) This is a what-if, what-the-F amp, and it's done its job. (Crap, should have used What the F as a chapter title!)

How about a Folkvangr 2, still OTL/OCL with much higher efficiency?

Again, sorry, no. We have physics against us. The plate impedance of all practical tubes (that is, not water-cooled, not truly insane stuff) is very high, which limits their current output. We get Folkvangr's still-rather-pathetic output at the cost of many paralleled 6N6P (and the impedance multiplier if you use it). 6N6Ps still seem fairly gettable, but I'm not thrilled having a standard production amp that uses 8 of them. Or redesigning so it can use the JJ E99CC. Or redesigning so it could use, say, 2 6AS7s. Or 6C33C. Or other firey-hot, low-plate-impedance tubes that have a chance of driving headphones directly.

What's next? Are tubes goners? Should I even take the chance?

Stay tuned. Next week we have a tube-angst-soothing announcement, and we are introducing a couple of very interesting things at the Texas Audio Roundup. Not like Folkvangr, no...but at least one is even more insane.

And, oh yeah, even with those announcements, we haven't gotten to any of the really crazy ideas yet!

Anybody heard anything yet?

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Funny, I am 5 days into my switch from Vidar to Aegir playing on my Zu Omens. There are actually a couple pieces of music I like less this way but compared to how many I lilke more it probably doesn't matter at all.

I missed the Vidar's wall shaking bass on Little Feat's "Waiting for Columbus". OTOH I was very impressed just how well the Aegir did with Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories". On balance, about 90% so far sounds better. Much better.

JC

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

Was interested to find that, as of 15 minutes ago, I was able to put a Folkvangr in the cart; it is apparently not yet sold out. So I guess there is a limit to the hype train, FOTM, FOMO effect. Or this thread is not as influential as some of us might think it is. Hmmm.

Jason predicted as much. I think the Folkvangr is a very niche amp. I was looking for something very different from my SS amp. It fits the bill for me.

Wait, you’re saying that a guy who’s in some way, shape, or form been designing and selling audio gear for a good chunk of his adult life, and has in fact done nothing but for the past twelve years, somehow knows better than a bunch of keyboard warriors on some random website what will sell, and how well? Gee, Schiit!

 

[macdonjh]

You are correct, Reese said the line in Terminator 1, Arnold in Terminator 2. Both lines were said to Sarah Connor. I didn't think my best "Reese voice" sounded as cool.

I guess I don't pay much attention to any of the movies after the original. I remember not liking T2 that much, but that may be unfair and perhaps it deserves a rewatch after all these years. The latest, Genesis or whatever, wasn't bad, but I don't need to see it again.

I predict the same when mine arrives (supposedly) on Wednesday. But then some divine inspiration hit me in the head this morning: Wednesday is also Amazon Day (in the US anyway), so I'll place 10 different orders and she'll be so focused on grumbling about having to move all those boxes inside that she won't notice one is labeled Schiit. This has a 78.4% chance of actually working according to my calculations. Not that I can't buy what I want when I want or have to make excuses or come up with an explanation or anything, of course.

As long as Mrs. @bcowen doesn't know about any purchases, fess up.

True. But run a search under Sheffield or Stereophile on Amazon and something should show up. Of course, if you only stream........

Stereophile Test CD 2.

 

[corndog71]

Was interested to find that, as of 15 minutes ago, I was able to put a Folkvangr in the cart; it is apparently not yet sold out. So I guess there is a limit to the hype train, FOTM, FOMO effect. Or this thread is not as influential as some of us might think it is. Hmmm.

Yeah, I keep putting Tyr in my cart and then the urge to not go into debt takes over and I close the tab. *sigh*

 

[Ripper2860]

I was one of the ones over-hyping the pace at which they would sell. I over-estimated the level of Schiit fanaticism and collectors, but I do predict an increasingly steady pace after reviews and more listening reports with various HPs come in. It is a niche product, but 247 units ain't gonna last forever.

 

[quasor]

I predict they don’t last many days after the TX audio round-up.

 

[Paladin79]

Does this get the cardboard treatment like a lessor person on this forum or does this get the beautiful wood treatment like a real person.

Cardboard is reserved for he who shall remain nameless.

In all seriousness, I can do this with two cables, 1/4 TRS plugs, a switch, and a small metal box for the headphone Jack. Nothing fancy but it will function as intended.

 

[bcowen]

Well...being in the UK, it's possible she may not love America quite as much as Ripper's wife...and she could just grant you your independence with a condition of the settlement being your move to NC and a daily regimen of Eastern NC BBQ.

That would be 'independence with benefits" then. A win win win......

 

[NewSchiithead]

I would be amazed if it had sold out already, it is a SUPER niche item and quite pricy for a headphone amp- which all of us already have. And more than one, most likely. I myself have been able to resist since I already have a Jotunheim and Valhalla and, well, I am not quite sure where it would go....

 

[bcowen]

A cunning plan @bcowen
I was thrown off guard this morning- Fed Ex delivered my Folkvangr..a day early!

The first I knew of it was when my wife came into our back room and said
‘Did you order something…?’

That really isn’t a fair question!
I mumbled something along the lines of ‘perhaps I had’.

The package didn’t have my name clearly marked, so my wife opened it.

Seeing the strange device inside the box, she was none the wiser.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘Oh, it’s just a headphone amp’.

I think I might have got away with it

Later this week a package with 10 tubes is expected.

It will be a piece of cake explaining those- they’re spare valves.

Edit: FedEx delivered the FV two days early! They were quicker than most internal Royal Mail deliveries here in UK

Well, the 21.6% chance of failure got me. FedEx delivered today, a day early. Now the pile of Amazon boxes arriving tomorrow will be for nothing. But to every cloud there's a silver lining, and this one has three: 1) I'll have enough toilet paper and paper towels to last until this time next year, 2) my son was home so he snuck down and grabbed the box off the porch for me (foiled you again, Mrs. Bcowen), and 3) my Folkvangr is here! Unfortunately, I won't be home until the weekend to try it out...

 

[bcowen]

I guess I don't pay much attention to any of the movies after the original. I remember not liking T2 that much, but that may be unfair and perhaps it deserves a rewatch after all these years. The latest, Genesis or whatever, wasn't bad, but I don't need to see it again.


As long as Mrs. @bcowen doesn't know about any purchases, fess up.

This one slid under the radar. Lucky me. Kinda like getting a get out of jail free card that can be held for use at a later time.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Similar to @Paladin79 , the wife & I normally don't discuss purchases unless there's a credit report involved.

Having said that, when large-ish audio purchases show up at the house I'm usually greeted with a silent sideways glance and a mocking roll of the eyes.