[MtnMan307]

Still thinking of getting the Valhalla at some point. Although I have the Jot 2 and Lyr 3, so I’m not sure what I would get out of it. ZMF Aeolus would probably sound really good though with it.

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

Wait time is now at 4-6 weeks. May be getting close to the 250 mark

I wish the wait time for my DNA Starlett was only 4-6 weeks. Wait time to have one built is at least a year now due to Covid related parts supply issues..

I was also wondering how many Folkvangrs have been sold. Given the positive response to the FV I would not be surprised if
they are nearly sold out at this point.

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

I for one wish they would update the Valhalla. I would like a second input like the Asgard3 has. Also they need to move away from the 6N6 power tube to something that can be easier replaced / rolled.

The Valhalla 2 has been such a successful product for Schiit that I am not surprised that Jason ( based on a rumour) has no intention of replacing it in the near future. It's a great little OTL amp for the money.

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

Still thinking of getting the Valhalla at some point. Although I have the Jot 2 and Lyr 3, so I’m not sure what I would get out of it. ZMF Aeolus would probably sound really good though with it.

An amp that sounds considerably better than those two. But that's just me…

 

[Odin412]

Still thinking of getting the Valhalla at some point. Although I have the Jot 2 and Lyr 3, so I’m not sure what I would get out of it. ZMF Aeolus would probably sound really good though with it.

I have the original Valhalla, the Jotunheim 2 and the Lyr 3 and I enjoy all of them with different headphones.

 

[lemp]

An amp that sounds considerably better than those two. But that's just me…

Is there a reason the tube amps only have SE outputs?

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Is there a reason the tube amps only have SE outputs?

Jason answered that question in the FAQ of the Folkvangr page. https://www.schiit.com/products/folkvangr

Why no balanced inputs or outputs?
Because this isn’t a balanced amp, and we don’t add connectors to fake you out.

Why isn’t it balanced?
Because it magnifies the tubes’ inherent weaknesses—current output and output impedance. Balanced amps have to deliver twice the current into the same load, which ain’t a great idea with tubes. Also, balanced amps have double the output impedance. So, as a balanced amp it would be an inferior amp.

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

Is there a reason the tube amps only have SE outputs?

What @Roy G. Biv said. Plus: Complexity.

A fully balanced (as in: differential, aka "proper and not fake") amp requires about twice the amplification circuitry. Which means more parts, more space, more heat, bigger transformer — considerably more expensive.
Where a balanced signal shines is in signal integrity, because it inherently cancels out noise introduced into the signal while it travels through the interconnects.
With headphone amps, the impact of that benefit is arguably small, since you tend to have really short interconnects between your gear. Short interconnects means a considerably smaller noise impact from potential RF sources.
Balanced interconnects make the most sense in speaker setups, especially if you place your power amp as close as possible to the speaker with longer interconnects and short speaker cables (which is the recommended way), instead of close to your preamp with short interconnects and long speaker cables (which works fine, but is not quite as ideal).

Note that balanced headphone connectors are a whole different story altogether. While those are being called "balanced," they're not the same thing. Balanced interconnect signals are two separate signals per channel, 180º out of phase to another, for a total of four signals transmitted through six wires for a stereo setup. A balanced headphone signal is one signal per channel, for a total of two signals transmitted through four wires for a stereo setup.
So why do these "balanced" headphone cables exist? Because they allow for the separation of ground. A single-ended headphone cable has three wires in it, a positive signal per channel each, and a single ground wire shared by both channels. Giving each channel its own ground can (but not necessarily has to) offer slight advantages in channel separation, it helps keeping crosstalk at a minimum. How noticeable that benefit can be mostly depends on the overall quietness and quality of the amp, and how good your ears really are. An argument can be made that a little bit of crosstalk can actually enhance your overall stereo image, especially with older recordings where mixes often have a much stronger channel separation than is customary today. In some cases entire instruments are limited to just one channel (see the main title track on the soundtrack for the movie Charade for a particularly extreme but not exactly rare example). Too stark a separation sounds unnatural, especially with headphones, because your brain is used to always hearing the same sounds through both ears.

Long story short:
For headphone amps, truly balanced doesn't necessarily make as much sense as it does for speaker setups. The relatively small benefits you get from a truly and fully balanced chain in a headphone setup is not necessarily worth the added complexity and cost that doing so would entail.

 

[oryan_dunn]

When using Sys backwards 1 in & 2 out, be sure to set Sys volume to max & use vol controls on the two amplifiers instead.

I know that's on their site/manual, but why is that the case? Is it that it doesn't work or distort the signal, or that you just shouldn't do it for some reason?

 

[corndog71]

I know that's on their site/manual, but why is that the case? Is it that it doesn't work or distort the signal, or that you just shouldn't do it for some reason?

Maxing out the volume pot essentially takes it out of the circuit. I think it it only works properly in the standard 2 in/ 1 out way. It’s been a long time since I miswired a pot.

 

[oryan_dunn]

Maxing out the volume pot essentially takes it out of the circuit. I think it it only works properly in the standard 2 in/ 1 out way. It’s been a long time since I miswired a pot.

Hmm, but audio is an AC signal, so direction shouldn't matter, if all it is is a passive pot, correct?

 

[433521]

Two items, one schiit sticker, no two! state stickers.

Things brains are going downhill ...

if you're on the fence about FV, all I'll say is, this.

The most surprising piece of gear I've purchased in a long time.

Sys can be used two way. I presume they say to max it out so people hear a signal, and then adjust to taste. I don't think they meant keep it there or else !

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

This just popped up in my YouTube recommendations for whatever reason. Probably because I searched for alphorn videos the other day…
Anyway, I have a feeling that a small subset of you might appreciate it quite a bit.



The lyrics are … uhm … predictably just as on the nose as the video itself, so I'll refrain from translating them into English.
Let's just say that the protagonist feels a bit lonely and he wishes for a partner in life. He tells us that he's really not picky, as long as she's got really big … uhm … eyes.

 

[hearditontheX]

For 300B enthusiasts, https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2022...u-ever-wanted-to-know-the-occasional-podcast/

 

[cricket]

Hmm, but audio is an AC signal, so direction shouldn't matter, if all it is is a passive pot, correct?

If SYS is used as a "destination selector" with the pot set at minimum, the source device outputs will be shorted to ground. Set the SYS pot to max and use an upstream device to control volume. Or use two downstream devices.