[Charente]

Yes I know, but also many amazing bargains, and the scenery is to die for!

I live 10km from the Sonoma County line, and <30 minutes from the closest Napa vineyard/winery.
At the wineries, most of the better quality Sonoma wines are rapidly approaching $50-60+ a bottle. Napa is much worse, with $100 75cl bottles the norm.
Some of the local wines are less expensive through other channels (like Costco) - but they are generally pricing themselves out of the market (for me, at least).

I would much rather spend $33 for a Chateau Haut Boutisse Grand Cru from Château Palais Cardinal - the 2018 is lovely!

We don't get any Californians here ... not that I've seen. Your recommendation is excellent !

Less expensive ... Cru Bourgeois rather than Crus Classés, still high quality ... and, if on a budget, Pécharmant from the Bergerac region (e.g. Château du Rooy), just south of us. Worth trying on your next visit to La Belle France ! Santé !

 

[claybomb]

Bump
@Jason Stoddard
I see the ragnarok pics were updated to reflect the toroidal transformer change. Are there new measurements, as well? Does the change affect the sound?

 

[433521]

For that reason and to make a deliberate decision to combat my audiophilic OCD, I ordered my Folkvangr in black to fit into my otherwise silver rack. Most of the time I'll be listening in the evening with the lights down low and anything to maximize that tube glow makes sense to me.

I got it in silver because I figured I'd get it sooner. I think it saved me some time.

 

[433521]

Yeah, the new Bifrost 2/64 is awesome, but a $150-200 Modi Multibit would be nicer to .y wallet

The bifrost card with ti chips is $300. AD chips, if they're around, are more expensive than TI.

Mimby is going to be as much or more. I would think $400, but knowing these guys more like $329.

 

[stretchneck]

Lyr+ What really excites me is the fact it only needs as single 6SN7… but is less more? Or is a quad of 6SN7 in the Freya still the best? Makes it feasible to run expensive 6SN7 through

2/64 - really cool. But kind of similar theme to the above, how would it compare with Yggy Less is more?

 

[schneller]

@Jason Stoddard has anyone done a blind listening test of LIM and BF2/64 or do you prefer not to go there?

 

[433521]

Shouldn't Piety be in white?

 

[tafens]

Being an audio Philistine, I have no idea what tube this is but it does look cool! I wonder what the new Lyr+ would look like with this or some thing similar.

Shallow, I know.

ORT

Like this:


That is a screenshot from cheapaudioman’s coverage of the Texas Audio Roundup:

 

[DACattack]

I got it in silver because I figured I'd get it sooner. I think it saved me some time.

Perhaps. I ordered on 7/2 in the early afternoon and have gotten caught in the rolling backorder. From the video at the Texas Audio Roundup linked above, summarizing Jason's comments on Folkvangr, they had enough parts on hand to build 125, ordered parts for the remaining 125 and were told by the transformer supplier that it'll be a few weeks until they're delivered (which is not what the supplier originally promised Schiit). Welcome to the vagaries of the post-COVID supply chain. @Jason Stoddard - hope I've summarized correctly...

 

[macdonjh]

@macdonjh thanks the texas round up pics & commentary.

(Added) They didn’t have other HFM models with detachable cables on site using same connectors as your HE-6?

Nope, the HE-6 used these weird, kind of mini-F-connector things. They look a lot like the connectors used for old analog TV antenna coax cable, but small. Not even HiFiMAN uses them anymore. My old HE-500 use 2.5mm TS- that's tip-sleeve, no ring, a mono phono jack. Again, no longer used even by HiFiMAN.

Very evocative description... great images... thanks for sharing.

It's amazing what you can think up when you're sixty miles from anywhere and still stuck in traffic. Stay calm. Just breathe.

 

[Balthazar B]

Lyr+ What really excites me is the fact it only needs as single 6SN7… but is less more? Or is a quad of 6SN7 in the Freya still the best? Makes it feasible to run expensive 6SN7 through

2/64 - really cool. But kind of similar theme to the above, how would it compare with Yggy Less is more?

A question each person should ask for him/herself is whether the delta in sound, I/O, and form factor between the Yggy LIM and the Bifrost 2/64 is worth almost 3x the cost. Some may say yes, some no, and some won't care.

Personally, if a Gungnir LIM with various improvements and priced around $150 more should appear, that would likely be the one I'd prefer, on account of clock regeneration, I/O, and form factor. But outside of possible beta testers, nobody really knows if such a beast is in the pipeline.

 

[senorx12562]

A question each person should ask for him/herself is whether the delta in sound, I/O, and form factor between the Yggy LIM and the Bifrost 2/64 is worth almost 3x the cost. Some may say yes, some no, and some won't care.

Personally, if a Gungnir LIM with various improvements and priced around $150 more should appear, that would likely be the one I'd prefer, on account of clock regeneration, I/O, and form factor. But outside of possible beta testers, nobody really knows if such a beast is in the pipeline.

On the contrary, somewhere in this very thread, Jason said it definitely will not happen. In fact iirc, he also said that once their current supply of chips to build it is exhausted Gungnir would be going on "indefinite hiatus."

 

[Les Strat]

Perhaps. I ordered on 7/2 in the early afternoon and have gotten caught in the rolling backorder. From the video at the Texas Audio Roundup linked above, summarizing Jason's comments on Folkvangr, they had enough parts on hand to build 125, ordered parts for the remaining 125 and were told by the transformer supplier that it'll be a few weeks until they're delivered (which is not what the supplier originally promised Schiit). Welcome to the vagaries of the post-COVID supply chain. @Jason Stoddard - hope I've summarized correctly...

I was lucky
I ordered my Folkvangr on 2nd July (a Saturday)
At the time, Schiit was advising that it would ship in 7-10 days.
It was shipped on Friday 8th July and arrived on Tuesday 12th.
Fantastic service!

 

[JLoud]

Curious what the lowest serial number is on a Folkvangr in the wild. Mine is 13. Wonder how many ended up going to Schiit employees or those involved in testing and such.

 

[filthy mechanical]

Curious what the lowest serial number is on a Folkvangr in the wild. Mine is 13. Wonder how many ended up going to Schiit employees or those involved in testing and such.

350012 here, must be a lot more than 250 out there.