[O8h7w]

I’ve got a request for a different chapter subject from @Jason Stoddard. While I love the technical talk, engineering decisions, failures, and redesigns, I’d like to hear about Schitt from the seat I had for a long time.

I retired two days ago from a job where I worked as an electronics technician. I announced my intent in August, hoping someone would be hired in time for me to pass on a tiny part of 42 years of knowledge and experience. The new hire started last week, giving me five full days with her. She has potential and will succeed if she can get the necessary guidance to learn a unique product.

The story given about the new tech’s late arrival was there were only two applicants that made it to final interviews. Most of the others were looking for IT jobs and/or incapable of troubleshooting to component level. The pool of competent techs has truly dried up since the roaring 80's.

What I’d enjoy reading about is Schiit’s process of finding qualified technical/semi-technical employees, what kinds of jobs they do, and what training is necessary. Tell us what happens between the points of design and shipping.

Seconded, there were some great stories on finding competent people and tech work in the early days of this book, but it has been a long time since and Schiit is at a very different scale now. I wonder how that changes those things.

 

[golfbravobravo]

This is a pretty long thread.

@ArmchairPhilosopher is running an online training class........

 

[emorrison33]

I propose that this is the greatest post so far written by ORT in this thread. At this point, this is a bold statement, but I stand by it.

Picking just one of ORT's posts as the "greatest" is very hard to do. But yea, that last post was classic!

 

[golfbravobravo]

Obligatory XKCD

Mostly correct. But once in a while it works.

 

[Ableza]

re: finding competent techs for assembly, QA, troubleshooting, etc. with a brain and some practical experience. We tend to look for ex-military people.

 

[emorrison33]

re: finding competent techs for assembly, QA, troubleshooting, etc. with a brain and some practical experience. We tend to look for ex-military people.

That is the top reason I was hired at my current job position (IT Technician). I was ex-military.

 

[Ripper2860]

On a vaguely unrelated matter: Is it just me or is she a hottie!!?? She's like a stick figure version of Taylor Swift.

 

[emorrison33]

On a vaguely unrelated matter: Is it just me or is she a hottie!!?? She's like a stick figure version of Taylor Swift.

I'm with you! But then I think Flo from Progressive is hot...

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Yggdrasil OG would cost me $3000 and on a the income of a retired person that isn't going to happen. Most people working can't afford to drop that much on a DAC. One of the reasons I appreciate Schiit is a person can spend 1/10 of that and still buy a quality multibit DAC. In a blind test I hope a person would be able to discern a Yggdrasil from a MM2. For me Schiit made their name on budget gear and I'm glad that they still continue to improve and expand their line of affordable equipment. The Yggdrasil OG cost more than my first new car

 

[Paladin79]

Ironically the “standards” for double blind testing seem impossible to meet. First it was level matched, now people are demanding voltage matched, or within crazy low levels of decibels. I prefer to start with the volume at zero and increase it until I’m happy. I do the same with every device, I listen to them all at the volume that makes me happiest. I’ve never done that blind but I’d be ok blind testing that way. The “internet committee on blind testing standards” has never once pointed to testing that confirms their impossible standards are necessary, nor do they present any credentials.

By the way I also enjoy your reviews.

My group uses single blind testing since there are qualified people in the background setting up sound levels etc. Technically there is no one researcher looking for an answer, about 30 of us might participate in the blind listening as well as others we invite so we have a random sampling. Running a blind test on 6sn7 tubes is a very good example, if we know a tube sold for $1,000 or five of the listeners know and love said tube, or it is talked about in tube threads as a holy grail, how can that not influence a choice? Now I did send concealed tubes to Jason and what he conducted was a double blind test. He did not know which tubes were which till after the test was over, nor did those placing the tubes in Sagas know which tube was which.
I rarely read reviews and I am not interested in other blind testing standards. With DAC's folks can talk about detail and hearing things they did not hear before and that is a factor, we use 25 such factors. I recommend our methods to no one, they are just what friends and I happen to use. I will have a rough idea of some of the DACs used in an upcoming test, there will be 15 of them including two of the latest iterations of the Yggdrasil. Anyone can say the methodology is wrong, or we should do this or that instead. Anyone can be an individual reviewer or set up his or her own listening sessions, go for it. Ours is a quick way of getting say fifty test results on 15 products as well as forming our own opinions about said gear.

 

[Paladin79]

Can't say I expected the outcome, but it read much like something the stainless steel rat would do.

Without all of the violence, women and alcohol, of course.

It has been years since my sci-fi book club read any stainless steel rat but I recall enjoying the book we read and the groans of some of the more serious members when that choice came up lol.

 

[ScotchNeat]

Another "where's Waldo pix"
Love Schitts internal pix!

Wonder where the megacombo burito filter reside in this complex of lands and parts!.....

It's in the big SHARC DSP that's just right of dead-center on the board.

 

[Mark200]

I'm with you! But then I think Flo from Progressive is hot...

I read that when she started that job, it took about 2 hours in makeup before shooting commercials. It's probably up to about 4 hours now.

 

[liamo]

All the talk about A/B testing gave me an idea for this weekend.

 

[duncan4791]

Another "where's Waldo pix"
Love Schitts internal pix!

Wonder where the megacombo burito filter reside in this complex of lands and parts!.....

In the socket U6 where the firmware SPI rom goes. Like the old one it's replaceable.