[r2muchstuff]

Source for this kit is either an iPod via the Icon iDo and coax or the Airport Express and optical.

 

[Pondoro]

The discontinuation of Gungnir also marks the end for the "wrap-around" case design. The OG Schiit Style, if you will, that we had since the very first Asgard.

Yes, it was a pain to manufacture, and an even bigger pain to assemble.

But it looked oooh so magnificent!

Especially in its 16" variant that Gungnir and Mjolnir 1 and 2 came in. So understated and perfectly proportioned. In silver and when stacked, the upper bevel's specular gradient and the lower bevel's darker ambient gradient complimented each other to create the most pleasing of shadow gaps.

The newer case design with its larger diameter upper bevel and the hard corner at the bottom looks perfectly nice when you arrange your gear horizontally next to one another. The sharp edge floating above the surface of your table or shelf looks much better than that beveled edge ever did.

But when stacked, the bigger upper bevel and the hard lower edge just clash. In those instances especially, the old "double bevel" was simply in a class of its own.

I'm not complaining, mind you. The new design is so much easier to manufacture and to assemble, it does look more modern, and I have a feeling that it might resonate more with most people's design sensibilities. I really do like it a lot, myself!

But the good, old "double bevel" will forever occupy a special corner in my heart.

And so you might consider this post here a little eulogy of sorts to a piece of minimalist industrial design that I always really liked, and that I would not hesitate to list alongside such iconic masterpieces as the Lamy 2000, the Barcelona Chair, the Braun T3, or the Porsche 901's silhouette.
No, neither am I kidding, nor am I brown-nosing. I really do think that the 16" double-bevel chassis has earned its place alongside those icons.

And I, for one, will miss it a lot.



A resounding "Good riddance!" to the Gungnir's three feet, though. There's a rather sizable gash in the surface of my desk that serves as a reminder of a time before this-here idiot had realized that Gungnir didn't come with such modern conveniences as one foot in each corner. Ugh…



Edit:
Yes. I forgot about the existence of Valhalla, which is now the last active product with the classic wrap-around design.
Oops…
But in my defense: The 9" double-bevel is just not the same!

I love it when an intelligent person waxes poetic about a tiny detail. I read this excellent eulogy in a pizza joint as the background music played the late Olivia Newton John singing “Hopelessly Devoted.” Really. You can’t make stuff like this up.

 

[mystaiced]

Piety added.

What is all that loaded into the Vali 2? Just curious

 

[33na3rd]

Piety added.

I see that you are a man of many hats, and head amps!

 

[adias]

Gungnir's on indefinite hiatus. I mentioned this was coming in a few chapters.

We'll see what comes. Upgrade or replacement, it won't be fast. Think next year if it happens at all.

What's the status of the Lokius EQ? A Lokius+ coming soon?

 

[adias]

Most gear I experienced does this. They grab attention in early days but later settle down

After a period of dust collection, when they are back in action, it won’t sound bright; i guess it’s the gear and not brain going thru change

The gear, if turned on, will fully settle, but the brain changes too.. recovering from the initial diff pulse caused by the initial exposure - Catastrophe Theory.

 

[r2muchstuff]

What is all that loaded into the Vali 2? Just curious

6N8S (6H8C) Novosibirsk - 1977 - Bottom Flying Saucer Getter - Grey T Aligned 2 Hole Plates
On stacked socket saver & adapter.

 

[mystaiced]

6N8S (6H8C) Novosibirsk - 1977 - Bottom Flying Saucer Getter - Grey T Aligned 2 Hole Plates
On stacked socket saver & adapter.

I don’t know what that is, but I want it, lol.

 

[Vtsailor]

The marketing guys were probably going nutz! 5,000 sub woofers in every room! We'll be RICH!!!

Of course this is just silly bassturbations.

Real bassheads pour concrete bass horns - the room IS the SUBWOOFER. And your kidneys are mush.

Reminds me of my days in college practicing the pipe organ in the college chapel. It had a rank of 32 foot pipes under the floor. Play Bach or Widor, pull out that stop and watch everyone in the audience looking around.

 

[OldRoadToad]

Just to put it into perspective, Topping would likely have gone through 20 new model replacements in that 10 year time.

And all of them likely to have "MQA" in the mix...

No thank yew!

ORT

 

[Vtsailor]

When my group does audio comparisons we always include musicians who are extremely familiar with particular instruments, a violin, piano, cello, etc. They can try to discern which device most closely replicates the original instrument. Their choices might not match the rest of the group because they are so used to a particular sound, others might be thinking how enjoyable a particular sound was compared to others. I like a combination of both camps mixed in with some audio engineers who understand the limits of the recording process, we strive for amazing master recordings before doing any testing. I have been involved with some of those recording sessions and having heard the original sound can definitely give a basis for how well the recording worked. I use those recordings as I work with my main two channel system, on occasion I can get close to the original, that is the best I can hope for.

If you ever have Dvorak’s “New world symphony” planned can i please come? It has the most wonderful viola part in the 2nd movement…

 

[Paladin79]

If you ever have Dvorak’s “New world symphony” planned can i please come? It has the most wonderful viola part in the 2nd movement…

I will certainly let you know.

 

[StevePNW]

Dang, I know Jason said that the G was not long for this world...but I was hoping for an update. In my own little protected line of thinking, I was waiting for a case/housing design update which would perfectly match my Freya S. That is the only reason why I did not buy into the G-DAC and wish that it would rise again when Schiit can put it into a new chassis with the latest TI chip variant. Oh well, I'll just have to wait a while longer which is no problem with a BlueSound Node or CD Transport to RME ADI-2 DAC source through the Freya S to mono Vidars and KEF LS50 Metas and the matching KC62 subwoofer. I appreciate it every day and works well with the LRSs on Magna Risers also. Keep doing what you are doing Schiit as you can't over-extend yourself but I can't stop thinking that the thing that kept the Gungnir sales low is that many of us have been waiting patiently. I have no qualms about the current edition from an esthetics and performance standpoint but I want it to match the current Freya line. Sure, the Yggy at twice the price would be wonderful but I retired 2+ years ago and we have a 1-year-old grand-daughter now. Price is a consideration and I don't want another half-width component as good as the Bifrost is. I have read this thread from beginning to end on my multi-year journey with Schiit which is a multiyear addition to my decades long audiophile journey. By-the-way, I'm approximately @Ripper2860 age and started posting about the same time as @tincanear did. I appreciate you all as it is part of my daily routine - Cheers

 

[Oveja Negra]

The discontinuation of Gungnir also marks the end for the "wrap-around" case design. The OG Schiit Style, if you will, that we had since the very first Asgard.

Yes, it was a pain to manufacture, and an even bigger pain to assemble.

But it looked oooh so magnificent!

At some point I was convinced I was the only one who put the U-shape design in such a high pedestal. Like you, I know the reasons behind the change but... when I see a picture like this...

...I mean... just look at them, those techno-sexy curves. It's pure perfection, and now it's not, it's an involution.

 

[eliottj]

Well, when you've tried everything else, there's always guga.

The article takes a while to get to the culinary bit, but it's worth the read.

First, catch your gannet.

Oh, and my response to quizzical looks about my age vs attitude is "you're as old as you behave." You can guess the replies.

Remarkable. People will eat anything.