[Ableza]

@Jason Stoddard -- Received my MJ3 and Kara announcement e-mail. Underneath Kara is a "See Gjallarhorn" link description (as opposed to "See Kara") that actually takes one to Kara.



Don't get me wrong -- I love the GHorns and thought it was a move to entice folks to pair a mono-block pair with Kara to get an EXECPTIONAL system for an insanely low price.

** A Nexus SS balanced preamp with relay volume, remote control, and a discrete HP amp paired with 2x mono-block 30w Class AB discrete amps featuring Continuity S -- all for less than $1,300!? What a farkin' deal!!

"See Gjallarhorn" is to let people know there are other attractions under the Schiit tent...

 

[Mr Rick]

About a year ago I longed for a Schiit preamp with balanced and single ended inputs, balanced and single ended outputs, a stepped attenuated volume control, a phono input, a DAC, single ended and balanced headphone outputs and a remote control.

Then one day I came upon a Ragnarok 2 on the "Current Deals" page. The rest, as they say................

 

[Jason Stoddard]

"See Gjallarhorn" is to let people know there are other attractions under the Schiit tent...

At least the link goes to the right place. Progress, slow but sure...

 

[Jason Stoddard]

@Jason Stoddard so how about a Kara + Vidar2 = an integrated amplifier that blows away something like the NAIM Supernait 3?

You mean like Ragnarok 2?

I mean, except Ragnarok 2 has a single Nexus gain stage (better than preamp+power amp in one box), with switchable gain for headphone use, and a relay stepped attenuator, as well as modularity for the future.

 

[FLTWS]

About a year ago I longed for a Schiit preamp with balanced and single ended inputs, balanced and single ended outputs, a stepped attenuated volume control, a phono input, a DAC, single ended and balanced headphone outputs and a remote control.

Then one day I came upon a Ragnarok 2 on the "Current Deals" page. The rest, as they say................

Good Choice!

 

[adias]

… I’ve never been a fan of passives because they always seem to rob dynamics. …

Freya S, passive mode, sandwiched between a Schiit DAC and a Schiit power amp, playing tonight’s BBC Prom’s Stravinsky The Firebird, did not lack dynamics, and that score has plenty of dynamic contrasts.

No more dynamics when playing the active gain 4 stage. So, no, passive done right does not lack dynamics. Now… if one does quick A/B switching comparos between passive and active and volume is not adjusted accordingly, yeah the switch perception may be deceiving.

 

[Currawong]

Saga S is still in the line, as is Saga+.

The Saga of Saga is an interesting one, to be honest, with not a lot of good answers and some (perhaps) very weird choices if we want to do an update on that one.

Here's the thing: Saga is expensive to make. And it doesn't sell that well. And it doesn't have any voltage gain, which some people like. All of those don't bode well for its future, either in S or + form. But if we try to address the lack of voltage gain, it gets more expensive, bringing it closer to Kara. Probably not a winning idea. If we want to cut cost, it's gonna end up in a Syn-like chassis with a wall-wart. Again maybe not the right idea. And then there's the whole question of I/O, as in there's super-limited space for balanced I/O if we want to think about adding that--and, if you increase chassis size, you end up at Kara again.

I'll keep playing with it, but we have both Saga+ and Saga S right now, and I'm pretty sure we have good stock of both. So there's that.

I guess that it's both not cheap enough for SE, and most people want gear that is balanced if they are considering a pre-amp at all. I don't know if anyone offers a remote-controlled pre at Saga money though, so in principle, I feel it shouldn't die.

 

[R3DFIV3]

Need to ask the hard question, does the Kara have the same hiss as the Freya S? I could hear the Freya S hiss from the seated position so ended up parting ways despite liking the sound signature.

Hopefully Kara has fixed this for a pure blackground

 

[adias]

What Freya S hiss?!? Maybe someone’s unit was defective?

 

[bcowen]

BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!

Sorry, just had one of the gnarly projects take a big step forward and had to share.

That's really mean. But congrats, I guess. Sort of.

 

[bcowen]

Kara is really tempting to me, but my Freya+ with LISST does exactly what I need it to do 95% of the time.

And for the other 5% I always have the option to roll in my very much adored Westinghouse (for the gain stage) and Raytheon (for the output stage) tubes — something for which I am still very much indebted to @Paladin79; not just for introducing me to their mere existence, but also for gifting me the very two pairs that I am still enjoying my music through the most. The day will come when I will finally know how to adequately repay that debt.

Just a suggestion:

 

[bcowen]

At least you guys get to use your smokers all year round. In my part of Canada, we have snow and below zero celsius for at least 5 months, so it is usually a no go for me. I know some people here BBQ in their garages, but somehow I feel running a charcoal smoker in a garage would be a really bad idea

Some people here continue to BBQ outside in subarctic temperatures and knee-deep or worse snow, but I am too much of a European wimp to do so.

When it's really cold outside, just hang it off the end of your car's tailpipe for 15 minutes and you can have Texas BBQ.

 

[steveZl1miller]

You have yours already!? Any basic impressions on how it improves on the Jot2? What mode are you running it in?

So regarding the heat first, most of the surface is just warm to the touch, but if I point an infrared thermometer at the heat sinks on the right they register just over 130F. If you lift it and feel the bottom that actually feels warmer and registers a similar temperature. You don't want to leave your hand on either for very long. So when Jason says it gets hot and may not be for everyone that is probably what he is getting at. Doesn't bother me at all, but as you can see, I probably need to figure out my desk later.

For sound compared to the Jot2, it's harder to describe for me, but I will try. Our first Schiit headphone amp was a Magnius which we really liked. When we upgraded to Jot2, it sounded slightly better, but then going back to Magnius from Jot2 felt like a bigger change. I guess you get accustomed to the sound profile of the Jot2 over time and notice it more when you go back to the Magnius.

With the MJ3, it was an immediate increase in detail, precision and image. Again, I am listening on a pair of HE1000 Stealth Magnets. In my opinion, it seemed like an even bigger step up to MJ3 from Jot2 than it was from Magnius to Jot2. A little more lows with a lot more detail. I am hearing more texture and detail. For soundstage and precision, I am getting a bit more separation, but better way to describe it is that it's more pin-point. Instead of the instruments or effects coming from a general area/direction they sound locked in a point in space.

It wouldn't be the first time I said I feel I may have reached "end game", but this may be it for my headphone amp. Kara may be next for my speaker system though, but will have to wait.

My son also received his MJ3 today and has assured me that he will be posting his review in a little bit after he has a bit more time to listen to it.

 

[33na3rd]

A Freya S with built in headphone amp, or a fixed line out for headphone amps would make many of us swoon.

Yes, quoting myself again.

Thank you @Jason Stoddard, Kara ordered!

 

[XMarsX]

Man I’m so behind. Dad life has been busy. Do we know if MJ3 is more or less limited than Folk?