Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

Apr 18, 2025 at 3:44 PM Post #188,791 of 191,736
I was going to use whisky as an analogy but I think drinking Portwood 21 out of a red Solo cup still tastes the same. lol
Well I sent you the type glass I use.🤪 I believe in balance in all things. My wife is a Libra, maybe that helps.😉

I am starting on the precise ebony cuts. IMG_9073.jpeg
 
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Apr 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM Post #188,792 of 191,736
Haha… i hear you on that… I dipped ever so briefly into the expensive MC on relatively cheap turntable pool with my original Rega Planar 3 (~$500) with my Koetsu Rosewood (~$1500) until my upcoming business trip to London came up where I planned to (and was able to) score the SME309 and black market import it. Then all 3 went immediately on my SOTA.

Goofy from a standpoint of price and allocation - absolutely! But, It sounded way better than the Linn K9 it replaced on that Rega Table/arm! (Just not THAT much better). It was only for like 3 weeks though…

Systems are about synergy AND balance…

Thinking out loud in the $500 range, the Denon DL301MkII or even a DL103 might offer compliances that could work? (13 and 5 IIRC). I’ve had both in my system over the years and they are quite nice for entry level MC’s. The Hana SL is better, but almost double the price. The Hana Umami’s are amazeballs, but way outta my price league at this time in life, where the only funds I spend on hobbies are from selling hobby stuffs.
A compliance of 13 would probably work pretty well. Good suggestion.

Edit: @Paladin79 A glass certainly worthy of any fine dram.
 
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Apr 18, 2025 at 3:47 PM Post #188,793 of 191,736
I would plug your 3 sources into Saga 2.
From Saga 2 you have 2 outputs.
Balanced to Midgard or directly to Ghorns or through Midgard to Ghorns.
RCA out to Vali 3 or directly to subwoofer. You could use RCA splitters here to connect both.

Saga should be your main volume control. Turn Midgard and Vali 3 volumes all of the way up.

You may be trying to do too much but it should work.

As posted before - I made a mistake saying "Vali" - I meant "Mani" - Indeed, adding another preamp (maybe a Vali as per my brain fart! :D or maybe a SYS) for an extra out to the sub might help. But I am trying to avoid that as well as using splitters. Seriously considering foregoing the sub. Should make things simpler. Sorry for wasting your time considering what to do with a Vali and thanks for your advice.
 
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Apr 18, 2025 at 3:59 PM Post #188,794 of 191,736
It depends on who does the dusting around the house. 😆

I did come across a (admittedly small) list of higher compliance MC carts that *should* work on my 6g arm, but I imagine the costs reside predominantly in the four-figure range. Doing that on a $500 'table is goofier than @DACattack's previous no-double-post-for-you! post. 🤣

The AT 33PTG/2 is a phenomenal MC cart in the $500ish range. Not sure why the AT 33 series and 09 series don't get the love they deserve.
 
Apr 18, 2025 at 4:23 PM Post #188,796 of 191,736
Yeah, it's pretty simple to take apart and there are videos on servicing the JVC QL-F4. I'll snap a pic of the innards and an area that is causing me a bit of concern around the PS caps. According to a video, there appears to be some brown epoxy or glue they use to to set the caps and that looks to be dried and crumbly. According to the guy on YT, it is glue that can become corrosive and could damage nearby resistors on the PCB. He removed the caps and cleaned the area and measured the caps to ensure they were fine before re-installing them as they measured good, so there's hope.

Hopefully just an old fuse and I can do that. I'm no EE and 'handy' is not a word anyone has ever used in describing me, but what the heck -- how much more broke can it be if I try my hand at fixing it. :D
If the PCB is phenolic (typ for pacific rim mfg products of that era) and not epoxy-glass (usa almost always) it can be damaged by too much heat. A tech or EE would be your best bet even though you have ample time being almost retired and all. Offer IT services in exchange for repairing the TT. Windows 10 support EOL / forced migration to W11 is happening this Oct…lots of job opportunities upcoming
 
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Apr 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM Post #188,797 of 191,736
The AT 33PTG/2 is a phenomenal MC cart in the $500ish range. Not sure why the AT 33 series and 09 series don't get the love they deserve.
Dynamic compliance of 10 *might* be a bit too low - would have to do some research to find some experiential opinions of the pairing. Sounds like a really good cart!
 
Apr 18, 2025 at 4:39 PM Post #188,799 of 191,736
Oooh boy... wonder what effect this sort of 'shared' functionality will have on divorce rates among schiitheads. 🤣
Leaving no stone unturned, the wizards at Schiit are already testing that out! 😂
 
Apr 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM Post #188,801 of 191,736
If the PCB is phenolic (typ for pacific rim mfg products of that era) and not epoxy-glass (usa almost always) it can be damaged by too much heat. A tech or EE would be your best bet even though you have ample time being almost retired and all. Offer IT services in exchange for repairing the TT. Windows 10 support EOL / forced migration to W11 is happening this Oct…lots of job opportunities upcoming

It's a brown PCB and does not look like epoxy glass.

I have the below soldering station - got it when I was thinking about building a BHC kit. I believe the tip determines the heat setting -- do you suggest any specific tip or temp where I might have a fighting chance of NOT destroying the PCB? :D

1745009178240.png
 
Apr 18, 2025 at 4:50 PM Post #188,802 of 191,736
It's a brown PCB and does not look like epoxy glass.

I have the below soldering station - got it when I was thinking about building a BHC kit. I believe the tip determines the heat setting -- do you suggest any specific tip or temp where I might have a fighting chance of NOT destroying the PCB? :D

1745009178240.png
Before you heat up your soldering station, get yourself a good quality de-soldering tool.
Your PCB will appreciate it.
 
Apr 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM Post #188,803 of 191,736
Earlier I had offered up my 15’ xlr pair of Audioquest Emerald interconnects to anyone willing to pay the shipping. Wanted to advise that is now void. On their way to @tincanear as I post. Be interested in your impression.

Found the Sme manual. 9.5g. Incl headshell. (Somewhat surprised… but the IV and the V (basically same/similar design sans removable headshell) are each less than 1 to 1.2 gm more with their built-ins… Must be the Magnesium tube? I really thought it was more massive. Tis (too) easy to confuse rigidity with mass, apparently.
 
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Apr 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM Post #188,804 of 191,736
It's a brown PCB and does not look like epoxy glass.

I have the below soldering station - got it when I was thinking about building a BHC kit. I believe the tip determines the heat setting -- do you suggest any specific tip or temp where I might have a fighting chance of NOT destroying the PCB? :D

I have several of those irons and they generally come with a 700 degree F tip, that should be fine. I use 800 but I have been doing this for a long time.😉
 
Apr 18, 2025 at 4:53 PM Post #188,805 of 191,736
Before you heat up your soldering station, get yourself a good quality de-soldering tool.
Your PCB will appreciate it.

I have the 'blue' syringe solder sucker that was highly regarded a few years ago. Gotta find it. :D

I have several of those irons and they generally come with a 700 degree F tip, that should be fine. I use 800 but I have been doing this for a long time.😉

I believe you may have sent me a tip or 2. The perfect tip may already be in my stash. ;)
 
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