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

[artur9]

Oh, I forgot to mention some Schiit I've been messing with.

My integrated is out (transients too soft, dynamics a bit lacking) so I substituted its sibling preamp, which I had on hand, and a Vidar OG while I wait for the vendor to package up my "final amps." Wanted to burn in the new XLRs I got with "rectangular copper core", whatever the heck that is.

Damn, Hungarian Rhapsody with Fielder sounded so good!

 

[Verde And Black]

I just ordered an LP of this. I was not aware of this recording but since I usually prefer minimal production and really like Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle, I’m guessing this is going to be right up my alley.

Thanks for posting this.

You can stream the 2009 full band versions, which are pretty good too.

 

[Moondog55]

I certainly have plenty of great 12AU7’s, I might try that one day.

Try Brimar Ecc82 (13D5)

 

[holymacaroni]

Oh, and one more note on the loudness feature, because it didn't come up in Jason's chapter:

It's scalable.

Yep, you read that right. You can actually dial it back if the default is too much for you. I don't think that's ever been done before, in analog

RME ADI 2 DAC fs.

Oh, and one more note on the loudness feature, because it didn't come up in Jason's chapter:

It's scalable.

Yep, you read that right. You can actually dial it back if the default is too much for you. I don't think that's ever been done before, in analog or digital.

Oh, and one more note on the loudness feature, because it didn't come up in Jason's chapter:

It's scalable.

Yep, you read that right. You can actually dial it back if the default is too much for you. I don't think that's ever been done before, in analog or digital.

Oh, and one more note on the loudness feature, because it didn't come up in Jason's chapter:

It's scalable.

Yep, you read that right. You can actually dial it back if the default is too much for you. I don't think that's ever been done before, in analog or digital.

The only other “scalable” loudness I know of is that which RME includes in some of their DACs (in my case the ADI 2 DAC FS).

I’m happy to see Schiit adding useful functionality. It’s what keeps me interested

 

[earnmyturns]

Anyone out there tried driving LS50s from a single Gjallahorn in a small room at moderate volumes?

Haven't tried but when I owned LS50s (10 years ago or so), they seemed to demand quite a bit of power because of their low efficiency, even though I did not play them loud.

 

[Moondog55]

Be careful with the Foton talk or you'll wake up @Paladin79 . Saving grace: Melz never made a 6N6P.

But there are a few Melz 6n1p hiding in obscurity.

 

[Ripper2860]

Well, the repeated opening and closing of one's wallet to purchase NOS tubes could certainly be considered exercise.

 

[Paladin79]

Try Brimar Ecc82 (13D5)

I may well have some. So many tubes, so few cat toys.

 

[Adam Balm]

Only if it has a whip antenna with a Texas flag on the back. .

10-4 good buddy

 

[earnmyturns]

but you need to have Ethernet filtering before it goes to your streamer to preserve the signal that goes through the noisy Ethernet network

I keep hearing this, but it makes no technical sense (to me). Ethernet is transformer-coupled, asynchronous. People make it worse by using shielded cables and other thoughtless options that carry groundplane noise. Just don't, Ethernet was designed by people who knew what they were doing. In my experience, the real culprits are the cheap SMPS bricks that come with Ethernet switches, which inject high-frequency junk into the AC circuit that the streamer/DAC is also on. Use decent medical-grade SMPS or switches with better power supplies, and the problem is solved.

 

[classfolkphile]

I only use bypass caps in speaker crossovers. An expert I trusted tried bypass caps in tube power supplies and in coupling positions and felt that they were problematic. No problems in speaker crossovers. He also hated the high end fuse industry so take it for what it’s worth.
I would suggest taking the bypasses out.

I removed the bypass caps on the coupling caps on my tube integrated amp on the advice of a knowledgeable friend of mine ( and long time audio store employee) and he was right. As he said, they messed up the timing of the drivers, causing the treble to arrive noticeably sooner than the mid-range.
These were highly accurately time aligned speakers (stepped baffles, modified first order crossovers), for whatever that’s worth.

I’ve modified a number of pieces of equipment with better caps, almost always with good results. It took a couple of tries to realize I really don’t like Teflon caps (although I haven’t heard the copper foil/Teflon’s - I really like copper foil caps).

I’ve never had any inclination to mod Schiit gear. Partly out of respect for the seeming coherence of their designs and their informative transparency and partly because I suspect it wouldn’t make much difference. Out of all the gear I’ve heard Schiit’s is least affected by improved cabling.

 

[theveterans]

I keep hearing this, but it makes no technical sense (to me). Ethernet is transformer-coupled, asynchronous. People make it worse by using shielded cables and other thoughtless options that carry groundplane noise. Just don't, Ethernet was designed by people who knew what they were doing. In my experience, the real culprits are the cheap SMPS bricks that come with Ethernet switches, which inject high-frequency junk into the AC circuit that the streamer/DAC is also on. Use decent medical-grade SMPS or switches with better power supplies, and the problem is solved.

From a technical standpoint it doesn't make sense, but somehow passive Ethernet filtering really does make a very unmistakable noticeable difference for better subjective sound with vs without it in the chain. YMMV, but you should try one and hear it for yourself 60-day money back guarantee from Network Acoustics themselves. Yes you can get medical grade SMPS powered by batteries for your switch and just literally insert the eno2 streaming system or muon pro streaming system in between and A/B extensively.

 

[artur9]

... the real culprits are the cheap SMPS bricks ... which inject high-frequency junk into the AC circuit that the streamer/DAC is also on. ...

Is there any way to prevent those switching power supplies from injecting noise into the AC circuit?

In my case, I picked up a used Hydra8 to filter out that stuff.

 

[bcowen]

But there are a few Melz 6n1p hiding in obscurity.

You sure? I bought some on Ebay a while back advertised as Melz. Yeah... they weren't. Not sure Melz made a 6N1P either, but don't know that as a fact.

 

[earnmyturns]

There aren't any 1-bit delta-sigma DACs anymore, so any modern DS DAC will require some sort of resampling of DSD. The purest way of listening to DSD is with a resistor, as the OG Loki did.

The Holo DACs I own do it (proprietary discrete circuit), as do some other DACs (RME ADI-2 FS, among others) that use standard chip DACs that allow filter/modulator bypass.