Jason Stoddard
Sponsor: Schiit Audio
Hey all,
Yep, you asked for it, hell, you predicted it… and now, Valhalla 2 and Lyr 2 are here! If you're near TheShow Newport, stop by and have a listen. And, check out our new Wyrd USB descrewifier and Mani phono preamp, as well as a production Ragnarok.
"Wait, wait, wait!" You say. "You sneaked all these new products out and launch them at a show? And you don't tell us beforehand? Don't you love us anymore?"
Sure we do...but you know, competent companies like launching products at shows, and we thought we'd try to be competent for a change.
Let's talk for a moment about Wyrd and Mani. These two new entrants to our affordable line of gear look a lot like Modi, but they're both very different in purpose.
Wyrd cleans up USB power with an ultra-low-noise linear power supply (no switchers here) and repeats it with a precision crystal oscillator-controlled interface. We're not going to make any claims about sonics, but it'll definitely stop USB noise and power problems in their tracks. Some people say Wyrd makes everything sound better. We don't know how it can possibly do so, so we're going to stay Swiss on the subject. Wyrd will ship in June for $99.
Mani is our first phono preamp, with two gain stages, each with switchable gain, a fully passive RIAA network, and selectable cartridge loading. It also features a linear, ultra-low-noise power supply. It'll be shipping in August for $129.
Now, let's talk amps, Like Asgard 2, both Valhalla 2 and Lyr 2 look a lot like their predecessors, but are significantly different inside.
Valhalla 2 is now fully ready for efficient, low-impedance headphones, with switchable gain and only 3.5 ohms output impedance in low gain mode (14 ohms in high gain). And Valhalla 2's performance into high-impedance headphones is even better than ever. It's also ready for your powered monitors, with preamp outs. It's much, much more versatile than you'd expect an OTL tube amp to be.
Lyr 2 is also now ready for a much wider range of headphones, too. Five separate regulated power supplies, including the 180V tube rail and DC heaters, now make Lyr much quieter than ever before. And the addition of a gain switch allows you to use low gain for an even blacker background. Now, if you want to run orthos--and, say, Grados--Lyr 2 is great for both.
Valhalla 2 Product Page
Lyr 2 Product Page
Best of all, both Valhalla 2 and Lyr 2 are available right now. As in, no death-of-a-thousand-cuts-while-waiting-for-our-suppliers-to-get-their-stuff-together. As in, unlike Ragnarok and Yggdrasil.
But they're next!*
All the best,
Jason
*With the usual disclaimers about how things may slip (do slip), etc. Yeah. Sigh.
Yep, you asked for it, hell, you predicted it… and now, Valhalla 2 and Lyr 2 are here! If you're near TheShow Newport, stop by and have a listen. And, check out our new Wyrd USB descrewifier and Mani phono preamp, as well as a production Ragnarok.
"Wait, wait, wait!" You say. "You sneaked all these new products out and launch them at a show? And you don't tell us beforehand? Don't you love us anymore?"
Sure we do...but you know, competent companies like launching products at shows, and we thought we'd try to be competent for a change.
Let's talk for a moment about Wyrd and Mani. These two new entrants to our affordable line of gear look a lot like Modi, but they're both very different in purpose.
Wyrd cleans up USB power with an ultra-low-noise linear power supply (no switchers here) and repeats it with a precision crystal oscillator-controlled interface. We're not going to make any claims about sonics, but it'll definitely stop USB noise and power problems in their tracks. Some people say Wyrd makes everything sound better. We don't know how it can possibly do so, so we're going to stay Swiss on the subject. Wyrd will ship in June for $99.
Mani is our first phono preamp, with two gain stages, each with switchable gain, a fully passive RIAA network, and selectable cartridge loading. It also features a linear, ultra-low-noise power supply. It'll be shipping in August for $129.
Now, let's talk amps, Like Asgard 2, both Valhalla 2 and Lyr 2 look a lot like their predecessors, but are significantly different inside.
Valhalla 2 is now fully ready for efficient, low-impedance headphones, with switchable gain and only 3.5 ohms output impedance in low gain mode (14 ohms in high gain). And Valhalla 2's performance into high-impedance headphones is even better than ever. It's also ready for your powered monitors, with preamp outs. It's much, much more versatile than you'd expect an OTL tube amp to be.
Lyr 2 is also now ready for a much wider range of headphones, too. Five separate regulated power supplies, including the 180V tube rail and DC heaters, now make Lyr much quieter than ever before. And the addition of a gain switch allows you to use low gain for an even blacker background. Now, if you want to run orthos--and, say, Grados--Lyr 2 is great for both.
Valhalla 2 Product Page
Lyr 2 Product Page
Best of all, both Valhalla 2 and Lyr 2 are available right now. As in, no death-of-a-thousand-cuts-while-waiting-for-our-suppliers-to-get-their-stuff-together. As in, unlike Ragnarok and Yggdrasil.
But they're next!*
All the best,
Jason
*With the usual disclaimers about how things may slip (do slip), etc. Yeah. Sigh.
