Schiit Hits the Fan! Valhalla 2, Lyr 2 announced, Wyrd and Mani Previewed.

[jexby]

Would someone at THE show or Jason himself please take a picture of the BACK of the Wyrd instead of the (meaningless) front??

 

[Billheiser]

Comments on either the "old" Valhalla or new Valhalla 2, versus the Vali?  Aside from features such as the preamp outs, how similar/different do you find the sound quality?  In the present case, I am using hd600's so the switchable gain on the 'halla is not an issue, 300 ohms is good for either amp.  So - sound?

 

[EraserXIV]

Any chance of getting a look at the internals of the Wyrd?
 
Does it apply any filters or does it essentially function as a power injector? Also, I understand it's a linear power supply, but does it still use a wall-wart?

 

[internethandle]

Can someone post a link to the T.H.E. show thread with the pics of the Wyrd etc., I can't seem to find it. Found a 2014 THE show thread but no pics.

 

[ljperez84]

Oh ****** me! I just bought my valhalla a month ago! :mad:

 

[jgreen16]

Can someone post a link to the T.H.E. show thread with the pics of the Wyrd etc., I can't seem to find it. Found a 2014 THE show thread but no pics.

 


http://www.head-fi.org/t/601151/schiit-owners-unite/5430#post_10592682

 

[CHNO]

  I am in a country "listed above". The answers suggest, moderately strongly, that they don't ship to those countries. It also pretty categorically states that I wouldn't get warrantee support. As I said, I would have gone ahead, but I found an alternative product where the pricing was better (because it was priced in USD), and there were no uncertainties in how to order. When I was weighing the pros and cons, it was very, very close. Without this entry in the FAQ, or with a better price in the UK, I would have probably gone ahead with the Schiit. It didn't prevent me from ordering on it's own, it was just the little difference in the end which made the decision go the other way.
 
Just to be clear, when I said "put me off" I meant that it made me "slightly less willing" not that it stopped me from doing it all together.

 
I'm in the UK and I recently ordered an Asgard 2 direct from Schiit using a proxy shipping service. It saved me a lot of money, with the current exchange rate the Asgard 2 itself cost less than £150. I will be doing it again in the future.

 

[tjw321]

   
I'm in the UK and I recently ordered an Asgard 2 direct from Schiit using a proxy shipping service. It saved me a lot of money, with the current exchange rate the Asgard 2 itself cost less than £150. I will be doing it again in the future.

That illustrates my point quite nicely. The UK distributer is getting an effective mark-up of £100 on a £150 item. I'm very happy with the item I bought instead, so the extra hassles, minor as they may be, just weren't worth it to me. But I would have bought the Schiit instead, were it otherwise. It's all water under the bridge for me now, but I like Schiit, and I'm just letting them know that the current situation is potentially costing them sales. It may just be that that 60-70% mark-up is the cost of doing business in the UK, in which case there is nothing that can be done, but you never know...

 

[Structures]

Will it be possible to by an upgrade from Lyr 1 to Lyr 2?

 

[Rem0o]

  Will it be possible to by an upgrade from Lyr 1 to Lyr 2?

It's a different PCB all together, so no.

 

[Edoardo]

I don't get whether one will be able to switch between the Loki, the Mani and a DAC of choiche without another switcher.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I don't get whether one will be able to switch between the Loki, the Mani and a DAC of choiche without another switcher.

I believe you can pass through the PCM signal by daisy chaining Source>Loki>Bitfrost>Lyr. You can contact Schiit at tech@schiit.com.

 

[Newk Yuler]

 
But I, and I suspect, other more, erm, 'open-minded' Schitt heads will see this for what it really is: the first true (half as expensive!) competitor to iFi's very popular iUSB. I, for one, appreciate the opportunity, having messed around with ADuM4160-based USB isolators (to good effect) in the past, but having found them incompatible with newer DACs such as the Bifrost, to 'clean up' my USB. Given how much the 'audiophile' USB cable market has blown up, as well as the extreme focus on USB implementations in DACs lately, this is just incredibly savvy. Non-Schiit Heads (and some Schiit Heads, for the practical reasons listed as well as 'non-practical' ones) will latch onto this, for a mere hundred USD, like flies on... well, (beats dead horse).
 
(disclaimer: if anyone feels like asking me for 'double blind' evidence of my experience with ADuM4160 isolators or some such, please don't bother...) 
 

 
ADuM4160 devices will work with Schiit gen 2 USB (CM6631A) and makes a significant difference in audio quality (IMO).
 
Briefly for those who don't know, the ADuM4160 devices are small in-line and externally powered USB 2.0 devices that electrically isolate USB from the host computer.  Originally designed primarily for medical equipment applications and quickly adopted by the computer audiophile community some years back.  Use has died out due to compatibility issues with USB in a lot of more recent audio hardware.  Generally speaking it effectively blocks electrical noise that accompanies the data and can have a degrading effect in susceptible USB receiving circuits.  It's also pretty cheap to try.
 
The ADuM4160 device should be made specifically for audio purposes with a better power circuit.  The Teralink ADuM4160 is exceptionally good (eBay) and works well with a 12vdc switch mode wall wart because of its excellent power circuit, although a linear wall wart should be better.  Downstream USB 5v is also isolated from the host and USB powered devices are sourced from the Teralink's power circuit. The ADuM4160 devices are pipe limited to 24 bit 96 kHz audio.  ADuM4160 devices don't work with XMOS based USB circuits that many manufactures use in audio equipment.  Schiit (luckily) went a different route.
 
Jason, technical details for Wyrd will be greatly appreciated.  Early users please consider popping the hood and supplying images of the inside.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

   
ADuM4160 devices will work with Schiit gen 2 USB (CM6631A) and makes a significant difference in audio quality (IMO).
 
Briefly for those who don't know, the ADuM4160 devices are small in-line and externally powered USB 2.0 devices that electrically isolate USB from the host computer.  Originally designed primarily for medical equipment applications and quickly adopted by the computer audiophile community some years back.  Use has died out due to compatibility issues with USB in a lot of more recent audio hardware.  Generally speaking it effectively blocks electrical noise that accompanies the data and can have a degrading effect in susceptible USB receiving circuits.  It's also pretty cheap to try.
 
The ADuM4160 device should be made specifically for audio purposes with a better power circuit.  The Teralink ADuM4160 is exceptionally good (eBay) and works well with a 12vdc switch mode wall wart because of its excellent power circuit, although a linear wall wart should be better.  Downstream USB 5v is also isolated from the host and USB powered devices are sourced from the Teralink's power circuit. The ADuM4160 devices are pipe limited to 24 bit 96 kHz audio.  ADuM4160 devices don't work with XMOS based USB circuits that many manufactures use in audio equipment.  Schiit (luckily) went a different route.
 
Jason, technical details for Wyrd will be greatly appreciated.  Early users please consider popping the hood and supplying images of the inside.

 
ADuM4160 does not work at USB 2.0 high speed (480Mbps), I'm afraid, so that leaves out anything above 24/96.

 

[Edoardo]

I believe you can pass through the PCM signal by daisy chaining Source>Loki>Bitfrost>Lyr. You can contact Schiit at tech@schiit.com.

Yes you do. I was asking if you could also put the Mani phono preamp inside this daisy chain somehow.