Hey all, it's time for some more information--this time on Ragnarok and Yggdrasil.
"Wait a sec, Ragnarok and Yggdrasil? What the hell are those?" you're probably saying.
Well, it's simple. Ragnarok and Yggdrasil are the names of our upcoming Statement products--you know, the ones that have been delayed 10000 times. Now, don't get too excited, because this is just preliminary information, it may change, there's no pre-order or interest list yet, the world will not tilt on its axis, benevolent aliens will not overturn the corporate oligarchy, and life will pretty much go on exactly the same. So, sorry about that.
If you want the full scoop, go to schiit.com/ragnarok-yggdrasil.pdf and get the "official" preliminary info sheet.
In the meantime, some considerations that may help you decide if Ragnarok and Yggdrasil are for you:
1. They're both HUGE. As in, 16" wide, 12" deep, and 4" high. Each. These really aren't desktop products. They're also both about 30 lbs each.
2. Ragnarok is singlehandedly supporting the relay manufacturers of the world. With 27 relays in Ragnarok (for volume control, input switching, gain switching, output switching), if you don't like relay clicking, run away now. There will be audible clicking from the amp whenever you turn the volume pot. Yes. This is how relay-switched stepped attenuators work.
3. The Ragnarok hybrid option will be delayed significantly. Yes, we are terrible people. But yes, we also want the tubes to do something meaningful if we end up offering them. So, Ragnarok will be solid state only to start. Blame the microprocessor-managed operational points. It allows us to throw out not only coupling caps, but DC servos, as well.
4. With Yggdrasil, we're in the process of sorting out a number of different approaches to the D/A conversion section. No, we have no details we can release. But there you go. There's still work to be done. However, the rest of it is proven and working, including the trick digital filter.
5. Yggdrasil is fully upgradable, like all of our DACs, and takes the approach even farther—the input card, DSP engine, and two separate analog cards are all on a motherboard that is dedicated only to power and control. So we can upgrade anything about it. If we figure out something that we can upgrade, of course.
6. Yes, you will see more products from us before the Statement stuff comes out. Like DSD solutions for the current DACs and, uh, other stuff. Ah, well.
In the meantime, here's kinda what they will look like. Kinda, as in "this is 100% photoshop, and we're still wrangling with the metal guys."
And this is what the guts of Ragnarok currently look like, as we're refining/debugging it:
So, yeah, there's still a lot of uncertainty, but we're getting closer. Thanks for your patience. These WILL be products someday. And then the world will be a happy place where everyone gets along, humans live forever in prosperity, and there's no conflict, war, or strife.
Or not.
All the best,
Jason
