[BournePerfect]

Stole a Rag 1 for $700 about a month ago-my new fave ss amp. Some tubelike qualities to it. Great match with my Ether 2s. In two words: tonally engaging.

 

[LowBeat91]

Could you tell is there a quality loss if you swirch from Low Gain to High Gain? I find the Sound with High Gain effortless and more lively

 

[bagwell359]

Could you tell is there a quality loss if you swirch from Low Gain to High Gain? I find the Sound with High Gain effortless and more lively

The Rag 1:

IMO, but I can never get the skinny from Schiit:

Gain 1: amp: class A only; pre-amp not using active gain stage. Very pure and crystaline, but drop off at the extremes. Efficient cans with violin quartets - all day long, but crunching full range music - no.

Gain 2: amp: class to 4 wpc, will go into AB if pushed; pre-amp now has active gain stage. Ideal IMO for all headphones and most speakers

Gain 3: amp: not sure if Class A bias is at 4 wpc, but Class AB dominant. IMO use with speakers that are less than 88 db efficiency and not headphones of any type. Somehow to get the full power in the amp it sounds like something might be strapped. Its not pure sounding IMO.

The Rag 2 goes out of Class A bias at 1 wpc BTW, but it has somewhat more obvious subsonic bass than the 1. On paper the 2 has higher gain in gain 1 than the Rag 1 so that may indicate they ditched the no active gain stage. Not sure on that.

At any rate the HE-6 6 screw and SE rev 1 and rev 2 all live nicely in Gain 2 as do other less demanding cans.

 

[bagwell359]

I think you should always try to use low gain because of lower noise/signal ratio

Back to the 1:

Having owned a Adcom GFP-750 pre-amp designed by Nelson Pass gain 1 sounds like a dead ringer for the 750 used without the gain stage (I.E.passive) very pure, but down measurably at the frequency extremes. Good for chamber music, not so good for lively amplified music.

I've owned the 1 for 6+ years and even the craziest headphone load outside of estats is the HE-6 and its variants and I have never had to go to gain 3 to court ear damage. Gain 2 is the right setting for all headphones IMO. Gain 3 is for hungry speaker or large rooms and not headphones.

I've used the Rag 2 twice for a total of about 6 hours and the gain stages seemed to be like the 1, but on the spec sheet the 2 has 1 more db higher gain in gain 1, and very similar in 2 and 3. So.... I'd still recommend gain 2 and I'd STRONGLY recommend using the balanced output it puts out as much as the speaker lugs do - about 3x more power than the SE, and much much lower impedance 0.1 vs 3,3. All my cans are modded to work on the balanced out.

For both Rag 1 and 2, at 50 ohms the balanced out is 15 wpc, and SE in 3.75 like 6 db difference). Its huge for planars - but also my HD-600 likes the extra juice (and maybe more the impedance) too. You might as well get a Lyr if you are going to use SE.

 

[LowBeat91]

The Rag 1:

IMO, but I can never get the skinny from Schiit:

Gain 1: amp: class A only; pre-amp not using active gain stage. Very pure and crystaline, but drop off at the extremes. Efficient cans with violin quartets - all day long, but crunching full range music - no.

Gain 2: amp: class to 4 wpc, will go into AB if pushed; pre-amp now has active gain stage. Ideal IMO for all headphones and most speakers

Gain 3: amp: not sure if Class A bias is at 4 wpc, but Class AB dominant. IMO use with speakers that are less than 88 db efficiency and not headphones of any type. Somehow to get the full power in the amp it sounds like something might be strapped. Its not pure sounding IMO.

The Rag 2 goes out of Class A bias at 1 wpc BTW, but it has somewhat more obvious subsonic bass than the 1. On paper the 2 has higher gain in gain 1 than the Rag 1 so that may indicate they ditched the no active gain stage. Not sure on that.

At any rate the HE-6 6 screw and SE rev 1 and rev 2 all live nicely in Gain 2 as do other less demanding cans.

I'm hesitating between high gain and low volume setting and gain 2 higher volume. Planar headphones in particular benefit from the higher power

 

[pofofo]

I have a Rag2 Just An Amp and use a Modi 3 with it. Will the multibit dac card be worth it? Or is it better to get another external dac? I have to pay around $30 for shipping to Norway and additional 25% tax for the dac card (grand total $295).

It would be nice to have the dac integrated, I`m also considering the phono card.

 

[bagwell359]

I'm hesitating between high gain and low volume setting and gain 2 higher volume. Planar headphones in particular benefit from the higher power

Gain 3 is not as clean as Gain 2. No question about it. I have once in 3k+hours on my HE-6 SE and borrowed SE v2 and OG 6 screw 6 been in gain 3 very few times, and that was to try it for a few minutes, on my own never had to leave Gain 2 once, and only got past 3:15 like 3 times.

Try for yourself.

 

[bagwell359]

I have a Rag2 Just An Amp and use a Modi 3 with it. Will the multibit dac card be worth it? Or is it better to get another external dac? I have to pay around $30 for shipping to Norway and additional 25% tax for the dac card (grand total $295).

It would be nice to have the dac integrated, I`m also considering the phono card.

I don't know the DAC in the Rag 2, but I know its not a match to the Gumby or the Yggy. Used Gumby (that means Gungnir w/multibit) are going for like $550-600. Depends on your budget,

 

[jazzaj]

I have a Rag2 Just An Amp and use a Modi 3 with it. Will the multibit dac card be worth it? Or is it better to get another external dac? I have to pay around $30 for shipping to Norway and additional 25% tax for the dac card (grand total $295).

It would be nice to have the dac integrated, I`m also considering the phono card.

I have the full loaded version, dac card is MB. Both dac and phono (only MM) cards work very well.

 

[jazzaj]

Hi all,

As said above, I'm pleased with the dac card inside my fully loaded version, but by curiosity, I've tested last WE my BF1 MB in remplacement.

It's certainly an upgrade from the dac card, especially with soundstage depth (original card is very good from right to left but BF1 added depth in z axis) - something like 120% better than inside card.

Hence I plan to upgrade from dac card to an external dac, but significant upgrade (to obtain 150% or more better than inside card), something like BF 2/64 or gungnir A2 MB gen 5 (I get that opportunity but can't try before buying :/)

Does some of you ever tried the Raggy2 with this 2 dacs ? From what I've read, Gumby>BF2 and BF2/64>BF2 so Gumby~BF2/64 except for the special touch of the AD chips (Gumby) vs. TI chips (BF2/64).

 

[bagwell359]

Hi all,

As said above, I'm pleased with the dac card inside my fully loaded version, but by curiosity, I've tested last WE my BF1 MB in remplacement.

It's certainly an upgrade from the dac card, especially with soundstage depth (original card is very good from right to left but BF1 added depth in z axis) - something like 120% better than inside card.

Hence I plan to upgrade from dac card to an external dac, but significant upgrade (to obtain 150% or more better than inside card), something like BF 2/64 or gungnir A2 MB gen 5 (I get that opportunity but can't try before buying :/)

Does some of you ever tried the Raggy2 with this 2 dacs ? From what I've read, Gumby>BF2 and BF2/64>BF2 so Gumby~BF2/64 except for the special touch of the AD chips (Gumby) vs. TI chips (BF2/64).

I didn't respond to your post about the internal DAC working well, of course it works - it's Schitt!

I have the Rag 1 and the Gumby A1 MB since early 2016, and the pairing is great. The Rag 2 has better bass under 100 Hz, and both can be bleached in the mid treble - but the Gumby smoothes that right over. You won't be sorry if you get any MB Gungnir. The Yggy is more defined and cleaner but it doesn't smooth out the Rag as well, and I have heard the Gumby A2 Gen 5 on the Rag 2 - albeit only for a few hours, very nice.

 

[jazzaj]

I didn't respond to your post about the internal DAC working well, of course it works - it's Schitt!

I have the Rag 1 and the Gumby A1 MB since early 2016, and the pairing is great. The Rag 2 has better bass under 100 Hz, and both can be bleached in the mid treble - but the Gumby smoothes that right over. You won't be sorry if you get any MB Gungnir. The Yggy is more defined and cleaner but it doesn't smooth out the Rag as well, and I have heard the Gumby A2 Gen 5 on the Rag 2 - albeit only for a few hours, very nice.

Thanks for answering ! And after reading some more comments, the more you read the less it's easy to decide
I had opportunities with a GumbyA2 gen5 and a BF2 but I think I will go with BF2 because of possibilty of upgrade (B2/64 and future).
Anyone have tried both BF2 and B2/64 with the Raggy2 ? Any comments ?

 

[ndhuanhuan]

Anyone compared Jot 2 and Ragnarok 2 driving HE6se V2? Is there any significant improvements upgrading to Ragnarok 2?

 

[bagwell359]

Anyone compared Jot 2 and Ragnarok 2 driving HE6se V2? Is there any significant improvements upgrading to Ragnarok 2?

Not heard it, but:

You can drive speakers with the Rag. Rag offers more listening options with 3 gain stages vs 2.

ASR finds that the Jot 2 performs better with balanced out (re: onset of distortion). Rag 2 and Rag 1 both give much more power in balanced out than SE, but the distortion issues are not there.

I have the Rag 1 and the HE-6 SE (nee v2) and its well more muscular and defined in balanced than SE.

The stat sheet says 4 wpc vs 10 wpc at 50 ohms (like 4.5 db advantage for the Rag). But on the Rag 1 (not 2) at gain 2 I'm in Class A up to 4 wpc and I never need more. Not sure when the Jot 2 goes to class AB, but as the Rag 2 does it at 1 wpc, its likely less, which if your source is superior may make a difference to you.

 

[bagwell359]

Anyone getting humming / buzzing from their Ragnarok's transformers? It's definitely an electrical / mechanical buzz from the region of the transformers and not a buzz through speakers / headphones. I've tried in two different houses plugged into different outlets in each and the noise seems pretty much the same. It gets significantly worse as the unit heats up. I don't remember hearing the buzz when I first got the Ragnarok - it seems to have developed only in the last couple of weeks.

I'm in contact with Schiit tech support trying to sort out the issue but they seem to think it's a ground loop, which seems unlikely given it seems pretty clearly to be coming from the transformers.

I don't have access to a power conditioner / UPS and would rather not spend a lot of money on one unless I can be sure (a) my Ragnarok is not faulty; and (b) it will fix or at least significantly reduce the problem.

I'm in Australia (50 Hz, 240V) if that makes a difference.

I read transformer buzz was an issue with some prototype units but I understood it had been fixed.

I have this, or something similar with my 2016 Rag 1. About every 40 seconds, for about 8 seconds, I get this low level - maybe 55 db (at 12-18 inches away) humming that sounds like its heat related. Like it's too hot. It's like a transformer or relay hum but with a clicking quality to it - like a hot water radiator clicks when hot water comes in, but faster. It stops and then comes back. It doesn't do it when its cold or warming up, just fully warmed up.

I noticed it when I was using speakers, and had the volume down. No way even with open cups headphones on one would hear it. It is not volume related. My unit has good/very good clearance in terms of air flow (I replaced the feet with a custom sorbothane set-up that's about 3/4" higher than the tiny stock feet. Nothing is on it, and while its on a shelf, it's at the corner at two sides of the amp.

If I go to Schiit, they'll just say send it in, hoping someone has had this for some time and nothing has happened since. It's not audible on the headphones at all even at high levels.