[Raveron89]

I have a fairly extensive list of Schiit products, including the original USB-only Modi, Eitr, Wyrd, original Bifrost Multibit (which I upgraded from the DS version), Modi 3, Vali 2, Heresy, Modi 3, Modius, Asgard 2, and now Syn, and I would probably say the Syn is my favourite piece of Schiit. I use it daily and love the modular aspect of it, in that you can swap out whatever amps you like with it, and functionally speaking, it does exactly what I wanted it to do. I’ve been an AVR fence sitter for a long time and this product made getting an AVR an easy no for me. I personally highly recommend it.

That is very good to hear. Thank you for sharing.
Do you have to tweak it every now and then depending on media (movie or music) or even type of media or do you set it and forget?
Also, I'm guessing you don't need room correction because you are tweaking your dials to compensate and correct the speakers? And that does the same thing as room correction but manually?

 

[Autiomatic]

That is very good to hear. Thank you for sharing.
Do you have to tweak it every now and then depending on media (movie or music) or even type of media or do you set it and forget?
Also, I'm guessing you don't need room correction because you are tweaking your dials to compensate and correct the speakers? And that does the same thing as room correction but manually?

The most tweaking I’ve done, beyond initial setup, has been when switching out amps or speakers. Once I’ve dialed in the new equipment I generally set it and forget it, which is also something I appreciate about the Syn. I’ve experimented with the width control a bit, but inevitably seem to settle on having this wide open so that the left and right channels are excluded from the center channel. If I am going to listen to music, (which is a fun experience with Syn) I’ll turn off the center amp and width option on the Syn so that I’m getting the full stereo image from the left and right channels, in addition to the rears and sub. Come to think of it, I have also fiddled with the volume for the rear channels a fair amount too, but just to get the correct balance, after which I’ll leave it. I don’t generally change much for different types of media once I have it the way I like it, other than what I mentioned above when listening to music.

 

[Autiomatic]

I should also mention that, further to an earlier post about the input selection on my remote not working, I reached out to Schiit and they are sending me a replacement at no charge.

 

[HIRESfan]

Could someone who is experimenting with the Syn for speaker usage (not headphones) comment on the following:

What exactly does turning the "width" knob fully counterclockwise do? in the absence of a center channel and using 2 fronts/2 surrounds only. I would have thought that it is the equivalent of turning off all processing (another option in the Syn). But, the soundstage is different in either case, a) turning off processing and b) turning the width knob fully counterclockwise.

I emailed Schiit and didn't receive a response.

 

[Tbone289]

Turning the width knob clockwise subtracts the signal common to left, right and center channels from the L & R channels, and therefore "focuses" the dialog on the center channel. Turning the width knob counter-clockwise adds the common signal (dialog) back to the left and right channels. The presence knob affects the ~2KHz frequency region so that the dialog can be adjusted to match the timbre in the center channel vs. left and right channels. Both of these processing options are used to get the desired balance of L&R vs. center channel. Therefore, processing should be turned off when not using the center channel, as that is the only way the L&R channels will output the original stereo signal as should be desired in a 4-channel setup.

I believe that the closest setting for the width control to the image presented with processing turned off would be near 12 o'clock, not fully counter-clockwise.

 

[monkuboy]

Turning the width knob clockwise subtracts the signal common to left, right and center channels from the L & R channels, and therefore "focuses" the dialog on the center channel. Turning the width knob counter-clockwise adds the common signal (dialog) back to the left and right channels. The presence knob affects the ~2KHz frequency region so that the dialog can be adjusted to match the timbre in the center channel vs. left and right channels. Both of these processing options are used to get the desired balance of L&R vs. center channel. Therefore, processing should be turned off when not using the center channel, as that is the only way the L&R channels will output the original stereo signal as should be desired in a 4-channel setup.

I believe that the closest setting for the width control to the image presented with processing turned off would be near 12 o'clock, not fully counter-clockwise.

But if processing is turned off (i.e., no lights showing), then wouldn't the width control not be functional? As I read the manual, it sounds like it would be just straight, unprocessed stereo.

 

[Tbone289]

But if processing is turned off (i.e., no lights showing), then wouldn't the width control not be functional? As I read the manual, it sounds like it would be just straight, unprocessed stereo

There are two lights: the left light is for surround channels on/off, and the right light is for processing on/off. Processing refers to width and presence functions only. If the left light is off, the output is stereo only. If both lights are off, the output is unprocessed stereo. This is all explained clearly in the manual.

The usefulness of the processing functions are greatly diminished with no center channel, IMO, and likely why processed stereo mode is only available via the remote and not the front panel. Obviously the left light for surround channels should be on for 3, 4 or 5 channel output.

 

[HIRESfan]

@Tbone289 , Turning the width knob fully counterclockwise appears to have some perceptible sonic 'similarities' in terms of soundfield to say...cross talk cancellation (like what BACCH does). It sounds better to my ears than all processing turned off. Hence, I was wondering if Schiit was doing something similar internally with the width function.

P.S The Schiitalker AI suggested turning it fully counterclockwise in the absence of a center channel speaker (2 fronts/2 surrounds).

 

[Tbone289]

@Tbone289 , Turning the width knob fully counterclockwise appears to have some perceptible sonic 'similarities' in terms of soundfield to say...cross talk cancellation (like what BACCH does). It sounds better to my ears than all processing turned off. Hence, I was wondering if Schiit was doing something similar internally with the width function.

P.S The Schiitalker AI suggested turning it fully counterclockwise in the absence of a center channel speaker (2 fronts/2 surrounds).

The unprocessed stereo track should be the closest to an accurate image without a center channel but, by all means, if you like it better fully counterclockwise, use it that way. I have a few stereo rigs around the house that I watch movies on occasionally and I prefer the stereo track unmolested.

I can only comment with what I hear, as I don't know the technicalities of how the width function works.

 

[HIRESfan]

The unprocessed stereo track should be the closest to an accurate image without a center channel but, by all means, if you like it better fully counterclockwise, use it that way. I have a few stereo rigs around the house that I watch movies on occasionally and I prefer the stereo track unmolested.

I can only comment with what I hear, as I don't know the technicalities of how the width function works.

Thank you...i believe it is negative cross feed, which i've equated to some level of cross talk cancellation. Intended or not, Schiit may have possibly given guys some semblance of a poor man's BACCH. I have been comparing it to my BACCH processor. But, of course, i could be all wrong and couldn't be for sure unless the Jason Stoddard or some tech wiz at Schiit confirms something.

 

[Tbone289]

To me it seems that turning the width knob counter-clockwise from midpoint is more akin to a cross-feed effect, not negative cross-feed, and basically increases the gain of the dialog (common signal) in L&R channels and thus widening the "sweet spot". I don't know that I can really compare what it's doing to BACCH 3D spatial audio--it is much simpler than that, and all done in the analog realm.

 

[Skip Pack]

To me it seems that turning the width knob counter-clockwise from midpoint is more akin to a cross-feed effect, not negative cross-feed, and basically increases the gain of the dialog (common signal) in L&R channels and thus widening the "sweet spot". I don't know that I can really compare what it's doing to BACCH 3D spatial audio--it is much simpler than that, and all done in the analog realm.

The heart of the question is now: widening (or narrowing) the "sweet spot" or the sound stage? I'd love to hear the designer's explanation!

 

[Tbone289]

The heart of the question is now: widening (or narrowing) the "sweet spot" or the sound stage? I'd love to hear the designer's explanation!

I've had the same thought. I probably would have called the control "focus" instead of width, with the assumption that it was was describing the dialog, and that turning clockwise gave more focus.

 

[Asura29]

I'm really interested in this new product from Schiit, but I have a question, currently I use a Bifrost 2 connected via rca to a Lyr+, I would like to use the Syn as pre-amp to the Lyr+ and feed as a Dac the Bifrost to the Syn, but the Syn has only one analog in rca connection, is it possible to stack the three schiit together and use the Syn just as controller?
Also I was watching a review from "Passion for Sound" and he was saying that using the Syn as pre-amp there's a little bit of loss in resolution in the sound due to all the processing, does anybody experience this problem?

 

[bweiss711]

I'm really interested in this new product from Schiit, but I have a question, currently I use a Bifrost 2 connected via rca to a Lyr+, I would like to use the Syn as pre-amp to the Lyr+ and feed as a Dac the Bifrost to the Syn, but the Syn has only one analog in rca connection, is it possible to stack the three schiit together and use the Syn just as controller?

I guess this depends on why you want to use the Syn as a pre-amp to the Lyr+. Will you be using the DAC on the Syn at all? Are you wanting to send the shaping (i.e. width and presence) controls to your headphones through the Lyr+? But yes, you can stack by sending the Bifrost 2 RCA out to the RCA in on the Syn, the RCA out on main L/R channels from the Syn to the RCA in on the Lyr+, and then the Lyr+ RCA out to your speaker amplifier.

I would actually consider using the Lyr+ as your pre-amp, and treat the Syn as additional processing before your speaker amps. Same configuration that you have now, but send the Lyr+ RCA out to the Syn RCA in, and then the Syn RCA outs to your speakers amps. I would leave the Syn main volume pot at its maximum, and use the Lyr+ attenuator for volume control. You get the benefit of sending the tube-ness (or solid-state-ness) from the Lyr+ to your surround speakers, a better method for volume control, and the Syn stays out of the signal path to your headphones.

Also I was watching a review from "Passion for Sound" and he was saying that using the Syn as pre-amp there's a little bit of loss in resolution in the sound due to all the processing, does anybody experience this problem?

I saw the same review, and kind of questioned it at the time. I personally haven't noticed anything. But again, my system isn't exactly the most resolving system. I love how it sounds, but I'm not going to suggest I can hear the tiniest resolution of every detail. My source is the original Modi Multibit sent through a Saga S to the Syn. (Same as I recommended for you, I have Syn volume pot all the way up and use Saga S attenuator for volume control). For speakers, I have the original ELAC UB5 and Emotiva BasX A-100 amp. My headphones are Hifiman HE400i and BeyerDynamic DT880. When I sit back and listen to 2 channel music (i.e. process and shaping turned off on the Syn), it still sounds great, and I assume my headphones sound as good as they can considering the quality of headphone amp in the Syn.

Your results may vary depending on your equipment. But also, Jason Stoddard has said in his live streams, that the Syn is clean enough to send a Yiggy through it, and not get it stepped on. However, if its something your worried about, taking the Syn out of the signal path to your headphones would solve that issue.