Schiit Syn Surround Processor Reviews/Impressions

Jun 13, 2024 at 10:45 AM Post #137 of 147
Anyone here using Syn in a home theater/projector setup? What are you using to deliver the audio from your video streamer?

I don't actually have one in my theater just yet. Still just using Syn in my gaming/listening room. However, when I do get a Syn set up with my projector, I had looked at getting one of these from Monoprice.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39666

If you have only one source, you can use something like this.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24278
 
Oct 14, 2024 at 10:07 PM Post #138 of 147
@Jason Stoddard , Bro... i have this Syn hooked up to class A amps and it is blowing my mind for music listening. I couldn’t thank you enough for this thing.

I hope there will be some souped up future version of the Syn with the class A liquidy preamp sound, balanced outs, a Bifrost quality multibit dac and a trigger out (if you're feeling a lil extra generous).

I hope you don't abandon your surround adventures because of the stereo dogma out there.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 12:26 PM Post #139 of 147
@Jason Stoddard , Bro... i have this Syn hooked up to class A amps and it is blowing my mind for music listening. I couldn’t thank you enough for this thing.

I hope there will be some souped up future version of the Syn with the class A liquidy preamp sound, balanced outs, a Bifrost quality multibit dac and a trigger out (if you're feeling a lil extra generous).

I hope you don't abandon your surround adventures because of the stereo dogma out there.

I love hearing others love this pre-amp as much as I do.

I don't think Jason visits this forum, but I've heard/read him mention a couple times that the working idea for a "Super Syn" looks more like a Freya/Kara add-on. In that it would have analog inputs (RCA or balanced) only, and then it would do its surround processing and shaping into truly balanced outputs.

Which I personally would love. This is how I have ended up using my Syn as just an analog processing/shaping from my Saga S/Lokius source. In a Super Syn, I'd hope the shaping would include 4 or even 6 band EQ as opposed to only the presence region.

Hopefully, the Syn is doing well enough sales-wise to make a Super Syn a realistic product.
 
Oct 15, 2024 at 1:21 PM Post #140 of 147
I love hearing others love this pre-amp as much as I do.

I don't think Jason visits this forum, but I've heard/read him mention a couple times that the working idea for a "Super Syn" looks more like a Freya/Kara add-on. In that it would have analog inputs (RCA or balanced) only, and then it would do its surround processing and shaping into truly balanced outputs.

Which I personally would love. This is how I have ended up using my Syn as just an analog processing/shaping from my Saga S/Lokius source. In a Super Syn, I'd hope the shaping would include 4 or even 6 band EQ as opposed to only the presence region.

Hopefully, the Syn is doing well enough sales-wise to make a Super Syn a realistic product.

+1 to the Kara or Saga 2 style preamp and additional EQ bands on the super Syn. I also really hope it comes with a Bifrost level of multibit dac.

Check this out and i don't know if what it does for ANALOG AUDIO is ever talked about.....For the first time in life, i am listening to my large collection of old vinyl records from the 60s, 70s, obscure long gone artists for whom there isn't any digital copy in existence. My phono pre is going into the Syn's analog input and it has added a new dimension and envelopment with how my old records sound in 5.1. It is like all these old artists have suddenly came to life!!!

I hope Jason realizes what this truly means for some of us here....

Hopefully, enough gamers and HT guys are picking this up as well so there is enough market and Schiit doesn't abandon this venture....
 
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Oct 16, 2024 at 2:39 PM Post #141 of 147
+1 to the Kara or Saga 2 style preamp and additional EQ bands on the super Syn. I also really hope it comes with a Bifrost level of multibit dac.

Check this out and i don't know if what it does for ANALOG AUDIO is ever talked about.....For the first time in life, i am listening to my large collection of old vinyl records from the 60s, 70s, obscure long gone artists for whom there isn't any digital copy in existence. My phono pre is going into the Syn's analog input and it has added a new dimension and envelopment with how my old records sound in 5.1. It is like all these old artists have suddenly came to life!!!

I hope Jason realizes what this truly means for some of us here....

Hopefully, enough gamers and HT guys are picking this up as well so there is enough market and Schiit doesn't abandon this venture....

For sure. Running my phono pre through the Syn is one of my favorite things as well. There's something so pure about two channel analog striaght from vinyl to 5.1 that puts a smile on your face.
 
Nov 19, 2024 at 3:52 AM Post #142 of 147
Has anyone played with the placing of the Syn in their chain? I’m wondering if before or after a preamp makes a difference.
Is there a recommendation regarding the placement of the Syn before or after a Passive Preamp? As in, the Syn placed in between DAC and Passive Preamp or placed between Passive Preamp and Amplifier? This is a single source setup question. Respects,
 
Nov 19, 2024 at 12:52 PM Post #143 of 147
Is there a recommendation regarding the placement of the Syn before or after a Passive Preamp? As in, the Syn placed in between DAC and Passive Preamp or placed between Passive Preamp and Amplifier? This is a single source setup question. Respects,

I guess my first question would be to ask what is the purpose of the passive pre-amp in a system with only one source and a Syn? I think of passive pre-amps serving two functions... 1) switching sources and 2) controlling volume... while remaining as transparent as possible. With only one source, you could use the analog input on the Syn and the volume control on the Syn, and output to your amplifier with no need for the passive preamp.

If the passive preamp serves some other purpose I'm not thinking of at the moment, my advice would be to place it before the Syn. I like this because any alteration that happens to the signal before the Syn will be captured and brought into all channels the Syn produces. My stack includes a Saga 2 -> Lokius -> Syn. I use the Saga 2 to control volume and leave the Syn main volume pot at maximum.
 
Mar 2, 2025 at 4:02 AM Post #145 of 147
I have a question that I have not read here or elsewhere discussed. Is the 2 channel sound quality of the Syn without any other Syn effects running a great pre-amp? Or, compared to say a Kara or Freya the Syn is the of lesser sound quality. Enough to worry about?
I currently have an old Panasonic AV Control Receiver SA-XR55. This was an early Panasonic "digital" amp with up to 7.1 channels, that when introduced was well received (pun inadvertent).
I current have 4 channels. For critical music listening I tend to use 2 channel stereo; with DVDs and some cable or antenna TV using some processing sounds better.
Generally the comments on music listening is that the Syn with more speakers and processing is preferred, the opposite of what I currently prefer. Which might change....
 
Mar 5, 2025 at 3:32 PM Post #146 of 147
I have a question that I have not read here or elsewhere discussed. Is the 2 channel sound quality of the Syn without any other Syn effects running a great pre-amp? Or, compared to say a Kara or Freya the Syn is the of lesser sound quality. Enough to worry about?
I currently have an old Panasonic AV Control Receiver SA-XR55. This was an early Panasonic "digital" amp with up to 7.1 channels, that when introduced was well received (pun inadvertent).
I current have 4 channels. For critical music listening I tend to use 2 channel stereo; with DVDs and some cable or antenna TV using some processing sounds better.
Generally the comments on music listening is that the Syn with more speakers and processing is preferred, the opposite of what I currently prefer. Which might change....

Its an interesting question. Obviously, just from a design standpoint, the Saga, Kara, and Freya are more advanced in their buzzword technologies and features. The Syn as a 2 channel pre-amp is more of a "straight wire with a pot" kind of design.

However, I personally don't see it as enough to worry about. From a measurement perspective, the Syn has a THD as good as any of them, and a SNR just slightly worse depending on the gain setting of the other pre-amps. From a listening perspective, I've never once considered that the Syn is holding back my system. When I'm evaluating equipment in my listening room, I really just try to listen to the music and determine if anything is lacking. If it is, I'll keep trying a different piece of equipment until I find something where I don't have that feeling. Obviously not scientific, but its worked for me. I went through several pairs of speakers when doing my first speaker upgrade years ago before settling, mulitple DACs, and recently a few turntable cartridges. So its not like I just convince myself to like anything I've purchased. And I've been very happy with the results of trusting my gut.

But I've never gotten that feeling that I'm missing anything when i use the Syn for 2 channels. And 2 channels is also where I do almost all of my critical listening. Every now and then, I'll listen to some music in surround. Its fun to put on a record and listen to it. For me, surround is for Movies/TV/Video Games and 2 channel is for music. And I can say pretty confidently that I don't feel like I'm missing anything in my enjoyment of the music because of my preamp.
 
Mar 6, 2025 at 12:37 AM Post #147 of 147
Thank you for your reply. A lot thanks for replying to my question, which often in forums gets lost as people have an itch to post about something close or something else. And I stop there before succumb to that temptation!
 

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