[Ripper2860]

While I too come here for the latest scoop on Schiit products and direction, I do enjoy the community aspect and that keeps me coming back to both this thread and other Schiit threads. I try not to get too wound up about it and make judicious use of the scroll wheel on my mouse. I also suspect if Mike had a problem with the thread, he would speak up. He doesn't strike me as the reserved/shy type!


BTW, Mike: Any update on SOL?

 

[JamminVMI]

Dying... (and seconded on the CA firearms test. It’s OMG stupid...)

 

[ScubaMan2017]

Several more ticks for the s/n ratio later, I think we're good.

I know what WE need... and update about the GADGET. Yeah? @Baldr ... um, please?

 

[HumanFly]

Maybe someone can explain to me what the point of an external clock generator would be, why they cost several thousands of moneys and how do you connect it to schtuff whilst killing time.

 

[Ableza]

Maybe someone can explain to me what the point of an external clock generator would be, why they cost several thousands of moneys and how do you connect it to schtuff whilst killing time.

http://www.ni.com/white-paper/4825/en/

 

[purehifi192]

So it has been a bit of time since I have posted as I have been very distracted with the Sol, which now seems to be finally ready to order parts for production. Jason and I keep slowing each other down out of an abundance of caution with this, our first mechanical product. Done with that, at least the Engineering.

...

Product candidate number 1 is a CD transport. It has been built as an alpha. It works and sounds fine - I feel content with respect to its performance. It should be a $300 to $500 product. The dependencies of a workable production product are our ability to source a transport assembly in the thousands of units, and our ability to design packing and ship production quantities of fragile items, which we have not yet done. I am convinced that CDs (many/most of which can yet be easily found at a dollar and under) will become popular and enjoy a resurgence of popularity once most realize that streaming is seldom, if ever, the best possible digital source. The original Solti Ring cycle on CD (not the remaster) is by far and away the best sounding. (I know, Bosie, you hate the Solti Ring – the fact remains that is a sonic miracle and one of the two or three best recordings of the last century.) I maintain now is the time to acquire CDs before they suffer the price inflation of California coastal real estate or vinyl records.

@Baldr, like others on this thread, I'd be interested in a transport to play my CDs. Jason and you have voiced your philosophy for Schiit and I believe one of those items comes down to uniqueness in the marketplace. What do you see as the Schiit unique differentiator in a CD transport in the $300-$500 range especially with Emotiva increasing the ERC3 to $600 (granted it's a full player)?

...

Oh yeah, the Gadget. Already built as a digital beta product, in fact a production ready coax to coax product. The problem is how do we interface it? What inputs? USB? Coax? AES? TOS? What outputs? If we put something in production do people really want another box in the chain? Really? Probably won’t be built for that reason. Leads to the next contemplated product.

So my next wet dream is (how do you describe it??) a digital preamp or a “Swiss Army Knife”. This would have every common socket at the input, such as USB, coax, etc. Maybe BitWordData (BWD) to hook up with a transport. It would have at least coax and maybe BWD out as well. It would be mandatory that we have De-Jitter/re-clocking as well. It could also have slots for an optional Gadget and maybe for my other idea music processor as well. More on that in a future post. We already have such a device with a reduced feature set on the market, Eitr. Think of it as an expanded, upgradable Eitr.

...

Where would the line be drawn between a digital pre-amp and the existing line of DACs. Assume the digital preamp would offer a remote to cycle through the digital inputs in additional to incorporating Eitr-like functionality on the back-end inputs and Gadget-like functionality on the digital output feeding the DAC? Again, I believe there's a strong inclination for separates and not combining functionalities into one box, but I can see the reasoning of doing it this way versus adding the functionality into the existing DAC lineup. If you go down this route, would that open up the possibility of simplified dacs with less inputs?

For example, I would have my various digital inputs into the digital preamp with the Eitr-like de-jittering/re-clocking (Adapticlock maybe or something else?), switchable via remote (and also selecting Gadget-like functionality), feeding a common digital output to send to a simplified DAC whose sole focus is the conversion?

Definitely interested in learning more and seeing the path you go down...

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Maybe someone can explain to me what the point of an external clock generator would be, why they cost several thousands of moneys and how do you connect it to schtuff whilst killing time.

You plug it into your arse and it wakes you up in the morning.

 

[D2Girls]

Emotiva doesn't make good transports... I would never bother listening to a cd on a rebranded DVD mech. Why do you think Schiit hasn't made a cd transport/player yet? I think it's important to note that the main feature that I believe schiit will have to differentiate themselves is the inclusion of (I'm assuming) AES output and the use of a high quality cd mech as opposed to rebranded DVD drives that companies such as Cambridge, and Emotiva favour. In fact I don't even know of a transport with AES output aside from reference level offerings from Marantz/CEC/Esoteric and those are all 5 figures...

 

[Scott Kramer]

I'm curious why all the comments are about stuffing balanced into a more elaborate Bifrost, rather than streamlining and distilling Gungnir into a smaller footprint (and price), to whatever degree the physics and BOM make possible...

People fixated on a physical match for Jot I presume. Internal CAB on the modules fine, make the circuit work... but I have a prob with CAB out to XLR's.

 

[Mike-WI]

Emotiva doesn't make good transports... I would never bother listening to a cd on a rebranded DVD mech. Why do you think Schiit hasn't made a cd transport/player yet? I think it's important to note that the main feature that I believe schiit will have to differentiate themselves is the inclusion of (I'm assuming) AES output and the use of a high quality cd mech as opposed to rebranded DVD drives that companies such as Cambridge, and Emotiva favour. In fact I don't even know of a transport with AES output aside from reference level offerings from Marantz/CEC/Esoteric and those are all 5 figures...

What makes the DVD transport bad?

Mike

 

[purehifi192]

Emotiva doesn't make good transports... I would never bother listening to a cd on a rebranded DVD mech. Why do you think Schiit hasn't made a cd transport/player yet? I think it's important to note that the main feature that I believe schiit will have to differentiate themselves is the inclusion of (I'm assuming) AES output and the use of a high quality cd mech as opposed to rebranded DVD drives that companies such as Cambridge, and Emotiva favour. In fact I don't even know of a transport with AES output aside from reference level offerings from Marantz/CEC/Esoteric and those are all 5 figures...

Depending on how technical you want to be, Emotiva does offer AES out although it's not technically a transport and per your comment, uses DVD drives. Not disagreeing with anything you mention, simply stating facts: Emotiva makes a $600 CD player than can function as a transport w/ AES, coax, and optical outs.

 

[SeaWo|f]

I know what WE need... and update about the GADGET. Yeah? @Baldr ... um, please?

I forget if it was Mike or Jason but one of them commented on its status very recently. It pretty much amounted to them still waffling over how to package it.

 

[D2Girls]

Depending on how technical you want to be, Emotiva does offer AES out although it's not technically a transport and per your comment, uses DVD drives. Not disagreeing with anything you mention, simply stating facts: Emotiva makes a $600 CD player than can function as a transport w/ AES, coax, and optical outs.

Mm... well it was more to do with the mech then the AES output. AES would be nice, was just saying its a feature I would be glad to have and I have a feeling that any CDP/CDT Schiit conjures up would include it. I mean, Yggy has AES input, that would just make sense my dream product would be a uber beefy transport for under $2000, something to put those $10k+ reference players from marantz/esoteric to shame just in terms of value. I'm going to guess we'll get a something much smaller and reasonable, mike DID say it was going to be at a 500-600 price point.

 

[Brubacca]

What makes the DVD transport bad?

Mike

DVD drives spin much faster than CD drives. For the Emotiva ERC-3 in particular this resulted in some units that were quite noisy. I was ready to buy one until all the reports of noisy transports.

Emotiva’s response to this was not comforting to me.

 

[Mike-WI]

DVD drives spin much faster than CD drives. For the Emotiva ERC-3 in particular this resulted in some units that were quite noisy. I was ready to buy one until all the reports of noisy transports.

Emotiva’s response to this was not comforting to me.

Thanks. So it isn't anything with the data transport out, just the local noise?
I have an ERC-1 but haven't used it in a while.

Mike