[CAPT Deadpool]

Posted similar on the Jason’s thread then I realized that for the digital part here is the better place.
Very interesting interview with a lot of news regarding many products and ideas. For me personally the most interesting part was the USB item. As understood, the ”receiver” part is done and probably the next dacs will have it as USB input. What was more intresting was that also a USB hub is under work so that the other end of the USB chain will be addressed. As i understood the candidates to receive it are the music processor (former Gadget) and a possible transport. Now I have understood that Schiit is not intrested in designing a streamer and I fully agree that is not necessary due to the same reasons expressed by Jason and Mike in the interview. I also noted Mike’s position on the streamers in general (sounding as ass..) but I hope, that at least partially, he will reconsider. Let me explain my case that probably is not quite unique. I do not have a big house, actually due to the work we changed the living place every 3-4 years. Usually we live in rented apartments, not very small but neither big to accommodate a dedicated audio space and most important the apartment is not mine. In these conditions even the CD collection became a burdain and now all of them are safely stored in boxes after they were ripped as flac files and stored on a NAS.
The next issue was that for USB connected DACs, the computer was close to the audio system that was far from optimal (family use, estetic reason, audio quality etc) so I start looking for a solution. I First I’ve look at the dedicated streamers and “audio computers/servers” offers but after deep consideration I was not convinced that deserve the huge prices that are asked. Finally I decided to go with a self built solution so I’ve used a raspberry pi and an Odroid C2 as computers and a Hifiberry Digi+ Pro and a 502DAC HATs. The last two are extension boards for the RasPi or Odroid C2 that use the I2S interface from the Gpio for the audio and output a digital signal SPDIF or AES to the DAC. The device is connected to the network (wire or WIFI) and could function as standalone using either Volumio or Moode players or could act as an UPNP renderer for other players intalled on a PC ( in my case Audirvana on an iMac). I have also in use a Schiit Eitr for the same purpose but it is using the not so good Raspberry Pi USB output. The solution solved many of the problems and is very convenient in use. For ~200usd (Pi, board, software and psu) plus less than 1 hour for installation and settings is great.
Now my point is that will be great if Schiit will design such extention board for Raspberry pi based on their USB implementation. It will not be a streamer to require software development and maintenance except the driver part but this probably is anyhow to be solved if their USB will be used with the Schiit Pi announced to be developed for the internal use in different Schiit digital products (transport, music processor, DACs). Also will be the last piece needed to have the posibility to configure o full Schiit system from the digital source to the amp for the ones that from various reasons could not build/mantain a physical music library (CDs or vynil).
If not asking too much, it will be great if Mike would like to address this idea even in very short form (yes/no).
Thank you and good luck with your very busy plan for the next 10 years. Hopefully many will take much less than that .

Their are a few of us here with either Hifiberry hats or 502DAC Hats, I own the later and I built a Hifiberry based Pi for a friend on here, both running Moode. What PSU did you use? I've just been using a USB cable plugged into a tripp-lite or a Apple iPad brick. I don't know if it is worth the $50 for the ifipower.

 

[madwolfa]

Question to @Baldr - would Sol include a dust cover by any chance? I have two kids and a cat...

 

[Lucser]

Their are a few of us here with either Hifiberry hats or 502DAC Hats, I own the later and I built a Hifiberry based Pi for a friend on here, both running Moode. What PSU did you use? I've just been using a USB cable plugged into a tripp-lite or a Apple iPad brick. I don't know if it is worth the $50 for the ifipower.

I have used the same for a while. Currently I use a 5V iFiPower. I plan for long time to build a linear PSU with 2 separate rails to power separately the pi and 502DAC. I have all the parts, the PCB but still looking for a good transformer, some more free time and ... a bit of diligence from my part . I think iFiPower is an improvement over a generic charger but I didn’t have the time to make comparisons between them and at this price, the time is more precious. The PSU part, if someone want to build one, I consider it DIY requiring some minimum skills but for the player itself no DIY skills or tools required.
For the ones interested, to put together the player you just need to put the two boards together by the GPIO connector, download an image file and following some step by step instructions to write on a microsd card and make the settings. Volumio is the easiest one, you just write the image file on the memory card with a dedicated application, insert the card in the Raspberry Pi, power it and access the interface from any device with a web browser. Then you change the settings in the interface to suit your DAC and media file location and play. Moode is requiring some additional steps in order to create the memory card, otherwise everything else is the same. For the case there are several available someplaces, depending on your board of choice but a good looking box of the appropriate size is enough and since you have nothing to operate on the player so you can just install it out of sight and foget about it.
For the price (~100-200usd) of the PI and any of the existing cards it worth the experience. In the end, if you think is not good enough for your reference system, you will have at least a very convenient and compact player that you can use anywhere in your house or workplace. Highly recommended.

 

[earnmyturns]

Their are a few of us here with either Hifiberry hats or 502DAC Hats, I own the later and I built a Hifiberry based Pi for a friend on here, both running Moode. What PSU did you use? I've just been using a USB cable plugged into a tripp-lite or a Apple iPad brick. I don't know if it is worth the $50 for the ifipower.

My work system is Pi 2 + Pi Touch screen + 502DAC (as a S/PDIF source only) running piCorePlayer. Audiophonics LPS. I needed to adjust up the LPS output voltage (it has an adjsutment screw) to prevent lightning bolt complaint from Pi from voltage drop. It all works beautifully now.

 

[KoshNaranek]

My work system is Pi 2 + Pi Touch screen + 502DAC (as a S/PDIF source only) running piCorePlayer. Audiophonics LPS. I needed to adjust up the LPS output voltage (it has an adjsutment screw) to prevent lightning bolt complaint from Pi from voltage drop. It all works beautifully now.

This is one that I use
https://www.jameco.com/z/GSM60A12-P...cal-Power-Supply-with-2-1mm-Plug_2189759.html

 

[Ableza]

I use a Sonore Ultrarendu. Comparing it directly with my CD transport both through Yggdrasil, the sound is so close as to be the same to my ears.

 

[EricDH]

Question to @Baldr - would Sol include a dust cover by any chance? I have two kids and a cat...

Looks like you will have to make a choice......

 

[CAPT Deadpool]

It seems there is some demand for a Schiit all tube phono preamp. As most of you know, we already offer the Mani as our first phono entry. It offers variable gain settings, and two different input impedance settings. There are a variety of cartridge options with gains that can vary significantly. This makes the Mani suitable for a variety of those cartridges, either moving coil or moving magnet. Such are a benefit of solid state design – an ease of phono gain design variability.

Tubes have real world constraints which impact costs and features. The first is an unsuitability for all but the highest output moving coil cartridges. In 1978, I introduced the first ever what was referred to at the time “pre-pre amp” made with tubes. It used Western Electric 417A tubes which were just adequate for moving coil cartridges in a noise sense. The problem was microphonics, which were such that a mosquito beating its wings within 50 or so feet were intolerable. The tubes were chosen as a result of evaluating dozens of tube types by manufactures in the USA, Europe, Japan, and Russia. This eventually led me to the conclusion that middle to lower output moving coil cartridges and tubes are mutually exclusive.

The next issue is gain – this is due to my philosophy of no feedback vacuum tube design. No feedback dictates the use of low distortion tubes at a fixed operating point (bias). The gain ends at a level for moving magnet (common, ubiquitous) cartridges (the majority of my favorites). The only way to provide variable gain is to add another gain stage and then passively step it down. As a lifelong minimalist, the only better thing than an extra very good gain stage is no extra gain stage at all.

The next constraint is no tube rolling outside of the 6DJ8/6922/7308 family. This is for several reasons. First, the no feedback operating point limits the tube installed. Outside of the designed-in tube family, the varying family of curves will cause gain to vary, and distortion to increase. Because a phono preamp starts with signals in the 1 millivolt or even lower, it requires the filament supply to be regulated, to minimize hum. If the current increases significantly over the regulated spec, the hum and heat will do the same. Finally, the RIAA equalized output of the preamp will vary significantly. That is because the source impedance of the tube is a component of the RIAA equalization in a passive design – which every preamp I have ever built features. One design parameter that is very important is the deviation from the required RIAA equalization. The majority of the competition at any price point has variations of 1-3 db being average. The Mani is within 0.2 db either way. The majority of feedback RIAA eq tube designs tend to have significant bumps up at the bottom end, which could give rise to “tubby bass” reputations of tube designs.

Finally we get to cost. The highest quality resistors for the tube preamp are 3-7X the cost for a Mani. Film and foil polypropylene caps at tube voltages are not cheap, and the 20 times power design is much more expensive, not to mention the regulation. The metal for the enclosure will also be at least 6x. The net result is that such a proposed design will be 4 to 5 times the price of a Mani.

Given the above info, what say you all?

Want!

Working my way though the old postings.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

There's a lot that is inaudible to my ears.

I'm on the fence about whether to get the Peak or the EK43S first - on the one hand, the EK43S is the more versatile grinder, on the other it's the espresso that my Breville SGP has the greatest trouble with. EK43 and the new S version are rightly considered the kings of grinders - they do exactly one thing well (grind) but have no capability for dosing, holding portafilters, etc. I would have to measure the beans out into a cup, weigh it, grind it into the cup, and then put it into the portafilter.

 

[HumanFly]

Save what is left of your ears and buy a handgrinder!
https://lynweber.com/products/hg-1/

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mahlkonig-...h=item3d774078bf:g:Gm4AAOSw~29bxouk:rk:1:pf:0

hmmmmmmmmm

not a peak, but hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[earnmyturns]

get the Peak

When I first read this, I thought you meant one of these rare beasts (I just acquired SN #22), but then I realized your coffee obsession is greater than my audio obsession -- although I'm a bit of a coffee snob myself.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

It's a gorgeous espresso machine. It's just beautiful.

Although I don't regret purchasing the Double Boiler, I'm aware that spending 4-5x on the espresso machine what I spent on the grinder is a poor balance - the price ratio should be closer to 1:1 - though once you hit Mahlkonig there's not much higher you can go.

Gave my second (of three) Arabella tickets to a less-well-off colleague, so we'll have to wait till the end of the month to get a another sense of how it is. Gonna check this out tomorrow.

I'm reading Opera as Drama and really getting into Joseph Kerman. Buy his books on amazon. They're cheap.

The opening salvo on Puccini from Opera as Drama's introduction is priceless — "a shabby little shocker" — at times, he feels like a more bougie and british compatriot of Mike's.

 

[Baldr]

I arrived back home from RMAF and an extended week of National Park visiting in Southern Utah over the weekend. Wow! Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef, Zion, and Canyonlands. The capper was the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Simply stunning. Almost argues intelligent universe design.

So back here at Schiit setting up the order of the cast parts for the Sol. (Someone asked if we include a dustcover – Sorry, no. There are folks on ebay who custom fabricate them, albeit for mucho $$$.) We need to go to the foundry to work out some cosmetic aspects of said cast parts. Then we will be at the point where everything should be on order for the Sol. I stand by first quarter 2019 delivery.

Next on the horizon will be the transport, the music processor/DAC front end, and a (tease, tease) top secret apparatus for the second quarter next year. The transport needs a bit of programming from Ivana, a button/control processor which is a major imbedded step towards the Schiit Pie, and a layout of the signal processing section. Call that second/third quarter 2019.

The music processor is a bit further out. The gadget engineering/proof of concept is done. I will be soon playing with an expander to see if it feasible in a lack of sonic fuctivity sense. The key is independent unlimit/expansion params which could be a giant whet dream. The only way to judge is to do it.

The new USB is done through Beta. A major caveat is that it is our first USB section and will need quite a bit of Beta eval since I want to ensure it really will work with any equipment, any time, and anywhere. More will be revealed.

So all of this Schiit is being worked on – should come out in this order:

1. Sol.

2. Transport

3. That which cannot be uttered.

4. Music processor/Swiss Army Knife/DAC front end; Hell, I don’t know What to call it.

Stay tuned – I hope to finish the ten year plan in five! It is good to be back!

 

[Ripper2860]

We're gonna need a bigger rack!!