[corndog71]

 

[dstrimbu]

Ooh. Tyrs. The best.
One of the most awesome sonic signatures of Tyr is their ability to sound incredible even at very low volume levels.

I can't agree with this statement enough, Adam. For extended periods of time, I have listened to mono Vidars and mono OG Aegirs. They are both so fine (esp. Aegir!), but Tyr is like a tiny nuclear plant that sits next to your speaker(s).

I remember a recent conversation here about adding/needing/wanting a "loudness" control. With my current head end driving Tyr, there is no need to change EQ, ever, unless I'm going from analog to digital sources. Even then, it's just a preference. Low volumes just sound smaller. Imagine that - "volume" as a 3D concept. #HoleeSchiit​

With (2X) Tyr in my system, even at -50db on the preamp (i.e., <55db at the listening position in a room with a 33db background level), everything sounds rich, full and deep. At -40, things get bigger, deeper, more palpable. At -30, things get bigger, deeper AND w-i-d--e--r oh wow the speakers just basically disappeared.

At -20, people start showing up, virtually, in my room. I do not own a piano, but tonight, I had a piano in my living room. And McCoy Tyner was playing it. I know this, because my son is an accomplished pianist, and I have heard thousands of hours of live piano sounds and WhatOMG this is something that I can use to mess with my friends' heads when they come over tomorrow.

I haven't had this much fun in a while.

 

[dstrimbu]

It's been a long day just getting home after a long board meeting; however, I would be remiss if I did not post tonight's Jazz recommendation...

OH DUDE SOOOO GOOD.

 

[jonathan c]

[duplicate]

 

[PBraith]

Oh, we all still need to get a life, but I could do with some more simplicity right now. Four states, two cars, three tortoises, a stop at the house under construction, decisions on that, signing stuff for the new building, taking the tortoises for a walk in the park in the middle of Boerne, heading to CC and hitting dinner, Home Depot, the store, and a walk to the beach, then back home to answer a bunch of questions on new product runs and schedule the email for tomorrow...yeah it's a crazy time. Not for everyone.

But still. Yeah. Get out there!

Cycle's all oiled and rar'in to go. Just wish the rain would stop. Oh, well, I did try, he thinks as the HP's slip
over the head and the silver volume on that black piece of Schitt gets turned it up ever so slightly.

 

[tin-ear]

Nice!

Anyone with a mini-radial concerned that some unnamed person may confuse them with coffee holders?

At amateur astronomy gatherings, known as Star Parties, people have mistaken Dobsonian telescopes with the tube point straight up for trash cans....

Images of Dobs

Now for something completely different. Thinking of getting some speaker cables. 8 or 9 feet long, and economical. Blue Jeans cables and Supra are on my short list. Thoughts or recommendations?

 

[AstronomerXI]

At amateur astronomy gatherings, known as Star Parties, people have mistaken Dobsonian telescopes with the tube point straight up for trash cans....

Images of Dobs

Schiit 'n' 'scopes in the same forum?? <swoons>

Here's my custom-made dob with a 13.1" mirror. It's about 23 years old now and still going strong. I'll be taking possession of a similar-ish 18" telescope (along with 4 other telescopes of different designs later this year, 3 of which I'll pick up in June), but that one will have full automation and sky tracking.

 

[HWB3]

Schiit 'n' 'scopes in the same forum?? <swoons>

Here's my custom-made dob with a 13.1" mirror. It's about 23 years old now and still going strong. I'll be taking possession of a similar-ish 18" telescope (along with 4 other telescopes of different designs later this year, 3 of which I'll pick up in June), but that one will have full automation and sky tracking.

My wife's brother was an officer in the Navy. He took an interest in astronomy while being at sea. After the military he would attend star parties up and down the East coast He had quite the collection of equipment and pictures that he took of various constellations and stars.

 

[AstronomerXI]

My wife's brother was an officer in the Navy. He took an interest in astronomy while being at sea. After the military he would attend star parties up and down the East coast He had quite the collection of equipment and pictures that he took of various constellations and stars.

Once you're hooked on astronomy, you're hooked. I wonder if he and I crossed paths at some of these star parties? You mention the past tense ("He had..."). I assume he's since passed on?

I've started down the rabbit-hole of astro-imaging. Lots there to engage the brain, for sure. I can see how being at sea will stoke an interest in astronomy. Years ago my wife and I went on a cruise in the eastern Caribbean. She did her research and found that the darkest part of a ship is in front of the bridge. I had a very good pair of binoculars with me and spent several memorable evenings touring the southern Milky Way, drinking in the sights that aren't accessible from my northern latitude.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

2024, Chapter 5
The End of the End of the World?


Some of you are gonna get an email soon announcing the blowout on Ragnarok 2.

And it’s a biiiiig blowout. As in, Ragnarok 2 is now $999.

Like I said, BIG.

“Why?” some of you cry. “Why oh why do you have to do this? What happened? Did you screw up? I know you screw up all the time, you guys suck!”

Others say, “Yeah, it’s an integrated, you can’t move integrateds with bran, no big surprise here.”

(and many others are saying nothing, too busy hitting the BUY button, because this is a heckuvasupercallifragillistic deal.)

So what happened?

Simple: due to commitments we made during the supply chain crisis—commitments we made in order to get any supply at all—we made too many Ragnarok 2s. And now we’re moving. And it’s better you have them than we move them. So please enjoy the deal.

“But what’s this end of the end of the world thing?” someone is asking. “Are you considering not making another Ragnarok?”

Good question.

Is It the End?

In short, we don’t know. As of the time of this writing, April 2024, I don’t have a Ragnarok 3 on the screen. Not a board, not a chassis, nothing.

So, at the very least, there’ll be a hiatus. We’ll sell through Ragnarok 2, and then there will be nothing for a while, and then maybe there will be a Ragnarok 3.

“Ah hell, you’re screwing with us, you’re always working on something new,” someone says.

Yeah. But not a Ragnarok 3.

Here’s the thing: I took a couple of swipes at improving Ragnarok 2.

The first is what we’re selling today—a Ragnarok 2 with a toroidal transformer, which gives it a lower noise floor and higher output power than the original. Ragnarok 2 now comfortably exceeds its rated power. If we re-rated it, it would be more like a 75/110W amp into 8 and 4 ohms.

The second, never seen, was a Ragnarok 2+ which added a handful of extra relays to switch the “Nexus resistors” to different values in order to decrease the noise floor even lower when used in low gain. I built a prototype of it, which worked OK, but didn’t really work as well as I hoped (I was looking for 15-20dB better, I got 6-10dB), so I put it on the shelf and forgot about it.

Aside: literally. There’s a shelf of in-process and kinda-sorta-dead prototypes in the tech lab.​

In both cases, the revised Ragnaroks didn’t exceed what the current one is in any significant way—they didn’t deliver 100+W into 8 ohms, they didn’t add a bunch of digital inputs, they didn’t change the basic idea of Ragnarok 2, which is simple: a great integrated amp for speakers that also will absolutely light up any headphone, no matter how hard to drive.

And when you get down to it, maybe that’s the problem. Ragnarok 2 is a bit hard to get your head around. It’s a:

1. A mid-power integrated amp suitable for most speakers, but not ones that need tons of power. Mid-power integrateds have been the kiss of death since the 1980s. Literally it was a joke at Sumo. I tried doing one. My boss killed it. He was probably right.
2. One of the purest integrated amp designs. As in, this isn't a preamp bolted to an amp in a chassis. This is a purpose-built, single-gain-stage, multiple-gain-selection, balanced and single-ended in and out, super-flexible, no-compromise product. It's so no-compromise that it has 100% linear power supply, Class AB Nexus™ fully discrete, DC-coupled gain stage, relay ladder attenuation, independent high voltage rails, dual-mono-back-to-the-transformer construction, and microprocessor oversight and protection.
3. A giant, insanely powerful balanced headphone amp. I mean, the headphones are driven by the SPEAKER OUTPUTS. We’re talking 30+W into 32 ohms. Completely bonkers. But with 3 gain levels, it’s still great for pretty much any balanced headphone. Neat in a way. But not normal. Not convenient. And not sized for sane desks.

Yeah. Weird.

I mean, yeah, in my mind it makes total sense. Get a Ragnarok 2, especially with the phono and DAC input cards, and you’re done. One box for all your stuff—speakers, headphones, etc. Nice.

But…one digital input? And only MM phono? Maybe that’s not enough.

So yeah, as of today, if I was going to shoot at a new Ragnarok design, it would be more powerful, with more digital inputs and a more flexible phono preamp—and it would probably only be sold that way. And it would cost more. So it’s really a different product at that point. And I’m not super excited about it in any case.

Aaaaaand as I mentioned, no design work has been done.

Soooo….who knows? Maybe in 2025. Maybe not until later. Maybe not at all.


What’s the Catch?

Some of you are thinking, “This deal sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”

No catch. With Ragnarok 2, what you see is what you get. Lisa uses one in her office in Corpus Christi. I frequently have one on my desk in California, but now that we’re moving, everything is packed up except a Magni Unity. Alex has one. Tyler has one. Elvis has one. It’s one of the most popular products we’ve ever had internally.

Aaaanndd…they are insanely reliable. The huge heatsinks and middling power output mean it runs super-cool, and it’s almost impossible to get outside the range of its protection.

Aaaaaaaaaaaannnd…they sound good! Ragnarok 2 was our first Nexus™ product. It was designed as a flagship of a whole new “holy grail” topology, and it sounds like it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnddd…it’s super hard to conceive of any headphone that Ragnarok 2 won’t work well with, and its plenty for all but the most insane speakers, so it’s one and done deal.

Sounds good?

Sounds even better at $999?

Cool. Get one. And sit back and enjoy excellent sound for a long, long time. Because when they’re gone, they’re gone. And there’s nothing on the horizon.

For a time, at least, it really is the end of the end of the world.

 

[Currawong]

2024, Chapter 5
The End of the End of the World?


Some of you are gonna get an email soon announcing the blowout on Ragnarok 2.

And it’s a biiiiig blowout. As in, Ragnarok 2 is now $999.

Like I said, BIG.

“Why?” some of you cry. “Why oh why do you have to do this? What happened? Did you screw up? I know you screw up all the time, you guys suck!”

Others say, “Yeah, it’s an integrated, you can’t move integrateds with bran, no big surprise here.”

(and many others are saying nothing, too busy hitting the BUY button, because this is a heckuvasupercallifragillistic deal.)

So what happened?

Simple: due to commitments we made during the supply chain crisis—commitments we made in order to get any supply at all—we made too many Ragnarok 2s. And now we’re moving. And it’s better you have them than we move them. So please enjoy the deal.

“But what’s this end of the end of the world thing?” someone is asking. “Are you considering not making another Ragnarok?”

Good question.




Is It the End?

In short, we don’t know. As of the time of this writing, April 2024, I don’t have a Ragnarok 3 on the screen. Not a board, not a chassis, nothing.

So, at the very least, there’ll be a hiatus. We’ll sell through Ragnarok 2, and then there will be nothing for a while, and then maybe there will be a Ragnarok 3.

“Ah hell, you’re screwing with us, you’re always working on something new,” someone says.

Yeah. But not a Ragnarok 3.

Here’s the thing: I took a couple of swipes at improving Ragnarok 2.

The first is what we’re selling today—a Ragnarok 2 with a toroidal transformer, which gives it a lower noise floor and higher output power than the original. Ragnarok 2 now comfortably exceeds its rated power. If we re-rated it, it would be more like a 75/110W amp into 8 and 4 ohms.

The second, never seen, was a Ragnarok 2+ which added a handful of extra relays to switch the “Nexus resistors” to different values in order to decrease the noise floor even lower when used in low gain. I built a prototype of it, which worked OK, but didn’t really work as well as I hoped (I was looking for 15-20dB better, I got 6-10dB), so I put it on the shelf and forgot about it.

Aside: literally. There’s a shelf of in-process and kinda-sorta-dead prototypes in the tech lab.​

In both cases, the revised Ragnaroks didn’t exceed what the current one is in any significant way—they didn’t deliver 100+W into 8 ohms, they didn’t add a bunch of digital inputs, they didn’t change the basic idea of Ragnarok 2, which is simple: a great integrated amp for speakers that also will absolutely light up any headphone, no matter how hard to drive.

And when you get down to it, maybe that’s the problem. Ragnarok 2 is a bit hard to get your head around. It’s a:

1. A mid-power integrated amp suitable for most speakers, but not ones that need tons of power. Mid-power integrateds have been the kiss of death since the 1980s. Literally it was a joke at Sumo. I tried doing one. My boss killed it. He was probably right.
2. One of the purest integrated amp designs. As in, this isn't a preamp bolted to an amp in a chassis. This is a single-gain-stage, multiple-gain-selection, balanced and single-ended in and out, super-flexible, no-compromise product. It's so no-compromise that it has 100% linear power supply, Class AB Nexus™ fully discrete, DC-coupled gain stage, relay ladder attenuation, independent high voltage rails, dual-mono-back-to-the-transformer construction, and microprocessor oversight and protection.
3. A giant, insanely powerful balanced headphone amp. I mean, the headphones are driven by the SPEAKER OUTPUTS. We’re talking 30+W into 32 ohms. Completely bonkers. But with 3 gain levels, it’s still great for pretty much any balanced headphone. Neat in a way. But not normal. Not convenient. And not sized for sane desks.

Yeah. Weird.

I mean, yeah, in my mind it makes total sense. Get a Ragnarok 2, especially with the phono and DAC input cards, and you’re done. One box for all your stuff—speakers, headphones, etc. Nice.

But…one digital input? And only MM phono? Maybe that’s not enough.

So yeah, as of today, if I was going to shoot at a new Ragnarok design, it would be more powerful, with more digital inputs and a more flexible phono preamp—and it would probably only be sold that way. And it would cost more. So it’s really a different product at that point. And I’m not super excited about it in any case.

Aaaaaand as I mentioned, no design work has been done.

Soooo….who knows? Maybe in 2025. Maybe not until later. Maybe not at all.


What’s the Catch?

Some of you are thinking, “This deal sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”

No catch. With Ragnarok 2, what you see is what you get. Lisa uses one in her office in Corpus Christi. I frequently have one on my desk in California, but now that we’re moving, everything is packed up except a Magni Unity. Alex has one. Tyler has one. Elvis has one. It’s one of the most popular products we’ve ever had internally.

Aaaanndd…they are insanely reliable. The huge heatsinks and middling power output mean it runs super-cool, and it’s almost impossible to get outside the range of its protection.

Aaaaaaaaaaaannnd…they sound good! Ragnarok 2 was our first Nexus™ product. It was designed as a flagship of a whole new “holy grail” topology, and it sounds like it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnddd…it’s super hard to conceive of any headphone that Ragnarok 2 won’t work well with, and its plenty for all but the most insane speakers, so it’s one and done deal.

Sounds good?

Sounds even better at $999?

Cool. Get one. And sit back and enjoy excellent sound for a long, long time. Because when they’re gone, they’re gone. And there’s nothing on the horizon. For a time, at least, it really is the end of the end of the world.

Dammit! I don't need the temptation!

 

[HWB3]

Once you're hooked on astronomy, you're hooked. I wonder of he and I crossed paths at some of these star parties? You mention the past tense ("He had..."). I assume he's since passed on?

I've started down the rabbit-hole of astro-imaging. Lots there to engage the brain, for sure. I can see how being at sea will stoke an interest in astronomy. Years ago my wife and I went on a cruise in the eastern Caribbean. She did her research and found that the darkest part of a ship is in front of the bridge. I had a very good pair of binoculars with me and spent several memorable evenings touring the southern Milky Way, drinking in the sights that aren't accessible from my northern latitude.

His name was Rusty Shermer and he passed away a few years ago. When he came up from Florida to visit, we would knock back a few and he would tell his stories about being at sea. It almost made me wish that I had done something like that. Once I get in a boat and it starts moving up and down, I get seasick!

 

[Balthazar B]

Thank you for the heads up! One of my favorite ECM artists is Steve Tibbets. Unique electric guitar player, sui generis. I believe the following is factual, but... you know you are getting old when you can't remember what decade something happened in. You know you are really getting old when you can't remember what century some happened in! Please correct me if got anything wrong.
Unique among ECM artists (unless that has changed over time) Tibbets struck a deal: he recorded everything himself, all analog. IIRC ECM liked to record the music in their studio in digital, and do the engineering. Tibbets sent finished recordings to ECM. They did whatever was needed to make records of [EDIT: SHOULD READ "OR"] CDs. Whatever they did ECM recording never disappointed me!
Here is his first ECM LP, Safe Journey on youtube. The guy running the Youtube channel records records being played on a high end analog set up. (He is one of us). He has other great stuff.The song Any Minute is a wonderful piece featuring a Kalimba. The song is semi-blocked to non-members on Youtube. But, if I start the playing before the song starts at 29:22 it plays.

Steve Tibbets Safe Journey

Speaking of ECM, this recent news should be heartwarming to any Qobuz subscribers who missed it:
https://www.hifipig.com/qobuz-and-ecm-launch-global-partnership/

 

[golfbravobravo]

1956 Bug Eye Sprite, would love to own one

Frog Eye, please.......

 

[golfbravobravo]

Me too, this afternoon. Now the hunt for some the the tubes that you guys have stuck in all the drawers in your houses.

Is that a tube in your drawers, or are you........