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It's a not untypical tale. Two veteran engineers, Jason Stoddard, who had extensive experience in product design, development, manufacturing, and marketing (footnote 1), and Mike Moffat, who had an impressive track record designing hi-fi products (footnote 2), got together in June 2010 to start an audio company. What wasn't typical was the new company's brand name: Schiit Audio. What also wasn't typical was the company's business strategy. Instead of introducing a small number of very expensive products, an approach that's increasingly common in hi-fi (footnote 3), Schiit products would be…
After a couple of days getting used to the sound of the Tyrs with the LS50s, though I wasn't aware of any treble grain, I felt that the top octaves sounded a little softened. I replaced the KEFs with the GoldenEar BRXes, which, when I reviewed them, I found offered a touch more top-octave energy in-room than the LS50s. That did the trick, and although the GoldenEars don't offer more low-frequency extension than the KEFs, their passive radiators allowed them to play louder in the bass, which was a benefit when I wanted to rock out with the MQA version of Will.i.am and Justin Bieber's "#…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid state, class-AB, mono power amplifier. Inputs: 1 single-ended (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR). Output: 1 pair binding posts. Power output: 200W into 8 ohms (23dBW), 350W into 4 ohms (22.43dBW). Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, –0.1dB, 3Hz–500kHz, –3dB. Voltage gain: 22× (28dB). Input sensitivity (for full power into 8 ohms): "40V/22, You do the math." Input impedance: 47k ohms (unbalanced), 47k ohms (balanced). Damping factor: >200 into 8 ohms, 20–20kHz. THD: <0.01%, 20Hz–20kHz, at 200W into 8 ohms. IMD: <0.01%, CCIR, at 200W into 8 ohms.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge, Channel D Seta L phono preamplifier.
Digital source: Roon Nucleus+ server with HDPlex linear power supply; MBL Noble Line N31 CD player/DAC, Ayre Acoustics QA-9 A/D converter; NetGear Nighthawk router.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, Parasound Halo JC 1+ monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: GoldenEar BRX, KEF LS50, MoFi SourcePoint 10.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (Ethernet), AudioQuest Coffee (USB), DH Labs (1m, AES3). Interconnect:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I tested the Schiit Tyr with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. I preconditioned the amplifier by following the CEA's recommendation of operating it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the heatsinks were hot, at 121.3°F (49.6°C), though the top panel was just warm at 103.9°F (39.9°C).
The Schiit's voltage gain is specified as 22×, or 28dB; I measured 27.55dB into 8 ohms for both the balanced and unbalanced inputs. The Tyr preserved absolute polarity (ie, was noninverting) with both input types. Both the…
The other day it occurred to me that the main difference between audiophiles and more reasonable adults isn't our gear. Plenty of people have impressive hi-fis simply because they can afford them and are running out of things to buy. No, what makes someone an audiophile is the willingness to sit down in front of a pair of speakers (or with a pair of headphones clamped over their ears) and focus the entirety of their attention on listening.
I recognize just how unusual this habit is when someone visits my home and happens to remark on the hi-fi, either because it sounds good to them,…
In my realm, the most sophisticated, intelligent, difficult thing anyone can do is create something mysterious. It could be a poem, a photo, a movie, a song, a symphony, or a piece of painted wood. What's most important is the mystery—and that experiencing the mysterious creation inspires in the observer a desire to probe its hidden realms, to somehow figure it out. Human cultures are founded on mysteries: Mysteries incite art, inspire science, and facilitate dreaming.
To me, mystery and beauty are synonymous. Consequently, I have steered my years so that I am always engaged in a search…
When I flipped the Mighty's deck-mounted switches to engage triode operation, the sound with the Falcons became more pure by several notches—and also more color-saturated.
In UL mode, Chesky Records' first release, Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique: Opus 14 performed by The Royal Philharmonic conducted by Massimo Freccia, recorded by Kenneth Wilkinson in 1962 for a Reader's Digest box set (LP CR-1), sounded powerful and micro-focused but also grayed and a little brittle.
In triode mode, the Mighty's pentodes made the strings of The Royal Philharmonic glow. I could…
"Dear audio enthusiast." Those were the user manual's introductory words, not "Dear audiophile." I stared at them for a few seconds, letting the implication of that greeting sink in. I don't know if it was meant this way—perhaps not—but for me, this was a whistle call announcing that the KLH Model Three ($1799.98/pair) was not intended for those obsessed with having the best at all costs; it was meant for people who dig quality sound, period. It was also meant for people who dig that vintage-American-speaker look.
At first glance, the Model Three—I'll call it the M3 for short—may seem…
"First, check that the woofer is securely fastened to the baffle," unaware that I was hearing the same thing from both speakers. "The screws might have come loose in shipping. Second, if the woofer screws are tight, it is possible that either the complete crossover or one of its components, most likely a heavy inductor, has come loose in shipping. If you can't get inside the speaker to check this, I think you should ask for new samples."
Whaaa? New samples? No! I had a deadline!
I pressed. "Could it be because the Model Three is a sealed box? That the lowest note is creating…