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Editor: Thank you to JVS for his very thorough and positive review. It is always gratifying to have a design goal be fully realized in a listener's experience. Jason's obvious enthusiasm matched ours when we first heard the new Momentum HD update.

One note: JA's measurements mentioned something we caught before production commenced but was in the early pre-production control code. The operation of the phase button was reversed in the pre-production code, which is what JSV had. All production units have the correct code.—Dan D'Agostino, founder and chief…

The ongoing evolution of hi-fi can be measured in any number of ways. Most obviously, we see that evolution in the technologies associated with our industry: in big breakthroughs—mono to stereo, tubes to transistors, analog to digital—as well as incremental improvements in materials and manufacturing techniques. Those and other refinements bring with them changes in sound quality—hopefully, but not always, improvements—but no less important to the industry are changes in form…

I soon learned that the new amp is more than just a refined version of the original. The…

Listening
I brought out several vinyl chestnuts from my collection to establish the Ragnarok 2's basic sound: Ella Fitzgerald's Swings Brightly With Nelson (LP, Verve Records V6-4054); Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne & Ray Brown's Poll Winners Three! (LP, Contemporary Records M 3576); Miles Davis Quintet's Workin' (LP, Prestige PRLP 7166); and Don…

Description: Two-channel solid-state integrated amplifier with optional DAC and phono preamp. Analog inputs (as reviewed): 2 pairs balanced line-level (XLR), 1 pair single-ended line-level (RCA), 1 pair MM phono (RCA). Digital inputs (as reviewed): 1 USB. Outputs: 1 pair speaker connectors, 1 single-ended headphone (¼ stereo jack), 1 balanced headphone (XLR). Output power, loudspeakers: 60Wpc into 8 ohms (17.8dBW), 100Wpc into 4 ohms (17dBW). Output power, balanced headphones: 24Wpc into 32 ohms, 15Wpc into 50 ohms, etc. Output power, single-ended headphones:…

Analog sources: Kuzma Stabi R turntable & Kuzma 4Point 11" tonearm; Hana ML MC phono cartridge, Thorens TD 124 turntable & Jelco 350S tonearm; Denon DL-103 MC cartridge.
Digital sources: BorderPatrol DAC SE, Tascam CD-200iL CD player, Asus laptop running Tidal.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 SUT, Bob's Devices Sky SUT, Shindo Allegro.
Power amplifiers: Shindo Haut-Brion.
Integrated amplifiers: Schiit Audio Ragnarok.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93, Klipsch Forte III.
Headphones: Master & Dynamic MH40.
…

I performed a full set of measurements on Schiit Audio's Ragnarok 2 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). I preconditioned the amplifier by running it at one-third the specified power into 8 ohms for 45 minutes. At the end of this period, the temperature of the top panel had stabilized at 106.0°F (41.1°C), while the heatsinks measured 126.9°F (52.8°C). This amplifier should be placed in a well-ventilated location.

Looking first at the small-signal measurements with line-level input signals, the Schiit amplifier's…

It was that evening, during our fun, that I was struck by the specialness of the moment, and of us. We had gotten together no more than a handful of…

So I'm cheered to have a bluegrass reissue to recommend this month: the 20th anniversary LP release of Yonder Mountain String Band's first album, Elevation (2LPs, Frog Pad…