With a name like SCHIIT, it better sound good...

[EWBrown]

I thought of other titles, like "Oh, Schiit" or "Holy Schiit", but I decided to take the slightly less obvious route FWIW I fiound this over at JRB's site, so blame him .

Yes, SCHIIT, what an unusual name for a USA company which produces an interesting little four-tube OTL headphone amp, and then sells it for "only" $349...

http://schiit.com/products/valhalla/

It uses two 6N1P and two 6N6P, and is self contained in a fairly small, seven pound package. (see specifications at bottom of post)



If it is as good as it is touted to be, then the phrase "That really sounds like Schiit" could actually be a complement

This is from the first of their posted FAQs:

Is that really your name?

In case you didn’t get it from typing in the URL, reading the home page, reading the About Us section, and, like, every page of this site, YES, that is our name. And yes, it’s pronounced exactly how you think.

Specifications

Headphone Impedance: 32-600 ohms
Gain: 8 (18 dB)
Frequency Response: 10Hz-200KHz, -3dB
Maximum Output: 30V P-P
THD: Less than 0.5%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V
Topology: Class-A single-ended triode, zero feedback, noninverting, single voltage gain stage
Tube Complement: 6N1P dual triode input, 6N6P dual triode output, 1 each per channel
Power Consumption: 40W
Size: 9 x 6.75 x 3.25”
Weight: 7 lbs

/ed B in NC

[TerrySmith]

I wonder if his first name is Jack???

[nyazzip]

I wonder if his first name is Jack???

...if it is, then i don't know him

[dcgillespie]

So, I'm guessing they don't make any reference to their gear as a POS.......

Dave

[TerrySmith]

With that tube layout and only one gain stage I wonder if it's an Aikido copy?

[dhuebert]

No feedback, eh? I wonder if there are any unbypassed cathode resistors in there....

The Skeptic

(Don)

[EWBrown]

First thing I thought of, seeing the tube arrangement, was if they might had "borrowed" the Aikido design, just rearranged the layour to fit the PSU on the LH side of the PC board and the active circuitry on the RH side.
Hmmm..... four tubes, all of which are twin triodes. Wouldn't surprise me if it's a modded Aikido or something along VERY similar lines

The "no feedback" claim probably means no "global" feedback, unbypassed cathode caps notwithstanding. Just a little bit o' degeneration is OK, how-some-ever

They state that they use "no wiring", so that indicates that everything inside the two-part chassis / enclosure is PC board mounted, which would make for cost-effective, if low volume manufacturing.

From what JRB says about these amps, is that they do run rather warm, and I would think that having the tubes half-enclosed would only add to the internal heating. I figure there are about 17 Watts (6.3V@ 2.7A total) just feeding the filaments, and the units total power consumption is approx 40W. A black anodized or powdercoated enclosure would more effectively radiate the internally generated heat.

JRB added this comparison of the thermal efficiency / emissitivity of various metal finishes:

Typical Emissivity of Various Surfaces
Material Finish Emissivity
Silver – Polished 0.02
Copper - commercial polished 0.03
Aluminum – polished 0.04
Tin – bright 0.04
Aluminum – rough 0.06
Copper – machined 0.07
Nickel Plate - dull finish 0.11
Stainless Steel - alloy 316 0.28
Steel - rolled sheet 0.55
Copper - thick oxide coating 0.78
Steel - oxidized 0.78
Aluminum - anodized (any color) 0.80
Paints & Lacquers - gloss finish 0.89
Paints & Lacquers - flat finish 0.94

I suppose that if one attains a peaceful and relaxed mood when listening to music through headphones
then one could definitely enjoy the (drum roll, please) Peace of Schiit. And I won't even try to speculate what would be the result if they decided to team up with "Dirty Dawg" amplifiers

FWIW there is also an FET version for $249. For those who like sandy sound. Maybe someday there will be a higher powered device called "BullSchiit"

Actually, there is, no Bull-Schiit, they call it "LYR" Apparently it could actually slam your eardrums together...


/ed B in sunny almost warm NC

[dhuebert]

Watch for their next product: Painful Rectal Itch Phono Preamplifier. With a name like that, etc

YKW

[ancjr]

I'd say the average audiophile doesn't know Schiit from Victrola.

[soundbrigade]

That must be a device for moslems from shiit tradition. Valhalla is to release a Sunni in the near future.

[EWBrown]

The FET version is called ASGARD and I'm sure that some similary-themed humor can be created on that particular name

/ed B in NC

[TomMcNally]

I wonder if their Asgard reference is after the race of aliens in Stargate, or
the Norse mythology?

[mesherm]

So if no one gives me one of those for Christmas does it mean I'm not worth a Schiit?
I have built two headphone amps based on Aikido technology that look amazingly similar in that I have the tubes recessed about the same distance inside the chassis and I can tell you it gets HOT...I added a small 486 CPU fan to help with cooling duties.

[MashBill]

I have the Valhalla and it's a fine headphone amp. It drives my AKG K701s and 702s fine. It is refreshing to see an American company build something so nice and sell it for such a resonable price.

Their next product is supposed to be a DAC, so stay tuned....

Bill

[soundbrigade]

You've got it all wrong, its not Asgard is Ass-guard.