New Schiit AEGIR amp looks interesting

[arcman]

I'd be curious to try a pair, however, I do not have balanced outputs (required for mono configuration)  and I'm not certain RCA to XLR cables would do the trick properly. I'd also be curious to read sound comparisons to the Benchmark ABH2. I'm sure over time we'll hear more as more people order.

 

https://www.schiit.com/products/aegir

[bobfa]

IT will be interesting to see how that one comes out.  I have a LYR3 which uses their new amplification method and it really sounds 

[crenca]

8 hours ago, arcman said:

I'd be curious to try a pair, however, I do not have balanced outputs (required for mono configuration)  and I'm not certain RCA to XLR cables would do the trick properly. I'd also be curious to read sound comparisons to the Benchmark ABH2. I'm sure over time we'll hear more as more people order.

 

https://www.schiit.com/products/aegir

 

I understand Mike Moffat has said "no" to the RCA to XLR trick explicitly on headfi and SBAF.  You could always email Schiit directly and ask them.

[mansr]

The mono mode seems to put the left/right channels in series, feeding each "half" of the differential input. A regular adapter that simply ties the negative side to ground will not work.

[4est]

15 minutes ago, crenca said:

 

I understand Mike Moffat has said "no" to the RCA to XLR trick explicitly on headfi and SBAF.  You could always email Schiit directly and ask them.

I am sure it would work with a center tapped transformer SE RCA>balanced XLR adapter.

[mansr]

Just now, 4est said:

I am sure it would work with a center tapped transformer SE RCA>balanced XLR adapter.

Yes, that should definitely work.

[arcman]

12 minutes ago, 4est said:

I am sure it would work with a center tapped transformer SE RCA>balanced XLR adapter.

Where would you get one of those?

[4est]

3 minutes ago, arcman said:

Where would you get one of those?

They sell them at pro audio places. It is the proper way to do this. One could also make one out of a good 1:1w/ CT audio isolation transformer. They can be had for $20 a pop.

[mansr]

Something like this should do the job:

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/na2m-d0b-tx

[Ralf11]

anybody figure out the Class A 'extension' mechanism used in the  AEGIR yet?

 

 

Doesn't that have to be named Eldir before it will work?

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/na2m-d0b-tx

[crenca]

3 hours ago, mansr said:

Something like this should do the job:

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/na2m-d0b-tx

 

With a $30 street price, it's made of cheap chi-fi parts and will sound like it too.  It would be better to get in touch with one of the High End manufactures.  Anything less than a $500 BOM (i.e. street price of $2k, maybe a little less) is not going to be Audiophile.  Hint:  if the case is not at least 1/4 inch "aircraft grade" billet aluminum then your getting "resonances" and "interference".  Prove me wrong 😋

[jitae55]

re https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/na2m-d0b-tx

Note the specifications:

Audio transformer 1:1
Impedance ratio: 200:200
Source/load impedance in Ohm: 200/2k, (600/10k)
Max. Input level (@ 50 Hz, 1% THD): -3 dBu

 

Transformer saturation at -3dBu - ? potential for significant distortion on transients and heavy bass unless fed low level signal.

re atomicbob @ https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/wtb-jensen-isomax-pc-2xr.7336/page-2#post-241640

 

 

 

[arcman]

who is using this amp? Thoughts

[Sam Lord]

On 4/6/2019 at 4:56 PM, crenca said:

 

I understand Mike Moffat has said "no" to the RCA to XLR trick explicitly on headfi and SBAF.  You could always email Schiit directly and ask them.

Well yeah, partly because those adapters aren't wired correctly!  See Rane notes #110 (Diagram #17, IIRC) about grounding.  All off-the shelf rca-xlr adapters can easily cause ground loops: the shields are attached at both the rca ring and xlr pin 1 and thus, usually, to chassis ground = bad.  The shield should *float* on the rca end, whose ring should only connect to xlr pin 3 (inverting input). 

 

In the case where the rca ring *is* connected to earth internally on the source, then the loop can be fairly free of hum, but that means the source is a bad design anyway.