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Schiit Buf: tube buffer + gain
- Thread starter john61ct
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Bob from Florida
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Voltage gain. 12 db gain equals 3.981 times the input voltage. Voltage gain in db =20log(voltage out/voltage in) - it’s math.
Most of the time you won’t use the 12 db gain stage. It would be useful if you had a very low gain amplifier, not sure why they included it unless just for marketing.
- Thread Starter
- #64
That's huge!!
> Most of the time you won’t use the 12 db gain stage. It would be useful if you had a very low gain amplifier, not sure why they included it unless just for marketing.
It's always easier and cheap to attenuate cleanly,
many more prospects would be put off by a design that often required an active boost, extra line driver
- Thread Starter
- #65
Please ELI5
> Aiyima T1 for even bettererer distortion
actually would be a great test comparison, of just the tube distortion part.
I'm thinking my kids might enjoy BUF as an experiment, they use BT for everything
Suggestions for a good BT receiver to go upstream and a quality transmitter to go downstream? LDAC + all the aptX's...
Single function only, for flexibility in repurposing later please, at most volume & bypass-able tone controls
My Buf arrived today. I placed it after my preamp in a SS system driving my Linkwitz LX521 speakers (Madisound kit with analog processor). Made the sound warm and a bit plummy but not as much as most tube preamps would. I’ve got to admit it’s a fun experiment for a hundred bucks.
A word of caution, you can’t switch between on/off because you will be rewarded with a loud pop.
A word of caution, you can’t switch between on/off because you will be rewarded with a loud pop.
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Don't make me get one and test it for musical purposes. It's actually very tempting, for science... and otherwise. I mean it.
I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow.
- Thread Starter
- #69
Apparently Buf is based on Vali 3, only $50 more to get a HP amp, and/or volume control if that is needed.
But I would personally want that latter tied to an automatic and adjustable loudness compensation.
But I would personally want that latter tied to an automatic and adjustable loudness compensation.
wadude
Senior Member
Would one place this before or after the attenuator?
Works either way, I believe - between a preamp with volume control and amp, or between a source and an integrated amp.
wadude
Senior Member
Doing some interim reading; apparently placing it before the attenuator will benefit a source with insufficient voltage, which shouldn’t be a problem in this case, but could be useful after by creating a stable load for the attenuator to see. Tu-be, or not tu-be? Why is this a question?
I'd prefer the opposite. Good distortion practice dictates you drive it into clipping to your liking, then attenuate after to compensate for added volume. The other way around simply doesn't allow controlled adjustment of distortion level because it can very well get too loud long before desired tone. Even if you want only a little, the principle stays.
- Thread Starter
- #75
By this, I assume you mean
(for sources with volume control)
you adjust at source to a level that is high, but before there is any chance of clipping at that point
right?
Not trying to argue, noob learning here.
So long as that signal is very low distortion at that point, if the gain boost from Buf is too high for the amp input, wouldn't attenuating before the Buf input be OK?
With a passive volume control I think it won't affect "the tube effect" either way
but I'm thinking an active preamp might, if put between Buf and the power amp input.
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In this use case the Buf is factually a distortion effect. The higher you turn it up, the more distortion you get, right.
But the amount to your liking will likely be too high in volume for listening purposes if fed directly to a poweramp, or into another preamp stage. Might even clip the latter or both, and you don't want that.
Using a high input volume (from source) for your distortion stage (Buf) makes it easier to overdrive it. But again it also means too high output.
Thus, you attenuate between Buf out and the following in. That's the only way to get both: reliably adjustable distortion and desired listening volume. Easily doable with a passive attenuator.
But the amount to your liking will likely be too high in volume for listening purposes if fed directly to a poweramp, or into another preamp stage. Might even clip the latter or both, and you don't want that.
Using a high input volume (from source) for your distortion stage (Buf) makes it easier to overdrive it. But again it also means too high output.
Thus, you attenuate between Buf out and the following in. That's the only way to get both: reliably adjustable distortion and desired listening volume. Easily doable with a passive attenuator.
I'm sure it's all great gear, but in the UK at least, nobody is going to buy the brand and risk coming home, saying to their wife "Look, I just bought some Schiit gear!", or have friends round and show it off to them. It's old hat I know, but I'm born evil, wicked and bad, as some of you realize, and even I wouldn't go there. They should rebrand and go for something like "Loverly" or "Ober-da" [hint: Cornish]
Guess what they come over as in Germany, with their pretension and... let's generously call it unprofessionalism. "Schiit is a proud German name..." (website quote). No it isn't, none such name exists, it's the German word for Shiite, as in a member of that Muslim faith.
Let alone dragging our old gods through literal shit. I can't imagine what Scandinavians think about it.
A company so unimaginative about its name, does not inspire confidence.
I wouldn't trust a kettle made by a company called Cockwomble, for example, even if they explained: the founder's name was Willie Cockwomble and it's not a laughing matter. Or expensive underpants made by Calvin Prolapse.... Umm I'll stop before I get chucked off the forum....
I wouldn't trust a kettle made by a company called Cockwomble, for example, even if they explained: the founder's name was Willie Cockwomble and it's not a laughing matter. Or expensive underpants made by Calvin Prolapse.... Umm I'll stop before I get chucked off the forum....
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