Schiit Volkvangr

[Helicopter]

Schiit released their new limited edition tube headphone amp Folkvangr.

They didn't design this one with Amir in mind.

 

[amirm]

With performance like this:

They are wiser beyond their age. Love the ironic checkmark of "PASSED" from AP software. Somewhere in there, the software is cringing and biting its lips.....

 

[_thelaughingman]

It's a tubey tube, with lots of sprinkles of snaps and crackles that make music sound magical.

 

[Doodski]

"5-Year Warranty and Easy Return Policy
Folkvangr is covered by a 5-year limited warranty that covers parts and labor."
That thing looks stupendous and inviting.
(@watchnerd has the coolest Schiit headphone amp though. Can't remember the model.)

 

[Helicopter]

It's got what spounds like good proper protection too, which I would want with non-disposible headphones and an OTL amp.

 

[Doodski]

It's got what spounds like good proper protection too, which I would want with non-disposible headphones and an OTL amp.

It's just a horny looking amp with lotsa pe*is factor.

 

[oryan_dunn]

Jason hasn't been shy about saying it doesn't measure well at all. It's a limited run for people who like tubes, don't care how it measures, and like how it looks. I'd still be curious to see Amir's thoughts on it, even though I have a pretty good idea how the review will end up. It'll likely be sold out by the time reviews are out.

 

[Vive la dissonance!]

I sort of understand the appeal, looks, i.e. steampunkiness, etc., but I also sort of don't, not when the Schiit Magni Heresy is $99 and objectively far more transparent as an amp!

I know distortion is the point with tubes, but I think on some level I'll never get it. To me it's rather like deliberately smearing mud all over your windows (I can get my dog to do that for free, btw), because that's what your windows looked like in the shack you lived in as a kid. Maybe you have to have opaque windows because your view is terrible? I can probably push this metaphor way too far...

 

[Doodski]

I sort of understand the appeal, looks, i.e. steampunkiness, etc., but I also sort of don't, not when the Schiit Magni Heresy is $99 and objectively far more transparent as an amp!

I know distortion is the point with tubes, but I think on some level I'll never get it. To me it's rather like deliberately smearing mud all over your windows (I can get my dog to do that for free, btw), because that's what your windows looked like in the shack you lived in as a kid. Maybe you have to have opaque windows because your view is terrible? I can probably push this metaphor way too far...

Great avatar picture. I think you are pushing... Some tube amps do sound as good as solid state. I don't know about this one.

 

[Vini darko]

I'd have difficulty trusting this amp. Any failure of that dc servo system and its dumping 200V strait into you. Hope that system is very over engineered.

 

[Vive la dissonance!]

I think you are pushing... Some tube amps do sound as good as solid state.

Do they, though?

 

[_thelaughingman]

It's just a horny looking amp with lotsa pe*is factor.

Whoa, whoa, whoa sir! This is a family site, please keep “E” wrection under control.

 

[Matias]

Nice story behind it of course.

Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

Well done...! Silver or black...? Silver :)

www.head-fi.org

 

[Gorgonzola]

With performance like this:
View attachment 215191

They are wiser beyond their age. Love the ironic checkmark of "PASSED" from AP software. Somewhere in there, the software is cringing and biting its lips.....

When I became interested in hi-fi circa 1971, it seem to me that most enthusiasts were actually interested in high-fidelity. But the point I would make is that not a few "audiophiles" had given up on high fidelity by the 1980s. Partly this was due to atrocious sound solid state amps, partly it what a basic preference for euphonics over accuracy.

When folks are only interesting in "what sounds musical", who's to say how equipment ought to measure?

 

[bboris77]

Being a guitar player, I kind of understand the appeal of adding tube-type distortion to flavour the sound of your instrument. It works for that particular usage scenario because it involves using massive amounts of distortion comparatively and it tends to sound different than solid-state distortion.

I do not get deliberately adding barely perceptible distortion to the whole song to "sweeten" it. It would be equivalent to adding reverb to all of your recordings to make them sound more spacious, holographic and 3-dimensional. Perhaps this barely perceptible tube distortion does add some kind of similar effect. At this point in my own audio journey, I am just simply no longer into this "roll the dice/tube to see what kind of sound comes out" experimentation. Maybe it's me getting old and more conservative, but I like the predictability of solid-state transparent amplifiers now.

As a limited run experiment, it is fascinating and entertaining. Hopefully some lessons can be learned to keep improving all of their other products. Probably in the realm of headphone protection circuits and thermal management.

Edit: From a purely visual design point of view, it really bothers me that the "Folkvangr" label is not centered vertically - it sits too low.

 

[Jimbob54]

"5-Year Warranty and Easy Return Policy
Folkvangr is covered by a 5-year limited warranty that covers parts and labor."
That thing looks stupendous and inviting.
(@watchnerd has the coolest Schiit headphone amp though. Can't remember the model.)

I think watchnerd has the mjolnir 2.

 

[kchap]

... "Folkvangr" label is not centered vertically - it sits too low.

A mythical name for those chasing a mythical sound.

 

[Vive la dissonance!]

Nice story behind it of course.

Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

Well done...! Silver or black...? Silver :)

www.head-fi.org

Its a terrific story, and a totally honest one, rather different than the way-more-common-in-the-industry, purple-prose covered snake oil.

So, who could object? As I said, part of me gets it.

And if you like the sound? De gustibus non disputandum.

 

[anmpr1]

"5-Year Warranty and Easy Return Policy Folkvangr is covered by a 5-year limited warranty that covers parts and labor."

For about the same price, it does much more than the McIntosh light box, which as near as I can tell, does nothing. And Mac only offers a three year warranty on their empty box. I think we can all agree that at least from a functional and value play, the Full of Schiit guys win the comparo with the Mac...

Go Schiit...

 

[Vive la dissonance!]

Go Schiit...

For sure. I'm cheering for Schiit! There's a lot to like about those guys...

Speaking of which, I do wonder they could be persuaded to make an über-clean class D amp? If they made an amp with Purifi-based tech inside, I'd probably buy it immediately, like Fry in that Futurama meme...