[bcowen]

On average I am generally $3-$5,000 ahead each year in my involvement in audio gear, I like to stay busy and labor is involved. Right now I am happy with my audio systems so I have fewer goals to work towards.

On the bright side, this too will pass.

 

[Paladin79]

On the bright side, this too will pass.

Well PrimaLuna is now advertising an all tube phono preamp, other than owning that I am doing well. Like so many others I am spending more and more time with vinyl. Taking a page from your book I scored 20 used LP’s yesterday for $20 and after ultrasonic cleaning most all are suitable for my main system. I ran them on my shop system first.

 

[StimpyWan]

Thanks. I'm feeling better now. I paid my penance for that transgression by forcing myself to listen to Box Car Willie's 'King of the Road' album via highly compressed MP3 files served up through a Chi-Fi DS DAC and $50 Douk Audio HP amp with GE tubes feeding cheap and very uncomfortable earbuds that came free with an old Nokia phone. I think a sufficiently high price has been paid for my transgression.

A good thing you're on the straight-and-narrow, as Slim Whitman is the torture for a 2nd transgression...!

 

[Ripper2860]

I promise to be a good boy from now on!

 

[JLoud]

I’m embarrassed to say what my expenditures have been the last 3 years. Spent several years caring for my elderly mother-in-law at her home. After she passed we bought our new home and I finally had time and space to set up my music and home theater systems. I just did the math and it works out to $30 a day over the last 3 years. Probably shouldn’t share that with my wife. .
And before anyone asks, we didn’t inherit any money. We spent a lot on her care out of pocket.

 

[StimpyWan]

I suppose that makes sense. Thanks to both of you! Soon I will start on a couple things for you non-audio related. I made this for a neighbor and I am still setup for woodworking.

I am in between refurbing receivers but I will get back into electronics after a thorough shop cleaning.

At first glance, I thought you had built a pair of ribbon tweeters...!

 

[sam6550a]

I promise to be a good boy from now on!

Now, that is hard to believe.

 

[AstronomerXI]

Tube noob question: If I see a listing for "Reflector" tubes, Russian made, can I assume that these are the same as "Reflektor"? I see a pair from the year I want and I'm curious. @Paladin79?

 

[Paladin79]

Tube noob question: If I see a listing for "Reflector" tubes, Russian made, can I assume that these are the same as "Reflektor"? I see a pair from the year I want and I'm curious. @Paladin79?

Most likely the spelling is incorrect. You can look for the Reflektor emblem and see if that matches. Looking around on EBay can help. If you are looking for mid 70’s silver shields many photos of those exist.

 

[Paladin79]

At first glance, I thought you had built a pair of ribbon tweeters...!

Oh heck no, I am in my woodworking mode. I am only smart enough to work with radial speakers anyway.

 

[rfernand]

Which USB-c to UDB-c are Urd customers using?

None because I have A and B in the chain. I went with CableCreations because I could not find where to purchase Straight Wire. So far so good. I have A->C from streamer to Urd, and a C->B into Yggdrasil.

No obvious issues looking at the cables (connectors seem to be single piece of metal, etc.)

 

[StevePNW]

@StevePNW I have seen you have the Audiolab 6000CDT and the Urd. Could you be so kind to elaborate about the differences in sound between the Audiolab and the Urd using the Spdif output?
Thanks a lotin advance!

Sorry for the delay as we've been involved in our daughter's wedding after party this weekend. I finally tried the URD with both USB and COAX connection. For this test period these connections sound close enough to be the same to me. I wanted to do this as of course the 6000CDT does not have the USB option. I have to say, the 6000CDT is no slouch. I think it sounds great. I just don't prefer its slot loader. Also the URD matches the Freya S and its controls work elegantly. As big a Schiit fan as I am, I am not a fan of the small control identifiers on the components. It is very easy to get to know the position of the buttons on the unit and memorize the remote. I enjoy the remote a lot more than the huge universal remote of the 6000CDT. To me the two transports are similar in sound with the URD having a bit more body in the base and midrange, and taking a bit of shrill top end off. I find the URD very nice to listen to for long sessions. I don't want to comment yet on soundstage width & depth until I feel URD is broken in after the wedding party cleanup is done...Cheers

 

[AstronomerXI]

Most likely the spelling is incorrect. You can look for the Reflektor emblem and see if that matches. Looking around on EBay can help. If you are looking for mid 70’s silver shields many photos of those exist.

Thank you sir! I see the emblem is correct, and the prior ones I bought based on a link that you provided a few months back were also misspelled the same way, and they're great tubes in my Freya N. These new ones are 02-1974, so they should be very good. My order has been placed.

 

[Dr. Cube]

You'll see a similar thing happen with 6N8S/6Н8С... in that case, not two different designations for the same kind of tube, but two different ways of writing the same designation, the former a Latin transcription of the latter original Cyrillic.

 

[Chucked]

BATTLE OF THE OPTICAL KAIJU'S .... WHO WILL WIN ??? ... LET THEM FIGHT !!!

I received my Urd's 7/15, yes plural and have them set up. Thought it would be interesting to perform "my own private thunderdome". Perhaps you would enjoy the journey with me? For comparison I have (2) other optical transports and (1) CD PC drive; Sony SCD-XA777ES, OPPO UDP-205 and URD. I have a A2-OG and LIM Yggy's and the USB input for the OPPO D/S (ESS9038) DAC. For fun, there is also a Folkvanger that can be switched in (level matched) between the single ended outputs of the respective DAC's and all of this "schiit" is feeding the inputs of a Benchmark LA-4 preamp. There is a Logitech Transporter for ethernet streaming (it has a AKM D/S DAC with digital inputs) and my trusty OG Lenovo X220 laptop with a OG Plextor PF-716UF external optical CD drive. It has USB and Firewire outputs but it is NOT a transport, Jason is correct in the FACT that URD is the first USB output transport.
I have worn out the F5 key paint on my board waiting for URD and it was worth it (I can buy another keyboard). I CAN hear a difference using any type of connectivity from URD (It really sounds more like music but this is the first couple of days) vs other optical sources and would recommend the purchase to anyone on the basis of the USB hub alone. My Lenovo PC sounds MUCH better into the USB input of URD but will have to play more music. I wish I still had my Theta Data III (laser disc) transport and Gen 5 DAC to go for a really old school comparison but they are still working for a dear friend in Iceland. Will update this when I have listened more (too many equipment combinations and WAY too many RBCD titles) but that's a good thang. A major thank you to Mike, Dave, Ivana, Jason and the staff at Schiit for another really cool and useful product. It almost like you gave me my RBCD collection back to listen to again. It's apparant to me your products are similar to other products I used in my twenties but without "those" side effects. For that I humbly say thank you, your products always put a smile on my face and are well worth the funds. The wear on my keyboards, not so much. A friend commented on the Folkvanger recently; Vacuum Tubes... You?? She understood once she heard her favorite album. A pic is attached.

A update to my previous post, I thought a transport comparison would be interesting. Long story short, URD is superior on RBCD to the Oppo 205 and Sony SCD-777ES transports. For now, I prefer the AES output of URD over coax SPDIF and it should not make a difference, the AES output sounds more natural and detailed. I can hear a difference between URD Unison and AES outputs on both LIM and OG Yggy's. It's a "flavor" preference depending on what I am listening to, at least for now. The difference between respective DAC's remain; OG is more detailed, LIM is more forgiving of certain CD's, with the addition of URD both DAC's sound more like music. Using the URD USB input from my Lenovo laptop compared to the Unison input on the Yggy, the URD input should sound inferior (more schiit) but does not, it's preferable. I thought I understood digital connectivity, the addition of URD has me rethinking that. Regardless, my RBCD and downloaded digital titles (Bandcamp) sound significantly better. Join the URD collective and have some fun; gooble-gobble, gooble-gobble, one of us, one of us. The URD/LIM Yggy combo go to my office system, Ragnarok is waiting.
One interesting note; I recently purchased the Rhino "deluxe" releases of Little Feat, Sailin Shoes and Dixie Chicken. The URD's would not read the TOC on the second disc of Sailin Shoes, the other transports would. I burned a copy of that disc and URD read/played it with no problem. Can someone 'splain that to me? I purchased a second copy from a different retailer with the same problem. It's the only disc I have encountered that URD would not read, I have used thrift store "drink coasters" that don't have playback issues.