Schit Audio Marketing Department: Can We Give them a Hand?

I always thought the name Schiit Audio was silly and juvenile. Obviously, the name hasn’t hurt its business. But my reasoning is: If someone calls their product Schiit, who am I to argue?

In the case of their Ageir amplifiers, I'd be more impressed if they actually published accurate power output figures instead of screwing people out of money. 

I stayed away from Schiit for many years. I find it’s name repulsive and contrary to my aesthetic at every level. Then a couple years ago a friend wanted help getting in to audio. Researching, I had no choice but to acknowledge their products as really good for the money. I bought a couple as experiments to verify my thesis before my friend committed. He bought a Yggdrasil… 

So, I hate the name and hope someone with upstage them in the budget category with a better name. But until then I have a Schiit DAC, and preamp in my office system. 

Looks like we're oh for three in the Schiit fan club so far.  And, yes, I spelled their name incorrectly.  

Attempts at humor can go either direction.  

Thanks for the comments.

@ghdprentice It appears that I may have overestimated Schiit's value as an A'Gon friendly brand.  My bad.

Sometimes my inner 9-year-old wants to come out and play and the urge is very powerful.  I should do a better job of putting "him" in the corner and taking a time out.

In reading your other posts, it appears that you are an adventurer.  While our pursuits are less dynamic, we've driven the wheels off our small motorhome since retirement in 2016 and take our bikes everywhere.  We've logged lots of cycling miles on those 30-mile, relatively flat road, adventures.  I also spend one day per week with my tech trying to keep good gear from going into the dumpster.  I've learned to never underestimate the emotional attachment owners have to their hifi gear -- especially those pieces formally belonging to deceased relatives.

Thanks for your contribution to what could be the least popular post in A'Gon history.  

- John

OP,

I don’t think anything unpopular or bad about this post. Raising awareness of a good sounding Made in America brand is not a bad thing. If I was just starting out it is a great brand for the money… as little as I like the name.

Glad to talk to a fellow adventurer. Yes, I have been an adventurer all my life. I have been fortunate enough to take a year or more off four times during my career as well as have careers that allowed me to explore the outdoors and travel the world as well as put together a great system. I am a very luck person.

This thread is one big Schiit show.

@valinar 

Thanks for the mild comment.

I was expecting brutal rebuttals with statements like: "Who's the dumb/dip Schiit that started this thread?"

That's what you were thinking?

In that case, thanks for taking it easy on me.

Just a goofy attempt at a little fun.

@valinar 

The intention was to inject a little humor into the forum.

Your comments, and sense of humor,  are very much appreciated.

John

I own one piece of Schiit gear, and its name is the SOL. Schiit outa luck, I guess. It is the only TT that they made, and I am still on the fence about a few decisions that it came with. I won't go into it here, but overall, the TT sounds very good.

""  Why is dog sh** and Schiit Audio products alot alike ...... the older they are the easier they are to pick up  " ! Hey now ......I know of a few friends you have purchased their products for second or even third system and were very pleasantly surprised at the sound of these products and also commented that they were really nice people to work with. All the best going forward for them .......stay well.   

""  Why is dog sh** and Schiit Audio products alot alike ...... the older they are the easier they are to pick up  " ! Hey now ......I know of a few friends you have purchased their products for second or even third system and were very pleasantly surprised at the sound of these products and also commented that they were really nice people to work with. All the best going forward for them .......stay well.   

@4krowme So, you're saying the turntable doesn't sound Schiity?

@garebear Good one.  Why didn't I think of that?  And, BTW, you're the first totally positive responder to this post. 😀

Thanks to both of you for posting.

Just wish I could go back and correct my spelling error.  I thought Schiit had 2 "i's" in it, checked the website to be sure of the spelling, and my reading glasses failed me.

 Ok, so here's the deal. There were 3 things that bothered me about the SOL design. First the on/off switch is on the back of the TT, where it is not easy to access. The simple fix was to run power to a switch that was handy. Not a big deal. Second was the VTA on the fly adjustment which was stripped when I bought the TT (second hand). The little gear used to raise and lower the arm is made of plastic. No good reason for it really. Third, and probably most important is that the cuing is sticky and that it can't be trusted without a great deal of attention as you lower the stylus to the record. Again, the sign could have been better for such an important task, especially with a uni-pivot arm! Cuing is undamped as well, but that doesn't bother me as I am careful with it. Otherwise, I really do like this TT. As far as sound, I think that my VPI Scout was a bit better, but only a bit. 

@4krowme I don't get the power switch on the back, either.  Just wondering if the cueing can be "fixed" with some experimentation with dampening fluid viscosity?

Cool speaker project.  Looks like you're created a point source when the speakers are at the correct height.  I'm a bit of a speaker nurd myself.  I received a patent for The Open Line Source speaker about 30 years ago.  All 6'-4" of them are still in my listening room.  They've got a few "warts" but do get some things right.

waytoomuchstuff,

 I like the cuing mechanism, and really, I am sure that if I got serious, I could remedy the problem. The design is not hydraulic, but instead a cam with a lobe to raise the tonearm. Pretty damned simple but it really sticks and then, surprise! the stylus is almost in the groove! Believe it or not, it may be a matter of platter height. According the set up guru, the platter needs to be raised as far as it can go. This seems to be just out of reach of the keeper for part of the tonearm rest to glide down smoothly. I will try resetting the platter height lower and then adjust VTA, and probably all the rest that will be associated.

 The speaker design that I probably have posted is a rear loaded horn design from Decware, using a Mark Audio 12P driver. Mostly I really like it, that is, until I heard a set of ORFEO speakers designed by Tony Gee of Humble Homemade Audio. Stupid name, I know, but the drivers are Seas Illuminator series. I have never in all my years heard midbass like that before along with so much of the spectrum. 

Just an update about the cuing mechanism. I have it temporarily fixed in that I have shimmed out the lever/cam a tiny bit that was coming in contact with a metal disc that rides on the lobe of the cam, up or down. I pulled outward on the lever as I used the cuing, and it rode smoothly in both directions as intended. That's how I discovered the problem. So, in the meantime, I have added a fairly slim copper washer that makes better space between the parts that were getting caught. I may try a small O ring to accomplish the same thing, but we'll see. 

  The only problem left is discovering how to repair the VTA adjustment so that it might be used in cartridge set up. It matters a lot to me since my cartridge uses a Shibata shaped stylus.

“No Schit“ one who has no Schit gear

Conversely

”It’s all Schit “ An all Schit System

@4krowme Congrats on the "fix" the Schiit. Makes me happier than a pig in ....

I've also found new life in O-rings and use them for a variety of uses.  They come in handy to replace D-clips on mechanical devices provided the stress on them is not overwhelming.  

Thanks for the updates.  And, participating in the forum.

John

@wsrrsw 

So, can I assume then that someone who's system is maxxed out on these components as "Full of Schiit?"

@waytoomuchstuff Too easy to keeping going

No ****** Sherlock 

****** Yah

******  and giggles.

******  storm

I don't want to wind up a lying sack******  of wearing my ******  kickers

Enough to this ****** Back to out regular scheduled broadcast. Loki is the Norse god of mischief so I guess this silly ****** belongs here...but not really.

And "Ragnarok" is the final destruction of the world in the conflict between the Aesir and the powers of Hel led by Loki.

Someone at Schiit Audio is educated and has a wicked sense of humor!

Loki

Let’s not forget that only English speaking (mostly American) people giggle at Schiit. For others, it’s just one of the hundreds of brands using Norse mythology names nowadays. 

@fynnegan Good point. 

If memory serves me correctly, wasn't there fairly recent case an American brand whose name was high offensive to another culture, thus creating a name change?

I'll join the club . . . 

"When only the best Schiit will do . . ." 

or if the gear breaks down, "It's taken a Schiit . . ."

Actually, bang for the buck these guys make some very decent gear, and they must have a great sense of humor.  Bravo.

I found a lot of Shiit products hidden in the Briar Patch ......so go there !