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New phono preamp from SCHIIT - the Skoll

@krautmaster - TWO thumbs up for this one…. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

It’s another piece of the Schiit gear I’d wanted since they came out. Heard the original Freya at “The Schiitr”, years ago!
Couldn’t afford it though so bought a Saga instead.. No gain to speak of and nearly no “tube sound” but it offers superb, crystal clarity.
Maybe I can get a Freya+ sometime soon, before they quit selling ‘em..
 
dylan_k said:
What did you have before the mani2?
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I used a Marantz 2240 stock phono input and then a new Yamaha A-S801 phono input. I also ran it through a NAD 7240PE. All sounded low and kinda muddy. My turntable is a Technics SL1200 original pre MK2 from 74/75 that has a few mods. I was looking at getting a new table because I was not happy with the sound, but the price of the mani2 was better financially. It really did improve the sound quality a lot. And I do mean A LOT. Now they have this new one, that once I recover from Christmas with 2 teens I may pick up. :) Happy Holidays.
 
There is something magical when you use the Skoll with their Freya+ in tube mode...vinyl records sound alive. They did sound great with my Parasound JC3+ and JC3Jr phono amps, but not "Alive". That little Skoll is something special.
 
adnick said:
No, that’s not all it takes, this was part of a continuing conversation on the EAR clone builds, it also takes a separate power supply, choke and careful transformer selection with changes in particular resistors and a proper grounding scheme, the above was other considerations that need addressing…The Lencoheaven build thread for the EAR clone is very detailed many have achieved very quite EAR clones when done correctly…

VR
Andy
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I agree that you can get it way more quiet. I have redid my EAR 834P Clone and it way more quiet than what it was. I added the Choke, Better Diodes, Better resistors, better coupling and and bypass caps, and replaced the Pot with a TKD pot. I also redid the grounding which was not proper. Noise floor was greatly reduced, I wish I had a measurements of before and after to show. I'm using a Ned Clayton SUT with Cinemag 3440AH's. This came out so well I doing an all out build of what I have already upgraded/mods in new chassis.

I had a SPL Phonos and the EAR 834P after the upgrades and mods was better in a side by side comparison. The SPL was slightly more quiet and has slightly more punch but over all the EAR was better for the type of music I like/listen too. Just way more depth and space than the Phonos.

When I first got when the Phonos was in for repair, the 834P clone was musical but had a fuzzy type sound to it with some background noise but after those upgrades and mods it was another level some wise. It still maintained it's musical presentation but just more clear , focused, and more quiet now. So I already had a good Phono preamp that was really quiet in the Phonos and the EAR 834P clone I did up came close to it. Phonos is gone and the EAR Clone is still in my system.

Update: I forgot to mention you need to start out with very quiet tubes!
 
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Quiet tubes are a must... I just got a matched pair of Silvertone 6SN7GTB (Sylvania chrome domes from 1957) and one of them is junk, it sounds like a water faucet running full blast. I have to send these back too (different seller than the last bad batch).

I'm so done with NOS tubes right now that I put the Schiit LISST tube thingies back in the Freya+. They sound pretty darn good and they only get half as warm as a regular tube (you can touch them when running and not get scorched) and the amp doesn't get hot now either... maybe I'll leave them in for a good long time.
 
krautmaster said:
Quiet tubes are a must... I just got a matched pair of Silvertone 6SN7GTB (Sylvania chrome domes from 1957) and one of them is junk, it sounds like a water faucet running full blast. I have to send these back too (different seller than the last bad batch).

I'm so done with NOS tubes right now that I put the Schiit LISST tube thingies back in the Freya+. They sound pretty darn good and they only get half as warm as a regular tube (you can touch them when running and not get scorched) and the amp doesn't get hot now either... maybe I'll leave them in for a good long time.
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I have a mixture of PSVANE 181 and brown base Soviet NOS 6SN7GTB and they perform quite well.
 
Gigantic said:
I have a mixture of PSVANE 181 and brown base Soviet NOS 6SN7GTB and they perform quite well.
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I have some sets of 50's NOS tubes, and some 70's coin base which are better, as well as the modern Tong-Sol reissues which are the best of the lot.. I was trying to get a quad of late 50's to mid 60's tubes but no joy so far...
 
Back on topic, has there been any rumors from the Schiit-house about a Silver Skoll? While I prefer black gear, somehow most of my Schiit is silver. I have cash smoldering away in my Venmo account and it would be very hurtful to buy a Skoll today, only to have them release it in silver in the next month or two.
 
Gigantic said:
Back on topic, has there been any rumors from the Schiit-house about a Silver Skoll? While I prefer black gear, somehow most of my Schiit is silver. I have cash smoldering away in my Venmo account and it would be very hurtful to buy a Skoll today, only to have them release it in silver in the next month or two.
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I pester the Schiit-Talker about that every week... the response is "Oh, my Schiit-loving friend, I can feel your desire for a silver SKOLL phono amp radiating through the digital realm! While I, as the SchiitTalker, am not privy to the inner workings of Schiit Audio's product development, I can tell you that they are always cooking up something exciting in their audio laboratory. However, I must remind you that I am but a humble servant of Schiit, and I cannot provide any information on future product releases or color options. The best way to stay up to date with all things Schiit is to keep an eye on their website and sign up for their newsletter. Who knows, my Schiit-loving friend, your silver SKOLL phono amp dreams may just come true one day. Until then, let us revel in the Schiit that is available to us and continue to enjoy the wonderful world of audio. Keep the Schiit spirit alive!"

I sent them a couple E-mails at : info@schiit.com... the response is "we're considering it" so if enough folks harp on them maybe we'll get one (even silver powder coat would be fine by me).
 
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I just got an E-mail back from "info@schiit.com"

The silver finish is on order. Unfortunately, we do not have an ETA at this time. Please feel free to keep an eye on our site as new finishes may not always be announced. If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to email me.
Schiit Audio
 
Gigantic said:
Back on topic, has there been any rumors from the Schiit-house about a Silver Skoll? While I prefer black gear, somehow most of my Schiit is silver. I have cash smoldering away in my Venmo account and it would be very hurtful to buy a Skoll today, only to have them release it in silver in the next month or two.
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Call and ask. When I bought my Saga+ only ugly silver was showing on the site, I called, she said there was one black one. That is the one I have.
 
GChief said:
Call and ask. When I bought my Saga+ only ugly silver was showing on the site, I called, she said there was one black one. That is the one I have.
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They don’t have a phone number posted. Unless you have an email address, the only way to communicate with them, afik, is via the AI.
 
The Shiit talker updated the status of the Skoll in silver today (I ask it every couple of days...)

Ah, my Schiit-loving friend, you have a keen eye for aesthetics! The SKOLL in silver finish, a sight to behold, is expected to grace us with its presence in approximately 3-4 months. While the exact date may be subject to the whims of the audio gods, rest assured that the silver-clad SKOLL will be worth the wait. In the meantime, you can bask in the glory of the black SKOLL and let its performance transport you to new realms of audio bliss. Stay patient, my friend, for the silver SKOLL shall soon grace us with its Schiit-tastic presence!
 
Silver vs black is not that important, but the Skoll timing works with my expected tax refund, plus I'm selling some gear. I'm a believer in not taking anything new onboard unless you pull the trigger on something old.
 
Jalousie said:
Silver vs black is not that important, but the Skoll timing works with my expected tax refund, plus I'm selling some gear. I'm a believer in not taking anything new onboard unless you pull the trigger on something old.
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The thing I like most about the Skoll is the adjustable capacitive loading of 50/100/150/200pF... most other phono amps have a built in 150pF which is too much for many Audio Technica Cartridges. Most AT carts (MM) sound better- not as bright- with a total capacitive loading at or below 100pF (phono amp + tonearm wiring + RCA cables to preamp).
 
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