New phono preamp from SCHIIT - the Skoll

[carylee2002]

You do realize that the Skoll was intended for only one turntable and if you have two..then you will best to buy another phono pre-amp. You can buy the Pro-Ject or Cambridge...but the cost is about 1000.00.

 

[Mr Boochie]

My Pro-ject has two separate inputs and outputs. The capacitance and impedance settings need to be changed each time you switch cartridge.

Luckily, my Denon and AT LOMC cartridges sound best at the same settings. 200-ohms and no added pico-farads. 65dB gain.

 

[MisterDK]

@willie-aspen - Willie, have you heard back from Schiit about noise when using both RCA and XLR inputs?

Also, did you use an adapter for the XLR, change RCA ends to XLR or did you already have a table with XLR plugs..?

Since Schiit put XLR phono inputs on the Skoll - it has to have been designed to use them! I just sent Schiit an email, explaining that I want to use both inputs and asked how to best use the XLR input. I don’t mind an adapter if it works properly, and have no problem swapping RCA ends out for XLR ends.. Just need to know the best way to do it, like should I simply use only two pins on the XLR plug, or…??

Duane

 

[MX117.MC7150]

You do realize that the Skoll was intended for only one turntable and if you have two..then you will best to buy another phono pre-amp. You can buy the Pro-Ject or Cambridge...but the cost is about 1000.00.

Check out the QHW 'The Vinyl' (reviews online). I had one for about a year and it handles two (2) turntables at one time (one of the primary reasons I purchased). Excellent SQ and many load selections per dip-switches on the back. Still under $1000 shipped directly to you.

 

[willie-aspen]

@willie-aspen - Willie, have you heard back from Schiit about noise when using both RCA and XLR inputs?

Also, did you use an adapter for the XLR, change RCA ends to XLR or did you already have a table with XLR plugs..?

I haven’t. I sent in a return request last night and they asked me this morning if I wanted to troubleshoot or return it.

I used a DIN to XLR cable made by Yannis Tome. It has a separate wire for the ground.

I’ll see if they can help me figure out the noise.

 

[willie-aspen]

I ran a ground wire from the Technics' chassis ground to the Skoll. I still get a ton of noise if I hookup the other arm.

 

[Mr Boochie]

I ran a ground wire from the Technics' chassis ground to the Skoll. I still get a ton of noise if I hookup the other arm.

Is the other arm grounded to the same point?

 

[adnick]

I ran a ground wire from the Technics' chassis ground to the Skoll. I still get a ton of noise if I hookup the other arm.

You’re using the XLR & RCA concurrently correct?

 

[MisterDK]

I ran a ground wire from the Technics' chassis ground to the Skoll. I still get a ton of noise if I hookup the other arm.

Have you tried leaving either or both tables, completely ungrounded?

 

[HamboneF18]

I haven’t found anything that sounds better than my 1980 SAE Two 14A integrated amp. MM and MC, all discrete. Lush, airy, smooth and detailed.

 

[GChief]

I haven’t found anything that sounds better than my 1980 SAE Two 14A integrated amp. MM and MC, all discrete. Lush, airy, smooth and detailed.

Which stand alone phono-pres have to compared to your SAE?

 

[willie-aspen]

OK..I have 2 arms mounted on a wooden plinth with a Technics SP-15. One arm has a DIN to XLR cable with a separate ground wire. The other arm has a DIN to RCA wire with separate ground. I also have a ground wire attached to the Technics' chassis ground.

The Skoll is set to the highest gain and connected to the Kara via an XLR cable.

If I connect the all of the ground wires to the post on the Skoll, I get a lot of noise. Reading is about 6" in front of the woofer of one speaker.




If I connect a combination of no grounds, the chassis ground, or a single arm ground (in other words not both arm grounds), I get a more reasonable noise level.



The ground noise stays about the same with just one arm connected with its ground and the chassis ground. In other words, the other arm is not connected to the Skoll at all.

Hope this answers all of the questions!

 

[adnick]

Both arms grounded simultaneously is obviously creating a ground loop. But with a single arm connected that’s too much noise…

You could add a ground switch like is used on many SUTs to ground L / R, lift the ground or any other combination(s) that works the best.

Good luck with your endeavors,
Andy

 

[MisterDK]

Still haven’t heard back from Schiit about using both phono inputs simultaneously. Maybe they’ll reply Monday. A big reason I bought the Skoll is that it has two phono inputs. Still haven’t but I’ll order a pair of the Hosa GXM-133 adapters I pictured in post # 114. That’ll be the least expensive way to try the XLR inputs. If that works for me, I’ll make up nice XLR cables. If it doesn’t work - then Schiit may get a return from me. Eventually they’ll either fix the problem, or stop telling people they can hook up two tables at once.

 

[rothwellaudio]

I’ll order a pair of the Hosa GXM-133 adapters I pictured in post # 114. That’ll be the least expensive way to try the XLR inputs.

The problem with those adapters, or at least with that advert, is that they don't say how the thing is wired up. An XLR has three connectors, an RCA has two. Two into three? How?
The cartridge has only two connections per channel and is floating, ie has no ground connection. In that respect it's the same as a dynamic microphone. When using a dynamic mic with an XLR connector, the microphone capsule is connected to to pins 2 & 3 and the body of the microphone is connected to pin 1. A similar arrangement for a turntable would be to have the cartridge connected to pins 2 & 3 of the XLR and the arm tube and other metal parts of the turntable connected to pin 1. That amounts to the same thing when using RCA connectors for the cartridge with an extra "ground" wire to connect the arm tube to the ground post on the phonostage.
But what if you introduce one of those RCA/XLR adaptors? Will pin 1 end up shorted to pin 2? Or pin 3? There's no way to tell from the advert in post #114.
Would it matter? Yes. And there's an added complication because a cartridge has two channels, so there's the possibility of creating a ground loop.

Anyway, the point is that those RCA/XLR adaptors can introduce more problems that they solve. If you want to use a balanced input phonostage the best way would be to modify the turntable so it has XLR outputs, wired correctly.

 

[willie-aspen]

Still haven’t heard back from Schiit about using both phono inputs simultaneously.

I've got both arms working with acceptable noise. I just have to sort the ground situation.

I think it will go back anyway. I've got better phono stages...I was just hoping that I could downsize to a single inexpensive box.

 

[HamboneF18]

Which stand alone phono-pres have to compared to your SAE?

Most recently, the Threshold FET 10 HL+LP MM combo that I bought from an estate sale across the street. The others have been the PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp, and sub-$1k stand-alone units. Project, Behringer, Schiit Mani 2, Graham Slee, and numerous others. ChiFi hybrid units also. I borrow from a nearby vintage retailer and friends I’ve met from there.

Recently we’ve begun trading out phono cartridges just for fun. That’s also why I have my cartridges in wooden boxes for easy/safe handling and transport.

 

[lini]

(...) so there's the possibility of creating a ground loop. (...)

And even with correct cabling there's the problem, that MMs and MIs usually have the metal generator shell connected to one of the signal minuses/grounds and might additionally have a metal mounting frame, that might not be isolated from the generator shell.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[MisterDK]

Thought I’d ask; what are you guys thinking of your Skoll?
Other than the phono input issue, I like mine quite a bit - it sounds excellent.

I did get an email back from Tom at Schiit, who recommended that I don’t use any type of RCA to XLR adapter or adapter cables, either. The solution he offered, is one that Andy @adnick had suggested in an earlier post - a switchbox.
Schiit sells a nice one for $49, called the “SYS”. I think I’ll pick one of those up and use two arms or tables with their RCA cables and forget XLR for now.
Should work fine, I think - but it’s a little disappointing. However, it will give me the opportunity to make up more nice interconnects; got plenty Mogami 2549 and Canare Star-Quad cable and plenty of Rean RCA ends in two styles. I’ll use the Mogami for phono connections upstream of the Skoll - it’s low capacitance @ under 25pF per foot and well shielded.

SO, any more opinions from those of you with a Skoll? Just curious..

 

[lini]

(...) Schiit sells a nice one for $49, called the “SYS”. I think I’ll pick one of those up and use two arms or tables with their RCA cables and forget XLR for now.
Should work fine, I think (...)

Mind you, that the Sys isn't a pure switch-box, but a switch-box with a volume control. Due to that, you wouldn't only get superfluous contact transitions, but also a different load impedance, if the Sys would be used on the input side of a phono stage. Iirc, that pot is 10 kOhm, so with the volume control in fully turned up position you'd get 10 kOhm in parallel to the input impedance of the phono stage - and hence a combined load impedance of more than 10 kOhm isn't possible anymore -> no good for regular MMs and MIs.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini