New Schiit Phono preamp with Tubes !

[krautmaster]

Schiit has just released a tube powered phono preamp, the Stjarna. It uses four 6N1P/6922 tubes. A bit pricey for my wallet this year at $1700:

Schiit Audio: Audio Products Made in USA

www.schiit.com

 

[markd51]

I took a quick peek. Sounds nice, lots of features, remote control, 4 gain settings, and various load and capacitance as well. Are those expensive tubes to replace or roll?

Sort of agree on the price. There's lot of nice used SS Stages that would cost about that price and have better specs. Reckon though if one's a tube head, there you go, another option to be had that isn't crazy expensive.

 

[Tonoje]

Good lord. Those vents.

 

[Enobenetto]

I think the main design with this phono preamp that makes it a rarity is that it uses all tubes for 60db of gain, no step-up transformers or jfets to boost the gain from 40db. I wish the price was around $1200, but hey, the Manley Chinook is $2500 and no ones complaining.

 

[krautmaster]

Good lord. Those vents.

Looks like they are made concave so that you can get a grip on the tubes when it's time to change them...???

 

[Tonoje]

It's the overall look, not just the concavity, I don't go for. But having looked up some other Schiit tube devices, it seems they favour burying or half burying the tubes. China manufacturers aside, I'd have thought it was pretty hard to muck up the look of a tube amp, because tubes themselves are effortlessly gorgeous, but Schiit seems to make a speciality of it.

 

[krautmaster]

It's the overall look, not just the concavity, I don't go for. But having looked up some other Schiit tube devices, it seems they favour burying or half burying the tubes. China manufacturers aside, I'd have thought it was pretty hard to muck up the look of a tube amp, because tubes themselves are effortlessly gorgeous, but Schiit seems to make a speciality of it.

I use socket savers in my Freya+ to get the tubes up out of the case, it runs 25-30F cooler that way

 

[TomSc]

The 6N1P used to be fairly cheap. One of my favorite tubes for driving a 45 or 2A3. Not sure if current production are the same quality as 20 years ago.

 

[fredgarvin]

I use socket savers in my Freya+ to get the tubes up out of the case, it runs 25-30F cooler that way
View attachment 3432727

I was glad when Schiit went to the concave tube inserts, especially for the nodal tubes, it reduces the need for socket savers for heat relief.

 

[krautmaster]

Well the Stjarna is now shown as "Out of Stock" on the Schiit website... seems like folks were waiting for some reviews and when they finally came in the thing sold like hotcakes

 

[zenith2134]

Choice of 6N1 will be pivotal to that preamp's noise level. I see that there are quite a few subpar variants of that particular tube on the market today. I have owned devices which utilize the 6N1P and it can be hit or miss.

Luckily, I see that the 6DJ8 can be used -- along with many others. If one wanted to go "all out" w/ NOS, you could treat this unit to Amperex Holland 6DJ8 or an old 7308, but you'd have to check how much current the heaters are pulling first.

 

[krautmaster]

Choice of 6N1 will be pivotal to that preamp's noise level. I see that there are quite a few subpar variants of that particular tube on the market today. I have owned devices which utilize the 6N1P and it can be hit or miss.

Luckily, I see that the 6DJ8 can be used -- along with many others. If one wanted to go "all out" w/ NOS, you could treat this unit to Amperex Holland 6DJ8 or an old 7308, but you'd have to check how much current the heaters are pulling first.

Mine came with 6N1P tubes and they are silent at the 40db & 47db gain settings. I have not tried the 55db & 60 db settings while playing an album because I use MM carts., but I did hear a tiny bit of noise at the 60 db setting when the volume was turned way way up (not playing anything, just testing for noise).

Blurb from the Schiit website:

"Stjarna was designed for tubes conforming to a 6922/6DJ8 pinout with 600mA or less heaters. If you want to play around with 396As or similar, you’ll need an adapter. If you try 6N6Ps, you’ll go overcurrent. If you go nuts and cobble together something that looks like a Robbie the Robot Christmas tree, you may run into all sorts of problems (which means the protection will kick in and Stjarna will shut down.) "

 

[zenith2134]

Mine came with 6N1P tubes and they are silent at the 40db & 47db gain settings. I have not tried the 55db & 60 db settings while playing an album because I use MM carts., but I did hear a tiny bit of noise at the 60 db setting when the volume was turned way way up (not playing anything, just testing for noise).

Blurb from the Schiit website:

"Stjarna was designed for tubes conforming to a 6922/6DJ8 pinout with 600mA or less heaters. If you want to play around with 396As or similar, you’ll need an adapter. If you try 6N6Ps, you’ll go overcurrent. If you go nuts and cobble together something that looks like a Robbie the Robot Christmas tree, you may run into all sorts of problems (which means the protection will kick in and Stjarna will shut down.) "

It looks like a competently designed product. So much tube gear has no protection circuit at all, it just blows.

 

[Tonoje]

Well the Stjarna is now shown as "Out of Stock"

Come on man, it's Stjarna.

Stjarna is out of stock.

 

[krautmaster]

I've been reading up on what tubes others put in their Schiit equipment and generally the 6922 kept coming up as a great replacement for the stock Schiit tubes (mostly 6N1P), so I bought a Quad of JJ E88CC Gold Pin (6922 equivalent) for my Stjarna, which arrived this afternoon. Upon first listen with only 5 minutes of warm up there was not much bass for a few minutes, mostly mid range and treble... after the second song bass started to come on, by the end of the fourth song they sounded pretty darn good, so I replayed the album to be sure and it was nice and sweet and not as dark as the 6N1P tubes, I think I'm really going to like these JJ's. They also run cooler, using only half the plate current of the 6N1P's (300mA vs 600mA). I've found it only takes about 5-6 hours for MY tubes to really break in well, not 20 or 100 like others believe.

 

[fredgarvin]

I've been reading up on what tubes others put in their Schiit equipment and generally the 6922 kept coming up as a great replacement for the stock Schiit tubes (mostly 6N1P), so I bought a Quad of JJ E88CC Gold Pin (6922 equivalent) for my Stjarna, which arrived this afternoon. Upon first listen with only 5 minutes of warm up there was not much bass for a few minutes, mostly mid range and treble... after the second song bass started to come on, by the end of the fourth song they sounded pretty darn good, so I replayed the album to be sure and it was nice and sweet and not as dark as the 6N1P tubes, I think I'm really going to like these JJ's. They also run cooler, using only half the plate current of the 6N1P's (300mA vs 600mA). I've found it only takes about 5-6 hours for MY tubes to really break in well, not 20 or 100 like others believe.

Another you might try is the 6cg7. I replaced the 6n1P with those in my Freya N. NOS Raytheon.

 

[ceylon]

I think the main design with this phono preamp that makes it a rarity is that it uses all tubes for 60db of gain, no step-up transformers or jfets to boost the gain from 40db. I wish the price was around $1200,

how can they get 60dB gain from 4 x 6n1P?

but hey, the Manley Chinook is $2500 and no ones complaining.

true that, and that chinook is hybrid

 

[Enobenetto]

I have no idea how they do it. I wish I went to school for electrical engineering so I can better understand what companies are doing and also make my own stuff.

It's cool that this is an all tube design. In the past, I have not been a fan of step-up transformers, but I'll admit that I might have not had a good match with my carts; it always sounded like a softball of gain going through a garden hose. Solid state mc stages are generally quiet when done well.

The only other manufacturer that I know of that is close to this was Music Reference with the RM-4, which was an all tube step up phono stage. I've read a few reviews that said it was silent (tube dependent of course). I would believe that, as my RM-10mkii is absolutely dead silent, so much so, that you can put your ear up to the speaker and not hear anything.

If I have some walking around cash in the future, and a used Starjna was for sale, I would jump on it. This thing doesn't measure well comparatively, but I think that's a short road when it comes to vinyl and people don't get into it for that reason.

 

[ceylon]

I have no idea how they do it. I wish I went to school for electrical engineering so I can better understand what companies are doing and also make my own stuff.

man thats cool. years ago i was in a lot of classess with different engineers. i was one of the few there for a math degree.

It's cool that this is an all tube design. In the past, I have not been a fan of step-up transformers, but I'll admit that I might have not had a good match with my carts; it always sounded like a softball of gain going through a garden hose. Solid state mc stages are generally quiet when done well.

ive been fortunate. ive had excellent results with SUTs, and the 3 phono amps with built-in jfet headamps sound great, too.

The only other manufacturer that I know of that is close to this was Music Reference with the RM-4, which was an all tube step up phono stage. I've read a few reviews that said it was silent (tube dependent of course). I would believe that, as my RM-10mkii is absolutely dead silent, so much so, that you can put your ear up to the speaker and not hear anything.

i just looked up that RM-4, and i sure am intrigued. ive never heard of it, and that RM-10ml=k2 looks gorgeous!

If I have some walking around cash in the future, and a used Starjna was for sale, I would jump on it. This thing doesn't measure well comparatively, but I think that's a short road when it comes to vinyl and people don't get into it for that reason.

schiit sells a lot of gear...i bet used starjna will be showin up pretty soon.

 

[krautmaster]

My Stjarna sounds great, especially with the newer "X" versions of Audio Technica cartridges (currently using a VM740xML). I had an Ortofon Concorde Music Bronze on the SL-1300G and it was very very good, but the 740xML is smoother and quieter. When I had the Bronze on the table I had to set the gain to 40db (the Concorde has 6mV output) when set at 47db it picked up every little pop/scratch on older records. With the 740xML with a much lower output (3.2mV) I set the gain on the Stjarna to 47db and the cartridge is sweet and silent.
The Concorde also liked the stock Russian made 6N1P tubes, while the 740xML likes the JJ E88CC/6922 better. I have the Concorde on my SL-1200GR2 in the office system with a Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2 and a pair of Psvane Horizon 12AX7 tubes and it is perfect with the gain set at 40 db If I bump it up to 45db the noise comes back.

Anyway, the Stjarna is magic once you figure out which cartridge/tube combo to use.... the only problem I can see with the Stjarna is that it is supposed to be a limited run and when they are gone, they are gone for good. If they decide to make a silver version I'll snatch one up right away.