Schiit RAGNAROK SCH-09 User manual

AUDIO EQUIPMENT
ITEM
FOR
MODEL NO
OWNER’S MANUAL
SCH-09
UNIVERSAL MANAGED AMPLIFIERDESCRIPTION
NOTES
REVISION ARANDOM NUMBER 100000000
IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY, RAGNAROK IS THE END OF THE WORLD.
NOW, DON’T GET TECHNICAL WITH US ABOUT WHO SURVIVES.
OR ABOUT HOW IT’S THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS.
OR IT NOT REALLY BEING THE END OF THE WORLD.
JUST GO WITH IT.
WE’RE DUMB AMERICANS WHO READ TOO MANY COMIC BOOKS.
RAGNAROK
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ITEM SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
The following is required by the roughly 9,542 government agencies and regulations we have to comply with. If you have some
common sense, they should seem pretty straightforward. In any case, read these instructions before proceeding farther, follow all
instructions, and heed all warnings. Or else!
1. If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualied professional to help.
2. Never use this device near water, and clean only with a dry cloth.
3. Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings, or place near heat sources.
4. Use only the supplied power cord or suitable replacement. Route cords away from trafc areas and protect them from being pinched.
Unplug the cord from the outlet if the apparatus is unused for a long period of time.
5. To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
6. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Service is required when the device has been damaged, including cord or plug damage,
liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the device, the device has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or
has been dropped.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
Application for Council Directives 72/23/EEC
Conformity declared for EN60065, EN50082-1
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Ragnarok is the ultimate amplier—for Schiit, anyway.
No, we’re not suddenly going to be putting out an even
more super-duper amp, not after two years of R&D to
stuff in full microprocessor management of all amplier
operational parameters, including bias, offset, and fault
protection, a 64-level relay switch stepped attenuator
and three gain levels, a whole new gain stage optimized
for the Crossfet™ architecture and offering the same
feedback level and compensation for all gain levels, and
complete, transparent handling of both balanced and
single-ended signals. Ragnarok isn’t just overbuilt—it’s
completely and utterly insane.
Ragnarok isn’t designed to compete with end-game
amps costing several times as much—it’s designed to
outperform them, and do much more while doing so.
From IEMs to speakers, from balanced inputs to
single-ended headphones, this is Schiit’s real end
game. Welcome to the end of the world: Ragnarok.
ONE Ragnarok Universal Managed Amplier
ONE Power cord (for, like, well duh)
ZERO Stick-on feet (because the amp already has screw-in
feet—you’ve reached the big leagues now, guys)
ZERO Crystals, cryo-nano-dampers, alien wave absorbers,
or any other magical parts
As a managed amplier, Ragnarok may operate differently than
you expect. Keep these things in mind when using Ragnarok:
1. On turn-on, input select, and gain select, Ragnarok does a system
check to protect your speakers and headphones. While it is doing
this, the output will be muted and the LEDs on the front will flash.
2. The volume control works like a volume control, not an endlessly
spinning pinwheel. If you turn it all the way up while Ragnarok is
doing a system check, it could be bad news for your headphones or
speakers when the system unmutes.
3. It is normal for the volume control to sound as if it mutes and
unmutes as you turn it up or down—because that’s exactly what it’s
doing, to prevent pops through the speakers or headphones.
WELCOME
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
IMPORTANT
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RAGNAROK CONNECTIONS
UNIVERSAL MANAGED AMPLIFIER
+ +
- -
INPUT 1 INPUT 2 INPUT 3 INPUT 4 INPUT 5 BALANCED OUTPUT SE OUTPUT
SPEAKER OUTPUT
SCH-09K
0A19C2832
115VAC 450W
2 Another Balanced
Input. This is another
balanced input, just
like the rst one,
except it’s labeled
“Input 2.”
1 Balanced Input.
This is one of two
balanced inputs on
Ragnarok. Connect
any balanced source
here with high-quality
XLR cables.
3 Single-Ended Input.
This is one of three
single-ended inputs.
Connect any single-
ended input here.
12345
4 Another Single-
Ended Input. Just like
the rst, except for
the label.
5 The Final Single-
Ended Input. You get
the picture.
ITEM
67
8
9
11
10
6 Balanced Preamp
Output. Ragnarok
can also be used as a
balanced preamp, if
you want to connect to
power amps with even
more power. Use these
outputs for amps or
powered monitors with
balanced inputs.
7 Single-Ended
Preamp Output.
Just like (6), but for
connecting to amps
or powered monitors
with RCA inputs.
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The speaker outputs on Ragnarok
are all active. That means there
are no grounds. That means if the
grounds are shorted together, it
will put Ragnarok into fault mode.
This can happen with shorted
speaker wires.
When Ragnarok is in fault mode,
the front LEDs will flash and there
will be no output. Check your
speaker connections for shorts
and try again.
If that doesn’t work, disconnect
your speakers entirely, and unplug
any headphones. If the amp comes
out of fault mode at that point,
then there’s something wrong with
your speakers, speaker wiring, or
headphone wiring.
IN CASE YOU
MISSED IT
8 Speaker Outputs.
Connect these to your
speakers. Please note
that the “ground”
terminals (black
terminals) are not
really ground—they’re
separate power
amplier outputs for
balanced drive. That
means you should
never connect them to
a speaker system with
a shared ground, nor
should you ever try to
“bridge” the output—
this will put Ragnarok
in protection mode,
and that’ll be the
twilight of your sound
for a while.
9 Power Switch. Up
for on, down for off.
Very simple. There are
no fancy “power down”
modes with Ragnarok,
just on or off. When
you rst turn on the
amp, expect up to a
30 second delay as
it performs a system
check and sets
operational levels
on the amplier. The
LEDs will flash as
these checks and
adjustments are being
performed.
10 Fuse Tray.
Replace only with a
3A slo-blow style
fuse, 5 x 20mm in
size. Fuses usually
don’t blow without a
reason, so we strongly
suggest that you
check your system for
faults, such as shorted
speaker wires, before
turning the amp back
on again. And—we re-
ally shouldn’t have to
say this—only replace
the fuse with the amp
unplugged!
11 Power Cord. Plug
the end of the supplied
IEC cord in here. You
can also use fancy
audiophile types, but
they won’t really do
anything—what about
the thousands of feet
of crap copper cables
in your walls, huh?
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UNIVERSAL MANAGED AMPLIFIER
+ +
- -
INPUT 1 INPUT 2 INPUT 3 INPUT 4 INPUT 5 BALANCED OUTPUT SE OUTPUT
SPEAKER OUTPUT
SCH-09K
0A19C2832
115VAC 450W
ITEM RAGNAROK CONTROLS
2 Input Indicators.
These indicate which
input is selected.
“1” = Input 1,
“2” = Input 2, etc.
If you’re not hearing
anything, make sure
Ragnarok is set at the
right input.
1 Input. Press this
button to cycle
through the inputs.
Ragnarok will
perform a self-check
and the LEDs will
flash every time you
do this. That protects
your equipment, and
is completely normal.
3 Gain. Press this
button to cycle
between three levels
of gain: 1, 5, and
20. Lower gain is
better for sensitive
headphones, and
higher gain is better
for speakers. Use
the one that sounds
the best and gives
you the best range of
volume adjustment.
Ragnarok will perform
a self-check when
gain is switched, and
the LEDs will flash
while this is being
performed.
5 Volume. Turn it up to
increase volume, turn
it down before smoke
comes out of your
headphones or speak-
ers. You’ll hear rapid
clicking inside the
Ragnarok when you
use the volume con-
trol—this is the relay-
switched attenuator.
When you’re switching
gains, it may be a
good idea to turn the
volume knob down, so
you don’t blow up your
headphones or speak-
ers due to a sudden
gain increase.
12
4
5673
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5 Gain Indicators.
From left to right, 1,
5, and 20. Or, smallest
bar = 1, middle bar = 5,
tallest bar = 20.
6 Balanced
Headphone Output.
Connect headphones
terminated with
a standard 4-pin
balanced XLR here
(standard = AKG
K1000 style). Please
note that Ragnarok
can put its full power
out into balanced
headphones—up to
100W into 4 ohms—so
be very careful if using
sensitive headphones,
and start with the
lowest gain.
7 Single-Ended
Headphone Output.
Ragnarok also has
hardware summing of
the balanced output
to single-ended.
Although it doesn’t
put out as much
power as the balanced
headphone output
(being limited to only
about 3W into 32
ohms), it is still very
powerful. For very
sensitive headphones
and IEMs, stick to a
gain of 1—and unplug
them before you crank
up your speakers!
SCENE 1
Be very careful when using balanced
headphones—Ragnarok can deliver
it’s full output power into them!
SCENE 2
We suggest turning down the volume
when plugging or unplugging single-ended
headphones. Sorry, we didn’t design the
1/4” jack that shorts when you do this.
With Ragnarok’s current capability, it’s
best the music is off.
SCENE 3
Ragnarok’s volume control works just like
a real volume control—that is, it stops at
minimum and maximum volume, rather
than spinning endlessly. If you turn it up
while Ragnarok is self-checking, expect a
big blare of sound when it activates!
IN CASE YOU MISSED
IT, THE SEQUEL
USING ONLY
HEADPHONES OR
SPEAKERS
Hold down the input
switch for 2 seconds.
This will cycle through
three modes:
1. Both speaker and
headphone output at the
same time (default.)
2. Just speakers.
3. Just headphones.
Be careful when switching
modes—if you’re blasting
the speakers and change
it over to headphone mode
for your IEMs without
turning down the volume,
it’s gonna be a bad day.
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ITEM CLEARING FAULTS
Ragnarok has extensive fault checking built in, for maximum safety.
It continuously monitors for DC offset, overcurrent, and bias. When
Ragnarok encounters a fault, it will mute the output, put the amp into
low-gain mode, bring the volume to zero, and flash the LEDs on the
front panel.
If this happens, don’t panic! Faults happen. They can be as simple as a
shorted speaker cable or improperly wired headphone cable. Here’s how
you troubleshoot them.
1. Turn off the amp, turn down the volume, and disconnect everything.
This means everything—all inputs, speakers, and headphones.
2. Turn on the amp with no inputs or outputs connected. If the LEDs on
the front never stop flashing, there’s a bigger problem. Contact us for an
RA. But, most likely, they’ll stop flashing after a few seconds and you’ll
hear a click. This means everything is ne with the amp, and there’s a
fault to be found somewhere else in your system.
3. Plug in your rst input and select that input. If the LEDs don’t stop
flashing, that input has a problem. Have it checked for DC offset.
4. Repeat this process for all inputs until they are all connected and
there are no LEDs flashing. If any input causes the LEDs to keep flash-
ing, it has a problem—have it checked for DC offset and do not use it
until it has been repaired.
5. Connect your preamp outputs. Even the preamp outputs are
monitored for faults. Turn up the volume. If the LEDs flash and the
amp cuts out again, you have a shorted preamp cable, or there is
something wrong with the device you’re connecting to. Have it checked
for shorts or improper wiring.
6. Connect your headphones and turn up the volume. If the LEDs flash
and the amp cuts out again, you have a bad headphone cable, or an
improperly wired headphone. Have it checked out and corrected.
7. Disconnect your headphones, connect your speakers, and turn up
the volume. If the LEDs flash and the amp cuts out again, you have a
short in your speaker cables, or an internal short in the speakers. Check
the cables and try another pair. If that doesn’t x it, have the speakers
checked out for faults.
Special note: if your speakers have any cables connecting both left and
right speakers together, or if they are speakers intended to reproduce
stereo from a single box, they may have a common ground. This will
cause Ragnarok to go into protection mode continuously.
8. Connect everything as you had it, and enjoy your music again.
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ITEM FAQ
Can I run both headphones and speakers at the same time?
Yes, you can, and you can cycle between outputting to both headphones
and speakers, speakers only, and headphones only by holding down the
Input button.
The amp chatters when I turn the volume knob. What gives?
That’s the relay-switched attenuator, doing its job. That’s normal. It may
also make small clicks through the speakers or headphones near the
top of the volume control. Again, normal.
The LEDs flash when I rst turn the amp on, and there’s no sound.
Right, that’s Ragnarok performing its self-check and setting bias and
offset. Again, this is totally normal.
The LEDs flash when I change input or gain, and there’s no sound.
Again, right. That’s Ragnarok performing an input check and re-ad-
justing bias and offset as necessary. If the input has too much offset,
Ragnarok will not ever come out of fault mode, and the lights will keep
flashing. Have that input checked for faults.
I was playing something when I heard a click and now the LEDs are
flashing. What happened?
Ragnarok went into protection mode, most likely due to a fault in your
speaker or headphone cable. If there are any shorts, or grounds are
common, it will go into protection. Check the cables for shorts and try
again. Alternately, speakers that are a heavy load (dipping to 4 ohms or
less) may trigger the protection when overdriven at high volumes.
I hear hum from my headphones or speakers, what can I do?
Loud hum is likely caused by a ground loop, which can be mitigated with
a GFCI or ground loop isolator. A little hum might be present if you are
using high gain with very efcient headphones or IEMs—change to low
gain mode.
Can I leave Ragnarok on on all the time?
We really recommend you power down the amp if you aren’t going to
use it for an hour or more. Ragnarok uses quite a bit of power even at
idle—about 80 watts.
Hey, you know this amp runs pretty warm?
Yep, it does.
The preamp outs don’t work!
If you’re in headphone-only mode, yes, the preamp outputs are disabled,
so you can more conveniently use powered desktop monitors. Switch to
headphone-and-speakers mode, or speakers-only mode.
Hey, can I replace the fuse?
Sure, you can, but it won’t make it sound any better. Don’t use anything
other than a 3A slo-blow 5 x 20mm fuse.
It doesn’t turn on, what do I do?
Plug it in to a different AC socket. Ensure you are not currently in a
blackout. Then contact us if it still doesn’t turn on.
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Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-180KHz, -3dB
Maximum Power, 4 ohms: 100W RMS
Maximum Power, 8 ohms: 60W RMS
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 15W RMS
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 10W RMS
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 1.7W RMS
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 850mW RMS
Maximum Power, single-ended headphone output: 5W into 32 ohms
THD: Less than 0.005%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS, all gain modes
IMD: Less than 0.007%, CCIR at 1V RMS, all gain modes
SNR: More than 100db, unweighted, referenced to 1V RMS,
in gain = 1 mode
Crosstalk: Less than -80dB, 20Hz-20KHz
Damping Factor: Greater than 200 into 8 ohm speakers,
all gain modes
Output Impedance, balanced headphone output: less than 0.1 ohms
Output Impedance, single-ended headphone out: 3.3 ohms
ITEM SPECS
Gain: 20 (26dB), 5 (14dB), 1 (0db) via front panel switch
Topology: Fully discrete Crossfet™ circlotron-style output stage with
direct-coupled solid state gain stage, no DC servo.
Protection: microprocessor monitoring of fault conditions including
DC, overcurrent, and transient phenomena, with relay muting on
any fault
Power Supply: 400VA transformer with 4 separate circlotron output
rails, plus 36VA transformer for ve separate regulated supplies for
front end and control section; over 100,000uF lter capacitance total
Power Consumption: 75W quiescent, 400W max
Size: 16 x 12 x 3.875”
Weight: 30 lbs
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Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that the product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for ve (5) years from
the date of purchase. Exceptions: Tubes. Tubes are covered by a 90-day limited warranty with the same terms. If a defect covered by this
warranty occurs during this warranty period, Schiit Audio will repair the defective product, free of charge. Date of purchase will be based on
customer-submitted receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing will be used to determine warranty period.
OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE
If you believe you need warranty service, contact us rst. There may be a simple solution to your problem. Schiit Audio products sent back to us
without a Return Authorization (RA) will be returned to the sender without repair. To contact us and obtain an RA, email suppor[email protected]. We
will respond quickly to email inquiries.
WARRANTY LIMITATIONS
THIS WARRANTY SHALL NOT APPLY IF THIS PRODUCT: (a) IS MODIFIED OR TAMPERED WITH; (b) IS DAMAGED BY NEGLIGENCE, ACCIDENT,
UNREASONABLE USE, COFFEE, OR BY OTHER CAUSES UNRELATED TO DEFECTIVE MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP; OR (c) HAS HAD THE
SERIAL NUMBER ALTERED, DEFACED OR REMOVED.
ANY APPLICABLE IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE
HEREBY LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE WARRANTY PERIOD (5 YEARS). IN NO EVENT SHALL SCHIIT AUDIO BE LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL
OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE BREACH OF ANY IMPLIED OR EXPRESS WARRANTIES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW
LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS OR EXCLUSION OF CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE
LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
This warranty gives you specic legal rights. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or province to province.
Schiit Audio’s address is: Schiit Audio, 24900 Anza Drive, Suite A, Valencia, CA 91355
ITEM WARRANTY
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EVERYTHING ELSE AIN’T
ITEM OWNER’S MANUAL BACK COVER
GRAPHIC FOR THE BACK COVER OF THE MANUALDESCRIPTION
NOTES
YES, ALL SCHITT PRODUCTS ARE MADE IN THE USA.
YES, PRIMARILY OF US-SOURCED COMPONENTS.
YES, IT’S PRONOUNCED EXACTLY LIKE YOU THINK.
NO, WE ARE NOT ON FACEBOOK.
NO, WE’RE NOT ON TWITTER.
AND NO, WE’RE NOT ON YOUTUBE.
SCHIIT AUDIO
24900 ANZA DRIVE, SUITE A
VALENCIA, CA 91355 USA
[email protected]
SCHIIT.COM
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