Schiit Gungnir adapticlock SCH-06 User manual

headphone amps
and dacs
ITEM
FOR
MODEL NO
OWNER’S MANUAL
SCH-06
balanced adapticlockTM digital to analog converterDESCRIPTION
NOTES
REVISION ARANDOM NUMBER 00000001
gungnir is odin’s spear in norse mythology.
it’s so cool it never misses its mark.
our gungnir would make a truly crappy spear.
but it definitely hits the mark musically.
warning: not approved for javelin events.
using gungnir like that would void the warranty.
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
balanced DAC
fully upgradable
ADAPTICLOCk™
discrete analog
bal OUT
sE OUTs digital inputs
caution: risk of electric
shock— do not open.
no user serviceable
parts inside
SCH06J
000001
230VAC 20W

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 qualified 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 traffic 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 qualified 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.
safety instructions
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in
a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operated the equipment under FCC rules.
Application for Council Directives 72/23/EEC, 89/336 EEC
Conformity declared for EN60065, EN55022 Class B, EN50082-1

welcome to gungnir!
Mjolnir is Odin’s spear, which never missed its mark. Yeah, we know, it
doesn’t sound so impressive in these days of nuclear weapons, Higgs bosons
and so all, but ya gotta consider the context. And who knows, “a spear that
never misses” might be Norse for “hydrogen bomb,” for all we know. And
yeah, we know, we started this out with a discussion of weapons. Well, we
are Americans, after all. Sorry about that.
But back to Gungnir. Don’t use our Gungnir to stab your friends, use it to
deliver unfailing, on-target reproduction of your digital music library, whether
it’s on CD or in a computer server. Enjoy your time with Gungnir!
ONE
Gungnir DAC
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)
IN THE BOX
GETTING STARTED
1. Connect Gungnir to your source and your amp or preamp. You’ll need
a set of XLR or RCA cables to connect the Gungnir’s outputs to your amp or
preamp, and the appropriate digital cable or cables (coaxial BNC or RCA,,
Toslink, or USB) to connect your sources.
2. If you are using USB and have a Windows computer, download the
USB drivers from schiit.com/drivers and install them. Instructions for in-
stalling the drivers are provided on the website. The driver package will install
the correct drivers for current versions of Windows.
3. If you are using a computer source, ensure it is set to output to the
Gungnir. Sometimes PCs and Macs get confused and want to use internal
speakers, or your powered USB headset, or whatever. Make sure you’ve
selected “Schiit USB Interface” for USB, or external SPDIF output.
4. Select your source using the button on the front panel. And enjoy your
music!
UPGRADES
Gungnir is upgradable via modular D-A/Analog and USB Input Cards. Please
contact us for any card purchases and additions. All cards must be added or
changed by authorized service personnel.
USB Card Addition. For customers who do not have the USB Card, and want
to add it, you can purchase the card and installation from us. Contact info@
schiit.com to order your USB card addition.
Analog and USB Upgrades. We’ll announce selected upgrades when there
have been signicant changes in technology—or, in other words, we won’t
be starting a D/A chip-of-the-month club. If you’d like to be the rst to know
about upgrades as they become available, go to your customer account on
schiit.com and allow us to send you email.

2 USB Input LED.
When this is lit, the USB
input is selected. If you
don’t have a USB card,
you won’t be able to
select this input (it’ll be
skipped.) If you install
a USB Card later, the
Gungnir’s Giga-
Computer Brain™ will
automatically detect the
card and allow you to
select the input. Gungnir
is so smart, it might be
able to beat up your old
TI calculator.
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
balanced DAC
fully upgradable
ADAPTICLOCk™
discrete analog
bal OUT
sE OUTs digital inputs
caution: risk of electric
shock— do not open.
no user serviceable
parts inside
SCH06J
000001
230VAC 20W
FRONT PANEL
1 Input Select.
Press the button to cycle
through the inputs: USB,
Optical, RCA Coaxial,
and BNC. Only one can
be selected at a time,
unless you ordered the
special Reality Distortion
Field™ option. (Not
available anywhere in
this universe, except
perhaps Cupertino.)
3 Optical Input LED.
When this is lit,
the optical input is
selected. Pretty
simple, huh?
4 Coax Input LED.
When this is lit,
the coaxial input is
selected. You probably
already knew this.
5 BNC Input LED.
And...when this is lit,
the BNC input is
selected. Yeah, we
know.
1234 5
6 Clock Mode LED
(aka the “Buy Better
Gear Light.”)
When this LED is on, this
means Gungnir cannot
lock to the source with
VCXO regeneration, and
has defaulted to VCO
regeneration. Don’t
panic. What this means
is you’re still getting
re-clocked data, but
the quality is lower,
because the source is
off-frequency. Time to
look for another source.
7 How Come These
Holes Don’t Go
Through?
Hey, you try getting
FCC-friendly radiated
noise on a DAC that has
vents in the cover. Go
ahead, try. But hey, they
look cool, right?
6
7

NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
balanced DAC
fully upgradable
ADAPTICLOCk™
discrete analog
bal OUT
sE OUTs digital inputs
caution: risk of electric
shock— do not open.
no user serviceable
parts inside
SCH06J
000001
230VAC 20W
2 XLR Balanced
Outputs. If the rest of
your gear is balanced,
use XLR cables to
connect Gungnir to
their inputs from these
outputs.
3 BNC Input. If you have
a source with a BNC
digital output, Gungnir
provides a true 75 ohm
BNC input for highest-
quality data transmission.
Connect this input with a
true 75-ohm BNC cable.
1 RCA Single-Ended
Outputs. If you don’t
have balanced con-
nections, use these to
connect to your amp or
preamp. We’ve provided
two pairs for your
convenience. There’s
no difference between
them.
BACK PANEL
4 Coaxial Input.
Connect your coaxial
output source with . . .
wait for it . . . a coaxial
cable! Very exciting.
5 Optical Input. Use a
standard Toslink cable
to connect to the optical
input. If you’re using an
Apple computer with
integrated optical output,
you’ll need a Toslink with
a 1/8” (3.5mm) plug on
one side, and a standard
Toslink on the other.
6 USB Input. Or not. If
you don’t have the USB
card installed, this input
will be covered. If you
do, use a standard USB
A-B cable to connect.
7 Power Switch. Up
is on. Down is off. It
doesn’t go sideways.
12 3
45
8 AC Input. Plug the
power cord in here. Plug
the other end into a wall
outlet of the correct volt-
age. Trying to run a 115V
unit on 230V will result in
a blown fuse, no music,
and a void warranty.
6
7
8

FAQ
I hear hum from Gungnir. What do I do?
Gungnir’s noise floor is insanely low, so it’s most likely a ground loop.
To fix a ground loop, try a GFCI outlet or a ground loop isolator.
Hey, this thing clicks between songs/between inputs/etc!
Yes, it does.
Care to explain why, smartass?
Sure. That’s the muting relay engaging when there’s no input. Many
computer sources turn off the digital audio output between songs and when
changing sampling rates. We went with a muting relay because it’s the best
way to ensure there are no clicks or pops when the input is unlocked. But it
does click a bit.
It takes a few seconds to change inputs and play music!
Yes, it does. Gungnir is doing a lot when you change inputs. It’s actually
looking at the quality of the input signal and making a decision on which clock
regeneration system to use, as well as which clock frequency is appropriate
to the sampling rate. It’s a hell of a job, so it takes it a few seconds.
What’s better—the balanced or single-ended outputs?
We don’t really have to answer this, do we? While the single-ended outputs
are summed from the hardware-balanced outputs, balanced is the best way
to go. By far.
So when do I get the killer upgrade to the next level from you?
Make sure you’re on the mailing list, and we’ll let you know when we’ve
released new USB or analog boards.
My Windows computer doesn’t see the Gungnir via USB. What’s up?
You’ll need to download the drivers for Bifrost. Go to schiit.com/drivers and
enter your serial number to download them.
How do I install the Windows USB drivers?
Follow the instructions at schiit.com/drivers. To the letter. And pray there’s
no driver conflict. Yes, we love Windows.
I installed the USB drivers, but Windows still doesn’t see the Gungnir!
Microsoft. Microsoft is up. The ways of Microsoft are varied and fickle.
Check for driver conflicts, uninstall and reload the drivers, then email us
and we’ll see if we can help. Note: we can provide only limited support for
Windows installations, due to the wide variety of systems and complex
driver interactions.
There are a hell of a lot of Windows questions here!
Yes, there are.
I don’t get any sound from Gungnir! That’s really zen-like, but it’s not
what I was expecting.
Are your sources on? Check those first. If you’re using a computer source,
ensure that your computer’s sound output is set to go to the Gungnir via
SPDIF or USB.
Can I leave Gungnir on all the time?
Sure, if you want to. It won’t hurt anything.
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 email us if it still doesn’t turn on.

Sampling Rates: up to 24/192 for all inputs; all modes except 176.4 for USB
Analog Stage: fully discrete, JFET differential input, high-current BJT output,
internal summing
Output Impedance: 75 ohms
Frequency Response: 2Hz-100KHz, -1dB (analog stage)
Maximum Output: 4.0VRMS (XLR), 2.0VRMS (RCA)
THD: <0.003%, 20Hz-20KHz
S/N: >108dB referenced to 1VRMS
Upgradability: Modular USB Input Card and DAC/Analog Cards
Power Consumption: 20W
Size: 16 x 8 x 2.25”
Weight: 10 lbs
Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that the product shall be free from defects in
material and workmanship for five (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.
If you believe you need warranty service, CONTACT US first. 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, call [phone] or email [email protected]. We will respond quickly to either
phone or email messages.
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 specific 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, 22508 Market Street, Newhall CA 91321 USA.
5-year limited warranty
SPECS

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
22508 MARKET STREET
NEWHALL, CA 91321 USA
PHONE [phone]
WWW.SCHIIT.COM