The American company Schiit Audio introduced the Skoll phono preamplifier with fully balanced circuitry and balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs. The Schiit Skoll phono stage is built entirely on discrete elements without the use of operational amplifiers.
Schiit Skoll
All component settings are controlled by a microprocessor using electromagnetic relays. In this case, if no control actions occur, the microprocessor goes into sleep mode, minimizing interference to the signal path. For moving coil (MC) cartridges, you can set the resistance (10, 50, 100, 150 ohms or 47 kohms) and the capacitance – 47, 100, 150 or 200 pF. Moreover, you can do this even from the remote control!
The Schiit Skoll phono stage does not use feedback and uses completely passive RIAA correction, which, as the manufacturer claims, is more accurate than that of the younger Mani 2 model, which uses an operational amplifier. The new product uses an external linear power supply with an output voltage of 24 V.
The Schiit Skoll phono stage is manufactured at the Schiit Audio factory in Corpus Christi, Texas. The new product will go on sale in early November at a suggested retail price of $399
