SCHIIT FOLKVANGR Headphone Amplifier and Preamplifier Owner’s Manual

: June 5, 2024
: SCHIIT

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
GETTING STARTED
- TUBE REPLACEMENT
CONTROLS
CONNECTIONS
FAQ
5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

SCHIIT FOLKVANGR Headphone Amplifier and Preamplifier

INTRODUCTION

Folkvangr is a completely bonkers, OTL and OCL tube amp. OTL is “output transformerless,” and OCL is “output capacitorless,” which means you’re connecting your headphones directly to the tube cathodes (and anodes, it’s a White cathode follower topology). Yes. This is a DCcoupled tube amp. Oh, and it has an impedance multiplier, because despite the myriad of tubes and exceptional heat output, it’s really not that powerful. Yes, we are completely nuts. No, we don’t recommend it for IEMs. What are you, crazy?

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

(1) Folkvangr
(1) Power cord
(2) 6N1P input tubes
(8) 6N6P output tubes

| 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!
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If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualified professional to help.
Never use this device near water, and clean only with a dry cloth.
Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings, or place near heat sources.
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.
To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
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.
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GETTING STARTED

CAUTION! Dangerous voltages inside.

Before plugging in the amplifier, insert the tubes. The two short tubes go in the front. The 8 long tubes go in the back.
Ensure tubes are well-seated. Align carefully and push down gently until seated.
Connect your system. Connect up to 2 sources, headphones, and preamp outputs.
Plug in your amplifier and turn it on. The tubes will glow after a few seconds. When everything is fine DC-wise, the headphones and preamp outputs will engage with a click.

TUBE REPLACEMENT

When it’s time to replace the tubes, or when you want to “roll” tubes for different sound, follow this procedure cafefully:

Turn off and unplug the amplifier. Wait until the white LED on the front is completely off and tubes are cool before proceeding.
Carefully extract tubes by gently rocking them back and forth and pulling upwards.
Carefully insert the replacement tubes: replace tubes with the same types (short = 6N1P, tall = 6N6P.) Align the pins to the sockets and press down gently until the tubes are seated. You may also “roll” the 6N1Ps for 6DJ8, 6BZ7, 6922, ECC88, or similar tubes.
Plug the amplifier back in and turn it on. After the tubes warm up and the DC operating conditions have stabilized, the headphone and preamp outputs will engage with a click.

CONTROLS

Volume Knob. Turn it to the right to make the music louder. Stop before the pain starts.
Input Select Switch. Up for Input 1, down for Input 2. Simple enough, right?
Gain Switch. Up for high gain, down for low gain. High gain provides more voltage output for high-impedance headphones. Low provides lower output impedance for low-impedance headphones.
Impedance Multiplier Switch. Up engages the impedance multiplier, down takes it completely out of the circuit. Use the impedance multiplier to make a 32-ohm headphone look like a 300ohm headphone to the amp, by sharing output with a separate, integrated, solid-state stage. This allows you to run more difficult-to-drive headphones.
Headphone Jack. Plug your headphones in here. Please note we do not recommend the use of IEMs with this amplifier, and TRRS-terminated headphones (headphones with integrated microphones) may cause operational problems.

CONNECTIONS

RCA Input #1. Connect to a music source here (you know, like a DAC, analog output from a streamer, CD player, cassette, 8-track, phono preamp, etc.
RCA Input #2. Connect to another source here. You can even use fancy cables if you like.
Preamp Outputs. Connect to powered monitors or a speaker amp. Please note that preamp outouts are muted when headphones are plugged in. Also, even though this amp uses a fast turn-off AC detect circuit to minimize transients, a minor click or pop may be heard when switching off the product.
Power Switch. Left is on, right is off. At least if you’re facing the amp. We recommend you turn off the amp when not in use. You may use a remote controlled plug if you don’t want to reach behind the amplifier to turn it off.
AC Input. Plug the power cord in here. Plug the other end into an outlet of the correct voltage. A spare fuse is located in the holder above the power cord socket.

FAQ

I hear hum through the headphones, what do I do to fix it?
You may have a ground loop. To fix a ground loop, try a ground loop isolator or an EbTech HumX. If it’s low-level hum and noise, you can use low gain to reduce it.

What tubes can I use in place of the stock 6N6P output tubes?
In short, not much. 6N30P will also work. JJ ECC99s do not work, despite what you may have heard–they have the wrong pinout. However, if you’re willing to have lower power output, 6N1P or any dual triode tube with 6DJ8-style pinout and 6.3V heaters will work fine, as long as they don’t need more than 750mA of heater current.

What can I use instead of the stock 6N1P input tubes?
Any 6DJ8-pinout dual triode with 6.3V heaters at 600mA or lower heater current will be fine–this includes 6DJ8, 6922, ECC88, 6BZ7, etc.

Can I leave Folkvangr on all the time?
You can, but it will significantly shorten your tubes’ effective lifespan (5,000 hours is about 200 days). For best life, we recommend you turn the amplifier off when you’re not going to use it for more than an hour.

Hey, this thing runs hot!
Yes it does. With the stock tubes, Folkvangr dissipates almost 100W at idle. It won’t be winning any efficiency contests.

It seems like it’s too hot!
All components used in Folkvangr are rated to last well past the 5-year warranty period at its operating temperature. However, it is designed for use in air conditioned homes. If your home is over 80 degrees F ambient, you may need some additional cooling.

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.

5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for five (5) years from the date of purchase. If a defect covered by this warranty occurs during this period, Schiit Audio will repair the defective product, free of charge. Date of purchase will be based on customer receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing will be used.

This warranty does not cover tubes, which are separate devices that we do not manufacture. Tubes are covered separately by a 90-day warranty.

If you believe you need warranty service, contact us first. 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 info@schiit.com.

Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is modified or tampered with; (b) is damaged by negligence, accident, unreasonable use, or other causes unrelated to defective materials or workmanship, or (c) has had the serial number altered or removed.

Any implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are hereby limited in duration to the warranty period of 5 years. In no event shall Schiit Audio be liable for consequential or incidental damages resulting from the breach of any implied or expressed warranties. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply to you. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or province to province.

| This product is in compliance with standards and regulations of the European Community
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