Фонокорректоры — Schiit Audio SKOLL F

The Skoll F is a phono preamplifier from Schiit Audio, designed and built in the USA. The chassis is made in California, the circuit boards come from California or Utah, and final assembly takes place in Corpus Christi, Texas. The list price is USD 399 and the unit carries a two-year limited warranty covering parts and labour, with a 15-day return window.

Key specs that matter

Gain is selectable at 40, 50, 60 or 70 dB. Resistive loading offers 47 kilohm, 10, 50, 100 or 150 ohm, and capacitive loading offers 50, 100, 150 or 200 pF. At 40 dB, distortion is below 0.006%, signal to noise ratio exceeds 102 dB A-weighted and crosstalk is minus 100 dB. At 70 dB, distortion is below 0.06%, signal to noise ratio exceeds 70 dB A-weighted, and crosstalk is minus 84 dB. RIAA accuracy is within 0.15 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Maximum output is 20 V RMS balanced and 10 V RMS single-ended, overload margin is above 20 dB and output impedance is 10 ohm. The case measures 229 x 152 x 38 mm, weighs 0.9 kg and draws 7 W from an external 24 and 6 V AC wall transformer.

Engineering and use context

Schiit calls the topology Equipoise, a balanced, differential and fully discrete Class A circuit with zero feedback and no op-amps. The passive RIAA network uses 0.1% thin-film resistors and 1 to 2% film capacitors. The gain stages use a compound JFET and BJT pair running on 64 V rails. The supply is dual-filtered and regulated, with plus 45 V and minus 19 V rails, plus 5 V and 3.3 V for the microprocessor and relays. The microprocessor runs custom firmware and switches itself off when not in use, which Schiit says minimises noise and interference. Gain, loading and input selection are switched by relays and can be changed from the front panel, the supplied infrared remote or the Forkbeard app. A switchable passive two-pole low-frequency filter at 15 Hz is included.

Pairing

Both inputs and outputs are available as balanced XLR or single-ended RCA, with no performance penalty for either. The two relay-switched inputs allow two turntables to stay connected. The low-frequency filter acts only on the XLR outputs, so an amplifier fed through RCA receives the unfiltered signal. At its highest gain setting the unit reaches 300 mV output from a cartridge delivering 0.09 mV, and at the lowest setting it needs 2.85 mV for the same level.

Alternatives

The Schiit Mani 2 is the entry-level phono preamplifier in the current Schiit range.