Analog Gear News

It’s time to get into some really good. . . stuff. And what I mean by that is, it’s time to see what the mighty amp manufacturer Schiit Audio has been up to of late — and we’re happy to report that the 15-year-old company has just dropped a new phono preamp, the Stjarna, for us to, er, dig into.

According to Schiit, the Stjarna phono preamp offers up to 60dB of pure Class A triode tube gain, meaning that it has enough gain for both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. Schiit adds that said gain is “completely from the tubes” — i.e., there are no step-up transformers, JFET pre-preamps, or hidden op-amps involved. Furthermore, the Stjarna can handle up to two turntables, and the unit uses up to four gain levels to accommodate virtually any cartridge, from MM to MC to MI.

There are two dual triode 6N1P tubes per channel, and the tubes be swapped with 6922/6DJ8 pinout dual triodes with 600mA of heater current, or less. The Stjarna phono preamp is completely dual mono back to the AC socket, and it boasts two transformers, one for each channel, along with two separate discrete-regulated 200V power supplies and two precision-regulated DC heater supplies. Schiit further confirms that the chassis, boards, and transformers come from California, and the product builds all come together in their facility in San Antonio, Texas.

Additional specs for the Stjarna include gain selection options of 40, 48, 55, or 60dB; resistive loading options of 47kohms or 10-350ohms; capacitive loading options between 50-400pF; and mode options of LF filter, mono, and standby. Maximum output is given as 30VRMS, overload margin as >20dB, RIAA accuracy as 20-20kHz ±0.2dB, switchable two-pole low frequency filter as 15 Hz (fully passive), output impedance as 10ohms, input loading as 10-350ohms (47kohms resistive, 50-400pF capacitive). All of the above switchable options can be facilitated by way of the company’s Forkbeard multi-product/multi-stack control system (which can also be accessed via the downloadable app), the included IR remote, or the unit’s front-panel buttons.

As for the power supply, that is given as being dual mono to the AC inlet, with discrete CFP regulated high-voltage supplies (200V), a precision-regulated DC heater supply with Schottky regulators and 44,000uF filter capacitance, and standby shutdown for both HV and heater supplies. Power consumption is given as 35W.

The dimensions of the Stjarna phono preamp are 16 x 2 x 8in for the body (w/h/d), or 16 x 3 x 8in when including the feet and typical tubes (also w/h/d). The unit weights 10lb.

Schiit notes that the Stjarna’s warranty covers parts and labor for 5 years with one exception — the tubes, which are covered for 3 months. If you want to return the Stjarna for any reason, you can send it back to Schiit for a refund, minus a 5% restocking fee, within 15 days of receiving it.

Finally, the SRP for the Schiit Audio Stjarna phono preamp is $1,699. It can be ordered directly from Schiit Audio if you’re in the U.S., or via the international distributor link below if you’re across the Pond, and beyond.

For more on Schiit Audio, go here.
To find an authorized international Schiit Audio distributors, go here.