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Stjarna

Pure Tube Dual Mono Passive MM/MC Phono Preamp, Forkbeard™-Enabled

Forkbeard
Finish
Voltage (?)
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$1,699.00

Ships 5-7 days

Description

Specs

FAQ

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What if we combined the best technology of yesterday and today to create a cost-no-object phono preamp? You’d end up with Stjarna…100% tube gain, coupled with dead-quiet power supplies, remote control, and app integration that nobody in the tube era could have imagined.
 
Tube Gain for All Turntables
Stjarna gives you up to 60dB of pure tube gain, meaning it has enough gain for both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. What’s more, this gain is completely from the tubes. There are no step-up transformers, JFET pre-preamps, hidden op-amps, cascodes, or other sneaky sand. When you’re listening to Stjarna, you’re listening to tubes. Period.
 
Complete Control with IR or Forkbeard™
Stjarna includes Forkbeard, Schiit’s exclusive multi-product, multi-stack control system. Download the Forkbeard app for complete control and system health visibility. Add additional Forkbeard-enabled products for seamless control. Don’t want to use a phone or tablet? Use the included IR remote instead. 
  • Select input: choose one of two inputs
  • Change gain: choose 40, 48, 55, or 60dB
  • Change resistive loading: Choose 47k, or 10-350 ohms
  • Change capacitive loading: choose 50-400pF
  • Select modes: LF filter, mono mode, and standby mode
Over-the Top Engineering
Stjarna is completely dual mono back to the AC socket—two transformers, one for each channel, two separate discrete-regulated 200V power supplies, two precision-regulated DC heater supplies. Coupled with insane parts quality, including 0.1% resistors and 1% film capacitors, Stjarna delivers incredible performance.
 
Flexibility Without Penalty
Connect up to two turntables and use up to 4 gain levels to accommodate virtually any cartridge, from MM to MC to MI. Add relay-ladder loading for both R and C values, as well as a switchable passive LF filter and mono mode, and Stjarna delivers all the flexibility you need without penalty. 
 
Designed and Built in the USA
By “designed and built in the USA,” this is what we mean: the vast majority of the total production cost of Stjarna—chassis, boards, assembly, etc—goes to US companies manufacturing in the USA. Our chassis, boards, and transformers come from California, and it all comes together in our San Antonio, Texas facility.
 
5-Year Warranty, 15-Day Returns
Stjarna’s warranty that covers parts and labor for 5 years. One exception: the tubes. Those we cover for 3 months. And, if you don’t like Stjarna, you can send it back for a refund, minus 5% restocking fee, within 15 days of receiving it. 

SPECS THAT MATTER

Gain: enough for all turntables, all cartridges 
Noise: low for a tube phono preamp, but noiser than any of our other phono preamps—not surprising for a tube phono preamp, and basically it shouldn’t be disturbing if you understand how phono works and what we’re doing here
Distortion: higher than any of our other phono preamps, but at least 10x lower than any record you'll play 
Heat: gets pretty warm; nothing to worry about, we make stuff that runs waaaaaay hotter for years and years 
Size: big rack-sized product, not desk-friendly—display it proudly!
 
OTHER SPECS
 
Gain: 40dB
THD: <0.16%, ref 2V RMS 
SNR: >82dB, A-weighted, ref 2V RMS 
Crosstalk: -100dB, 20-20kHz
Sensitivity: 2.85mV for 300mV output at 1kHz
 
Gain: 48dB
THD: <0.3%, ref 2V RMS 
SNR: >75dB, A-weighted, ref 2V RMS
Crosstalk: -98dB, 20-20kHz
Sensitivity: 0.9mV for 300mV output at 1kHz
 
Gain: 55dB
THD: <0.4%, ref 2V RMS
SNR: >70dB, A-weighted, ref 2V RMS 
Crosstalk: -95dB, 20-20kHz
Sensitivity: 0.6mV for 300mV output at 1kHz
 
Gain: 60dB
THD: <0.6%, ref 2V RMS
SNR: >68dB, A-weighted, ref 2V RMS
Crosstalk: -84dB, 20-20kHz
Sensitivity: 0.34mV for 300mV output at 1kHz
 
Maximum Output: 30V RMS
 
Overload Margin: >20dB
 
RIAA Accuracy: +/- 0.2dB, 20-20kHz
 
Low Frequency Filter: switchable 2 pole at 15 Hz, fully passive
 
Output Impedance: 10 ohms
 
Input Loading: 10-350 ohms and 47k ohms resistive, and 50-400pF capacitive, switched via Forkbeard, IR remote, or front-panel button.
 
Topology: dual mono, pure Class A triode gain, 2 dual triode 6N1P tubes per channel, passive RIAA, with relay gain, LF filter, and mono switching. Tubes can be swapped with 6922/6DJ8 pinout dual triodes with 600mA of heater current or less.
 
Power Supply: dual mono to the AC inlet, discrete CFP regulated high voltage supplies (200V), precision regulated DC heater supply with Schottky regulators and 44,000uF filter capacitance, standby shutdown for both HV and heater supplies.
 
Power Consumption: 35W 
 
Size: 16 x 8 x 2” (body), 16 x 8 x 3” (including feet and typical tubes)
 
Weight: 10 lbs
 
 

What deal with the elder gods did you make to get 60dB of gain out of four 6922-style triodes?
None. Just competent engineering. 

Nah. I don’t believe it. There must be some hidden sand in there, right?
Nope. All gain is from the triodes alone. Not from hidden JFET pre-amps or cascodes, not from op-amps stuck on the bottom, not from invisible 12AX7s, not from Zebtronian Telepathy or any other magic/counter-factual physics. 
 
So I can run my MC cartridge with 60dB of pure Class A tube gain?
Absolutely!
 
So why didn’t you do this balanced?
Think about what you just asked.
 
Sorry, I can’t think for myself. 
Cool. OK. So, as simply as possible: beyond the inherent equivalent input resistance noise of a tube phono preamp, which will always be much higher than, say, a discrete JFET phono preamp, or one based on op-amps, you have to factor in the noise resistance of the passive RIAA stage, because that’s how we do things, and tubes can’t exactly push a bunch of amps of current through a low-impedance passive RIAA, and when you go balanced that means you’re looking at 6dB more noise on top of that, so you’d really never go balanced on a tube phono preamp, unless maybe you can do something massively parallel, with like 8 input tubes, so you’re talking a much bigger, hotter, wayyyyyy more expensive phono preamp, so we didn’t do that.
 
Ok then. Can you simplify?
Can you download an electronics engineering education into your brain like in the Matrix?
 
But I want a completely balanced system! How do I connect this?
You connect it to the single-ended input of literally any one of our line preamps. They’re all inherently differential, so they give you proper balanced, differential output without any “conversion” op-amp trickery.
 
What if I don’t have one of your preamps?
Well, then maybe you should get one.
 
Sigh. Gotcha. So how does Stjarna compare to (this one tube phono preamp that costs 20x as much)?
It’s 1/20 the price. 
 
Give me more.
So you can buy 20 of them if you’re serious about this comparison. Or you can just be happy that Stjarna is semi-affordable because it doesn’t have a chassis milled from a solid block of aluminum or hand-assembled-by-happy-elves point-to-point wiring—you know, stuff that does nothing for the sound, but looks cool. You can also be thrilled Stjarna comes with a remote control…and also Forkbeard, the most advanced remote control on the planet.
 
“The most advanced remote control on the planet” is a bit of hype, is it not?
No. It’s the only multi-device, multi-system, modular remote control out there. It gives you total control of everything Stjarna does. In conjunction with other Schiit products, it provides capabilities that nobody else offers (even at car- or house-like prices).
 
Well, I don’t have an iPhone, I don’t want to use this. 
Cool, you can use it with your iPad.
 
Sniff. I don’t do Apple.
Nothing wrong with that. You’ll just have to wait for Android, which we’re shooting for summer 2025. Or you can pick up a cheap iPad and use it now. Up to you.
 
Why so long?
Do you want this like the Apple of old, where everything works and makes sense, or today’s Apple?
 
Whoo! Snarky! 
Snark or truth, snark or truth?
 
This thing seems like an insane value—how do you do it?
Simple: by making a lot of them, and by being decent at production engineering. We actively shoot for not spending all the money on the chassis, or on labor. We make things that are easy to make. So that passes on to you.
 
I must be missing something, Can you break Stjarna down for me, and go through how it’s unique and cool?
Sure, let’s go through the claims.
  • Class A. Not really a brag, just a fact. A non Class-A preamp would be weird.
  • Pure triode. All the gain in Stjarna is from tubes—in this case, 4 6N1P triodes.
  • Dual mono. Stjarna is really dual mono, right back to the dual transformers. Nothing is shared between channels.
  • Passive RIAA. Stjarna doesn’t use feedback RIAA—it’s 100% passive. 
  • Discrete regulated high voltage rails. Stjarna runs a proper 200V rail for the tubes.
  • DC regulated heaters. Stjarna’s heaters aren’t just DC—they are DC regulated, for absolutely lowest noise floor. 
  • Relay switching, gain, and loading. There are no electronic switches or other shortcuts in the signal path. All input switching, gain switching, and loading are done by precision relays, controlled by a microprocessor running custom firmware. 
  • Uber-quiet power supply and microprocessor. The power supply is discrete regulated for extremely low noise, and the microprocessor itself sleeps between commands, its clock turned off to eliminate any potential interference.
  • Remote control via IR or Bluetooth. Whether you use the included IR remote or Forkbeard app, you have complete control from your chair. No need to get up to change gain, loading, input, LF filtering, or mono switching.
What happens when the tubes go bad?
You replace them. We sell a matched, noise-tested set of replacement tubes for $80. Or you can get them pretty much anywhere
 
What if I want to try different tubes?
Sure, knock yourself out. Well, within reason. Stjarna was designed for tubes conforming to a 6922/6DJ8 pinout with 600mA or less heaters. If you want to play around with 396As or similar, you’ll need an adapter. If you try 6N6Ps, you’ll go overcurrent. If you go nuts and cobble together something that looks like a Robbie the Robot Christmas tree, you may run into all sorts of problems (which means the protection will kick in and Stjarna will shut down.)
 
What happens to the tubes in Standby?
Nothing. Literally. Both the high-voltage and heater power supplies shut down. The only thing running is the microprocessor, patiently* waiting for you to wake it up again. So, in Standby, Stjarna is effectively “off.”
 
*We don’t actually know if it’s patient, or if that word even applies. However, as we rocket forward into an AI future, we thought it would be good to start thinking about the feelings of machines.
 
How does Stjarna compare to Skoll?
They’re really two different things. Both are great phono preamps. One’s a whole heckuva lot less expensive, has more gain options, and is way quieter. Your choice. 

How does the subsonic filter work?
If you notice the woofers “pumping,” as in, moving in and out very slowly, when you play records, you may need to use the subsonic filter to cut down on the extreme low frequency response. It is a totally passive filter that is integral to the gain stage (it actually switches the coupling capacitors to lower values, which acts as a filter), so it’s very transparent.
 
How does the mono switch work?
If you’re playing older mono records, you can switch Stjarna to mono, which combines the output of the left and right channel at the RIAA stage. In this mode, Stjarna will output the same thing from the left and right outputs, and can be fed from stereo RCAs, or a single RCA if you’d like.
 
I don’t understand all the settings.
That’s all right. For most systems, you’ll be running typical “moving magnet” settings—as in, 47k/50p loading, lowest gain. Turn on the LF filter if you notice your woofers moving slowly in and out due to warped records or platter wobble. That’s it. When and if you change to a moving coil cartridge, you can experiment with loading and gain settings from the comfort of your chair. You can’t hurt anything by changing loading (though some may sound better than others), and, as long as you step through the gains one at a time, you can’t hurt anything there either. Feel free to experiment and find the best results! 
 
What is Stjarna?
Stjarna is the old Norse word for “star.” 
 
Wait, what? Stjarna isn’t a Norse goddess or some such? 
Nope! But it does work with the overall “solar system” theme of our phono products, doesn’t it? And if the departure from our typical naming convention bothers you overmuch, relax. Life is too short to worry about things like this. 

Stjarna Manual