A lot of audiophiles roll their eyes at equalizers in the context of a high-end audio systems but not us. Schiit Audio has been offering their best-selling Loki for years and we found a lot to like when we reviewed the most recent version called the Loki Mini+. The brand new Schiit Audio Loki Max EQ has been introduced and it is quite the step-up from the previous model.
Our community preaches keeping the signal path as short as possible; a practice that I agree with, but there is a dogmatic rigidity in regard to tone control that makes very little sense. Cables are a form of tone control. If that were not the case, we would find the most neutral sounding cables we could source for $50 and call it a day.
Designed with 6 knobs of adjustable EQ, the Loki Max also comes with a remote control for adjustments on the fly.
One big change — if you were expecting something in the range of $500 or so…not this time. Keep reading.
“Loki Max is the top of our range of tone controls that includes Loki Mini+, Lokius, and Loki Max. It’s the result of 5 years of development, and it’s aiming at being one of the best EQs made, ever. Yes, even when compared to (80s car-priced EQ redacted.)”Jason Stoddard, Schiit Audio
Featuring remote control with relay potentiometers, a pure inductor-capacitor topology, and fully discrete design with high voltage power supply, Loki Max has the pedigree to be one of the best EQs, ever.
The Schiit Audio Loki Max is available today for $1499 at schiit.com.
“Loki Max is the completion of our family of tone control products,” said Jason Stoddard, Schiit Audio’s Co-founder. “It’s the cost-no-object, completely-bonkers, super-high-end version, intended to stand with the best of the high-end equalizers. It is the only relay-ladder-potentiometer, remote-control, all-discrete, LC-filter equalizer on the market today.”
Loki Max offers full remote control so owners can adjust their system to their precise sonic preferences from the comfort of their listening chair. They can also define preset equalization profiles for their particular system or recordings, and access them from the remote control.
The supplied milled-aluminum handheld remote allows direct access to all 6 frequency bands, input select, bypass, and presets.
This remote control turns motorized potentiometers that indicate the position of the adjustments, but the actual potentiometers used in Loki Max are far more sophisticated.
Each band uses a bank of 10 relays to create 31 precision matched steps per channel, for a perfect “zero” level, and 15 selectable levels of boost or cut. These relay potentiometers are far more complex than relay attenuators, and require custom firmware and microprocessor control.
Loki Max also goes all-out in terms of filtering. It is a 100% inductor-capacitor (LC) filtered, variable Q equalizer, including 4 custom 80% nickel-core inductors made specifically for Schiit.
LC filtering eliminates the need for a gain stage per band, allowing Loki Max to use a single, discrete, current-feedback gain stage, driven by a two-stage, load-invariant “superbuffer” for a simple signal path and extremely low noise floor. Loki Max is also fully discrete, from input summers to output Nexus™ differential stage.
For power, Loki Max includes an internal linear supply with 48VA transformer and quad voltage rails of +/-16V and +/-32V, each dual-regulated for very low noise. A separate high-current 5V supply drives the microprocessor and 72 relays.
“Despite these heroic specs and unique capabilities, Loki Max is still priced within reach of many audiophiles,” said Jason. “We are proud of being able to production-engineer such a unique product and produce it without a car-like price tag—and to make it here in the USA.”
Loki Max was designed and built in California, with the vast majority of cost going to US companies making parts in the USA. Schiit’s chassis, transformers, inductors, and PCBs for Loki Max are all made in California. Schiit maintains production facilities in Valencia, CA and Corpus Christi, TX.
The Loki Max is available to purchase at schiit.com today for $1,499.
Related reading: Schiit Audio Loki Mini+ Review
Mike Cornell
December 2, 2021 at 10:17 pm
Pretty cool! I have the original Loki…this obviously takes it to a whole new level. The only thing it’s missing is a ‘loudness compensation ‘ button, though I suppose you could roll your own loudness compensation curve an save it in the presets!
Ian White
December 2, 2021 at 10:40 pm
Mike,
Right? I’d love to try this from a recording/editing suite perspective.
Ian
Michael Wright
January 23, 2022 at 4:10 am
Will we see this in Silver? I’m in, but only in Silver.