Introducing Syn, the Surround DAC/Preamp and Headphone Amp

March 28, 2023, Corpus Christi, TX. Today, Schiit Audio announced its first venture into surround sound, Syn. Syn is a compact, universal, standards-free device that is at home in a media room, a stereo listening environment, or on a desktop. It provides surround output from any input source, as well as remote-controlled DAC and preamp functionality. A powerful discrete headphone amp with crossfeed-like processing and microphone input for gaming is also standard. Syn is available now at schiit-europe.com

“Syn supports no surround standards,” said Jason Stoddard, Schiit Audio’s co-founder and head of analog development. “But by supporting no standards, it works with everything. Plug in optical from any smart TV, or give it a 1958 stereo recording from vinyl, and it works. Also, since we don’t support any standards, you don’t have to worry about Syn going obsolete when standards change.”

From any stereo optical digital input, USB digital input, or analog input, Syn uses analog processing to create all the channels needed for a typical surround setup: main left and right, surround left and right, center, and subwoofer.

Proprietary controls allow Syn’s output to be optimized easily and quickly for most systems: Width helps solidify the center image for home theater use, or helps move the image out of your head when using headphones. Presence allows for a more seamless blend of center and mains, and helps tame forward vocal mixes.

“Syn also allows you to leave the main channels untouched,” Jason added. “If you want, you can simply add channels, with no processing of the mains. This is especially useful if you want to use Syn for stereo listening, where you want maximum transparency, but would also like to decode the natural ambience.”

Syn also offers more than surround functionality. It is also a capable DAC with optical and USB inputs, a remote-controlled preamplifier with a discrete main gain stage, and a powerful discrete headphone amplifier. It even has an input for an electret microphone for gaming applications.

Syn is what Schiit Audio calls “The Unifier,” because it brings everything together:

• Surround. For people looking for surround in their living room, media room, or home theater, Syn delivers universal matrix surround that is easy to use, works with everything, and won’t go obsolete.
• Gaming. For those looking to extend their gaming desktop to surround, do gaming on the big screen, want an exceptionally focused headphone experience, and the capability to use electret microphones, Syn delivers on all counts.
• Headphones. For customers wanting an all-in-one headphone amp and DAC that has special processing capabilities for headphones—that can go far, far beyond the desktop in the future—Syn provides both great digital and discrete analog performance.
• Music. For people looking for an inexpensive remote preamp/DAC—that can do a lot more —Syn is a really mind-expanding option.

Syn is the culmination of many years of experience with surround, starting with Mike Moffat’s former company, Angstrom, in the 1990s. Both Mike and Jason became disillusioned with the complexity and the upgrade cycle of traditional standards-based surround, and decided to produce Syn as an inexpensive and easy-to-use alternative.

Syn is available now at schiit-europe.com

About Schiit Audio
Founded in 2010 by Jason Stoddard and Mike Moffat, Schiit has grown into a leader in affordable high-end audio, with a wide range of products spanning DACs, headphone amplifiers, and preamplifiers.