Short answer
Both are desktop amplifiers, $2395 against $1499.
The Schiit Ragnarok 2 reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here, the Bryston BHA-1 on 566.
| Specification | Bryston BHA-1 | Schiit Ragnarok 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 500 mW | 6.0 W |
| Power into 150Ω | 358 mW | 1.3 W |
| Power into 300Ω | 445 mW | 625 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 667 mW | 313 mW |
| Output impedance | not published | 0.1 Ω unverified |
| Output noise | not published | 1.5 µV unverified |
| Price | $2395 | $1499 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 567 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Bryston BHA-1 | Schiit Ragnarok 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | balanced | XLR4 |
| Power into 32Ω | 500 mW | 24.0 W |
| Power into 300Ω | 445 mW derived | 2.5 W derived |
| Output impedance | not published | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 567 |
Through the balanced sockets the Schiit Ragnarok 2 reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here and the Bryston BHA-1 on 566. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | Bryston BHA-1 | Schiit Ragnarok 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Published | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. Bryston BHA-1 publishes at 32 Ω and at 600 Ω; Schiit Ragnarok 2 at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 600 Ω only the Bryston BHA-1 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
1 headphone reaches 100 dB on the Schiit Ragnarok 2 but not on the Bryston BHA-1 — Symphonium Titan.
566 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Shure SE846: Schiit Ragnarok 2 has +46 dB of headroom there against +35 dB. 11 dB is about 12 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for Bryston BHA-1 and Schiit Ragnarok 2 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Bryston BHA-1 headroom | Schiit Ragnarok 2 headroom | Bryston BHA-1 hiss | Schiit Ragnarok 2 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +35 dB | +46 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | +26 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +27 dB | +35 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +28 dB | +31 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +17 dB | +28 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +26 dB | +24 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +18 dB | +20 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +9 dB | +18 dB | not published | not published |
The Bryston BHA-1 costs $896 more than the Schiit Ragnarok 2, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the Bryston BHA-1 handles and the Schiit Ragnarok 2 does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper Schiit Ragnarok 2 drives one model to 100 dB that the Bryston BHA-1 does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Bryston BHA-1 and Schiit Ragnarok 2.