Schiit Vidar vs. Emotiva XPA Gen 3 - Amp Battle!

[@cheapaudioman]

Schiit Vidar bit.ly/3kUrzdD ==============Emotiva XPA Gen 3 Two Channel Amplifier bit.ly/3nVFO4O Wharfedale Evo 4.1 www.wharfedaleusa.com?sca_ref=582904.nfUgrqsNGJ ------------JBL Stage A130 amzn.to/3zmSm7G +++++++++++++Bluesound Node amzn.to/3km2Orx ;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;::::::::::::::::Amazon Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9

[@xxgamerxxchrischris2325]

hi i was wondering what do you think will improve the sound quality of music?

[@geevee1045]

I believe the Emotiva XPA Gen 3 is a Class H amp, and Not Class AB.

[@ilyamuromec2867]

What do you think about this combination of Emotiva TA1 integrated pre-amp with Vidar amp to power Mangapan LRS plus speakers?

[@decoryder]

The Emotiva is a class A/B amp with a Class H switching power supply. This design is wickedly smart, since it allows the Emotiva to ramp up power much quicker and more efficiently than 'traditional' class A/B designs, and I in terms of current production line amps I think it's unique to Emotiva. I own the Vidar and love it, but if I'd do this again I'd buy the Emotiva for the wickedly smart design.

[@jimhamlin6551]

ToneWinner who use to build Emotiva uses same design I just got a 7300 amp from them and its the best i have heard for awhile

[@tomdavis6371]

I own the Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2 which puts out 300 WPC into 8 ohms. With the Gen 3 Emotiva went modular in order to give consumers the option of buying two, three, five, seven or more modules for additional channels. The Gen 2 has a great big toroidal power transformer and while the chassis is the same size the weight is greatly increased. The Gen 2 weighs seventy-five pounds and is a drag to carry up and down stairs. I've never owned any Schiit products but they are well received by those who own them. I'm sixty years old now and if I had it to do all over I might choose the Vidar over the Emotiva solely due to the weight. It sounds great to my ears but it's SO darn big and heavy. It certainly has more than ample power to light up my vintage KEF Reference Floorstanders and rattle the windows.

[@SantanKGhey1234]

I had two Gen 1s... XPA2... That was the best built Emotiva amp... After that sound quality went down going to a switch mode power supply, then modular...

[@carlsitler9071]

Yes, I'm less than a year from 60 and moving heavy stuff is getting to be a drag.

[@roberttroxell4006]

Why not just find a place and leave it? That is what I do with my Parasound amp that weighs 60-some lbs. I’m 66 and don’t want to carry that around.

[@RennieAsh]

I have a heavy amp and it stays where it is lol. Weighs half of me

[@tomdavis6371]

@@RennieAsh Mine stays where it is, too. I just dust around it! LOL

[@NeilBlanchard]

Excellent comparison and review - in a world of mostly Class D amps, it is good to have top notch Class A/B amps to choose from! Slight clarification - the Schiit Vidar has a "conventional" laminated core power supply transformer, and is a linear power supply, with "classic" regulation and noise filtering. From what you say about the Emotiva XPA Gen 3, about it having a switching power supply, means that it has a foot in the Class D world on the power supply, but uses Class A/B amp stages.

[@dsonyay]

I have the gen3 XPA as well. Bought for 600 from a reviewer who lives near me,, he had it for a review, liked it so much he bought it.. and then at some point he bought the little class d monoblocks that came out.. ao I bought the xpa. That was a great buy. I added the matching preamp around the same time and am gery happy with the result

[@scottbaylor6215]

Great review as always as both of these manufacturers are on my one-and-done list. It would be cool to see a full Schitt and Emotiva setup (Schitt for example with Loki, Vidar, Freya and Bifrost) Emotiva, with it's other components to see how they would compare on the whole. I'm a rather loyal person so usually, I like to stick with the family of products. ;-)

[@SasanCooper]

Great video! I was choosing between Vidar and BasX A2 and gotta go with Vidar although Vidar has less power and is more expensive. I really like Schiit Audio. Have their Fulla and love it.

[@khalid969]

I have seen many reviews and read many user testimonials of the Emotiva XPA Gen 3. Everyone agrees that they are too bright and should be paired with warm sounding speakers. You are the only one who says the absolute opposite!!

[@cheapaudioman]

I just report what I hear. I thought the Vidar had more going on top

[@michaelkaiser5994]

I use an Emotiva XPA 3 2nd gen with Monitor Audio Gold GX and it sounds great!!

[@PhilipBallGarry]

Regarding linear vs switched mode power supplies - both have their various benefits and drawbacks. A linear psu is always going to be inefficient as it needs to be able to deliver full power including transients at all times (think of your car at constant full throttle). Hence the huge toroidal transformer. Which means a lot of unused power is wasted. But they are inherantly clean. Switched mode psu 's by their very nature are noisy (but this can be filtered with careful design). But they operate at much higher frequencies and are therefore a lot more effecient. They can idle or provide full power instantaneously as required (think of your car being revved) and if well designed can follow musical transients without issue.

[@wontonzilla]

I'm also raising my hand to see a video comparing the vidar and A2. The cost of them are more in my budget. Thanks Randy👍!

[@odwatchguy]

Thanks Randy for the great comparison of these heavy hitters. Your right that most people won't have both to do a direct comparison in home and having this information is helpful. I think the Emotiva's ability to have multiple channels makes it a great option for 2 channel with a home theatre option. The Vidar is a looks great, looks like a fun size next to king size candy bar.

[@shanegahan4341]

I love the Yamaha amp in the background...I have a CR-1000...beautiful sounding amps..

[@rjzlwop3153]

A fantastic Monday morning to you I hope this video was placed after the aircraft had its little accident yesterday, and you and your family are doing safe keep up the great work buddy

[@jackstraw1756]

I’d love to see a comparison between the HC1 Monoblocks vs the Vidars in a mono block setup.

[@AndyBHome]

I find tubes produce a softer "warmer" pizza crust than solid state. If I'm eating a pizza that leans toward the softer fluffier crust I like to go solid state to bring out the crispiness and "bright' crust that it may otherwise lack. Being serious for a moment, I have a BasX amp and it DOES have a toroidal transformer. I really like it. It's a much less expensive unit so it's interesting that it has the traditional heavy power regulator while the higher end unit has the new switching type of supply.

[@mattbyrnes4171]

Funny enough, I actually own both these amps! I've never compared them, but I've been really happy with both. Went from a Schiit Saga/Mimby/Vidar to Emotiva TA-100/Denafrips Ares II/XPA-2 GEN 3 setup. Schiit gear is currently in a closet, but I should be moving next year, where it'll be setup once again. TA-100 will be retired, once the Onkyo RZ-50 I pre-ordered finally delivers. Should be next month. I cannot wait to see what Dirac can do!

[@stevezeidman7224]

Super review and description as usual. Both products would be great. The Emotiva looks like it was manufactured by Sith audio. Large and hulking. A particle ray emitter maybe?

[@cheapaudioman]

We will never know

[@JR-ho5qm]

Thanks for the review, I was hoping you would throw the Emotiva A2 into the mix but I can understand we’re that would smear the review up and likely become hard to explain differences

[@cheapaudioman]

I’m going to compare the A2 and the XPA for sure and maybe the Vidar as well.

[@davidlowland4618]

@@cheapaudioman Please include the Vidar with the A2 comparison.

[@guystewart9554]

on the subject of doing it cheap, I just realized that cd recorders often have an optical and digital input on the back. connected one off eBay (£50) as a dac, sounds great.

[@TylerStout]

Emotiva and Monoprice are the value kings if we are talking Watts/$ imo. Monoprice Monolith stuff is made by ATI. For me I'm only really interested in 3 channel amps because my center needs good juice too considering it's doing all the heavy lifting during a movie. I think the Emotiva A2 and Vidar is a more fair comparison.

[@michaelkaiser5994]

I agree. Have the Emo XPA 3 2gen. Use it the same way for surround and 2 channel.

[@welderfixer]

I sure wish that you still had the big Klipsch speakers to play these amps with. I bet that would be heart warming and soul soothing with some well recorded Blues or smooth jazz.

[@FlyGuy457]

Man am I glad to see you on today.

[@dougg1075]

Loved the video. Let us know about the latest vintage acquisition also:) No brainer for me.. I love the Schiit

[@peterdesmidt8742]

I run Maggie LRSs with an Adcom GFA535II. It works great. The combo plays clean louder than I'd want to listen. I estimate that I'm getting about 100 watts per channel at 4 ohms.

[@josephmartin8630]

just my opinion, but I think you're getting out of the "cheap audio". I understand that there are only so many products that sound decent under a thousand bucks, and you are a reviewer. One of my favorites!!! I have a lot of background in hi end audio for years. Got out of it for 10 years, now getting updated, especially from you. KEEP GIVING YOUR OPINIONS TRUTHFULLY!!!! GOD BLESS YOU

[@progqueen6219]

Hm, a valid point, though I have a different opinion. He does state more than once (especially in the Schiit Vidar video) that this will for most people be an end game amp, and that is 100% true for me, and something I'm saving up to buy eventually :)

[@astroporpoise7802]

Just found your channel! Your no-nonsense approach is very much appreciated. Keep it up! Oh, and I love the In Utero poster! Now I'm feeling like watching their Unplugged concert tonight :)

[@PhilipBallGarry]

Hey "Cheapaudiman", I've just found your channel and like it very much 👍. As we might say here in the UK - it's jolly good or spiffing. Seriously though, I do like your presentation style, it's far less stuffy than most. You cover a wide degree of audio from all the various sources, through amplifiers to speakers and headphones. From budget to not so budget. I've subscribed 👍 And look forward to your reviews which make excellent bedtime viewing with which to unwind after a busy day. Cheers!

[@ginom407]

There's a Vidar in my future! (Provided I don't destract myself with something else...) Great Review! 👍👍👍

[@traditional50shightech30]

Great Review , I love the comparison videos!

[@ben23a31]

Randy, I get it. When doing a review tone controls are set to "0/flat". However, many of us in the real world like to tinker and go plus or minus on the tone controls to compensate sound to our liking and most of the time b/c of the speakers we have. Point I'm making is when a component is deemed "thicker" in sound or "leaner" , e.g. the comparison in this review. As an aside why don't more reviewers point out the subtleties when/if making tone adjustments to get a more balanced sound? Front end equipment are sort of like Speakers and T.V.'s. Who pulls it them straight out of the box and doesn't tweak it in some way to sound and look better? Btw, great review. Also, thanks for being one of the few out there who review attainable power amplifiers !

[@cheapaudioman]

You’re going to love tomorrow’s video if you watch it

[@ben23a31]

@@cheapaudioman nice! I'll be looking out for it 👍🏽

[@charlieevett]

Nice review! I've been living with the Emotiva for about a week now, and I totally agree about the thick, dark color of the sound. I got it because I wanted something that could drive my old Magnepan mg3s, but then while I was waiting for the order one of the maggies died (cat jumped on it one too many times) so now I'm searching for replacement speakers. I'm currently testing the Emotiva with KEF LS50-metas (sorry, I realize this is out of the cheapaudioman bailiwick) and the whole combination just seems a bit too weighty for my taste. I wish the Vidar had 2 balanced inputs instead of only one.

[@jlecount]

Interesting -- I'm considering the LS50 metas with one of these two amps -- what exactly did you mean by 'weighty' ? Have you also heard the Vidar?

[@progqueen6219]

Just means you have to monoblock the speakers with 2 Vidars (double the cost I know...) :) I don't own any of these products, but as I understand it, the Ls50-Metas are a bit bass shy so you might want to use a sub for these (or a Schiit Loki/Lokius to bring up the lower end). I myself am going to buy (when I've saved up the money) the Vidar with Kef Q350-combo. The Q350 are supposed to have a bit more bass than the Ls50-Metas but slightly less detail, but since I don't want a sub this is how it's going to be I guess..

[@charlieevett]

@@jlecount I haven't tested with the Vidar -- I did order the Starke audio class D amp that Jay Soulsik recently reviewed to compare. That is pretty close in price to the 2 Vidar mono blocks but idk. As for 'weighty' -- what I mean is that to me, the Emotiva really brings out the bass in the speakers I have (I've tried my Emotiva B1+ and the KEFs). I feel like I hear the 'room' that the recording is in a lot more. I listen to a lot of classical music, so it's like I'm listening not just to musicians playing in space, but to an ensemble in an actual hall or church or whatever. That extra bass seems to skew the sound darker, like 'whoa that orchestra really has some double basses, don't they'. Honestly, I think for most of my listening I'd prefer things to sound a little warmer and lighter, and I'm not sure I need the mighty power of the Emotiva.

[@charlieevett]

@@progqueen6219 To my ear the Emotiva + LS 50 metas have all kinds of bass (well, not floor shaking) and for the music I like I wouldn't add a sub. That Vidar/Kef system sounds very nice, I hope you enjoy it!

[@jimshaw899]

Something I've never seen, but would like to see: An A:B comparison and writeup (2 channel) posing the Emotiva BasX amps versus the Emotiva XPA of similar output. What does ~$650 more buy you in sound quality (other than ~2x the output max. power)? I'm pretty sure that most (not all) listeners do not need 300 watts per channel in a home system. Is the BasX substantially inferior to the XPA sound?

[@CarlosRiverakp4kgb]

The KZbin audio is clipping, the video audio recording sounds like the mic is been over driving during the recording. Great review!!!

[@doifeellucky]

It’s fine for me.

[@Theupgradeguy]

@@doifeellucky Yep, clean here.

[@Audfile]

@@doifeellucky your system isn't resolving enough

[@epi2045]

To be fair to the Emotiva… the chasis was designed to be expandable to 14 channels. My Mark Levinson amp does 100 wpc like the tiny Vidar yet is bigger and almost 3X heavier (97lbs) than the Emotiva.

[@dpcoffey]

Bruh.... I was just researching both of these products. You're the best!

[@joelewis9682]

I think this assessment is spot on. I have B&W N803s and the Emo DR2 sounded much better with those.

[@svetlindimov1]

I've got that same Emotiva. It is muddier all around and heavier in the low range. Upgraded to an Anthem MCA 225 gen 2 which is twice the price, but the diff was night and day - totally diff class with light and fast low register and sparkling clean highs, If you have another 1k, don't think twice and don't waste time on the Emo.

[@scottmichaels1764]

You don't even need the bigger bank account, just buy used. Any 2k(new) amp will blow the Emotiva away!

[@MrIceman2307]

I realize this was two years ago but I'm now researching the Emotiva as a possible replacement for my recently purchased Anthem MCA 225 Gen 2 due to the increase in power (300 wpc vs. 225 wpc) for my hungry B&W 702 S2 speakers. Like the lower price if I can sell my Anthem but sounds like you would suggest it is not worth it. Using a Schiit Freya+ preamp.

[@svetlindimov1]

@@MrIceman2307 Your choice ultimately. For me it was a huge difference in how it made my Focal Aria 948 sing. In the end, if money is tight and you need it to pay the rent, go ahead; nothing justifies expense on audio vs. necessities. However, if money is not urgent issue, I wouldn't downgrade. One thing that is very important is how low in impedence your speakers dip. One of the reasons I got the Anthem was that it can go as low as 2 Ohms which is a must for the Arias. Checking into the specs of your speakers, looks like they are fairly sensitive at 90 dB, so, I don't think that more wattage is what you need. So, yes, the Anthems are a huge difference in sound quality vs. the Emotivas. Don't let the Emotiva's marketing fool you with the high wattage (unless you really need it).

[@christophergaus3996]

Excellent review man, thank you! One of the best parts - sitting them side by side. I really liked the Emotiva UNTIL I saw It next to the Vidar. I thought it was May be the size of my Marantz reciever, but this looks much more intrusive. My big towers may appreciate the cleaner Vidar, and I like the aesthetics.

[@SantanKGhey1234]

Emotivas are good.. its what got me started with separates.... I had a pair of XPA2 Gen 1s... I since moved on to better sounding dynamic gear...

[@craigtomlinson2075]

Hi Manie! I have the XPA2 gen 1 and am curious about the upgrade you went to.

[@SantanKGhey1234]

@@craigtomlinson2075 hi Craig, I went to trying PS Audio Stellar S300, Parasound, Crown XLS, Vintage Denon POA-1500, newer NAD Power envelope... ... Then i found a McIntosh MC402 and found my end game Power Amplifier... then i tried various Pre-Amps... ended with a McIntosh C2600 and Denafrips Ares ii DAC... superb

[@charlesclifton1006]

Thanks Randy, I like your 'everyday man" approach to these vids. Interesting comparison and good advice/perspective on speaker matching. I always get a better idea of such amps when speakers are brought into the mix ... just do. I don't know if this is possible but I would love to hear your take on the Schiit Vidar versus the Aegir. As well, good comment re the Loki. I've got 3 pieces of Schiit gear but all DAC related. Considering the Vidar but maybe the Aegir? Thanks for this.

[@thepracticalaudiophile]

I have both and the Vidar sounds more powerful with a warmer more three dimensional Soundstage but the Aegir sounds completely clean and uncolored. It has that pure class A sound.

[@jamesbennett1634]

Thanks Randy - it's easy to overlook the importance of a power amp. Is the crown XLS in the same league as these two?

[@cheapaudioman]

I do have it and that’s probably a good follow up video.

[@jeffgoldstein2564]

This is a great review. I am looking at both of these. I currently have a vintage system. A Pioneer SX 1250 with a Thorens TD 125 turntable and B and W 600 speakers. I want a to build a new system. Thanks Randy.

[@HoundStuff]

Both seem like great products, thanks for the vid! What is the switcher you mentioned using to switch between amps while testing?

[@scottlowell493]

The emotiva is 3x the power and more stable into 4 ohms. I sent my vidar back and kept emotiva.

[@midnightsocean2689]

Hands down IMO the Schiit wins this. Smaller, clearer, cheaper, made in USA, better customer service (yes I have experience with both) cutting edge designs and yeah, if you want more bass, just buy their cute little EQ. Done. Years ago I was a big emotiva fan. that is till I AB-ed their amp against some competition. I’m going to guess your model sounds better than the entry level amp I had but my god was my emotiva amp a pile of mud. The generic amp I had at the time from partsexpress blew it away and at the same price point too. I then made the mistake of comparing them both to a decware amp and realized why decware costs so much. Yeah, there's a lot of snake oil out there but some "audiophile" companies really do deliver performance light years ahead. I REALLY would be interested to AB Schiit's power amp against Decware's entry level amp. Close in price and no it doesn't matter to me which has more power. My speakers are efficient enough that even a couple solid watts would be painfully loud.

[@roundearthshill248]

I would love to see you review the Aegirs in dual mono. I'm considering a pair to power Cornwall IVs. With Freya+ preamp and Modius DAC.

[@eespinosa64]

Another great review. I am digging your retro Yamaha receiver. I'm currently using a 30-yr old Pioneer receiver to feed a pair of Klipsch floor speakers, with a Bluesound Node 2i as the source. Regarding the Video sounding lean on the bottom end, wouldn't I be able to get around that by feeding a sub directly from the Node?

[@arcforceworld]

I still like my pro audio amps. Crown FTW!

[@christinearmington]

I hauled my butt two hours away to find an audio store and was surprised to see the older salesman running around behind the speakers pulling cables. I didn’t know about switch boxes, but yeah, I think I expected that. 🤨 Makes you feel more beholden I guess to see the guys working. 🤦‍♀️

[@JPWinters]

Definitely interested in your Vidar vs Aegir impression.

[@billywindsock9597]

A Node and a Vidar would be a great digital system. Just add speakers.

[@user-xh5pi2nf9q]

This is what I was thinking as well. Vidal or DIY NCore.

[@RandySmith-iz1ml]

Good comparison, thanks.

[@robinkleinsteuber5217]

Being a werewolf on the full-moon nights of listening, I like the amp with "more meat on the bone". 🍖🥩 Thanks!!

[@rickmyers5013]

I really love your channel and have learned a lot. Will you ever consider showing us how to properly hook up this equipment . I have a marantz AVR how would I run a digital Out to an amp for example. Maybe you cam publish a guide of how to effectively hook up equipment.

[@ten13offroad54]

You would not run a digital out to an amp, you can run a digital out to a DAC or an processor/integrated amp but a straight amp like the vidar or emo requires an analog connection (rca or balanced).

[@ncironhorse8367]

The XPA Gen 2 is better than the Gen 3 - yes it was heavy but, if you can't lift it, you shouldn't buy it. I ran mine through Totem Metals. It was highly detailed and still able to punch you in the gut. However, that could have partly been the speakers

[@sidesup8286]

If you have "great" cables, no two pieces of audio equipment sound the same anymore. There are cable people who have a dozen different cables and they have no more difficulty telling them apart than being able to tell their children's voices apart or their personalities. Of course equipment paired with different cables will all sound different and have a different character. We're talking good cables here, not cables less than hundreds of dollars, not that there couldn't be some real sleeper cables out there for less. There was a big argument on one of the audio forums a while back pertaining to something Randy mentioned; and that is integrated amps with a preamp out. When using both the preamp and power amp section of an integrated amp, they usually give you these metal jumpers which are U shaped. You can pull these metal jumpers out and replace them with a good interconnect. They were arguing whether it makes a difference. It makes a whale of a difference in favor of the interconnect, if it's a good one. Those who can't hear any difference are unbelievably lacking in perception as always. Some of them have their overriding theories as a mind block.Those metal U shaped things should be used only for playing miniature horse shoes. I hope this doesn't attract cable doubters like fleas. Their opinions should be swatted away. Their systems never sound any good to me, even before I know what cables they are using. There has never been one instance otherwise in my experience. It seems like warm sounding frequency responses almost always de-emphasize detail. Warmth and detail seem always to be at odds with each other. You have to always pro- rate the amp that is warmer. Take some of that warmth away and it will always sound more detailed, but thinner. The Audiophiliac long ago said the Vidar can satisfactorily drive the high end bargain of the century in speakers, the Magnepan LRS. Many people like them with Hegel amps.

[@fattnersgeekfile5478]

Love your channel great insight, I do have a question the Vidor has a matching preamp that’s tube correct would that be the way to go? Especially if I’m running a pair of Klipsch iLa Scalas

[@robertnelson3179]

Thanks on the idea about not having to have a pre.

[@bonzostarr]

Thank you!

[@tonycritic1]

In a previous video, you said you were gonna compare Vidal with the E A2 BasX 160w RMS per. . .

[@marc-andregagne6826]

Vidar vs A2? Do A2 and XPA have the same sound signature?

[@carlsitler9071]

I'm guessing the Vidar would be a better fit for my Mirage OM-9s as they are very full. Plus my Asgard 3 would fit perfectly on top.

[@robertburton295]

Thanks for all the videos Brandon basically killed in my system off of watching guys like you do reviews greatly appreciated however I was looking at the a2 emotiva and I would like to see the vidor versus the emotivo a2 I just bought the emotiva preamp

[@greenbeginner9221]

Review frozen pizzas! DiGiorno vs Walmart vs Sith Audio audiophile frozen pizza.

[@darkpatches]

Plus recommendations for which ovens pair best with the Sith pizza.

[@greenbeginner9221]

@@darkpatches I can just imagine the comment flames: "Viking ovens with DiGiorno stinks!" "You're cooking crap unless you've got a Vulcan VC4GD!" "GAS? Ha! Only LG electric for me!!!"

[@darkpatches]

@@greenbeginner9221 :-) Yup. "Oh, man. You can't cook a frozen pizza with a 550F oven. You need at least twice that for the pizza to reach its full potential. What? Try these two pizzas made in two masked ovens? Oh, no. I don't do blind taste tests. OMG, is that the stock power cord?"

[@zackw4941]

I would be more interested in your thoughts on Vider vs Emotiva A2. I have a TA-1 and am pretty happy with it, but could it use a little more mid range body. Any other improvements are welcome, of course.

[@allenbrixey1122]

I added the A2, it's a bargain for the price and you will notice the difference. I'm using the TA1 as a preamp also with Q acoustic 3030i bookshelves with a Klipsch 12 inch sub. I could really tell at volumes around 50 or over, it makes the speakers jump much more.

[@zackw4941]

@@allenbrixey1122 Oh, I actually acquired a used Vidar from one of my friends, since asking. It was a big step up over the TA-1 internal amp, using my JBL Studio 580's. I'd been stubbornly messing with the TA-1's internal crossover and new subwoofers. But 90hz is just too high. I decided to drive the 580's in full range with the Vidar and just go back to my cheap subs for now. They are only giving me 5hz more extention 🤣 At some point, I want a pair of Tekton Moabs. Finances are an issue though. The economy is bonkers and some dolt blew through a stop sign and totaled my car, two weeks ago...

[@Schnauzer-2]

Very interesting video. I have experience with both brands. What is their useful life ?

[@vikrambhaskar7976]

Hey randy does feeding the Topping dac directly into each of these power amplifiers change the sound significantly as opposed to Topping into Freya into the power amp?

[@mikemcnair2026]

I’m curious too.

[@geepee280]

Great review, like your style, Would the Vidar be a good match with the RP-600"s by themselves, I know you commented about adding a Loki if to bright, just curious of your thoughts stand alone. keep the review coming, thanks

[@cheapaudioman]

I personally need some tone controls with the rp’s around 2k. I could see it being a bit shrill

[@V1ralB1ack]

The vidar runs a few watts of class a bias and should sound great for such efficient speakers. Realistically you'll use maybe 8 watts to get to ear splitting levels and the vidar will keep up perfectly.

[@geepee280]

@@cheapaudioman Thanks for the reply, appreciate it, stay well

[@geepee280]

@@V1ralB1ack thanks for your input, curious to check it out

[@joelkuznetsov2826]

Cheapaudioman my question for you: I have the original unifi uf5, would you go with emotiva gen 3 to monolith amp????

[@yuckysamson]

Great review. I would be curious to hear your thoughts if you had not used the switch box and done the comparison running each amp directly wired into the speakers.

[@christinearmington]

Would you expect much of a difference?

[@yuckysamson]

@@christinearmington yes.

[@kimpyeatt2595]

OMG HILARIOUS!!!!

[@jamespavier1624]

How would you compare the Bas X A2 which is closer in size and power to the Vidar ? thanks for the good review.

[@JohnScheppler]

Some of the old amplifiers I've had in the past were big enough and got warm enough to cook a pizza 🍕, lol. Great comparison and review.

[@jonsays3762]

Footprint of the malt liquor amp makes me rethink all three emotional amps in the house. Buyers remorse is a co-morbidity of chasing sound side effects. Sigh.

[@SgtMjr]

"$2.76 feeds the whole family" Damn you're cheap Audioman! LOL

[@carlsitler9071]

Today it's Walmart pizza. Tomorrow it we be Home Depot paint. A slippery slope Randy, a slippery slope.

[@ilianstoimenov6619]

Nice video as always.

[@cheapaudioman]

Looks like up to 14 channels in this case

[@ilianstoimenov6619]

@@cheapaudioman I thought the maximum was 7 channels, at least in the previous generation.

[@headspace369]

Great information! Could you compare a Monolith to Marantz amplifier ? I can’t find any other videos. I do know that Monolith is better tonal quality than Emotiva

[@kimpyeatt2595]

I actually have and am using the Emotiva XPA 3 Channel Gen 1, purchased September 2010, to drive Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands. Wonder what kind of power supply is in my Gen 1????

[@zakkback1825]

What amp would you prefer for a 3.1 , svs ultra center, svs prime bookshelfs, and svs sb2000 pro? I was thinking emotiva xpa 3 Gen 3. But I know very little about audio equipment

[@kostasjezuz4846]

The Emotiva I believe has a switching power supply? With no exception, when I'm around a switching power supply I notice a high pitched noise emmited from them, I can't stand a phone charger in the same room when it's silent for example. Is this apparent on the Emotiva as well or is the switching power supply dead silent?

[@robertburton295]

I bought the Cambridge audio integrated amp the axr 85 clean sounding amp but I regret because it is not enough power 85 Watts just doesn't push a tower speaker once you get past 60% of the volume you start to get into the distortion characteristics of the amplifier bigger is better

[@jamesrobinson9176]

Interesting. Your listening impressions surprised me. I thought you'd be saying these things, but about the opposite amp.

[@P194-s3i]

I would also be curious as to the Vidar vs the BasX A2/A300

[@cheapaudioman]

I have that one here and will probably compare that as well

[@mpolinsk22]

@@cheapaudioman I was writing this question as well (nearly verbatim). Looking forward to seeing it!

[@P194-s3i]

@@mpolinsk22 I have the A300 currently but probably would have gone with the Vidar if I were to do it again.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@mpolinsk22 Emotiva is a fuller sound on the bottom end and I’d say the Vidar is more analytical. If you want a warmer sound the Emo is the way to go. I have an XPA gen 3 two channel amp that is my go to

[@mpolinsk22]

@@P194-s3i why, just preference to the sound?

[@erics.4113]

I would consider a vidar pair as mono blocks except for the 8ohm limitation in that mode. I don't understand why a single amp can do 4ohm but when bridged it's 8ohm only.

[@jacoblynch9862]

Because the amp per channel is only for One stable meaning each channel can only be driven down to four ohms when you bridge mono and amp each channel sees half of the impotence of the speaker meaning if you have an eight on speaker and you bridge mono it each channel is then seeing its own for Homme signal so if you was to bridge mono it in a forum speaker each channel would only see a two on load and this amp is not Tuome stable I hope that explains

[@erics.4113]

@Douglas Blake makes sense. Thx for the replies all. I know I could have googled but I was already here 😁 I guess that explains why, in my youth, I was able to run my cars 12" subs off my sony home stereo receiver even though the sony said 8ohm only and i knew the car kit was 4ohm. I didn't really care and was curious how it would sound. Actually was great in my dorm room and although the sony did get warm it actually drove the hell out of those kickers, both A and B, so 4 channel, with the lower impedance drivers. Damn thing wouldn't break or overheat once. And the receiver was inside a closet lol so no ventilation either!

[@erics.4113]

@Douglas Blake interesting insights about build methodologies. Makes sense. And now everything is built to costs that it's a science. Rare to find ANYTHING in the basic consumer market that is over engineered or built. Just doesn't happen anymore.

[@erics.4113]

@Douglas Blake ugh. Makes me angry. Hope there are more opportunities for entrepreneurs to build things to last. And serviceable. I'd pay the extra bucks and support

[@ML-rm3vk]

good review .have you by chance have you reviewed the nad 316 beev cheap price fine product .thanks

[@gtric1466]

Appreciated....

[@Gary_M]

To be fair, the preamp makes a big difference in sound as well. I wouldn't spend this kind of money on an amp to use a cheap headphone amp or DAC as a volume control.

[@carlsitler9071]

Right on the money. When I got my dac, it blew my mind but when I added an Asgard 3, it clearly took it to a new level.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

The most sensible comment here. The pre makes the biggest differences in sound.

[@patrickhurm4216]

Ok, what would recommend for driving the power hungry Elac UB 5 first gen.

[@ilyamuromec2867]

What do you think about this combination of Emotiva TA1 integrated pre-amp with Vidar amp to power Mangapan LRS plus speakers?

[@stephenstevens6573]

I'm a bit confused...is the Vidar a class D? With my old school magapans, class D doesn't bother me...I'm running a crown xls drivecore now. I'm good presently, but I will be upgrading power amplifier soon. I'm running through an emotiva USP-1 preamp. The emotiva looks like a great fit, but I'm open to opinions...your take, Rsndy?

[@myu4039]

AB

[@barryhallsack8852]

I just spent the extra money and bought two schiit amps and going to run it in mono.

[@marksilgalis9400]

Another great vid! Now I just need to figure out if Schiit is going to get my $700 for the Vidar or the Bifrost!

[@1mctous]

Which do you like less, your current DAC or amp? Strengthen the weakest link.

[@Cujobob]

“These both toasted it” … wait, what? 😂

[@dpcoffey]

Question for you, I know you mentioned how the one Vidar was sufficient enough for the Elac UB5's. And you also mentioned that running in monoblock limits it to 8ohms. I was thinking about purchasing two and running them in Mono with the UB5's. Is that over kill, would it work? From the schiit website is this, "Same for 4 ohms when running monoblocks? Yes. Again, Vidar will probably work fine at sane volumes, but at higher output, you may trigger the protection" Thoughts on this?

[@craigcoughlin1834]

Would definitely work but might be overkill. I've been considering the same for my Magnepan .7i. Hard to get clarity on this (I'm not an electrical engineer) but I think what happens - a bridged Vidar into 4 ohm may begin to run into its current delivery limit when pushed hard. I'd love to understand this better.

[@Rickzolla]

@@craigcoughlin1834 You are exactly correct. I use one Vidar with my .7s. It's more than enough for the average sized room.

[@craigcoughlin1834]

@@Rickzolla thanks for sharing your experience with the Vidar/.7. I currently have a MusicalFidelity A300 rated at 150/250 which, on paper, should be plenty with it's two huge toroidal transformers. But it gets a bit hard or etched over 80db. Looking for something a bit more open and effortless. Thx!

[@patrickptmonk8673]

may seem like a weird question, but what do you think of the Logitech Z623 2.1 system? I'm looking for a cheap and fast way to get decent audio for my computer. I work from home need something small for my desk. the amazon reviews for these speakers say they are an unbelievably good value, but I've learned to doubt reviews?

[@cheapaudioman]

I actually have the Logitech thx set up and absolutely loved it. My son stole it and uses Jean for gaming

[@Feliciano12v]

I have Logitech z2300 2.1 which is good but prefer Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Computer Speakers.

[@scottgmaclean]

Hi Randy - I have just discovered your channel and love it! I am not an audiophile but I am keen to set up a hi fi that would take full advantage of Apple Lossless for lounge room listening. I would appreciate any affordable amp/speaker set ups you have (I like your $350 setup... would that work?)

[@scottgmaclean]

@Douglas Blake HI Douglas - a smaller room, say 6m (25ft) x 5m (20ft). I was thinking just two speakers.

[@ozpinoy]

Hey man can I request a video on which speakers for a pc setup. Thanks.

[@eugenioquintana8409]

Hi Randy just find your channel and subscribe right away good videos I have a pair of Klipsch RP 8000 f with a two Klipsch subwoofer Running with a Yamaha network receiver A-N803 and my music source is a tone pro2 and LG phone streaming tidal Sounds good but Do you have any suggestions for a better amplifider with subwoofer out that will sound better? Thanks

[@8474Starscream]

Running Definitive Technology Super Towers in the viewing room BP7001 Towers and BP7002 rears. Running with the Emotiva.