We compare the NEW Schiit Vidar 2 with Vidar 1 and Aegir!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

*There’s an Audiophiliac/Steve Guttenberg imposter scamming my viewers, There’s no FREE gifts. DON’T respond! I don't do giveaways or ask for money (except for my Patreon)*

[@goodforwatch]

hi steve happy new year to you! a small request, can you please try to add similarly priced components from other manufacturers in your reviews? would be quite helpful especially something like bluesound power node edge which may not be very audiophile but it fits in better with a lot of us who use our system to watch your reviews on TV! apart from listening to music afcorse. i would love to know the delta between a system with separares and more lifestyle oriented components i.e. with hdmi input. Thanks.

[@tariqaziz6551]

@@goodforwatch Try asking the same question to the cheap audio man

[@luckyrocks1]

Thanks again for turning me on to even more great recordings!!! Love you man! Have a great, healthy and successful 2023!

[@DaEDman4life]

Steve, Thanks for great review. I am seriously looking into a Schiit stack. I just purchased a Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp. I enjoyed you swapping speakers, components and spotlighting music in your own LP collection. Your channel is a true joy! Thanks again!😉

[@joseph-ow1hf]

Steve, I bought a Bifrost 2 and am blown away by the sound. So impressed w/ Schiit that I have a Vidar 1 (bought used) on the way. What an impressive company. Great sound, low prices and made in the USA. Oh, I have Maggie LRS's on order based on your glowing comments. Wanted 1.6's but the LRS is much less expensive to purchase and ship. Thanks for your excellent channel. And yes, I subscribed.

[@axelviarhilmarsson6317]

These selected words the Schiit Audio is using is from the Icelandic written story of the Nordic/german mythology - look it up (f.ex. at Wikipedia). As Icelandic is the oldest and probably the least changed language for the last 1000 years of all the languages of the nordic countries. All those naming of those Shitt Audio components are taken from this myhology and the spelling has changed from what we Icelanders use for those (which we would say is the "true" writing :) ) - F.ex. "Aegir" we have one letter "Æ" which is the two first letters, so in Icelandic this is "Ægir" (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86gir) - One sould pronounce it, starting with I (as in I'm) and then "gir" (with a very "soft" "g" after the "Æ/I". The "Vidar", the english and also the other nordic countries do no have the letter "ð" any more, and write it with "d" instead - which creates and error to our ears (Icelanders). The word should be "Viðar" - and the letter "ð" is not a hard sound like the "d" is. It is more like the "th" in english - like in the start of "the" so it would be pronounced as "Vithar" my middle name is actually "Viðar" - which was a god in the Nordic mythology. Looking at the list over products at Shitt Audio I could tell you about the "wrong" spelling of many of the names. But that has mainly to do with the fact that there are letters that have been lost in the stream of time through the centuries in other languages. In Icelandic we have those letters (alphabet) a, á, b, d, ð, e, é, f, g, h, i, í, j, k, l, m, n, o, ó, p, r, s, t, u, ú, v, x, y, ý, þ, æ, ö (32 letters). So f.ex. "Bifrost", should be "Bifröst", "Tyr" is "Týr", "Yggdrasil" should be "Yggdrasill" (the double "ll" at the end is a special prenounced - that is very hard for other not Icelandic speaking to get out of their mouth .... so enough of that for now, hope that this will not confuse you to much and help you to pronounce those words in the way they should be pronounced ... thanks for your from Iceland.

[@EricBurbeck]

I swapped my Parasound P6 pre for a Schiit Freya+, feeding my Para A21 amp and B&w 703 S2 speakers and BOY is the Freya a better fit. Also using a Schiit Modius balanced dac and that is a considerable improvement over the internal dac on my Bluesound Node 2 digital source. This Schiit rocks!

[@sixergixer]

Turning the lens the other direction, how did the Zu react to the difference in power between the Vidar 2 and the Aegir, being highly efficient speakers that seem to dig lower powered amps? Does the higher power just give more of what's so good about those speakers or does it actually change their sonic character? Great review, Steve!

[@olwordeaux1]

I LOVE hearing about the new Vidar! I am going to get one soon! Amazing you played Olu Dara! (I am a HUGE hip hop fan! He is rapper Nas's Father!)

[@PyxisLearning]

Hey Steve, really appreciate this review! You did so much in 18 minutes, with none of it wasted. Your review this time covered several pieces of audio gear that I'm seriously considering, including the Vidar 2 and the Jotunheim, so it's helpful to hear how they (the Vidar 2 in particular) worked out with different speakers. I'm looking for equipment to pair with my Triangle Borea BR08s, and it's nice to know that the Vidar 2 works so well with a pretty good variety of well-known and respected speakers. I also really loved the music recommendations. Thanks a lot for an excellent and very helpful review!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks Theodore

[@Starmangmh57]

I received my Vidar 2 9 days ago. Right now I am using my old Magnepan SMGs, which sound great, but plan on getting the LRS+ model very soon.

[@delvalle9256]

I really hope you will consider reviewing the Schiit Tyrs. Thanks

[@shannonmiller5648]

I have the saga+ and it’s a fantastic preamp. I also have the mani2 phono pre and the Lokius eq. All fantastic products

[@johnpeschke7723]

i love your reviews for lots of reasons. your years of experience is reassuring. but, your music recommendations really float my boat...lots of very interesting material,

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks so much, it really is all about the music after all. And nowadays, it’s so easy to explore new music. Thanks for watching.

[@tedhersh9095]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Steve, I feel like you could do a separate channel devoted solely to music recommendations. I’ve been exposed to so much new music through your reviews! Thank you!

[@Gman1044]

That is one of KZbins greatest headlines. Congratulations Steve.

[@mrt6349]

Tyr review plz.

[@fumedtwice8921]

Great review Steve! I'm looking forward to your review of the Vandersteen's. Nobody seems to review these speakers so this should be special. I'm on my fourth pair of Vandersteen's and I would like to hear them compared to some other speakers. I really appreciate this review ot the Schiit Vidar since you tried so many speakers and associated electronics. I always appreciate your choices in music that I have never heard.

[@raymondallo9947]

Thank you for putting me on Olu Dara. Never heard of him, but what an amazing find. Love his music. And of course love the review. It is time buy some good Schit

[@johnnixon2504]

Birdman and its soundtrack are awesome. I really like that scene where the actors are walking through the allys and the drum kit is just playing in the background and fades as they walk away.

[@orourke138]

I'm running 2 Vidar ones, Jotunheim phono pre, Marantz TT15, Mogami xlr interconnects, Kimber TC-4 bi-wired to Crites CornScalas. Cambridge Audio 851C for digi. Big, exacting sound. Very pleased.

[@chuckcribbs3398]

Great review! I think the Schiit products are pretty high-end but not budget overwhelming.

[@JohanBergens]

Great review! Would like to see you review the Tyr, that one is intriguing.

[@mikes121]

Sitting here listening to that exact Vandersteen. Just got them last weekend. Great speaker.

[@stevewages]

I’m seriously considering grabbing a pair of LRS+, but have been grappling with how to power them. My current, mediocre 5.1 receiver is not up to the job. At the same time, I have a budget, and I’m not springing for the $8k McIntosh receiver that my local shop recommended (let alone the 20k integrated amp they used to demo the Maggies). The Vidar2 sounds like an amazing option for those of us with limited resources.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

That's a good plan with single Vidar2 ( but not two Vidars)

[@twostepped999]

fantastic review steve, very clear and helpful. Also that viewer system of the day, my god...

[@alexvinson7373]

15:35. Steve, you said 2 tonearms, but it sure looks like 3 to me. Bottom, right, and top of the turntable base. I've never seen 2 arms on a single table, much less 3.

[@guydavies7558]

Steve is 'The Schitt' I enjoy watching his videos in my truck on a night out from home. I have a tablet linked to a JBL connect 5. From the UK.

[@RitzRT]

So it seems like you enjoyed it with the Maggies. I have a pair of modified MMG's so I may upgrade from the classic Vidar just to get the front panel mounted standby switch. Reaching around to the back panel of the original Vidar is a pain in the neck since it can get a bit warm. Thanks for the review!

[@apparentlyretrograde]

For my birthday I ordered the Freya+, Lokius, and Aegir. Getting a Jotunheim soon. Can't wait to test against my Topping/Willsenton R300 setup, and versus my NAD C368 and PowerNode setups, using KEF Q150s, Focal Chora 826, and KLH Model 5's. I swear most of the fun of being an audiophile is swapping all the stuff around and having an excuse to play. So many combinations.

[@MARCONMUSIC2049]

Please do tell!

[@nate7629]

How'd it end up

[@FoxTick]

My co-worker has a Schiit stack, original Vidars, Freya preamp and Gungnir DAC . I asked him how it sounded and, without skipping a beat said "It sounds like Schiit"

[@andrewbrazier9664]

🎶 🙃 🤣

[@jonathandavis9507]

Que dad jokes

[@jeffreylehman1159]

Good Schmitt man!!

[@peterlarkin762]

Schitt jokes. They're great.

[@bubblehead5394]

What the Schiit!!!

[@jon4715]

Vidar 2 and no Tyr?

[@dennis1979gm]

It's always great hearing your discretion of sound. As an audio file in my 40's in car audio I've unfortunately lost the pure real sound over time due to hearing damage I'm sure. Lol I get to live it now through your words.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

So nice to hear from you!

[@Shoebutie]

A very enjoyable review with lots of well know products…a fun ride

[@tombradfiled9342]

Thanks Steve been pondering a power amp option and this Vidar 2 looks to be what Im looking for. Currently running a Leak Stereo 130 with a set of the Wharfedale Linton, absolutely love my speakers but the 130 I haven't been as enthusiastic about. The Stereo 130 has the sonic chops IMO, its very sweet and polite but does not power the Linton's with the oomph they could use. Was highly considering the Stereo 230 when it starts shipping next month, thinking the 130 will make a fine little preamp for something like the Vidar 2.

[@scottyo64]

Are you sure its not the speakers? Wharfedale's are a bit laid back

[@ronnyangell665]

So Steve, have you tried the Schiit Aegir with the Zu Audio DW6? If so, how did you like it?

[@MojoMagic977]

Please get ahold of 2 Tyr’s and give them a test!!! Inquiring minds want to know, see, hear. Thanks.

[@MrCalbot]

Great review Steve! I have a pair of 2CE sig III's and I am seriously thinking of buying this am

[@asan1050]

Thanks Much Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac !

[@kingblind]

Man, this review was fantastic, top work!

[@scottwolf8633]

Love observing the amp's internals. This Company is performing a tremendous service in designing, sourcing, and manufacturing in the US, delivering bang for the buck.

[@lokerola]

The Schiit amp is nice. But Luigi's viewer system of the day?! Whoo! Very, very, nice. Looking forward to hearing the Vandersteen 2c speaker review.

[@mariodrv]

The Jotunheim 2 is primarily a headphone amplifier. There are tubeless versions of the Saga and Freya preamps.

[@rx7dude2006]

Love the sound of Vandersteen 2CE's have yet to hear the newest version though.

[@louisperlman8030]

Great review, and looking forward to more on the Vandersteen’s. I had a pair back in the 1990’s, it seemed like most audiophiles back then had a pair at some point. And killer ASOTD.

[@keplermission]

You know for beginners in Audio ... it's best to point out that people like Louis Perlman know that Vandersteens (with no ', that typo might be a red flag)... "are THE best selling high end loudspeaker of all time, eclipsing the sales of all competitors for one reason and one reason only. At its price point there is no other floor standing loudspeaker to come close to the ability and agility of the Vandersteen Model 2." But ... the best selling piece of Hi-Fi equipment of all time is the NAD 3020, you know a truly feeble amplifier made in England from old ... surplus parts left over from the time that Britain was the 'workshop of the world'. Okay so the saying: 'a little knowledge can be a bad thing' applies. Both of these were bestsellers on low price and just remember how Bob Hope viewed low price appearances.

[@FOH3663]

@@keplermission NAD's 3020 sold over a million units, unreal. Don't believe it was made in the UK, Taiwan maybe.

[@markwilding3828]

I went for the Freya+ and pair of mono Aegirs on your recommendation Steve. Couldn't be happier. Hope you're getting a slice of the action.

[@stevedougherty3720]

What speakers Mark,??

[@markwilding3828]

@@stevedougherty3720 Some home made speakers that are fairly terrible until I get a chance to build the kit speakers I bought... GR Research X-Static's

[@cosmiccharlie8294]

I have drifted into and out of the hifi scene several times. I grew up with McIntosh separates (Dad's) and also my first rock show was a Grateful Dead wall of sound show. HK 35 wpc receiver and Genesis 210 speakers made me quite happy in the early 80's. In 2009 I got into speaker building and got a NAD pre and power amp, rather ho hum but adequate, Also started listening to vinyl again. Then came a Class D Audio amp kit driven by the NAD pre. Also how hum. then bt receivers and streaming archived live rock shows and cd's. Now I am in the process of replacing my Yamaha R S202 with an Emotiva PT2 pre and casting about for an amp to drive with it, The class A stuff is attractive and I could certainly build the amp camp. Too bad the Emotiva does not have balanced outs.

[@chrislj2890]

Beautiful room and setup Luigi.

[@luifa61]

Thanks 🙏

[@sturgeda73]

Love the content. Thanks Steve.

[@Doubleugene]

Great review, I appreciate the effort that went in to it. The only thing missing is the mono block set up using two Vidar 2 amps and balanced preamp and cables. Any plans?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Sorry no. I rarely chase power, and monos rarely sound better than their stereo counterparts

[@darcykuss1518]

Great review! Do you think the Vidar 2 would be a noticeable improvement over a NAD C388 intergrated? I would temporarily use the 388 as a pre amp. Thanks!

[@christopherspiro9857]

Beautiful listening room!

[@jeffwesthof9711]

Great review Steve! Any plans for a review of the Schiit Tyr mono block amplifiers?

[@barryhallsack8852]

I've been waiting for a year for one of these KZbinrs to review the Tyr! I have two Aegir's. I just don't want to buy the Tyr if it's more like the vidar. The viders did not sound good with my speakers but the Aegir sounds awesome.

[@DickCarr]

@@barryhallsack8852 what speakers do you have?

[@KenB-bo6kr]

I’d love to see a review of Schiit Tyr

[@AudioNaut93]

For context my current setup is a 1974 Pioneer sa-9100, a Wiim Pro Plus streamer & a pair of Wharfedale Lintons. I recently bought a vidar 2, saga+ & a modi Multibit 2 thinking this was going to be a massive upgrade and boy was I disappointed. I tried the Vidar 2 with the Saga+ and the modi with my TV as the source and I had to crank the volume dial to 98% to get the Wharfedales to really come alive and they’re a 6 Ohm/ 92dB efficient speaker which shouldn’t be terribly hard to drive but the Vidar kept going into thermal shutdown mode which was really frustrating because I was listening at volumes that my Pioneer sa-9100 does without clipping or breaking a sweat and it’s only rated @ 60 watts per channel. I don’t want to talk bad about Shiit Audio but I don’t think they’re being honest about the Vidar 2’s output because it should be able to produce eardrum rupturing volume for hours on end into a 6ohm load but I could barely get 1/3 of the way into The Wall before it was shutting off. Also tried the Vidar 2 with the Wiim Pro Plus plugged straight into it and I was able to get more volume out of it which I thought was strange but it quickly went into thermal shutdown mode as well. Honestly, sonically there wasn’t much of a performance difference between the Vidar 2 and my sa-9100 and this kinda proves my hunch that there is absolutely nothing wrong with high end vintage gear and engineers from the 60’s and 70’s had some things figured out that haven’t changed much over the past 5 decades. So in conclusion, I sent all the Schiit gear back and I’m sticking with my vintage stuff for now because I’m sort of afraid to spend a bunch of money on modern gear that doesn’t absolutely out-perform my vintage gear. Anybody else have a similar experience with thinking that modern gear is going to “sound better” or “out-perform” your vintage gear only to be disappointed that it didn’t???

[@jissanhuq3792]

I just got a vidar 2… n by the look of yours too, their paint QC isn’t great across the Board. I got a first one with faded black in the front n then a replacement where the button looks like the one in your review since they moved away from the all metal button. I think for the cost of all things they cheaped out on the button should have stayed metal like the stainless steel original. I don’t know if it’s worth swapping again since my first one looked n felt less solidly put together.. i guess i could get s sticker

[@carlpaulsen3996]

Did you try out the Aegir with the Jotunheim vs the Vidar2 and Saga+? The Jotunheim might tighten up the Aegir while the Saga might loosen/warm up the Vidar2. Just wondering...seems like an interesting possible comparison.

[@GeirRssaak]

It is sad that this shit company is abusing names from the great norse mythology!

[@whocares0503]

Makes wonder how this measures up to Van Alstine monoblocks. Frank has been awesome stuff for decades, but his monoblocks are +/- $3600 in change... Then there is Schiit's Tyr amp...

[@carlosalvarez7445]

Of course, the Jot is primarily a headphone amp with pre-amp capabilities, but heck I'm glad to hear it worked well with the Vidar 2!

[@ML-rm3vk]

Like always great review music on thanks.

[@makito218]

I have the Elac UniFi Reference speakers, and I've been wondering how it will sound if I get the dac, preamp, and vidar 2, for my modest 2.1 system..

[@makito218]

@@joanfrederick9176 looking forward to get the Gungir in a couple months..

[@boquan]

I have the Elac UniFi Reference as well. Curious as to how the Vidar 2 will sound on them. Looking to pair it with Topping D50s

[@tyeeslayer]

Best thumbnail ever!!

[@Audiorevue]

Well the benefit of course to using the Jotunheim as a preamp is the fact that it's active versus the saga which is passive so that would probably explain your sense of drive and impact that you felt using it versus the saga. Plus it also has balanced connections plus the headphone amplifier plus the ability to support modular cards so you can have kind of a one box solution as a pre-amplifier. That's how I'm using mine, I've got the Jotunheim 2 with the phono card which is basically the same thing as the mani 1 was and I use it as a pre-amplifier and it's just phenomenal. That said though I have used the saga, the original one, and I enjoyed the sound but I did realize for the most part for me as a listener I prefer what having an active preamp does to the signal versus passive.

[@jbenzola2]

Great review... as always!!!

[@trudimcleod5042]

I wonder how the Vidar 2 would compare to the Schiit Tyr, the monster monoblocks that are also class A/B. I gather also that the Vidar 2 can only handle 8 and 6 ohm speakers in monoblock mode.

[@Shorby99EK]

The Tyr is in another league. It sounds smoother with better soundstage depth and width.

[@toddwilliams7523]

What about using the VIDAR 2 in dual mono, and what speakers would you pair with that setup?

[@shkermanshahi]

Thanks John. Nice review as always. Please also share the name of the Zu stand. You used warfdale stand when you reviewed it🙏

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

The brand, solidsteel SS series

[@UWI-Anna]

Bought Freya Noval and a pair of Vidar1 @ a bargain price last week to match with my SCM11 - My system never sounded so good😊🙏

[@twisterbret]

I really love trying all of our music recommendations!

[@peterlarkin762]

I looked up the 'boost' power supply. Basically this is amp is dc coupled with servos at each stage... So like all such amps, the input stage, pre drivers, and drivers are powered via a regulated supply as current source... I.e. A couple of regulators. No rocket science, its been done forever. Marketing aside Schitt amps look really nicely built and good value.

[@rejean2744]

On the 1st turntable of the viewer's system there looks to be 3 tone arms.

[@anthonycody4095]

Love the Schitt stuff, I have the Freya+ preamp. thought I'd share sound nice vocal tracks: This Love by Chlara, Beautiful life by Chantal Chamberland, I'll Follow Your Trail by Sean Rowe, Liberty by Anette Askvik, Imagine by Chris Klafford, Fall into my arms by Lucinda Peters, Landslide by Stacey Kent, Fix it by Lady Blackbird, Angel by Sarah Mclachlan, September in Montreal by Anne Bisson, It'll never happen again by Lady Blackbird, A Battle Between by Blue Tofu, Walkin in the sun by Fink, The Curse by Agnes Obel, Here but I'm gone by Vanessa Femandez, Like a Rock by Dave's True Story

[@sixergixer]

The most obvious pairing of all of these was the Vidar 2 / Maggie one. The second most obvious, that between the lower-power Aegir and the highly efficient DW6, wasn't even touched on. This is surprising to me and is a pretty big omission from this otherwise very good review. Would LOVE some insight on that pairing if possible, though I know it's half a year on.

[@ronnyangell665]

+1

[@beach4me2007]

Love this review

[@cmiller7341]

Nice review Steve. How does the Emotiva BasX TA2 compare to the Vidar 2? Thanks.

[@jissanhuq3792]

I just got the vidar 2 replacing a onkyo AVR. It sounds amazing but for whatever reason there’s a subtle hum through my speakers when only the turntable is actually spinning and only with the ground loop connected. I updated my pro ject table with a 3 pin power n didn’t get why. It’s the opposite with my AVr. Without the ground connected to the phono it would hum. Can’t figure it out. I tried double ground from the table to the speakers but it didn’t delete it like taking off the ground did. That said love the vidar and on the fence if i need a freya or similar as i only have a Sys for now

[@eddents]

Check that your equipment (the power outlets they plug into) are all on the same circuit breaker at your panel. I had a terrible hum in my sub woofers that went away when I put the subs onto the same circuit breaker (making sure the outlets the components are plugged into are all on the same circuit).

[@jissanhuq3792]

@@eddents all on the same power. Its the weirdest thing n only showed up since the vidar… n like i said if i take the wire off it’s completely gone. The new power i got for the turntable does have its own ground (3 pin) so I’m wondering if the turntable wire is even necessary… i feel like with the vidar it’s actually causing the ground loop vs eliminating

[@dma1264]

Steve, I'm assuming using these in mono equals bridging the amp. Did you try these in this configuration and if so, was there any difference in overall sound quality vs. using the Vidar in stereo?

[@cpg8000]

Looks nice. Though, their customer service gets a D+ should you have a problem ..

[@billh4477]

Or an upgrade, speaking from recent personal experience. Still love the products....

[@RafaelGrigorian]

Can I add this to my Lyngdorf TDAI1120 and Dynaudio Special 40 combo as a power amp? Looking for improved dynamics :/

[@youtubeisstoopid]

I have a lot of Schitt. Thanks for this review. Could you recommend a step up Phono preamp from the Shcitt Phono Pre? I think it is good, but thinking about moving up a small step. Thanks

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

The Mo-Fi Studio Phono is more transparent

[@youtubeisstoopid]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thank You. I am moving into the MC world as well. I'll look into the Mo-Fi Studio. Thanks again :)

[@fredjohnson9856]

I bought the Vidar - sent it back. I am a Schitt fan. On my Tekton Moabs the Vidar sounded thin, lacking bass output.

[@delvalle9256]

Try the Aegir.

[@fredjohnson9856]

@@delvalle9256 I'm running the Carver Crimson 275, love it.

[@FOH3663]

@@fredjohnson9856 Well sure ... the Carver should be superior... in most every way.

[@FOH3663]

Actually, I bet that's a nice combo... MOABs and the Carvers!

[@Michaelincontext]

Always appreciate your reviews and "oh by the way" comments. I also enjoy when you mention various artists from time to time, some whom I have not heard. But I have one question, do you really think "Birdman" is one of your favorite films of our century? I'm befuddled... But that's not an unusual state of mind for me. 😇

[@charlybeagrie1119]

Steve, If you want movie music go for Korngold: Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, The Sea Wolf.

[@giacomopieraccioli9023]

Hallo.WHat do you think about pairing with wharfedale Linton in a medium room (20 square meters)? Using freya+ of course is Better Aegir or Vidar2 Thanks

[@sunitadhyani1013]

How would these pair with jbl stage a 190? And is vidar 2 also good for movies and explosive experiences?

[@morrimoto]

review the schiit tyr! 😢

[@michaellacy2617]

These do NOT work well with Magnepan. I have Magenpan 1.7's and have two Schiiit Vidar 2's that I run in balanced mode with a Schiit Freya + preamp. Works and sounds great but if you turn the volume on the Freya up to about 3/4, the amps will shut off (which is good as it prevents any harm to the amp). But how in the world can you recommend Vidar 2's for Magnepan (or any 4 ohm amp)?

[@tomdebeck8150]

If you use 1 amplifier for both channels, can you get past 75% volume? What you can also do, is use the amps with RCA unbalanced and use 1 channel, you still get benefit, because the full power supply availability is used for 1 channel.

[@champamp]

Hi Steve, great review, thank you. I have Klipsch Cornwall IVs, a speaker I know you are familiar with (and your fault I have them lol)....I run them with a Vidar and Freya+.....sound great....but, given your prior experience, in your opinion, are there better power amps I should look at from Schiit or someone else? I listen to everything (Thought about Aegirs, but concerned about lack of slam). Again, thank you for your channel.

[@billh4477]

Hey Brad, I kind of have the same question here. I'm already a huge fan of Schitt's DACs, and recently have been auditioning a Vidar 2 in my main system. I actually bought it for a smaller system in another part of the house, but I'm waiting for other parts to arrive for that system so I put the Vidar into my dedicated sound room so I could run it in a bit. I was surprised at the added depth and detail that swapping in the Vidar provided. I'm comparing to my Krell Chorus 5200 which is only using 2 channels in my music setup. The Krell is more laid back, and it sounds fine. But the Vidar is much more revealing and brings more presence to the soundstage. Remarkable improvement for a $800 amp. I do miss a bit of the lower end energy that the Krell amp provides, even though it doesn't sound well detailed by comparison to the Vidar. Hearing Steve's description of the Aegir v the Vidar, I think I'm going to get a pair of the Schiit Tyrs to do the 15 day trial in my system. The Tyr is made with the same "Continuity" circuitry as the Aegir, but with much more heft and power. I'm guessing this is going to bring the detail and dimensionality I'm hearing in the Vidar, with the smoother sound Steve describes in the Aegir. Depending on your speaker's efficiency, room size, and budget, the Tyrs might work for you too. Would love to hear what you decide and how it sounds comparted to your current setup.

[@champamp]

@@billh4477 thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts. Right now, I have no imminent plans to make a change, I am seeking input from Steve, given his long experience with my speakers. If I do make a change, I will respond to this thread. Again, thank you for sharing.

[@korob20080]

Try decware zen if you have a chance.

[@rtbnyc]

Did the Duet 15s get any time with the Vidar 2? As a Duet 15s owner I was thrilled when you made the speakers part of your reference system, but this is the second time you’ve left them out of an amp review (Hegel was first).

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Sorry, no, I did not use the amp with the pure audio speakers. The speaker amplifier ratio is far out of whack.

[@MrRourk]

Pas M PreAmp and Vidar sound great together

[@bryanherr1093]

Holy Schiit! What an amazing SOTD!

[@alanmodimages]

Great review Steve! So the question is, which amp runs hotter? The Aegir or the Vidar 2? I had been waiting for the new standby switch, but now that the prices are the same, heat is probably the final consideration. Hoping to drive some Triangle BRO 3's at 91 dB sensitivity no more than 70 dB loud.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Heat wise the Vidar 2 and Aegir feel about the same to the touch. Neither should be used in an unventilated cabinet. I had them place in open air, chassis/heatsinks were warm to the touch, not hot. .

[@alanmodimages]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks Steve!

[@alex.149]

The Aegir uses around 85W when the volume level is low, (quiescent) and is warm but not hot. Vidar 1 uses about 35W at low volumes and quite cool running so would expect Vidar 2 to be similar.

[@alanmodimages]

@@alex.149 85W is a pretty hot light bulb :)

[@alex.149]

@@alanmodimages but absorbed into all that metal heat sink mass.

[@powaw1]

Steve I would like your opinion on whether or not a set of Vidar 2 would offer anything over the set of Adcom 565 that I currently use. Freya+ and Gungnir sit in front. Thanks.

[@powaw1]

I forgot to mention the speakers are klipsch klf-10’s with the crites crossover kit and replacement horn drivers.

[@troys8418]

Would you be able to look at the new Bifrost and Yggdrasil+?

[@thepracticalaudiophile]

You didn't say how the Aegir sounded on the Vandersteen's.

[@kostasjezuz4846]

Any hum issues with this huge transformer? Any buzz when you sit close to the unit?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

No

[@kostasjezuz4846]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you for the reply!

[@browe]

Mine (I have a pair as monoblocks) do emit a vanishingly low hum when in standby mode, but my 100+ year old house is notorious for that. I use a Channel Islands Audio XDC-2 DC filter which both Vidars plug into... that makes a difference. I used to use CIAudio D-200 monoblocks (class D) which *really* hummed, but the same XDC-2 silenced them nicely, too.

[@kostasjezuz4846]

@@browe Good info, thanks!

[@steverogers7611]

I think I am doing schitt magnepan and rel for next system I need steamer and phono What happened to schitt record table, looked problematic when it was released ?

[@trudimcleod5042]

The Sol had to be pulled out because the assembly was quite unique and complicated. Also it was not very competitive with what is out there in terms of mid-range turntables.

[@dksculpture]

Impressive review Steve. All those speakers! Any chance you’ll review the Tyr?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

A lot of people are asking, I’m kind of surprised that so many of you are interested in a $3200 amplifier from SCHIIT!

[@dksculpture]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Interesting. I'm intrigued by better power supplies for output stages. The capacitor inductor scheme used for the Tyr can theoretically help lower supply noise a lot.

[@81970277324]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I second the request. id like to hear your take on the Tyr. I have agreed with your take on multiple pieces of gear in the past. You have been really helpful in my audio journey!

[@riazelahi1709]

Well done Steve, great and timely review. I just got the LS50 metas. Would you advise one Vidar2 or 2 Aegirs with a Freya+ Thanks in advance

[@jon4715]

Those are hungry speakers. I ran Magnepan 1.7i's with mono Aegirs. Very sweet, but I can really hear the difference with Tyr's. No doubt the Vidar 2 is the way to go.

[@riazelahi1709]

Thanks

[@riazelahi1709]

Single Vidar2?

[@riazelahi1709]

Hey Steve, could you please add to Jon’s excellent advice. And what about a single Tyr - same $ as x2 Vidar2s or x2 Aegirs Thanks

[@wesdumalski5630]

Vidar 2 over aegir. Dual aegirs will go in to protection on Metas around 85db or so. Used vidar and dual aegirs in my personal system with metas. As good as the aegir sounds, it’s the wrong amp for the metas…..

[@janulik9535]

thx for olu dara, it s realy nice

[@rocksinger45]

When you were using the LRS+ were you using one or two Amps ~ That wasn't clear in your review ~ Also will one Amp make these speaker dance as you stated ~

[@wesdumalski5630]

He only used one amp for all comparisons. He mentioned this is the comments. He also never said anything in the review about running dual vidars or aegirs so I guess I’m not sure how it was confusing?

[@rocksinger45]

@@wesdumalski5630 Hi Wes ~ I thought he did when he mentioned using the balance output source

[@Corndog642]

Wait until you hear Tyr. Now those are seriously great amps!