Schiit Vidar Impression Thread - UPDATED WITH REVIEW (CHECK FIRST POST)

This is early in planning and I might be getting ahead of myself to be considering crossovers already, but as an engineer I enjoy thinking through the process.

I have a Jotunheim with Modi Multibit for music headphone listening, and want to add speaker output to it. Main speakers will be compact mini monitors with ~ 5" woofers, something like the Mini Philharmonitor or Ascend Acoustics Luna (a smaller version of their Sierra 2). Open to amp selection (Vidar is a possibility). Powered subwoofer could be a 12" Rythmik but there are many other choices.

So the first question is whether to apply a high pass filter to the mains, or let it go full bandwidth. The idea of a line-level high pass filter appeals to my engineering intuition but I'm open to being talked out of it. If I add a high pass crossover, what are the pros and cons of active vs passive?

 

passive line-level high pass filter is the best you can do ..... you can add some flexibility with active jfet B4 Pass ox will be diy soon at diyaudio

 

Link to @Marvey's review added to the first post is busted: %20http//www.audiophool.org/blog/index.php/2017/08/30/schiit-vidar-power-amplifier/

Try this one:
http://www.audiophool.org/blog/index.php/2017/08/30/schiit-vidar-power-amplifier/

 

What is the input sensitivity on the Vidar anyway? Its the only "real" spec missing from the website. Considering Marv's warnings about gain with the Freya+Vidar I would have guessed that it is 2V on RCA inputs for a single Vidar since all of Schiit's dacs have 2V outputs. Now that I look again, we also don't know the max output voltage for the Freya or Saga in tube mode either so I have no clue.

For a few years now I have wished that some company would offer two flavors of their amps; a low gain, high input sensitivity (like 5V or more) amp for folks with active preamps and a slightly higher gain (still less than +27db) with a lower input sensitivity amp for passive pre folks. Don't know if it is possible but that is why its a wish.

Every now and then I see a company offering a gain option, for instance CIAudio does this with their monoblocks. Unfortunately their gain choices are 32db or 38db.

 

Yeah, I was just joking around.

I was just recalling an article I read about biamping about 9 years ago. Back when I was using two 330 watt amps to biamp a pair of speakers far too large for my listening space. Those were the days, lol.

 

It is not possible without modding and rewiring the speaker's crossover to provide a second pair of binding-posts (one pair going to the tweeter, the other pair going to the woofer).

The idea of bi-amping is that you have one channel of an amp driving only the tweeter (through its crossover), and another amp channel separately driving only the woofer (through its crossover). So the existing crossover must be amenable to splitting into separate tweeter and woofer crossovers.

 

Hi super best audio friends, I'm proud to share my new audio set up, I'm coming with NADs C160 and C270 with a Definitive Technology Protower 400TL since 13 years ago, now I purchased a Freya and Vidar wonderfully matched with a Goldenear Triton Seven, I have one week with this new set up and I very pleasent with the results, even I can adventure to say this, against the opinion on the Audiophool review that the Hegel H2 as the clear winner, In this case I believe this, if you find a Vidar better matching speakers could get the same results the reviewer percibe with the Hegel H2! I percibe a very open stage, deep and everything on its position, in fact in some recordings I easelly perceive the sounds that if those coming from the rear or the ceiling like the La Segunda from MA Recordings, the response is very dynamic and I find hearing other things that's was difficult to perceive with my least audio setup, other wear change is, I listing the vinyls are Cleaner than with the NADs and Protowers 400, and assess more the digital high resolution archives 24/96Khz than before! I noticed the low gain with the volume control, but I guessing that's because to have equilibrium between the 3 modes taking in reference the passive mode! Schiit decide don't give a distortion or instability behavior when you set the volume control far away from the 12 o'clock position like is common on the majority of the audio systems! So I'm happy with this new setup, is very naturally musical! this is the pictures, I couldn't upload here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxjj0Xfbr0TiNmNvTVFTU19VR0k

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxjj0Xfbr0TicVFRUGxtX0Rsa0k

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxjj0Xfbr0TiVHRWWXUtNUozc1E

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxjj0Xfbr0TiSUdpczU2SFRfN1k

 

thats the reason I said, "I adventure to say", obviusly I'm not sure, but maybe if you try the Vidar with other speakers, could have that behavior that you perceived with the Hegel!

 

I compared briefly to the more than 2 times expensive Job 225. The vidar in stereo use gives a very high performance that probably would be hard to beat at its price. It's not the ultimate in clarity or speed, but as a solid state design it does instrument timbre well and gives good soundstage depth but doesn't throw the immense 3d stage you might expect from a mega-buck amp. But it gets all the fundamentals well, if the question is can I enjoy listening to music on this amp, the answer is yes. The job is a bit quicker, clearer and more 3d. the vidar is slightly more fuller and rounder, and it serves up plenty of smooth detail. Both amps share some similarities. The use of no dc servo or capacitors in the path has tangible results. The differences to the job 225 aren't huge. They are both high quality, affordable solid state amps.
Re the noise or hum of the amp I determined that some of it is from the saga. The noise floor is lower with an axiom passive. In either case it's not obtrusive.

 

You guys really need to let the vidars break in for a few months...I've got a cheap emotiva amp a300 for $400 and after 6 months of break in it sounds a helluva lot cleaner than the first day I bought it. I'm also using the d/s bifrost and that sounds a lot better after six months too...there is just more there there after break-in. What I'd like to know is how does a pair of non defective vidars sound after three months of continuous break-in...after all the impurities burn off and the electrons start flowin i bet they will sound magical...

 

your hear will be break in for a few months too with new sound ,it's nice put the old back to see ......

 

Necessary break-in for a few months to see what it's really capable of? LOL

 

I always thought it was the day after the return window...

 

"...the Vidar really opens up after 16 days, and blew my mind after 5 years! A must buy..."