Schiit Aegir Power Amp Impressions

Discussion in 'Power Amps' started by rlow, Oct 16, 2018.

  1. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Definitely missed that point...and wow is that surprising. When I had my Pass Labs Class A amp, in stand-by it was stone cold only heating up to "sorta hot" but easy to still touch after a couple hours of use. Then again Gungnir is warm and only consumes 20W...
     
  2. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    I'll take some thermal measurements with my IR gun and post when I get around to 100-ish hour impressions. They run hot, but not so hot you can fry eggs.

    For those on the edge of their seats, based on less than 5 hours of listening (prolly about 12 hours on), Aegir shares a lot of familial traits with Lyr3. I know, different context but there's a cleanliness in the lower treble and extension in the upper treble that feels anything but forced. Soundstaging is impressive/cohesive, if a little forward, physically, as in 1st row vs. 3rd row vs. 10th row vs. back-of-the-house.
     
  3. Wilhelm E Vormer

    Wilhelm E Vormer New

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    Imagine most people wd require 2 Aegir's. I wd be looking at £1600 European price.
    What is the power consumption per amp?
     
  4. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Check website.
     
  5. Wilhelm E Vormer

    Wilhelm E Vormer New

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    Ok, using two equals nearly 1000w (max). Guessing Class A means working hard at any volume.. something to think about.
     
  6. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    Thats likely running at full power. At idle it likely runs at less than half that. And standby cuts it by a ton obviously.

    This post may be of interest - note, this is from last year, the real specs may be different now:

    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...-audio-fest-rmaf-2018.6782/page-9#post-227699

    I think it would be handy for @schiit to post those latest power ratings at idle/standby on the product page as well.
     
  7. Aklegal

    Aklegal Friend

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  8. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    The specs page for Vidar says 700W max. I was initially concerned about running two on the same 15 amp circuit, but I have measured their consumption and they never come anywhere close to that, and I push them pretty hard.

    I know nothing about the ratings systems used to create these specs. Aegir may be totally different for all I know, but I suspect a lot of it is based on theoreticals. Would be interesting for someone more versed in this realm to comment on how those numbers are arrived at and how closely they reflect the real world.
     
  9. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Two Aegirs combined consume 900W max as per the website.

    My electric kettle consumes 1500W.
     
  10. JuleZ3C

    JuleZ3C New

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    My Vidar consumes about 700W too !
    (my Z3C is about.... moar !!)

    seriously considering bi-amping my Spatial M3 turbo S to use an Aegir... thus asking myself about crossover impedance relative to the speakers they're connected to and the the relative impact of the load on the LPF over the whole crossover network... Guess I'm gonna have to do some maths this weekend!
     
  11. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Took some temperature measurements using a cheapo IR temp gun. Room ambient temp was 20C/68F-ish

    At 10 minutes, the hottest part of the amp was 37C/99F. The coolest part was 32C/90F.

    After 60 minutes, the hottest part of the amp was 47C/116F, playing the radio at about 65-70dB. Coolest part was about 40C/104F.
     
  12. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Any opinions as to whether it sounds better as it gets hotter? I find that is definitely the case with Vidar.
     
  13. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Haven't done any critical listening as they warm up; just background NPR.

    Edit: I mean, I think it's safe to assume listening to them cold is not going to be optimal. What class-A or heavily biased class-A amp is going to sound good 2 minutes after turning it on?

    But, will spend about 2 hours tonight listening. So far, imaging is much more cohesive and engaging than the STA200, and bass is better extended with more punch, and less muddy. If things only improve with some time on the caps, etc., then Aegir monoblocks are a solid step up from the STA200, for me.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2019
  14. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    I've got an Aegir in-house, too. I seem to like it more than the STA200, also, which I tested in my setup for a week or so. The STA200 struck me as both a bit glassy and muddy, a nice amp for the price but not quite right for me. The Aegir strikes me as more transparent and detailed. Seems basically neutral with maybe a touch of warmth on the top. Or perhaps that's to say that it's not as glare-inducing as other SS amps (STA200, Peachtree Decco2) I've tried.

    However, my main point of comparison is an all-tube setup: Audio Electronic Supply (Cary) preamp into a pair of Quicksilver SET Mono amps. It's a combo I sort of ended up falling into after A-B'ing with a bunch of other stuff (including a PrimaLuna poweramp and a Decware preamp) and generally preferring. I don't think it's the last word on any sonic attribute, but it nicely mellows out and just seems to work with the rest of my system (Klipsch Forte IIIs).

    Where the all-tube SET setup falls just a little short, unsurprisingly, is the very lowest bass. So I'm trying out the Aegir with a Saga as an interesting and not too pricey (mostly) solid-state complement. So far, it's quite promising. Slightly more (or slightly different) detail than the tubes and seemingly tighter bass. And it gives me a remote.

    More to come and hope this is semi-useful to others considering the Aegir. (I don't post much here, prefer to lurk and learn.)


    System: BlueSound Node 2i / Technics SL1200-GR (2m Bronze -- > Graham Slee Era Gold V) --> AES AE3 DJH preamp --> Quick Silver SET Mono (x2) power amps --> Klipsch Forte III
     
  15. AdvanTech

    AdvanTech Friend

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    I'd say the STA200 is a bit glarey up top, so this makes sense!
     
  16. Macon Patton

    Macon Patton New

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    I’ve been using a pair of Vidar amps in mono with LS50 and REL t7I subs in my office with great success.
    I have a pr of Zu Audio DW Omen MkII about 2-3 weeks away. I decided that the Vidar amps would more than likely be too much for my listening area and I’d take the Pepsi challenge with the Aegir amps. I’m really enjoying breaking in the Aegir amps on the LS50. Frankly the LS50s sound friggin awesome with these Continuity Circuited metal boxes. I have this gut feeling that the Aegir / Omen is going to show off the reasoning for adding them to the Schiit pile.
     
  17. Wilhelm E Vormer

    Wilhelm E Vormer New

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    About the Aegir max power question- wd assume Class A means (when playing music)its always running max power, even low listening. If there is some clarification on this etc.
     
  18. murray

    murray Friend

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    No, it means that the transistors are always biased on - they never cut off. Class A amplifiers can still have a varying power draw.
     
  19. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I gotta ask, why does the power consumption matter?
     
  20. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    Climate change dude!!

    Unfortunately I’m only half joking.
     

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