New Schiit / Preamps and Power Amp (was Putting the Schiit Signal Up)

Would a universal remote work with this? I don't see why the codes would be proprietary.

 

If they are using IR like everybody else, and they can provide some documentation, certainly. Hell, a lot of universal remotes let you manually program anyway. I use a Logitech Harmony Hub and having it work with that is a big part of whether or not it ends up in my living room.

 

if the source is weak, it can happen sometimes. it can just get worst only if using something say a balanced to single end connector/adapter due to the already loss of -6db from going from balanced to unbalanced if need to use adapters. but, that's only one scenario. trying to drive an amp with mp3 player or ipod might be hard on certain power amps as well. most amps rated sensitivity is 1.4/1.5v at 4ohms so standard 8ohm loads will require bit higher input voltage for full power from the power amp. that's why using passives on weak sources can make things lifeless and no dynamics due to a weak signal not providing the power amp enough voltage to hit the dynamic peaks. it will affect the bass as well.

i tried using my sub amp with the sys and no matter what it would cause my amp to hit clipping point due to the input signal clipping and i would not even hit nearly anywhere above half way output. if i wanted good output all the time, it had come directly from my interface or my cd player. most modern sources and cd players provide bout 2v which is more than sufficient for most power amps.

 

Any word from @schiit when the Saga/Freya/Vidar will be up on the site?

I had a question on the preamps... when selecting "passive", or "passive" / "JFET" do the tubes power down?

How far away will a Lisst option be avail, or will they have them as an option right away?

 

close up pictures of the vidar/saga/freya here:
http://audio-head.com/schiit-audio-does-2-channel-rmaf-2016/

 

Reading through Jason's post on HF, it sounds like the tubes will always be warm if they're plugged in, even if they're not being used. He suggested running the LISST or just plucking them out if you want the pre to run cooler.

Given how open he's been about octal LISST they can't be too far off.

 

Apologies if this has been posted, but just found this DAR spot on the new gear: Saga, Freya, Vidar: three fresh pieces of Schiit from RMAF 2016. 10 minute video interview at the end. Compendium updated.

Edit: And a Stereophile spot, RMAF 2016: Jana's Sunday at the Show.

 

On DAR he mentions the preamps will available in December.

 

I enjoyed the video. Jason Stoddard & Mike Moffat talking about their 2-channel stuff. Worth watching IMO.

 

Not much more expensive than the Vidars....Wyred4Sound mAMP monoblocks are $999/each, come with balanced inputs.

 

I'm very curious if this is possible with this as well, when I had an MDAC I'd use a custom XLR splitter to run Senns and it sounded good to me.

 

So one can buy two monoblock, lightweight (8lbs) mAMPs, complete with Class D (ICEpower®) power output of roughly 250W @ 8ohms, for only $600 more than two monoblock Vidars that come with beefy transformers, linear power supply, and Class A/B power output of roughly 400W (conservatively) @ 8 ohms? Where do I sign?

Spoiler: C'mon now

Per this DAR review of the mAMP, etc.:

"The mAMPs won’t won’t ever leave you wondering ‘what if?’; they provide sufficient power to drive the most demanding of loudspeakers – they’d be my first choice for any of the power-thirsty Magnepans. "Ask yourself: how much would monoblocked 250 watts per channel (into 8 Ohms) run you as Class A/B implementations? I’d wager substantially more than US$1800 per pair. The beefier power supplies, heatsinking and a larger chassis needed for A/B don’t come cheap. . . . [Note: Now they do.]

"Being a Class A/B idealist is fine but it often drags with it greater wallet damage than smaller form-factored and more power efficient designs. This is where budget class-leading switching amplifiers from the likes of Wyred4Sound jimmy the window open into a pragmatist’s consciouness." [Note: Except now one can truly have it all, for less.]

m'AMP? m'Nothankyou

 

Well Elac has an integrated for the same price of the vidar:

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/10/rmaf-2016-a-headstart-for-happiness-with-the-elac-element/

 

I've recently upgraded my Integrated C100 (PSaudio) -- it had 200ASC ICEpower mono blocks (~2006) to 300ASC (~2014) YMMV but just gorgeous sounding... Class-D is not digital in the (Dac sense) at all -- Mike is spinning it that way a little in that Darko video... I bet they are working on their own class-D now, just to experiment and evolve it.

Class-D has a bad name 'cause people remember it from 10,15 years ago, and the glut of cheap chinese crap out there now.

Still def interested in the Vidars... the anti classD isn't a selling point for me tho.

 

I must confess I'm very curious about just how 'crap' the latest class D offerings are. I'm sure Mike has heard class D critically and his opinion is as valid as any, but I wonder when last he auditioned one. From a critical perspective, "it's shite because of <theory x>" is really no better than "it's great because of <theory y>" without hearing them. And even then, the question is not who wins, but whether there is a real value proposition at the price point. The NuPrime STA-9 is quite similar in features and price to Vidar...if it comes close to Vidar's SQ in a smaller, cooler package, well...it's a contender. Given that the whole chain needs synergy, it may actually work better in certain scenarios.

I have a line on a NuPrime ST-10 (used) for the same price that it would cost me to get a Vidar over here, before import duties...so Vidar would come out more expensive. I'm seriously contemplating picking it up so I can AB it with Vidar eventually.

 

Both @schiit and @baldr have philosophical reservations towards Class-D, same as for Delta-Sigma, and it's not something likely to change any time soon. Things like 'hell' and 'freezing' come to mind...

 

I wish I could find it but there was some podcast where Bruno Putzey was interviewed. Putzey is to Class D what Nelson Pass is to Class A, so I take his opinion seriously. He's the first to admit that early Class D chip amps were inferior and claimed he could come up with a better discrete design, which he did.

Anyway, in the interview he said that a well designed Class A should always beat a well designed Class D. His job was basically to get Class D good enough to where you couldn't tell the difference.

When it comes to subwoofers even audiophiles accept Class D and I wonder why. Maybe low frequencies don't need the same accuracy that upper frequencies do? Or maybe it just comes down to more power at a reasonable price.

 

IIRC class D has a similar issue of needing to have an output filter for noise which is shoved into the upper frequencies. Hence bass and mids are generally less problematic.

 

Well unless the Freya shown was a one-off, it has THREE output pairs, 1 bal and 2 SE. So that means a pair of xlrs for the L/R mains (wish there were two), rcas for the subs, and rcas (variable) for HT. That's fine, HT would be better using the volume on the Freya. Besides, attenuation or gain can come from HT software or hardware. Nowadays you can buy Y-split cables (those with star-quad wiring) from several builders without real compromise, so you can both bi-amp with Y-split xlr cables, and run subs and HT systems through the VC rcas on the Freya.

We should be using mini-XLRs with *2* pins anyway, like Belden 1800F, but I'll shut up.

I lied. Anyone else notice the Monoprice cabling at the RMAF demo? These folks are nothing if not sincere.

Reading the body language when they are together, Jason is not opposed to class D, but Mike is strongly against it. Fact is they would have to compete with Hypex and nobody has much chance of that. These folks are very capable, but Hypex have a huge head start.

I would love to see a modular Pivot-point-based preamp with switchable outputs for multi-amping. It could have one chassis with 2-6 channels. As an aside, in these days of remote control, there's no reason to build stereo preamps any more: monoblock preamps make a lot of sense.

They did mention how a true Pivot-point amp would have to be fully balanced, but I bet they do it. Why? They already have been willing to make $2000+ devices. At 100wpc the Vidar doesn't have enough power for most TOTL speakers. So the logical thing would be to build 300-500wpc monoblocks that really compete with the best. I expect they would try to keep them under $3k/pair.