AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => All Solid State => Topic started by: happyrabbit on 11 Apr 2019, 11:19 pm
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Just arrived.. popped the hood for your enjoyment :green:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=193139)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=193140)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=193141)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=193142)
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Can't wait to hear your impressions. Second system or main rig?
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Nice. Please tell me you bought 2 of 'em! :green:
Gene
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Nice. Please tell me you bought 2 of 'em! :green:
Gene
OK, I'm telling you.
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OK, I'm telling you.
I just knew it!
I wonder how'd they do with my Spatial M3 Turbo's.
Gene
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You knew?
I was meaning to be funny, but am not original poster.
I am indeed the owner of a pair. They'll replace Vidars, which I'll sell.
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What a pile....;)
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You knew?
I was meaning to be funny, but am not original poster.
I am indeed the owner of a pair. They'll replace Vidars, which I'll sell.
So what are you powering with these less powerful amps?
Gene
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So what are you powering with these less powerful amps?
Gene
Gene, they're playing as I write this through Danny's X-Oticas which I built a few years ago. Ultimate volume is less, but more than adequate for needs. I like the improvements over Vidars. Not huge, but noticeable even with my ho-hum hearing.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=139529.0
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How hot do they get when playing at your normal volume?
Are they hot in standby?
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How hot do they get when playing at your normal volume?
Are they hot in standby?
Hmmm, good question. I didn't measure temp on Vidars or these. I can if you have to know exactly. Neither is uncomfortable to place hand on, which is my yardstick. Aegirs are a little warmer. Less than I thought after reading some of Jason's posts on Headfi.
I'm not concerned about heat into room and the amps sit out in the open, so no concern of closed in cabinet. And yes, they are still warm in standby, not what I'd call cool, but less warm. I know, I know...vague. Again, I could measure with infrared thingie it it's of concern.
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FYI, I checked temps with infrared thingie.
Amps playing for at least a couple of hours, exterior temps ranged from 95° to 100° shooting at top and into heatsinks. Just checked them after sitting all night in standby. Surprisingly not all that different @ 89° to perhaps 95°. In my situation not a big deal, but if they were in a cabinet, I'd consider turning them off when not using.
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Hi Peter,
Excuse my senility. I reread the thread and just realized your first comment to me saying your weren't the OP. I guess I assumed you were. Anyway, since I'm way down here, I definitely wouldn't leave those guys on all the time. I've got a pair of Class D monos that are never even warm but I still don't leave them on if I'm not playing anything.
Gene
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What speakers are you guys driving with these? I am using it with Klipsch Forte III's and a Saga pre-amp right now. Have a Freya on order and will probably run them mono
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This popped up earlier
https://apple.news/A6QJ4VPhsQi2MXHYGwNIdow
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I'm not one for flowery adjective slinging, and my hearing is not what it once was, but Guttenberg sums up what I'm hearing on the X-Oticas with a Cary SLP-03 pre.
"sound took on a burnished glow, with the tone richer and sweeter"
I find it... what's the word, organic sounding. Really easy to listen to.
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^ don't care for those audiophile-adjectives much :lol:
I dig organic... It sounds really promising.
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The Aegir is lovely. Is it a Coda killer ? No.. Will it replace my 45 SET ? No.. looking forward to owning 2 configured as mono’s. :thumb: 92db Briton Studio monitors from dc10audio.
Dwight
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Is it a Coda killer ?
I'm curious about the Coda killer comment. How does Coda sound and why is it the one to beat/kill?
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anyone know how it compares to the First Watt F7 or any of the other First Watt offerings?
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anyone know how it compares to the First Watt F7 or any of the other First Watt offerings?
I've heard most of the Schiit and most of the First Watt stuff (including the SIT amp). IMO, it's not a fair comparison. The Schiit is good for the money, but the First Watt amps are some of the best in the world, regardless of price (if you can get by with only 25 watts).
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I've heard most of the Schiit and most of the First Watt stuff (including the SIT amp). IMO, it's not a fair comparison. The Schiit is good for the money, but the First Watt amps are some of the best in the world, regardless of price (if you can get by with only 25 watts).
What was the system composed of that you listened to the Aegir's on? Was it single or monoblocks?
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What was the system composed of that you listened to the Aegir's on? Was it single or monoblocks?
Not the monoblocks. Dang, I didn't see them, if they were at RMAF this year.
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Not the monoblocks. Dang, I didn't see them, if they were at RMAF this year.
unfortunately I couldn't go and i haven't heard any of their amps.
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I've heard most of the Schiit and most of the First Watt stuff (including the SIT amp). IMO, it's not a fair comparison. The Schiit is good for the money, but the First Watt amps are some of the best in the world, regardless of price (if you can get by with only 25 watts).
Exactly.... my friend asked me how I liked my Vidar. I told him it's a superb value at $699. Doesn't do anything wrong and is built very well. Does it compare with his Luxman 507ux, NO. But than again the Luxman lists for roughly 10x as much.
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I've heard most of the Schiit and most of the First Watt stuff (including the SIT amp). IMO, it's not a fair comparison. The Schiit is good for the money, but the First Watt amps are some of the best in the world, regardless of price (if you can get by with only 25 watts).
I have not heard a First Watt amp but I did hear the Schiit Aegir at RMAF this year and they sounded excellent. The Schiit Salk room sounded great this year. I did not care much for how the Schiit Vidar sounded a couple years back. If you have the latest Stereophile issue with recommended components you will see that they gave the Schiit Aegir a class A recommendation. There are two First Watt amps that got a class B recommendation. I did see one post on another site, SABF, where someone preferred the Aegir over the First Watt he had. I can't speak to which sounds better other than to say that the Aegir sounds good regardless of price and it is an amazing deal at $799.
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I have not heard a First Watt amp but I did hear the Schiit Aegir at RMAF this year and they sounded excellent. The Schiit Salk room sounded great this year. I did not care much for how the Schiit Vidar sounded a couple years back. If you have the latest Stereophile issue with recommended components you will see that they gave the Schiit Aegir a class A recommendation. There are two First Watt amps that got a class B recommendation. I did see one post on another site, SABF, where someone preferred the Aegir over the First Watt he had. I can't speak to which sounds better other than to say that the Aegir sounds good regardless of price and it is an amazing deal at $799.
I can only report what I personally have heard, and in every instance I've always felt the Schiit gear was too bright. Not harsh or unrefined, but definitely tilted toward the detail/exciting end of the spectrum. Which is good if you like that type of sound. I don't. Mostly I prefer tube amps (although I've owned a fair # of SS amps in the past). For my personal preferences, the First Watt amps are just about the only SS amps that I can live with long term. Doesn't mean the First Watt amps are soft sounding or that they sound "like a tube amp" because they don't. But they are about the best balanced from a tonal standpoint (all except the F5, which is too bright).
Again, it's all just IME. I know for myself, this 'lit up' type of sound is exactly the type of sound that would result in my listening to less and less music over time. Not unlike Bryston. In fact, now that I say that, it occurs to me that Schiit and Bryston have a very, very similar sound and set of strengths. Lots of people love that sound, if you're one of them, congrats you've found a great bargain in the Schiit gear.
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I can only report what I personally have heard, and in every instance I've always felt the Schiit gear was too bright. Not harsh or unrefined, but definitely tilted toward the detail/exciting end of the spectrum. Which is good if you like that type of sound. I don't. Mostly I prefer tube amps (although I've owned a fair # of SS amps in the past). For my personal preferences, the First Watt amps are just about the only SS amps that I can live with long term. Doesn't mean the First Watt amps are soft sounding or that they sound "like a tube amp" because they don't. But they are about the best balanced from a tonal standpoint (all except the F5, which is too bright).
Again, it's all just IME. I know for myself, this 'lit up' type of sound is exactly the type of sound that would result in my listening to less and less music over time. Not unlike Bryston. In fact, now that I say that, it occurs to me that Schiit and Bryston have a very, very similar sound and set of strengths. Lots of people love that sound, if you're one of them, congrats you've found a great bargain in the Schiit gear.
Have you heard the Schiit Aegir?
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Have you heard the Schiit Aegir?
Yes.
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I've heard most of the Schiit and most of the First Watt stuff (including the SIT amp). IMO, it's not a fair comparison. The Schiit is good for the money, but the First Watt amps are some of the best in the world, regardless of price (if you can get by with only 25 watts).
I own them both. The Aegir has terrific bass and lots of power in-spite of it's lowish RMS rating. But after two weeks I'm sending it back. My F-7 (which costs a lot more and has the same power rating) is better in every way but, most importantly, it seems to connect better to the performers emotionally (sorry for the audio-nut language). The Aegir is a superb value and gets you into real Class A performance with extra headroom (into my 4 ohm Spatials). It has a nifty stand by button on the front which drops it down to about 15 watts so you can leave it on all day when you aren't listening - a much greener approach. I had a Vidar for about a year and it, too, it is great amp for the money (and a lot more power). The Aegir is better (to my ears) but the F-7 is in another league (as you might expect for the difference in cost). So I'll live with the 175 watt current draw (at idle) and reach around behind my rack to turn it off when I leave the room (Nelson doesn't want things to be too easy for us, I guess).
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I own them both. The Aegir has terrific bass and lots of power in-spite of it's lowish RMS rating. But after two weeks I'm sending it back. My F-7 (which costs a lot more and has the same power rating) is better in every way but, most importantly, it seems to connect better to the performers emotionally (sorry for the audio-nut language). The Aegir is a superb value and gets you into real Class A performance with extra headroom (into my 4 ohm Spatials). It has a nifty stand by button on the front which drops it down to about 15 watts so you can leave it on all day when you aren't listening - a much greener approach. I had a Vidar for about a year and it, too, it is great amp for the money (and a lot more power). The Aegir is better (to my ears) but the F-7 is in another league (as you might expect for the difference in cost). So I'll live with the 175 watt current draw (at idle) and reach around behind my rack to turn it off when I leave the room (Nelson doesn't want things to be too easy for us, I guess).
The F7 is on my short list. It is the FW that appeals to me the most. What preamp are you using with the F7?
By the way I have ordered a pair of the new Spatial M3 Sapphires which is also 4ohm. Less efficient than the TurboS but Clayton says it is still easy to drive due to their being no crossover. Mid/treble is direct wired and woofers have single Jantzen inductor for each woofer. Looking to upgrade from my current Ragnarok. Considering an F7, used Pass Labs XA25, Raven Blackhawk, Luxman, among others. Still a few years away from that upgrade with 3 kids in college.
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I am using a PrimaLuna Prologue premium (tube) pre. I have used the preamp section of a Vinnie Rossi LIO as well. Sounds great with both. They say it even likes passives. I would say if you like the Pass XA25 you should like the F-7 too. I'm Jonesing on the M3 Sapphires as well but so far cost is holding me back (in spite of a generous trade in offer from Clayton).
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I am using a PrimaLuna Prologue premium (tube) pre. I have used the preamp section of a Vinnie Rossi LIO as well. Sounds great with both. They say it even likes passives. I would say if you like the Pass XA25 you should like the F-7 too. I'm Jonesing on the M3 Sapphires as well but so far cost is holding me back (in spite of a generous trade in offer from Clayton).
I currently have the M3 Triode Masters and I am trading those in. Will be able to hear them for up to 60 days to see if I want to keep the new M3 Sapphires or M3 Triode Masters. Will be sending one or the other back. Super exited and curious to hear the Sapphires. Got an email from Clayton with a video of some walnut veneer baffles being CNC machined. Each pair of baffles are end to end on the sheet, so that the wood grain is aligned on both speakers. Found out that the baffle has 3 layers with the mid/tweeter on a separate layer from the woofers in order to isolate the mid/tweeter from the bass power. Will try to remember to come back here and let you know how they sound compared to the M3TM.
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I have not heard a First Watt amp but I did hear the Schiit Aegir at RMAF this year and they sounded excellent. The Schiit Salk room sounded great this year. I did not care much for how the Schiit Vidar sounded a couple years back. If you have the latest Stereophile issue with recommended components you will see that they gave the Schiit Aegir a class A recommendation. There are two First Watt amps that got a class B recommendation. I did see one post on another site, SABF, where someone preferred the Aegir over the First Watt he had. I can't speak to which sounds better other than to say that the Aegir sounds good regardless of price and it is an amazing deal at $799.
That's interesting. I'm not sure I recall Stereophile ever changing the recommendation class of any gear...though I'm sure they've done it before. Reminds me of What Hi-Fi's classification style and not in a good way.
Anyway...reading between the lines, it would seem that the Aegir has raised the bar a bit for lowish power class A SS amps. To me this is understandable. The SIT-3 and J2 are both rather system specific recommendations (electrically) whereas it appears the Aegir provides similar performance, while being suitable for use with a wider variety of speakers. Cool. Keep in mind it's always horses for courses and synergy is paramount. Stereophile says as much themselves about their rating system. I highly doubt my Stereophile class A rated PS Audio M700's (in my livingroom set-up) would work nearly as well with my Omegas (in my main system) as my 2 wpc non-Stereophile rated Decware Zen.
With that said, I'm a tried and true fan of Nelson's work. I have had the vast majority of First Watt and lowish power Pass XA series in my home. I keep an F3 and XA25 now with no plans of letting them go. But I have to say I'm intrigued by Stereophile's review of the Aegir and will likely give it a try sometime. For $800? Why not? If I like it then it'll join the rotation with my other amps. Have fun folks! :D
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That's interesting. I'm not sure I recall Stereophile ever changing the recommendation class of any gear...though I'm sure they've done it before. Reminds me of What Hi-Fi's classification style and not in a good way.
Anyway...reading between the lines, it would seem that the Aegir has raised the bar a bit for lowish power class A SS amps. To me this is understandable. The SIT-3 and J2 are both rather system specific recommendations (electrically) whereas it appears the Aegir provides similar performance, while being suitable for use with a wider variety of speakers. Cool. Keep in mind it's always horses for courses and synergy is paramount. Stereophile says as much themselves about their rating system. I highly doubt my Stereophile class A rated PS Audio M700's (in my livingroom set-up) would work nearly as well with my Omegas (in my main system) as my 2 wpc non-Stereophile rated Decware Zen.
With that said, I'm a tried and true fan of Nelson's work. I have had the vast majority of First Watt and lowish power Pass XA series in my home. I keep an F3 and XA25 now with no plans of letting them go. But I have to say I'm intrigued by Stereophile's review of the Aegir and will likely give it a try sometime. For $800? Why not? If I like it then it'll join the rotation with my other amps. Have fun folks! :D
Honestly there are lots of Stereophile class ratings that do not makes sense to me. Like the Magnepan LRS getting a class B rating while the Magnepan 0.7 get a class C rating when the reviewer basically said the 0.7 was a better speaker. JA would overrule his reviewers on ratings based on his opinion and certain measurements that he considered some kind of blemish. I like how Absolute sound avoids these classes and just categorizes by price.
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Yeah. Classes and ratings are irrelevant without a frame of reference. I think it is OK to use reviews and ratings as a general guide, but never as an absolute measure of what one should purchase. We all have different systems, rooms, and preferences. Try as much stuff as you can, experiment, and trust your ears. Finding what you like is all that is important in all this.
As such, the Aegir falls inline (on paper) with what I've found works best for me. Lowish power class A. Beyond that, I'm curious if the Aegir is single ended or push oull. My ears tend to like single ended class A, both SS and tubes moreso than push pull. In my experience, the sound is just more fluid and natural.
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FWIW- Steve Guttenburg's review compared the First Watt (M2 and F7 ???) to the Aegir. From my memory he felt the Aegir to be a great value but bettered by the First Watt amps.
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FWIW- Steve Guttenburg's review compared the First Watt (M2 and F7 ???) to the Aegir. From my memory he felt the Aegir to be a great value but bettered by the First Watt amps.
Seems to be the consensus from those who've heard both.
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Since the Aegir is only $799, I would be interested in a comparison between some of the First Watt amps and a pair of mono-blocked Aegirs. The Aegirs are reportedly less warm in monoblock mode.
@Tyson, I do agree that Schiit gear runs bright. I have tried a number of their headphone amps (Fulla 2, Magni, Jotunheim, Lyr 3) and they were all bright to varying degrees. The delta-sigma and multibit internal dac cards for use in the Lyr3 and Jotunheim are also bright compared to the current production Yggdrasil, which to my ears is not bright at all, using those same amps (sans Fulla 2). The Fulla 2 was the least bright of the amps and is the only one I kept long-term. After a month or two with the others I didn't even consider keeping them.
If they could somehow tune their amps to have Yggdrasil like transparency without the added brightness I'd sell my Hegel H360 in heartbeat and pocket the cash difference.
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Seems to be the consensus from those who've heard both.
Yes which makes sense. Good to know. Keeping the F7 on my short list.
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Since the Aegir is only $799, I would be interested in a comparison between some of the First Watt amps and a pair of mono-blocked Aegirs. The Aegirs are reportedly less warm in monoblock mode.
@Tyson, I do agree that Schiit gear runs bright. I have tried a number of their headphone amps (Fulla 2, Magni, Jotunheim, Lyr 3) and they were all bright to varying degrees. The delta-sigma and multibit internal dac cards for use in the Lyr3 and Jotunheim are also bright compared to the current production Yggdrasil, which to my ears is not bright at all, using those same amps (sans Fulla 2). The Fulla 2 was the least bright of the amps and is the only one I kept long-term. After a month or two with the others I didn't even consider keeping them.
If they could somehow tune their amps to have Yggdrasil like transparency without the added brightness I'd sell my Hegel H360 in heartbeat and pocket the cash difference.
I hear Ragnarok 2 is the smoothest amp in the Schiit lineup. Hope to see more reviews and reports from the field on that one. I personally do not consider the Rangrok 1 bright but that could just be my tolerance or taste. And I am using a Yggdrasil A2 with it which may balances things out.
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https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-schiit-aegir-pwr-amplifier.9314/
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https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-schiit-aegir-pwr-amplifier.9314/
"Nor do I buy into "Class A" having any benefit. If it had, it would show up in measurements. It does not."
I don't think this guy's measurement can see everything. Why do some amps with great measurements sound bad?
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I'd love to see a valid report on how one can translate electrical measurements to the sound of a piece of equipment in my system. Since nothing like this exists any attempt to correlate measurements to sound are just speculation.
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"Nor do I buy into "Class A" having any benefit. If it had, it would show up in measurements. It does not."
I don't think this guy's measurement can see everything. Why do some amps with great measurements sound bad?
Because amps with measurements if good can sound better than amps that measure great. My Parasound A21 amp specs out way better than my Pass X250- faster slew rate, much higher dampening (250 to >1000), higher current, THD are just a few parameters but it can't match the tone, bass slam, texture, air and transparency of the Pass amp.
I do think there is some benefit to Class A amps. They tend to sound different. Just as Class D amps sound different.
I will take electronics that sound great over spec's any day. There are things we just can't measure.
Why can amps that have similar measurements sound different?
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Because measurements if good can sound better than amps that measure great. My Parasound A21 amp specs out way better than my Pass X250- faster slew rate, much higher dampening (250 to >1000), higher current, THD are just a few parameters but it can't match the tone, bass slam, texture, air and transparency of the Pass amp.
I do think there is some benefit to Class A amps. They tend to sound different. Just as Class D amps sound different.
I will take electronics that sound great over spec's any day. There are things we just can't measure.
Why can amps that have similar measurements sound different?
Well put. Totally agree.
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Using a Aegir with Kef LS50 in a near field desk setup, def a rich full sound, doesn't get too loud as the ls50 is 85db but def enjoying the combo currently. Aegir gave the kef a warmer sound compared to when i used a Peachtree nova 150.
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Hey!
I haven't heard this Schiit... sorry can't help it :lol: But I've been toying with the idea of having a summer amp. Using my SET amps in hot summer days is not fun :icon_lol: Maybe I can get by in hot summer days with a SS class A amp like this and 20wpc is plenty for me.
Another thing... I don't have or have heard any of their stuffs but every time I see and read about their stuffs, I have to scratch my head and ask... how did they do it for that price made here in the US of A?
Anyway, I'll keep an eye on this one.
Buddy
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KEF LS50 has true 83 dB/W/m. It loves watts.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/whats-the-best-passive-and-preferably-floorstanding-speaker-one-can-find-for-2-500-or-less.6139/post-145451
[IMG, link] https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/kef-ls50-six-measurements-graphs-by-kimmosto-png.21152/
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I don't think audio science review pretends to be anything but a good bench test. He doesn't make any claims for subjective sound quality, it's a tool in your kit. I find it shocking that Schitt claims 40 watts into 4 ohms and 80 watts in bridged mode when it doesn't come anywhere close. If true that's malfeasance and false advertising at a Chinese knock off level. For myself a nice sounding amp and a made in America branding wouldn't make up for that, others may of course see it differently.
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I don't think audio science review pretends to be anything but a good bench test. He doesn't make any claims for subjective sound quality, it's a tool in your kit. I find it shocking that Schitt claims 40 watts into 4 ohms and 80 watts in bridged mode when it doesn't come anywhere close. If true that's malfeasance and false advertising at a Chinese knock off level. For myself a nice sounding amp and a made in America branding wouldn't make up for that, others may of course see it differently.
i consider Amir, Armir etc. to be an internet troll, which is why he's been banned from several audio sites in recent years. I don't trust his alleged measurements either. I'd rather read John Atkinson's findings.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Schiit Aegir's measured performance. It is a well-engineered amplifier at an affordable price.—John Atkinson
Note: Stereophile has given the Aegir a top class A rating. Very rare at that price point.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/schiit-audio-aegir-power-amplifier-measurements#cJT96uom86V5eOEf.99
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I would note a couple of things, one, here's the quote from the audio science site, "I am going to put the Schiit Aegir on my recommended list for its solid engineering and design". Secondly JA based his power measurements at 1% distortion (!) which Amir notes might produce the rated power, but he halted his measurements before that high distortion number. If you look at the charts both gentlemen have essentially the same results for power response, just different conclusions. I've met John and have great respect for his work in the field, but I'm at a loss as to why he's using a 1% distortion point as a benchmark. I don't know Amir from Adam and have noted he's a controversial figure in audio. Both gentlemen recommend the product, it's me who has the issue with Schitt and their marketing claims regarding power output so I'm fine with others taking my poor opinion with a large grain of salt.
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I may be biased because I own Aegirs, but the power rating almost seems irrelevant to where I want to end up sound-wise. Simply put, if I can achieve volume level desired without hear-ble distortion, I'm good to go.
I suspect if you were to pose the discrepancy you're reading about to Jason at Schiit, he'd answer with his typical candor. I've found them to be forthcoming and transparent when queried about such things.
Not that specs aren't an important component of buying decision, but it would seem out-of-character business-wise for them to deliberately mislead in their advertising, which is what's being suggested.
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I have nothing against any of the schiit products.. I have used a few.. Schiit makes decent equipment..
The only problem for me was, the products that I used just felt like I was getting "Average" equipment..
Good for the price, but not end game for me.. The Schiit products I used kept me feeling "What if & It could sound better"..
So, I'm going to venture to guess at least 30% of Schiit owners will sell to up-grade , or listen with that thought in the back of their minds "What if"..
The other 70% will be content to stay with-in their budget and happy with their Schiit system, ( wish I could be happy with Schiit )..
Being interested in an End Game system , the Schiit products I bought were a waste of money (learning experience)..
Much like my car stereo experience was , Start with a Flea market system, then a cheap store system, then a slightly more expensive system, Then a system where I bought everything on the Internet and installed myself..The first few systems were a waste of money (learning experience)..
Don't get me wrong, I have wasted quite a few thousand of dollars on step-up products (learning curve) to get to where my system is, and I will definitely spend more money stepping up down the line, not done yet..!!
Hope I didn't go off the topic to much,
BURT....
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I have nothing against any of the schiit products.. I have used a few.. Schiit makes decent equipment..
The only problem for me was, the products that I used just felt like I was getting "Average" equipment..
Good for the price, but not end game for me.. The Schiit products I used kept me feeling "What if & It could sound better"..
So, I'm going to venture to guess at least 30% of Schiit owners will sell to up-grade , or listen with that thought in the back of their minds "What if"..
The other 70% will be content to stay with-in their budget and happy with their Schiit system, ( wish I could be happy with Schiit )..
Being interested in an End Game system , the Schiit products I bought were a waste of money (learning experience)..
Much like my car stereo experience was , Start with a Flea market system, then a cheap store system, then a slightly more expensive system, Then a system where I bought everything on the Internet and installed myself..The first few systems were a waste of money (learning experience)..
Don't get me wrong, I have wasted quite a few thousand of dollars on step-up products (learning curve) to get to where my system is, and I will definitely spend more money stepping up down the line, not done yet..!!
Hope I didn't go off the topic to much,
BURT....
Many people feel that way about much more expensive products than Schiit's. Why would anyone expect to get endgame stuff at Schiits prices if they can afford more? There will always be something better for a price. Some people can't afford to go on the constant upgrade bandwagon and a good Schiit product can easily be end game for them. I think your comment points to other symptoms or causes.
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Many people feel that way about much more expensive products than Schiit's. Why would anyone expect to get endgame stuff at Schiits prices if they can afford more? There will always be something better for a price. Some people can't afford to go on the constant upgrade bandwagon and a good Schiit product can easily be end game for them. I think your comment points to other symptoms or causes.
Agreed..
No offence intended, just expressing my experiences so far.. Still learning myself as to the End-Game Sound System I'm looking for..
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"Typically, an amplifier's power specifications are calculated by measuring its RMS output voltage, with a continuous sine wave signal, at the onset of clipping—defined arbitrarily as a stated percentage of total harmonic distortion (THD), usually 1%, into specified load resistances." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_power#Continuous_power_and_%22RMS_power%22
When someone uses a different method than commonly accepted, it's bound to cause confusion...
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I have nothing against any of the schiit products.. I have used a few.. Schiit makes decent equipment..
The only problem for me was, the products that I used just felt like I was getting "Average" equipment..
Good for the price, but not end game for me.. The Schiit products I used kept me feeling "What if & It could sound better"..
So, I'm going to venture to guess at least 30% of Schiit owners will sell to up-grade , or listen with that thought in the back of their minds "What if"..
The other 70% will be content to stay with-in their budget and happy with their Schiit system, ( wish I could be happy with Schiit )..
Being interested in an End Game system , the Schiit products I bought were a waste of money (learning experience)..
Much like my car stereo experience was , Start with a Flea market system, then a cheap store system, then a slightly more expensive system, Then a system where I bought everything on the Internet and installed myself..The first few systems were a waste of money (learning experience)..
Don't get me wrong, I have wasted quite a few thousand of dollars on step-up products (learning curve) to get to where my system is, and I will definitely spend more money stepping up down the line, not done yet..!!
Hope I didn't go off the topic to much,
BURT....
I hear what you're saying, but as an Yggdrasil owner I have to disagree. The Yggy is - in my opinion - a world class DAC. I have also heard many Schiit preamp owners state that, with the right tubes, they compete with the truly high end - and high priced gear.
I don't think it helps that the company is named Schiit and that their gear is so affordable.... this unfortunately creates a perception of mediocracy.
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I hear what you're saying, but as an Yggdrasil owner I have to disagree. The Yggy is - in my opinion - a world class DAC. I have also heard many Schiit preamp owners state that, with the right tubes, they compete with the truly high end - and high priced gear.
I don't think it helps that the company is named Schiit and that their gear is so affordable.... this unfortunately creates a perception of mediocracy.
Well put. I own a Yggy as well. Despite perception issues they seem to be doing very well when it comes to sales.
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I hear what you're saying, but as an Yggdrasil owner I have to disagree. The Yggy is - in my opinion - a world class DAC. I have also heard many Schiit preamp owners state that, with the right tubes, they compete with the truly high end - and high priced gear.
I don't think it helps that the company is named Schiit and that their gear is so affordable.... this unfortunately creates a perception of mediocracy.
That might be true for you, but it's not true of most people, at least as far as I've been able to observe. The name in particular (Schiit) people seem to really get the clever humor of it.
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That might be true for you, but it's not true of most people, at least as far as I've been able to observe. The name in particular (Schiit) people seem to really get the clever humor of it.
Not at all true for me. I'm a happy owner of their gear who appreciates their thumbing their nose at the snobbery so often associated with audio enthusiasts. However I do think there are those who make the mistake of not taking them or their products very seriously.
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I have an Aegir that I was using for some Spatial Audio M4s (92db sensitive) with a Saga S preamp and it sounded great. I'm currently in the process of building some X-LS Encores from GR Research and I have some concern about the Aegir being able to handle the reduced efficiency of the X-LSs (87db). I plan on eventually running a 2.2 setup with dual servo sub kits from GR research as well so they will be crossed at 80hz which I think should help? If not I'll consider either getting a Vidar or dual Aegirs but i won't know until I hook them up.
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I haven't read through all of this but am going to today. This amp is on my VERY short list for my new Omega Super 3 High Output monitors. drivers 97.5 db efficiency and no crossover. Seems like this amp would be a real good fit for these kind of speakers.
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I have an Aegir that I was using for some Spatial Audio M4s (92db sensitive) with a Saga S preamp and it sounded great. I'm currently in the process of building some X-LS Encores from GR Research and I have some concern about the Aegir being able to handle the reduced efficiency of the X-LSs (87db). I plan on eventually running a 2.2 setup with dual servo sub kits from GR research as well so they will be crossed at 80hz which I think should help? If not I'll consider either getting a Vidar or dual Aegirs but i won't know until I hook them up.
Unfortunately if you go with 2 Aegir's, you'll have to start looking for a pre-amp with balanced outputs as well. I guess at that point you'd opt for a Freya. That said, you might find that the Vidar is a better match for the M4 anyway. (plus you'd be able to retain the Saga) Never hurts to take advantage of their 15 day audition.
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I haven't read through all of this but am going to today. This amp is on my VERY short list for my new Omega Super 3 High Output monitors. drivers 97.5 db efficiency and no crossover. Seems like this amp would be a real good fit for these kind of speakers.
I think that sounds like a good match.
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I have not heard a First Watt amp but I did hear the Schiit Aegir at RMAF this year and they sounded excellent. The Schiit Salk room sounded great this year. I did not care much for how the Schiit Vidar sounded a couple years back. If you have the latest Stereophile issue with recommended components you will see that they gave the Schiit Aegir a class A recommendation. There are two First Watt amps that got a class B recommendation. I did see one post on another site, SABF, where someone preferred the Aegir over the First Watt he had. I can't speak to which sounds better other than to say that the Aegir sounds good regardless of price and it is an amazing deal at $799.
You share my same experience. Heard the Aegirs at RMAF this year and was thoroughly impressed. Heard the Vidars, in mono block form two years ago at RMAF and wasn't impressed at all.
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I think that sounds like a good match.
Louis at Omega thinks so. :D
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What was the system composed of that you listened to the Aegir's on? Was it single or monoblocks?
This system was a giant piece of Schiit.
It was REAL good! I want the entire set up!
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=204311)
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This system was a giant piece of Schiit.
It was REAL good! I want the entire set up!
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=204311)
I was there and totally agree. REAL good! One of the best sounding systems at the last RMAF IMO. The problem with mono Aegirs is that they are not rated for a 4 ohm load so may not be the best thing for less efficient 4 ohm speakers like Magnepan. A mono Aegir may behave like a bridged amp and sees a 4 ohm load as a 2 ohm load. That is why I am waiting for Schiit to release a higher power continuity amp that is a pure monoblock. Especially for Maggies.
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I was there and totally agree. REAL good! One of the best sounding systems at the last RMAF IMO. The problem with mono Aegirs is that they are not rated for a 4 ohm load so may not be the best thing for less efficient 4 ohm speakers like Magnepan. A mono Aegir may behave like a bridged amp and sees a 4 ohm load as a 2 ohm load. That is why I am waiting for Schiit to release a higher power continuity amp that is a pure monoblock. Especially for Maggies.
That room was easily one of my favorites. Hell, the room could have sounded like Schiit, the speakers could have sounded like some Sony htib speakers and I would have wanted them still! They are just that sexy! But fortunately, the sound was just a sexy as the looks.
So I take it you're a Maggie owner too???? I have a pair of LRS's. Still in search of the right amplifier. These things are super demanding and have shut down 3 amps so far.
I am interested in the Aegirs because I am pairing them with my new Omega 3 HO speakers. Rated at 6ohms and 97.5 db. Aegir should play well with those speakers.
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That room was easily one of my favorites. Hell, the room could have sounded like Schiit, the speakers could have sounded like some Sony htib speakers and I would have wanted them still! They are just that sexy! But fortunately, the sound was just a sexy as the looks.
So I take it you're a Maggie owner too???? I have a pair of LRS's. Still in search of the right amplifier. These things are super demanding and have shut down 3 amps so far.
I am interested in the Aegirs because I am pairing them with my new Omega 3 HO speakers. Rated at 6ohms and 97.5 db. Aegir should play well with those speakers.
Can the LRS be bi-amped? That may be a better option than running the amps as mono due to not liking lower loads when running as mono.
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That room was easily one of my favorites. Hell, the room could have sounded like Schiit, the speakers could have sounded like some Sony htib speakers and I would have wanted them still! They are just that sexy! But fortunately, the sound was just a sexy as the looks.
So I take it you're a Maggie owner too???? I have a pair of LRS's. Still in search of the right amplifier. These things are super demanding and have shut down 3 amps so far.
I am interested in the Aegirs because I am pairing them with my new Omega 3 HO speakers. Rated at 6ohms and 97.5 db. Aegir should play well with those speakers.
I looked up your Omegas and they look pretty neat to me. Made in USA like Magnepan. No doubt a single Aegir would be a great match.
I will be a Maggie LRS owner in about 8 weeks. I am actually fulfilling a goal of have two systems in separate parts of the house that I can tweak and improve over time. Systems that are very good but very different yet complementary to one another. My main system had the Schiit Ragnarok 1, Yggdrasil and Pro-ject the classic TT. The speakers are Spatial M3 Sapphires. This system sounds terrific and does so many things so well that the bar is very high for a complementary system to not be a let down. Also my main system is in the living room off our master bedroom so can't listen to them when wife is sleeping.
So my second system has NAD separates which includes a 225wpc 8 ohm amp that basically doubles its power into 4 ohms. I have a pair of Usher Dancer Berryliums stand monitors in that system now. They are actually very good speakers in terms of imaging and detail and were a class A Stereophile speaker. However my Spatials are much better in every way. My Spatials have much of what you get with Magnepan with their openness, scale, and transparency but with much more authority in the bass while still being fast and detailed being open baffle. And they are efficient. Now I have a grand daughter who just started walking and the Ushers are much too easy for her to push off the stands. And the Ushers are very heavy and thus very dangerous if they fell off the stands. So I am going to have to put them in storage or possibly sell them. My Dad, who has Maggie 3.7i's, offered to send me a pair of Maggie LRS to take their place and I gladly accepted his gift. Those LRS should be a good fit with the very power NAD amp in that system. And the LRS should sound as good as my Spatials in the mids and highs and be great for classical guitar, lute, and chamber music which is what I would primarily use them for. If I like the LRS I may at least get a Rythmik sub to go with them and maybe even trade them up to a pair of 1.7i.
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I have LRS' in a smallish room, 14'x14'x8', and I listen at moderate volumes. I have two amps that I rotate a Benchmark ABH2 200W@4ohm and a Jeff Rowland 535 400W@4ohm. I still feel like I am not feeding them enough. Maggies love current. You will probably be better off with Vidars instead of Aegirs. In Steve Guttenberg's review of the LRS' he like the Vidar pairing.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igh9iO5BxBo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igh9iO5BxBo)
Cheers
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igh9iO5BxBo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igh9iO5BxBo)
Cheers
That’s some funny Schiit!
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Very interested in the results of the Omegas and the Aegir. Did this happen?
Putting together a bedroom system and am struggling with the speaker pairing. Any one else have some hours on their Aegir?
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I have had my Aegir driving Crites Cornscalas for several months. it is a beautiful sounding amp. It runs pretty warm about 113. It sound good right after power up and according to Stereophile "does 80% of what the XA25 will do". I love it and the next step for me would cost several thousands more.
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Very interested in the results of the Omegas and the Aegir. Did this happen?
Putting together a bedroom system and am struggling with the speaker pairing. Any one else have some hours on their Aegir?
Omega's are on their way tomorrow. Finally! Been toying with the idea of trying tube amps out with the Omega's. But don't know if I really want to go that route. Everyone in the Omega forum tells me that Omega's were made for tube amps. And that for my speaker, I probably don't want more than about 5 watts of power. 5 watts, 20 watts, there can't be that much of a difference. I am ready to make a purchase! Not hooking this system up until I have everything I want. I am really leaning towards the Aegir for price and simplicity alone. Plug and play and don't worry about it. But I don't want to just look at price and simplicity, I too am looking at the bigger picture. This hobby and love for audio is fun, but I truly want to be done. I want an end game system. I want a system that I can just listen to for the next 15 years that puts a huge smile on my face every time I turn it on. If at $799, the Aegir can do that, well that's a steal in my opinion. The speakers are super easy to drive so I don't see why this wouldn't be a good fit.
I am ready to pull the trigger on something soon.
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I looked up your Omegas and they look pretty neat to me. Made in USA like Magnepan. No doubt a single Aegir would be a great match.
I will be a Maggie LRS owner in about 8 weeks. I am actually fulfilling a goal of have two systems in separate parts of the house that I can tweak and improve over time. Systems that are very good but very different yet complementary to one another. My main system had the Schiit Ragnarok 1, Yggdrasil and Pro-ject the classic TT. The speakers are Spatial M3 Sapphires. This system sounds terrific and does so many things so well that the bar is very high for a complementary system to not be a let down. Also my main system is in the living room off our master bedroom so can't listen to them when wife is sleeping.
So my second system has NAD separates which includes a 225wpc 8 ohm amp that basically doubles its power into 4 ohms. I have a pair of Usher Dancer Berryliums stand monitors in that system now. They are actually very good speakers in terms of imaging and detail and were a class A Stereophile speaker. However my Spatials are much better in every way. My Spatials have much of what you get with Magnepan with their openness, scale, and transparency but with much more authority in the bass while still being fast and detailed being open baffle. And they are efficient. Now I have a grand daughter who just started walking and the Ushers are much too easy for her to push off the stands. And the Ushers are very heavy and thus very dangerous if they fell off the stands. So I am going to have to put them in storage or possibly sell them. My Dad, who has Maggie 3.7i's, offered to send me a pair of Maggie LRS to take their place and I gladly accepted his gift. Those LRS should be a good fit with the very power NAD amp in that system. And the LRS should sound as good as my Spatials in the mids and highs and be great for classical guitar, lute, and chamber music which is what I would primarily use them for. If I like the LRS I may at least get a Rythmik sub to go with them and maybe even trade them up to a pair of 1.7i.
Yep. Very neat and a special speaker. I owned a pair a few years back and had to sell them. There is a reason I am coming back for seconds, and this time around, doubled up on the drivers. Two per speaker instead of one. This should be a very nice speaker. And the LRS's, another special and spectacular speaker. It's given me a listening experience that I have never had before in my own home. I am like you, I am in the process of creating three different listening experiences in my home. I was blessed with the extra room in my new house to do so. It's been a drea of mine to do something like this. I have my dedicated theater room with ZU Audio's, my two channel office system with the Magnepan LRS's and the Omega's to take the place of the Maggie's when they get here. I plan on moving the Maggie's down to the living room. But all three systems will be dramatically different fromeach other. Kind of like what flavor do I want today.
But you will like the LRS's. No doubt about it. As long as you feed them great, clean power and high current amplification, they will for sure reward you. Sounds like you have it covered with those NAD's if they double down into 4ohms.I went through 4 different amps until I settled on my 400 watt per channel monoblocks. Maggie's came to life with those.
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I’m late to the thread response...I have the Omega Super 3 HO speakers paired with the Aegir (stereo mode). It’s a wonderful pairing...& I have no qualms. The Aegir supplies just the right amount of power to the Omega’s and was recommend to me by Louis over at Omega speaker after I asked what would he recommend in the solid state realm for my desktop setup. I have a LTA MZ3 for low watt listening and it’s equally befitting; requires more volume to drive the Omega’s but similar nirvana in terms of sound quality. I’m sure there’s ‘better’ but I’m satisfied with the Aegir...exceptional engineering and value IMHO.
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+1 on the Aegir, it have a elegante and simple project, almost minimalist, have a decent sound and not cost a fortune, hi value per $ what in the end is what counts.
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Using a Aegir with Kef LS50 in a near field desk setup, def a rich full sound, doesn't get too loud as the ls50 is 85db but def enjoying the combo currently. Aegir gave the kef a warmer sound compared to when i used a Peachtree nova 150.
I was looking into this comparison lately as well. I wonder if this difference is coming from the inherent difference between Class D and Class A.
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To use the Aegir in monoblock mode, do you have to use the XLR connections? I thought I remember reading that somewhere.
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To use the Aegir in monoblock mode, do you have to use the XLR connections? I thought I remember reading that somewhere.
From Stereophile's review: "Users may effortlessly convert their stereo Aegir to an 80W (into 8 ohms) monoblock by simply connecting the XLR output of a true balanced preamp to the single XLR input on the Aegir's rear panel."
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I was looking into this comparison lately as well. I wonder if this difference is coming from the inherent difference between Class D and Class A.
No. That would be an over-simplification. Not all class A amps are particularly rich sounding. Not all class D amps are dry nor analytical. On top of this, all amps will react differently to various speaker loads (and thus their performance will vary accordingly)...though, some like Hypex/Ncore and presumably Purifi are relatively load-agnostic up to their power rating (so I've read).
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Anyone have some suggestions on a fully balanced pre-amp that would work well with the Aegirs? Tube, SS, it doesn't matter, but I need a remote control that has a balance control.
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Why not the Schiit freya+? That’s what they were meant to pair with.
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Why not the Schiit freya+? That’s what they were meant to pair with.
+1. Great pre-amp and really a no brainer at that price point, especially when pairing with a Schiit amp. Endless 6SN7 tube rolling possibilities as well.
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I've heard the Aegir driving a pair of Spatial Audio Lab M3 in a showroom and the set up sounded very well balanced and musical. Don't know how it would compare with a First Watt
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Hey Aegir users, I need your advice on whether the Aegir is right for my systems. Yes, plural, as I will move the amp from regular use in my office for 2-4 hours per week in my living room.
The living room is easy - I have Tekton Mini Lore Monitors there. 95db, 8 ohm. And that seems to be Aegir ready.
My office is the question mark. There I feed from sources into a B&K Preamp, which splits the low pass to a powered 8", and then the high pass goes to the amp and on to Polk Reserve R200 (86db, 8 ohm). This is a small 15x15 office, so it won't go loud. Will the Aegir be sufficient to power the high pass to the R200s?
And will the Aegir be able to go for 6 hours a day in my office?
Thanks!