Schiit Vidar 2 Stereo Amplifier Review

[mike70]

I have the original Vidar amplifier that replaced a pair of vintage Herron Audio M-150 monoblocks. If you look at the specs as seen on Stereophile the M-150's are better than the Vidar measurements. But the Vidar run in stereo sounds much better through the LRS+ Maggie's. So specs don't mean everything.

Blind listen with levelled gains?

 

[johnzena]

Nope. But obvious.

 

[mike70]

Nope. But obvious.

Is always in that way: in your mind is obvious.

That's why the ABX test exists, in other way the ABX test is ridiculous. You can try with the miriad free ABX tests in the internet to check it out.
I was you 15 years ago ... until I began to check it out ... and is pure science. Your senses are there to satisfy your thoughts / preconceived "facts". Once you see the truth, you can't deny it ... and also you will spend much less money

 

[johnzena]

Is always in that way: in your mind is obvious.

That's why the ABX test exists, in other way the ABX test is ridiculous. You can try with the miriad free ABX tests in the internet to check it out.
I was you 15 years ago ... until I began to check it out ... and is pure science. Your senses are there to satisfy your thoughts / preconceived "facts". Once you see the truth, you can't deny it ... and also you will spend much less money

I've wasted plenty of money chasing the dragon.

 

[somebodyelse]

See this thread for an explanation of the controls needed to make sure the brain isn't tricking us into thinking we can hear a difference when actually we can't, or that the difference is caused by something trivial and well known like a slight difference in volume.

 

[johnzena]

See this thread for an explanation of the controls needed to make sure the brain isn't tricking us into thinking we can hear a difference when actually we can't, or that the difference is caused by something trivial and well known like a slight difference in volume.

Thank you

 

[James Romeyn]

Hello Friends,
Did I miss the mono test results? If Amir did not test in mono, I respectfully propose to ship my Vidar 2 for both 8-ohm and 4-ohm mono specs.

If Amir did not test in mono: based on the posted specs, can members make educated guess what is the mono 4-ohm spec?

Why I'm curious: I liked two Vidar 2 mono, one amp p/c. The speaker is an AudioKinesis Sigma satellite (not the model in my avatar,) natural roll off about 120 Hz, true 96 dB voltage sensitivity @ 4-ohm, moderate to easy phase angles. Schiit specifies Vidar 2 mono only 400W @ 8-ohm, no 4-ohm spec.

Two Vidar 2 mono play clean live SPL on Sigma in my 3300cf symmetrical room (bass duty is 4 subs in a distributed array, 2 front-most subs crossed just below Sigma roll off, 2 rear-most subs crossed around 75 Hz.) I never heard any Vidar 2 mono stress nor speaker distress with clean peaks over 100 dB; never for long periods.)

Overall, I prefer Schiit Tyr mono blocs (200/350W @ 8/4 ohm) for their blacker background and a more refined/transparent presentation. But at maximum SPL I miss Vidar 2s greater thump, density and grip on the music. With Vidar 2 mono, rotating the preamp volume control seems to reflect more directly to playback level; the volume control feels more like the throttle on an electric vehicle whereas with Tyr the volume control has more "slop" and reflects less directly in playback level. Vidar 2 mono feels like it will easily scale Everest; Tyr feels like it may or may not make it.

I'd like both Tyr's refinement and Vidar 2 mono power. Hence my curiosity about the latter's power spec > my 4-ohm application.

 

[staticV3]

based on the posted specs, can members make educated guess what is the mono 4-ohm spec?

Schiit's APx555 report of the Vidar 2 includes measurements at 8Ω Mono:

https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/Schiit%20Amp%20APx555%20Standard%20Test%20Suite_%20Vidar%202.pdf

Here's THD+N vs Power: