Mono Blocks on a Budget, is it possible?


I’m really struggling with the direction to take my system. I have the following:

Legacy Classics speakers
Aurender N100H media player
Schiit Freya tube pre-amp
Schiit Yggdrasil DAC
Schiit Vidar x2 (in mono block mode)

I will be replacing speakers at some point but the rest of the system I love... except the Vidars. Before them, I had NAD 356BEE that was used for the amp. Very clean and I loved it, except it was only 80 Watts. I decided to upgrade to the Vidars. They cost twice as much From a good manufacturer like Schiit so they must be better right? Not really. They are more noisy than the NAD amp and I’m finding myself less in love with them that I though I would be. I was planning the Vidar purchase for about a year and now that I got them I don’t know which direction to take in replacing them. I want to get cleaner mono amps but don’t want to spend more than $3k MAX for both. The Vidars are 400 Watts into 8ohm, are there any options out there for me that are close to the Vidar specs? I’m open to used but mostly I want the amps to sound almost completely clean with practically no distortion. 
xerotrace

Showing 1 response by soix

IMO at your price level you’re probably better off getting a good stereo amp rather than paying more for two boxes. And why are you trying to match the specs of the Vidars? They don’t sound good to you, and you don’t need anywhere near 400W to drive your speakers anyway.  BTW, I wouldn't recommend Emotiva amps for your speakers.  Impedance for the Classics is stated to be 4 Ohms, which means they likely dip below that at some point in the frequency spectrum, and Emotiva recommends a 4 Ohm minimum for their amps.  There's a reason amps with robust power supplies cost more. 

From what you say you’re looking for, the best amp by far I’ve heard in my system is the Liberty Audio B2B-100 from the maker of the highly-regarded PBN amps. Crystal clear, clean, and dynamic with a dead silent backdrop in which performers emerge in a 3D sonic panorama, especially in high-bias mode. Sold direct for $2500, and if I’m you I’d see about a brief trial period if possible. Sounds like it might be just what you’re looking for.

Short of that, there’s a McCormack DNA 250 available here now for $2k that’s also very transparent and can be upgraded in the future as funds allow. If for some reason you’re hell bent on monoblocks there’s a pair of Bryston 7B STs also available here for $2k. BTW, all these amps are capable of driving lower-impedance loads and should have plenty of power to drive your speakers. Hope this helps and best of luck.