Schiit Freya+ or Saga+? Vidar or Aegir?

I have a Schiit Raganock 2 integrated and I recently asked Schiit what kind of improvement I could expect with a Freya Vidar or Aegir combo. It surprised me that the person I talked to didn’t think it would justify the change. Interesting as I like tubes and only bought the Raggy because the others were backordered at the time. I've been on the Rag for about a year now with no complaints. Actually, I bought a Muzishare X7 tube amp and while I like the tube sound, the similarity of tonality and smoothness of the two amps is remarkable. I expected dramatic differences. The Raggy has a good headphone amp and two precuts for subwoofers so high marks for functionality. 

If I were to purchase a Saga I would do so to use the tube stage. To me there would be no other reason to own one. The mentioned high output impedance of the passive stage would also bother me. 

With a room of your size I would think the Aegir would work fine providing the lowest impedance isn't below 4 ohms. I would prefer the class A amplifier.

I believe Schiit offers 15 days return. 

what did you pick? i found my Saga + to really add something to the music even when not in tube mode. very strange you can barely tell the difference between tube mode but the sound change without the SAGA at all is quite big . not to mention its extremely well made for the price. solit aluminum remote , stepped volume, many outputs, quality internals just great measurements as far as distortion , im buying another one for 250 bucks used. freya is just too much at 600 but im sure its great

From the comparisons I’ve read I got the impression that the Aegir is hands down better if you don’t need more power. I’ve also heard they sound even better run as monoblocks. (In which case you can’t use the Saga because you need XLR to run in mono) I never even considered the Vidar for my setup. 

Most digital sources - anything with a DAC - run 2V peak out. Typical phono pre out is 300mV peak (I’m not a turntable person, so I could be wrong)
Look up the specs on your sources. Saga works for me because I’m only running digital. 

The output voltage of a line source component should be shown on the specs page of their marketing material or owners manual.  

The "more power is always better" mantra is the more popular approach these days -- I think the popularity of Class D amps which have lots of watts for their size/weight/cost has fueled this sentiment.  As noted previously, I've tried both approaches and the Aegir is working spectacularly for me. However, as they say, YMMV.  

The problem with amp specs is that they are primarily static measurements while the music signal is incredibly complex and dynamic. And, not every manufacturer has exactly the same method for measuring the specs they do list.  So, while numbers are important and meaningful, it still boils down to what YOU hear when YOU listen.

Thanks for all the input!

My speakers only have one pair of binding posts so bi-wiring or bi-amping isn’t an option, alas. 

So how does one find out or determine the output voltage of a component? In my head all components are at a standard voltage level so I guess I’ve got some research to do?

I have these sensitive speakers but I get caught up in all the discussion about amps and components.

Some people say that any amp operating outside of it’s clipping zone will sound the same as any other as long as it’s well designed. Some people say that every amp has its own different sound signature...“more bass, more heft, more clarity, etc.” And it goes back and forth about confirmation bias vs. measurements. Argh!!!

I’ve been around the internets the last day or so and some say having lots of overhead in watts is great (buy Vidar) others say lower watt amps are better because they’re “cleaner” or whatever (buy Aegir). 

I have a Saga+ and a single Aegir running my 88 dB sensitive Ohm 1000 speakers. I moved to this combo after using a much higher power Hypex Class D amp. At my preferred listening volume (around 85 dB max average), the Saga/Aegir combo has more body and clarity than the Hypex.  I sold my Hypex.

I was initially worried that the Aegir might not have enough power, so I used my VTVM to monitor the amp's output into the speakers while I listened. On average, I was only using about a quarter of the amp's power at my loudest listening level with peaks running only to half power. The amp showed no audible signs of not having enough power. 

Now, if my preferred listening volume was in the mid-90 dB range or higher, the Aegir would run out of gas for me. However, with your 95 dB efficient speakers, you should be fine unless you listen at extremely loud levels. 

Whether the 0 dB gain of the Saga+ will be sufficient or whether you'll want the extra gain of the Freya depends in large part on the voltage output of your music sources. If your DAC, tape deck, tuner or phono preamp put out 2 volts or more at peak volume, then you should be OK with the Saga.  Currently, Schiit says Sagas are in stock and can ship immediately while Freya's are back-ordered and won't be available until late March.  With Schiit's 15 trial polcy, you could try out a Saga knowing you could return it for only a 5% restocking fee if it doesn't work for you. (The web site says Aegirs are in production and should ship in a week or so.)

larshepping OP


If you have 95db efficient speaker, then probably all you need is the Class-A Aegir. If you have under 90db then the Vidar.

But if you have the money and speakers that have two sets of speaker terminals (highs/lows), then an Aegir on the highs and a Vidar on the lows.
And because they won't be the same gain a $49 Schiit Sys passive on the louder amp to equalize it down to the quieter amp.
Then a Schiit Freya as the preamp volume control for all of it.

Cheers George     

I’m using Zu Omen DW rated 97dB

I’m have an NOS tube in now and there is more of a difference, but with the stock tube the passive really was pretty close. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have issues with any kind of increased noise floor and am still new to tubes so I was worried about that initially. The major difference would be the output impedance. In the passive mode output impedance can be up to 4.8kohm. The tube mode is only 180 ohms. So it depends on your amp. The Aegir and Vidar are both only 22kohm input impedance, so a passive probably wouldn’t be a good match, especially at low volumes. I had the Saga+ first to use with a new tube power amp instead of using the pre out of my old SS integrated. Playing around with it I actually preferred the sound of the Saga+ both into the tube amp as well as into the integrated. I just left the volume on the integrated to be close to the same gain as the tube amp so I didn’t get any surprises when switching. There is just a subtle sparkle that I enjoy more with the Saga+ in the circuit. I bought the Aegir to get an idea of what a Class A SS might sound like without spending big bucks yet. I’m in an accumulate equipment and experiment phase, exploring what is there with the intention of eventually having a main and secondary system. I have no doubt I’ll eventually upgrade from the Saga+, but I can’t point to anything it’s doing wrong. It was supposed to be a short term solution, but I’m in no rush to pick a replacement without learning a lot more about what I’m looking for.

Interesting. I really struggled to find someone with the Saga/Aegir pairing but lo and behold, here you are. I hope you don’t mind a few questions!

—What is the sensitivity rating of your speakers?

—What have you noticed about tube mode in Saga+? 

I’ve read things ranging from “Saga tube mode is indistinguishable from passive mode” to “it’s great with the right tube”.

People talk about the Freya+ as having a more robust tube mode that has more of an effect on sound than the Saga+ but I’m not sure that I’d even want that. 

I have a Saga+ with an Aegir. If your source outputs at least 1.2V then unity gain with the pre will get full power out of the Aegir which should be fine with your speakers. The Freya+ may be better (I haven’t heard it), but for the price the Saga+ is surprisingly good. As an added bonus with the single 6SN7 it can be a lot less expensive to experiment with tube rolling. 

Thanks, guys. Aegir it is. 

I noticed that stock issue with the Freya+. I’ve read around on Audiogon and it looks like some people are already waiting months for backorders so who knows when I could expect one if I ordered it today. 

I’ve got the Freya+ with a Vidar, and I’d second the above advice for the best sound quality with your speakers. The Freya and Aegir are Schiit’s best sounding pre and amp.  

The problem is, the Freya+ is tough for them to keep in stock.  They are presently hoping to have it back in stock by late March.  This is due to limited production of parts needed, which I think is Covid related as well as a tight marketplace.

With your 95db speakers, I would go Aegir. It is class A and should pair well. The Freya + is the better pre and I would want an active pre with the lower watts of the Aegir.