On Head Fi threads, the Vidar seems to have pleased the crowd. Because it's an Internet Direct brand, not too many have tried it around here. But any amp that can double it's wattage at 4 ohms has my attention. Early returns are good, one owner compared it to his mega bucks Yamaha 2100 integrated, and preferred the Freya/Vidar combo.
Showing 7 responses by 213runnin
A new owner on Audiokarma started a thread with a Vidar review, comparing it to an Emotiva A-300. The Vidar was superior in every way according to the owner. http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/amateur-review-of-schiit-vidar-power-amps-in-single-a... |
It is their first stand alone speaker amp after all, I’m following owner comments to get an idea too. What I like about Schiit is the head guys are actual amp and dac designers that eat and breathe this stuff. The Five year warranty also helps, but hopefully by the time I’m ready to buy it’ll have a more established track record. The Bifrost Multibit I bought is pretty amazing though. |
Yep, I've been following various threads on Headfi.org, Superbestaudiofriends and computeraudiophile. I can only think of 3 or 4 owners that have reported issues. It's hard to quantify this as people are much more likely to report a problem that to report no problem, but it doesn't look like anything more than the usual 4 or 5 out of 100 that are defective out of the box. They've been shipping the Vidar for about a month now. |
What’s a real drag for me on the Vidar ( and all of Schiit’s stuff) is the power switch around back. Leaning in, reaching around and groping with your fingers is not user friendly, no matter what fanboys may say. And leaving the amp on 24/7 will cause the electric bill to grow, much less so their DACs and other components. The lack of a 12 volt trigger is also too bad. I’ve currently got 4 Schiit items and want them to succeed, but they need to be willing to make a compromise or two and include some modern features. My Parasound P5 has the ability to cut the bass from my fronts and route it to the sub and sounds far better in this regard than the Saga pre I tried out. The LEDs on their products are also ridiculously bright, and it’s clear that Schiit marches to their own drum. What I keep hearing about them is that their DACs are their best products and I’d agree with that. Those are the products that are most strenuously attacked on forums, so you can tell they’ve shaken up the market. |
Wolf, I realize that there are work-arounds, and one can magic mark the LEDs or buy a device that turns on the Schiit gear, for instance. There are ways to get the result you want, but I guess my thought is more towards Schiit's approach to things. It's kind of a "this is how its gonna be and if you don't like it, tough schiit." attitude. I suppose in a way this is what all companies do at the end of the day, deciding on feature sets at a given price point, using whatever priorities and feedback in making the decisions on what to include and what to leave on the cutting room floor. But it seems to me that in today's marketplace, customer feedback is more important than ever. Many people simply hate the LEDs. Many people hate the rear power switches. These are just simple things that could be fixed without much ado. But it's their sandbox, and they can do what they like. They do build great sounding products, and that is what keeps people coming back, myself included. I just ordered the Mimby just because it's on sale as a B stock. |
Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to apply the "fanboy" moniker to anyone here, but I'm sure we could all agree that fanboys of schiit audio exist. Since I referenced a few things I don't like about Schiit, I'll mention some that get a thumbs up from me. The upgrading of their dacs has been great. And that you can simply install a new board instead of having to buy the whole dac, that's outstanding. It's also really great that they are continually tinkering and thinking outside the box. An audiophile turntable? I never saw that coming, and they're taking their time to get it right instead of rushing a product to market. That they are veteran designer/engineers in the industry is also a big plus in my book. And they manufacture in the USA instead of offshore somewhere. I've seen enough of greed from electronic brands and chintzy customers who'll order crap directly from China to save a few bucks. It's time to support domestic production. And of course, the audio quality at the various price levels is what keeps customers coming back for more. At the end of the day, I trust Schiit Audio. They're not going to release inferior stuff. They will stand behind what they sell you, and will refund with no questions asked. |