Schiit - Aegir

MEET AEGIR SPEAKER AMPLIFIER DESIGNED TO A GREATER DEGREE OF CLASS A AMPLIFICATION

When two seasoned members of the audio business decided it was time to change the status quo in 2010, Schiit was born. Jason Stoddard, formerly of Sumo, and Mike Moffat, formerly of Theta, are the two audiophiles. They have collaborated to create dozens of audio and video products. Schiit has long remained a favourite manufacturer of digital converters, headphone amplifiers, and speaker amplifiers among audiophiles. Continuity™: Benefits Beyond Class A, Aegir is the first Continuity speaker amplifier, building on the Lyr 3 headphone Amp's technology. Continuity is a technique for reducing transconductance droop outside the Class A bias zone while extending the benefits of Class A biassing. Because it uses both NPN and PNP devices on both rails, it solves the NPN and PNP device mismatch problem. With over 10W of Class A standing bias, it's still a hot-running Amp. The Aegir has a complementary, all-BJT, current feedback, no coupling capacitors or DC servos with Continuity™ constant transconductance output stage.

A TRUE NO-NONSENSE DESIGN DELIVERING HIGHLY ACCURATE AND CLEAN OUTPUT POWER

Aegir excludes capacitors and DC servos from the signal route. Aegir employs an innovative current-feedback architecture with a 100% linear power supply comprising seven distinct voltage rails and 600VA transformer and microprocessor oversight. Nothing in the signal path: no Class D, no switching supplies, no fans, no compromises. With this design concept in mind, the team of engineers at Schiit designed the speaker amplifier to be interference-free. All you get from the Schiit Aegir is pure and clean power output. Aegir delivers 20 watts into 8 ohms and 40 watts into 4 ohms. When using mono, you'll get 80W into 8 Ohms. Best of all, Continuity assures that you get Class-A performance across the board.

STANDBY MODE COMBINED WITH EXQUISITE HEAT DISSIPATION TECHNOLOGY

The power amplifier is class A when the collector current flows continuously throughout the input signal cycle. The class's objective A bias is used to make the amplifier noise- and interference-free to prevent distortion. Class A amplifier design produces a linear amplification, but most of the power produced by the amplifier goes wastage in the form of heat. Since the transistors in Class A amplifiers are forward biassed all the time, few currents will flow through them even though there is no input signal. With this concept in mind, Schiit Aegir has a front-panel button to place the Amp into Standby mode. It completely de-biases the output stage and considerably minimises standing power usage. The technology keeps the remainder of the Amp functioning without generating heat. The Aegir has microprocessor-controlled monitoring and management of critical operational points, including DC offset, with standby mode and relay shut-down for overcurrent, thermal, and other faults. The Aegir encompasses a 600VA transformer with dual mono main rails, plus boosted, regulated supply to input, voltage gain and driver stages. The Aegir also has separate, isolated and regulated rails for microprocessor management.

CONSCIENTIOUSLY DESIGNED AND BUILT IN CALIFORNIA, FEATURING NUMEROUS INPUTS

What do you envision when you imagine an amplifier for audiophiles? A large brute that consumes excessive living space and is extremely expensive. Schiit Audio's Aegir amplifier shattered the mould. It is compact, well-made, and produces tonnes of power. The rear panel of the amplifier has a single XLR input for use when an Aegir is operated as a mono amp, stereo RCA inputs, and a set of robust-looking gold-plated speaker wire binding posts (the RCA inputs are used for stereo operation). The front panel power button toggles between standby and power on settings. The Aegir is designed and built in California. The vast majority of the total production cost of Aegir—chassis, boards, transformers, assembly, goes to US companies manufacturing in the US. The PCBs are made in NorCal. Additionally made in California are the transformers.

The Schiit Story

The story of Schiit Audio begins with two veteran audiophiles Jason Stoddard, formerly of Sumo, and Mike Moffat, formerly of Theta coming together to shake things up a bit. Both of them have extensive experience in developing lots of audio and A/V products including the Andromeda III, Cobalt 307, DS Pre and Angstrom 200. From power amplifiers, I/V conversion stages, D/A converters, relay-switched stepped attenuator volume controls in preamps to developing the first DTS home theatre surround processor on the market, Schiit Audio has developed a lot of audio products over the years.

Getting into Designing Headphones

Headphones are the need of the hour everyone who likes music uses a headphone. Therefore Schiit Audio moved to develop personal audio equipment while continuing to design a speaker-based system which includes the industry-leading preamps, amps and DACs. So right now Schiit Audio has a plethora of audio products ranging from personal audio to speaker-based systems. Schiit designs affordable audio products that bring happiness in your lives.

True Multibit DACs and Unique Digital Filter

Unlike ordinary DACs that use delta-sigma, NOS (new old stock) D/A chips, multibit chips, high-cost R2R ladders, Schiit uses unique DSP-based closed-form digital filter which improves the sonic performance of the multibit DAC. Therefore the Schiit's multibit technology brings all of it together using the current-production, medical/military grade D/A converters.

Innovation in Analog

Schiit has opted for an innovative approach for the analog side as well. Even the most affordable Schiit headphone amplifier is a miniature, fully discrete, DC coupled, current-feedback power amplifier. Schiit is credited for introducing Continuity output stage to solve the issue of transconductance droop which was common in Class AB amplifier design. Schiit has also developed balanced topologies like Nexus in Ragnarok 2 and a perfect combination of tube and solid-state with Coherence in Lyr 3.

Designed with High-End Materials for Durability

All the Schiit products are designed for solidity and durability. Even the smallest of the products are made of aluminium and steel while the larger products are made of high-end C core transformers, power supply filtering and low-noise control. All the products have to go through severe testing procedures including the latest APx555 audio analyzer and Avermetrics analyzers. Every product from Asgard and up goes through burn-in to address the issues faced during the initial period of usage. Schiit takes care of all the service and support requirements so that you can concentrate on great sound.

Handcrafted in the USA

Schiit believes that local control of all the aspects of production improves the delivering of the product. Therefore all the Schiit products are designed and made in the USA and most of the cost of the components are going to the US-based companies. Assembled in the USA means that Schiit's chassis guys are from San Fernando Valley, Schiit transformers are made in California, Schiit boards come from the east coast of the USA and all the designing, assembling and testing of Schiit products happen in Valencia, California.