Schiit - Vidar

DESCRIPTION

SPECS

FAQs

So now you think you can do speaker power amps, huh?

Okay, Mr. Fashionably Unimpressed, I guess it’s news to you that we’ve been doing a speaker amp for a couple of years now. It’s called Ragnarok. But that’s an integrated amp that does everything from IEMs to speakers. Vidar is simply our first dedicated speaker amp. Plus, we do have a history with speaker amps, back in the dim dark days when there was still some affordable high-end audio.

Color me still unimpressed. There are a lot of amps out there.

Yes, there are. But unless you have a wallet that takes a palanquin to carry, you’ve probably noticed that most high-end amps are very, very expensive. When you start using the word “affordable” next to “speaker amplifier,” the choices get really thin, really fast, especially when you also the words “really good,” before those three words. Especially when you understand that “affordable” doesn’t mean, “up to $5K,” in any sane universe.

So what’s so special about this “Vidar” amp, besides the fact it’s cheap?

The big deal is that this is a no-compromises design, at a price where there are usually a lot of compromises. Vidar uses a dual-mono-to-the-transformer design for the main output power supply (the most important place to use it). It has an exotic, high-speed, fully complementary, all-BJT current-feedback topology (no Class D or switching supplies here), and it has no coupling capacitors or DC servos in the signal path thanks to a sophisticated microprocessor oversight system, which also protects the amp—transparently, without fuses or active devices in the signal path—from common fault conditions.
Or, to put it in “key features” speak:
1. Power supply to output stage is dual mono—and this is where it matters. Modulation on one supply won’t affect the other.
2. Massive overkill power supply topology—separate regulated HV rails to voltage gain and driver stages (not stacked, so no modulation with P/S load).
3. No caps in the signal path, no DC servo in the signal path, nothing but music in the signal path.
4. Current feedback topology is amazingly fast (-3dB above 1MHz before input filter) and measures well, especially for such a simple stage.
5. Linear supply, not switching supply, no high-frequency noise to deal with.
6. Class AB output stage, not D. Again, no noise or noise-shaping applied.
7. 3 pairs of outputs per channel—1.5x more than typical for this power output.
8. Rated power output doubles into 4 ohms.
9. Microprocessor oversees all important aspects of amplifier operation: current, DC offset, temperature.
10. Protection system uses a “least invasive methodology”—no active devices in signal path, no current limiting, no crowbars—just resistors and relays.
11. No fan, just a massive amount of heatsinking.

Hmm, I only understood about half of that. Is this amp fully buzzword compliant?

Hell, we don’t know. It is if you think it is.

I still only understood a bit of that.

Yep, engineering is a bitch. We’re really happy that there are other people in the world who understand things like finance, design, philosophy, and business. It’s just that’s not us. And, unfortunately, in engineering, sometimes you have to speak in engineerese.

Hey, this amp is small for what it is, isn’t it?

Yes, it is. We worked hard to make the chassis simple and small, so we can do a no-compromises design at a reasonable cost. We used the heatsinks as part of the chassis to simplify its design, so we can put the money in the transformer, output devices, and power supply, rather than in large, flashy cosmetics.

But this amp is kinda small…

You seem fixated on this. Are you feeling inadequate lately?

No, I didn’t mean that! I mean, is this really a seriously powerful power amp?

Yes. Its rated power doubles into 4 ohms, which is something you don’t see very often. It has serious power reserves, with a 600VA transformer and 40,000uF of filter capacitance—20,000 for each channel. It’s perfectly happy driving difficult loads like Magneplanars. Unless you have some seriously insanely inefficient speakers and like ear-bleeding volume, this amp will do you just fine.

But what if I have insanely inefficient speakers and I wish to suffer hearing loss in the future?

Then use two of them as monoblocks. Of course, to do that, you’ll need a preamp with a real balanced output, like Freya. Plug a single balanced output into Vidar, and it turns it into a 400W/8 ohm mono amp.

Wait. How does the monoblock mode work?

It’s not a mode. It’s just the natural result of driving each channel with one half of a truly balanced signal. That’s why you need a preamp with balanced outputs. And that means REAL balanced outputs, not just XLR connectors.

There’s a difference between XLR and balanced?

There can be. If you aren’t using Freya, ask your preamp manufacturer if it has true balanced, differential outputs. If it does, you can easily run two Vidars as monoblocks. Or more, if you want to use them for home theater or something.

What? Home theater?

There’s no reason you couldn’t use 7 Vidars, one for each channel, if you have a pre-pro with balanced outputs. Or three and a half of them in stereo. Or…well, you get the picture.

So what happens if I have 2 ohm speakers? You didn’t rate Vidar for 2 ohms.

No, we didn’t. Because speakers that are rated below 4 ohms are pretty rare. The bottom line is that Vidar will run 2 ohm speakers, but it may run into its protection and turn itself off.

Same for 4 ohms when running monoblocks?

Yes. Again, Vidar will probably work fine at sane volumes, but at higher output, you may trigger the protection.

Well, it still runs pretty warm even into 8 ohms.

Yes, it does. It’s got a decent amount of bias on it. No worries—we have internal thermal sensors that the microprocessor monitors. They’ll turn off the amp if it gets too hot.

So what’s a Vidar?

Vidar, in Norse Mythology, is said to be the strongest of the gods after Thor. And no, this isn’t a hint that there’s an even more powerful “Thor” amp coming—we just don’t want the copyright battle on that one. Vidar is one of the newer generation of gods that survive Ragnarok. Yep. I know. We’re here all day.

WARRANTY

5 Year Warranty

Don't sweat it, this Schiit Vidar comes with a 5 year warranty from Schiit that covers manufacturing defects. All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.

Read more about Schiit's warranty in India.