Schiit Audio Saga Preamp and Vidar Amp

I just got these in for review and I am pretty damn impressed so far. Surprisingly good sound for the dollar!

Look nice and well made too. Saga is $349 and Vidar amp is $699. Impressive Schiit!

 

I love my Vidar power amp!

 

I can't believe how good this combo sounds! Such a deal!

 

I salute the use of the 6SN7. In an almost literal sense, as there so many great JAN ones.

 

I've had a Saga since November. It's so transparent. I find it easy now to hear differences between sources and amplifiers. Best $350 I ever spent.

 

I bought and returned a Freya/Vidar combo. I
Was underwhelmed.

 

Are you also going to compare with the Freya preamp ($699)?

 

Saga > Freya

 

This is sadly true right now Freya has a few design flaws that I’m sure they will correct in time.

Trust me, I wanted so badly to love this combo as it was super inexpensive.

 

What was it you didn't like about it, specifically?

 

Nope, the guys at Schiit feel the Saga is the better sounding preamp funny enough. I think perhaps its due to a newer design?

 

Saga and Vidar are an amazing combo.

I'm really liking the small form factor too, reminds me of the older solid state Quad amps.

 

I let it play songs on shuffle for ~120 hours before sitting down with it. I listen to mostly old school punk, reggae and 80’s and 90’s alternative and it just didn’t open up. My little Marantz integrated has a better sound stage.
Also, fast music (Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, Cannibal Corpse, etc) seemed sloppy and lost. Like the amp couldn’t keep up. I attribute this to current delivery as playing Trepaneringsritualen, which has lots of sub bass drones and such seemed like it couldn’t be sustained. Like the amp couldn’t keep feeding the speakers.
The Freya, well if I looked at it wrong I got microphonics, touched the case, touched an input select: microphonics. I read others are using tube risers to fight this but I’m not. That’s an engineering problem. The funny thing is, like others have stated, the tube and JFET modes sound almost identical. It would seem to me to dump the terrible tube stage and then you’d have a solid piece of equipment.
I sent it back though. I have no doubt SCHIIT will get the issues worked out but I don’t want to be a guinea pig.
Still others like theirs so....

 

The power amp gives a pretty solid sound, the bass and tonality is good. It is not quite up to "high end" standards in the detail and transparency, but still respectable performance. The build ,sound and look of the amp really has nothing to fault at the asking price.
I prefer the pre in the "tube buffer" mode. Its clear with good stage, detail and a "neutral" tonality.
These days I like to stay away from tubes, but in the Saga buffer no gain application it seems to behave pretty well. I have dealt with tube gain preamps, and at times experienced what the poster says happened on his Freya. To get the best sound and performance unless you are prepared to delve into tube rolling and matching and getting ones that don't act up, maybe a tube pre that uses 4 tubes is not for you.

 

Just curious (so don't read anything between the lines ), but if it isn't quite up to "high end" standards, then why are you using it? Is it replacing something that also wasn't quite up there, or are you just giving it a trial period and comparing it to your current system, which is up to high end standards? Or just comparing it to other systems you've heard but don't own? Or heard it someplace else? Or ...

Sometimes it's hard to figure out the context of the comments here, always nice to fill in a little of the back story, when you can.

 

There's better amps than Vidar once you get to the $2000 price point, but it's hard to do better than it under $2k unless you go used or restore something vintage and many people here do that. When I had one, I found it especially good with my Magnepan .7, it really brought those babies alive.

 

I think Vidar pairs especially well with speakers that like/need a bit of current.

 

I’d much rather have a bone stock Odyssey Khartago. It would blow the doors off the Vidar at $995. For under $1700 you can get a hot rodded Khartago that will be even better. Stable to 2 ohms!

Plus as I said before. It’s upgradeable. 20 year warranty. Nuff said.

The only drawback is that even stock amps are built to order so you’ll have to wait. I feel confident that you’ll be rewarded.

 

Hmm, I still have my Maggie 1.7s so I have to try that pairing!

 

Ido hear a significant difference. Some people don't, and that's fine.

You can make your own conclusions.




Regards

 

I'll try and answer your questions. I use it for the same reasons as other Schitt audio products. I find their products to be very high value, and that they are produced in the USA.
First, Vidar is good amp. I thought if there's a place where it fell short was it lacked some clarity and detail in comparison to higher end amps....the Job 225 ($1600) and channel island audio s200 ($2500). This does not mean the amp doesnt have more admirable qualities. The vidar gets the important things right...It has a good and balanced tonality and excellent bass. I like to use the word "solid" to describe its sonic character. It never sounds lightweight or crude. This was into 8 ohm and 6 ohm loads.

 

Any other thoughts on this schiity combo?
Schiit Audio Saga Preamp and Vidar Amp

 

I'm considering this combo. Really wanted the ragi but no remote is a deal breaker.
Get your schiit together Schiit! A ragi 2 w remote, and a hotrodded Vidar (like the SE ModWright's).. I wd def pay extra for a souped up Vidar.

 

Gonna bump this thread ‘cuz it pertains to my interests.

And ‘cuz I just like talking Schiit.
.

 

I delayed my Vidar(s) order when Schiit announced a new Aejir amp coming in 2019 that will Class A-ish.

I live within a reasonable drive to the Schiiter in Valencia for a demo. Hopefully, it will be out in early 2019. I will go for the Vidars as a back-up plan if the Aejirs don't fit the bill for some unforseen reason.

Meanwhile my Freya will to be content driving my 45-year old Crown PS-400 (which sounds darn good, too.)

This is going to be very fun.