Schiit Audio Saga Preamp and Vidar Amp

I'm running a single Vidar into speakers that are 88.5dB sensitive & 3.7 ohms. My Vidar gets merely warm, no warmer than any of my other SS amps and much cooler than my old hybrid Moscode. My Vidar does sit on a floor stand, so it has ample ventilation. Vidar in mono configuration is not rated into 4 ohms, so I stuck with a single unit in stereo mode and have had no issues or regrets. I've noticed that most of the stories that I've read of Vidar's going into protection mode were being ran in mono mode.

 

I ordered the Vidar and Saga+ and received them today. Got everything connected, fired it up and it was...underwhelming. The thought process behind this purchase was to replace my integrated Yamaha (RN-803) and enter the world of separate components (and tubes, at that). There was nowhere near the warmth and punch that I got from the Yamaha; the sound was, for lack of a better term, flat sounding. At this point I'm seriously considering taking advantage of Schiit's return policy and just sticking with the Yamaha. Since I'm a rookie when it comes to tube gear, are there any recommendations to hopefully improve the sound? Does it take hours of use before the gear loosens up?

 

Yes, there is some break/burn in involved. I'm assuming that you are using Saga in buffer mode? If you're using the passive mode then the tube isn't in the signal path. Even in buffer mode, the tube isn't influencing the signal as much as it would in a gain circuit. While you're breaking it in, change the volume for each song so that you're getting some juice to the different resistors in the volume control's resistor ladder. Play with it over the weekend before you make a decision. Tube swaps will be audible with Saga, but it will be subtle compared to an active tubed pre.

If you want that full blown tube experience, Freya+ might be a better choice.

 

Thanks for your reply/input. Yes, I've been using it in buffer mode, and I can only tell a very subtle difference between passive or active mode. How many hours would you expect is needed before break/burn in is achieved?
As for your suggestion about the Freya+, I'm definitely considering trading up.

 

How long do you have before you have to return it? I would personally not rate any amp before at least 150 hours. It takes that much to settle the capacitors. Keep it running as long as you can, before the return policy expiry. If you don't like it by then, then its no better (to your ears) than your current amp/receiver.

I run the original Freya and 2 Vidars combo in my 2nd setup. While quirky and needed an extra dosh to fix these quirks (beside the point), both Saga and Freya (in tube mode) put out a lush 3D like presentation. Also consider that you can roll the tube in your Saga+. It's just one tube, so it shouldn't be too expensive to experiment.

If your RN-803 can be switched to power amp mode, you could also consider keeping your Saga+ as an preamp.

Good luck.

 

With electronics, I generally try to get 100 hours in before making a decision. With Schiit's 15 day trial, that's pretty doable. If something sounds good before the 100 hours, I stop keeping track and enjoy. If you do send the Saga+ back for a Freya+, you'll only be out the return shipping cost. The restocking fee will be waived.

 

My opinion is that if you don’t like the sound at all immediately it won’t really change that much after ‘ burn in’.
Nothing is gonna change that much.

 

That’s exactly what I ended up doing...using the Yamaha as a power amp and having the Saga as a preamp. It was a slight difference, nothing significant. I may try upgrading to the Freya+ and trying that same configuration again.

 

This.

I'd leave them powered on and give it a few days with music playing through if you can. For what it's worth, Vidar has been described as flat sounding on other forums. See first few posts of this thread for instance: SchiitrMeet: Power Amp Thunderdome! (7/11/19) .

In my experience though, initial impressions typically hold going forward (except with the Yggdrasil if you ever try that as it requires a warm-up period to reach thermal stability). I'd imagine you just stay with the Yamaha.

Edit: Looks like your Yamaha has room EQ. Do you use it? If so, that may explain some of the difference.

 

Yes, I do use the EQ. I hadn’t taken that into account before you mentioned it. Someone said to me earlier that the Yamaha may color the sound in a way that I preferred, while the Vidar didn't. He has a point, but I still feel the Vidar sounds flat. After reading some of the comments on the thread you posted it seems I'm not the only one who feels that way. I think I'll be sticking with my Yamaha for now.

 

I was looking for a bargain-priced Class A/B power amp that will handle most speakers, so I pulled the trigger on a black Vidar. Initially, I will use a Schiit SYS as the pre-amp until I decide what to do for the long-haul.

From my experience and from what I’ve read, SYS is pretty transparent, so I will have a pretty good idea of what Vidar and my gear can do together.

 

Have you considered pairing Vidar with Loki to shape its sound to your liking?

 

I’m still waiting for the Vidar. I purchased a Khozmo passive pre which I will pair with the Vidar when it gets here. I really want to see how much of a difference it will make vs. my Onkyo TX-8555. It will allow me more selection when I upgrade my speakers.