I asked Grok3 about the Wotan and it's bias. This is part of the long answer:
Schiit WOTAN's Operational Class
Official documentation, including the product page and user manual, describes WOTAN as a "conventional Class AB output stage design," distinguishing it from Schiit's Tyr, which uses a Continuity™ output stage (
Schiit WOTAN Product Page). The Continuity™ technology, found in models like Tyr and Aegir, extends Class A benefits beyond the bias region but is not mentioned for WOTAN. This suggests WOTAN lacks proprietary features like adaptive biasing, relying on a standard Class AB configuration.
Evidence of Class A Bias Power
User reviews provide insights into WOTAN's operation. A Reddit post claims WOTAN has "30 watts per channel of pure Class A power," with Forkbeard reporting Class A mode at lower volumes, transitioning to Class B at higher levels (
r/Schiit on Reddit: A Wotan is in the house!). This aligns with typical Class AB behavior, where the amplifier operates in Class A up to a certain power level before engaging Class B for efficiency. However, the 30-watt figure is user-reported and not confirmed in official specs, suggesting it may be an estimate.
To contextualize, for a Class AB amplifier, the Class A power can be calculated as
P = I^2 \cdot R / 2
, where ( I ) is the idle current and ( R ) is the load resistance. Assuming 30 watts at 8 ohms, the idle current would be approximately 2.74 A, which is plausible given the amplifier's 200-watt rating (maximum current around 5 A). This calculation supports the user claim but lacks official validation.
