[thedesigner2011]

Would a Vidar be too much amp for these speakers,

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170specs.html

in a nearfield desktop setup where I sit about 4' from the speakers?

I'm not sure why you would spend $700 on an amp like the Vidar and then only use them with $300 speakers. While the CBM-170SE are excellent speakers, unless you plan on upgrading to better speakers in the future and out of the nearfield setting, save your money and get something else more appropriate. I think Schiit would agree that you should ultimately buy the best transducers you can, and then focus on the equipment powering them, like amps and dacs.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Agreed. The chassis size is a huge consideration. I'd gladly spend Gumby price, for a fully-balanced Bifrost.

Balanced. Multibit. Small. Pick two. You can have balanced and small (JoDAC); you can have multibit and small (mimby); you can have multibit and balanced (gumby). Mike can try to put a gumby board in a bifrost chassis, but it is *going* to hang out the back. Or the side. Or the top.

He might even have to put the power switch on the bottom.

There is also the ignore feature for folks who tend to be more noise than signal. It cleans up the clutter quite well.

this is 100% the way to survive on this website

 

[belgiangenius]

...still waiting for someone to compare these Vidars to a reputable power amp like a Bryston or a vintage Yamaha.

I have a Bryston 3BSST and a Yamaha B2 that get used with my YGGY/FREYA combo. Just, FYI, the 40 year old but rebuilt B2 wins that battle every time.

Is there anything here to interest me in a pair of Vidars?

 

[LarryMagoo]

Wow...a B2?....I had one of those a few years back...I loved that thing....it also sub'ed as a great space heater if I remember correctly! Loved the VU meters....It was a whole separate add on piece I think...

Congrats to all who are running a pair of these Vidars....seems like a sweet set up!

 

[Paddlefoot]

Are those "magic" pucks on some of your gear?

lol, i don't know if they are magic, but they do work. Herbie`s audio lab..sonic stabilizers

 

[Gimpinchair]

I'm not sure why you would spend $700 on an amp like the Vidar and then only use them with $300 speakers. While the CBM-170SE are excellent speakers, unless you plan on upgrading to better speakers in the future and out of the nearfield setting, save your money and get something else more appropriate. I think Schiit would agree that you should ultimately buy the best transducers you can, and then focus on the equipment powering them, like amps and dacs.

True, $700 is a bit much. Any suggestions for me?

 

[cskippy]

Ehh, I plan on getting a VIdar or an even more expensive power amp like the First Watt J2 or Benchmark AHB2 even though I only have $200 Philharmonic Audio Speakers. My main use will be with my HE-6. The price point is good considering it's a brand new power amp with great specs and a 5 year warranty.

 

[Ableza]

Cost does not equal quality. Schiit is the standard bearer for that mantra!

 

[gxleetw]

Au Have been comparing laptop->USB->EITR->coax->yaggy versus streamer->AES->yaggy over the weekend. The source is Tidal HiFi. The first instant I switched from AES to EITR, to my shock / disbelief, EITR seemed to be noticeably inferior. Then I quickly realized it's just EITR has slightly lower volume. After matching the volume, I would say the two are almost the same! Kudos to Jason. However, is this volume difference expected? I may have missed some earlier posts, but from memory I don't recall this ever being mentioned in this thread. The laptop volume setting is 100%, and no digital volume control on streamer. All the volume control is done by preamp

 

[Brubacca]

I'm not sure why you would spend $700 on an amp like the Vidar and then only use them with $300 speakers. While the CBM-170SE are excellent speakers, unless you plan on upgrading to better speakers in the future and out of the nearfield setting, save your money and get something else more appropriate. I think Schiit would agree that you should ultimately buy the best transducers you can, and then focus on the equipment powering them, like amps and dacs.

There certainly is a school of thought out there saying spend the most money on your upstream components and use a lesser speaker. If you wand a Vidar for your ascend speakers then go for it. Then someday if you upgrrade your speakers, you will be ready.

 

[belgiangenius]

Wow...a B2?....I had one of those a few years back...I loved that thing....it also sub'ed as a great space heater if I remember correctly! Loved the VU meters....It was a whole separate add on piece I think...

Congrats to all who are running a pair of these Vidars....seems like a sweet set up!

If your amp got hot and had separate add-on VUs, you likely had the B1!

The B2 has built-in VUs and runs relatively cool.

 

[Fr8dog]

True, $700 is a bit much. Any suggestions for me?

Upgrade to the Sierra 2's.

 

[Thouston]

The Schiit system is sounding fantastic.

Windows 10 laptop running JRiver version 23 - Schiit Eitr - Gungnir Multibit - Freya with Sylvania jan chs 6sn7gt vt-231 tubes - single Vidar - Tekton Impact speakers.

This system sounds so good that my Yamaha A-S2100 is going into my secondary system in the office. For those that have not heard a Yamaha's high end A-S2100 this is high praise, since it sounds great, but the Freya / Vidar combo sounds even better.

I would like to thank Winders for the Sylvania jan chs 6sn7gt vt-231 recommendation.

 

[dr cornelius]

The Schiit system is sounding fantastic.

Windows 10 laptop running JRiver version 23 - Schiit Eitr - Gungnir Multibit - Freya with Sylvania jan chs 6sn7gt vt-231 tubes - single Vidar - Tekton Impact speakers.

This system sounds so good that my Yamaha A-S2100 is going into my secondary system in the office. For those that have not heard a Yamaha's high end A-S2100 this is high praise, since it sounds great, but the Freya / Vidar combo sounds even better.

I would like to thank Winders for the Sylvania jan chs 6sn7gt vt-231 recommendation.

That is a great set-up - although I can’t believe you gave up your meters...

 

[LarryMagoo]

If your amp got hot and had separate add-on VUs, you likely had the B1!

The B2 has built-in VUs and runs relatively cool.

Hey BelgianGenius,

I think you are right...I think it was the B-1.....almost took two people to carry it. I always thought it was quite the piece from Yamaha!

Thanks for straitening me out!

Larry