[Rowethren]

 

 
That is one damn nice looking amp! Good job on the design department 

 

 

[Brubacca]

We'll keep reading the chapters! Love to hear about the joy and the pain.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

   
That is one damn nice looking amp! Good job on the design department 

 

Hopefully it sounds good...
 
(Actually, it should sound pretty much like the prototypes we showed, but without the gets-so-hot-it-thermally-shuts-down mode. Or, ah, maybe a bit better, because I can up the driver current now with so much more heat sinking, and run the bias up a bit. Hmmm. We'll see. Still waiting on some parts to finish the proto build, I'll sort all that stuff out shortly.)
 
(And actually, for the really curious, yes, this version is exactly the same as the amp we showed, even though the mechanics changed significantly. We went from a big (8.7 x 12.7") 2-layer board to a small (6.2 x 8") 4-layer board that costs about the same. The new 4-layer board gives us many opportunities to improve the layout, including the use of a much better grounding arrangement, shorter overall runs for the power supply, and more direct connection to the microprocessor oversight. Oh, and we added an additional heat sensor (because now the heatsinks are physically separate from each other, we needed it, and an input mute (so we can adjust parameters on start-up, even if you have music playing), and some additional bypassing that we added to the prototype during stress tests. Other than that, it's the same half-Jotunheim CFA topology with a massively overbuilt output stage.)
 
(And yes, still $699.)

 

[darkarn]

  A couple of updates:
 
1. Unless something very untoward happens, Freyas will be available for order on Friday. We are finally getting boards in tomorrow. It's doubtful that any of them will be shipped on Friday, however. We have to burn them in.
 
2. Just a couple of photos of the new Vidar prototype, which I mentioned I was building. It's radically different than what we showed. The heatsinks are now literally part of the chassis--everything bolts to them. It should be running next week, thermally qualified shortly after, and then the parts ordering can begin. One aside: this sucker is now VERY dense. The new, larger heatsinks added a few pounds.
 

 

 
I just realised how Freyas look/sound like Friday.... Maybe Fre-day? 
 
And whoa, Vidar now looks like the most beefiest Schiit ever!

 

[Astral Abyss]

(And yes, still $699.)

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this.

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

"The Manhattan Project. It'll Blow Schiit Up!"

What is the manhattan project? Ragnarok 2 or something?

 

[Rowethren]

  What is the manhattan project? Ragnarok 2 or something?

 
It is something digital I think so I would guess not.

 

[jsiegel14072]

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this.

Can you imagine the competition's heads?

 

[Muinarc]

  What is the manhattan project? Ragnarok 2 or something?

 
Fractal-Euclidian space based music hologram realizer™.

 

[TheMadMilkman]

Hopefully it sounds good...
 
(Actually, it should sound pretty much like the prototypes we showed, but without the gets-so-hot-it-thermally-shuts-down mode. Or, ah, maybe a bit better, because I can up the driver current now with so much more heat sinking, and run the bias up a bit. Hmmm. We'll see. Still waiting on some parts to finish the proto build, I'll sort all that stuff out shortly.)

 


Given the redesign and improved thermals, is there any chance that you would ultimately recommend using the Vidar's monoblock configuration with 4-ohm speakers?

This might just be me, but if I have a balanced source and a balanced preamp, I want to run the amps balanced as well. Even if the difference is only psychological.

 

[belgiangenius]

   
Fractal-Euclidian space based music hologram realizer™.

 
To extend that...listening to the music causes spontaneous orgasm.

 

[Ableza]

   
Fractal-Euclidian space based music hologram realizer™.

​That was done by Bob Carver in the 70's. 

 

[Jason Stoddard]

 

 
Hopefully it sounds good...
 
(Actually, it should sound pretty much like the prototypes we showed, but without the gets-so-hot-it-thermally-shuts-down mode. Or, ah, maybe a bit better, because I can up the driver current now with so much more heat sinking, and run the bias up a bit. Hmmm. We'll see. Still waiting on some parts to finish the proto build, I'll sort all that stuff out shortly.)
 

 


Given the redesign and improved thermals, is there any chance that you would ultimately recommend using the Vidar's monoblock configuration with 4-ohm speakers?

This might just be me, but if I have a balanced source and a balanced preamp, I want to run the amps balanced as well. Even if the difference is only psychological.

You could certainly use it, but we're not going to be rating it into 4 ohms. The reality is that, at very high levels, you will exceed the current limit and the amp will shut down. 
 
If you're not going to be running it at insane volumes all the time, sure, why not, same as every other amp on the planet.

 

[US Blues]

 

 
Hopefully it sounds good...
 
(Actually, it should sound pretty much like the prototypes we showed, but without the gets-so-hot-it-thermally-shuts-down mode. Or, ah, maybe a bit better, because I can up the driver current now with so much more heat sinking, and run the bias up a bit. Hmmm. We'll see. Still waiting on some parts to finish the proto build, I'll sort all that stuff out shortly.)
 

 


Given the redesign and improved thermals, is there any chance that you would ultimately recommend using the Vidar's monoblock configuration with 4-ohm speakers?

This might just be me, but if I have a balanced source and a balanced preamp, I want to run the amps balanced as well. Even if the difference is only psychological.

If your speakers are set up with High and Low frequency input terminals, buy 4 and use 2 per side. 

 

[noshortcuts]

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this.

Me too, $699 for that! - Makes wish I had room to stack them for the surround sound system. Of course then I'd be dealing with the big D (divorce).