[valiant66]

@Jason Stoddard Hi Jason, I am planning to move from headphones to speakers. I was wondering if Aegir *2 (Mono, 8 ohms: 80W RMS) would be a good fit for Bowers & Wilkins 804 D3 which says "Recommended amplifier power: 50W - 200W into 8Ω on unclipped programme" in the info sheet. Or Vidar *2 (Mono, 8 ohms: 400W RMS)? Thank you in advance!

For what it’s worth I am running Totem Mani-2s [Sensitivity: 85dB/W/m (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Maximum sound pressure level: 110dB before dynamic compression. Amplifier requirements: 40-200W (4 ohms)] driven by Meitner STR-55s [Power Output: 50W into 8 Ohms, Peak Output Current: 10 Amps] in a room that’s about 10’ x 20’.

The speakers are inefficient, the load is difficult (drops down to nearly 1 ohm at certain frequencies), and the amp is rated for only 50 watts, but I seldom turn the volume past 11 am. At 1 pm it’s too loud for condo dwelling.

The B&Ws are spec’d as 89dB and 8 ohms (dropping to 3). I don’t know how large your room is, but if it’s not much bigger than mine then I suspect a single Vidar would work perfectly well. A pair of Aegirs would too. I can’t see a need for a pair of Vidars except for bragging rights or unless your listening room is gymnasium sized.

If it was me I’d actually start with a single Aegir for the sound quality, and if it turned out not to be loud enough buy a second.

Good luck, it’s great to have choices!
.

 

[EELawson]

@Jason Stoddard Hi Jason, I am planning to move from headphones to speakers. I was wondering if Aegir *2 (Mono, 8 ohms: 80W RMS) would be a good fit for Bowers & Wilkins 804 D3 which says "Recommended amplifier power: 50W - 200W into 8Ω on unclipped programme" in the info sheet. Or Vidar *2 (Mono, 8 ohms: 400W RMS)? Thank you in advance!

I am running a pair of Aejir monoblocks into Paradigm Studio 100 V.3's, which are rated at 88 db efficiency at 8 ohms.

Power is not an issue. It will play louder than I can stand.

It sounds fantastic. I'm using a Freya+ for a preamp.

I have a second amp, a Crown PS-400, with 165 watts per channel also hooked up with a second pair of the same Paradigm speakers.

The Crown sounds good, but the Aejirs are clearly better.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

I run a single Vidar into my Zu Essence speakers which are spec'd at 97 db/W.

I think of it as a 5 W amp with 13 dB of headroom. Perfect!

JC

edit: for those mathematically inclined, the Vidar produces 100 W at 12 ohms, hence the 13 dB headroom number

 

[Mikem53]

@Jason Stoddard Hi Jason, I am planning to move from headphones to speakers. I was wondering if Aegir *2 (Mono, 8 ohms: 80W RMS) would be a good fit for Bowers & Wilkins 804 D3 which says "Recommended amplifier power: 50W - 200W into 8Ω on unclipped programme" in the info sheet. Or Vidar *2 (Mono, 8 ohms: 400W RMS)? Thank you in advance!

im no Jason S.. but I do have 2 Aegir amps in mono connected to a pair of Focal Electras rated at 91db 8ohms nominal with a dip to 3.5 ohms.
Open area with 13 ft ceilings and I have plenty of volume. I even had them working off one amp in stereo mode and it drove them to listenable levels... but not enough headroom to keep it setup that way..

 

[shapeshifter44]

Thank you guys for your replies! Really appreciate it.

 

[macdonjh]

Years (and years... and years) ago, I was really shocked at how much difference headroom made in the sound of my living room system. I had used a 100W amp for several years, but eventually burned out. I replaced it with a 200W amp from the same manufacturer and same basic design and noted improved sound. Then I replaced that with a 150W amp of much higher quality, and noted improved sound. Then my mid-life-ish crisis hit and I replaced than with a pair of 160W monoblocks and have been happy ever since.

There was an article somewhere back in the late '80s (I think) in which Bob Carver showed oscilloscope traces of an amplified signal of a recording of a pair of scissors "snipping". With 50W the transient clipped, with 100W the transient clipped, etc. It didn't matter how powerful the amp was, the signal clipped, but clipped less. I think he was answering the question, "why are your amplifiers so powerful?" There was an arms race of sorts going on then, measured in amplifier wattage. The kernel was: even though most of the time your amplifiers are coasting at a watt or less, they need lots and lots of headroom to reproduce lifelike dynamics. That's what I noticed when I had amps with bigger nominal output.

The differences were not night and day big, but they were noticeable to me at a time when I could tell the difference in my system's sound when I left the amps on all day or simply turned them on when I got home, and when I noticed the difference when I ran separate power circuits for my audio gear.

 

[TS0711]

I run a single Vidar into my Zu Essence speakers which are spec'd at 97 db/W.

I think of it as a 5 W amp with 13 dB of headroom. Perfect!

JC

edit: for those mathematically inclined, the Vidar produces 100 W at 12 ohms, hence the 13 dB headroom number

Wow Zu Essence, I feed mine with a 3watt triodes labs amp. It's headed with my Asgard 2/Bimby stack.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Wow Zu Essence, I feed mine with a 3watt triodes labs amp. It's headed with my Asgard 2/Bimby stack.

I have a 3.5W SEP (EL84) amp that drive the speakers very nicely, too. Also a 35 W 6L6 based amp as well.

The Vidar driving the Essences can be a visceral experience, though.

JC

 

[ScubaMan2017]

I figured out a use for my orphaned DAC and USB-to-COAXIAL boxes. Is there a stupendous sound quality improvement? I have no idea. Other than some occasional scratchy-scratchy noises when I rapidly crank the volume knob back and forth, it'll provide me with tunes (and anti-tinnitus and soothing sounds from mynoise.net) while I do my job.

 

[bcowen]

I figured out a use for my orphaned DAC and USB-to-COAXIAL boxes. Is there a stupendous sound quality improvement? I have no idea. Other than some occasional scratchy-scratchy noises when I rapidly crank the volume knob back and forth, it'll provide me with tunes (and anti-tinnitus and soothing sounds from mynoise.net) while I do my job.

Sweet! Just further proof that old audio components never die, they just get relocated. My EITR, Modi MB and Vali 2 now provide tunes upstairs. We all go to great lengths for good sound, but stairs? That's pushing it.

 

[tincanear]

I figured out a use for my orphaned DAC and USB-to-COAXIAL boxes. Is there a stupendous sound quality improvement? I have no idea. Other than some occasional scratchy-scratchy noises when I rapidly crank the volume knob back and forth, it'll provide me with tunes (and anti-tinnitus and soothing sounds from mynoise.net) while I do my job.

why not a magni / modi / eitr mini-chassis stack? is the magni 3 better than asgard 2 for driving the E2C?

 

[digitaldufferme]

don’t worry about soundbar connections, do proper stereo and you don’t miss soundbar/center channel; a sub is what you really meed for films and tv unless you only watch the news

Yes I agree, as stated in my original post I have dual REL T9i subwoofers.

 

[Alexnova]

This setup gives me so much joy when I listen to headphones at night. Extremely resolving and plays strengths to all the components here. Love Unison USB.

I also dig the utilitarian look of both Schiit and HD650s.

 

[Zojokkeli]

This setup gives me so much joy when I listen to headphones at night. Extremely resolving and plays strengths to all the components here. Love Unison USB.

I also dig the utilitarian look of both Schiit and HD650s.

Wow, I knew that Yggdrasil was big, but I didn’t realize it’s so gigantic!

 

[Alexnova]

Yeah I was so happy it fits on my Ikea desk. Just enough space!

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fredde-desk-black-50219044/