[StevePNW]

Thanks for your continued reviews of Vidar(s) with the LRSs. I have one Vidar and a Freya S. I ordered LRSs from my local dealer in late February. I've heard Magnepan is still operating, so hopefully my speakers won't be too delayed by everything else shutting down. Based on your comments, I'll probably get another Vidar at some point.

@myquealer - I did not mention it as directly as I should have. I think a single Vidar sounds very good with the LRS. The NAD matchup was no where near what 1 Vidar can do with them in my setup. You should be happy at the start with one powering them. They quoted me 8-10 weeks as in December they thought they were catching up a bit on the backlog. It took just over 3 months but I hope yours gets to you as quickly as possible with current conditions. It is quite a packaging job 46 lbs shipped flat. I like it with the foot flippers extended for a more vertical position with the tweeter traces on the outside. The Magna Riser Airbornes carry that theme even further raising them ~3 inches off the floor and a full 90 degrees vertical. Imaging is amazing. The Freya S is an amazing device and the whole system has such a low noise floor. Looking forward to your trial with the Vidar pairing! By-the-way, what speakers are you using now? I found the transition from my B&Ws to the LRSs was an easy one. I remember it took a bit longer for me to transition from my Paradigms to the B&Ws.

 

[tincanear]

Thanks for your continued reviews of Vidar(s) with the LRSs. I have one Vidar and a Freya S. I ordered LRSs from my local dealer in late February. I've heard Magnepan is still operating, so hopefully my speakers won't be too delayed by everything else shutting down. Based on your comments, I'll probably get another Vidar at some point.

didn't realize that the LRSs were so (relatively) inexpensive at $650 per pair. also inefficient 86 dB / 2.83V / 4 ohms, equivalent to 83 dB / 1 Watt. Single Vidar (rated 200 W per channel into 4 ohms) should reach 106 dB (both channels driven 109 dB) though, which is pretty loud.

added: in general, and especially with 4 ohm and lower impedance speakers, be sure to use short but thick (~12 AWG or heavier) speaker cables. the bare wire ends can be fitted directly to the 5-way binding posts, tighten them securely. best to avoid many of the low cost banana plugs on the market-- they look good (ooooh, shiny), but have poor electrical / mechanical integrity.

 

[Rensek]

When @renault4 asked me about the differences earlier in the week between 1 & 2 Vidars driving the LRSs I was able to relay my small experiment of comparison. I felt that although a single V sounded very good, I enjoyed the dynamics and detail provided by 2 Vidar running each channel separately. I mentioned that I was curious about running my beloved NAD 214 amp in stereo with the Maggie pair. In fact, I was a bit afraid to put it in the system for comparison. What if the cost of the twin Vidar did not justify the difference in perceived performance? After all, the NAD amp was one of my prized components and well-reviewed in its day. It was rated a solid 80W per channel with its big toroidal transformer and the spec sheet quoted dynamic power at 110, 180, & 250 watts into 8, 4, & 2 ohms. In bridge mode it claimed 500 dynamic into 4 ohms.

I proceeded to retrieve the NAD 214 from my garage rack system and connect it to the Freya S and the LRS pair. I gave it a good warm-up running through a variety of music, while I was doing stuff around the house listening casually. Then I sat down and gave a more critical listen to 2 albums I’ve been liking lately. The first was Entering the Woods by the Emil Brandqvist Trio. Nice piano-based trio, well recorded and my wife and I have loved listening to it repeatedly. The second was a recommendation from recently passed audio journalist Art Dudley and it is The Complete Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster Sessions. Good piano and sax. While the 214 amp has a nice tonality to it and is fun, I immediately knew I was not hearing certain details in the mid and high frequencies. Bass was good but not as controlled. Sound stage and imaging were diminished. I felt the 214 which was well suited to my B&W 605 S2s were not up to the task with the LRSs. I was a bit surprised…maybe a little pleased.

Back to the dual Vidars – and all the detail, clean mid-range, and crystal highs with excellent imaging returns (bass with Vidar is reported excellent by many reviewers). I’m a happy camper. Maybe it is time to sell the NAD. Or return it to the garage/shop and upgrade my Paradigm Titans with the B&Ws for that space. I like keeping older gear running. Worth more to me than that average Craigslist person.

I’ve owned the Vidars and Freya S for 5 months now. Used approximately 4 months with the B&Ws and the last month intensively with the LRSs while telecommuting from home. I’m finding the Vidars an excellent match for the LRSs in my space. So good that I’ve been delaying a decision on a headphone acquisition because I’m just enjoying this matchup too much. I hope your weekend is treating you well.

Thanks for this, I've only got one vidar, and it will stay that way, but I have been debating selling the vidar and getting an Aegir, or keeping the vidar and buying the LRS.

Nice to have some additional insight on the vidar LRS combo.

 

[Zojokkeli]

Interesting note regarding the electrical noise I was getting from my PC through Bifrost 2’s Unison USB; I recently upgraded my PC to Ryzen (3700X) and a high-end motherboard (Asus Crosshair VII), and I no longer have the issue with noise.
Asus’s website mentions that the audio and USB-ports are shielded from electrical interference, and it really seems to help.

 

[renault4]

When @renault4 asked me about the differences earlier in the week between 1 & 2 Vidars driving the LRSs I was able to relay my small experiment of comparison. I felt that although a single V sounded very good, I enjoyed the dynamics and detail provided by 2 Vidar running each channel separately. I mentioned that I was curious about running my beloved NAD 214 amp in stereo with the Maggie pair. In fact, I was a bit afraid to put it in the system for comparison. What if the cost of the twin Vidar did not justify the difference in perceived performance? After all, the NAD amp was one of my prized components and well-reviewed in its day. It was rated a solid 80W per channel with its big toroidal transformer and the spec sheet quoted dynamic power at 110, 180, & 250 watts into 8, 4, & 2 ohms. In bridge mode it claimed 500 dynamic into 4 ohms.

I proceeded to retrieve the NAD 214 from my garage rack system and connect it to the Freya S and the LRS pair. I gave it a good warm-up running through a variety of music, while I was doing stuff around the house listening casually. Then I sat down and gave a more critical listen to 2 albums I’ve been liking lately. The first was Entering the Woods by the Emil Brandqvist Trio. Nice piano-based trio, well recorded and my wife and I have loved listening to it repeatedly. The second was a recommendation from recently passed audio journalist Art Dudley and it is The Complete Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster Sessions. Good piano and sax. While the 214 amp has a nice tonality to it and is fun, I immediately knew I was not hearing certain details in the mid and high frequencies. Bass was good but not as controlled. Sound stage and imaging were diminished. I felt the 214 which was well suited to my B&W 605 S2s were not up to the task with the LRSs. I was a bit surprised…maybe a little pleased.

Back to the dual Vidars – and all the detail, clean mid-range, and crystal highs with excellent imaging returns (bass with Vidar is reported excellent by many reviewers). I’m a happy camper. Maybe it is time to sell the NAD. Or return it to the garage/shop and upgrade my Paradigm Titans with the B&Ws for that space. I like keeping older gear running. Worth more to me than that average Craigslist person.

I’ve owned the Vidars and Freya S for 5 months now. Used approximately 4 months with the B&Ws and the last month intensively with the LRSs while telecommuting from home. I’m finding the Vidars an excellent match for the LRSs in my space. So good that I’ve been delaying a decision on a headphone acquisition because I’m just enjoying this matchup too much. I hope your weekend is treating you well.

thanks for continuing to report on this.

I've been in contact with Magnepan as I am still planning a 1.7i purchase in a few months, and not only are they still in business--their factory has a big enough footprint that they can still manufacture while maintaining COVID-19 mitigation practices-- they are slammed with an increase orders and especially backed up on the LRS model.

 

[Les Strat]

When @renault4 asked me about the differences earlier in the week between 1 & 2 Vidars driving the LRSs I was able to relay my small experiment of comparison. I felt that although a single V sounded very good, I enjoyed the dynamics and detail provided by 2 Vidar running each channel separately. I mentioned that I was curious about running my beloved NAD 214 amp in stereo with the Maggie pair. In fact, I was a bit afraid to put it in the system for comparison. What if the cost of the twin Vidar did not justify the difference in perceived performance? After all, the NAD amp was one of my prized components and well-reviewed in its day. It was rated a solid 80W per channel with its big toroidal transformer and the spec sheet quoted dynamic power at 110, 180, & 250 watts into 8, 4, & 2 ohms. In bridge mode it claimed 500 dynamic into 4 ohms.

I proceeded to retrieve the NAD 214 from my garage rack system and connect it to the Freya S and the LRS pair. I gave it a good warm-up running through a variety of music, while I was doing stuff around the house listening casually. Then I sat down and gave a more critical listen to 2 albums I’ve been liking lately. The first was Entering the Woods by the Emil Brandqvist Trio. Nice piano-based trio, well recorded and my wife and I have loved listening to it repeatedly. The second was a recommendation from recently passed audio journalist Art Dudley and it is The Complete Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster Sessions. Good piano and sax. While the 214 amp has a nice tonality to it and is fun, I immediately knew I was not hearing certain details in the mid and high frequencies. Bass was good but not as controlled. Sound stage and imaging were diminished. I felt the 214 which was well suited to my B&W 605 S2s were not up to the task with the LRSs. I was a bit surprised…maybe a little pleased.

Back to the dual Vidars – and all the detail, clean mid-range, and crystal highs with excellent imaging returns (bass with Vidar is reported excellent by many reviewers). I’m a happy camper. Maybe it is time to sell the NAD. Or return it to the garage/shop and upgrade my Paradigm Titans with the B&Ws for that space. I like keeping older gear running. Worth more to me than that average Craigslist person.

I’ve owned the Vidars and Freya S for 5 months now. Used approximately 4 months with the B&Ws and the last month intensively with the LRSs while telecommuting from home. I’m finding the Vidars an excellent match for the LRSs in my space. So good that I’ve been delaying a decision on a headphone acquisition because I’m just enjoying this matchup too much. I hope your weekend is treating you well.

I might need to get a preamp, and as there is no stock of Freya Plus in the UK, and none expected for some time, my only Schiit preamp option, with balanced outputs, would be a Freya S.
I run active speakers with built-in 350W per channel amps, otherwise I would be interested in the Vidars.
It sounds like you are very happy with the Freya S. I don't actually 'need' the tube option in the Freya Plus, it would just be an interesting option, so perhaps this will make my buying decision easier and save me a few hundred pounds.
I also notice that you have an Audiolab 6000 CDT. I have been holding out for Mike's new CD Transport, but if it is delayed much longer, the Audiolab would be next on my list.
Are you happy with it?

 

[StevePNW]

I might need to get a preamp, and as there is no stock of Freya Plus in the UK, and none expected for some time, my only Schiit preamp option, with balanced outputs, would be a Freya S.
I run active speakers with built-in 350W per channel amps, otherwise I would be interested in the Vidars.
It sounds like you are very happy with the Freya S. I don't actually 'need' the tube option in the Freya Plus, it would just be an interesting option, so perhaps this will make my buying decision easier and save me a few hundred pounds.
I also notice that you have an Audiolab 6000 CDT. I have been holding out for Mike's new CD Transport, but if it is delayed much longer, the Audiolab would be next on my list.
Are you happy with it?

I'm loving the performance of the Freya S very much, how it integrates with the Vidars and my DAC, and its ability to handle Balanced and Single-Ended seamlessly too. I'm very happy with the Audiolab transport after considering other good reviews and not being very interested in the other current options (looks, feature set, & $$$). Very good build quality. Solid remote. I actually love the heavy duty slot loader and the read-ahead buffer has allowed it to play any CD I've thrown at it. Excellent value. I feel it is a good match with my DAC and the Schiit gear. Streaming or CD playback - It is all sounding mighty fine!

 

[Derrick Swart]

I might need to get a preamp, and as there is no stock of Freya Plus in the UK, and none expected for some time, my only Schiit preamp option, with balanced outputs, would be a Freya S.
I run active speakers with built-in 350W per channel amps, otherwise I would be interested in the Vidars.
It sounds like you are very happy with the Freya S. I don't actually 'need' the tube option in the Freya Plus, it would just be an interesting option, so perhaps this will make my buying decision easier and save me a few hundred pounds.
I also notice that you have an Audiolab 6000 CDT. I have been holding out for Mike's new CD Transport, but if it is delayed much longer, the Audiolab would be next on my list.
Are you happy with it?

Freya S, is a no brainer!
I am very happy with it and love the clickerdiclick. Excellent sound for very reasonable price.

i wanted to kill my digital volume control and my J-ISO balanced to rca ‘converter’. Works wonderfull, have more gain with one box!

Sound quality i am still checking my impression so far is that low end is deeper/juicier and overall balance a bit more organized. Expect a extended report on full system upgrade end of our quarantaine period...ppfff already at home since the 6th of March, i hope i saved a lot of elder

 

[Derrick Swart]

with cannabis everything sounds good

https://darko.audio/2020/04/dr-dres-the-chronic-to-stream-in-hi-res-from-4-20/

 

[PolarBehr]

I might need to get a preamp, and as there is no stock of Freya Plus in the UK, and none expected for some time, my only Schiit preamp option, with balanced outputs, would be a Freya S.
I run active speakers with built-in 350W per channel amps, otherwise I would be interested in the Vidars.
It sounds like you are very happy with the Freya S. I don't actually 'need' the tube option in the Freya Plus, it would just be an interesting option, so perhaps this will make my buying decision easier and save me a few hundred pounds.
I also notice that you have an Audiolab 6000 CDT. I have been holding out for Mike's new CD Transport, but if it is delayed much longer, the Audiolab would be next on my list.
Are you happy with it?

I also love my Freya S, particularly the Nexus 4X gain setting.

 

[A Jedi]

Freya S is a great preamp. I LOVE mine. Purchasing it is a no-brainer.

 

[jmarcusg]

https://othermusic.vhx.tv/products/the-afi-silver-presents-other-music - This is worth every penny of the $10 to watch. When I was in college in the late 70's I hung out at a store in Pikesville, MD called The Music Machine. Smaller store, same vibe. https://www.facebook.com/musicmachinerecords/

 

[tincanear]

@Jason Stoddard Great chapter, full of beautiful engineering nuggets. I am most fascinated by the finding of higher XFMR secondary resistance = lower noise floor. Do you have a theory about why that occurred? Is it some inherent characteristic your design revealed or is it due to the way the transformer is used in your circuit?

yes, I know this is an old post (covid-19 shutdown...lots of time to catch up on old posts)
higher secondary resistance decreases the peak charging current and increases the conduction time of the diodes at the crest of the AC waveform. recall that fourier transform of a non-50%-duty-cycle square wave has more higher frequency components as the duty cycle decreases.

 

[audio philestine]

Oops you are right, I had him on ignore by accident...

Well done, the one poster on this thread that's actually relevant

We all come here for the noise anyway.

 

[Alexnova]

Well its been quiet for awhile. Any update on how y'all are doing over at Schiit, Jason?