[bcowen]

LOL! Well, I tried to learn the trumpet and wound up one day in the intermediate school band just blowing random notes. The teacher asked me just what it was I thought I was doing and I said I was impersonating Miles Davis. I was out of the school band.

The same happened with our school choir and I told the teacher I was a doing my version of "Big Brother and the Holding Company". No more choir practice for me. I have zero musical ability and so I refuse to listen to those that sound almost as bad as I did then and doubtless still do.

ORT

ROFL! My discovery of a total lack of talent occurred in 2nd grade trying to play the violin. My Mom kept on me to practice, and after hearing me practice my Dad made me quit. He said the neighbors might call the police thinking we were torturing animals inside.

 

[bcowen]

I thought that B & K was illegal in Texas.

They made an exception to allow @Ripper2860 to live there, so apparently the laws are somewhat fluid.

 

[Paladin79]

This seems appropriate

Cute cartoon! As far as my audio gear, I look at it as a process. You learn more and more what you like through the passing years. Sometimes in raising a family, buying a house, or career choices you might not be able to invest in some gear. With my kids through college, my houses paid for and proper investments I could finally take time to get the gear that impressed me the most. Even then I did extra work to cover that cost. I am the same way with higher priced bourbon and scotch. My labor causes it to appear at my doorstep. It is just me, but In my small way I enjoy certain things more knowing I worked toward those specific goals.

 

[DavidSerig]

AEGIR 2 vs 2x GHorns

Thanks for this review. I am holding off until someone takes my Vidar off my hands, and then who knows as the long XLR connection from my main system with turntable to the tv room is something I love about the GHorns.

Question: if I use a bi-wire speaker wire to connect my passive Focal to a pair of GHorn and my class D integrated ... what kind of problems do I run into? Will there be interference unless one is unplugged from the ac outlet? Will there be interference (eg ground loops) even though class D is connected only to the TV via optical, and the GHorn connected to Freya via 35 foot XLR pair? Probably should buy a switch box if I want to keep this set up I guess ...

 

[RCBinTN]

Musical bliss tonight: Freya N with early 1960’s Amperex tubes, Gumby, Lokius, Piety, and Sundara cans, listening to Gov’t Mule’s “Dark Side of the Mule” (Deluxe Edition), a 3+ hour live set of all Pink Floyd songs. An amazing reimagining of great songs by crack musicians who know how to adapt the source material into their own thing. Warren Haynes is a beast of a musician.

I've captured this idea for my own listening pleasure, thanks mate! I heard Warren play with Derrick Trucks in the Allman Bros version 2, after Dwayne died and Dickey was ejected, they jam nicely (not quite like Dwayne and Dickey in their prime, though). But, I've never heard the band Gov't Mule so that's the capture. Their drummer looks like an interesting beast, as well.

Edit: After consideration of their discography, I decided on this as my first Gov't Mule album. All blues.

Edit2: That blues album is quite excellent ... 1/2 the songs are Warren's and the other 1/2 are covers. Recommended.

 

[RCBinTN]

If I had to think of a line that describes why I think Aegir sounds so good and better than the GHorns, it would be how it reproduces outstanding music in an effortless fashion. It never comes across as working hard. Everything comes with a level of effortlessness, ease, and liquidity. I’m really having a tough time identifying why the GHorns don’t deliver this level of perceived effortlessness because they do not sound bad by a longshot. Aegier 2 just says “Pffft. Hold my beer.”

Now This is an audio review that I can get my head around. Just the right amount of adjectives, those pesky adjectives can sometimes derail an audio review, but not this time!

 

[Ripper2860]

Thanks for this review. I am holding off until someone takes my Vidar off my hands, and then who knows as the long XLR connection from my main system with turntable to the tv room is something I love about the GHorns.

Question: if I use a bi-wire speaker wire to connect my passive Focal to a pair of GHorn and my class D integrated ... what kind of problems do I run into? Will there be interference unless one is unplugged from the ac outlet? Will there be interference (eg ground loops) even though class D is connected only to the TV via optical, and the GHorn connected to Freya via 35 foot XLR pair? Probably should buy a switch box if I want to keep this set up I guess ...

The GHorns are really nice amps and certainly deliver from a price/perfromance perspective. I'll defer to others when it comes to answering the bi-wiring question.

 

[bcowen]

Thanks for this review. I am holding off until someone takes my Vidar off my hands, and then who knows as the long XLR connection from my main system with turntable to the tv room is something I love about the GHorns.

Question: if I use a bi-wire speaker wire to connect my passive Focal to a pair of GHorn and my class D integrated ... what kind of problems do I run into? Will there be interference unless one is unplugged from the ac outlet? Will there be interference (eg ground loops) even though class D is connected only to the TV via optical, and the GHorn connected to Freya via 35 foot XLR pair? Probably should buy a switch box if I want to keep this set up I guess ...

Sorry, but I don't fully understand what you're trying to do. Are you using the preamp-outs of the integrated into the GHorns so that you're using it just as a preamp? I would definitely not recommend using bi-wire speaker cables to hook up two active (stereo) amplifiers to the same load.

 

[emorrison33]

Their drummer looks like an interesting beast, as well.

Matt Abts is one of my favorite drummers. Definitely check out Gov't Mule.

 

[corndog71]

AEGIR 2 vs 2x GHorns

OK. So it’s time to give some of MY thoughts on GHorn mono-blocks vs 1x Aegir 2 amplifier.

I’ll try to be to the point. The mono-block GHorns are very good amps. Aegir 2 is a very, very good amp. I’ll focus on the commonalities and then the differences that I experienced in my room, with my gear, using my ears, and my music. (Spoiler: The Aegir 2 wins).

Things in common:

• Both drive my speakers to my typical listening levels which is typically 86dB peak.
• Both have a nice wide soundstage (sorry Ableza) with good placement of instruments.
• Both had a solid center stage, placing vocalists right in the center (recording dependent of course).
• Both exhibit the Schiit ‘House Sound’, which I perceive as being a tad bit north of neutral (aka warm) but not to the point of being colored or dark.
• Both have good timbre and tonality with acoustic instruments.
• Both give instruments their own ‘space’ resulting in an open an uncongested presentation (recording dependent of course).
• Both amps are quiet with no noise at the speaker or coming from the enclosure.
• Both have excellent bass extension and open/airy highs.

Where the Aegir 2 wins (IMHO):

• It just does all of the above better.
• The soundstage (sorry Ableza) is a bit more holographic and while equally as wide as GHorns, offered a bit more depth and height. A bit more holographic.
• Timbre and tonality is a step-up, with a more notable expression of acoustic instruments. It became easier for me to hear the contribution the whole instrument made. Ex: the wood in a stand-up bass, the skin on a drum, or even the wood of the stick in a rim-shot or the felt on a timpani mallet or the felt pads on piano hammers. It became easier to identify the unique sounds the different cymbal types. I could better identify the finger sound in the finger pluck. Just more detail. The phrase “hearing deeper into the music” keeps coming to mind.
• The Aegir 2 seemed to give more space to the instruments. Sure the GHorns did too, but the Aegir 2 just did it better and in width/height/depth. It honestly felt like the instruments had their own 3D space as opposed to the 2D space (H x W) of the GHorns.
• The Aegir 2 seemed ‘quieter’. Sounds came from what seems like a blacker background (sorry Ableza). It’s hard to describe as the GHorns were quiet, but the contrast between silence and sound was not as great. (I’m struggling to describe this one, if you can’t tell.)
• The highs were a tad airier and things such as cymbals, bells, etc., hung out in air longer having a bit more decay into silence.
• Bass sounds more extended. Aegir 2 has a better grip presenting a more controlled and impactful bass. At first, I thought it was ‘more’ bass, but I’ve come to realize it is really just ‘better’ bass. The speakers (not the sub) were delivering a tight, controlled punch and bass presence I’d never heard before with any amp. (Was it Halo? Halo if I know.)

Summary:

Well, the summary is not going to be Earth shattering. The Aegir 2 is better. Does it deliver notable improvements over 2x GHorns? I think so. Is it leaps and bounds better or 33% more $$ better? Depends on how much you value what it delivers over and above the GHorns. If I had to think of a line that describes why I think Aegir sounds so good and better than the GHorns, it would be how it reproduces outstanding music in an effortless fashion. It never comes across as working hard. Everything comes with a level of effortlessness, ease, and liquidity. I’m really having a tough time identifying why the GHorns don’t deliver this level of perceived effortlessness because they do not sound bad by a longshot. Aegier 2 just says “Pffft. Hold my beer.” and then proceeds to effortlessly deliver wonderful music like I’ve not heard. Yeah, I’m struggling to communicate this, too. It's a feeling I get when listening to Aegir 2 -- one that is hard to express. I'm just more at-ease and relaxed. I'm hearing more without forcing my brain and ears to hear it? I don't have to look for and find the subtle details in music, Aegir 2 just says "Here you go." and delivers it. My listening for musical enjoyment and critical listening have converged.

I think it is safe to say that I won’t be amp shopping for a long time.


*Disclaimers: I am not a professional reviewer as can be seen by my grammar, spelling, etc. This is all IMHO, YMMV, IME and AFAIK.


My setup:

• Schiit Frey+ N preamp
  • Connected to Yggy via Snake Oil XLR cables
  • SE outputs are via World’s Best Cables (Uni-directional Canare cable)
  • Matched pair 1960s Foton 6N6P Gold Grid tubes (cathode follower - left sockets)
  • Matched pair Raytheon 7728 (ruggedized 12AT7) tubes (gain - right sockets)
• Yggdrasil GS2 with Unison upgrade and the original Analog 1 cards
• Raspberry Pi 4B (8GB) running RoPieee as a Roon Endpoint
  • USB to Yggy using Pangea USB cable
  • Network connection via TPLInk USB wireless dongle/ antenna
• Intel Core i5 headless computer as my Roon server.
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • Running Fidelizer Pro to essentially lower and/or stop non-audio processes and dedicate resources (RAM and CPU) to Roon server and any audio services.
  • Internal SATA SSD drive for OS and applications (Roon and Fidelizer)
  • USB SSD connected using AQ Jitterbug USB line and power filter. (I know)
  • TPLInk USB wireless dongle/ antenna using AQ Jitterbug USB line and power filter. (I know)
• Tekton Designs Lore Reference speakers
  • Upgraded crossover and binding posts
  • Solid billet copper Cardas inputs
  • Mil-spec internal wiring
  • Mundorf or ClarityCap for the tweeter section
  • Oversized Jantzen or Erse Sledgehammer inductor for the woofer/mid section.
  • Perfect impulse time-alignment
  • 8″ transducer (woofer/mid)
  • Hybrid HF transducer (ring tweeter)
  • Dual front-facing ports
  • 96dB 1W@1m
  • 8 Ohm impedance
  • 37Hz-40kHz frequency response
  • 400 watts power handling
  • Height 36″ x Width 10.25″ x Depth 11.75″
• Ryhthmik L12 powered servo sealed enclosure subwoofer
• All Power Cords are Pangea AC-14 cables
• Speaker cables are 2x 6’ runs of SUPRA Ply 3.4 WIDE cables with Blue Jean Cables screw lock banana connectors.
• Listening space
  • 12’ x 12’ room with 8 foot ceilings
  • Speakers are 2’ from the front wall
  • A diffuser panel is on the front wall behind and between the speakers
  • Foam absorption and diffuser panels are near the corners behind the speakers
  • A diffuser / absorption panel is at the point of 1st reflection on the side wall
  • Foam absorption and diffuser panels along with acoustic tile panels are located at various spots along the rear wall
  • 6’ foam corner bass traps are located on the rear listening room corners
  • Seating position is at approx. ear-level between woofer/mid and tweeter (tweeters are below the woofer/mid on this speaker)
  • Speakers are a tad over 6’ feet apart and my listening position is 6’ from each speaker
  • Speakers are toed in where the tweeter direct line is pointed to each shoulder (left speaker to left shoulder, etc.)
• Listening
  • All my listening was via Roon (16/44.1 or higher) and was a mixture of classic rock, Jazz (acoustic and electric).

I don’t suppose you took the opportunity to compare a single Ghorn to Aegir 2? I would be curious to hear this comparison. I really love my single Gjallerhorn but Aegir 2 is very tempting.

 

[Ableza]

Question: if I use a bi-wire speaker wire to connect my passive Focal to a pair of GHorn and my class D integrated ... what kind of problems do I run into? Will there be interference unless one is unplugged from the ac outlet? Will there be interference (eg ground loops) even though class D is connected only to the TV via optical, and the GHorn connected to Freya via 35 foot XLR pair? Probably should buy a switch box if I want to keep this set up I guess ...

I will ignore for a second that the most likely impact of bi-wire is that you have to buy-more-wire, here's my opinion on your question.

First, are your loudspeakers designed for this, meaning they have internally split crossovers and dual sets of binding posts that are normally tied together? Assuming they do and you remove the tie between the post sets, the most likely issue you will have is gain mismatch between your amplifiers causing one set to get "louder" faster than the other. This will cause, say, the woofer to be louder than the tweeter or vice versa. Second, the sound quality from the Gjallarhorn and the unnamed "class D amp" will likely be different, so you may notice significant character differences or even distortion from one amp that is different from the other. As to your ground-loop question, I cannot answer this but if you do get a ground loop problem there are many ways to defeat it.

 

[Ripper2860]

I don’t suppose you took the opportunity to compare a single Ghorn to Aegir 2? I would be curious to hear this comparison. I really love my single Gjallerhorn but Aegir 2 is very tempting.

Sorry, no. I think that would be a bit unfair given the fact that a single stereo GHorn is only 10 watts. I think that @sam6550a did a comparo of 1x GHorn vs 2x Ghorn and maybe even against the Aegir 1. At the very least you could compare the 1 GHorn vs 2x Ghorn and cross-reference that against my 2x GHorn vs Aegir 2 findings.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

I'll quit beating this dead horse but first I need to mention a couple of things. First, no system can recreate a live orchestra (although an MBL Extreme system can come close) and even then, it will be recreating a recording, meaning whatever the mics picked up and the engineer/producer/mastering mixer decided to put on the recording. And second, back to my initial point, it's subjective. You seek what you like. You hear what you like. I seek what I like. It's not about the system, it's about our interaction with it.

People make their own truth and with audio that goes double.
Like the eyes the ears only channel raw info after which the brains do A LOT of post processing and editing.
There's no way two people can hear the same and no way to measure and define sound quality once it's inside the nogging.

 

[sam6550a]

Sorry, no. I think that would be a bit unfair given the fact that a single stereo GHorn is only 10 watts. I think that @sam6550a did a comparo of 1x GHorn vs 2x Ghorn and maybe even against the Aegir 1. At the very least you could compare the 1 GHorn vs 2x Ghorn and cross-reference that against my 2x GHorn vs Aegir 2 findings.

I only own one GHorn, so no. I do have an Aegir 1, but it is in a different system from the GHorn.

 

[Ableza]

People make their own truth and with audio that goes double.
Like the eyes the ears only channel raw info after which the brains do A LOT of post processing and editing.
There's no way two people can hear the same and no way to measure and define sound quality once it's inside the nogging.

It's all just brain chemistry.