HiFi for Audiophiles? SCHIIT AUDIO REVIEW Freya S, Aegir & Loki Max
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ค. 2024
- 🎯 bit.ly/3TQJgvA HiFi System Setup
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► PRODUCTS REVIEWED
Freya S bit.ly/3TQJgvA
Aegir bit.ly/3TQJgvA
Loxi Max bit.ly/3TQJgvA
► COMPARISONS MADE
Decware Zen bit.ly/3rHu0BP
Emotiva BasX bit.ly/3uRu9o1
Crown XLS bit.ly/CXLS1502
MiniDSP SHD bit.ly/3JVwk2S
MiniDSP 2x4 amzn.to/3ntpiYE
Vidar bit.ly/3TQJgvA
OTHER SIMILAR OPTIONS NOT MENTIONED
Arylic S50 Pro bit.ly/AS50P
SYS PreAmp bit.ly/3lGY2IY
OSD Pre-1 bit.ly/3zcMDU2
Parasound 2125 V2 Preamp bit.ly/3TQQQq1
Parasound Zpre3 bit.ly/3lRj1Zm
Cambridge Audio DacMagic bit.ly/3775Yci
► WHAT WE USED TO TEST SCHIIT AUDIO
POWER & OTHER COMPONENTS
Decware Zen Amp bit.ly/3rHu0BP
Schiit Modi DAC amzn.to/2Zl6BOf
SPEAKERS
Klipsch Heresy IV bit.ly/3komedS • amzn.to/3oF1i44
Polk R700 bit.ly/3LtiF1N • bit.ly/3ZjQ06z • bit.ly/3RcQR5Z
TURNTABLE
Alva T2 bit.ly/3tWwdxd • bit.ly/3c1B1vj
SUBWOOFER
Klipsch RP-1000 bit.ly/3kMK3km
Klipsch SPL-100 amzn.to/3248Neh
Bowers & Wilkins: bit.ly/3F1diFQ • amzn.to/3is8nX1
Wireless Kit: amzn.to/3MhA7ao
TVs
TCL XL 98” amzn.to/3kbj4hB
Apple 4K TV: amzn.to/3em0YUp
MEDIA
Demo Music bit.ly/3yfghqU
SPEAKERS STANDS + CABLES
Speaker Stands bit.ly/3xsoe9M, bit.ly/2VOs7p3
My Cables: custom, not avail for purchase
Similar DIY Cables: bit.ly/3Px4Jan
Interconnects: bit.ly/3D314M8, bit.ly/3N6NBri
Cable Management amzn.to/3ZcunWP • amzn.to/3GJtf5C
DIAGNOSTICS
Room EQ Wizard
Measurement Tools: bit.ly/3MsYzpR
► HIFI AUDIO REVIEW - SCHIIT AUDIO REVIEW
00:00 SCHIIT AUDIO REVIEW INTRO
00:17 AUDIOPHILE PREAMP - FREYA S
00:49 FREYA PASSIVE vs ACTIVE MODE
01:45 FREYA S PERFORMANCE
02:12 FREYA S NOISE
02:35 FREYA S REMOTE & VOLUME CONTROL
03:42 AEGIR AMP + SPECS
04:06 AEGIR DESIGN & BUILD
04:24 BEST SPEAKERS FOR SCHIIT AUDIO AEGIR
04:58 SCHIIT AUDIO VS DECWARE ZEN
05:46 SCHIIT AUDIO POWER
06:27 VIDAR, EMOTIVA AND CROWN AMPS
06:50 SCHIIT LOKI MAX
07:17 SCHIIT LOXI MAX NOISE
07:54 USING REQ WIZARD
08:44 WHEN TO USE MINI DSP
09:19 MINIDSP 2X4 / SHD
09:37 MY FAVORITE SCHIIT AUDIO PRODUCT
10:23 QUESTION OF THE DAY
HiFi for Audiophiles? SCHIIT AUDIO REVIEW Freya S, Aegir & Loki Max
► SHOP OUR LIVING ROOM
TCL 98” amzn.to/3kbj4hB
LG 83" OLED: amzn.to/3tppAmy
SONY 85" TV: amzn.to/3ygOW7S
MEDIA BENCHES: bit.ly/3X6SzYU • bit.ly/3Gk6UKL
IVORY RUG amzn.to/3WyJrw7
LOUNGE CHAIR bit.ly/3mGxoQx
EVERYTHING ELSE: bit.ly/3PcJzO4
► MY REFERENCE AUDIO AND HOME THEATER SYSTEM
POWER
Audiolab bit.ly/3ZhPw1q
Technics bit.ly/3bcE3fi
LOUDSPEAKERS
Polk bit.ly/3LtiF1N • bit.ly/3RcQR5Z
Q Acoustics bit.ly/3b0IbQ2
MartinLogan bit.ly/3xgyXql
SPEAKER STANDS
Budget amzn.to/3DD0UJX
Reference bit.ly/3xsoe9M
TURNTABLE
TT2 bit.ly/3tWwdxd
TVs
OLED: bit.ly/3AzeD6y
LED: amzn.to/3ygOW7S
QLED: amzn.to/3biyRXu
HOME THEATER
Receivers: bit.ly/3n2lTje ($) bit.ly/3DyHEjb ($$)
Soundbars: amzn.to/39hJ1Xz ($) bit.ly/3OS72nG ($$)
In Ceiling Speakers: bit.ly/3I3gAbg
► STAY CONNECTED
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#hifiaudioreviews #audiophile #schiitaudio - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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Another great review.
I think the products of Schit are interesting, but not so much the exact ones in this review. Although I have been wondering about audio correction and noticed Schit had something on offer, there your review Loki Max has made me remove that from my list and also wonder about their other Loki models.
I am mostly curious about their DAC's and another brand that me very interest is DENAFRIPS, especially their ARES 12TH.
One final point- I have never experienced any kind of noise issues with my, admittedly, much lower efficiency speakers than yours.
Wow, what a useful review. No BS, straight to the point, relevant comparisons and no holding back on the limitations. Great.
Thanks!
Agreed! Reviewers are too kind to Schitt for being an American company. More honest the feedback, the better they will get.
I'll add to your support of the SHD. I absolutely love mine. It is such a versatile tool. Also the streaming capability now fully supports Roon. The effects of Dirac and REW in my custom built open baffle speakers with Lii audio F15's and W15's can not be overstated. The change was mind blowing.
I’ve said this before. Your brutally honest reviews are music to my ears (pun intended). It’s a breath of fresh air in a sea of product descriptions (at best) and outright product pitches (at worst) masquerading as reviews on you tube.
Thank you Ed! I appreciate that. We try and strive to be as objective as possible. There's a lot about these products that is praise worthy, but there's a lot of fine print too. If customers were to read the brand's own manuals, some of the things I noted about the products' performance is referenced in either the manuals themselves or in FAQ sections, meaning I'm not the first person to have run into these issues with the brand.
Cool to see some Schiit gear! I have a similar setup: Freya+ (the one with the tubes) and a single Aegir but in a small room (10x10). In a small room at my preferred listening volume (low-mid 70db) the Aegir sounds awesome even driving inefficient speakers, in my case ls50 metas. If you go loud or have a much bigger room then a different amp or a monoblock config would be preferred.
Great honest review, Andrew. I use a Loki (4 band) and haven’t noticed any noise issues, though my speakers aren’t crazy efficient like the Heresys. I also don’t use it for room/speaker correction but simply to enhance or tame inferior recordings.
You are the only reviewer who can do this ie call a spade a spade. You have done it in the past and have done it again. Kudos and a ton of respect ✊🏻 keep it up
Appreciate it.
Thanks for the review on the Freya S. I think it is one of the least looked at, and underrated preamplifiers out there. I use mine with the Venus II 12th DAC and find it just as you described. It simply does its job and is very transparent. I mix and match between amps, and when I want to rock the house, it is the go to preamp. I picked mine up used for around $300, and it is staying in my system.
Hey Andrew, great review!!! My system is similar. Freya S into Lokius Eq (the $500 eq) into my crowns. Sounds freakin awesome. I also run my audiolab 6000A into one of single ended inputs to get it balanced. So, no lack of inputs. I'm sure someone will think I'm nuts, but I just don't give a Schiit !!😊 Have a great rest of the week and I'll be back on Sunday. 🍻🍻
I'm happy this review took place and I feel confident that the opinions expressed were arrived at honestly and with far more experience to different gear than I will ever have. That's why I'm subbed to Andrew and Kristi
Great, honest review - thanks! In my view the Freya S is among the best products Schiit makes, and its transparency and balanced in/outputs makes it an absolute steal at the price. I've gotten used to the hieroglyphics and the clicking of the volume knob, and the volume is very accurate when adjusting at the unit. You're absolutely right about the inaccuracy of the remote's volume control, though. That's a flaw that Schiit really needs to fix.
Always cool to see tour take on audio products. I was super curious to hear your opinion about the Freya + though. As adding a tube preamp to a solid state amp is an interesting topic atm.
I'm looking at the Freya+ as preamp. I love the idea of having both a passive mode and tube mode.
This is the Schiit I am talking about!!! I feel pretty called out as a fanboy, because it is hard to see some of my favorite products don't quite meet the "Magic" I'd thought they had (Not an owner of any of these specific products) but your honesty is refreshing. Still super interested in their Vidar for Electrostatics, but I'm glad to see that you're giving Schiit a fair shake!
Finally, a Schiit review. So glad you looked at the Lokius because the EQ interested me a lot…
Freya+ in tube mode with upgraded tubes and 2 Aegirs is the way to go for me. Love the warmth and precision. Great small room listening.
I have this same setup and totally agree. Whether I am using my vintage LaScalas, Heresy IIs, Magnat Transpuls, or wonderful Caintuck Betsys, the monoblock Aegirs and Freya plus in tube mode are incredible. Using one Aegir in either non-tube setting on the Freya plus is much less satisfying. I would encourage Andrew to get another Aegir and the Freya plus and give it another go. I have to say it seemed very incomplete without Kristi and her insight. I hope she is OK and just sat this one out. When I first started following you it was weird having her off camera but now I don’t even think about it and I really like both her personal insight and how she focuses Andrew on comparisons we all want to hear.
@@johnboard7770 I agree with you 100% John the monoblock Aegirs and Freya plus in tube mode (NOS tubes) is incredible. Andrew and Kristi I think it would be worth a second look! 😃
Are you all running the two Aegirs with 8 ohm speakers? I got a 4 ohm 88 db pair. While I do small room listening and thought it might work, the fact that they are not rated for 4 ohms as mono has held me back
I have a Freya+ with the Premium (Russian) upgraded 6SN7's. I feed it from a S.M.S.L. SU-10 and it outputs through a pair of Orchard Audio Starkrimson (DIY) GaN amps to Elac UBR62's. I also have an Elac subwoofer. It has a richness of sound, very solid bass and mids with clear highs that I love. This combo is way better than my second sound system that shares the UBR62's but with an Topping E50 DAC and an inexpensive amp.
Would love a fuller take on the miniDSP SHD you mentioned here! Their product page is a bit overwhelming to a DSP newbie like myself. Also, wondering if its digital volume attenuation stands up to a true, analog control. If it can’t , I feel that it’s primary purpose is compromised.
Excellent reviews. I'm positive many people are very happy with their Schitt gear, especially a couple of their preamps, but I swear their products get recommended way more than I think is warranted..but we all have different tastes, priorities, and opinions. Nice shout out to the underappreciated Crown Drivecores. Sure would have loved to hear Kristi's takes.
Appreciate the review as always. I have no need or desire for any of these products but do own a Schiit Jotunheim 2 headamp which I'm beyond satisfied with, & for the money it's amazing! I plan on adding their Modius dac soon.💕
Thanks for covering Schiit. I am a happy Freya+ owner in an all-analog setup; between the passive, solid state, and tube stages I very much prefer the tube stage. Sorry to see you just look at the S, but glad you covered it nontheless. One question with the Aegir though - were you running the passive stage on the Freya S when you experienced the clipping? I've had some issues with my setup (15W Class A, 97dB sensitivity speaker) when I wasn't using any amplification through the Freya+.
Wow, Andrew, that was as honest as I’ve heard about any Schitt 3 some! Appreciate hearing about your thoughts on these products!
I am liking the Aegir as a mono block, and the freya + for a preamp.
I've been a Schiit fan for quite awhile. I currently own the Mani 2, Modi 3+ dac, Loki Mini+, and the Sys. All of them perform masterfully. This video has me considering their amplifiers as a future purchase.
Check out my other reply..about these.😊
ooooh schiit, game on! lol, thanks Andrew and Kristi for your hard work and honest reviews, as always! also, I'm sure adding all those expletive blanks must have taken a schiit-load of time hahaha
Thanks for watching!
thank god you brought more than one schiit to review. gotta get it all out man
Bought the miniDSP SHD on recommendation from you months ago and I love it. Glad to hear you mentioned it here. It is the shit! 😂
The figuring in the wood veneer of those heresies is drop dead gorgeous 😍!!!!
Great video. As a previous owner of two of these products I can agree with the quality and value proposition with the Freya, as well as the tube version. However I had issues with owning the Aegir, clipping on easier to drive speakers. One thing to add, they do not agree with 4ohm speakers! Definitely under powered but DO sound good.
I didn’t hear a mention of Tyr monoblocks, would love to see a video on those!
Thanks for all the hard work.
Great review out of the blue!!!! Didn't know this was on deck!!!!
I have the Freya S and Vidar and have been tremendously happy with both, especially for the money. They're built like tanks, super transparent, and the Vidar brings the power the Aegir does not. The Aegir from my understanding is really only suitable for high sensitivity applications and, even then, two are reportedly the way to go (although $$). I use the Freya exclusively in gain level 1. I found the passive mode a bit too lean and gain 4 too energized. Gain 1 seems to be the "just right" setting, in my system anyway, and I just leave it there. I think you would find the Freya S (gain1) and Vidar 2 (updated model w/standy mode, etc which just came out) would take care of business for you. Thanks for the insight.
Ty for a great, and honest review Andrew. I had the Aegirs, returned them in less then 2 weeks, weak power, surprisingly. I kept the Freya+, and the Bifrost DAC.
I listen to mostly analog audio. I have simple Modi DAC, Freya S+ (Noval) preamp, Two Vidar amps that I use as mono blocks in balanced mode, and a Loki Max for EQ. I have not had the problems with noise floor that Andrew mentioned. On the other hand, my ears may not be as sensitive. With the eq options, I can use this system with Wharedale Lintons, vintage JBL 100s, or Klipschorns and they all sound FANTASTIC. Love the ability to adjust the eq from my chair. I agree that the clicking for the servos is a little annoying, but once everything is set, it sound absolutely wonderful and is a great bargain in sound for money. Schitt is a great American corporation that makes very high quality audio gear at very reasonable price points. A true success story.
One other comment, someone below pointed out that the Loki+ should not be stacked with the preamp. He is correct about that. The instruction not to stack the Loki is in the product literature. So, I do not experience the noise Andrew mentioned, but it is disappointing that one can not stack like sized components as would be normal practice (like Andrew did in the video). Maybe Schitt should add some internal shielding to make this possible.
To clarify, the noise occurred regardless if the unit was stacked or not.
Hey, nice job on this video! The lack of Kristi’s take and the responses in the comment section made me realize just how objective and professional the two of you are. Great review Andrew and thank you Kristi for NOT giving a take. Totally understandable. However, I would love to find a bootleg tape with your candid, unedited take!
We didn't even bother recording my take. It was a decision I made prior to filming.
I guess Kristi Wright don’t like Schiit 😊
@@KristiWright awwww sad. I was looking forward to your take. But totally understandable 😊
Great review! I do love Schiit gear (I use a Mani 2 phono preamp) but I appreciate the review of someone that doesn’t think the sun rises and sets on a Schiit clock. As always, your unvarnished opinion is highly valued. The noise on the Loki Max was a red flag for me.
Hi Mark🙂 It really depends on what you need the EQ for. I use the 4 ch Loki to help when I switch from my tube amp to solid state. Pretty small adjustments needed but the Loki parametric design does this perfectly. I think you'd be surprised like I was if you paired it with your Mani 2 (which I also own). Happy weekend listening!
Thank you for bringing up NOISE on the Loki Max! I own the Loki, Loki+, and Lokius and noise has always been an issue for me. I mention it on headfi and get gaslit that no noise exists >
Useful review for sure. No surprises re the Aegir nor the Freya but (Schiit)- I'm a little surprised
about the Lokimax re the noise issue. I do not know enough about the other equalization products
you mentioned Andrew but I think it is time I learned. You have a rather candid way of saying what
you need to say and I appreciate that. I own several Schiit creations and I do like what they offer
especially at the current price points. As I said, useful review. 🇨🇦
Great,, honest review, much appreciated. I'm considering the Vidar 2 (and potentially a pair of them with a Freya in balanced mono-block mode). I believe Amir also measured a little bit less power than what the brand claimed for the original Vidar into 8 ohms, though he still ended up liking it overall.
After seeing your video, I took a gamble on the Aegir. It arrived today and sounds like Schiit made it for my ZU DW6 speakers. Thank you for the nudge in the right direction.
Brilliant review. Brutal but honest which is why I watch your reviews.
Very informative review. I like the buffered mode on my Freya+, haven’t noticed noise on my Loki, and have yet to find an amp from Schiit that I’m willing to drop money into, although I might go for dual Agiers. I did notice considerable noise on my Mani phono amp, but the cartridge was worn out, the gain my have been too high. That said, Schiit really helped me start my journey into HiFi and I make great use of their DACs and headphone amps. The Freya is really made to use with a remote and a SYS or two wouldn’t hurt because you can’t ‘trim’ the inputs at all. Much of their equipment comes with switch mode ‘brick’ power supplies which I disdain, but which do serve a purpose. The bottom line with Schiit for me is that you can get decent sound for not a lot of money, but you often have to give up a lot user-friendly, convenience-oriented features to get there: quality, bare-bones, products often designed for particular use purposes.
Great review Andrew. Without having heard these personally your great explanations would cause me to feel the same way with the info that you provided. I am a big believer in DSP as well, but I would prefer to use it so to improve the room's response, so agree about their EQ that appear to be inferior to the once mass-produced slider EQs of yesteryear.
Hahaha, I was legitimately not expecting that! And Kristi being absent is even funnier 😂.
Hope you two don’t get beat up too much for your honest take.
I love my Freya S paired up with Emotiva HC 1 Monoblocks in a XLR Configuration. Super powerful and super clean with any harsh edge.
Loki Max is on my list, I demo'd this at Texas Audio Roundup last year. Amazing EQ imho, loooooove the clickies
Hi Andrew thanks for all the time you and Kristy spend reviewing and comparing components and gear. I was curious any chance you guys could take a look at IOTAVX SA3 and PA3 components if you haven’t already. I would love to hear your thoughts and get an idea how they compare with other products around there price range plus how they sound with maybe the new Concept 50 and possibly those new Martin Logan speakers.
As much as I like Schiit in general, and especially their design, noise floor was even an issue with the first generation Mani phono pre-amp that I got. For a turntable it's still very sufficient but I wished it had been a tad more quiet. I was told that the 2nd generation has improved but since I have the first one I am not going to take another chance, especially due to the elevated costs for shipping to Europe. Nevertheless, I do appreciate their purist approach with omitting flash in the pan features.
A PEQ in the digital domain makes sense, which is why I went for the RME ADI 2 DAC. Wondering how your frequency response would look like with this option.
I have two Aegir ( Mono block) and the Freya + with NOS tubes and it is dead quite no noise issues. I run these on Forte iii 's and the sound is warm with detailed ( medium size room). I agree with others tube mode is incredible. I just received a Decware Zen Triode ( all the upgrades) , I think is not fully broken in. The two Aegir ( Mono block) and the Freya + with NOS tubes sound more detail on the top end, it also plays louder ( Freya + Gain) with more separation it seems to work better in my system and room. It sounds better when streaming, playing CD's (Ares ii dac, Marantz ND8006) and playing records ( tube box S2, Fluance RT85 ).
Great, very honest and direct review. Thanks. I was going to buy an Aegir and because of Schiit missunderstood they voided my buy. THANKS GOD FOR THIS! I was going to made a mistake. The Schiit reviews in youtube are very difuse, confuse, profuse. Not concrete like yours which is very much appreciated. Perhaps, if it’s at your hand, can you review Parasound equipment?
I'm a head-fi junkie. I'm really deep into the weeds about all things headphones. Solid state amps, tube amps, tube rolling, sigma-delta dacs, R2R ladder DACs, cables, and high-end headphones from the likes of Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Dan Clark (MrSpeakers), Fostex, HifiMan, Sennheiser, Sony etc. I have yet to purchase a product from Schiit Audio but I find myself often perusing thier product line. This review was very informative even though it leans towards HiFi. The review of the Freya S and the Loki Max were helpful because they are similar to the products I would potentially purchase for my head-fi. Your mention of Decware was the best part because this is a manufacturer who has completely flown under my radar. After reviewing their products, I can't believe I missed them! Decware has some *beautiful* tube amps! So thanks once again Andrew for a great review!
They make fantastic audio gear. Just know that they have a VERY long wait time going on 2 years now for their amps. I really hope they can improve that soon.
Really fantastic reviews here! Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Darn it, Andrew. I really wanted to hear Kristi say Schiit, lol.
I applaud Schiit for making quality products and growing their business here in the U.S. I like the 'trimmed down' design philosophy at work here, and have no idea how they keep those prices down with the way they construct these units. Like most of their customers I started small with a Magni desktop headphone amp and I've been very happy with it. Until now I've just thought about adding Loki Mini or something else from their lineup, but haven't committed to anything. Then just today I saw they debuted their new Syn 'universal surround dac/preamp/headphone amp' which I am now VERY interested in for my super simple 5.1 system. I may actually own more Schiit before long.
I loved my Schiit Freya Plus (it was paired with 2 Crown 1502s and Tekton Design Pendragons) but had to sell it when I merged home theater as it didn’t have any HT bypass. Like the Vidar. I had the same result with the Aegir (not enough power). Like the Loki 4 pot for tiny adjustments.
Your original set-up must have been able to play very loud. 🔈🔉🔊
Andrew there is so much schiit out in the marketplace what would do without you guy's and gals !!!😊👍
Andrew... your continued HONESTY, in reviews like this one...are one BIG reason why... I'm a subscriber.. for life 😊.
I appreciate that!
Yay! Some Schiit reviews! Cool!
Thanks for tuning in. Hope you find the video helpful.
I purchased one of the 4 band Loki's and i really tried to like it. In the end, having it out of my system sounds the best. Just pulled it out again recently to try with my headphones. For some reason the high mid control is wonky now. If i start turning it down or up, for that matter, it has decided to become a balance control as well....????. Yanked it again. Last time for me with the Schitt schtick.
Thanks so much for this great review! You have saved me from a wasting my time. Other reviewers have given me the impression that the Freya and the Loki could be an alternative to my McIntosh c50 preamp. I cannot tolerate amp hiss! On your recommendation I own and love Klipsch Heresy IV, as well as 1980 La Scala’s. I was thinking about selling the c50 because I use a separate DAC, and a separate phono preamp. Leaving the very good built in’s unused. My thinking was sell the c50 for 3-4K buy the Freya & a Loki and then buy an even better DAC. But from your review it’s obvious it would be a step backwards. Thanks again!
Thanks for taking a look at the Aegir. I'd been fantasizing about one with some hi-sensitivity speakers for a while now. Currently using low-sensitivity ATCs with a 100-watt tube amp, so it would be a big change. Your take on the Aegir left me feeling like "nah, i don't have to take that step any time soon..." (but the DECware does sound interesting ;-^)
Learned some very interesting things with your video & comments, thanks Andrew.
My pleasure! Thank you for the support!
Plugging in the Schiit Vidar to my Marantz 7015 to cover the front 2 channels is what got me into separates. That amp performs at 85 - 90% capacity of amps twice it's price (using the amp inside the Hint 6 for comparison). The increased fullness in the sounds and punch was immediately noticeable.
Now I've got an SMSL SU10 --> Schiit Freya Plus --> Vidar --> Klipsch RP8000F (bought after watching your review) and it sounds incredible. Never thought I could get this level of dynamics, sound stage and punch at this price. I did change 2 of the tubes of the Freya Plus though, which made a heck of a difference.
Best to use the Aegir in pairs. It also keeps the class A sound for longer. Very keen to see a review of the Tyr - it's Shiit's new flagship amp, there are very few reviews
Please this. I’m trying to decide between 2 tyr’s, a paramount a21+, or a Rotel rb-1590.
I just returned gjallanhorn amp with sega+. I had similar observations. I used bifrost dac.
Top end pleasure was missing. Midrange was pleasing. Given gjallanhorn is 10 wpc I could expect power chicken out but with my heressey it was good. I changed the dac then base presence was felt. I would definitely look at your recommended budget amplifier and the dsp solution.
Thanks
Well Andrew you have your Schiit together in these reviews!
Honest review, after all these years your taste matches my taste!
I own a Freya + N. Love it. I am debating on Vidar 2s or possibly a pair of Tyrs to go with it.
I bought the Shiit Magnius headphone amp and it looks nice, good build quality, fit and finish for $200. its hard to believe they can make it in California for that price. I chose it because it has balanced inputs and balanced headphone outputs, which I use. it doesn't sound great but to be fare I have Sennheiser 800S headphones and using a $200 amp for $2,000 headphones isn't a brilliant idea, but I don't listen to headphones that often. Its good enough.
Thanks for great review. For passive analog eq, there is one big disadvantage. It may create phase shift and as whole, distort total output. Dsp has no problem with phase, thus mini dsp worked better... thanks
I have the Freya plus and is a really good match for my vintage Harman Kardon 430 twin. Great sound pre amp.
Big fan of schiit! Great honest review! would love to hear your thoughts on more of their products. To answer your question I think the frey would be my choice, or the freya + which comes with tubes.
Andrew trying to get the perfect volume click, Freya: "say my name"😁
I have 2 Schiit DACS, I love supporting American made products... Also love my Bellari EQ.
I'm happy to hear you're happy with your products!
the all tube Freya is what i wished you demo'd sounds way different to me and with tube rolling... you can find that sweet spot to your liking
On passive Pre-amps/control boxes - I am curious about which experiences people have?
Years ago I discovered by chance that my ROTEL RC-870BX, 1987 vintage, would happily do the passive thing as long as I stuck with the line-in connection. I made discovery as I simply forgot to turn it on and only powered up the power amp, music was good and all.
I have also used a QED SDR Passive Pre Amp, or CD Control Unit as it is also labeled, only I have actually taken it a step further and now run my DAC directly into my power amplifier leaving the volume control 100% in the hands of my audio streaming box.
Power amps was first an older Electrocompaniet 2x50 watt and then lately a ML 532 H 2x300 watt, neither of which have acted out even though I am unsure if like impedance theoretically should be an issue?
Also, since the volume is essentially being controlled digitally by altering the bitstream to the DAC this must mess with the audio quality - only I suspect this mostly a think when playing a low levels where details are sort of hidden.
As I am in the process of adding a turn table as a music source, this then means I shall add a conventional Pre-Amp with a Phono stage to my setup.
Review on the Yggdrasil will be priceless!
Great candor in your review and one that really got me thinking about how to make my speakers sound better via eq, dsp etc. Are there any preamps or amps that are better at automatically setting themselves up for the room environment or is manual setup the best? I currently use an NAD C372 w/my Heresy IV's which are a bit shrill on certain vocals. The NAD manual tone controls work well but can't be adjusted via the remote. Thank you
Thanks for your support! Remote tone controls or EQ are hard to come by which is why the Loki Max was so intriguing to me at first. My advice would be this; measure the response of your Heresy IVs in your room so at least you know what they're doing using just a 20Hz to 20kHz sweep. If you see a rise in treble or a boost in bass etc., EQ-ing that out once using a device like a MiniDSP or 11+ band graphical EQ will make everything you play through them AFTER the fact likely more agreeable because you will have solved some (or all) of their issues they may have with your room. From there you can fuss with tone controls as needed. I know your NAD doesn't have remote tone control, so if this is a big deal for you, you may need to shop for another component.
Hi Andrew, totally unrelated but I was looking at the KEF R3’s for a LR speaker. What do you think about them?
GM☕️
Time traveling through TH-cam…
I just redid my headphone stack..and I added the Schiit Lokius balanced EQ .
It helps correct less than perfect recordings…or headphones that have some very funky dips …I’m looking at you AUDEZE LCDX ( 2021) 🙄
Interesting video .
So much Schiit in such a short time. Straight on honest review. I like the company and it's products. I was almost ready to pull the trigger on their turntable, then they pulled it off the market. It really looked like a clever design. I guess it didn't impress the Schiit out of enough customers. 😏
Andrew, I am using a Simaudio Moon I5 LE with my Cornwall IV's , sound is sublime. I would love to see a review of the 340i with your Corns.
I have 2 SCHIIT products in my analogue audio chain, the Loki Mini and the Mani. I also have the same Heresy speakers from your review. I haven't had any introduced noise with either, in fact the Mani is quieter and more dynamic than the PS Audio Sprout100 it replaced. You didn't mention if you tried these in combination w/ each other. It stands to reason they are engineered to work together or at least referenced with each other, and I wonder if the sound of them in tandem would be better / quieter.
I agree. I have the Loki mini in my chain - original Bifrost, Freya plus and monoblock Aegirs. I have had no noise problems.
My takeaway is that Schiit products are high quality but very specialized. My impression had been they cater to the high end headphone and near field market. Thanks for the great review.
I had a Freya S, and two Aegir's in mono with Klipsch Cornwall IV's. It was too bright and lean sounding, I really tried and was hopeful but just wasn't for me. Build quality and products were excellent otherwise, just chalked it up to a bad speaker pairing. I kept the Cornwall IV and replaced the Aegir and Freya S with McIntosh C2700 & MC462. Not in the same price range but it's perfect now. :)
Are you going to do a DAC/Streamer review from Schitt?
Loved the review btw
Great review as usual. 👏👍
Thanks Liam!
Bought the Aegir for my Linton's based somewhat on a very enthusiastic review on another channel....I also have Klipsch RP8000's and switch between the two. Really wanted to like the Aegir but compared to my Emo BasX I just couldn't dig it and sold the Aegir. Maybe with Tekton or Zu the Schiit pairs better...
The Loki seems fun, but then again I'll probably check out MiniDSP. Thank you for the reviews...oh and I miss Justine's on East Side having moved away ;)
Anxious to finally get my Decware amp to compare to the Aegir myself. It’s performed admirably in everything I’ve asked of it. Maybe I’ve just never pushed it. I’d much rather have the tube option with a Freya+ than get a Freya S. Used a Saga+ for a spell and was very happy with the Saga/Aegir combo. Not remotely interested in the Loki or any other EQ or DSP. Just stubborn that way, I guess. It’s always important to pick the right tool for the job.
I own the Freya + Nuval preamp. Really nice.
I’m looking hard at the Schiit Gjallarhorn for my klipsch RP600’s. Any chance for review?
Interesting! Good to know about the Loki noise issues you experienced. I think I’ll save my coins for a mini dsp. Although I like the simplicity of the Loki. My challenge now is to work out how to use the mini dsp to create sound adjustments. Peq filters sounds daunting!
I have a Loki Mini+ that I used to tweek my highs up just a skosh. It worked well for me and I did not notice any additional hiss.
@@kellyanderson7115 I haven't either, ever.
Never had any hiss or extra noise with my Loki. It has served admirable. Sometimes the albums we love were not mastered well at all.
I have a Marantz Cinema 50 and did the dirac upgrade over the weekend and it is the purchase that caused the single biggest increase in sound quality of anything I have bought. I'm using it with Klipsch Fortes and the biggest improvement was to the sound stage and center imaging. should I be able to get the same sound stage and center imaging by playing with speaker positioning or is there some magic sauce that dirac is doing here?
Loved the video, been wondering for a while how schiit is because their website is great but it looks to be mostly marketing.
I'm gonna try the Loki Max. I have the Marantz 30n and I don't want a DSP after the analog outputs. Also Schiit does say if you hear noise move it away from other components because it is full of inductors. I'll let you know in a month or so.
I have the Schiit Freya+ paired with the Jeff Rowland 125 power amp and I love the combo.
Thank you Andrew. 👍
I use Freya + with Yggy with Minidsp SHD Studio. This is superior solution as you keep correction entirely in digital domain (SHD sits between source and DAC) and you can also use Dirrac to defeat major modes of your room. Room modes have key impact on the sound. Much greater than speakers, dacs, amps (I assume you keep here some healthy level). Not to mention cables etc. Paying attention to cables when ignoring room modes is the biggest ignorance in hifi community. Wrong priorities. I know it is tougher and time consuming to get a measurement mic, install REW and try to understand the outcome, but it will pay off eventually
I’m a Schiit fan and owner of modi/Magne headphone stack..and the current Bifrost 2/64 DAC…they serve their purpose.
I've looked at Schitt products in the past and your review confirmed my suspicion that their products aren't for me. I would be curious about setting up mini DSP.
We need a Vidar 2 review, only a few available on this updated product
I have the Vidar 2 and using it to drive Heco 1000 towers, you should try this setup and my preamp is the Schiit Saga with a NOS tungsol tube. Rega planar 3 TT with Ortofon OM2 blue and the Mani phono pre.
I do love my Modi/Magni Heresey stack