Aegir Power Amplifier
 

Schiit has added a new amplifier to their lineup, the Aegir. According to their description, it is "a better-than-Class-A-in-many-respects version of the Vidar." It provides 20W into 8 ohms, of which the first 10W are pure Class A.

Steve Guttenberg has also posted a review.

Looks promising and affordable!
ron

My guess is it sounds REALLY good. Jason Stoddard is a brilliant audio engineer, in my experience.

Got one :-) . I've had it for four days now - Wow!!! My recent acquisition of very revealing Revel F228Be's has sent me on the upgrade path. As good as my Musical Concepts modified Hafler is, the Aegir eclipses it in every way (even though it's only 1/6th the wattage rating). I also compared it to the new Parasound A23+ (excellent amp) and I felt that the Aegir was superior especially in the micro dynamics category. The A23+ was surprisingly good and I like it a lot, but it "feels" like there is more music trying to get out of that amp. But, with the Aegir there is an "ease" and richness (while still VERY open) about this amp that is simply a joy to listen to. As Aegir probably isn't fully burned in yet, I'll add more later - cheers!

This looks like a really interesting amp!
Used as mono block it produces 80W.

I'm driving Revel F228Be's (90 dB 1 watt) with it (single Aegir) - in a small room and I havn't run out of gas yet! It's a very big and very well behaved 20 watts (40 watts at 4 ohms). The Revels are just below 4 ohms from about 260 down so the power doubling at 4 ohms helps I guess? Concert Bass drum whacks on my Telarcs are no problem even at high SPL's. I thought about getting a second one, but not sure its needed?

Just a point to keep in mind regarding the specs for the Aegir amp is that it is rated into 8 or 4 ohms in stereo mode, but only into 8 ohms in mono. When a stereo amp is run in bridged mode to operate as a mono amp its output stage effectively sees the load impedance divided by two. So in mono mode an 8 ohm load is effectively seen by the amp as 4 ohms, and if it could handle a 4 ohm load it would be like the amp driving a 2 ohm load in stereo (which it is not rated to handle.)

So I'd be cautious about trying a 4 ohm speaker with these amps running in mono mode without first consulting with Schiit about the possibility. It could end up with too high of a current demand which could either cause damage or more likely engage the amp's protection circuit.

Interesting.

How's it sound?

I asked Schiit specifically about running in mono with the F228Be's and they said it would be no problem. They stated that only if the speaker drops below 2 ohms would it be an issue.

I think that it sounds fantastic. It has warmth and body yet presents a big and open (transparent) soundstage. The highs are clear but never etchy. The low end drive is surprising given its power rating, but the bass is very big and very natural sounding. Of particular interest to me is how well it presents dynamic (both macro and micro) contrasts. This is an area where I felt that the Parasound A23+ (which I also auditioned) was a tiny bit lacking (not by much) and why I kept looking for an amp for the F228Be's. I'm not certain yet that this is "the amp", but I'm really liking what I'm hearing - very impressed so far.

That's excellent to hear and speaks well about the amp's stability. :thumbsup: I was only suggesting caution based upon the specs given on their website.

:D :tresbon:

Indeed ... I was concerned because they only stated a spec for 8 ohms (in mono), but when I asked specifically about the issue (running in mono) with that particular speaker that drops to 3.83 ohms .... they replied with a firm "no problem" and stated that they would only be concerned if impedance dropped below 2 ohms. That being said, its a big 20/40 watts and I'm not thinking that I'll need more power - which is quite surprising to me.

On the face of it, it may come across as surprising, but knowing good Class A amps, personally, doesn't surprise me one bit.

Enjoy! Aegir sounds like a fabulous amp!

And, for $799!

Sounds like Schiit has yet another winner in their lineup. :thumbsup: The value that Schiit products offer is just insane as far as audio goes. :yes:

Would be interesting to line up some experienced ears and do some blind comparisons of the Aegir vs amps costing multiples. I would be willing to bet that given speakers and room that would not overtax the power capability of the Aegir, there would be many surprised faces after that blind comparison just like there was in a room full of "seasoned" audiophiles and PrimaLuna vs other products that were multiples of the price. :D

Yeah, I would bet that, too, Serge. :thumbsup:

Congratulations, Soundmig, on you purchase. I was happy to read your glowing comments about the Aegir. I own a Schiit Valhalla headphone amp and Gungnir dac, and am considering buying a Schiit amplifier to use with speakers. Based on your enthusiastic review, I am one step closer to adding an Aegir to my small collection of Schiit. Thanks again and happy listening.

ron

Update on Aegir as it burns in and as I gain experience with it: 1) The sonic character has not changed much from what it was at about 10 hours. 2) The standby mode helps the amp warm up and sound good quickly - within about 10 minutes its full snuff. 3) The bass has a warm quality that I like, but may not be to everyone's taste. Its big and full bodied, but doesn't "grip" the cones quite like a top notch A/B amp of higher power rating does. 4) The gain structure is a bit low such that, when running passive or via JFET buffers on my Freya, I can run out of ability to "turn it up" as far as I want to. Any active pre-amp (including Freya's tube stage) is plenty to get you all the gain that you want, but passive pre-amp operation may not be enough gain in some situations. Overall, I am still very impressed with this little amp as it sounds so inviting and has such a musical presentation.

Thanks for the feedback. :thumbsup: Over the years my preference actually leans towards a more analog and vinyl like bass response, big and full bodied as you describe. All too often class A/B sounds too dry and artificially sterile as far as bass. As the amp exerts grip over the cones but somewhere in the feedback loop it fudges the bass to be dry and artificial sounding with perhaps an overshoot of cone control. Musical instruments like to resonate, not start and stop on a dime as they say

Well said. It could be that there's such a thing as too much damping factor. This probably explains why I tend to prefer tube amplifiers to solid-state. As much as I've liked my Premier 350SA, my much more modestly powered LP-70S has always struck me as more "musical" :yes: :thumbsup:

There definitely is Stephen. Tube amps are notoriously low in damping factor yet people describe tubes as sounding more muscular and tube power is different, etc... Obviously you can’t control a speaker’s woofer as good with low damping factor but in those cases where a lower damping factor in not overtaxed by the speaker itself, I am convinced the magic really exists somewhere in that territory of “just right” vs “very dry” bass of over-control of the woofer. If you are hearing the “leading edge” of the transient response such as a kick drum being emphasized such that there is more “skin” and the initial impact but little “body of the drum” that follows, its too dry. I’ve often noticed that with very high damping factor amps with a few exceptions. Could be just my preference but vinyl and tubes and certain SS amps just sound more realistic to my ears when it comes to bass.

It is counterintuitive as the “emphasized” leading edge transients typically sound more dynamic short term but in longer term listening sessions it just doesn’t satisfy musically as there seems to be something missing and that missing component is always the body of the instruments producing lower frequencies to my ears.

:goodpost:

For what its worth the Aegir is spec'd at a damping factor of >100. Not real . high, but certainly enough to control the cones. The bass response is very satisfying and "natural" sounding on things like Concert Bass Drum and Organ pedal tones (including the drum skin and "air" associated with both), so I'm quite happy with Aegir's bass "quality" and quantity.

I remember being blown away by the “quality” of bass from the puny little 9w Shindo Cortese SET driving the rather large cones of the Tannoy and I’ve had the Sandringhams followed by Kensington’s and all the way to the large Canterbury SE and their large woofers simply came alive with the 9w worth of pure triode SET power. The bass was intoxicating. :music: The much more powerful Audio Research monoblocks did not improve on the bass at all, in fact I preferred the Shindo little guy so I can relate to what you are saying. There is much more to it than specs alone.

Aegir sounds like a no brainer for anyone looking to build a system around it. :thumbsup:

Yes, there is. Personally, I've never found much correlation between specs and how something sounds.

If you're wanting an amp under $1K (maybe even $2K) look no further - Aegir is a great value :-) Although its probably best to only pair it with speakers that are at least 87dB @ 1 watt input. If you need more power, you can always get two and run mono provided you can send them differentially balanced signal. 80 watts mono should be enough to satisfy most anyone listening to "music". At $1598 for two - I can't think of a better way to go. Then again I have not heard Aegir run as mono blocks. I assume they would retain their easy, sweet and open character, but I don't know for sure. Anyone tried them as monoblocks?

Running in mono often does change the character of the amp just a tad. I still think the solid state devices along with tubes have a sweet spot of operational loads where they sound their best.

Hi Soundmig,
Respectfully disagree (just a little bit! ;)). My Dyns are 4 ohm nominal and 86 dB @ 1watt and if I were to hazard a guess, the Aegir would drive them to very satisfactory SPLs just fine. Why? Because most of my listening is done at average of approx 70dB or so. I would estimate 85% is between 65-75 dB, and 95% is at 65-80dB. Once the SPLs get past 82 or 83 dB, I'm reaching for the volume control. No way I'd be listening at 87dB (except for very occasional loud transients). YMMV, of course, based on the size of the room, but, when one does most of their listening between 68-72 dB (with notably less than 1 watt of power would be required), 20 watts of Class A power at 8 Ohms and 40Wpc at 4 ohms should be more than enough for most people, most of the time.

Cheers, PC

The 65-85dB is mostly where my comfort zone for enjoying music is as well Stephen. The 30w or so of Triode power is more than enough in my nearly 30x30 room with 86dB efficient and 6 ohm speakers. :yes: On those more rare ocassions where I want to "rock out" a bit, the switch is flipped to Linear mode for about 65-70w from the EL34 tubes.

The Luxman class A on the other hand simply laughs at anything I throw at it. :D

Power is good, power is nice but not absolutely necessary in every situation. :no:

Fully agree, Serge.

I would love it if Schiit made a sweet little EL34 tube power amp, but I think they are set on solid state for power amps.

I'll bet the Harbeths sound absolutely wonderful with EL34 tubes; I am envious! :D

Yes, I’m very happy with both the PL-EL34 and Luxman. If I ever get bored, I also have the option of sticking anything from the various EL34’s to from KT66 to KT150 to play around since the PrumaLuna HP allows it. Plenty of experimentation ahead but I’m in no hurry, the stock EL34 sound great

Yeah, I saw that on the PrimaLuna web site. Have to say I'm envious. I'm stuck with 6550s or KT120s with the LP-70S

Not a bad place to be Stephen. :thumbsup: Besides, the PL HP integrated or their amps do come up on the market from time to time and they are rather inexpensive as far as audio goes

Given your listening level habits - Aegir would be more than enough and I know that you would like the sound :thumbsup: My dedicated listening room is small, but (having mixed one too many an album at too high of an SPL) I tend to listen quite a bit louder than you do, so I may try two Aegir's in mono? I can always send the second one back if it isn't working out. Hmmm .... then again, I haven't yet found myself wanting more volume, so I guess I'll hold at one Aegir for now :music:

:thumbsup: :D

Having now lived with Aegir for several weeks, I have a couple of additional observations. One is that Aegir's greatest strengths is its ability to convey dynamics both macro and micro. This ability is critical when it comes to "realism" associated with the attack envelope of voices and instruments. To say that music "comes alive" with Aegir may be an understatement. So much so that some recordings almost sound like different recordings compared to listening to the same through other amplifiers. One such recording is Monty Alexander's "Goin Yard" from Telarc. The close mic'd and HARD hit piano along with hand drums (congo's?) on the opening cut (The Serpent) sound like a close mic'd hard hit piano and hand drums (imagine that). Using two other amplifiers (both with audiophile cult followings) the distinctive attack (like you hear if you're actually there) was rounded off with these other amplifiers (sweet and pleasant, but not accurate). Interestingly Aegir does this (reproduces the hard and sometimes nasty attack) without sounding "harsh" or "etched". Another example of digging deep into the micro dynamics is in Chris Isaak's vocals on "Blue Spanish sky" where he transitions from throat voice to mask as he goes up in pitch. With the Aegir you can literally hear the tongue switch positions as the air moves into the mask (nasal cavities) and pushes the pitch higher and changes the timbre of the voice to the desired effect. Again, on the "other" amps this microdynamic detail is mostly lost.

Aegir may or may not be your cup of tea, because it doesn't always sound like and "audiophiles" amp, but it does always (to my ears) sound realistic and accurate. The only place where macro dynamics may be less than stellar is when you push the volume to where Aegir is taxed to provide the power (its' only 20 watts). At that point you can get some softening of the bass "impact". Even so, I've yet to hear Aegir clip - even under some pretty tough pushing. I've just ordered another one to try Aegir as mono blocks :-)

Another thing that I ran into at a friends house was the fact that Aegir is very senstive to DC. The amp simply would not stay out of protection mode for very long in his system? He's had some problem with noise in his A/C supply suspects that there may be some DC in his lines. I contacted Schiit to find out what they thought, and they said that likely there is DC in his A/C supply as Aegir is VERY sensitive to DC and will shut down if any DC is detected. They were also suspicious of the Cardas Clear Beyond power cable we were using at his house, but i don't think that power cable could cause a problem?

Anyway, I'm really enjoying Aegir and look forward to reporting on Aeigir x2.

Great write up! The eye flinching transient response reproduction and the dynamic contrast some amp/speaker combos are capable of is indeed entertaining but often does lead to a feeling of a sterile and sometimes harsh response overall depending on the recording. The balance of having a great dynamic contrast, to be able to hear every note of every instrument start and stop on a dime in a realistic fashion but to keep things sounding natural and with proper weight and tonal balance is no easy feat.

I loved the Wilson/D'Agostino combo for that. The Harbeth/Luxman can't quite match that reference point that has been established in my mind having lived with them for a few years but then again there is a limit what one can achieve on a given budget to build such gear.

That Aegir exhibits these traits of flushing out dynamic contrast without sounding clinical is already a great testament. Most budget amps can not be both smooth and flush out great dynamic contrast, some much higher end amps are excellent at dynamic contrast but sound clinical and I'm not going to name them :D

At the price of the Aegir, even if is only 20w/40w of Class A, kudos to Schiit for pulling it off. :thumbsup: I'd love to take the Aegir for a spin just to see what Schiit has achieved for under $1k. :yes: So far every piece of Schiit (no pun intended, it's not my fault they chose that name :D) that I have laid my hands and leaned my ears on, has been nothing but tremendous bang for the buck. Enjoy your Aegir and looking forward to further x2 impressions.

Its impressive and encouraging. Put Hermida: Lela (arr. Duran) by Elina Garanca from the Sol Y vida Album on Deutsche Grammaphon through the Gungnir MB, Freya (with NOS tubes), Aegir combination (on the F228Be's) will resolve every last detail of the music and the recorded space AND raise the Goose Bumps as well. Not "clinical" sounding at all - very musical.

Aegir x2
 

So I now have 2 Aegir's running as mono blocks. The new one is "burned in" and now sitting side by side with my other Aegir. While I really like the Aegir as a mono block, I have to preface my comments with the fact that Stereo Aegir can only use RCA inputs and mono Aegirs can only use XLR inputs. My pre to amp RCA's are AQ-Jaguars and my pre to amp XLR's are AQ Panthers. So from a cabling standpoint its "similar" but not apples to apples. There is no way for me to know what differences are due to stereo vs monoblock, XLR vs RCA and/or Jaguar Vs. Panther.

So, with the cable caveat in mind, what changes when you run Aegir x2 vs. a single Aegir? A listen to Mozart's Ave Verum (Dr. Chesky) can demonstrate most everything that I've been able to "hear". First, it's immediately noticeable that there is more "umphh" in the bass (pipe organ pedal notes). There is simply more air moving - even at same volume levels (if that makes any sense). Second, low level detail is more easily heard giving the recording a greater sense of space and depth. Each voice in the choir has a larger 3D space around it and the "room" is more palpable giving an even greater sense of "you are there". Third, there is a touch more "body" to the organ and to each voice making the male voice parts sound more natural and easier to hear clearly. This added body also makes the sound of the organ slightly more resonant and brings the mechanical sounds of the organ some realism that is easier to hear - more "lifelike".

Every recording I've listened to with Aegir x2 demonstrates the above mentioned improvements to one degree or another. The added "body" is particularly nice as it lends an even greater sense of warmth and "realism" to the overall sound. The only similar experience between similar amps in my memory banks was about 18 years ago when I had a Krell FPB 300 and an FPB 600 in hand for a while. The FPB300 (or was it 200?) sounded great, but the FPB 600 was "wow" - a different level. Aegir x2 is "a different level".

Is it all good news? - well no. Aegir x2 makes one twist the volume knob a bit further around (because its so warm and clean and inviting) but mono Aegir's running Revel F228Be's in mono can run out of gas (even in my small listening room)! On occasion one or the other of the two amps has shut down for a second or two upon delivering a large bass transient (such as a Telarc Concert Bass Drum played loudly). I was probably playing it louder than it needed to be, but its happened several times with different types of music (another example: Coldplay "magic"). Again reducing the volume to only too loud (instead of way too loud) fixes the issue, but i find it puzzling since running a single Aegir in stereo mode NEVER shut down for any reason. Perhaps as a monoblock, Aegir isn't overly fond of the 3.42 Ohm min. impedance (at 98 Hz) that the F228Be's present? I've inquired of Schiit and they seem puzzled as well - they are "working on" an answer for me? I'll follow-up if they come up with anything other than "over current" "turn it down".

Even with the small limitation, I am impressed with Aegir x2. The "level" of reproduction definitely moves up a notch or two and the added "warmth" is a really nice touch. AT $1600 for the pair the performance is quite good. There are some amps out there near that price range that also should be considered, but if you can live with 80 watts (mostly class A) I'm not sure you can touch Aegir x2 performance for the price.

Great review!