Schiit Aegir 2 Power Amp Impressions

UPDATE 10/13/2024: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ower-amp-quick-impressions.14663/#post-435302

If you like how the Aegir 1 sounds in your setup, I would probably keep it. The Aegir 2 is definitely cleaner and less organic sounding without the Aegir 1's tonal idiosyncrasies which I loved. Aegir 2 seems arguably a bit more detailed, plankton, better microdynamics, with deeper stage. In fact, these aspects of the Aegir 2 betters the both the HH Scott and Fischer vintage PP tube receivers I've got. However, despite slightly lesser technicalities, the vintage receivers stay because they got that tube bloom and better grunt. Aegir 2 is still a low powered amp though, so the lows can still be a bit soft at louder volumes, even on moderate-high efficiency 93db speakers.

I think the bottom line is that if I decided to go Aegir 2, I'd change up the front end preamp to something that adds grunt with dose of full bodied tonal signature (something like Kara comes to mind) or a more organic sounding DAC. The above comparison was with the Burl B2 as the DAC and Frugalhorns with the 6" Fostex Sigma drivers.

I think I can get the Aegir2 to get really good, build a system around it, but it's more that I have established references and a lack of time. I'm geared out and really prefer listening to music than gear these days. I can get this out on loaner if any interest.

P.S. Another consideration would be the Vidar 2 which is da bomb for its price. Sure Aegir 2 has better technicalities, but Vidar 2 basically takes that muscular grunt and control of the Vidar 1, cleans up the tendency toward too of that (no murk), and does a bit more.

 

It's a slightly better option. 30W isn't that much more than 20W. It translates to maybe +2db more headroom, keep in mind that x2 the power results in only +3db. You will be fine if you are that close, unless you want to blast 100db.

Vidar 2 could actually run cooler - it's way more efficient. Aegir 2 is more resolving.

 

Tyr.

Granted Tyr is laid back tonally, but I'd rather take x2 Tyr and choose the components to make it work. Tyr just has way more grip and grunt too - areas where Aegir is not strong.

There is a reason why @zerodeefex is running SR1A with x2 Tyr instead of Aegir.

 

Yeah, cleaned up and less murky. OG Vidar could be excessively warm to the point of murky. Vidar 2 still has that warmth, but it's not overblown, and is clearer as a result. Grip still there and slightly more resolving of fine detail.

 

exactly this. I’d work around the Tyr given how fantastic the setup is. I can change a lot to get my desired tonality (I’m not afraid of EQ either) but I can’t replace how f'ing good the Tyr is in general

 

Hard to say without a direct comparison. I got Vidar 2 into the iFi ESL thing, and running ESP950 and ZMF Caldera Closed (from the non ESL 4-pin out). This setup makes the Magni Unity sound grainy in comparison (and the Unity is hardly grainy sound and quite smooth in the highs already).

 

So I have a bit more information after some dialing in of my gaming rig in San Antonio. It's purely a headphone based system for now. The system consists of this:

PC --usb--> Schiit Yggdrasil OG/A2 --rca--> Schiit Saga 6SN7 --> Schiit Vidar 2 | (Aegir 2) --> iFi iESL --> Koss ESP950 | ZMF Caldera Closed.

Add: iFi iESL has outputs for both e-stats and regular headphones via XLR. The signal from the power amp is via transformers, step-up for e-state and step-down for XLR.

The Yggdrasil is a bit unoptimized because I am using the SE outputs, which on the OG/A2 lack clarity compared to the balanced outputs. I was going to grab the XLR->SE box with the Cinemags, but I keep forgetting to bring it up from Corpus. I opted for the OG/A2 initially because I felt it would be a good source for the ESP950. The ESP950 being a e-stat with somewhat of a mid-centric tonal signature, I figured could use some body and organic lows/mids. Also the more incisive lively treble would bring some energy to the overall e-stat experience which can be a bit too smooth. By coincidence, I found the upstream components to also work well with the Caldera Closed.

With the Vidar 2 in the chain, the presentation in the highs was all so smooth, compared to say the Magni Unity (which itself is pretty smooth for a traditional class AB topology, but grainy compared to the Vidar 2 via the iESL). From memory, the Vidar 2 is overall cleaner with just a bit of warmth. Maybe we can say the presentation is very slightly dark, a nice shallow slope downwards. I was concerned initially that maybe the cause of the smooth highs with Vidar 2 was the result of the iESL (evidently transformers are also used for the power amp -to- headphone XLR interface). However putting in the Aegir 2 (with its sparklier more neutral highs) proved that this was not the case. The Aegir 2's graininess was probably somewhere in between the Vidar 2 and Magni Unity (closer to Unity).

That being said, for a low-power application like this (and no, e-stats are not high power, they are simply high-voltage and headphones were never-ever high power except the OG HE6), I am reminded of why the original Aegir and now Aegir 2 are so special. I strongly feel that Aegir 2 would be the better way to go for high-efficiency speakers and moderate-efficiency nearfields. Aegir 2 captures the soul of the music significantly more than the Vidar 2. By this I mean the "hard to put the headphones down motto" of Craig Uthus / Eddie Current. I was sucked into the music and stayed up to the early hours of the morning listening to Alicia Keys and Connie Evingson.

The deal with the Aegir 2 is that its tonal signature is different to the Vidar 2. What I had working before needs to be tweaked. The Aegir 2 is both warmer, more organic, and has more incisive evident highs than Vidar 2. This characteristic couple with the Yggdrasil OG/A2 is too much of the same thing. I definitely need to grab the XLR->SE box or maybe put the Yggdrasil MiB or Burl B2 in place.

Add: In hindsight, I think I am just hearing more of the Yggdrasil A2/OG RCA outputs with the Aegir 2.

I am tending toward keeping the Yggdrasil series for gaming because the Schiit filter works really well for games where imaging / localization of sounds is paramount. In Space Marine 2, it's a big deal to know the direction where those poison darts of the Tyranids are coming from, where your fellow Space Marines are from their footsteps, when the Chaos Space Marines are suddenly teleporting behind you to flame your ass.

My first experience with the Aegir 2 comparing to the vintage receivers was not optimal because I prefer a darker or less bright sound. I don't mind a bit of rolled highs, maybe even prefer it. After more time with the Aegir 2, I am definitely going to rethink things and build a system around it. The Aegir 2 is just f'ing good, but as with all things audio: synergy synergy synergy. Also, I didn't realize how good the iFi iESL is, with both planar and e-stat cans.

Pictures or it didn't happen: