2. amps-preamps
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Mono Blocks on a Budget, is it possible?

I’m really struggling with the direction to take my system. I have the following:

Legacy Classics speakers
Aurender N100H media player
Schiit Freya tube pre-amp
Schiit Yggdrasil DAC
Schiit Vidar x2 (in mono block mode)

I will be replacing speakers at some point but the rest of the system I love... except the Vidars. Before them, I had NAD 356BEE that was used for the amp. Very clean and I loved it, except it was only 80 Watts. I decided to upgrade to the Vidars. They cost twice as much From a good manufacturer like Schiit so they must be better right? Not really. They are more noisy than the NAD amp and I’m finding myself less in love with them that I though I would be. I was planning the Vidar purchase for about a year and now that I got them I don’t know which direction to take in replacing them. I want to get cleaner mono amps but don’t want to spend more than $3k MAX for both. The Vidars are 400 Watts into 8ohm, are there any options out there for me that are close to the Vidar specs? I’m open to used but mostly I want the amps to sound almost completely clean with practically no distortion. 
xerotrace
viber6
2,448 posts
 
stringreen,
Totally agree that a SOTA stereo amp will beat monos with inferior technology for absolute performance.  Since ricevs is advocating for best sound per dollar, we are looking forward to stereo amps with Purifi modules.  The corresponding mono amps will probably be better, but is it worth spending double when another designer will implement the module in a better stereo design?  And what about more powerful modules sure to come from Purifi?  Get a stereo SOTA amp that is 90+% as good as the mono version for 50% of the price.
ricevs
1,543 posts
 
Some stereo amps are fully dual mono....separate power supplies for each channel.  The Nord stereo amps are dual mono....my stereo amps are dual mono.  In fact, I have an option to have two separate power cords on it so if you have a dedicated line for each channel you will get a little better sound.  I am sure there will be stereo amps with the Purifi modules that will be dual mono.  Mono amps do allow you do put the amps closer to the speakers....but other than that a stereo dual mono amp will sound the same.....assuming great separation of the channels inside the amp.
mitch2
3,961 posts
 
I just recently picked up a pair of Cary CAD 500 MB monos that sound great and provide 500/1,000 wpc into 8/4 ohms.  Another pair just sold for $2,500
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