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Crown vs Vidar

I will soon be purchasing my first Hi-Fi equipment in 40 Years!  Yes, that is how long the DC 150 A series II has lasted. It still tests at 93W RMS and sounds really great.  I have settled on  Shiit Freya to replace the old and still going crown  SL-1.  Even now after hearing McIntosh, Levenson. Krell, (very impressive) the difference in sound I still like this system.  I am wondering if a Vidar will sound better than this old Crown Amp?  I know with the mentioned high end amps it would be no contest. But the Vidar is rated close to the Crown and affordable on my budget. 
 I am a Speaker builder and have 4ft 8" 3 way vented towers. The response rolls slowly off from 30hz and highs with a titanium compression unit with a dayon 3" dome mid. The highs are on a variable ipad. I like how this amp really gets it on never giving out on the lows.
My townhome is small and the listening area is about 15x20 my ears being 15ft from the speakers. I like the detail, the strings,  the voices, solid lows.  I would sure like a side by side on the two Amps.  Has anyone owned both?  If so, what do you think?
Here is the review on the Crown.  Thank you for your valued opinion. 
https://kenrockwell.com/audio/crown/d-150a-series-ii.htm
128x128pcrhkr
dep14
333 posts
 
Trust your ears.
snapsc
663 posts
 
Here are a couple of alternatives to the Vidar that are in the price range.I have no doubt that the Cherry Amp is better and if you contact the company, they have a sale going on now.  I own a Cherry Amp and I'm a big fan of the sound...which I describe as so clear, its like a layer of fog that you didn't know was there is now removed making the music sound more alive:

https://www.cherryamp.com/the-stm-store


Also, another choice that I'm sure is better sounding, this is not my amp but I also own a Halo and it has a great soundstage, powerful low end and a very smooth top end.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9fb54-parasound-halo-a-23-solid-state



213runnin
914 posts
 
A forty + year old amp will soon starting having issues if it doesn't already.  The capacitors alone should be replaced immediately.

While I somewhat agree with the above sentiment that SS amplification has already reached sonic nirvana, that kind of misses the point.  Sonic excellence has gotten within reach of the lowly budget audiophile.  What used to be available only to the well heeled or wealthy for multiple thousands can now be had, for the most part, for pennies on the dollar.  

Schiit is one of the price leaders in this regard.  No idea whether the Vidar would have synergy with the OP's speakers, but I agree that it should be on anyone's short list.  I've got one, and it does sound quite good with 4 different brand speakers that I've currently got.
wolf_garcia
6,626 posts
 
"I have no doubt that the Cherry Amp is better" and "another choice that I’m sure is better sounding" are both statements that play as ridiculous unless you’ve actually had a Vidar around and compared it directly to other amps. I’ve heard a Vidar and it sounded astonishingly good, and we (a few audio geek friends and myself) were directly comparing it to a Pass XA25 (an amp I might buy to see what’s what although I am happy with my single ended tube amp) at over four times the cost of a Vidar. The Vidar sounded very lively, clear, and powerful and seems like an absolute bargain, and gave up very little to the Pass amp in our little shoot-out. I wish we’d had a Schiit Aegir around as a comparison to the class A Pass would have been interesting.
snapsc
663 posts
 
Wolf... I agree... I should have just said that the Halo and the Cherry are good alternatives. I’ve heard the Vidar... but not in my system... and that is the only place that matters. 
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