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Schiit not that Good?

Schiit was at AXPONA again this year. They were showing a Salk music server streaming into a Gungnir Multibit (?) feeding a Freya and two Vidars. Speakers were the Salk Song 3As.

 

So what happened?


Esoteric was just next door. This allowed attendees to move immediately from one room to another. Esoteric was showing a full stack of thier latest separates plus a VPI Avenger for analog. Speakers were a pair of Cantons I didn’t get the model of.

 

The Schiit room, while not bad, was completely destroyed by the Esoteric room. Esoteric played one SACD that unfurled a massive soundstage that I could sense even not being in the best seat. The sound of the Esoteric system, both via SACD and vinyl was dynamic, resolving, extremely musical, collected, vibrant, both large and delicately structured. It was a system that got all the minor details right. Such a good setup. The Schiit setup, while unoffensive, clean, and musical in its own right, simply couldn’t face the Esoteric in inner detail, soundstage, reality and low-level dynamics.

 

Why did the Schiit system fail so hard vs the Esoteric? Part of the reason might have been the junk cabling used by Schiit. Peaking behind the system I was Blue Jeans speaker cables and mess of power bricks, basic cabling, etc. I don’t know how much of the Schiit’s performance was compromised by inferior cabling, but I’m curious how close it would have come to the Esoteric had Schiit paid some basic attention to that area.


madavid0
jetter
3,033 posts
 
Hi wolf and thanks for your description regarding your time with the Aegirs.  My speakers are a more difficult load to drive than yours and I was a bit worried that the XA25 would have a problem with them, but the Aegirs tempted me anyway.  I have the Schitt sys and for what it is I like it, and there may be a Freya + in the future for my second system.

I have gone a different direction than most, and have recently had a pair of Museatex Meitner mono amps modded (pretty much totally new amps inside) by John Wright who was associated with Meitner, and am happy with them. 

Thanks again,






bstatmeister
537 posts
 
Wolf - should try the Vidars
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I have zero interest in ANY transistor power amp (I’ll read about them...otherwise, no no no) in my main listening heap, class d or a or a/b or yer mama. I’m limited to efficient speakers, but that’s just fine as they tend to hurl the sound at my earballs with more gusto than otherwise, and my simple single ended tube amp sounds so damn good. I’m now becoming more curious about OTLs like the Atma-Sphere stuff (although I’m not so sure there is anything "like" Atmas-Sphere’s amps)...perhaps that’s my next step if I can deal with 16 tubes instead of 4...I might have to talk to Ralph...balanced stuff appeals to me, and I like the word "circlotronic."
shkong78's avatar
shkong78
1,484 posts
 
Schitt does not attempt to make the best product.

But they try to make good product at price point affordable to general public.

Thus they did not use exotic cables beyond reach of ordinary folks.
audition__audio
1,477 posts
 
wolf,
Given your speakers, you cannot do better than the M-60s or the 30 watt stereo amp. After using one of Ralph's amps you will realize that much of what you liked about your SET amp is actually distortion and that these amps, even with efficient speakers, run out of juice very quickly. Another option is the ZOTL stuff from David Berning. 
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