Schiit Freya+ or Saga+? Vidar or Aegir?


I listen at moderate volumes in a smallish room, 15x15 with a 10’ ceiling. My single driver speakers are 95db efficient. I’m a bit confused about which amp/preamp pairing to run with. 

The Saga+ preamp has 0 gain. The Freya+ preamp has 12db in tube active mode. The Vidar amp has 100W per channel into 8ohms (which my speakers are) and 27db of gain while the Aegir has 20W per channel into 8 ohms and 22db of gain. 

I’m a bit dense as regards the necessity of gain in the preamp relative to the amp and speaker efficiency so I’m not sure which pairing suits my needs. I’ll never need all 100W of the Vidar but I wonder if that and a pre with 0 gain is a better pairing than the Freya/Aegir. 

Any input? 
larshepping
Thanks for all the input!

My speakers only have one pair of binding posts so bi-wiring or bi-amping isn’t an option, alas. 

So how does one find out or determine the output voltage of a component? In my head all components are at a standard voltage level so I guess I’ve got some research to do?

I have these sensitive speakers but I get caught up in all the discussion about amps and components.

Some people say that any amp operating outside of it’s clipping zone will sound the same as any other as long as it’s well designed. Some people say that every amp has its own different sound signature...“more bass, more heft, more clarity, etc.” And it goes back and forth about confirmation bias vs. measurements. Argh!!!

I’ve been around the internets the last day or so and some say having lots of overhead in watts is great (buy Vidar) others say lower watt amps are better because they’re “cleaner” or whatever (buy Aegir). 








The output voltage of a line source component should be shown on the specs page of their marketing material or owners manual.  

The "more power is always better" mantra is the more popular approach these days -- I think the popularity of Class D amps which have lots of watts for their size/weight/cost has fueled this sentiment.  As noted previously, I've tried both approaches and the Aegir is working spectacularly for me. However, as they say, YMMV.  

The problem with amp specs is that they are primarily static measurements while the music signal is incredibly complex and dynamic. And, not every manufacturer has exactly the same method for measuring the specs they do list.  So, while numbers are important and meaningful, it still boils down to what YOU hear when YOU listen.
From the comparisons I’ve read I got the impression that the Aegir is hands down better if you don’t need more power. I’ve also heard they sound even better run as monoblocks. (In which case you can’t use the Saga because you need XLR to run in mono) I never even considered the Vidar for my setup. 

Most digital sources - anything with a DAC - run 2V peak out. Typical phono pre out is 300mV peak (I’m not a turntable person, so I could be wrong)
Look up the specs on your sources. Saga works for me because I’m only running digital. 
what did you pick? i found my Saga + to really add something to the music even when not in tube mode. very strange you can barely tell the difference between tube mode but the sound change without the SAGA at all is quite big . not to mention its extremely well made for the price. solit aluminum remote , stepped volume, many outputs, quality internals just great measurements as far as distortion , im buying another one for 250 bucks used. freya is just too much at 600 but im sure its great
If I were to purchase a Saga I would do so to use the tube stage. To me there would be no other reason to own one. The mentioned high output impedance of the passive stage would also bother me. 

With a room of your size I would think the Aegir would work fine providing the lowest impedance isn't below 4 ohms. I would prefer the class A amplifier.

I believe Schiit offers 15 days return.