Schiit Audio Vidar 2F
The Vidar 2F delivers clean, high-current power with a naturally rich edge, combining articulate bass control, precise mids and revealing separation in a compact chassis. Tharbamar heard sweet midrange texture and musical detail, while Joshua Valour praised its fast, vivid low end and transparent composure. With 200W into 4 ohms, it is a compelling stereo power amplifier for serious speaker systems.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
90/100
Build Quality
89/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Clean, natural and transparent presentation with strong separation, precise midrange detail and little perceived distortion.
Bass is fast, weighty and well controlled, retaining convincing dynamics across volume levels.
Rich, sweet musicality balances detail without sounding sterile.
Compact, substantial build and strong value for a 100W/8-ohm, 200W/4-ohm amplifier.
Cons
Soundstage is not especially wide compared with higher-end reference amplification, despite good depth and separation.
Treble extension can be restrained, and the slightly dark, reserved balance will not suit every system or preference.
Mono operation is specified for 8-ohm speakers; pairing can be selective, with one reviewer reporting poor synergy with a particular speaker model.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 90/100
Reviewers consistently describe a clean, powerful and musically engaging amplifier, with particular praise for its natural midrange, bass control and ability to expose recording quality. Its presentation is not universally expansive spatially, however: one listener found the stage less wide than their reference, and another heard less depth and image specificity than in a substantially dearer system.
Transparency Resolution
92/100
Joshua Valour calls the presentation clean, natural and transparent, with crisp detail and no sense of compression or distortion. Tharbamar likewise hears clean, precise mids and bass, strong separation, air and microdetail, while noting that poorer recordings are plainly revealed.
Tonal Balance Musicality
90/100
Larry Cox praises a class-A-like richness and sweetness, calling its balance of detail and sweetness unusually satisfying at the price. Other listening impressions support that musical character through a sweet, refined midrange, although Tharbamar finds the overall balance slightly reserved or dark and the top end not especially extended.
Dynamics
91/100
The amplifier's 100W/8-ohm and 200W/4-ohm output is backed by reports of strong, clean power delivery, vivid fast bass and substantial low-end weight that remains even across volume levels. Audiophile Style found speaker limits reached before the Schiit electronics, though it also heard less low-level decay than with far more expensive Constellation amplification.
Soundstage Imaging
87/100
Image outlines, foreground/background separation and speaker-disappearing effects receive positive comments, and Cox found tone, timbre and image specificity remarkably good. Spatial scale is a relative limitation: Cox heard less depth and image specificity than in his main system, while Tharbamar found useful depth and separation but not the especially wide stage he expects from his references.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
89/100
Reviewers describe the compact amplifier as substantial and very well made for its purpose. Its 100W stereo/400W mono capability, balanced mono input and substantial power specification make it versatile, although the sharp heatsink fins noted by Tharbamar merit care and the chassis runs warm in use.
Value for Money
94/100
At its current $899 price, the Vidar 2F remains positioned below many specialist power amplifiers, and reviewer commentary is emphatically favorable. Cox felt performance surpassed its then-$699 asking price, while Tharbamar called it a great buy at roughly $800 and advised shoppers under $1,000 to look no further.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
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Specifications
- Power
- tons; one Vidar 2F is plenty for almost any pair of speakers; two is nuts
- Noise
- inaudible at the listening position
- Distortion
- inaudible, 10-100x lower than any speaker you're using
- Heat
- amp gets moderately warm at typical volumes, runs cold when in Standby
- Size
- very compact for a 2 x 100W amplifier
- Power Output (Stereo, 8 Ohms)
- 100W RMS per channel
- Power Output (Stereo, 4 Ohms)
- 200W RMS per channel
- Power Output (Mono, 8 ohms)
- 400W RMS
- Frequency Response
- 20Hz-20Khz, +/-0.03db, 3Hz-500KHz, +/-3dB
- THD
- <0.004%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 100W RMS into 8 ohms
- IMD
- <0.005%, CCIR, at 100W RMS into 8 ohms
- SNR
- >123dB, A-weighted, referenced to full output
- Damping Factor
- >100 into 8 ohms, 20-20kHz
- Gain
- 20 (26dB)
- Input Sensitivity
- AKA Rated Output (Vrms)/Rated Gain. Or, 28V/20. You do the math.
- Input Impedance
- 22k ohms SE, 44k ohms balanced
- Crosstalk
- >90dB, 20-20kHz
- Inputs
- L/R RCA jacks for stereo input, single XLR for mono input
- Topology
- current feedback, fully complementary, all 2SC/2SA BJT, no capacitors in the signal path
- Oversight
- microprocessor-controlled monitoring and management of critical operational points, with with relay shut-down for overcurrent, thermal, and other faults; Forkbeard reporting of real-time power output, temperature and overcurrent status, Forkbeard control of Standby mode
- Power Supply
- 600VA transformer with dual mono main rails, plus boosted, discrete CFP regulated supply to input, voltage gain and driver stages, plus separate, isolated and regulated rails for microprocessor management
- Power Consumption
- 700W maximum
- Size
- 9” x 13” x 3.875”
- Weight
- 22 lbs
- Audio Precision APx555 Report
- Vidar 2/2F
Manufacturer's Description — Schiit Audio
Here’s your ultra-high-end amplifier, without the ultra-high-end price. Vidar 2F is nothing less than an all-out, exotic-topology, Class-AB, linear-supply, microprocessor-controlled, power-doubling, dual-mono-ish, intelligently-managed, drives-almost-anything power amp that you’ll be happy with for a long, long time. Maybe forever!
Totally Modern Convenience…
Vidar 2F has all the modern conveniences you expect, including a compact form factor, a convenient front-panel standby switch to save tons of power, and an intelligent microprocessor-driven oversight system that ensures the amp is operating optimally at all times—and protects your treasured speakers from harm.
…with Old Skool Quality
At the same time, don’t let the features fool you. Pick up Vidar 2F to get a real feeling for the beefy 600VA transformer inside. No Class D, no switching supplies, no fans…just powerhouse performance, delivering 100W per channel into 8 ohms, doubling to 200W per channel into 4 ohms.
Forkbeard™: Power Output, Remote Standby, Health Alerts
Vidar 2F offers Forkbeard, the only multi-product, multi-stack, unified control system. One app gives you complete visibility of instant power output, remote control of Standby mode, health alerts for over-temperature and over-current conditions, and integrates with many other Schiit products.
Flexibility and Affordability
Combine Vidar 2F with the Saga 2 preamp for a 100% Forkbeard, insanely high value system. Crazy? Want more? Run two Vidar 2s from Saga 2, Kara F, or Freya+ F for true monoblock performance and 400 watts per channel into 8 ohms.
Designed and Built in the USA
By “designed and built in the USA” this is what we mean: the vast majority of the total production cost of Vidar 2F—chassis, boards, transformers, assembly, etc—goes to US companies manufacturing in the US. Chassis, transformers, and PCBs are actually all from California, and Vidar is assembled, burnt in, tested, and shipped from our San Antonio, Texas production facility.
5-Year Warranty and Easy Return Policy
Vidar is covered by a 5-year limited warranty that covers parts and labor. And if you don’t like your Vidar, you can send it back for a refund, minus 5% restocking fee, within 15 days of receiving it.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Schiit Audio Vidar 2F
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
- Class D Audio USA — online — United States (website)
- Golden Acoustics — in-store — Athina, Greece (website)
- Schiit Audio — online and in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
- The Analog Shop — in-store — Victor, New York, United States (website)