Schiit Vidar Outlaw RR2160

Hi John -

I am a bit out of my depths when it comes to streaming devices. I am strictly LPs and CDs. What Ethos is saying sounds ok. You may also what to check out Outlaw’s Saloon to see if there are any relevant discussions.

http://saloon.outlawaudio.com/ubbthreads/

I don’t have any experience with the Tekton speakers, outside of the posts here on Audiogon, which can get somewhat polarizing when the discussions get going.

Something I might consider though is taking the budgeted $500 for a preamp and putting in towards speakers. Speakers in the $1500 to $2000 range would elevate this system up a real level or two, sound wise. And granted I get the possibilities of adding streaming to the mix.

At $2K, the Watkins Generation Four have really caught my eye. No experience with them, but from what I read they have me thinking about pulling the trigger.

http://www.watkinsstereo.com

I have always been a fan of single driver speakers and have had Omega speakers in my systems for the last 15 years. I like the looks of these a lot (Omega Junior XRS) and what I have found with Omega speakers is that the driver size adds an incredible amount of oomph to the sound. Also, the Omegas are heaven with solo vocals, both male and female.

https://omegaloudspeakers.com/collections/tower-speakers/products/junior-8xrs?variant=38555245196

Obviously, there are many more to consider at $1500 to $2000.

As for interconnects, I have the following in my systems and I am happy with them. They also don’t cost a tremendous amount of money and are good value.

Audioquest Diamondbacks

Audioquest King Cobra

Audioquest Black Mamba II

Kimber Kable PBJ

https://www.musicdirect.com/cables/audioquest-diamondback-interconnects

https://www.musicdirect.com/cables/audioquest-king-cobra-interconnects-pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AQBMII

https://www.musicdirect.com/cables/kimber-pbj-interconnects-pr

With speaker cable, I splurged a bit and went with the Audience OHNO product.

https://www.needledoctor.com/Audience-OHNO-Speaker-Cable?quantity=1&custcol115=7&custcol120=...

I do a fair amount of scouring the reviews and message boards and then purchasing on-line. I attend shows and audition when I can, but that is hit or miss in NYC, especially since I work long hours and travel for business.

I have 3 systems that all see a lot of use and fundamentally have remained in place for a long time.

#1 -

Prima Luna PL5 tube power amp (12 years)
Musical Fidelity CD PRE24 cd player & preamp (12 years)
SONY SCD555 ES SACD player (16 years)
Parasound Zphono preamp (1 year)
Pro-ject Classic Anniversary Turntable (1 year)
Opera Platea Floorstander Speakers (9 years)

#2 -

Rega Brio R integrated amp (3 years)
Unico CD player (1 year)
Technics 1200GR turntable (new)
Parasound Zphono preamp (1 year)
Omega Super 7 MKII monitors ( 3 years)

#3

Outlaw RR2150 receiver (12 years)
Wharfedale Denton Anniversary monitors (1 year)
Panasonic 500P blu ray player (4 years)
Rega Apollo CD player (12 years)

Rich

You might want to get that preamp. If you read the stereophile review, the phono section was a weak link. If you get the Outlaw, break in the phono section for a week and then bring in your external phono preamp and do a a/b test. You will also get more adjustability with an external phono preamp for a wide range of cartridges

Rich ( @rar1  ) makes a great suggestion / option.

I normally advise front end first (actually power first, but that's best left for another day). In your case, if you can push your budget slightly and move the money saved on the preamp Rich's recommendation to put it towards speakers is a very good one.

Since you are looking at Tekton for the Lores, make sure you check their website right away because there are a few Black Friday / Cyber Monday offers.

If you can push your budget slightly, I'd jump on the Tekton Impact Monitors without any hesitation. They are 250 off their regular asking price. The trial offer is liberal and you will not be out much to reship should they not work for you.

Just some thoughts from one interested in your quest:

Given that the Outlaw has phonostage and DAC I would not consider the purchase of either as a stand alone until I spent time with the respective internal ones. 

The Bluesound Node 2 is a solid recommendation and I would consider one myself if looking for streaming Tidal and MQA. I believe it has an internal DAC which would be redundant (possibly better?) to that in the receiver.  A computer can be configured as a streaming device however don't know about use for MQA. 

I generally don't position myself to recommend speakers due to not having the opportunity to listen to many and the subjectivity issue. I will say that I believe matching speakers to the room, and tuning the room via treatments is vital to getting the most from any system. After that your amp must be compatible with t the speakers. If you are settled on the Outlaw you could purchase one and use it to demo speakers at local dealers or from online dealers that allow returns. I would encourage you to do your best to audition as many speakers as possible prior to making a choice. Consider the size of your room, brightness of room, ability to add room treatments, loudness levels required, when auditioning. One approach I have taken was to purchase a used pair of speakers at a budget lower than I was willing to spend on a final pair, selected ones that would mate well with my room, experimented with room treatments using these used speakers, and enjoyed my music while in search for an upgrade pair. The process took a year, and I sold the used speakers for what I paid for them once a new pair arrived. If you like the Totems, maybe you could find a used pair. 

The Audioquest King Cobra interconnects and Rocket 33 speaker cables are good choices. They can be had highly discounted. I have bought these off Ebay, and from Music Direct. I also like Kimber Kable. I currently use both brands across my 3 systems.  That said, one could purchase the appropriate length of Canare 4S11 speaker cable for about $1.50 a foot and use them unterminated. Maybe look for a used pair of Audioquest Sidewinder or Copperhead interconnect cables. You could allocate more money elsewhere in your system.  

Good luck in your quest. Please keep us informed as to your system.  

Wow, what great thoughtful advise.  Here or (hear) is a confession.  Shopping for speakers is really frustrating for me.  My sound memory is short.  Show me a few speakers and they all sound great.  So I rely heavily on forums and share the music I listen to.  I haven't mentioned it yet however many time I enjoy turning the volume up, just as if I was at an actual concert.  Not sure if that comment is relevant to the speaker choices suggested already but wanted to add it.  

So I will sell my Kenwood KA701 and matching receiver, get the Outlaw and then sell the JBL 110's.  Thank you all for your gracious contributions to this thread.  I really enjoy the feedback. 

I should add that the impetus to getting back into vinyl was at the June Los Angeles audio show. They had a room that was dedicated to budget-friendly audio gear. This is where I first head the Tektons and the Magnepan .7's along with Schiit audio components.