Vitus SIA-025 review

**Bodhi** · February 28, 2014, 04:33 AM

Hi folks, having lived with my Vitus SIA-025 for a while, I thought it was time to post a review. Firstly the Vitus has wonderful Danish industrial design that is timeless. Everything about its design and attention to detail is excellent right down the the shipping materials and remote control (which is the best i've ever seen & is rechargeable). The SIA-025 is a true balanced, dual mono, 25 Watt class A amp which uses an efficient Vitus-designed UI-core potted "floating" transformer with separate windings for the left & right channels. The preamplifier stage is adapted from the SL-102 and uses the same gain stages and one single "buffer" module.. so .. really good, whilst the output stage is drawn from the SM-010 mono amps. The Vitus in every respect is the best integrated amp i've owned by a fair margin.

This amp is very flexible and has 100 watts of class a/b power @8ohms which is perfect for background listening or for movies, but can also be switched over to class A mode for best sound. At power up the amp defaults to class a/b operation and a moderate volume level of -46db from memory which I like, though i've heard atleast one other audiophile state he'd prefer the amp default to class A. I personally like the factory settings however.

But all that build quality would be useless if it didn't sound good! The easiest way to describe the sound of the SIA-025 is it sounds like real music. It avoids straying into sterility or sounding analytical by offering up a nice balance of warmth, tonal purity, richness (body) and tube-like liquidity. The Vitus has excellent resolution which reveals subtle, but important information in the music such as a bell chime in the background, or the light brush of a snare drum. It also has fast transients and can be delicate when the music calls for it. The treble is somewhat softened and the lower midrange slightly emphasised, giving the amp a sound resembling good vinyl. And the effect is cumulative as you add more Vitus components. In short, Vitus sounds best with other Vitus components. In saying that however, the SIA-025 is remarkably flexible. Not only because it can be switched from class a/b to class a, but also because this amp has the uncanny ability to sound good paired with a range of speakers and setups. It just "does its thing" and always produces great sound. Perhaps its ability to make average recordings sound very good extends to less than perfect speakers?

I also strongly agree with Chris Thomas's comments in his HiFi Plus review in which he stated -

"From stand-by, straight into class A I would say that you are looking at a half hour before it really begins to sing and then it just seems to keep getting better. Even after a solid afternoon and evening's listening I would swear that the amplifier was growing more fluid, textural and resolute with better dynamic contrasts, tonal shading and the delicacy of its musical message just seems to become more profound."

As a side note, good isolation is very important to bring out the best sound from this amp. Notwithstanding the potted, floating transformer and anti-resonant chassis, stuffing so much gear into a modest sized chassis does create some resonance. Placing the amp on a solid rack with Stillpoints Ultra 5's and an Ultra LPI on top made a big difference which created a blacker background, improved bass & brought the sound stage into clearer focus. I now consider the Stillpoints mandatory with the Vitus Sig Series such has been the level of improvement.

But has it got balls? That is a question I get quite a bit. With "only" 25 watts class A power, on paper it doesn't look like this amp is capable of driving a full size speaker with a moderately difficult load. Let's look a bit deeper. Most of the amp's real estate (and 42kg weight) is taken up by a huge 1.4kVa Vitus-designed UI-core transformer. Most audiophile-grade toroidal transformers lose up to 25% voltage (both channels driven), however the Vitus loses max 1.5% voltage tested. It is also a very high current amp, meaning that 1.4kVa tranny feels more like a big 2kVA tranny. In practice I have found the SIA-025 drives my Magico S5's without breaking a sweat and at only 140hrs is already delivering deep bass and a nice, coherent sound stage. Of course once my amp and speakers reach 500hrs the bass and sound stage should open up even more & sound more resolving.

In summary, this is a sublimely good integrated amp. I never thought i'd find an integrated which would convince me to dispose of my previous Boulder 1060/1010 combo, but the Vitus achieves that feat and sounds like very good high end separates. That revelation coincided with a wish to reduce my box count and change direction with my system. What I didn't realize at the time was how much of a sea change that would prove to be!

Cheers,
Bodhi.

**highEndguy** · February 28, 2014, 07:59 AM

Super cool !!!!
Send us more photos of your room

**mdkim** · February 28, 2014, 09:16 AM

Nice write-up. Thanks for sharing.

**joeinid** · February 28, 2014, 09:37 AM

Wow that integrated is beautiful. Thank you David for the great write up.

**Mike** · February 28, 2014, 09:49 AM

Bodhi - love the Vitus gear. The Vitus/Magico synergy is excellent. Congrats on a great system.

**Bodhi** · February 28, 2014, 04:15 PM

Thanks for your comments guys

I have a big update coming by the end of this year & plan to post a system thread at that time, so I might leave it till then before posting more photos of my room

Happy days!

**Bodhi** · February 28, 2014, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Bodhi - love the Vitus gear. The Vitus/Magico synergy is excellent. Congrats on a great system.

I agree Mike...there is a lovely fluidy, warmth and purity of tone with this combo which is addictive

**kiwi_1282001** · February 28, 2014, 06:14 PM

Thanks very much for the review.

The Danes really seem to excel at audio technologies. Not only do we have Vitus but there is also Gryphon and GamuT which also make high quality integrated amplifiers and then there is a whole host of loudspeaker manufacturers; Dynaudio, Dali, Raidho and Jamo to name some.

Some questions if I may?

1. What else did you consider before selecting the Vitus SIA-025 and what was compelling about the SIA-025? Did you also look at other Vitus models in particular the RI-100 which has the same output stage (I believe) though is more powerful?

2. I am interested in your choice of CDP - the Aesthetix Romulus - which is not very well known at all. What attributes attracted that player to you and how does it sit character sonic wise vs. Playback Designs, Meitner and Esoteric?

3. How would you describe your bias in music presentation? Are you a true source or like a little warmth or complete romanticist or somewhere between these common markers? Does your system as-is deliver to your bias or are further changes ahead to render better compliance?

Sorry for the questions. I enjoy learning from the experience of others!

**MDP** · March 1, 2014, 09:57 AM

Bodhi, thanks for the write up, it was great.

Loved the pictures of your system, very nice !

**LL21** · March 1, 2014, 10:54 AM

Agree with all the positive comments here...great review...and great system. Congrats. I know something of your various components, and can imagine it must be great.

**Bodhi** · March 2, 2014, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by MDP

Bodhi, thanks for the write up, it was great.

Loved the pictures of your system, very nice !

Thanks for your kind words Mark. Yes my system is a work in progress, but coming along well!

.

**Bodhi** · March 2, 2014, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by LL21

Agree with all the positive comments here...great review...and great system. Congrats. I know something of your various components, and can imagine it must be great.

Thanks very much for your comments LL21

I'm really happy with the synergy so far. I have a big update coming by the end of the year which will raise the level of my system up a couple of notches, and achieve even better synergy

Btw, you have an excellent system as well. Your Zanden stack, CJ GAT, Gryphon Colosseum, Wilsons right down to your excellent attention to detail with isolation are all oustanding. Great to have you on the forum.

**LL21** · March 2, 2014, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by Bodhi

Thanks very much for your comments LL21

I'm really happy with the synergy so far. I have a big update coming by the end of the year which will raise the level of my system up a couple of notches, and achieve even better synergy

Btw, you have an excellent system as well. Your Zanden stack, CJ GAT, Gryphon Colosseum, Wilsons right down to your excellent attention to detail with isolation are all oustanding. Great to have you on the forum.

thank you...most kind. you have "a big update coming by the end of year which will raise the level of [your] system up a couple of notches, and achieve even better synergy..." and you're NOT going to tell us what it is?

Are we seriously going to have to wait til December to find out? (Yes, it sounds like YOU are going to have to wait til end of the year...but why not at least give us a little more than a tease?) What have you got in mind?

**Bodhi** · March 2, 2014, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Thanks very much for the review.

The Danes really seem to excel at audio technologies. Not only do we have Vitus but there is also Gryphon and GamuT which also make high quality integrated amplifiers and then there is a whole host of loudspeaker manufacturers; Dynaudio, Dali, Raidho and Jamo to name some.

Some questions if I may?

1. What else did you consider before selecting the Vitus SIA-025 and what was compelling about the SIA-025? Did you also look at other Vitus models in particular the RI-100 which has the same output stage (I believe) though is more powerful?

2. I am interested in your choice of CDP - the Aesthetix Romulus - which is not very well known at all. What attributes attracted that player to you and how does it sit character sonic wise vs. Playback Designs, Meitner and Esoteric?

3. How would you describe your bias in music presentation? Are you a true source or like a little warmth or complete romanticist or somewhere between these common markers? Does your system as-is deliver to your bias or are further changes ahead to render better compliance?

Sorry for the questions. I enjoy learning from the experience of others!

Hi Kiwi,

I appreciate your gracious words. Yes, I agree some wonderful audio gear is made in Denmark. I also love the Danish Industrial design.

To answer your questions;

1. Before I owned the SIA-025, of course I owned a Boulder 1060, 1010 (briefly) & modded Ayon CD-5s. That combo worked well for my Marten Coltrane Alto's, but when I decided to go for Magico S5's, my attention pretty much immediately turned to the Vitus SIA-025. I didn't really consider any other amps for a few reasons; I knew this amp well from previous auditions in different setups and loved its sound. I knew Vitus has great synergy with Magico. Trading up my Boulder amps were going to leave me with a credit of a few $k which I could put toward Stillpoints isolation. And finally as I eluded to in my review, the revelation that the Vitus was good enough to replace my Boulder separates coincided with a wish to reduce my box count and change direction with my system.

2. After I sold my Ayon CD-5s last year, I was only going to have my Oppo 103 as my main source for the forseeable future, until my Dealer offered me a good price on an 8 month old Aesthetix Romulus in excellent condition. To be honest, I had not heard of that player myself before then. But when I inspected it I have to say I was very impressed. The first thing which struck me about the player was the quality and attention to detail. It is clear that Jim White focussed most of his energy (and budget) on the circuit design which is wonderful. My first impressions of the sound was it sounded open, melliflous and natural with palpaple images and bass. Though I would say my CD-5s had better bass and sounded a bit sweeter. Whether or not your system needs those attributes however is another story. It is a good thing this player flies under the radar, as even at its full list price it is a bargain imho.

3. From the outset, I set about to achieve natural sound with some warmth, harmonic richness, timbral accuracy, transparency & speed with excellent imaging, staging and dynamics. At the speaker end, the S5's were just the ticket as they sound a bit more laid back than the Q3's, are wonderfully coherent and balanced & are 'great allrounders'. I certainly enjoyed my time with the Boulder 1060, but I would say the Coltranes definitely benefited from some tubes upstream. The SIA-025 has a romantic class A-type sound which is rich, pure and mellifluous when fully warmed up & is reminiscent of tubes (ok, let's not get too carried away!

). I loved the sound of the Modwright KWA-150 which is tube-like, yet is powerful and has excellent low level detail. But stepping up to the Vitus is like going from a 2014 VW Golf to a 2014 BMW 328i sedan; you get that immediate sense that everything is qualitatively better, smoother, purer and just "right". There is no doubting the synergy between Vitus and Magico. I also decided on Jorma Prime cables which sound natural, sophisticated, mellifluous, harmonically rich and have just a touch of warmth. I like what i'm hearing so far, but even though the Aesthetix punches well above its weight, clearly it is the weak link and where i'm most likely to direct my focus in my next round of upgrades.

Hope that helps.

**LL21** · March 2, 2014, 08:55 AM

Great descriptions once again, Bodhi. I hardly think a BMW 328i is worthy of being compared with your Vitus amp which is truly world-class stuff. Nothing Vitus does is ever less than all-out assault from what I have observed.

I also agree with your description of the S5 which I find to be a phenomenal speaker. I think it took a lot of people by surprise (incl me), and I do wonder what influence this speaker may have on Magico on its subsequent upgrades/iterations of the Q series or future flagships. I am sure they will say the Q series is the next level of transparency, period...but there is clearly something that is grabbing people about the S5 which I think the Q does not quite manage to grab...and I honestly do not know if it is simply the setup of the Qs I have heard (could be)...or whether there is something buried deep in the design of the S5 that just happened to capture something that will ultimately see its way through the Q series or beyond.

**Bodhi** · March 2, 2014, 09:37 AM

Thanks LL21, I used the analogy of the 2014 BMW 328i bearing in mind that above the SIA-025 is the SS-102, SM-102 mono's, MP-M201 mono's & even the Design Studio series

But yes I agree Vitus does not do anything in half measures. He aims for perfection and that is reflected in every part of a Vitus product right down to even the shipping materials.

The S5's are just plain good value & punch well above their weight. The fact that TAS voted the S5's smaller brother S3 as 'Best in show' at CES in vaunted company such as Vandersteen 7, YG Hailey, Tad Reference One, Wilson Alexia and Focal Grand Utopia EM's says a lot.

**LL21** · March 2, 2014, 10:12 AM

OK, Bodhi...MAYBE you could say your amp is an M3 with 22" racing tires then...

**Bodhi** · March 2, 2014, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by LL21

OK, Bodhi...MAYBE you could say your amp is an M3 with 22" racing tires then...

Yes that is a better analogy the more I think about it. The SIA-025 is certainly a statement product

.

**LL21** · March 2, 2014, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Bodhi

Yes that is a better analogy the more I think about it. The SIA-025 is certainly a statement product

.

For sure...enjoy!

**kiwi_1282001** · March 3, 2014, 04:42 AM

Great descriptions thanks Bodhi!

When I auditioned the Magico S5's some time back I turned to a mate and said, why on earth would anyone want to buy a Q3? So, I laughed when I read your comments. What I think you are saying and certainly I would agree is that the S5 is more engaging than the Q3. In my mind Magico scored an "own goal" with the product.

Your description of the Vitus marries with what I have heard from others. I've asked the questions because I am considering replacing my Gryphon amplification with Vitus - something that will be looked at seriously once I finish my new audio room.

Thanks again for the detailed reply.

**Perfect Sense** · March 3, 2014, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Great descriptions thanks Bodhi!

Your description of the Vitus marries with what I have heard from others. I've asked the questions because I am considering replacing my Gryphon amplification with Vitus - something that will be looked at seriously once I finish my new audio room.

Thanks again for the detailed reply.

Hello Kiwi,

Could you please elaborate why you're considering replacing Gryphon for Vitus? I'm looking at adding one of these brands to my product portfolio, where impressions from real world users are always appreciated and valuable.

Thank you.

**Bodhi** · March 3, 2014, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by LL21

thank you...most kind. you have "a big update coming by the end of year which will raise the level of [your] system up a couple of notches, and achieve even better synergy..." and you're NOT going to tell us what it is?

Are we seriously going to have to wait til December to find out?

Yes

Originally Posted by LL21

(Yes, it sounds like YOU are going to have to wait til end of the year...but why not at least give us a little more than a tease?) What have you got in mind?

...the answer can be found somewhere on this site

**Bodhi** · March 3, 2014, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Great descriptions thanks Bodhi!

When I auditioned the Magico S5's some time back I turned to a mate and said, why on earth would anyone want to buy a Q3? So, I laughed when I read your comments. What I think you are saying and certainly I would agree is that the S5 is more engaging than the Q3. In my mind Magico scored an "own goal" with the product.

Your description of the Vitus marries with what I have heard from others. I've asked the questions because I am considering replacing my Gryphon amplification with Vitus - something that will be looked at seriously once I finish my new audio room.

Thanks again for the detailed reply.

You're welcome Kiwi

Yes I found the S5 more engaging for two seemingly contradictory reasons; On the one hand the S5 sounds very smooth and has a wonderful 'ease' that I find more enjoyable compared to the Q3, yet on the other the S5 is more exciting; it throws a large sound stage, is very dynamic, fast, airy and has the best bass i've heard since auditioning the awesome Infinity IRS-V's. As I mentioned in my review, the S5's are reminiscent in some ways of the IRS.

Gryphon make some great amps. Can you post a link to your system thread? Or can you list your current system?

**Bodhi** · March 3, 2014, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Hyperion

Hello Kiwi,

Could you please elaborate why you're considering replacing Gryphon for Vitus? I'm looking at adding one of these brands to my product portfolio, where impressions from real world users are always appreciated and valuable.

Thank you.

Hi Hyperion, as you are based in Sweden, I was curious to ask if you have tried Jorma cables which of course are manufactured in Sweden? They are great cables & good value imho.

**kiwi_1282001** · March 3, 2014, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bodhi

[...]
Gryphon make some great amps. Can you post a link to your system thread? Or can you list your current system?

Hi Bodhi, yes, please click on the link in my signature to see my system thread.

**Perfect Sense** · March 3, 2014, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Bodhi

Hi Hyperion, as you are based in Sweden, I was curious to ask if you have tried Jorma cables which of course are manufactured in Sweden? They are great cables & good value imho.

Actually - no. I do tend to get that question quite often, and might give up to the pressure trying them out soon

**Bodhi** · March 3, 2014, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Hyperion

Actually - no. I do tend to get that question quite often, and might give up to the pressure trying them out soon

There is a lot to like about Jorma. They sound natural, well balanced, have excellent build quality & look beautiful. The Primes are awesome cables

.

**Bodhi** · March 3, 2014, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Hi Bodhi, yes, please click on the link in my signature to see my system thread.

Thanks Kiwi, I had a quick look before heading off to work...you room looks fantastic!

. Also, congrats on your system thread which has lots of interesting info. I'll have more of a read up tonight. Thanks

**kiwi_1282001** · March 7, 2014, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Bodhi

Thanks Kiwi, I had a quick look before heading off to work...you room looks fantastic!

. Also, congrats on your system thread which has lots of interesting info. I'll have more of a read up tonight. Thanks

Thanks Bodhi. Looking forward to reading about your observations on the new Magico S3.

**joeinid** · February 14, 2015, 11:00 AM

David,

Thank you so much for updating the photos.

**wizard** · February 25, 2015, 04:28 PM

Close-ups.

**joeinid** · February 25, 2015, 04:37 PM

Beautiful photos Wizard. Thank you.

**MDP** · February 25, 2015, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by joeinid

Beautiful photos Wizard. Thank you.

+1

I would love to hear Vitus sometime !

**Bodhi** · February 27, 2015, 11:41 PM

deleted

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