Vitus Audio

I fondly recall the first time I had the pleasure of listening to Vitus Audio, an RI-100 integrated amplifier, back in 2017, I knew there and then it was a phenomenal product and this was their starting point. There are many pretenders to this so-called high end throne, then there is Vitus Audio……

The Vitus philosophy is to simply get you closer to the music and this is something they deliver on a grand scale and I’m immensely proud to be representing them.

Everything they produce is solid state, although it could be argued it almost has a valve like presentation in that it is so natural and smooth with absolutely no fatigue, yet is utterly transparent, endlessly detailed, with world class dynamics. Their amplifiers have almost unlimited power and huge amounts of current and deliver beautiful levels of texture and micro-detail and an almost holographic 3D presentation all of which combine to deliver revelatory performance.

The presentation is seductive, infectious and, above all it draws you in. You can easily lose hours upon hours sitting in front of a Vitus system. I’ve lost count of the number of systems I’ve seen over the years which only excel playing certain types of music but with Vitus you’ll find yourself listening to more new music than ever before, widening your musical horizons.

Build quality is second to none, back breakingly heavy, yet the design is incredibly elegant and simple.

Vitus Reference Series

The Vitus starting point is the Reference Series, which starts where most other brands top out, it offers performance that stretches well beyond its price tag. Within the Reference Series there is an Integrated Amplifier, a DAC, a Phonostage a Linestage and a Stereo Power Amplifier.

The RI-101 mk2 integrated amplifier at £17,000 is the most popular product from the Reference Series and for good reason, even at the price point the RI-101 represents tremendous value for money. With 300 watts per side and a vice like grip it sounds hugely transparent and dynamic, yet smooth and delicate and beautifully intimate. It will happily go up against lots of other things that cost more money and with the DAC board option available (£4500 which is now Roon Ready) as well it’s an incredibly flexible amplifier and offers a genuine slice of the high end.

You can drop an RI-101 mk2 into an existing system and it never fails to impress,  but when we curate a system around it with everything optimised for the Vitus the performance really takes a huge leap forwards. When performing to the best of it ability it can be a superb proposition, it always sound good but with the correct foundations around it the RI-101 mk2 can really push the boundaries of what is possible for the asking price (and well beyond it too)

The DAC module at £4500 has gone up up against some pretty serious competition and it never disappoints, but the standalone RD-101 mk2 DAC Streamer takes the performance up several notches. As with the DAC module you only need to give the RD a network connection and it acts as a standalone source, that said most of my RD customers are using a Melco connected to it via USB.

Vitus Signature Series

Next up is the Signature Series which comprises of 10 products –  2 integrated amplifiers, CD player, DAC, phono stage, pre-amplifier and 2 stereo power amps and 2 mono power amps.

The SIA-030 and SIA-025 Class A Integrated Amplifiers, along with the SCD-025 CD Player and the SD-025 DAC are the most popular models in the Signature Series.

So what happens when you step up from the Reference Series?

The Signature Series has been highly tuned and heavily customised to deliver more extreme performance, more musicality with greater levels of transparency and fluidity, grander scale and finer intimacy.

The Signature Series has something incredibly alluring and seductive about the way it presents the music, but without comprising resolution, dynamics and drive, all present in abundance when called upon. Comparing an SIA-025 to an RI-101 mk2 is always interesting as they are quite different tonally but both superb, the SIA is generally bigger sounding, richer and more organic whereas the RI has a little more drive and speed.

The Masterpiece Series is the flagship Vitus range of prodcuts. This is basically a no-holds barred version of the Signature Series, the absolute pinnacle of what Vitus can do. The Masterpiece Series utilises heavily customised and bespoke components to push the performance as far as possible. They are over-engineered to the extreme and are absolute state of the art and deliver performance to an almost unimaginable level.

The regulated power supplies in the Masterpiece Series offer the cleanest power possible to the audio circuitry. In the case of the MP-L201, MP-P201 and the MP-M201, the PSU chassis are the same size as the components themselves, showcasing the extreme lengths Vitus go to ensure the lowest possible noise floor.

No stone is left unturned and R&D never stops, their pursuit of audio perfection continues everyday!

I recently installed an MPD-D201 mk3 DAC and it was quite an experience, the best DAC I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

All purchases of new Vitus Audio equipment within the UK is supplied with a 6 year warranty, providing the customer registers the warranty and any used Vitus resold within that time period can have the warranty balance transferred to the new owner – this only applies on used equipment sold through an official dealer.