17th January 2025 · Latest News
The Vitus Signature SD-025 mk2 DAC is now Roon Ready

Vitus Audio are a Danish brand who are arguably most well known for their amplification, they manufacture an extensive selection of world class amplifiers, with the RI-101 mk2 and the Class A SIA-025 and SIA-030 integrated amplifiers being the most well known and regarded. We’ve have been Vitus dealers since 2017 and they are an integral brand here at Audio Therapy.
Sonically Vitus delivers the best elements of both solid state and tubes, yet they have a presentation all of their own. They exude emotion, finesse, power and offer engagement and connection to the music like few others brands. Once a Vitus amplifier gets under your skin and is optimised correctly in a system there is no real going back.
Vitus have more costly and esoteric pre/power options which push the performance even further, but in the UK the integrated models are the most popular solutions, space and budget being restrictive for the larger options for many.
Let’s not forget that Vitus also do digital products as well and these all perform to the same very high standards as their amplifiers, although the amplification generally takes centre stage.
The most commonly explored digital components in the Vitus range are the SCD-025 CD player and the optional DAC module for the RI-101. This module is £4500 and fits inside the case of the RI-101 mk2. This module easily competes with standalone DACs that cost much more than the price of admission for this module. The SIA-030 also has an inbuilt DAC option which is based around the RD-101.
There are also 3 standalone Vitus DACs, the Reference RD-101 mk2, the Signature SD-025 mk2 and the flagship Masterpiece MP-D201 mk3. Each of these models possess USB-B for connecting a Melco, Taiko or similar server, along with AES and SPDIF inputs for CD transports and other digital sources.
Importantly, both the RD and SD also offer ethernet connectivity.

Once connected to your network both the RD and SD become fully fledged Network DACs/Streamers, they can be controlled using an app like MConnect or JPlay which will allow you to stream Qobuz and Tidal as well as play music files stored locally on your network via UPnP
Streaming performs incredibly well delivering the tantalising allure of Vitus performance combined with the unbeatable convenience of streaming. Over the past few years there has been a definite shift to building systems that require less boxes and take up less space, but high end performance is always the goal and the RD and SD certainly have that ability with the ethernet inputs.
There are many customers I speak to about streaming, DAC’s and network based audio who were not aware that these 2 Vitus products offer built in streaming and that they can act as a complete source without the need for another component to make it function so this post will hopefully serve to make people aware!

To compound this network functionality even further last week Vitus announced that the SD-025 mk2 has now been certified as a Roon Ready Endpoint when it is used as a Network Streamer. This is great news as Roon is a very popular solution and to be able to integrate Vitus performance with the excellent Roon interface will be the icing on the cake for many.
The current version of the DAC board in the RI-101 mk2 was Roon Ready certified just over a year ago and this update for the SD has been a while coming. The RD-101 mk2 should be the next product to be certified although there is no time line on this as yet.
With my demonstration SD-025 mk2 and SIA-025, connected to a pair of Avalon PM1.2 with the SD running Roon the performance from the system is pure liquid, it has an effortless way about the way it portrays the music and it’s full of emotion, allure and seduction.
Vitus certainly requires an understanding about how to get the very best from it and system optimisation is critical – isolation, power and signal cables all play a pivotal role in ensuring that Vitus performs to the highest possible level. From a Roon perspective some care and attention is also needed with the network, the Roon Core needs a high quality power supply and a Melco Switch is also important. Noise is the enemy on the home network and it always requires some focus.
With the exception of the Masterpiece DAC all of the Vitus products discussed in this post are on permanent demonstration, anyone who is thinking of making the switch to Vitus is welcome to come and listen. It never fails to win people over and it is a hugely rewarding brand.
Part exchange is welcome and all new Vitus products come with a 6 year warranty once the purchase is registered.
