Schiit Audio just released two new amplifiers, the Rekkr and the Gjallarhorn. As soon as they were announced, I bought both, filled with excitement to hear low powered, class AB amplifiers. I’ve already reviewed the Gjallarhorn, so now let me tell you all about the Schiit Rekkr and whether or not this amp will be a good fit for you.
This post may contain affiliate product links which allow me to make a small commission to reinvest back into buying products to review for this blog.
Schiit Rekkr Specs:
How Much Power Does The Schiit Rekkr Produce?
As I mentioned before, the Rekkr is a low powered amp, rated at just 2 watts into 8 ohms and 3 watts into 4 ohms.
If you want more power, you can buy two Rekkr amps and use them as mono blocks to increase the power to 4 watts into 8 ohms.
It’s so small, is the Rekkr a Class D Amp?
Even though the amp is small in size, Schiit is very quick to point out on their website that the Rekkr is not class D, but instead, class AB.
I’ve been listening to a lot of class D amps lately like the Aiyima T9 Pro, the Fosi Audio T20, TB10D, BT20A and even the original Aiyima T9 and was curious if the class AB Rekkr would sound different. I’ll tell you more about sound after explaining two more features.
Speaker Connections:
Note, the Rekkr’s speaker connections on the rear of the unit require you to use banana plugs, so make sure you have those handy before the unit arrives.
Made in the USA
The rise in popularity of small class D amps are an issue for some audio fans due to the fact they are made in China.
Schiit makes the Rekkr (and all their products) in the United States, which should make for a great option for any not interested in buying Chinese made products.
How Does The Schiit Rekkr Sound?
I used the Rekkr in two scenarios, as a desktop amp at work (which is probably the smartest use) and again at home in my main stereo system (which was mostly just for fun).
For all of my listening test at home I connected the Rekkr to my Schiit Saga+ preamp and my vintage Klipsch Heresy speakers.
Now, keep in mind, my Klipsch Heresy speakers have a high efficiency rating between 96-99 decibels (at least that’s what Klipsch claims) which makes them easier to drive with a low powered amp like the Rekkr. But I’ve never driven them something as low as 2 watts before!
I listened to a new vinyl release by Garrett Saracho via my Vincent phono preamp and the Rekkr really excelled at producing detailed highs and mids with the horns and cymbals sounding more forward. The bass is what you would expect using a low watt amp – it’s present, but not booming – but still overall more musical than I expected.
I then listened to Depeche Mode’s Violator LP and again, I assumed the bass would sound poor with the 2 watt Rekkr, but it was actually represented well enough for me, even though it obviously didn’t “thump” like more high powered amps can. Vocals and BGVs were a bit forward and I thought I heard some new keyboard and electronic sounds in these songs that I’ve never heard before thanks to the detailed playback of the Rekkr.
This got me thinking…I’m curious if these low powered amps that aren’t worried about delivering booming bass, actually surprise our ears because with bass levels lowered, we find ourselves hearing more details in the mid and high frequencies.
To be honest, listening to the Rekkr amp at home was fun, but even with my high sensitivity Klipsch speakers, I still had the volume pretty cranked on my Schiit Saga+ preamp, meaning, I think this amp makes more sense to use as a desktop amp instead.
So, let’s talk about how the Rekkr sounded at my office…
I connected my laptop directly to the Rekkr using a 3.5 mm to RCA and streamed “master” level music through the Tidal app on my computer and immediately began smiling.
What I heard was very detailed mids and highs. The bass is there, but it’s a 2 watt amp so it’s not in your face. Remember, I don’t have a preamp with tone controls connected at this point but I never wanted to adjust anything on this little amp. I fell in love with playing music at my office again!
The Rekkr shines at low volumes on desktop playback where it brought a lot of detail and magic to the music while still keeping a large soundstage in an environment where I’ll never be able to play it loud.
Should You Buy The Schiit Rekkr or the Schiit Gjallarhorn?
If you are a fan of Schiit Audio, you most likely noticed they announced another amp, the 10 watt Gjallarhorn amp for $299. For anyone who might be curious which of the two amps they should buy, let me help you make that decision…
The Rekkr, at just 2 watts per channel, sounds best as a desktop amp where it shines at low volumes. It hasn’t left my office since I set it up there.
I took the Gjallarhorn to work and found that the increase in wattage there wasn’t necessary, the Rekkr is just fine.
However, I found the Gjallarhorn to WAY outperform the Rekkr in my home system. It has made music a lot of fun to listen to!
So, if you are trying to decide which amp is right for you, I would suggest you consider your use. If you are looking for a great desktop amp, go with the Rekkr. If you would like something to power your speakers at home, go Gjallarhorn.
Should You Buy the Schiit Rekkr?
YES for desktop use. If you are considering buying an amp specifically for desktop use, especially for your office at work or at home, I would easily recommend the Rekkr as it performs great at low listening levels. Also, I look forward to pairing more components, like an external DAC, with the Rekkr over time to further improve my listening experience at work.
Lastly, if you would like to see my YouTube review comparing the Rekkr with the Aiyima T9 Pro, you can do so by clicking the link below:
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