Schiit Asgard: Unboxing and First Impressions - Page 8

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roscoeiii 

kwkarth,

 

Related to your observations,  the FAQ section of the Schiit webpage also states that the Asgard has great synergy with Senns, and that the Valhalla has great synergy with AKGs.

Yeah, I'm aware of that statement on their web site, but irrespective of their advert, I actually experienced at least half of that for myself so I thought it would be good to share that.  I'm not sure about the AKG bit since we can't hear the Valhalla yet, but...

Interestingly, the HD600 has a nominal impedance of 300 ohms or so.  The AKG's are more like 62 ohms and have a much less reactive impedance profile.  Go figure....
 

Ordered my Asgard, will be using it to drive my Grado RS1 and ATH AD700 which are both low impedance and mid focused headphones. Can't wait to hear it, and hopefully my HDP replacement will come back to me so I could compare the two amps.

I've got both the 600s and the 701s and just preordered the Valhalla so I'll report sometime in August.

Bill

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebby 

I wasn't obsessing over it, just throwing an idea out there.

Yeah, I figured as much. The suggestion was for those who are obsessing about it.

se

i have to say, the asgard is extraordinarily good with the grado gs1000. i'm enjoying the gs1000

more with the asgard than with any other amp i've experienced. full bodied, impactful bass, transparent

and fluid mids, and no sibilance. (thanks to the slight roll off on top)

on the other hand, it's fairly disappointing with the audeze's lcd-2. from top to bottom

the sound is muddied and just sounds off, compared to using the wa6SE, which is dynamic, with

a huge soundscape and presents a sound as transparent as the sun. interestingly, the he-5 sounds

great on the asgard. the mid bass is fast and tight; the highs seem balanced and tamed. will have

to see how i feel about the asgard in another few days...

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo 

i have to say, the asgard is extraordinarily good with the grado gs1000. i'm enjoying the gs1000

more with the asgard than with any other amp i've experienced. full bodied, impactful bass, transparent

and fluid mids, and no sibilance. (thanks to the slight roll off on top)

 

on the other hand, it's fairly disappointing with the audeze's lcd-2. from top to bottom

the sound is muddied and just sounds off, compared to using the wa6SE, which is dynamic, with

a huge soundscape and presents a sound as transparent as the sun. interestingly, the he-5 sounds

great on the asgard. the mid bass is fast and tight; the highs seem balanced and tamed. will have

to see how i feel about the asgard in another few days...

damn it..you're making me regret selling the WA6SE. that was one monster of an amp, but I never really cared for its sound signature. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by SemiAudiophile 

damn it..you're making me regret selling the WA6SE. that was one monster of an amp, but I never really cared for its sound signature. 

i don't like the 6de7/6ew7 sound signature either; at least compared to the 6sn7, 6cs7 and 6h30...

i didn't realize how much distortion and compressed the sound was until i made adapters and

reconfigured the amp to use the other drivers.

Thinking about buying one to pair with AD2000 and W1000X. Any idea on synergy with these phones? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo 
 interestingly, the he-5 sounds great on the asgard. the mid bass is fast and tight; the highs seem balanced and tamed. will have

to see how i feel about the asgard in another few days...

Damn, now I sure want the 230v version. Any news on it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by seraphjei 

Thinking about buying one to pair with AD2000 and W1000X. Any idea on synergy with these phones? 

X2. Also highly interested in this.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwkarth 

The HD-600s though, were as good as I've ever heard them.

I have not heard this amp.

You have considerable experience. I make no accusations but the above does seem caught somewhere between unbelievable and out of character hyperbole.

Hyperbole is not a crime.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperpwc 

I have not heard this amp.

 

You have considerable experience. I make no accusations but the above does seem caught somewhere between unbelievable and out of character hyperbole.

 

Hyperbole is not a crime.

Regardless this looks like a great match at the price point. My next upgrade is now almost certainly an Asgard + HD600 combo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperpwc 

I have not heard this amp.

 

You have considerable experience. I make no accusations but the above does seem caught somewhere between unbelievable and out of character hyperbole.

 

Hyperbole is not a crime.

Ok, maybe I waxed a wee bit rhapsodic.   The more correct version would be ..."They sounded as good as I ever remembered them sounding."  

I purposely did not listen to any other amps the first day I had the Asgard because it was not my intent to compare it against anything else at that time.  I want to hear and appreciate the Asgard on its own merits first.  

My second day listen with another head-fier was spent doing a little comparison to a couple of very good DIY amps.  My impressions were not identical to those of my colleague, but similar.

The Asgard seems to sound its best when it's fully up to temperature and that takes a good hour or more to achieve.

More rhapsodic crescendo's to come...

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo 

i have to say, the asgard is extraordinarily good with the grado gs1000. i'm enjoying the gs1000

more with the asgard than with any other amp i've experienced. full bodied, impactful bass, transparent

and fluid mids, and no sibilance. (thanks to the slight roll off on top)

 

on the other hand, it's fairly disappointing with the audeze's lcd-2. from top to bottom

the sound is muddied and just sounds off, compared to using the wa6SE, which is dynamic, with

a huge soundscape and presents a sound as transparent as the sun. interestingly, the he-5 sounds

great on the asgard. the mid bass is fast and tight; the highs seem balanced and tamed. will have

to see how i feel about the asgard in another few days...

Interesting.  Quite different from my impressions, though no less valid.  I wonder if the wa6se is tipped up @ the top?  Maybe slight harmonics up there too?  Did you scope either of these puppies to see what exactly was going on, or was this just listening impressions?

Thx,

kwk
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperpwc 

I have not heard this amp.

 

You have considerable experience. I make no accusations but the above does seem caught somewhere between unbelievable and out of character hyperbole.

 

Hyperbole is not a crime.

Running the 600 from a powerful balanced set-up has always been my cup-o-Joe!