Schiit Asgard: Unboxing and First Impressions - Page 102

Was the HDP amp alone really not enough for the D5000's?

I normally listen to music at very low volumes, but when I do turn up the volume, the HDP has point in the range where the bass seems to remain the same volume, but the mids and trebles continue to increase to the point where the sound is blaring, but the bass is not where I want it to be.  With the Asgard, the bass scales very nicely with the higher frequencies, and I get my full satisfaction with those occasional volume increases.  

 

Also,I don't necessarily subscribe to the notion that bass damping is a significant factor with the typical resistance-controlled headphone transducer, but the HDP has a 10Ω output impedance compared with the .5Ω of the Asgard.  People have been tossing around a minimum ratio of 8:1 for optimal configurations, and the 25Ω Denon line of headphones do not match well with the higher output impedance of the HDP.  I understand why it is important for loudspeaker low frequency response at max motion reactance, but I'm not convinced this applies to most headphones. 

 

Anyway, the Asgard is crazy cheap, and it looked to pair well with my D5000, so I opted to give it a try.  I think it sounds better than my HDP, overall, and I needed a DAC, so the HDP filled that role nicely.  The HDP is versatile, but I only use the digital optical output, and I use an optical switch to control the 3 separate input devices going into it.  I would recommend the Asgard to anyone that could make use of it.  The confidence of the build quality with the 5-year warranty was the icing on the cake for me. I would only recommend the HDP if the versatility of the inputs could be taken advantage of, as there might be better options available at the same price if you just need a DAC and Amp with a single source.

 

Granted, the difference is not major, but I have what I have now, and I am using the equipment in a manner that provides the absolute best quality for me.  Live and learn.  If I could, I'd start all over and go with the Burson amp, or the newer DAC/amp; but, for the cost,  the benefits would not be nearly as drastic an improvement from what I have now.  More often, I find myself wanting to listen to "just one more song" before I shut everything down and hit the sack at night.  I didn't get this same level of desire with the HDP, and I had the HDP for quite some time before I got the Asgard.  The Asgard is better with the D5000 to me.

 

 

I got my Asgard last week myself :D My setup is as follows: Asus Xonar Essence ST RCA - Schiit Asgard - Sennheiser HD 650. It has opened my cans up more by giving it a wider sound stage, clearer vocals to the point where I feel that the artist is right here! The bass response is also better! I do find however though when I crank the volume beyond 12 o' clock that it starts to make static noise particularly when I move my mouse. I emailed Jason and he said that it's possibly noise from my PC. I know the Essence ST is a great card. Is there anyway to get around this noise?

Get an external dac? 

I have a PPA v.1 and a STEPs power supply. I am thinking of getting the Asgard. My question is: do you think I will experience a noticeable decrease in sound quality, an increase, or about the same? I use the Beyerdynamic DT-990, the 600 ohm model.

Edited by bellbrass - 2/9/12 at 1:03pm

Were you noticing the noise without the Asgard when it was just your Xonar ST?

No i wasn't but I recently discovered that it was the power outlet thanks to Jason from Schiit. I connected the Asgard to an outlet separate from my computer and It took out all of the noise. I'm getting a Monster MDP 900 with the clean power stage 2 feature to hopefully clean up the signal so that I can keep my Schiit protected! Only $35. Gotta love Amazon

for anyone experiencing noise with the Asgard I did a test by disconnecting the power cord from my laptop and voila! No noise but when connected there is noise!

Just got it..playing along with my SA-8004. You will not be regret purchasing this amp. Recommended for Grado GS-1000's & SR-125's.

@ Destroysall: Sorry for the super late response. Here are the pictures you requested. It's resting on a netbook cooler which has a tiny fan that's pretty quiet. The Thermaltake fan on top of the amp makes more noise but I usually have it on the lowest setting and I can't hear it over my music. I don't think it impacts the sound at all.

 

 

 

Thanks a lot!  :)  It's a very nice setup and indeed makes it "cooler". LOL.  How hot does it get with both the netbook cooler and the Thermaltake fan?  Does it make it hot to touch still?

It doesn't get hot at all actually. Or at least the areas where I can touch. The top feels cold, the sides feel cold, and I'm not too sure about the underside. Sometimes it's lukewarm, sometimes it's warm, but it never gets hot anymore.

 

 

That's awesome, I guess the Asgard paired with a notebook cooler is a great duo!  Thanks again, Meloncoly!  :)

 

I used to have these two guys sitting on top of my Onkyo TXNR876 and the Onkyo is always cool. These are available from the Cooler guys company.
 

 

I think it's perfectly acceptable that people want to actively cool their Asgard.  But, I hope it isn't out of fear of the heat itself.  I hope it's just another way to customize your rig and bring some aesthetic enjoyment to your setup.  The heat on the Asgard is greatly misunderstood.  In fact, it doesn't even get as hot as my other amps.  I have a Woo and a Trafomatic that get warmer than my Asgard.

I am curious what is considered "hot" when it comes to Asgard. Mine gets finger-burning hot - the volume knob is very hot after about 30 minutes of listening but still can be touched. The bottom and sides, however, can only be touched for an instant or they would would burn my fingers. Is this normal?
Edited by Groundhog33 - 3/4/12 at 8:47pm