muad
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2010
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I decided to post this here in sound science as I would prefer a logical approach to fixing my problem. I figured you guys could perhaps point me in the right direction.
So I just picked up an asgard 2 today and was planning on getting rid of my O2/Odac combo. The asgard 2's posted specs should make it technically as transparent as the O2 amp. I went with the asgard 2 for functionality as I like having a preamp and big/smooth volume pot. The source for the Asgard 2 was a seperate odac I was using for my speakers. The only worry I had was that the Asgard 2 wouldn't be as transparent as the O2. When listening to it, I volume matched both amps and used my Q7O1s (eq'd the bass to match the K712 I am about to buy). I noticed a difference. The Asgard 2 sounded noticeably more etched, sibilant, less smooth and less coherent. It didn't sound right.
So I decided to run some tests with a cheapo mic in the earcup. I placed the mic in such a way that there was minimal movement between tests to maintain some semblance of accuracy. What I got was a measurable difference in the frequency response, which I was able to repeatedly produce. My immediate assumption was that the Asgard 2 was a piece of ****. I tried it a third time with a lower volume and the result was the same.
I was originally going to come on here and bitch about the Asgard 2, but I though I would cover all my bases. The only other variable was that both units were using different sources. The Asgard 2 with a seperate ODAC and the O2 amp with an internal ODAC. So I used the external ODAC and repeated the measurements for both the amps... Lo and behold the measurements of both amps looked identical to the previous Asgard 2 measurements. So essentially my external ODAC sounds etched, sibilant, less smooth and less coherent relative to the ODAC inside my O2 amp. Well ****... I wasn't planning on getting a new dac as well. The whole point was to have a good clean source with peace of mind, now I am not sure if the etched sounding one or the smooth sounding one is more true to the source... stupid objectivism.
So now I'm not sure where to go from here. Do you any of you guys know what's happening? Is there anything else I should check?
O2 vs Asgard 2 - after warm up
Did a second one as I thought it was an anomaly
Here is one at a lower volume
Now the O2 and Asgard 2 from the same external odac
So I just picked up an asgard 2 today and was planning on getting rid of my O2/Odac combo. The asgard 2's posted specs should make it technically as transparent as the O2 amp. I went with the asgard 2 for functionality as I like having a preamp and big/smooth volume pot. The source for the Asgard 2 was a seperate odac I was using for my speakers. The only worry I had was that the Asgard 2 wouldn't be as transparent as the O2. When listening to it, I volume matched both amps and used my Q7O1s (eq'd the bass to match the K712 I am about to buy). I noticed a difference. The Asgard 2 sounded noticeably more etched, sibilant, less smooth and less coherent. It didn't sound right.
So I decided to run some tests with a cheapo mic in the earcup. I placed the mic in such a way that there was minimal movement between tests to maintain some semblance of accuracy. What I got was a measurable difference in the frequency response, which I was able to repeatedly produce. My immediate assumption was that the Asgard 2 was a piece of ****. I tried it a third time with a lower volume and the result was the same.
I was originally going to come on here and bitch about the Asgard 2, but I though I would cover all my bases. The only other variable was that both units were using different sources. The Asgard 2 with a seperate ODAC and the O2 amp with an internal ODAC. So I used the external ODAC and repeated the measurements for both the amps... Lo and behold the measurements of both amps looked identical to the previous Asgard 2 measurements. So essentially my external ODAC sounds etched, sibilant, less smooth and less coherent relative to the ODAC inside my O2 amp. Well ****... I wasn't planning on getting a new dac as well. The whole point was to have a good clean source with peace of mind, now I am not sure if the etched sounding one or the smooth sounding one is more true to the source... stupid objectivism.
So now I'm not sure where to go from here. Do you any of you guys know what's happening? Is there anything else I should check?
O2 vs Asgard 2 - after warm up
Did a second one as I thought it was an anomaly
Here is one at a lower volume
Now the O2 and Asgard 2 from the same external odac