[sachu]

 
KwKarth was over at my place this afternoon for a couple of hours. He had the LCD-2 and the Asgard with him.
 
Some quick impressions on the Asgard.
Amazing quality and finish. Better than most amps in the under 1000$ range and maybe over it too. The silk screening did seem like it was smudging a little on the front of the amp. Solid construction..i couldn't hear any of the mechanical noise, though there was a wood chipper going off around my apartment complex. Not something should worry about really.
 
Sound quality
Pros:
Plenty of power reserves in this amp. 
Clean sounding 
Nice midrange
 
Cons:
Rolled of on the top and a little on the bottom.
Not as resolving as some of the amps I am used to.
 
 
Some other notes:
 
* The amp gets really really warm / hot, the knob as well (I personally don't mind it)
* No turn on/off thump which is great in my book.
* Input jacks are too closely spaced for large boutique RCA connectors.
 
 
Being a DIyer i couldn't help but try to have a closer look at the amp under a light. Very nicely made chassis. Simple two piece design. Lot of thought gone into making this as efficient as possible clearly. I assumed when i saw the price that this amp was probably being assembled using a wave soldering machine or something (to keep costs as low as they have), but i noticed blobs of solder on some of the resistors, the soldering was uneven to be a machine job. Correct me if I am wrong though Jason.
 
Also noticed that there are two TO-220 devices bolted down in addition to the output devices on the chassis. I am sure that these are some sort of regulator ICs..fixed 3 terminal or adjustable but regulators nonetheless for the dual rail supply.
 
The best i could make out while peeking through the top was that the output devices all have SEC on them..metal tabbed ICs. I can't seem to place my finger on which semiconductor company that refers to. 
 
Thanks again Kevin for giving me the opportunity to spend time with the amp and it is always a pleasure to have you over. Nice seeing you again my friend.
 
edit: The amp does take well over 45 minutes before its operating temperature starts to level off. 

 

[Paganini Alfredo]

I'm jealous. I want another headfi'er to come over to my house with an Asgard and a pair of LCD-2's.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

That's the funny thing about just saying stuff, people often find a problem with it.
 
Your statement was that the Asgard as a kit could go for $500 - which is patently ridiculous - and your evidence against being able to do a good but cheap kit is one company that went bust 18 years ago. So what, exactly, have I missed?

What I said was in order to do this right, it would have to sell for 500 bux to cover the costs involved with doing it right.  It is patently ridiculous to suggest that there would be a commercially viable interest in this amplifier as a kit for 500 bux.  There would not be enough customers interested to make such a venture commercially viable.  If that still sounds silly to you well, then I guess I am silly to you.  So be it.  Cheers.
 

 

[kwkarth]

Sachu, Nice to see you again as well.
My impressions of the Asgard in this session were very similar to sachu's. 
One thing I haven't mentioned is that in yesterday's listening, the Asgard seems to do a lovely job with the Cardas recabled Sennheiser HD-600s.  Really nice.  Listening to the AKG-K701s was not as lovely an experience.  For some reason, there didn't seem to be any synergy there.  So far, it seems to work well with the HE-5, LCD-2's and the Sennheiser's, but not so well with the K-701's.
 
It has plenty of power for the 701's but it just didn't have the right tonal character.  The HD-600s though, were as good as I've ever heard them.
 
BTW, the AT esw9 synergized well with this amp.
 
k

 

[sachu]

Thanks for reminding me Kevin..The Asgard is indeed a great match for the HE-5.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Solid construction..i couldn't hear any of the mechanical noise, though there was a wood chipper going off around my apartment complex. Not something should worry about really.

The mechanical noise or the wood chipper? 

 

[sachu]

Quote:

The mechanical noise or the wood chipper? 

 
haha..the mechanical noise. It isn't anything to worry about. I think it is awesome that the Schitt guys are using a transformer made in the US and not something like a Hammond or a Triad that is made in Canada and China respectively.
 
The wood chipper is still being a PITA..they just cut down a whole lot of trees in the back f the complex. Going to chew out the manager for it but its too late to have any significance. Stupid property owners and their landscaping crap.
 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

haha..the mechanical noise. It isn't anything to worry about. I think it is awesome that the Schitt guys are using a transformer made in the US and not something like a Hammond or a Triad that is made in Canada and China respectively.
 
The wood chipper is still being a PITA..they just cut down a whole lot of trees in the back f the complex. Going to chew out the manager for it but its too late to have any significance. Stupid property owners and their landscaping crap.

Well, my friend, just put on your TP's and groove to some tunes...  Oh that's right, your TP's haven't come back yet...  bummer...

 

 

[sachu]

Looks like the TPs were delivered just before you left. Listening to it  now. I must say even with that small phase problem with the ID1 at the low frequencies I prefer it over the TPs and to my HE-5. They are second only to the LCD-2 for me.
 
The TPs are definitely going to get a tune up.
 
I still love and hate it when the LCD-2 comes along and just pummels everything else to the ground 

 
I forgot to add..that soon as I can find 250$ to spare i'll be getting an Asgard. 

 

[achristilaw]

I like the 600...gonna have to try the lil' schiit!

 

[kwkarth]

I called their number today to congratulate them on launching such a great product.  The greeting on the phone was, "The company that shall not be named..."
 
I love it!
 

 

[Clusterfunk]

Mine is supposed to arrive today, according to FedEx, but there have been no updates since it left Salt Lake City. Probably a little late for the FedEx guy. I was all excited about seeing it today. Definitely not Schiit's fault though. I supposed I can wait another day.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwkarth /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
What I said was in order to do this right, it would have to sell for 500 bux to cover the costs involved with doing it right.  It is patently ridiculous to suggest that there would be a commercially viable interest in this amplifier as a kit for 500 bux.  There would not be enough customers interested to make such a venture commercially viable.  If that still sounds silly to you well, then I guess I am silly to you.  So be it.  Cheers.
 

There is no way it would be $500, there is no justification for that. So either it is a silly number pulled out of thin air, or you're silly, pick one.

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Also noticed that there are two TO-220 devices bolted down in addition to the output devices on the chassis. I am sure that these are some sort of regulator ICs..fixed 3 terminal or adjustable but regulators nonetheless for the dual rail supply.

I was told that there are no IC regulators, so they are more likely discrete pass transistors/FETs. From the internal pics, I think I see a zener diode in there as the voltage reference?

 

[sachu]

Quote:

I was told that there are no IC regulators, so they are more likely discrete pass transistors/FETs. From the internal pics, I think I see a zener diode in there as the voltage reference?

Don't believe I saw any zener in there..might have missed it if they did use one. Guess Jason can clear that up..I don't get why they haven't posted clear internal pics up yet. It is only a matter of time before someone else gets curious enough to dismantle it and posts some pics.
 
I am curious however about how they are zeroing the DC offset on the output. There is no relay for output protection during turn on/off. 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

There is no way it would be $500, there is no justification for that. So either it is a silly number pulled out of thin air, or you're silly, pick one.

 
Since neither you nor I are running that business,  guess we'll never know!  I respect your opinion too, as undoubtedly it's based upon lot's of business acumen and experience.