kwkarth
Electronics guys... we have our plusses and minuses. With advent of digital everything, we're being phased out
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2001
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A few more thoughts and observations on the Asgard, (Shouldn't it be spelled Asgaard? My brain keeps wanting me to use two "a's" in the spelling)
However it should be spelled...
I did a little subjective comparison between the Asgard and the Dared D5 / JV5 and the Meier Audio Corda Aria, all of them driving the LCD-2s.
The more I listen to the Asgard, the more I am coming to appreciate it for its honesty.
Subjectively comparing it to the D5 / JV5, which sounds real nice in it's own right, the D5 has a little more presence, a very little more bump in the bottom, and a little etch and grain in the top. The Asgard does not have the bottom bump, does not have the slightly added presence, nor the etched top end.
At first blush, the Asgard is boring by comparison.
With extended listening, however, the Asgard's smoothness, freedom from grain, and overall accuracy throughout the spectrum is a welcome sanctuary from "Hi-Fi" and an appreciated return to reality. When the program calls for bump, it bumps, when the program calls for thunder, it thunders, when the program calls for a little twinkle, it twinkles. It does precisely what it is told to do, nothing more, nothing less. I can't believe I'm hearing and saying these things about a $250.00, made in the USA, amp!
The Meier Audio Aria is a little more honest than the JV5, but doesn't have anywhere near the headroom that the Asgard does. It's a little smoother than the JV5, but does have a gentle bump at the bottom. In most cases, the Aria would drive the LCD-2s quite well, but there's no room left overhead.
I did not listen critically for extreme extension to any of the amps in this session. I already know the Asgard easily goes all the way to the basement, and the JV5, in previous sessions, does not have much to offer below 35Hz or so.
In summation, I don't know what's going on with this Asgard, but I'm beginning to sound like a fanboy all over again. I swear it's not the dreaded FOTM syndrome. I was skeptical about this amp, and it's certainly not a "perfect" amp, but, darn! Sonically, it's really sweet, and it seems really accurate and clean. More to come, as time passes and Schiit happens...
However it should be spelled...
I did a little subjective comparison between the Asgard and the Dared D5 / JV5 and the Meier Audio Corda Aria, all of them driving the LCD-2s.
The more I listen to the Asgard, the more I am coming to appreciate it for its honesty.
Subjectively comparing it to the D5 / JV5, which sounds real nice in it's own right, the D5 has a little more presence, a very little more bump in the bottom, and a little etch and grain in the top. The Asgard does not have the bottom bump, does not have the slightly added presence, nor the etched top end.
At first blush, the Asgard is boring by comparison.
With extended listening, however, the Asgard's smoothness, freedom from grain, and overall accuracy throughout the spectrum is a welcome sanctuary from "Hi-Fi" and an appreciated return to reality. When the program calls for bump, it bumps, when the program calls for thunder, it thunders, when the program calls for a little twinkle, it twinkles. It does precisely what it is told to do, nothing more, nothing less. I can't believe I'm hearing and saying these things about a $250.00, made in the USA, amp!
The Meier Audio Aria is a little more honest than the JV5, but doesn't have anywhere near the headroom that the Asgard does. It's a little smoother than the JV5, but does have a gentle bump at the bottom. In most cases, the Aria would drive the LCD-2s quite well, but there's no room left overhead.
I did not listen critically for extreme extension to any of the amps in this session. I already know the Asgard easily goes all the way to the basement, and the JV5, in previous sessions, does not have much to offer below 35Hz or so.
In summation, I don't know what's going on with this Asgard, but I'm beginning to sound like a fanboy all over again. I swear it's not the dreaded FOTM syndrome. I was skeptical about this amp, and it's certainly not a "perfect" amp, but, darn! Sonically, it's really sweet, and it seems really accurate and clean. More to come, as time passes and Schiit happens...