[hucifer]

Hey all.
 
So I'm currently on the lookout for a medium sized desktop amp for my HD 600s. I have already tried the following:
 
* Alo Audio: National, International+, Continental V3, Pan Am
* Fostex: HP-A4
* Meier: Corda Jazz
* Schiit: Magni + Modi, Vali, Valhalla 2, Asgard 2
* Yulong: D100 II
 
None of them really jumped out at me quite like the Asgard and (to a slightly lesser extent) the Corda Jazz. In particular, something about the tonal balance with the Asgard was just lovely! It sounded balanced and a little warm without being too laid back. (If that's the right way to describe it ...)
 
The only things holding me back from buying the Schiit this very moment are practical - it's pretty big and runs very warm and I live in a hot country. I could do without a small heater sitting on my desk!
 
Can anyone think of any others that have a similar sound at this price point?
 
Thanks for your time!
 
Further info:
 
* Budget: $300 - $500 (soft cap)
* Source: Laptop & FLAC/320Kb MP3
* Preferred tonal balance: Neutral / Warmish
* Pairing with: Sennheiser HD 600 / Fiio E18 DAC
* Preferred Music: mainly Electronic & Rock / Metal, occasionally acoustic & classical
* Other things: compact size preferred / RCA Outs would be nice for future expansion
* Location: Thailand

 

[cel4145]

Good luck with this. Trying to tease out the sonic differences between solid state amps in this price range is uber difficult unless you hear them.

I used to own the Asgard 2 paired with an ODAC. You are right. It's a heater, and that's one reason I sold it. I now have an Audio-GD NFB-11.

You might also look into the Audio-GD Compass 2. You can customize your Compass 2 by buying the different DAC chips and switching them out.

 

[hucifer]

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
Yeah I'm sure that to many people the idea of comparing the "sound" of entry-level solid state amps must sound a bit silly, and in fact I would agree for the most part! I could barely tell the difference between most of them, honestly, but for some reason the Asgard did sound distinctly different. Call it distortion or whatever but there was something there that just sounded really pleasing

Incidentally, That Audio-GD NFB-11 of yours look really interesting. Does it compare to an ODAC+O2 combo in terms of transparency, do you think? As it happens, I've been reading a lot about the ODAC and the story behind it since I started this thread so I'm now even more puzzled as to why I heard a difference with the Asgard

At this point I'm considering just getting the updated ODAC+O2 revision and calling it a day. I'd be interested to hear your take on that.

 

[cel4145]

I didn't mean to imply that it is silly. Just that the differences are minor enough in whether an amp is cold or warm, that I feel individual testimonials to be fairly unreliable for teasing out the advice you want.

Yes. The NFB-11 is extremely accurate and transparent.

 

[hucifer]

That's a very good point. I suppose I'll just keep trying and buying until I find the right match for my ears.

Thanks for the input