[NinjaMilez]

The Schiit Asgard II that I ordered arrived today. It's the first headphone amp I've owned along with my first pair of true audiophile headphones so I'm not exactly sure what's normal.
 
I've found that it is getting rather hot after a few minutes of use at about 12:30 on the volume knob on the high gain setting. I can't hold my hand on the bottom for more than a few seconds before it starts to get really uncomfortable. Is this normal?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

It's been discussed ever since the first version of the Asgard that it will run hot because it's a pure Class A circuit. Unless you live in a hot climate where the Asgard can add heat to the room and vice versa, that shouldn't be a cause for concern.
 
We had Rockford Fosgate car amplifiers before that had Class A/B circuits, and yet they were called "BBQ grill" primarily for how hot they run and secondarily for how the fins look like an electric grill surface (adn that they run hot). The running joke back then was that you fry eggs on these. The only set-up I've seen where this doesn't run hot was an SUV where the amp rack was designed so the third row seats' A/C vents would blow directly on the amps. Some people over here have Asgards (or other Class A amps, like those Musical Fidelity A-series amps from the early 90s) in rooms that have A/C so that's not a problem for them.

 

[NinjaMilez]

Thanks for clearing that up. I was worried that I had a faulty unit.

 

[MrTechAgent]

Yeah , those babies get hot fast
Its normal , don't worry ...since its all CNCd aluminium its bound to get toasty 

 

[cel4145]

Yep. Full Class A means that they run full power all the time when turned on. You can not even have the volume turned up at all, and it will still run hot.