[Tuco1965]

  Loved my upgrade from the Magni to the Asgard 2 so much I went ahead and ordered the Bifrost uber, can't wait to hear the improvement. 

 
The Uber is a fantastic DAC IMHO.  I'm sure you're going to love it.

 

[StanD]

  Loved my upgrade from the Magni to the Asgard 2 so much I went ahead and ordered the Bifrost uber, can't wait to hear the improvement. 

So did the Magni get your goat? You'll enjoy the UberFrost.

 

[knorris908]

  Loved my upgrade from the Magni to the Asgard 2 so much I went ahead and ordered the Bifrost uber, can't wait to hear the improvement. 

So do you have any impressions to share, or is it still burning-in before you want to say anything about it?
I just ordered an iFi iDSD to substitute as DAC since people have been raving about it, has native DsD support, and it can double-up as a portable in a pinch.
If I like it enough as a transportable, (Seems a little large to call it truly mobile.) I might be in the market for a Bifrost to take it's place with my ASGARD 2.  But I'm hoping that Schiit makes it upgradeable to handle DsD files natively as I just like the idea of not knowingly-limiting my media options from the start when I buy something.  (Without having to add an extra LOKI box on top of everything else.)

 

[KLJTech]

I wouldn't look for the Bifrost or Gungnir to handle DSD on their own. Schiit made the Loki and unless DSD truly takes off I wouldn't expect them to do much more for DSD anytime soon. 

 

[knorris908]

  I wouldn't look for the Bifrost or Gungnir to handle DSD on their own. Schiit made the Loki and unless DSD truly takes off I wouldn't expect them to do much more for DSD anytime soon. 

Good point...
 
Hadn't considered the business model point of view.  Why introduce features that render another product in their line obsolete unless they absolutely have to...
 
...Certainly not because 1 person would find it convenient.  Despite my previous wording, I'm not that self-important! 

 

[derbigpr]

Just got my Asgard 2, and right out of the box I'm very impressed. With T1's the synergy is great to my ears. Nice weight to the bass, smooth and liquid sound, but well controlled. Basically... Musical Fidelity M1HPAP has finally been beaten as far as the T1 pairings go, and by an amp that costs 3 times less. Compared to similarly priced stuff...for example, Nuforce HDP used as a headamp, the Asgard is FAR better. Nuforce sounds like a laptop headphone output in comparison. Thin, lifeless, harsh.
 
The only negatives about the amp are the obvious warmth, which I don't mind too much, and the pop heard trough headphones when it's turned on or off (wasn't that issue sorted out?), but I unplug and plug headphones in only when amp is working, and that way there is no pop at all.

 

[Defiant00]

  Just got my Asgard 2, and right out of the box I'm very impressed. With T1's the synergy is great to my ears. Nice weight to the bass, smooth and liquid sound, but well controlled. Basically... Musical Fidelity M1HPAP has finally been beaten as far as the T1 pairings go, and by an amp that costs 3 times less. Compared to similarly priced stuff...for example, Nuforce HDP used as a headamp, the Asgard is FAR better. Nuforce sounds like a laptop headphone output in comparison. Thin, lifeless, harsh.
 
The only negatives about the amp are the obvious warmth, which I don't mind too much, and the pop heard trough headphones when it's turned on or off (wasn't that issue sorted out?), but I unplug and plug headphones in only when amp is working, and that way there is no pop at all.

 
A small pop is expected.
 
The issue with the first few Asgards was that it didn't have a muting relay, so instead of a small pop as it mutes/unmutes, you got significant DC dumped into the drivers for a second or two.
 
Personally, I still plug in my headphones after turning mine on, and unplug them before turning it off, but it's more a habit than a necessity.

 

[derbigpr]

   
Personally, I still plug in my headphones after turning mine on, and unplug them before turning it off, but it's more a habit than a necessity.

 
 
Yea it seems the best way to do it. When the volume is turned all the way down, there's no noise at all audible when plugging the headphones in...in fact, even when the volume is up, there's only a barely audible crackle if I don't push the plug all the way in and it's sort of loose.

 

[KLJTech]

  Just got my Asgard 2, and right out of the box I'm very impressed. With T1's the synergy is great to my ears. Nice weight to the bass, smooth and liquid sound, but well controlled. Basically... Musical Fidelity M1HPAP has finally been beaten as far as the T1 pairings go, and by an amp that costs 3 times less. Compared to similarly priced stuff...for example, Nuforce HDP used as a headamp, the Asgard is FAR better. Nuforce sounds like a laptop headphone output in comparison. Thin, lifeless, harsh.
 
The only negatives about the amp are the obvious warmth, which I don't mind too much, and the pop heard trough headphones when it's turned on or off (wasn't that issue sorted out?), but I unplug and plug headphones in only when amp is working, and that way there is no pop at all.

 
I happen to compare the Asgard 2 with a friends Musical Fidelity M1HPAP paired with my Gungnir Gen2 USB while playing lossless tracks that I'm very familiar with and I too preferred the Asgard 2. I find it to be the most neutral headphone amp anywhere near its price (that I've heard) and like the MF M1HPAP it makes for a sweet sounding single source preamp. I've used it as a preamp at one time or another with the Parasound A21 and A23 and it works great with either one...that's a pretty sweet trick for its retail price. I haven't heard any obvious warmth yet that may be due do using a different source or source material. Regardless, I'm of the opinion that the Asgard 2 is one of the best bargains on the market right now. If you don't require more power its very, very hard to beat...kinda like most of Schiit Audio's lineup. These guys are kicking ass right now and I'm loving it. 

 

[derbigpr]

   
I happen to compare the Asgard 2 with a friends Musical Fidelity M1HPAP paired with my Gungnir Gen2 USB while playing lossless tracks that I'm very familiar with and I too preferred the Asgard 2. I find it to be the most neutral headphone amp anywhere near its price (that I've heard) and like the MF M1HPAP it makes for a sweet sounding single source preamp. I've used it as a preamp at one time or another with the Parasound A21 and A23 and it works great with either one...that's a pretty sweet trick for its retail price. I haven't heard any obvious warmth yet that may be due do using a different source or source material. Regardless, I'm of the opinion that the Asgard 2 is one of the best bargains on the market right now. If you don't require more power its very, very hard to beat...kinda like most of Schiit Audio's lineup. These guys are kicking ass right now and I'm loving it. 

 
I agree. To be honest, I was very skeptical at first. I kind of thought that Schiit as a company was over-hyped because they're so involved in the head-fi community, and therefore a lot of people relate to them more and automatically buy and like their products more. But I was very surprised to see that this is a VERY serious product (despite the silly name) in every sense of the word, it's what I like to call a finished product, it feels like someone put a lot of effort into making sure all the most important aspects are perfect. The price is almost unreal considering the performance and build quality....and on top of all that it has a 5 year warranty. Definitely a very positive thing to happen in a hi-fi world that is usually full of snobbery and prices pumped up just for the sake of making something more exclusive and less available.

 

[StanD]

Many people do not realize that Jason and Mike have been at this for a very long time and each has designed and put forward groundbreaking audiophile products. I believe that Mike has designed one of the first DACs. In any case the design of the Asgard 2 is outstanding, from the power supply rails to the DC coupled amp that does not rely on negative feedback for low distortion but does so due to careful design along with listening and testing. Some folks have an odd bias if the price isn't high enough.

 

[knorris908]

Gentlemen and Gentleladies,
 
I have an announcement:
 
 
That feeling I had when I was a little boy, and I had done something really good, (or my dad was just in the mood to pamper me...) when he would sit me up in the deep velour recliner and put "The CANs" on my head and let me listen to some Ohio Players, Temptations, John Denver, or Wilson Picket?  They just came back in an BIG way today!
 
Today the 24-hour pre-charging of my iFi iDSD Micro's battery finished, and I switched it in for the FIIO e17 I had been using as a DAC into the ASGARD 2.  Noticeable difference when I started using the e17 over what I got straight from the home theater PC, so I was pretty happy until today.  My intention was to use the iDSD Micro mobile since it works directly with APPLE devices with just the Camera Connection Kit, and keep the e17 in the entertainment center sound chain, but now...
 
Wow.  The ASGARD 2 made the HD-650s come alive, but now with better source capability of FULL DSD high-bit files played natively and what I can only call a more "Finished" sounding DAC even with the same FLAC files I've been playing with the e17, the HD-650s just "Sing"!
 
I just bought Mahler's Symphony no. 5 in C Sharp Minor as a multi-channel DSD from ChannelClassics.com last night, and the experience just now when I heard it for the first time was just unreal!  Suddenly, I was a happy 6-year old boy sneaking some time on Dad's recliner and lost in the music again for the first time in over 4 decades... 
 
Asgard 2 and iDSD Micro fed by jRiver Media Center have awesome synergy.  I wasn't in any way expecting or prepared for how this would sound. 
 
You MUST hear the ASGARD 2 fed from a REALLY good source to even get a glimpse of what it is capable of.  The built-in amp in the iDSD Micro is excellent, and gives the ASGARD 2 a good chase in terms of power output, (The iFi is now easily the 2nd most powerful amp mobile or otherwise in the house.)  but the ASGARD 2 just opens up the soundstage a little wider, more "naturally", and puts more "weight" to the music.  More of the complexity seems to come forward to my ears.
 
I hope that someone finds this of value.  If I had just done this in the first place, I could have saved myself a LOT of time and money on components trying to get here.  But that said; 1 - each step taught me something, and 2 - I thought I was "Done" as I loved the sound I was getting when I bought the ASGARD 2!
 
...Bummer...  Now I have to buy another iDSD Micro for travel again...   LOL  (Both iDSD Micros will still be cheaper by more than half the cost of 1 Chord Hugo though!) 

 

 

[amnesiac75]

I have been listening to my gungnir-asgard 2- sennheiser hd 600 combo a lot in the last month and have since sold my valhalla and hd 650s. The hd600 was a little better with the valhalla and the hd650s did some things better than the hd 600s on both amps but all I want to do is listen to music and the asgard 2 hd 600 combo sounds great without the hassle of tubes or the bass hump of the hd 650s and for the first time in about 2 years of trying audio gear I feel like I can just relax and listen to music.

 

[reddog]

I have been listening to my gungnir-asgard 2- sennheiser hd 600 combo a lot in the last month and have since sold my valhalla and hd 650s. The hd600 was a little better with the valhalla and the hd650s did some things better than the hd 600s on both amps but all I want to do is listen to music and the asgard 2 hd 600 combo sounds great without the hassle of tubes or the bass hump of the hd 650s and for the first time in about 2 years of trying audio gear I feel like I can just relax and listen to music.

+1 Relaxing and listening to music is the most important part of the chain. Have a good one mate.

 

[Cobaltius]

Okay one question do you prefer the Asgard 2 power cable being plugged in from a power brick or from an outlet from the wall?