[bearFNF]

I would like to know if anyone has tried the A2 with the HD800 yet?  Do any of you even think they are a good match?  Tempted to buy them and see, but that's a chunck of change and even more if I will also need an amp for them.
 
Nevermind just bought them to find out for myself...

 

[NotAnAngel]

NuForce uDAC-2 allows you to control volume with the keys on OSX
 
Quote:

Nope. Every dac i've tried on OSX does that. On Windows and Linux you get full control.

 

[NotAnAngel]

IMHO, no, its sound is not even close to be warm (but the amp itself is 

).
 
Regarding cold and analytical, let me give you a few observations and you decide for yourself.
 
1. It is very accurate and has outstanding resolution, including low level details and especially at high frequencies. 
 
2. It is also very transparent and airy in a way that brings a lot of tracks literally to life; you can almost feel it (and where other amps would feel like something is missing - yes, those very quiet, almost silent details).
 
My personal high level interpretation of "cold and analytical" is lifeless, boring sound. No, A2 is very far from that.
 
Also, if you like Q701, my guess is you might like A2. Funny thing is when I heard A2 first time, I thought it made my DT990/600 sound a bit like Q701 (which is almost like saying that apples when processed through A2 tasted like oranges).
 
 
Quote:

Wonder if the A2 has a touch of warmth compared to the Magni? I certainly don't like warm sounding amps though.
The Headroom Micro and E9 got it right for me. Neither of those are warm really..they're flat, but lose the "cold and analytical" part.
 
Asgard 2 is on my radar but I was never a fan of the Asgard 1. Had the K601, HD-650 and K702 though.
Loved it with the D2000 and HD-600.
 
Hopefully the A2 is good for the Q701. Magni is perfectly ok with it, even with the ODAC.

 

[yezzum]

Hi
 
Just wondering if you have any experience with the Lyr and if so, how does the A2 compare to the Lyr?
 
Thanks
 
Quote:

IMHO, no, its sound is not even close to be warm (but the amp itself is 

).
 
Regarding cold and analytical, let me give you a few observations and you decide for yourself.
 
1. It is very accurate and has outstanding resolution, including low level details and especially at high frequencies. 
 
2. It is also very transparent and airy in a way that brings a lot of tracks literally to life; you can almost feel it (and where other amps would feel like something is missing - yes, those very quiet, almost silent details).
 
My personal high level interpretation of "cold and analytical" is lifeless, boring sound. No, A2 is very far from that.
 
Also, if you like Q701, my guess is you might like A2. Funny thing is when I heard A2 first time, I thought it made my DT990/600 sound a bit like Q701 (which is almost like saying that apples when processed through A2 tasted like oranges).
 
 

 

[mrscotchguy]

I don't mean to ask this if it has been thrown out there already, but are there any Asgard1 vs Asgard2 comparisons?  I was going to get the Magni for the girlfriend, but Schiit had to ruin it an make a new version of my beloved Asgard! 

 
.... Now I want the A2 for myself.  Oh, and is the price suppose to go up to $350? I couldn't tell if Jason suggested that or not.

 

[vaed]

Nope, AFAIK it's staying at $250. If there's anything to know about Schiit, it's that their prices never fluctuate.

 

[joebobbilly]

Still waiting on more impressions with HD 650 owners.  Really wanna see if a comparison can be done between the A2 and Lyr.  That way I'll have a better idea of what my next amp will be =)

 

[Radioking59]

Quote:

I don't mean to ask this if it has been thrown out there already, but are there any Asgard1 vs Asgard2 comparisons?  I was going to get the Magni for the girlfriend, but Schiit had to ruin it an make a new version of my beloved Asgard! 

 
.... Now I want the A2 for myself.  Oh, and is the price suppose to go up to $350? I couldn't tell if Jason suggested that or not.

 
I have to agree with everything hodgjy said earlier in the thread. I have been listening with the HD600 and Bifrost. It is IMO a considerable upgrade.  He was joking about $350 to make a point about their business model and pricing.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by hodgjy /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Here is my brief comparison of the A1 and A2:
 
compared to the A1, the A2 is/has:
-More detailed
-Deeper, more controlled bass
-More transparent
-More air
-More in control
-More power in reserve

 

[Iamnothim]

Quote:

I would like to know if anyone has tried the A2 with the HD800 yet?  Do any of you even think they are a good match?  Tempted to buy them and see, but that's a chunck of change and even more if I will also need an amp for them.
 
Nevermind just bought them to find out for myself...

Yo !
U-Da-Man !!

 

[NotAnAngel]

Quote:

Hi
 
Just wondering if you have any experience with the Lyr and if so, how does the A2 compare to the Lyr?
 
Thanks
 

Unfortunately no, I don't; A2 is my introduction to the Shiit family and it's a great one.
 
I could compare to Musical Fidelity headphone amps (I own both V-CAN II and M1HPA) but that is not what you are asking, of course.

 

[Defiant00]

Quote:

Still waiting on more impressions with HD 650 owners.  Really wanna see if a comparison can be done between the A2 and Lyr.  That way I'll have a better idea of what my next amp will be =)

 
It's not exactly the comparison you're looking for, but I had HD600 and original Asgard for quite a while and, unless you want to get into tube rolling, I'd get the A2. I got to listen to a friend's Lyr multiple times (and with a number of different tubes) and all it did was confirm that I preferred solid state.

 

[joebobbilly]

Quote:

 
It's not exactly the comparison you're looking for, but I had HD600 and original Asgard for quite a while and, unless you want to get into tube rolling, I'd get the A2. I got to listen to a friend's Lyr multiple times (and with a number of different tubes) and all it did was confirm that I preferred solid state.

 
How so?  What is it about the Asgard that you preferred over the Lyr?

 

[Defiant00]

Quote:

How so?  What is it about the Asgard that you preferred over the Lyr?

 
The overall clarity and balance, basically that it's a fairly neutral solid state amp. Now for some other cans like the K701 I actually preferred the Lyr since the tubes bring some needed (to my ears) warmth.
 
But for the HD600 I like their presentation as is, so I preferred the Asgard which adds less of its own character to the sound.

 

[Pappas3278]

Quote:

IMHO, no, its sound is not even close to be warm (but the amp itself is 

).
 
Regarding cold and analytical, let me give you a few observations and you decide for yourself.
 
1. It is very accurate and has outstanding resolution, including low level details and especially at high frequencies. 
 
2. It is also very transparent and airy in a way that brings a lot of tracks literally to life; you can almost feel it (and where other amps would feel like something is missing - yes, those very quiet, almost silent details).
 
My personal high level interpretation of "cold and analytical" is lifeless, boring sound. No, A2 is very far from that.
 
Also, if you like Q701, my guess is you might like A2. Funny thing is when I heard A2 first time, I thought it made my DT990/600 sound a bit like Q701 (which is almost like saying that apples when processed through A2 tasted like oranges).
 
 

 
I was prepared to say a few things about my initial listening experience with the A2 from lastnight, but I was beaten to the punch by NotAnAngel.  Points 1 and 2 are right on point with my impressions.  And I also agree that the A2 is far from being lifeless or boring.  Quite the opposite!
 
I was using Grado RS1's by the way and I let the A2 burn-in for roughly 4 hours before I put the RS1's on my head.
 
I would like to go further and mention that the A2 is a different beast compared to the A1.  Fairly substantially at that I might add.
 
I think I love the A2.  Nice work Schiit on not just rebranding an old product and just calling it "new". 

 

[RonD2]

I agree with the A2 praise above. Listening through an HD650 and very impressed. The A2 was a drop-in replacement for a Magni. The A2 clearly bests the Magni in all the usual ways. I am most struck by the increased soundstage and tighter, more forceful bass.

Also very impressed with it's pre-amp function. I had my active desktop monitors connected directly to a Modi and didn't think there would be much improvement with the A2 added. My initial impression is very positive with many of the above hp amp qualities coming through. Surprising to me as I thought the preamp function would be largely "pass through" just adding the vol pot? Is this true?

This amp is a winner IMO.