Jason Stoddard
Sponsor: Schiit Audio
Hey all,
Think back to 2010.
When we launched Asgard, the world of headphones was a lot smaller. Desktop audio was really in its infancy. And, to tell the truth, we didn’t really know if we’d be selling a ton of Asgards—or giving our friends headphone amps for Christmas presents until the end of time.
Now, two and a half years later, it’s time to recognize that the world has changed. It’s time for Asgard 2.
Yes. Asgard 2. It may look like Asgard on the outside, but it’s a whole new ballgame on the inside.
Gain Switching—Great for IEMs
Let’s start with the obvious, like the gain switch. Yes, Asgard 2 now has selectable gains of 1.5 or 6. 1.5 is great for IEMs—together with the Alps Blue Velvet pot, it gives excellent control and great channel tracking, as well as a dead-silent background.
Preamp Outs—A Complete Desktop Control Center
You’ll also notice we added preamp outs. Now, creating a complete desktop system with powered monitors and headphones is easy. The pre outs are controlled by the volume pot, also have gain switching, and turn themselves off when you plug in headphones.
All-New, Higher Performance Gain Stage
But if you go a little deeper, you’ll see that what’s inside the Asgard 2 doesn’t look anything like the original Asgard. That’s because we learned so much during the development of Mjolnir, we really wanted to share. Asgard 2 has a high-voltage, cascoded gain stage very similar to Mjolnir, coupled to a Class-A MOSFET output stage. The result is distortion almost 10x less than the original Asgard, even while retaining the no-overall-feedback design.
Plenty of Power for Most Orthos and High-Impedance Headphones
No, it’s not a Circlotron, and no, it’s not balanced, and no, it’s not 8 watts. But Asgard 2 will put out a solid 1W RMS per channel into 32 and 50 ohm loads, and 190mW into 600 ohms. It’s plenty for many orthodynamics, as well as high-impedance headphones.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Hell, this is gonna cost a fortune.”
Actually, no. Asgard 2 is $249, just like the original Asgard. Thank surface mount technology and streamlined production for that. Aaaannd—it’s in production now.
Read more here:
Asgard 2 Product Page
Asgard 2 FAQ
“Wait a minute!” you might be saying. “I’m on Asgard backorder. I have to go cancel that order right now!”
Nope! If you’re on Asgard backorder, you’re getting an Asgard 2 automatically.
Welcome to 2013! We think it’s gonna be a great year.
All the best,
Jason
Think back to 2010.
When we launched Asgard, the world of headphones was a lot smaller. Desktop audio was really in its infancy. And, to tell the truth, we didn’t really know if we’d be selling a ton of Asgards—or giving our friends headphone amps for Christmas presents until the end of time.
Now, two and a half years later, it’s time to recognize that the world has changed. It’s time for Asgard 2.
Yes. Asgard 2. It may look like Asgard on the outside, but it’s a whole new ballgame on the inside.
Gain Switching—Great for IEMs
Let’s start with the obvious, like the gain switch. Yes, Asgard 2 now has selectable gains of 1.5 or 6. 1.5 is great for IEMs—together with the Alps Blue Velvet pot, it gives excellent control and great channel tracking, as well as a dead-silent background.
Preamp Outs—A Complete Desktop Control Center
You’ll also notice we added preamp outs. Now, creating a complete desktop system with powered monitors and headphones is easy. The pre outs are controlled by the volume pot, also have gain switching, and turn themselves off when you plug in headphones.
All-New, Higher Performance Gain Stage
But if you go a little deeper, you’ll see that what’s inside the Asgard 2 doesn’t look anything like the original Asgard. That’s because we learned so much during the development of Mjolnir, we really wanted to share. Asgard 2 has a high-voltage, cascoded gain stage very similar to Mjolnir, coupled to a Class-A MOSFET output stage. The result is distortion almost 10x less than the original Asgard, even while retaining the no-overall-feedback design.
Plenty of Power for Most Orthos and High-Impedance Headphones
No, it’s not a Circlotron, and no, it’s not balanced, and no, it’s not 8 watts. But Asgard 2 will put out a solid 1W RMS per channel into 32 and 50 ohm loads, and 190mW into 600 ohms. It’s plenty for many orthodynamics, as well as high-impedance headphones.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Hell, this is gonna cost a fortune.”
Actually, no. Asgard 2 is $249, just like the original Asgard. Thank surface mount technology and streamlined production for that. Aaaannd—it’s in production now.
Read more here:
Asgard 2 Product Page
Asgard 2 FAQ
“Wait a minute!” you might be saying. “I’m on Asgard backorder. I have to go cancel that order right now!”
Nope! If you’re on Asgard backorder, you’re getting an Asgard 2 automatically.
Welcome to 2013! We think it’s gonna be a great year.
All the best,
Jason
