[loki993]

The Asgard3 is very nice, but if you want a more engaging sound, you might want to try tubes.
I find the Lyr3 with Tung-Sol 6SN7 (new production) tube very engaging, both with the internal multibit dac card and the Bifrost2 - more so than the Asgard3 with the same dacs.

However, thanks to Asgard3’s similarities with Lyr3 (both having the Continuity(tm) output stage), I’d think that it probably is more engaging than most pure solid state amps.

I've toyed on and off with the idea of tubes over the years and I usually just come to the conclusion that I dont want to mess around with them. When the lyr3 came out I strongly considered it but there was that hint of a rumor of something coming that was sort of the SS version/ Fact is for the price the Asgard should be tough to beat....Im fine with giving it a try to see how I like it and then decide from there.

I think asgard 3 with Topping D50s or khadas tone board will work nicely!

I dont want anything from topping or audiogd.

 

[XERO1]

The slightly longer version; Both of them are great, no doubt about that. However, using Asgard3 as the reference, I feel that the Lyr3 has more of a wide/deep soundstage (while Asgard3 is more in your head). Lyr3 also feels more engaging, more dynamic to me, with perhaps a bit more low end bass, while Asgard3 comes out as a little more dry sounding.
Moreover; if, having switched back and forth between them, I stayed on one and listened to the end of the song before going to the next and begin switching again it was almost always the Lyr3.

This pretty well sums up the major differences that I heard when I compared my Asgard 2 to my Lyr 2.

While both sounded like they were definitely cut from the same cloth, the Lyr just gave the music a little more life and made it sound a little more engaging than it did through the Asgard, for all the same reasons mentioned above. But the differences were not night and day. If the Lyr is a 10, then the Asgard is more like a 9 or even a 9.5.

 

[tafens]

This pretty well sums up the major differences that I heard when I compared my Asgard 2 to my Lyr 2.

While both sounded like they were definitely cut from the same cloth, the Lyr just gave the music a little more life and made it sound a little more ingaging than it did through the Asgard, for all the same reasons mentioned above. But the differences are not night and day. More like if the Lyr is a 10, then the Asgard is a 9 or 9.5.

Yes, not night and day, but definitely noticeable.
And, I might also add that the tube(s) in the Lyr2/3 (at least in the Lyr3, which I have experienced) can make just a large a difference, if not more. Of the tubes I’ve tried, the Tung-Sol (both NOS and new production) is quite good in those aspects of sound stage and dynamics.

 

[Chastity]

Yes, not night and day, but definitely noticeable.
And, I might also add that the tube(s) in the Lyr2/3 (at least in the Lyr3, which I have experienced) can make just a large a difference, if not more. Of the tubes I’ve tried, the Tung-Sol (both NOS and new production) is quite good in those aspects of sound stage and dynamics.

After reading your Lyr vs Asgard comparison, I realized you are using your tubes to improve dynamic range, among other things probably, and I use SBX Crystalizer to improve the dynamics with the G6/Asgard 3 combo. Interesting we both noticed the same aspect on the Asgard 3, despite whatever Amir spouts about "it's all in the graphs!!" myopic grasp of audio he and his sycophants have.

FYI, what Crystalizer does:

"SBX Crystalizer improves the dynamic range of audio by applying an audible but comfortable effect to transients and lower and higher frequency regions. This is achieved by constantly monitoring the current audio stream and rapid amplitude changes in real time. The dynamic equalizer then applies the audio boost to perpetual frequency regions on demand and then releases the boost when the audio stream normalizes. "

 

[Zohoos]

I hope everyone here is right about how good asgard 3 is. Just got one in the mail and the sound is horrible, bass is simply missing, mid is in your face and soft treble all with no details at all it is like putting a cheap loud speaker in front of your face. Dreadful
I remember schiit jot as having a v shape sound with weak performance on details but at least that jot has something ” different“ that may appeal to some. This asgrad is a schiit.

 

[genck]

I hope everyone here is right about how good asgard 3 is. Just got one in the mail and the sound is horrible, bass is simply missing, mid is in your face and soft treble all with no details at all it is like putting a cheap loud speaker in front of your face. Dreadful
I remember schiit jot as having a v shape sound with weak performance on details but at least that jot has something ” different“ that may appeal to some. This asgrad is a schiit.

Are you listening from a 3.5mm to RCA by any chance? That'd do it.
What is your DAC? Since you didn't mention it.That'd do it.
What are you listening with? That'd do it.

 

[Zohoos]

Are you listening from a 3.5mm to RCA by any chance? That'd do it.
What is your DAC? Since you didn't mention it.That'd do it.
What are you listening with? That'd do it.

1/ 3.5mm to er4xr earphone and hd800S
2/ their‏ internal Dac (not multibit)
3/ tidal & qobuz

 

[rkw]

er4xr earphone and hd800S

For comparison, which DACs and amps have you been using with these?

 

[gefski]

I hope everyone here is right about how good asgard 3 is. Just got one in the mail and the sound is horrible, bass is simply missing, mid is in your face and soft treble all with no details at all it is like putting a cheap loud speaker in front of your face. Dreadful
I remember schiit jot as having a v shape sound with weak performance on details but at least that jot has something ” different“ that may appeal to some. This asgrad is a schiit.

Wow, this is an easy one - get rid of it and move on! Nothing is going to correct all those problems.

 

[Rattle]

That's not what my Asgard 3 sounds like. Bass is present and very well controlled. Mids are pretty great with nice clarity and tone. Highs are actually the most surprising on mine. Nice extension slightly airy without any plasticness or glare. It doesn't sound like a stale SS amp. It's slightly warm. Really great bang for the buck amp. Handles LCD2 and HD6xx awesome.

 

[Baten]

After reading your Lyr vs Asgard comparison, I realized you are using your tubes to improve dynamic range, among other things probably, and I use SBX Crystalizer to improve the dynamics with the G6/Asgard 3 combo. Interesting we both noticed the same aspect on the Asgard 3, despite whatever Amir spouts about "it's all in the graphs!!" myopic grasp of audio he and his sycophants have.

FYI, what Crystalizer does:

"SBX Crystalizer improves the dynamic range of audio by applying an audible but comfortable effect to transients and lower and higher frequency regions. This is achieved by constantly monitoring the current audio stream and rapid amplitude changes in real time. The dynamic equalizer then applies the audio boost to perpetual frequency regions on demand and then releases the boost when the audio stream normalizes. "

Crystalizer is bull though lol. just marketing fluff. does barely anything, IMO

 

[Chastity]

Crystalizer is bull though lol. just marketing fluff. does barely anything, IMO

Crystalizer is a Delta Sharpening filter. You can look that up.

 

[Chastity]

I hope everyone here is right about how good asgard 3 is. Just got one in the mail and the sound is horrible, bass is simply missing, mid is in your face and soft treble all with no details at all it is like putting a cheap loud speaker in front of your face. Dreadful
I remember schiit jot as having a v shape sound with weak performance on details but at least that jot has something ” different“ that may appeal to some. This asgrad is a schiit.

I had a similar issue with the analog output from my G6, using it's 3.5mm line-out. Lower bass response was lacking. Turns out the interconnect was the problem, as replacing it with thicker gauge cable (Monoprice Premium AWG22 3.5mm to dual RCA 1.5' $4.85 on Amazon) solved it.

 

[tdockweiler]

I hope everyone here is right about how good asgard 3 is. Just got one in the mail and the sound is horrible, bass is simply missing, mid is in your face and soft treble all with no details at all it is like putting a cheap loud speaker in front of your face. Dreadful
I remember schiit jot as having a v shape sound with weak performance on details but at least that jot has something ” different“ that may appeal to some. This asgrad is a schiit.

Any chance you are connecting it to a surge protector with tons of noise filtering?
I made the mistake of trying the Magni 3+ with a Tripp Lite ISoBar 4 with 80db of noise filtering and it ruined the sound.
It's like someone robbed me of my treble somehow and made everything sound so closed in.

I almost never use amps with a surge protector and they almost always sound better.
Try connecting it straight to the wall and see if that helps. Probably not.
I'm sure minimal noise filtering won't degrade the sound of the Asgard 3. I think the amp already has some type of noise filtering inside.

I use a 3.5mm to RCA Mogami cable to my Magni 3+ from my DAC and it sounds great. Not sure why that would cause issues with the Asgard 3.

BTW i'd like to try the Asgard 3 someday. I've read it's not quite as warm sounding as the Asgard 2. Chances are i'd probably not like it, so it's a risk.

 

[Outaphase]

Whoa - you freaked me out about the noise filter, so I tried it with my recently acquired Heresy amp and the same relatively new Tripplite Isobar- no problems to fidelity.

The 80db of noise filtering refers to the Tripplite Isobar's filtering of mostly AM broadcast band, well through the VHF fm broadcast band - as well as others. As a radio guy, I use these all over the place to keep wall warts from putting noise back into the house, even though the output cables are buried in ferrite beads. And then there's spike protection.

To be thorough, here are the specs for the radio region (yawn, I know....)

> 20db @ 50Khz
> 40db @ 500Khz
> 75db @ 1Mhz <<---- the most attenuation for AM BCB
> 30db @ 6-1000Mhz

Either way, this type of filtering is AC only and should not affect audio whatsoever. My only thought is that perhaps your Tripplite is smoked, or over time has developed poor contact with the buss rails since the Tripplite sockets are only "push-in" internally, and not hard soldered. Maybe, just maybe this is enough to provide a small enough voltage drop that your supply is struggling. Either that, or you do have an in-house electrical issue (ground missing, hot/neutral wires swapped, etc.)