O/K., finally finished the thread. Whew, took a few days. I don’t have an extensive background with headphones and amps or DACs. My background is a set of older sony MDR-V6 connected to a Walkman CD player 2nd gen (Skip skip skip to my Lou...), Iriver cd player connected to Bose triports,; triports from a little bear tube amp fed by my phone (galaxy s7); Schitt Fulla to triports and later AT 900X; Then Mimby/Modi 3 to AT 900X; same Schiit to AKG 7XX; Add in HD6XX, Add in Eiter; Add in Valhalla 2; Add in HE 4XX: Somewhere along the way changed phone to LG V30+ and LG v 50; Recently added Bottlehead Crack (took me a year to start build and a weekend to finish, eh...); Add in Asgard 3: Add modification to HD6XX (dynamat, remove spider and rear foam and dime sized hole in front foam); Add new HD 6xx to remove mods for Crack; Add in Bifrost MB (not 2) and Asgard 2 (closeout Classic Schiit Stack in black - $449) (did anyone else know its pronounced BIF-roast?, I kept saying BI-frost). So maybe a lot of time (25 years), but nothing above mid-if, and a lotta Schiit.
Impressions On Asgard 3: gotta agree with Xero1, the Asgard 3 is toeing the line on over analytical, but not over the line at all (for me). Mids are very well presented, treble too. Bass is a little anemic, but well controlled. Don’t get me wrong, they are not missing, but to my ear and limited experience (especially considering the comparisons and memory), I wouldn’t say recessed, but less presented, weaker. Very similar to Modi 3, But with better definition and wider and deeper soundstage, with added detaiL and layering. It is mid-centric (to me) and brings out details I have not previously experienced, without being fatiguing. I‘ve listened to this amp for 5+ hours continuously (without intent to do so, just because I can’t stop - mostly on HE 4xx).
My current setups are Bifrost MB feeding: Asgard 3, with HE 4xx; Valhalla 2 with modded HD 6xx; Crack with HD 6xx; Asgard 2 with AKG 7XX (work application with another Bifrost MB. The setups are due to synergy. The headphones I have are matched with the amps I have acquired providing the best sound for me.
The Crack does best with the HD 6XX (650) providing a presentation reminiscent of a small/medium venue. Medium sized soundstage with a reverberation (second order harmonics?) that provides the ambience of a live performance with the correct recording. Bass is pleasantly heavy-ish , with that gooey goodness that a OTL is known for. I tried the modifications to the HD 6xx and did not like it on the Crack. I lost that feeling of being in the middle of a smaller live venue (ie the Showbox in Seattle). The additional treble and openness just killed the vibe. I ordered a new set to fix that.
The modded HD 6xxs work fantastic with the Valhalla 2 (for me). That often spoke of veil was lifted. The holographic soundstage remained ( a sense of the music floating around you, not a linear soundstage per se, but with the right recording and engineering, the instruments and vocals moving in and out with a soundstage that is not limited by physical dimensions). Not a psychedelic experience. Not otherworldly, but eyes closed, enjoying the moment, you feel something you may have not experienced before. A soundstage surrounds you. At least for me (YMMV). The bass, sub-bass and treble were increased to a level not experienced before with the HD 6xx. Detail is not lacking, but is not strong either on the Valhalla (regardless of HPs). Its strength is the soundstage - I can almost feel myself sitting at the piano on You’ve Got to Have Freedom by Pharaoh Sanders while he plays saxophone right over my shoulder. Almost onstage rather than in the audience The other headphones always left something wanting, that holographic soundstage lacked in some ways the 6xx just got right, and the modded 6xxs made it better.
Now the reason I’m here... The Asgard 3 with HE 4xx... Lordy Lordy, I can hear so much more definition and detail. In a playlist I have for headphone judging that I have found to be enjoyable, though not my normal cup of tea, on Paper Trails by Darkside I noticed a distortion and thought something was wrong with my setup. I’ve listened to this several times with other setups, but at about 1:49 the guitar has a distortion (ground or interconnect problem?) that I had never realized before. I had to re-listen with other setups to realize it was always there, just never noticed it before. Could a better amp have revealed it? Probably. But at $200? My other setups didn’t show it to me this noticeably.
After reading some previous reviews the other night I put on some Dire Straights. Wow. Never disliked them, never really felt an surge to listen to them either, but with this setup, 2 + hours of listening and I might do more tonight. The Asgard 3 + HE 4xx provides a level of musicality that probably isn’t properly represented by numerical analysis. There is a cohesiveness to the detail, dynamics, separation, and studio sized (intimate? Head sized?) soundstage that just makes you want to listen longer, more, more more... I would call it almost hyper-real with details being beyond what you could pick up or pick out during a live performance (the Crack+ HD 6xx being a more real/live presentation, and the Valhalla 2 + modded HD 6xx being more surreal). Much closer to (I believe) the engineers intent of the recording (if properly done).
Attempts to listen to Van Halen (an old favorite) on the other amps just never felt as lively as it should. On the Asgard 3 - finally its as enjoyable as it should be. Attack of Eddie’s guitar is strong enough, again without becoming fatiguing. Dave’s enunciation is well presented without any sibilance, breathy when he makes it breathy, raspy when he makes it raspy. Off 5150, I can hear the vibrato in Sammy’s voice like never before. The intro to Hot For Teacher- the toms, kick and cymbal just have the right impact. Soundgarden has never sounded better than on the Asgard (though spoonman is a little dry, some percussion like wood blocks and spoons are too recessed). Chris Cornells vocals are fantastic. The Asgard provides a forward presentation (Like most Schiit I’ve heard), with separation, layering and detail well beyond the Magni 3, and details beyond the other amps listed (though I still haven’t assembled and installed the Speedball in the Crack). In the early parts of Stairway to Heaven, I swear I felt Robert Plant‘s spit on me a couple times. (Never noticed it before, but I‘m thinking what I always thought was a flute is really JPJ on an electric organ - no attack, just .... there.) Am I gushing a little? Yeah I am. If I could only keep one amp and headphone, this combo would be it. (Not that I’m getting rid of the crack, valhalla, or HD6xxs any time soon. Nor will this be the last, but for now,... I’m finally happy.). So, for $350 (plus the cost of whatever feeds it) I have a setup that I can really say I’m finally satisfied with (Until I just have to buy that Unison card).
Now as to feeding... I’ve read a lot of comments here about a dac is a dac is a dac. I dunno. 0s and 1s are just that, 0s and 1s, but we’re talking about music, not a text document or photo. Music relies on timing, so keeping that whole “time domain” thing in order seems like it might be important. I A/Bed the Mimby with and without Eitr about a week ago (waiting on Bifrost) and there was a very noticeable difference in SQ. Without Eitr things were not as detailed, more “smeared”. What does that have to do with Asgard 3? Well maybe nothing, but can someone tell me which USB implementation the dac cards use? Is it Schiit gen 5 or USB 2? The answer could make a difference in someone’s decision concerning card or separate dac.
So there you have it, my long winded and meandering impressions of my new Asgard 3. I hope someone finds it helpful.
not tried it myself but judging by the reaction of the people who try it on, it might come close to your dream.
