[reqq]

Hey guys

I have this amp since yesterday and maybe i have also problem with volume ..
my only other sorce is xonar STX and this amp with 4490 module

My headphones are MEZE Classics 99 and HiFi Sundara
With STX i listen on low(normal gain) (MEZE) for 64ohms and i can,t max volume in Foobar and for Sundara i put on extra gain for 300-600 and i have good volume

With Asgard on HIGH gain i can listen to MEZE at 11 - 12:00 easy and for Sundara i can even max it for sec , ofc not listening there , for "normal" loud(er)
listening i can have it at 15:00 or more easy.

I also try with STX as sorce and got more volume and also more bass (dont know if DAC can have that impact on sound ) bass is not better is more boomy lets say

in foobar i always use replaygain and if i remove it ofc sound is louder but i was using that all the time

its really weird it seems that Xonar STX is more powerfull than this amp and thats crazy right ?

Maybe im doing something wrong im not expert in this.

Does any of u guys have same headphones and can test this ?

Thanks

I coming from Essence ST.. and this is way better and more powerful.. i also got the 4490 built in card..

 

[XERO1]

@XERO1 Can Asgard 3 with multibit dac board compete with Klipsch Heritage amp o Questyle CMA400i?
Asgard 3 has much power, but has it same o better quality at all?

I haven't heard the Klipsch Heritage amp but electronics aren't Klipsch's speciality, speakers are. So I doubt that it would be a better DAC/amp than the Asgard 3 with a multibit card.

As for the Questyle CMA400, I have heard it and I wasn't impressed. I was using Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2's and it would hard clip whenever there was a deep bass hit in a track, so it stuggles with low impedence - low sensitivity headphones. With 5W (@16Ω) on tap, the Asgard 3 will have no such trouble.

Plus, good luck getting the Questyle serviced if you ever have a problem with it. Questyle's customer serive is notoriously poor. Schiit's customer service is excellent.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Maybe I’ll go with asgard3 or lyr3...
thank you

 

[KeithPhantom]

Hi, I've been using Asgard 2 with Audeze LCD-X and LCD 2 for about four years. Now, I'm thinking of upgrading to Asgard 3. I've read this thread and nobody mentioned Audeze cans + Asgard 3 in terms of SQ details. I'm specially Interested in A3 + LCD-X combo. Any thoughts?

Well, I'm a sound science guy but I can give you my experience with my Asgard 3. I drive my LCD-2 in low gain with it at 12 o'clock, so current it has for planar magnetic headphones. Use high gain for high impedance headphones where voltage is more important. This amp is mighty powerful for its price, and measures well, so you shouldn't have any issues with it.

 

[codimension1]

What headphones are you using with it? I think this is dependant on sensitivity since high gain likely significantly raises the noise floor (haven't seen the measurements).

With my HifiMan HE560's, there is NO comparison - the Asgard 3 sounds far better (to my ears) on LOW gain. The tonality is richer, the highs are much smoother, and the imaging is definitely deeper in low gain. I have read that the gain is reduced in this setting by increasing the level of feedback. I wonder if the increased feedback serves to better tame that mid-treble peak in the HE560's (it certainly sounds that way to me). Also, I wonder if the increased feedback alters either the class A ceiling or something about how the "Continuity circuit" operates as it extends the amplification past the Class A window, while maintaining or overcompensating for transconductance changes.

 

[tincanear]

With my HifiMan HE560's, there is NO comparison - the Asgard 3 sounds far better (to my ears) on LOW gain. The tonality is richer, the highs are much smoother, and the imaging is definitely deeper in low gain. I have read that the gain is reduced in this setting by increasing the level of feedback. I wonder if the increased feedback serves to better tame that mid-treble peak in the HE560's (it certainly sounds that way to me). Also, I wonder if the increased feedback alters either the class A ceiling or something about how the "Continuity circuit" operates as it extends the amplification past the Class A window, while maintaining or overcompensating for transconductance changes.

likely the increased feedback lowers the effective output impedance a bit, but may also change the impulse response of the amplifier. I would assume that the bias point / continuity circuit operating points are significantly unchanged by the feedback. this second point could be confirmed by monitoring the AC power draw (using Kill-a-Watt meter or similar) and switching the gain (OK to have headphones disconnected while doing this). I would check myself if I had an Asgard 3 (but I don't).

 

[codimension1]

likely the increased feedback lowers the effective output impedance a bit, but may also change the impulse response of the amplifier. I would assume that the bias point / continuity circuit operating points are significantly unchanged by the feedback. this second point could be confirmed by monitoring the AC power draw (using Kill-a-Watt meter or similar) and switching the gain (OK to have headphones disconnected while doing this). I would check myself if I had an Asgard 3 (but I don't).

Excellent points ! I will investigate further. By the way - with high impedance phones such as Senn HD 650's (300 ohm), AKG K340 (400 ohm), Beyer 880 (600 ohm), the amplifier sounds a bit flat in low-gain, and much better in high-gain even at roughly the same volume.

My other amps for comparison are an old original Magni 1 (different league sonically - much flatter sounding all-around), and a Woo WA6SE / Black Gate. More comparisons to follow.

 

[gefski]

Excellent points ! I will investigate further. By the way - with high impedance phones such as Senn HD 650's (300 ohm), AKG K340 (400 ohm), Beyer 880 (600 ohm), the amplifier sounds a bit flat in low-gain, and much better in high-gain even at roughly the same volume.

My other amps for comparison are an old original Magni 1 (different league sonically - much flatter sounding all-around), and a Woo WA6SE / Black Gate. More comparisons to follow.

Well I assume comparisons to your Woo with caps upgrade are unfavorable to the Schiits. That’s certainly the case for me. My likewise upgraded WA6 is beyond the A3 in every sonic attribute I value. I guess the A3 might play louder, which I’m not close to needing. In your case the WA6SE has major power reserves as well.

None of this is to devalue the A3. It’s a gem, is used a lot, days in a row without a thought to my other gear.

 

[XERO1]

With my HifiMan HE560's, there is NO comparison - the Asgard 3 sounds far better (to my ears) on LOW gain. The tonality is richer, the highs are much smoother, and the imaging is definitely deeper in low gain.

Excellent points ! I will investigate further. By the way - with high impedance phones such as Senn HD 650's (300 ohm), AKG K340 (400 ohm), Beyer 880 (600 ohm), the amplifier sounds a bit flat in low-gain, and much better in high-gain even at roughly the same volume.

To me, the gain switch on a Schiit amp is like a 'sonic flavor swtich'. On LOW Gain, the amp sounds more laid back and mellow, but on HIGH Gain, the amp becomes much more up-front and vivid sounding.

Depending on the sound characteristics of the headphones you are using, one of them will definitely be a better match than the other. Whether it's LOW Gain or HIGH Gain is entirely up to you!

 

[Sqmeyer]

To me, the gain switch on a Schiit amp is like a 'sonic flavor swtich'. On LOW Gain, the amp sounds more laid back and mellow, but on HIGH Gain, the amp becomes much more up-front and vivid sounding.

Depending on the sound characteristics of the headphones you are using, one of them will definitely be a better match than the other. Whether it's LOW Gain or HIGH Gain is entirely up to you!

This. With the Focal Elear its almost like having two different headphones and I find my preference switches depending on music genre or the talent of the engineering team. I find the low gain a bit more forgiving of poorly recorded or mastered material.

 

[codimension1]

Well I assume comparisons to your Woo with caps upgrade are unfavorable to the Schiits. That’s certainly the case for me. My likewise upgraded WA6 is beyond the A3 in every sonic attribute I value. I guess the A3 might play louder, which I’m not close to needing. In your case the WA6SE has major power reserves as well.

None of this is to devalue the A3. It’s a gem, is used a lot, days in a row without a thought to my other gear.

Yes - the A3 is a great solid-state amp. In the 110-degree Arizona summers, the A3 stays in play, and the Woo WA6SE stays put away ! I can listen happily all day to the A3 (whereas with the earlier Magni 1 amp, I would get restless after about an hour of listening). There are even some areas where I prefer the A3 overall (such as very deep bass, and a great way with exceedingly low-level detail, all while being very agreeable in terms of the overall sonic signature). It's really nice having a SS amp that I can turn to in the summer months especially - and which I can just leave on all day so it is at optimum readiness to play at any time.

 

[XERO1]

Yes - the A3 is a great solid-state amp. In the 110-degree Arizona summers, the A3 stays in play, and the Woo WA6SE stays put away ! I can listen happily all day to the A3 (whereas with the earlier Magni 1 amp, I would get restless after about an hour of listening). There are even some areas where I prefer the A3 overall (such as very deep bass, and a great way with exceedingly low-level detail, all while being very agreeable in terms of the overall sonic signature). It's really nice having a SS amp that I can turn to in the summer months especially - and which I can just leave on all day so it is at optimum readiness to play at any time.

Yep. It's a great sounding amp overall, if just a little on the foward side of neutral. But compared to my recently purchased Jotunheim, the Asgard 3 sounds positively warm and fuzzy!

I bought a Jotunheim when it was first released and I didn't much care for it then, but I had been reading that the newer Jot's had been subtly revoiced to be a little bit mellower, but sadly I've found that not to be the case at all. The new one sounds every bit as harsh and sterile (but also crystal clear) as the first one did.

The A3 is a keeper, but the Jot is going back.

 

[ev666il]

@XERO1 what is your musical preference?

I’m asking because I now possess the Asgard 3 and I’ve been considering an upgrade to the Jot for I wish to have a balanced chain. I read the Jot is very resolving and with a very good bass slam, which would go well with my preferred genre (hard rock and metal.) I’m curious if you also like the same genre as I do, and find the A3 superior to the Jot with them.

 

[gefski]

To me, the gain switch on a Schiit amp is like a 'sonic flavor swtich'. On LOW Gain, the amp sounds more laid back and mellow, but on HIGH Gain, the amp becomes much more up-front and vivid sounding.

Depending on the sound characteristics of the headphones you are using, one of them will definitely be a better match than the other. Whether it's LOW Gain or HIGH Gain is entirely up to you!

Likewise. I’m gradually leaning toward preferring low gain for the HD650, as it appears to relax its “Row A” perspective, while retaining its sweet tonality.

 

[XERO1]

@XERO1 what is your musical preference?

I’m asking because I now possess the Asgard 3 and I’ve been considering an upgrade to the Jot for I wish to have a balanced chain. I read the Jot is very resolving and with a very good bass slam, which would go well with my preferred genre (hard rock and metal.) I’m curious if you also like the same genre as I do, and find the A3 superior to the Jot with them.

I primarily listen to popular and obscure rock, pop, singer-songwriter acoustic stuff and EDM. But I dabble in just about every musical genre, including hard rock and metal. But sadly, 99.9% of hard rock and metal recordings sound like absolute garbage. The music is amazing, but the mastering on their albums is anything but.

It's so frustrating becasue hard rock and metal should have some of the most powerful sounding recordings known to man, but instead, they are almost always dynamically compressed to death and all of their power and tone has been destroyed.

As far as which balanced amp I think would be the best for hard rock and metal recordings (that I know the SQ of well), I would say the Jotunhiem would be the worst possible choice for any kind of dynamically compressed music due to it's harsh and hyper-revealing nature.

Currently, my favorite balanced amp that I use when I'm going to listen to less than well-mastered music (but it also sounds fantastic with good recordings as well) is my Massdrop x Cavalli LCX. It has this amazing ability to bring out the tone and body of even relatively crappy sounding recordings (but it can't work miracles) and somehow reduce the recordings harshness, without sounding soft. It's like it's somehow able to let all the good stuff through, while filtering out most of the bad stuff. And now it's only $200 bucks on Drop.com, which IMHO makes it the best bang-for-your-buck balanced amp you can get, and a great place to start your balanced amp journey.