[Alcophone]

And yet someone else said they are "right up to the line of" ruthlessly revealing.

In fact that almost sounds like a description of the HD650. The Asgard 3 is the HD650 of head amps.

Whoever considers the HD650 close to "ruthlessly revealing" must be a very gentle person indeed.

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

I completely and 100% disagree that the Asgard 3 makes anything sound "veiled". To me it's the complete opposite, I actually find the Asgard 3 bright sounding and detailed. This is coming from someone who's used the Asgard 2 almost exclusively for the past 2+ years. In my opinion the A2 is warmer and less revealing then the A3 by a noticable margin.

As for the volume knob, I like the A3 version, but I guess aesthetics are subjective.

Can you recommend some songs for me to test between the two? I am open minded, I might change my opinion, it could just be the genre and particular songs I am listening to are influencing my thought process.

Also, I do find the Asgard 3 extremely relaxing to listen to, like I can chill out for hours with it, where as the Asgard 2 I get fatigued.

Which amp you going for, then?

At the moment I am in limbo, but my go to just for any rainy day is my original Schiit Fulla which I love, I even compared it to Fulla 2 several times, and prefer the extra sound soundstage and v-shape the Fulla 1 gives me. I might keep asgard 3 or 2 still, I need more testing.

 

[cjc]

Someone earlier mentioned the Asgard 3 volume knob is "cheap" looking. Is it metal or plastic?
Are there any other cosmetic issues with the A3 as compared to the Asgard 2?

 

[Mani ATH 87]

Someone earlier mentioned the Asgard 3 volume knob is "cheap" looking. Is it metal or plastic?
Are there any other cosmetic issues with the A3 as compared to the Asgard 2?

The knob is metal and there's no cosmetic issues. The amp generally looks a bit more sleek then the A2.

 

[XERO1]

I was listening to my Asgard 3 (with my Modi MB) today and it dawned on me that just a few years ago, to get this level of sound quality, you would have to spend $1000-2000 minimum.

Now, anyone with $500 (at least here in the US) can get these two amazingly great sounding components and have a kick-ass 'high-end starter kit' that gets you pretty damn close to some of the TOTL uber-gear that costs many multiples of the Modi MB/Asgard 3 combo (or the Asgard 3 w/ MB card).

It's a great time to be into this stuff!

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

I was listening to my Asgard 3 (with my Modi MB) today and it dawned on me that just a few years ago, to get this level of sound quality, you would have to spend $1000-2000 minimum.

Now, anyone with $500 (at least here in the US) can get these two amazingly great sounding components and have a kick-ass 'high-end starter kit' that gets you pretty damn close to some of the TOTL uber-gear that costs many multiples of the Modi MB/Asgard 3 combo (or the Asgard 3 w/ MB card).

It's a great time to be into this stuff!

yep and hot swapping modi 3 and modi multibit, I found modi 3 to sound better, so now you are talking about $150 off even what you expected. though that result might change with amp it is compared with. modi 3 is such a great value, beats the SDAC by a large margin in side by side testing to my ears. and beats MM too at least for female vocals. I like sparkly female vocals, and modi 3 does it better than almost anything else.

 

[XERO1]

yep and hot swapping modi 3 and modi multibit, I found modi 3 to sound better, so now you are talking about $150 off even what you expected. though that result might change with amp it is compared with. modi 3 is such a great value, beats the SDAC by a large margin in side by side testing to my ears. and beats MM too at least for female vocals. I like sparkly female vocals, and modi 3 does it better than almost anything else.

At one point, I also owned both a Modi 3 and a Modi MB, but I preferred the way the Modi MB sounded with my Lyr 2. Now, after discovering how transparent to the source my Asgard 3 is, I definitely want to give the Modi 3 another shot to see what it really sounds like.
And you're right! You could start with the Modi 3, and for only $300, have yourself a killer little system!

 

[HifiRED]

I’m thinking of picking this up for both music and gaming but can’t decide between the two DAC modules. I emailed Schiit and they said that the MB one has latency and might not be the best choice for games. Is that correct? I could use some recommendations. Thanks!

 

[starence]

The 4490 is probably a safer bet. Multibit has its own sound, which some people prefer, but I think Delta-Sigma is less colored, more normal sounding. If you’re very treble sensitive, the Multibit might be preferable though.

 

[Mani ATH 87]

I personally prefer the Multibit, but I don't do any serious gaming so I have no idea how it performs in that regard.

 

[HifiRED]

Is it just a difference in sound properties or is multibit a superior technology? I’ll admit this is my first experience with this level of audio gear.

 

[Mani ATH 87]

Is it just a difference in sound properties or is multibit a superior technology? I’ll admit this is my first experience with this level of audio gear.

Schiit believes it's superior sonically to a delta-sigma DAC. Whether or not you agree is up to you to decide.

 

[Baten]

I’m thinking of picking this up for both music and gaming but can’t decide between the two DAC modules. I emailed Schiit and they said that the MB one has latency and might not be the best choice for games. Is that correct? I could use some recommendations. Thanks!

I would follow their advice and go AK4490 for gaming

 

[starence]

Is it just a difference in sound properties or is multibit a superior technology? I’ll admit this is my first experience with this level of audio gear.

No, I don’t think Multibit tech is superior, it’s just different. DS DACs (like the 4490) are more common and less expensive. DS DACs are everywhere, in your phone, computer etc, but Multibit is uncommon. Multibit DACs more difficult to implement and more costly, but that doesn’t make them better. Proponents of DS say it’s more transparent, less colored. Others say Multibit sounds more organic, more natural. It’s a matter of personal preference.

 

[tafens]

I personally prefer the Multibit, but I don't do any serious gaming so I have no idea how it performs in that regard.

I’m no gamer either, but I have used my Lyr3 with multibit for some occasional games playing (including some FPS games) and I have noticed no lag in sound. That’s not saying there isn’t any, but not noticeable to me. However, for serious gaming better to take the advice from Schiit, of course.