[squishware]

The 600 OHM Beyers were my only cans for years with my LaFigaro 332C. Serious Synergy there. I got the Asgard 3 and they were comparatively running a little bright for me. I purchased the Dekoni Hybrid pads for them and it is a very nice pairing indeed. Plenty of power for the 600 OHMs in the Asgard 3.

 

[airwhale]

Always 600 ohm if you got the juice! (Which Asgard 3 does)

Is this a general recommendation for higher ohm cans, or is it specifically relevant for the Beyer Dynamics? I am still not understanding the main sonic advantages to hard-to-drive equipment.

 

[gwitzel]

Always 600 ohm if you got the juice! (Which Asgard 3 does)

This was my impression too. Thank you for chiming in, I have ordered the 600 ohm version.

The 600 OHM Beyers were my only cans for years with my LaFigaro 332C. Serious Synergy there. I got the Asgard 3 and they were comparatively running a little bright for me. I purchased the Dekoni Hybrid pads for them and it is a very nice pairing indeed. Plenty of power for the 600 OHMs in the Asgard 3.

Great to hear from someone who owns the combination. I was afraid that it would sound too bright, in comparison to the HD600 the DT770Pro does sound bright. I am curious how they are when properly amped. Good to know that pads can be a remedy.

I will let you all know what I think as soon as we have the Asgard 3 and both headphones. Thank you!

 

[ColdsnapBry]

I'm shopping for a desktop setup for myself and was considering the Asgard 3. I still don't fully understand what I'm loosing out on by the lack of the XLR plug. I was planning on getting the Sennheiser's 6 series, maybe the 660 s. Should I go up to a Jotunheim so I get the XLR balance plug for the Sennheisers?

 

[ScubaMan2017]

People have said this about the Magni3 as well, and I get the same feeling with the Lyr3. The difference is there and just like you describe. I thought on the Lyr3 that it could be the tube having to work harder and thus making the difference..? It is of course well known that difference in volume can fool the ears, but running in high gain I adjust the volume down accordingly.

Perhaps @Jason Stoddard can offer an explanation as to what the difference is electrically between high and low gain on these amps, as it would be very interesting to know.
Unless it’s a trade secret of course..

I contacted customer support about the mysterious GAIN switch. One explanation I received was that it allows me to adjust the volume with more precision with some headphones (I'm very lucky with my current set up. There's absolutely no background hiss piped into my ears). I end up switching the GAIN switch high/low to get the most pleasant effect for my tinnitus-ravaged ears. I also switch GAIN when I swap out different headphones (my closed-Sonys... my open Senheissers... my [hopefully purchasing-in-the-future] planar magnetics). My Magni3 & Vali2 gain switches have the most dramatic effect. The Valhalla 2?... surprisingly, I perceive less of an effect with my ears.
...that's my extremely qualitative explanation for the GAIN switch.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

Anyone that can recommend a pair of closed back headphones that pair well with the Asgard 3 with Multibit card?

Budget around $250. Will only be used for listening to music.

They're ugly, however, would you consider a Sony MDR-7506? ... it might also be classified as a Sony MDR-ZX700 ... or even the MDR-V6 ... Take a look at page 7 of the attached HeadFi buying guide. Happy shopping, eh!

 

[ScubaMan2017]

I'm shopping for a desktop setup for myself and was considering the Asgard 3. I still don't fully understand what I'm loosing out on by the lack of the XLR plug. I was planning on getting the Sennheiser's 6 series, maybe the 660 s. Should I go up to a Jotunheim so I get the XLR balance plug for the Sennheisers?

I think the balanced XLR outputs would be lost on me. As I understand it: XLR cables & XLR input/output (I/O) ports were appropriate for long cable runs... or for environments with a lot of electromagnetic interference.
BTW - my vote for the Sennheisser 6... series. The HD650 or HD600 are fantastic headphones. As long as you don't mind the open-back (and have a reasonably quiet listening environment), they're easy to drive and are very comfortable! They're well-built too!

I doubt you'll regret the Asgard 3 purchase. I own the Magni3/Modi-Multibit/EITR stack. The Asgard 3 has a much more pleasurable (?!) volume knob (I ended up replacing the tiny smooth knobs on my Magni 3 and Vali 2 headphone-amps [for my Wreck-It-Ralph sized hands]).

 

[ColdsnapBry]

I think the balanced XLR outputs would be lost on me. As I understand it: XLR cables & XLR input/output (I/O) ports were appropriate for long cable runs... or for environments with a lot of electromagnetic interference.
BTW - my vote for the Sennheisser 6... series. The HD650 or HD600 are fantastic headphones. As long as you don't mind the open-back (and have a reasonably quiet listening environment), they're easy to drive and are very comfortable! They're well-built too!

I doubt you'll regret the Asgard 3 purchase. I own the Magni3/Modi-Multibit/EITR stack. The Asgard 3 has a much more pleasurable (?!) volume knob (I ended up replacing the tiny smooth knobs on my Magni 3 and Vali 2 headphone-amps [for my Wreck-It-Ralph sized hands]).

Thanks! I ended up getting the HD 6XX along with the Asgard 3. I was hoping to get the newly designed HD 600, but they are not available in the country I am in and the price on the HD 6XX was just too good to pass up. I've got a friend with similar musical taste and he loves his HD 6XX, so i think I'll be happy with them. This should be a decent upgrade from my mp3 player and Koss Porta pros I purchased almost a year ago to upgrade from my usual streaming mp3s and stock earbuds.

 

[tafens]

Thanks! I ended up getting the HD 6XX along with the Asgard 3. I was hoping to get the newly designed HD 600, but they are not available in the country I am in and the price on the HD 6XX was just too good to pass up. I've got a friend with similar musical taste and he loves his HD 6XX, so i think I'll be happy with them. This should be a decent upgrade from my mp3 player and Koss Porta pros I purchased almost a year ago to upgrade from my usual streaming mp3s and stock earbuds.

It most definitely will be

I also have Porta Pros, and vs a properly driven HD6XX (which the Asgard3 will handle easily) the difference is.. very noticeable (to put it mildly).

 

[senorx12562]

It most definitely will be

I also have Porta Pros, and vs a properly driven HD6XX (which the Asgard3 will handle easily) the difference is.. very noticeable (to put it mildly).

I love my porta pros for what they are, but they make the top-end of my hd6xx sound like focals by comparison.

 

[KukoCL]

I'm shopping for a desktop setup for myself and was considering the Asgard 3. I still don't fully understand what I'm loosing out on by the lack of the XLR plug. I was planning on getting the Sennheiser's 6 series, maybe the 660 s. Should I go up to a Jotunheim so I get the XLR balance plug for the Sennheisers?

I had the HD6XX (HD650 from Drop) and now HD660S using the asgard 3 with MB card. The HD660S is a big improvement in every aspect over the HD650 i had, IMHO.

 

[KukoCL]

I want to ask something here that worried me a little yesterday.
We had an ambient temperature of 38°C, damn hot, and my Asgard 3 with MB card was running VERY hot, even i couldn't put my hand on the upper part of the chassis which was the coolest area, more than 5 or 7 seconds.

Could this working temp damage the DAC/Amp combo?

 

[ColdsnapBry]

Haha, well looking forward to putting the Porta Pros aside for a bit and listening to the upgraded sound

 

[ColdsnapBry]

Ah, one last question. How bright is the light inside the Asgard 3? Mine will be next to my bed, I suppose I can open the case and just stick a small piece of electrical tape on top of it?

 

[KukoCL]

Ah, one last question. How bright is the light inside the Asgard 3? Mine will be next to my bed, I suppose I can open the case and just stick a small piece of electrical tape on top of it?

If you are in absolute darkness, you can see the holes projected on your ceiling. It's not a strong light, even if you are in a angle where you can see if directly, it's not annoying.