[runssical]

Yeah...something's not right. Don't have to turn it anywhere near that far on mine (Bifrost OG for DAC)

I nearly hit 4 o'clock for an EMI recording of a Shostakovich symphony. Maybe I got a defective Asgard.

 

[tincanear]

Yes, my volume is 100% on Windows 10 Sound Control Panel for my spdif output. I use WASAPI exclusive mode with Foobar2K. My DAC is fed via Toslink cable.

9 o'clock with HD650 sounds like the polar opposite of my 3 o'clock reality.

As for troubleshooting, I have tried a different power supply for my DAC. I have also tried USB connection to the DAC to bypass my onboard audio driver. Niether experiment had any impact on volume.

The DAC doesn't seem to be the issue. I've had this dac for 10 years and it's never been a problem.

I think someone last week in the Sony Z7M2 Impression thread said they usually keep the volume knob at around 12 o'clock for the Z7M2. I have a version of that headphone and it's much easier to drive than the HD650. So if he needs the volume at 12 o'clock than it's logical that the HD650 is going to need more. I'm just surprised. The Magni seemed more powerful.

do you still have the Magni 3 to swap in as a test? Asgard 3 set to high gain? try turning the volume down to lower 1/4 range, and toggling the left (gain) front panel switch back and forth a few times. should be a big volume jump between the two settings.

 

[runssical]

do you still have the Magni 3 to swap in as a test? Asgard 3 set to high gain? try turning volume down, and toggling the left (gain) front panel switch back and forth a few times.

Sold it last month. The gain switch works. I have it set to high. Flipping it down to low lowers the volume output. On low gain I can actually turn the volume all the way to max and not blow my eardrums out.

This Asgard seems pretty weak. I'm not impressed. I'm going to shoot an email to Schiit and tell them I'm returning it. This 5 pound brick has no more muscle than my LG smartphone

 

[tincanear]

something strange going on with your setup, i think. A3 should have plenty of gain and volume. definitely much louder than my cell phone when driving my old AKG K702's.

 

[runssical]

Runssical I'm using HD-650's with the Asgard TrueMultibit. At first I thought the high gain was the way to go. But, after trying the low gain with the vol. dial at 1:00 o'clock I found I like the sound better. Interestingly enough my other system, and old PS Audio GCHA, and Musical Fidelity M1 DAC hit the same position on the vol. knob.

I guess what I am saying is don't be afraid to crank it up a little more than you might expect. So what DAC are you using, I'm not clear on that?

Edit:

I forgot to add I’m using Tidal with the column on the app. set to be full on.

I don't know how anyone can enjoy the HD650 driven by the Asgard 3. Low gain is so weak I can turn the pot to the max stopper and it's not very loud.

I listen mostly to classical but I did test with some Fleetwood Mac and Kendrick Lamar the other night. Initially I thought it sounded pretty good but the more I listened the more I found the sound underwhelming. Bass is too lean. There's no dynamics. The sound is flat and buttoned up. This is probably more attributable to the HD650 than the Asgard 3.

 

[rids57]

Furthest my Asgard 3 volume goes up to is 12 o'clock with my HD650's and that's on low gain. On high gain it's around 9 o'clock. The HD650's also sound anything but boring, the Asgard 3 drives them well.

 

[jnak00]

@runssical It sounds like there may be something wrong with your amp. Unless you like listening at very, very high volumes. I just can't see how 3:00 on high gain could be your normal listening volume. The Asgard 3 should drive the HD650s no problem. From your description of the sound, it seems like the HD650 is not getting enough power - again suggesting something is wrong with the amp.

 

[Chastity]

@runssical I second the idea of getting your A3 serviced. I have the HD580 Precisions and drive them easily with the A3. (They're 300 ohm) So I suspect there is an issue with that amp. I'm at 8:30 High gain with the DT-1990 Pro 250ohm.

 

[Spy Car]

I don't know how anyone can enjoy the HD650 driven by the Asgard 3. Low gain is so weak I can turn the pot to the max stopper and it's not very loud.

I listen mostly to classical but I did test with some Fleetwood Mac and Kendrick Lamar the other night. Initially I thought it sounded pretty good but the more I listened the more I found the sound underwhelming. Bass is too lean. There's no dynamics. The sound is flat and buttoned up. This is probably more attributable to the HD650 than the Asgard 3.

Rather an absurd comment as there are scads of people in this thread (myself included) that find the pairing of the Asgard 3 and the Sennheiser 650/6xx to be a match made in heaven. Great synergy IMO.

With my setup (which includes an internal 4490 card) it is pretty rare for me to have playback set much beyond 10 o'clock. And that offers plenty of punch. There is no way in the world I could listen at 3 o'clock, as I'd blow out my hearing.

My experience of the sonics of the Asgard 3 paired with my 6xx are diametrically opposed to what you are describing.

Bill

 

[runssical]

I'm returning the Asgard. Hopefully Schiit honors their return policy.

 

[Spy Car]

I'm returning the Asgard. Hopefully Schiit honors their return policy.

They always do. They are a great company with famously great customer support.

Bill

 

[runssical]

They always do. They are a great company with famously great customer support.

Bill

It appears so. I received a return shipping label within 30 minutes of submitting a return request.

 

[ozz]

Electronics occasionally there is a failure every know and then but for the money they offer a terrific bang for the buck I would not write them off over this my Asgard 3 has been driving my HD 580's fine at 12 o'clock and I listen to them louder than I should.

 

[senorx12562]

Well, this whole kerfuffle prompted me to experiment with my system. (BTW, I don't think the turtle meant that placebo doesn't work on him notwithstanding the inartful wording. My guess is that he meant is it doesn't work on him alone) My chain is Node 2i>Gungnir MB>Freya S>A3>6XX. Normally I use the balanced output to the Freya, but to test, i used SE out from Gumby to Freya and passive mode at full volume (essentially a pass through, no different than the Sys @ max volume electronically if I understand correctly, of the latter of which I offer no assurances). The Node's volume control was disabled, as it always is.

To try for a worst-case scenario, I picked a solo acoustic guitar track from one of the lowest level recordings I have (Anthony Phillips-Private Parts And Pieces II) called Nocturne. In high gain, Nocturne with the knob at 3 o'clock is just a little louder than I would choose, but certainly not uncomfortably so. After trying other songs on the album, while some are louder, none are uncomfortably so. Full volume is too loud, but still not to the level of distortion or discomfort with the volume. Changing the Freya to its highest gain setting (4x) with its volume still at maximum, approximately the same volume level as 3 o'clock in passive mode occurs at 11-12 on A3's knob. As an aside, using balanced out from the Gumby to Freya with maximum volume on the Freya, 3 o'clock on the A3 is unlistenably loud, distorting, and and has a much higher noise floor, not to mention starting to overload the inputs on the Freya (at least that's what it sounded like).

Using the title track to Beck's "Colors," my normal listening volume is about 11 o'clock with Freya in passive mode. Anyway, I think the turtle's assertions are plausible, even without a "fault" in the A3, especially with classical music. I really like the A3, and I like it in combination with the 6xx as well. Neither are perfect ofc, and the A3 is probably just not suited to that particular use case. I wish the A3 was a little quieter, but as a $400 combo with the 6xx , I think it is stellar if one wants a warm comfy presentation without losing much technicality-wise. The A3 works even better with the Sundara and Elex. But I don't listen to much classical or acoustic jazz. I have a suspicion that the turtle is going to have to spend a lot more $ to improve upon it though. And the market tells me that his experience with Schitt is very much an outlier.

 

[Riversalt]

Diy