Note also that the A3 cover is different to Jotenheim, so if you watch some of those videos, you'll only get part of the story.
-The knob of the A3 isnt secured with a hex key, it pulls straight off. Be firm when you do this and pull directly away from the chassis, it will come off. You'll see a notch you can use to line it up when you put it back later.
-A3 is easier to take the cover off, just take out the top screws. I think there may have been one or two at the back as well iirc.
-To get the DAC card lined up straight, I had to remove the bottom screws, to get just enough width.
Take your time, don’t force anything, otherwise it’s kind of a fun project.
Note also that the A3 cover is different to Jotenheim, so if you watch some of those videos, you'll only get part of the story.
-The knob of the A3 isnt secured with a hex key, it pulls straight off. Be firm when you do this and pull directly away from the chassis, it will come off. You'll see a notch you can use to line it up when you put it back later.
-A3 is easier to take the cover off, just take out the top screws. I think there may have been one or two at the back as well iirc.
-To get the DAC card lined up straight, I had to remove the bottom screws, to get just enough width.
Take your time, don’t force anything, otherwise it’s kind of a fun project.
Thanks! Exactly what I was looking for (and the prev. link was helpful too). Just wanted to confirm that it's just removing the chassis and screwing in rather than any type of soldering or something like that.
neweymatt is correct that A3 top cover removal is different than Jotunheim OG. some A3's have volume knobs with setscrews (like mine does), other A3's have a push-on knob (no setscrew).
Also, the A3 has a thermal interface pad between the red circuit board and the case bottom. I recommend, if at all possible, not loosening/ disturbing the main circuit board and the thermal interface, but instead finessing the DAC module and the rear bracket into position.
Looking for a DAC to go with my Asgard 3.
I'm in Europe so other Schiit products are not available. I would like something future proof. I prefer smooth, non fatiguing sound.
the A3, being a HP amp with plenty of power into lower impedances, should be able to drive longer RCA cables (20-30') to the power amp (Vidar). One could place the source and A3 stack near the listening location and the Vidar closer to the speakers (use shorter, large gauge (10-16 AWG) speaker wires for best damping factor). high quality RCA cables with coax or shielded twisted pair generally have a bit lower capacitance per foot than shielded star-quad cables.
remember to turn down the volume when plugging/ unplugging HP's to switch between headphone and speaker modes.
Looking for a DAC to go with my Asgard 3.
I'm in Europe so other Schiit products are not available. I would like something future proof. I prefer smooth, non fatiguing sound.
I use a Khadas Tone Board as a DAC for my Asgard 3 (~$80 USD). It is a very neutral DAC, no colouration. Measurements are very good, but of course that is not the be all and end all. Only thing is it comes as a naked board without a box, but most sellers offer an acrylic box for a few bucks more.
Looking for a DAC to go with my Asgard 3.
I'm in Europe so other Schiit products are not available. I would like something future proof. I prefer smooth, non fatiguing sound.
Looking for a DAC to go with my Asgard 3.
I'm in Europe so other Schiit products are not available. I would like something future proof. I prefer smooth, non fatiguing sound
I just got an smsl su9n and I think its pretty well future proofed by the specs and feature set. Tests clean, top numbers. Might be overkill for single ended amp. Topping makes the D50s I think thats the most future proofed of rca-only dacs. Bluetooth, DSD, audibly transparent etc.
My new Asgard 3 is scheduled to arrive from the US this Wednesday according to FedEx. I have already purchased a Modi 3+ DAC from my usual Australian supplier to pair with it from my iMac.
I am examining my motives for purchasing the A3 which I'll explain here. My main DAC/Amp is the excellent Burson Playmate 2, It's powerful at 3.5 Watts into 16 ohms and this is one of the reasons I've got it. I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD650s and I simply can't hear what a lot of people say about how good they are. To me they sound like a pair of cans costing about a third of the price. However, the message I've received is that if I use the right amp, one with gobs of power, then the 650s will just come to life. My thinking was that the Burson had this power but it's not on display when I use the 650s with it.
So I did some research and googled something along the lines of 'best amp for HD650s'. The Dark Voice 336SE came up on quite a few sites but I'm not really interested in tubes and something that will only drive high impedance cans. Non tube amps mentioned included the more expensive Bursons and the Aune, but these are all relatively expensive. Then the A3 started to appear and when I saw what it cost I though 'no way, not for that price!'. It wasn't until someone published the power ouput specs that I sat up and took notice. 3.5W into 32 ohms - man that's more than twice the power output of the Burson. I then started reading and watching reviews and if this amp is as good as many say it is then I'm due for a very pleasant surprise.
Now the dilemma ostensibly, I've bought the A3 and the Modi 3+ specifically to drive just one set of headphones and I won't know until I pair them up whether this will bring out the best in the 650s. Doesn't sound like prudent purchasing does it? However, there is more to this tale. I also have a pair of HD580s and I absolutely love them. They are my go to cans for the likes of chamber music and solo instruments as well as the human voice. The PM2 has certainly improved what I initially heard from them so, will the A3 make them even better yet? At 300 ohms impedance I certainly hope so. I'll also be interested to see how they work with my Audeze LCD1s. Now, unlike most planars, they only have an impedance of 16 ohms and my PM2 drives them beautifully. What I like about the A3 is that it will apparently work equally well with low impedance headphones as well so I'll be able to use my Flare iems too. Will it make them sound better? I suppose I'm going to find out.
My new Asgard 3 is scheduled to arrive from the US this Wednesday according to FedEx. I have already purchased a Modi 3+ DAC from my usual Australian supplier to pair with it from my iMac.
I am examining my motives for purchasing the A3 which I'll explain here. My main DAC/Amp is the excellent Burson Playmate 2, It's powerful at 3.5 Watts into 16 ohms and this is one of the reasons I've got it. I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD650s and I simply can't hear what a lot of people say about how good they are. To me they sound like a pair of cans costing about a third of the price. However, the message I've received is that if I use the right amp, one with gobs of power, then the 650s will just come to life. My thinking was that the Burson had this power but it's not on display when I use the 650s with it.
So I did some research and googled something along the lines of 'best amp for HD650s'. The Dark Voice 336SE came up on quite a few sites but I'm not really interested in tubes and something that will only drive high impedance cans. Non tube amps mentioned included the more expensive Bursons and the Aune, but these are all relatively expensive. Then the A3 started to appear and when I saw what it cost I though 'no way, not for that price!'. It wasn't until someone published the power ouput specs that I sat up and took notice. 3.5W into 32 ohms - man that's more than twice the power output of the Burson. I then started reading and watching reviews and if this amp is as good as many say it is then I'm due for a very pleasant surprise.
Now the dilemma ostensibly, I've bought the A3 and the Modi 3+ specifically to drive just one set of headphones and I won't know until I pair them up whether this will bring out the best in the 650s. Doesn't sound like prudent purchasing does it? However, there is more to this tale. I also have a pair of HD580s and I absolutely love them. They are my go to cans for the likes of chamber music and solo instruments as well as the human voice. The PM2 has certainly improved what I initially heard from them so, will the A3 make them even better yet? At 300 ohms impedance I certainly hope so. I'll also be interested to see how they work with my Audeze LCD1s. Now, unlike most planars, they only have an impedance of 16 ohms and my PM2 drives them beautifully. What I like about the A3 is that it will apparently work equally well with low impedance headphones as well so I'll be able to use my Flare iems too. Will it make them sound better? I suppose I'm going to find out.
Yeah the Asgard 3 can power high impedance demanding cans, but also highly sensitivity low impedance multi driver IEMs. That's what I like about the Asgard 3, the low output impedance of less than 0.2 ohms makes it suitable for low impedance IEMs. I get zero hiss and no channel imbalance even with highly sensitive IEMs.
My new Asgard 3 is scheduled to arrive from the US this Wednesday according to FedEx. I have already purchased a Modi 3+ DAC from my usual Australian supplier to pair with it from my iMac.
I am examining my motives for purchasing the A3 which I'll explain here. My main DAC/Amp is the excellent Burson Playmate 2, It's powerful at 3.5 Watts into 16 ohms and this is one of the reasons I've got it. I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD650s and I simply can't hear what a lot of people say about how good they are. To me they sound like a pair of cans costing about a third of the price. However, the message I've received is that if I use the right amp, one with gobs of power, then the 650s will just come to life. My thinking was that the Burson had this power but it's not on display when I use the 650s with it.
So I did some research and googled something along the lines of 'best amp for HD650s'. The Dark Voice 336SE came up on quite a few sites but I'm not really interested in tubes and something that will only drive high impedance cans. Non tube amps mentioned included the more expensive Bursons and the Aune, but these are all relatively expensive. Then the A3 started to appear and when I saw what it cost I though 'no way, not for that price!'. It wasn't until someone published the power ouput specs that I sat up and took notice. 3.5W into 32 ohms - man that's more than twice the power output of the Burson. I then started reading and watching reviews and if this amp is as good as many say it is then I'm due for a very pleasant surprise.
Now the dilemma ostensibly, I've bought the A3 and the Modi 3+ specifically to drive just one set of headphones and I won't know until I pair them up whether this will bring out the best in the 650s. Doesn't sound like prudent purchasing does it? However, there is more to this tale. I also have a pair of HD580s and I absolutely love them. They are my go to cans for the likes of chamber music and solo instruments as well as the human voice. The PM2 has certainly improved what I initially heard from them so, will the A3 make them even better yet? At 300 ohms impedance I certainly hope so. I'll also be interested to see how they work with my Audeze LCD1s. Now, unlike most planars, they only have an impedance of 16 ohms and my PM2 drives them beautifully. What I like about the A3 is that it will apparently work equally well with low impedance headphones as well so I'll be able to use my Flare iems too. Will it make them sound better? I suppose I'm going to find out.
Just to compare, the Playmate 2 is 150mW @ 300 ohm. The Asgard 3 is 600mW @ 300 ohm, so you'll have 4x the output power.
You also mentioned you have the HD-580. Are these the original HD-580 Precisions / Jubilee, or the later HD-58x? Because if you have the original HD-580, then the HD-650 will be more of the same than different. Also, the Drop HD-6XX is the HD-650, but at 1/2 the cost.
Also, how much was the shipping to AU? I have a friend in NSW looking for a stack setup.
Just to compare, the Playmate 2 is 150mW @ 300 ohm. The Asgard 3 is 600mW # 300 ohm, so you'll have 4x the output power.
You also mentioned you have the HD-580. Are these the original HD-580 Precisions / Jubilee, or the later HD-58x? Because if you have the original HD-580, then the HD-650 will be more of the same than different. Also, the Drop HD-6XX is the HD-650, but at 1/2 the cost.
Also, how much was the shipping to AU? I have a friend in NSW looking for a stack setup.
My HD580s are original Precisions, made in Ireland with the raised name plate making them third gen I believe. The 580s are very different to the 650s in sound, imaging and soundstage. At this point, via my Burson, I think they are superior to the 650s but the A3 may change all that. The only area where the 650s are superior is the bass and that .could also do with some improvement.
I bought directly from Schiit because Addicted to Audio did not have them in stock. Neither did Schiit when I ordered them but this has been resolved in just over two weeks. The shipping method I used was about $AUS55 which is not bad from the US. I contacted ATA about when they might have the Asgard back in stock but they weren't sure. If your friend in NSW wants to wait for a while ATA may have them soon. They are an outstanding company to deal with.
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