Has anyone else been having overheating issues with the Asgard 3 this summer? I might be one of the unlucky ones living without proper air conditioning, but I noticed that on particularly hot days, especially if the air is stuffy, the amp heats up way more than I feel comfortable with, to the point that I have to periodically turn it off if I don't have a fan running nearby.
I don't use my Asgard 2 or Asgard 3 during the summer months because they run hot. While the Asgard 2 is pure class A
and does run extremely hot based on its design, the Asgard 3 is supposed to run in class A up to 500 mw (1/2 watt) and then switch over to class AB mode. What I have found is that my Asgard 3 seems to stay in class A mode because of the high efficiency of many of the headphones I use it with, so its chassis gets warm during the winter, but can run hot during the summer.
Also, the area on the bottom of the Asgard 3 where the transformer is seems to run as hot as the entire chassis on the Asgard 2.
Please keep in mind that because of the heat produced by the A2 and A3, I only run my Schiit Jotunheim 1 ( which operates in Class AB all the time) during the summer months of the year, because it does run significantly cooler.
As for performance, I have found the Asgard 3 and Jotunheim 1 offer lots of flexibility, and as such, sound good with both high as well as low impedance dynamic and planar magnetic headphones.
On the other hand, the A2 in my experience is more finicky and really synergizes well with inexpensive planars like my Fostex T60RP, T50RP MK3 and Hifiman HE4XX. There's just something about this combo that works for me.
I purchased my Asgard 3 before the Covid 19 debacle when it was just $199 and at the time I found myself asking how Schiit could build a headphone amplifier of such high quality so inexpensively. I continue to have the same thought after much listening time with the A3, and believe that it remains an excellent value at its current $249 retail price.
This is especially pertinent given the Asgard 3's flexibility because it can easily drive so many different headphones. And
the fact that it's priced so that just about any music lover can afford one. I've had mine for nearly two years and continue to enjoy it. The 5 year warranty is also a nice bonus.