Schiit Asgard: Unboxing and First Impressions

[sampson_smith]

Thanks very much for your impressions Jude and all others who have rung in to express their interest in this rather nice looking amp. I look forward to reading more once a better general idea of what this Schiit is good for is reached. Until then, I will be putting money in the swear jar every time I expound upon the expected virtues of this new contender out loud. Shouldn't take long before I can afford one!

 

[fishski13]

 
Quote:

Hmmm... the "it's inexpensive and therefore you can trust that it won't fail" argument.

nah, as a DIYer i can say the profit margins are tight and time is money.  determining safe operating temps and thermal management is very basic.  offering a 5 yr. guarantee with a flip attitude to competent design = disaster in the face of tight profit margins.  this is assuming that the engineer is competent and the bean counters can add 2+2.    

 

[kite7]

After 50 hours, the differences between the HDP and Asgard in bass is unchanged. The HDP is clearly better in that area from un-boxing and now, easily noticeable through A/B without any need of concentration. It doesn't seem like the Asgard will be catching in up that area and the HDP really packs a punch and goes deeper, making my RS1 more dynamic. I'll try to do a deeper comparison after 24 more hours of burn-in. I also plan to compare the uDAC headphone amp vs the Asgard later as well for those with the uDAC wondering if the Asgard works well with it.

 

[Br777]

The three amp showdown has begun...

 

[kite7]

For a second I thought your replacement already arrived

. Looking forward to the comparison between your EF5 and Asgard

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

 

nah, as a DIYer i can say the profit margins are tight and time is money.  determining safe operating temps and thermal management is very basic.  offering a 5 yr. guarantee with a flip attitude to competent design = disaster in the face of tight profit margins.  this is assuming that the engineer is competent and the bean counters can add 2+2.    

NP. I was just having fun.

 

[DDVX]

Haven't seen any comparisons to the Matrix M-Stage. Any comments on this? Currently use the Audinst hud-mx1 as dac/amp but was considering getting a separate amp and using the audinst as a dac...haven't seen any setups like that though.

 

[ghahn]

kite7, thanks for the pictures, I guess I'm surprised how much bigger it is than the HDP.  I wouldn't have guessed until until seeing them side by side.

 

[FEAST]

I'm looking to buy an amp.
 
Currently I'm using:
 
Sound blaster audigy 2ZS   >>   TEAC CR-H227i CD/Receiver Combo  >>  Sennheiser HD570/Grado SR60
 
I'm thinking about some HD600's and an amp and DAC to match (PC).  I'm think HDP, Asgard, maybe Valhalla, maybe Ray Samuels?
 
Can anyone give me some solid advice about what I should consider?  My budget for both a DAC and AMP is about 600$.  I cant really listen to try things out where I live and I listen to every style of music from Rap, to Rock, to classical and jazz.  I of course use all lossless audio.
 
 
 
 
Also: I am very surprised at how small the HDP for all of its parts and that it can compete with an amp-only like the Asgard.

 

[kite7]

Quote:

kite7, thanks for the pictures, I guess I'm surprised how much bigger it is than the HDP.  I wouldn't have guessed until until seeing them side by side.

The HDP sure makes the Asgard look big because the HDP itself is quite slim and compact. The size of the Asgard isn't bad at all and I've seen much bigger amps so they make the Asgard seem small.
 
Quote:

Also: I am very surprised at how small the HDP for all of its parts and that it can compete with an amp-only like the Asgard.

The HDP is a very good value product and really has shown me that size does not hinder its performance,  that bigger with more parts is not always better. With well over 100 hours burn in on the Asgard and HDP, it is more like the Asgard that is trying to compete against the HDP's amp. It's not a massive difference but there are a few details that make it stand taller than the Asgard, making the sound more complete with my RS1. The Asgard is still impressive to me and I believe it should sound great with all Grados. I'm still trying to write up a short comparison between the two but haven't gotten around to finishing it.

 

[FEAST]

Intersting, I'm also very interested in a comparison between the DAC in the HDP and a DAC like the Cambridge Audio DACmagic.  If  a 450$ HDP sounds better than a 400$ DAC and a 250$ amp, then, thats crazy.
 
I just cant help but wondering if it is just the synergy between the HDP's DAC and its amp that are making it sound so good.  Maybe if you tried a 3rd party DAC and compared it using some grado's and sennheisers then we would get better impressions as to what to buy.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Intersting, I'm also very interested in a comparison between the DAC in the HDP and a DAC like the Cambridge Audio DACmagic.  If  a 450$ HDP sounds better than a 400$ DAC and a 250$ amp, then, thats crazy.
 
I just cant help but wondering if it is just the synergy between the HDP's DAC and its amp that are making it sound so good.  Maybe if you tried a 3rd party DAC and compared it using some grado's and sennheisers then we would get better impressions as to what to buy.

You also have to consider what headphones are being driven, therefore the output capabilities of the amp.
 

 

[FEAST]

I'm about to buy some sennheiser HD600's (I currently have HD570's and Grado SR60's) and am looking for an amp an DAC to match.  Someone suggested that the DACmagic and Little Dot MK VI were a great match with the 600's so I've been looking into the DACmagic and a Little Dot MK VIII, Asgard, Valhalla, and just about any other amp sub 800$.
 
I really dont know what to get because I dont have the option of listening before I buy.
 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

I'm about to buy some sennheiser HD600's (I currently have HD570's and Grado SR60's) and am looking for an amp an DAC to match.  Someone suggested that the DACmagic and Little Dot MK VI were a great match with the 600's so I've been looking into the DACmagic and a Little Dot MK VIII, Asgard, Valhalla, and just about any other amp sub 800$.
 
I really dont know what to get because I dont have the option of listening before I buy.
 

 
Not having heard the Asgard, I can say the HDP is a good match for the HD600.
 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Not having heard the Asgard, I can say the HDP is a good match for the HD600.

The Asgard is an excellent match for the HD600.  They were made for each other!