Schiit Asgard: Unboxing and First Impressions

[headbob]

Quote:

 
Using my LA D2000 Lites, I listened to the soundtrack of Xanadu (stop laughing).  

 

Good to hear you're enjoying you Asgard.

 

[HK_sends]

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Good to hear you're enjoying you Asgard.

Thanks!  I am...
...and I really like your avatar.
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

 

[immtbiker]

Hey, if if anyone is really interested that is really likes their Asgard, and is wondering about the other amps in it's price-point, I would be willing to do a one or two week trade for an amp of mine, so that we can compare. Most of my amps are more, but it opens an opportunity to try different strokes. I have a Raptor, or an Amphora, or a HR Desktop. They all cost more, but they can really solidify, whether or not the Asgard was a good decision. 
 
I recently did a swap for the LCD-2 with the HE-5LE w/ kwkarth, and sans meet conditions, you can really have some good, quiet time with something you might have been
wondering about. It's really one of the finer points of being a trusted HF member.
 
I am really looking forward to getting a Valhalla from Jason, which should come the end of August.

 

[sachu]

^^ aah so that was your HE5LE that i got ot listen the other day i was with Kevin at the 32 Ohm audio store..

 

[TheWuss]

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I would be willing to do a one or two week trade for an amp of mine (snip)

whoa. 
this just got good.
 

 

[immtbiker]

It's how I roll, dude.
Actually, right now, I'd like to do a short term trade with anyone who has a balanced amp,
because I own balanced ins, but not outs, and I'd really like to hear my new 7000's sing, instead of dumbing them down
to single ended output.

 

[Yikes]

Dude, with that adapter there's no degradation. You don't need a balanced amp, you just want one.

 

[immtbiker]

No, if you say that it sounds just as good single ended as balanced, I trust you.
 
That, and in one sentence you just killed a multi-hundred thousand $$$ industry,

 

[Yikes]

You can always use a better amp, but just because an amp is balanced doesn't mean that it's a better amp. By all means borrow a balanced amp, it's always fun to play with new stuff.

 

[Maxvla]

Biker, now why'd you have to go and do a thing like that! Got me thinking about a Raptor swap with my Little Dot MKVI balanced.. I'd need to get the fans fixed first though cause they are giving me a slight whirly mechanical rumble.

 

[SP Wild]

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 a multi-hundred thousand $$$ industry,

You're not exaggerating there...most will just say multimillion.

 

[kwkarth]

This whole myth about a conventional amp driving only "half" the headphone driver is just that, ...a myth.  There is no technical reason why a non-balanced headphone amp cannot be just as good or better than any "balanced" headphone amp.  Let's dispense with the myths.  What were called "balanced" headphone amps in their day was a very cleaver idea, allowing doubling the power output and slew rate of an existing stock of amplifier modules by bridging pairs without re-designing the modules.  It was state of the art for its day.  That's all history now.  Let's move on!!  

I'm not saying that "balanced" headphone amps are bad, they're not, but all other things being equal, being called "balanced" does not make them any better.  The things like quality of components, technology, topology, current and voltage delivery capability, attention to detail, etc. are what make the difference.  None of the things that make today's "balanced" headphone amps great are necessarily unique to what are called "balanced" headphone amps.

 

[Yikes]

Hmmm........... Sadoequinenecrobeastiality.

 

[kwkarth]

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Hmmm........... Sadoequinenecrobeastiality.

I know, I know, beating a dead horse...  But I didn't enjoy it overly much, honest!
 
Cheers!

 

[Yikes]

You're not suppose to spell it out, and what is HF for but doing so.