I'm very much a new Schiit-head but the sound of the Magni 3+ next to the Monoprice 887 THX, both new to me, was enough to not just leave me very impressed and surprised (I mean, that's a $300 difference), but also ordering an Asgard 3 to see if I could get the one thing I preferred on the 887, which was bigger, richer bass.
The Asgard 3 arrived yesterday and last night I got to listening. I haven't even begun the side-by-side comparisons with the Magni 3+ (I'm pretty curious to hear the differences), and the 887 already went back, but I'm already very, very impressed. I've been listening with my HD660S, and honestly the Asgard is almost too powerful -- I have to be careful. The snap and punch from good transient dynamics is still there -- what I preferred in the Magni over the Monoprice -- but it does seem like there's a bit more in the low-end and honestly just that much more detail and soundstage. Even at lower volumes it just feels like everything gets all the power it needs to express itself. I guess that's the sort of thing you get with a well-designed amp that has plenty of power.
My only complaint is that there's a very slight deeper line on the brushed aluminum front, which makes for a minor cosmetic blemish. I hate that I'm neurotic enough to notice, and I'll probably forget about it in a day or so, but it's kinda nagging at me.
