Schiit Owners Unite

[hodgjy]

We seem to have several threads of Schiit (or Schiit threads) weaving throughout Head-Fi, which are hard to keep track of from day to day.  Based on the highly successful "Woo Owners Unite" thread, which I am also a member, I think we should have a Schiit owners thread.  I found the Woo thread to be a great place to talk about gear we have in common and make connections on a more personal level. 
 
I hope this Schiit thread is a good place for us owners to hang out and chat.
 
I'll go first.  I have the Asgard and really like it.  I think it's a smooth and very musical amp.  It pairs very nicely with my HD600s and DT900/600s.  I don't think I'll ever sell or trade it.  It's a keeper.
 
P.S. Dear moderators, I searched many times looking for such a thread, and I found none to exist.  My apologies in advance if this thread is a duplicate.  Delete or merge at will!

 

[Raser]

Im going to be a Asgard owner probably next week. Lots of positive opinions, hope that it will be worth the money

 

[wberghofer]

I'll go first.  I have the Asgard and really like it.[…]

 
Mind if I join? There are two Bifrost DACs, two Valhallas and one Lyr in my home. I’m very happy with this equipment!
 
Werner.
 

 

[BlueAlien]

I just received my Bifrost and Lyr this week for my AKG k702's. Being both my first dedicated Dac and headphone amp, I am blown away by the sound. I'll have to start tube rolling soon too!

  

 

[Locknar]

Quote:

We seem to have several threads of Schiit (or Schiit threads) weaving throughout Head-Fi, which are hard to keep track of from day to day.  Based on the highly successful "Woo Owners Unite" thread, which I am also a member, I think we should have a Schiit owners thread.  I found the Woo thread to be a great place to talk about gear we have in common and make connections on a more personal level. 
 
I hope this Schiit thread is a good place for us owners to hang out and chat.
 
I'll go first.  I have the Asgard and really like it.  I think it's a smooth and very musical amp.  It pairs very nicely with my HD600s and DT900/600s.  I don't think I'll ever sell or trade it.  It's a keeper.
 
P.S. Dear moderators, I searched many times looking for such a thread, and I found none to exist.  My apologies in advance if this thread is a duplicate.  Delete or merge at will!

What's happening hodgjy! 
 
If I remember correctly you posted in a thread regarding the Onkyo C-S5VL Super Audio CD player. I probably could of done a quick search to verify this but I'm rather lazy, so if this is correct, are you using this primarily as your source with the Asgard? I recently purchased one to pair with my Lyr but have yet to hook it all up as I've had to move my office/listening room to another smaller room to accommodate my second child (it's actually been almost 5 months... lazy!). Are you still using filter 4? I know the Asgard is a different animal than the Lyr but they are from the same Schiit family. I guess this is more of a "Budget Audiophile CD Players Unite" question. Thanks!
 

J
 

 

[hodgjy]

You are correct.  I'm still using the Onkyo and I still like it a lot.  I primarily use it as the source for my Trafomatic, but it still gets plugged into the Asgard.  They are a good combo.  The Onkyo is quite smooth, and so is the Asgard.  I switch between filter 4 and 5. I found filter 4 to be the smoothest, but it's not as airy as filter 5.  Filter 5 is more airy, but has a little more treble roll off than filter 4.  So, I switch back and forth depending on my mood and the recording quality.

 

[Dennito]

I'm happy to join in albeit prematurely. My Asgard is en route and should be delivered this week. I bought it after reading every page of the "unboxing the Schiit Asgard" thread. There were many happy owners and only two dissenters. I was also impressed by the way Jason of Schiit was very responsive to issues and concerns. Schiit seems like a terrific company with which to do business. Really looking forward to firing up the Asgard and comparing it to the Fiio E9.

 

[Locknar]

Nice! Thanks for the impressions. I too bought the Onkyo primarily for redbook playback and from the reviews, the overwhelming consensus seems to be that filter 4 is the sweet spot. Of course I will try them all to judge for myself, but it's nice to hear from a fellow headphone and Schiit (ha ha) enthusiast. I'll be sure to post my impressions on this thread as soon as I have it all up and running.
 

J

 

[hodgjy]

The Onkyo is an interesting player because I think it's better at redbook than SACD. That is fine with me because I only own about four SACDs. I think it's a very good player that performs at its price point. It's better than some of my low end players, but I've demoed some better players costing quite a bit more.

 

[Locknar]

Quote:

The Onkyo is an interesting player because I think it's better at redbook than SACD. That is fine with me because I only own about four SACDs. I think it's a very good player that performs at its price point. It's better than some of my low end players, but I've demoed some better players costing quite a bit more.

That's the rub I think "better players costing quite a bit more". If I haven't heard them then I don't know what I'm missing. I'm not one to lay down a 100%-1000% more money for slight to moderate improvements. I'm more than happy with "mid-fi"... unless of course I find myself rolling in dough one day. Your review was one of the reasons I chose the Onkyo over the Marantz (5004?), so thanks again. Of course I still haven't actually used it. I'm sure I'll dig it though. 
 

J
 

 

[hodgjy]

I'm glad my review helped!

I've always said the jump from low fi to mid fi is a lot cheaper and easier than the jump from mid fi to hi fi. For example, a $350 CD player will be noticeably better than a $35 player. But getting noticeable improvement over a $350 player may require breaking the $1000 mark. I'm quite happy with my $350 Onkyo. It sounds smoother and more musical than my Yamaha universal player, which cost $500 when new (I got it for $79 on an Amazon blow out special). I realize this statement contradicts what I just said, but I consider it apples to oranges because the Yamaha is really a DVD player with the added function of CD playback, so it's not a dedicated CD player with the best music circuitry in mind.

 

[Locknar]

Sorry hodgjy! Seems I may have derailed your thread before it's had a chance with all the Onkyo talk. So back on track... I'm a Schiit lover. Especially my Schiit (the Lyr). To my ears, it's a killer amp. It's also really cool looking and very affordable considering the quality construction and performance comparative to other more pricey amps (Caveat: based on what I've read, this is the most expensive amp I've owned or even heard). To top it off the customer care is top notch and friendly. Very happy with my Schiit! 
 

J

 

[hodgjy]

You didn't derail anything. CD players are certainly germane to any headphone conversation.

I've been using my Asgard more than normal lately because I'm waiting for a new rectifier tube to arrive for my tube amp. While I am waiting, I thought I'd use my Asgard more. I put some highly difficult, detailed music through it and it came out like a champ. Its soundstage isn't as wide as my tube amp, but it is almost as smooth as musical. I really like it. It's a pretty darn good accomplishment from the guys at Schiit to get that much of an amp into $250.

 

[Misterrogers]

Long time (relatively) Schiit user/fan. 1 Asgard, 2 Lyrs, 2 Bifrosts (USB). Bang for buck, they're hard to beat. Top notch support, american made, good people - what's not to like?

 

[MattTCG]

I'm not an owner but looking to buy the Asgard. It seems to be very nice. I had the lyr for a short while and it ran very hot. Is that normal with this line?