[El_Doug]

There are so many amps on the market... and while synergy is indeed an important aspect from a "matching of sound signatures" perspective, there must be an option for avoiding amp coloration altogether.  I want an amp that: 
 
- Will provide all the current and voltage I need
- Will do so into any varying load
- Have lightning fast transient response
- Reproduce a nearly perfect square wave at all frequencies
- Has a power supply which will provide everything the amp wants, lickety split
- Has minimal phase issues
- Minimizes distortion
- Has no rolloff or other frequency response anomalies
- Maximizes channel separation
- plus anything else I may have missed
 
 
surely after 100 years of research, something like this can be built... at the very least, there must be an amp which is closer to this ideal than any other.  the question is, where is it? 
 
 
 
 
if anyone can point me in the right direction, i will send you a pizza roll

 

[Cymbal Monkey]

I hear the M^3 fits that bill.

 

[kunalraiker]

I would recommend any of the neutral audio-gd amps, they are supposed to be a wire with gain designs, check their website.

 

[Uncle Erik]

How about a Gilmore Lite or Dynalo? Earlier today, I saw one going for about $200 in the For Sale Forum.

If you really want to hit the ball out of the park, buy two Dynalos and combine them into a Dynamid, or Gilmore Reference. Some years back, that was considered one of the finest headphones amps at any price.

Still haven't had time to put mine together yet... I built a Dynalo some years ago and have since picked up a stuffed, working Dynalo board off here. I've got two STEPs already built and just need a little time to mix them together.

 

[FallenAngel]

Dynalo is definitely a great choice.

 

[El_Doug]

Nothing better since 2001?  Why doesnt everyone own one of these?  Why didnt Justin continue making them? 

 

[Asr]

I think your list of requirements might be asking a bit too much from the Dynalo and I'd guess those might be better met by either the B22 or Dynahi - or, since the Dynahi has unobtanium parts (last I heard), a Dynafet.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

There are so many amps on the market... and while synergy is indeed an important aspect from a "matching of sound signatures" perspective, there must be an option for avoiding amp coloration altogether.  I want an amp that: 
 
- Will provide all the current and voltage I need
- Will do so into any varying load
- Have lightning fast transient response
- Reproduce a nearly perfect square wave at all frequencies
- Has a power supply which will provide everything the amp wants, lickety split
- Has minimal phase issues
- Minimizes distortion
- Has no rolloff or other frequency response anomalies
- Maximizes channel separation
- plus anything else I may have missed
 
surely after 100 years of research, something like this can be built... at the very least, there must be an amp which is closer to this ideal than any other.  the question is, where is it? 
 
if anyone can point me in the right direction, i will send you a pizza roll

So, what do you think of the Schiit Asgard, Doug?

 

[kunalraiker]

Quote:

So, what do you think of the Schiit Asgard, Doug?

what opamps does it use,it would be hard to believe that the Asgard would compare to mid-fi SS amps.

 

[kwkarth]

 
Quote:

what opamps does it use,it would be hard to believe that the Asgard would compare to mid-fi SS amps.

 

Heh... You're quite right, it simply doesn't compare.  It's in a different league altogether.

Asgard is a fully discrete, Class A, single-ended FET headphone amplifier with no overall feedback and a noninverting circuit topology. Its high-current design makes it uniquely suitable for low-impedance headphones.  Made in the USA.

1. Headphone Impedance: 8-600 ohms
2. Frequency Response: 2Hz-200KHz, -3dB
3. Maximum Output: 20V P-P
4. THD: Less than 0.1%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V
5. Topology: Fully discrete FET, Class-A single-ended, zero feedback, noninverting, single voltage gain stage
6. Power Consumption: 35W
7. Size: 9 x 6.75 x 2.25”
8. Weight: 4 lbs

 

 

 

 

 

[Ruffle]

If you want Wire with Gain, I wonder how a Dynalo compares to with a very well designed discrete amplifier?
 
And still no pictures of the Asgaard interior, all I see are these metal box pics.
 
Read Schiit's FAQ and About on their website, sounds like a great duo and with excellent amps.  Doug if you buy it, write up a review with some interior pictures?
 
I'm wondering how it does with a comparable Chinese amplifier like the Fun from Audio-GD.  Schiit claims the Asgaard is zero feedback.  How does that affect the sound when compared to the Fun/Compass that uses the discrete OPA in a DC Servo. I am not an audio engineer, but reading it seems a DC Servo is uses a feedback loop to control output?

 

[El_Doug]

I would love for the best of the best amps to be $250 - it would be my dream come true.  Somehow though, I have a hard time believing that a zero feedback amp could be the most accurate.  I will gladly buy it, if yall truly believe that this amp most closely matches the bulk of my preferences listed in the first post. 
 
I am certainly no EE, but there are so few parts in there... can there really be such a degree of control and linearity as to compete with amps with 10x the components?  If so, why does anyone even make amps with so many more parts? 
 
Quote:

So, what do you think of the Schiit Asgard, Doug?

 

 

[Ruffle]

Yeah not much in there.  I would be curious about that also.  Finally found a picture, it's very sparse in there.
 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

I would love for the best of the best amps to be $250 - it would be my dream come true.  Somehow though, I have a hard time believing that a zero feedback amp could be the most accurate.  I will gladly buy it, if yall truly believe that this amp most closely matches the bulk of my preferences listed in the first post. 
 
I am certainly no EE, but there are so few parts in there... can there really be such a degree of control and linearity as to compete with amps with 10x the components?  If so, why does anyone even make amps with so many more parts? 

I'm not saying this amp is the best of the best...  There are a lot of dependencies here to consider.  Best in what category?
There is certainly merit in elegant simplicity.  Is it the only figure of merit?  No.
 
The thing to do is to listen to this or any other amp and decide for yourself if it has the merit you're looking for.  Straight wire with gain?  I think it hits pretty close to the mark.
 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Yeah not much in there.  I would be curious about that also.  Finally found a picture, it's very sparse in there.

Are you saying the fewer the components used, the poorer quality it is?  In my experience, the lower the parts count one can use to achieve one's design goals, the better.  Higher reliability, greater mean time between failure, etc.
 
Listen, then judge.