Schiit Asgard 3 Headphone Amp with Continuity Output Stage

Price: $199

Product page: https://www.schiit.com/products/asgard-1

AP555 measurements: https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/Schiit Amp APx555 Standard Test Suite_ Asgard 3.pdf

Not only Bifrost 2, but also Asgard 3 is now up.

 

A few highlights, maybe missed in the hubbub:

1. Asgard 3 has a 5-year warranty. On a $199 product. Yes.
2. It uses really good parts, including the Alps RK27 volume pot--this is a huge step up from a 9mm Alps RK09.
3. It makes a very nice $299 all-in-one with the AK4490 DAC module.

 

@schiit I really enjoyed reading the Asgard 3 chapter, especially the comments about tuning the amp with Naomi. For those who haven't seen it, here's a link: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...bable-start-up.701900/page-3313#post-15152470.

Can you comment on the general tonal richness, timbre and body of Asgard 3 vs. Lyr 3 and Ragnarok 2?

 

Asgard 3 is much more in the Lyr 3 and Ragnarok 2 camp than our previous amps. I think it sounds WAYYYYY more "like a Class A amp" than Asgard 2, ironically.

 

Are we talking dead silent with things like the Campfire Audio Andromeda and Solaris? I'm not a fan of battery powered amps for home use - I've had a set of batteries die after I fell asleep and kill a pair of headphones.

 

Dead silent in low gain.

 

It's like Schiit Christmas today. Asgard 2 was very nice sounding and did fine as a SS amp until I moved to tubes. Definitely curious about this one.

 

If this had come out like 6 months ago when I was more obsessed with the idea of an AIO, I might not have built a Pass WHAMMY, jumped on an ECP L2, and then be "forced" to get a Gungnir Multibit to pair with. I'm happy with how things have turned out, but all that money...

 

Does it sound like Aegir? DOES IT SOUND LIKE AEGIR?!

If it does, I'm getting one

 

The LED light on the inside is a wonderful little addition.

 

For those that have heard this new amp, any opinions on its synergy with HD650?

 

Interested in finding out how it compares with Jotunheim. My guess is that Asgard 3 has warmer and sweeter tonality than Jotunheim has linear and more analytical sounding. My bet is that this is better amp for most of headphones than Jot at cheaper price but only single ended when Jot has balanced In & out.

 

If Bifrost 2 is warm it may pair better with Jot.

 

Hey! No heatsinks or coupling capacitors!

 

"Bottom line, Asgard 3 is a variant of the single-ended, current-feedback topology we've been using in Vidar, Aegir, Magni 3, and Loki Mini. It's closest to an Aegir for headphones, because it's a CFA+Continuity output stage." (source)

 

Do I understand correctly that the Unison USB modules might come out in January? I'm really interested in this as an AIO, and don't particularly feel like buying now and upgrading in 5 months.

 

The full Unison with isolation transformers is not gonna fit on the modules or small DACs any time soon, so don't expect that much of an improvement by January for those. Hopefully they find a way to differentiate it in marketing or else its gonna be confusing.

 

Just thought the easiest way is to make an another option of dac module with coax spdif (or toslink optical) input instead of usb so that general unison-ver eitr can be used.

I don't think AIO at this price level ($300-ish) isn't for hardcore obsessive audiophiles though.

 

I asked them per mail just in case they were willing to share some deetz but we're hearing from it 2019 at the soonest they said. And honestly the add-on boards might be lowest priority...