Thanks for posting, Alex! Iām not using my Asgard as much as I did. It was my workhorse until I moved to a Liquid Plat. But I gained more respect for the A3 after using the Liquid Plat. The LP is the better amp, but itās not leagues above, IMO. When I move back into an office someday for work, the A3 will likely go with me. The A3 is a standout performer and its $200 asking price makes it a damn good deal. The A3 is THE amp to buy at $200, IMO. If THX hadnāt been so initially overhyped, I really think Schiit could have pretty much killed off THX amp tech with this amp.
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Cant agree more, and with the Magnius they kind of did give the THX and many other amps a thunking with a $199 balanced ampā¦
More yet to come!!
Alex
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My A3/4490 just arrived, and itās pretty fantastic. Listening with my HD650s and, among other things, have increased respect for them. Now I need to go through my library and listen to everything again.
By the way, I really dig the knob and the fact that itās not digital: thereās a direct correlation between how much I move it and how loud the music gets, and I canāt turn it anywhere close to max before itās painful.
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And youāre using the AK DAC, lol. AK DAC gives you 2 or 3 times less volume than an external DAC plugged into the RCAs. HD650s are easy to drive ā this amp is quite a beast for the price and can power a lot of things.
Yes. I use my phone as the source, and if Iāve maxed the volume on the phone, then the volume on the amp can reach painful levels.
One day Iāll stack a mobius, but I appreciate having an all in one on my already crowded desk.
Now where the hell did I put my DT880/600s? I havenāt touched them in over a year and am really curious to see what this amp does with them.
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Looks like asgard 3 is on backorder till next month.
I think COVID-19 has caused production issues for Schiit. It has been literal months since Schiit UK has had stock of Asgard. I ended up ordering from Schiit USA in early July when the status was āin production, 5-7 daysā but even then it took until end of July to ship out. Not complaining at all - just stating observations. I hope things get less difficult for businesses that are affected.
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Ok. I found the DT880/600 and yeah. So good. They just have a remarkable clarity esp with the treble. Iām going through my tracks and hearing new stuffā¦like the cymbals in Saint-Saens organ symphony, and the brass. Thereās a ton of stuff going on in that track, and itās a pleasure to hear detail like that despite it all.
Iāve just been listening to Alison Balsomās Bach works for trumpet album, and I can really appreciate the DT880ās gifts for these. Gorgeous tone and detail. One weird thing: whereas Iām sure I could have heard her breathing on the Sennheisers had I been paying attention, Iād never been so aware of her breathing as I am with the Beyers.
Iām also beginning to think the Senns are better for casual listening, and the Beyers for more critical listening. I find myself paying attention more to the music with the DT880s while Iām working with music on. It demands that. The Sennheisers reward critical listening but donāt encourage it as much.
Itās fun how new gear can make old gear interesting again. I guess thatās part of why this is a hobby: I got a new amp and now am revisiting all my headphone preferences.
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Iāve currently got an Asgard 3. Like it. Someone just offered to trade me a Gilmore Lite MK2 for my ESP95X. I donāt think I really need it, but Iād be curious if anyone could give me the crib notes of how it might compare to the Asgard 3.
Source is the Modius. Headphones are the Focal Elegia and Elear.
Thanks,
Gilmore is gonna be more refined/detailed sounding, but wonāt have quite the impact as the a3. I think the gilmore might not be the wider stage, but has more depth than the a3. I guess it would be more a preference of what you want out of your headphones. Both amps are great, but I would say the lake people g111 would be more of an a3 upgrade. Simular impact presentation.
Edit: gilmore has depth, but not as spacious/wider staging
Imo the gilmore has a smaller stage but more depth
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I appreciate the input. I think Iāll pass on that trade.
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Keep the A3ā¦
Alex
Been a lurker for quite sometime now and finally dove in and joined 
And this thread made me full the trigger and got me an Asgard 3 which I have it on my possession and listening to it for 4 hours now.
Iām still new to this hobby and donāt have the right words to communicate or describe what Iām hearing but so far the Asgard 3 sounds fantastic, to me itās a mix of Magni 3+ and heresy but slightly cleaner, warm and punchy, soundstage is about right not too narrow and not too wide. Still need more session, though.
My setup: ifi zen dac (Gto filter) > Asgard 3 > sendy aiva (also have hd6xx but havent try it with the A3 yet). I have a ifi zen can (not signature) that is hooked to the zen dac via 4.4mm interconnect for balanced.
Worth mentioning when I did a quick a/b comparison between Asgard 3 and the zen can (both hooked up to zen dac of course), tried my best to volume match it but a bit challenging to me since the zen can has 3 gainsā¦ so with the zen can at 6db gain (xbass and 3d off) and A3 at high gain(correct me if Iām wrong is the high gain on A3 is 15db?) volume level set to 9.5 oāclock, also connected to balanced 4.4mm on the zen dac. if I were to do a blind test, I wouldnāt tell the difference. Another comparison is the zen canās se I up the gain at 12db to match what Iām hearing with the A3, again both sounds similar to me.
Anyhow I am really enjoying the Asgard 3 and not doubting my purchased compared when I bought the Magni 3+ and then wanted the heresy because of curiosity.
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Welcome aboard! Enjoy the new amp!
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Welcome to the club!!
Just enjoy what you have for now, the A3 is an excellent choice and it should serve you very well over a variety of headphones and setups!!
All the best!
Alex
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Welcome! and Welcome to the A3 fan stand!.
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Hi guys, i have one question about Asgard 3, is it ok that i can almost max volume on high gain to listen it loud and undistorted with 990 pro?
Whatās your source volume at? When I had a3 and dt880(600) I donāt remember being able to to that high up on the volume pot