A3 + Sundara is indeed veeery nice 
Yes, looks like you are right! But im still want more emotional sound, than my e30 can deliver, looking for upgrade)
Oh awesome! 
Look forward to your thoughts on it
1 Like
@donjklassen Thanks for the cheers. I am excitedā¦and will definitely post my experience with that combo.
1 Like
If M0N hasnāt been a tiny part of a purchase you clearly arenāt using this forum properly.
13 Likes
For an entire month I read bits and pieces of the A3 thread and yes, your guessed is right, I read the entire thing. And I appreciate everyone in here who recommended the A3, thank you! The 789 came close I would love to hear how it sounds, though.
Also, M0N was part of the deciding factor as well lol
Nowā¦ Iām saving up for some Focal Clears, maybe a Christmas present
6 Likes
Anyone here using the Asgard as a preamp for their power amp? Recently I got a vintage Denon POA-800 and used my A3 as a preamp for a while. Nothing to complain regarding preamp sound quality, but I had so little volume knob play because the preamp output voltage is too high, even on low gain (or at least I assume this to be the case). Itās a desk setup, and 9-10 oāclock made things start to get too loud. For reference, the amp has an input sensitivity of 1VRMS, which I read isnāt all that sensitive for a power amp.
The amp does have amplifier input gain knobs, so I lowered those down a ton and I finally got some volume knob play, but then I felt as though the sound became less dynamic. For now Iāve switched to the following setup so I can use my Topping E30 as a preamp:
E30 ā> POA-800 ā> Asgard 3 (by means of a RCA Y-splitter at the power amp)
Immediately I notice the sound seems dynamic and small volume adjustments donāt lead to things getting too loud (E30 has max voltage of 2 VRMS at max volume).
Would love to hear any thoughts or experiences others may have had.
Edit adding more info about the power amp: The power amp does 50W x 2 into 8 ohms and 90W x 2 into 4 ohms, so I guess it isnāt a weak amp. More specs on the first post of this thread I started: Anyone know about the Denon POA-800 power amp?
2 Likes
As some of you already know, I have been contemplating the Asgard 3 as an upgrade for my e30 < Atom <Sundaras. Well it arrived todayā¦Wow! Everything is more present and enjoyable, just a touch smoother without losing the bass punch and treble brilliance. Most noticeable is the timbre (perfect), soundstageā¦
wider and deeper, imaging even better than before. Separation and clarity of orchestral instruments is better, and vocal presence is better as well. Club recordings sound like I am IN the club. The Atom is imo a very good ampā¦The
Asgard 3 is at another level!!
14 Likes
Really, really interesting considering I want to jump from the Atom to the Asgard 3 too.
3 Likes
@LeDechaine I was on the fence about that decision for months! Everything I have listened to is richer and fuller sounding. My friend was over and his comments ranged from raised eyebrows to āWow.ā He said the music has āmore weightā to it. Even youtube is better, lol. Significantly, there is no loss of detail whatsoever. Headphones matter, of course, but the Sundaras just came to life; the extra power brings them to their full ? potential.
ANDā¦imo it will drive anything, as othersā comments have reflected. Iām a happy camper! Keep us informed. Regards, Tim
4 Likes
How does the A3 compare to the new Modius? I know the modius is Balanced but purely sound wise. Anyone done an A B comparison?
Do you mean magnius? Iāve given some thoughts in the magnius thread, personally wasnāt a fan of it at all, but if you are someone who really values measurements it might be worth a look
Yes Magnius sorry, ok thanx MON.
Feeling pretty happy with myself so far. Just over 5 hours in, but I am enjoying the sound of the Asgard 3 fed with the Modius or ZenDac (via switch box) through to a Elegia, Phoenix and a HE400S so far. It is a bit different than the Atom Stack. Iām no expert, but it sounds smoother - if thatās a thing.
12 Likes
Yeah, Iāve been using it as a pre-amp for my Emotiva Bas-X that power my speakers and I like it quite a lot as both a pre-amp and a regular AMP. Even if/when I upgrade, Iāll probably keep this thing
4 Likes
I use the Bifrost2 to feed my Asgard3 and it is so sweetā¦ I run several amps as well as electrostats with a switch so I get full āauthoā and A3 is my daily driver so to speak. Just a really solid amp for sure.
6 Likes
Good to hear! Iām guessing that you donāt have easy access to the Bas-X volume knob and so need to use Asgard as a pre? Sounds like a nice setup, wish Emotiva stuff wasnāt overpriced here in the UK.
I ordered an L30 to see if it will be more suitable as a preamp and give me more volume play. Based on its output sensitivity, Iām guessing it will work at either medium or low gain. If it works well, Iāll end up with a spare headphone amp which is supposed to be state of the art for the price. Hopefully it will work out! Otherwise I may return it and keep looking.
1 Like
For those curious about how the L30 sounds is compared to the Asgard, I have some brief impressions after some testing. This is an excerpt of my post on the L30 thread.
I didnāt test it for long but my Asgard 3 was noticeably better sounding to my ears. It had a smoother sound and more pleasing tonality. Comparatively, the L30 sounded relatively harsh in the way it reproduced electric guitars and drum high-hats. I also perceived better separation on the Asgard. Otherwise, the L30 seemed good. The sound is probably not for me though (at least compared to the Asgardās sound).
1 Like
Iāve had my Asgard 3 about a week now. I continue to be very pleased and impressed.
7 Likes