+1 for E30 + Atom amp. I enjoy listening to this combo better than E30 + L30.
+1 for e30 with either Atom OR Asgard. I have both ( but Asgard is my new daily!
Iām begging to wonder if I should have ordered the Modius with my Asgard 3? Instead I ordered the Asgard 3 with the TrueMultibit internal DAC card.
@Jazz1, you ask a good question. I got my Asgard3 with the multibit card. Itās very good, but not a dramatic improvement over an external DAC (E30, Soncoz, Modi, ā¦). If I could do it over again I would save my money for a future purchase of Bifrost 2. Just my 2 centsā¦
I would recommend saving for the bifrost as well. Unfortunately, most sigma delta dacs under the $1,000 price point all offer similar performance and there isnāt much improvement to be had until you cross that threshold. Multibit/r2r dacs in the same price point seem to make a bigger difference performance wise (subjectively of course).
I currently own/have a Bifrost 2 (multibit), Modius (sigma delta), and Soekris dac1321 (r2r). Personally I prefer r2r because they recreate space better and tend to have much better verticality as well, IMO. But this is subjectively my opinion, though many do share it.
Id I buy the E30 new from amazon it works out to about $200, and the EL2 i can get 2nd hand for roughly the same pricen EL2 is not even a year old. Know the guy so no scam
E30 for $200 seems rather price, but itās a nice price for a used EL2. Not a common pairing for the Asgard but I would bet is a fine one. Thereās currently a b-stock deal for 180 on a black one so maybe it would be a nice color match.
Edit: There isnāt one anymore, sorry. Still, you could get a black one for the pairing =P
Has anyone paired the asgard 3 with the hifiman arya? I am concerned about the power requirements since people say that they need a lot of power. (I already own the a3)
I have no worries with running larger planarās (Hifiman Edition X V2, Audeze LCD-2 Pre Fazor) off of the A3. The Arya should be fine even though they will demand a little more than the 2 planars I have, but still well within the capabilities of the A3 and allowing sufficient volume control.
If all I had was the A3, It wouldnāt stop me from getting the Arya. I may want to consider an amp upgrade later though as it is starting to reach the point were it doesnāt make sense to run $2000 headphones on a $200 amplifier.
Edit:
I heard a rumor that @WaveTheory has an Arya on hand and will be doing a review. His reviews always cover what amps and DACs he used. I also know he has an A3, soā¦
Well my Asgard3 w/TrueMultibit has shipped. I do hope I like it better than the older, first generation Jot I had and sold. If not Iāll be looking at the Cambridge 200M that has yet to be released.
So what am I comparing the A3 too what I currently own? A Audioquest DragonFly Red, and a second headphone driving system comprised of a Musical Fidelity M1, and PS Audioās GHCA combo. Both of which have been long discontinued, but I love!
The A3 is 5W/chanel if im not mistaken. Should be more than enough power for most headphones
Its more so the quality of that power. However, like @Delta9K said, Arya and A3 would be fine, but the Arya can do better with a higher quailty source
Shipping and taxes is rough to South Africa
Know the feeling, Iām from Brazil. Anyway, hope you can get your setup soon. Good luck and post here your impressions if you feel comfortable doing it.
Yeah I was worried that would be the case. Iāll probably end up upgrading the amp in the future.
Just got mine in. Massive upgrade over my Magni. Fat sound goodness, only tried it out on my 6XX so far and I love it. Moody Blues sounds full and the orchestra on Days of Future Past so rich.
Mine will be here soon too!
Hype. This + the 6XX on orchestral music is tearjerking good, I donāt think Iāll be able to listen using my Magni anymore hehe
edit: this is magnificent, Iāve found religion and itās a six pound block of aluminum from California
You excitement is just awesome, I am happy for you. I remember when I got my A3 - it was a huge upgrade over the Atom I was using. It was as if all my headphones got upgraded too, at the same time, ha!
I still have the A3 even though itās been moved from my primary setup to another, I still wonāt let myself part with it.
Enjoy!