Thanks! Schiit also added the ability to use the Asgard 2 as a preamp, so for those of you with powered monitors, there you go. Rather than recount everything, I suggest reading the chapter on the Asgard 3 in Schiit Happened. I believe the drivers are graphene coated. Like the original, the Asgard 2 also retails for the wallet friendly price of $250. The problem is that, after what I have heard in the last few months, good enough just isn’t good enough anymore. by Grant Gaines on August 6th, 2020. Schiit states that any tube that works in the in Lyr 2 and Mjolnir 2 is good to go on the Vali as well. I am a Keyboard Player (Digital Piano, synths, drum and bass virtual instruments etc) and spend most of my playing time monitoring through headphones (I'm not a virtuoso and get…. And how close or far is Matrix MStage from Lehmann BCL? The characteristics of Aegir that Asgard 3 has is heard in the way it renders treble and midrange, along with its transients. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of Grado headphones, but I’ll admit that my old RS-2 seem to possess a special magic when driven by the Asgard … Quite a few people were keen to have me review it too. The cheap Chinese Dark voice OTL 336 SE is warm and detail but not stuffy as the Asgard 2. (The actual Chassis is the same as the Asgard 2, so look at Schiit product pictures, or the pictures I post. It becomes doubly important to make sure you have the right headphone when using the O2. The Black Diamond, however sparks my interest very much! I also own the Audio GD 2r2 II. It’s the same as to call something a “solid state amp”. The DAC continues to evolve and improve and Schiit is at the forefront of value for money DAC research. Last week, we took a look at the Magni and Modi headphone amp and DAC combo from Schiit Audio. DIY projects, if they are built right, often have a very high cost/performances ratio. It transitions from one frequency to another in a smooth manner, with no ugly spikes. It's nice to have a headphone station in this location as well as the other. How is that possible? The Schiit Asgard 3 ($199) is the most affordable modular headphone amp, DAC, and pre-amp that Schiit make. It is vastly different from say, The Crack or Valhalla. Between Matrix M Stage and Asgard 2, which is the better one? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In total, the complete Schiit system includes their $699 Bifrost 2 DAC feeding the $1499 Ragnarok 2 integrated power amplifier. Aided by a separate KEF subwoofer, the LS50s did a excellent recreation of several tracks of electronic music that really highlighted a sense of intimacy and responsiveness. Yes, you can order it straight up, which is the kind I have in for review, or you can equip it with an optional DAC (or phono stage), either Schiit’s Delta Sigma or their Multibit. I have a question. On low gain, the Asgard 2 is quiet enough to use with IEMs. But first, for those who don’t know, the Asgard 2 is Schiit’s follow up to their Asgard amp. The nice people at ALO (thanks Josh!) If you need a good headphone amplifier at a price that seems silly cheap, I suggest you rush your order directly to Schiit via their website, before they come to their senses and raise the price.”, “High-end audio can be a rather expensive hobby, but every now and then I stumble across something really amazing, that’s priced for the real world.”, “The first thing you notice about the Asgard’s sound is its clarity, so music seems remarkably alive and realistic. That's a very hard combination to beat. Picture Sunday: iFi Audio Gemini & Mercury. Does the Asgard 2 perform well as a dedicated preamp in a 2 channel speaker set up? Due to its bigger sound stage, if you have a HE-300 and only use it for instrumental, the Asgard would beat out the National, but ALO’s little guy does a much better job with vocals. Yes, I use it with Audioengine A5+, and they sound great. There is nothing as SS amp sounds like tube amp. There have been a lot of marketing hype in the hi-end audio and it won’t stop now. ", “Value: Given performance, build quality and boutique US manufacture, approaching the insane.”, “I’m impressed that Schiit Audio can produce a headphone amplifier for $249 that sounds and looks as if it costs $1000. That sounds about right from my experience with the original Asgard. HD598, HD600, K702, Mad Dog. Kavi Alexander of Water Lily Acoustics has had four of his recordings nominated for the Grammys, with two of them winning the award. Couple them with phones from Grado, Sennheiser, Beyer, Audio-Technica or Denon, and you might never leave home again!”, “Long story short on the early impressions: the Asgard is, to my ears, much more than $249.00 worth of amp, in terms of sound quality and versatility.”, "The original amp sounded great with full-size headphones, but didn't work so well with in-ear headphones, mostly because they usually have higher sensitivity and the old Asgard's background noise/hiss was audible. What did you think about it? Hey, it was good to start with, so I'm not complaining.". This is a nice even tube that works well in stock situations, insofar it gives one a reference sound once some burn-in has occurred. Price: US$199. How does the Lyr compare with the Matrix? Both amps offer terrific build quality, and each have their strengths. and versus the O2, how it behaves? ", "I strongly suggest you listen to the Schiit Asgard 2 and Bifrost. With the right source you probably can hear a slight difference. That may not be a problem for many, but is terrifying for me. Marantz AV7702 prepro 6x Marantz MA500 1xMarantz MA700 (center channel) [had two more for left and right but they need to be repaired they have the dreaded popping :( ] 2x Crown XLS1500 for subwoofer duty Left and Right channel Focal Chorus 816V Center Focal Profile CC901 Surround and heights Focal Chorus 807V Custom HTPC for movies, games, digital music Schiit Asgard 2 and Bifrost … . The Torpedo is an unusual amplifier as it emplys the parafeed topology. The Bifrost 2 is an interesting development. I would agree. They are truly excellent sounding components. Every time I listen to a new Schiit Multibit DAC I am reminded that Mike Moffat is one of the, if not the, greatest minds in digital audio, and has been for over 30 years, pretty much since the beginning, when he pioneered one of the first true audiophile DACs. You need a WooAudio WA5 or an RSA Darkstar or ALO’s Studio Six. I also love that it also controls the top end nicely, leaving it intact but not in your face. Response is an impressive 2 to 200 (Hz to kHz, -3dB). This time, I wondered how they would tackle a DAC so I reached for the Gungnir. The Asgard 2 is cleaner, more neutral tonally and has a bigger sound stage. With 14dB of gain from a single voltage gain stage and fully discrete opamp-free non-inverting circuitry, the Asgard puts out 20V peak to peak. Comprision of the Schiit Modi 3 vs the Modi Multibit DAC. I figured when I started writing reviews, I should switch to my own name. Does the Asgard fair better here? I now have the Schiit Asgard 2 and the Allo BOSS 1.2 Player set up where I want it. The reason I’m writing this is because the bass is completely controlled and absolutely astounding for the cost of this amp and headphone pair with these headphones. Asgard 3 is not for those who go for super sharp edges in attacks. Schiit says, "Designed and built in California.