Schiit Asgard 3 Headphone Amp & DAC Review

[bboris77]

Definitely in your head. Get a $20 AB switch from Amazon, match levels as best as you can, then have someone test you blind.

I too have sworn sibilant was different in one amp vs another only to have it go away when levels are matched and test is blind.

The main benefit of Asgard 3 is that it can play loud, very loud. To the extent you are maxing out another amp, then Asgard will sound better with more power. That would be the main distinction.

I assume this would be the case and their own recent thunderdome kind of confirmed that it was impossible for people to tell the difference reliably even between the Vali and the Heresy with their vastly different distortion profiles. Still, it really bothers me that 99% percent of people that have heard the Asgard 3 say that it is on the warm, "rich" sounding side. Not one person said that it was "cold or clinical" sounding. Not even one schiit disturber that just wanted to stand out from the crowd. Are we all that gullible? Maybe we are.

 

[amirm]

Happy To Recommend? Its worse than the JDS Atom or the Geshelli Archel 2 Pro... its also not better than the "old" Topping A30.

It has a ton of power for difficult to drive headphones. You can't replicate that with other amps no matter how much lower their distortion may be.

Here is Atom:

Here is Asgard 3:

Atom produces 250 milliwatts whereas Asgard 3 goes up to 650 milliwatts or nearly three times as much.

The Asgard 3 also has a metal case that stays put and has built-in transformer rather than a big chunk externally.

Atom is wonderful and great value at $99 but there are different reasons for it existing beside Asgard 3.

 

[bboris77]

How much difference in footprint between Modius and Jot? (but not the same "look" even if it fits)

Same footprint, half thickness.

 

[solderdude]

For example, I truly believe that my HD800S sounds less sibilant through the Asgard 3 compared to when I used it with the Heresy. I just want to know whether it is all in my head because I read what Jason said about the amp before I got it, or whether there is actually any concreted scientific evidence to back up this assertion.

When you REALLY want to know perform a level matched blind test. This really is quite easy to do. Then you have your answer.

 

[amirm]

Still, it really bothers me that 99% percent of people that have heard the Asgard 3 say that it is on the warm, "rich" sounding side. Not one person said that it was "cold or clinical" sounding. Not even one schiit disturber that just wanted to stand out from the crowd. Are we all that gullible? Maybe we are.

We are unfortunately. We hear "Class A," Discrete" and an image magically pops into our head that is impossible to get out. It even happens to me until I do a test blind and these differences disappear. We won't be human if not affected this way.

 

[Racheski]

How much difference in footprint between Modius and Jot? (but not the same "look" even if it fits)

Exact same length width as Modius (9 X 6), no DAC option, between $200-$300, fully balanced.

 

[solderdude]

We are unfortunately. We hear "Class A," Discrete" and an image magically pops into our head that is impossible to get out. It even happens to me until I do a test blind and these differences disappear. We won't be human if not affected this way.

I have fallen in the same subjective trap many times and still do as well.
Level matched blind tests do have a way to set you straight.
That's why most 'hearing folks' hate these tests. It removes that what they are 100% certain they can do. It validates to them level matched blind tests are flawed.

 

[Jimbob54]

It has a ton of power for difficult to drive headphones. You can't replicate that with other amps no matter how much lower their distortion may be.

Here is Atom:

Here is Asgard 3:

Atom produces 250 milliwatts whereas Asgard 3 goes up to 650 milliwatts or nearly three times as much.

The Asgard 3 also has a metal case that stays put and has built-in transformer rather than a big chunk externally.

Atom is wonderful and great value at $99 but there are different reasons for it existing beside Asgard 3.

Interestingly, a question very recently on the Atom review thread "what HP cant the Atom drive well?" (paraphrased)

Has anyone ever seen/ made a list that chumps like me can use to map HPA results/ specs to HP specs to identify mismatches? (leave electrostats aside)

Assuming "normal" listening levels I've always worked on the assumption the Atom runs out of guts above a certain impedance and below a sensitivity but wouldnt have a benchmark for where that is. Ditto ultra low impedance.

I have the Ether CX like Amir but none of my amps have (to my knowledge) ever struggled yet these are his torture test?

 

[mhardy6647]

Well, thats the way I feel about many (new) cars. They started drawing (and drinking) in the front and by the time they got to the rear everything spiraled out of control - not so with the Aztek, that whole thing is a mess. However, it did have some cool features like a tent. Should be an option for amps and DACs too.
- "I've got 115dB SINAD"
- "So what, I've got a tent"
Like, what are they gonna say? Nothing.

You clearly have a future in sales and marketing in the audiophile industry.

 

[bboris77]

When you REALLY want to know perform a level matched blind test. This really is quite easy to do. Then you have your answer.

What would be a good 1/4 inch A/B switch to do this with? I can easily split the output from my DAC between two amps, but then I would need a box that would take the output from each amp's headphone out and allow me to switch between them. So one 1/4 stereo output, 2 or more 1/4 stereo inputs.

 

[solderdude]

Interestingly, a question very recently on the Atom review thread "what HP cant the Atom drive well?" (paraphrased)

Has anyone ever seen/ made a list that chumps like me can use to map HPA results/ specs to HP specs to identify mismatches? (leave electrostats aside)

https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/param1.php?splv_sort=1&typea_full=1&id=819#gsc.tab=0

Use this as a starter guide. Then determine how loud one needs to go. My P.O.V. is you should be able to reach 120dB SPL, and no peak SPL won't deafen you when you only listen to such peaks briefly.

Then see what max. output level can be reached for the impedance of the headphone in question and calculate.
It would be very complicated to make a list that covers it all. Even when you check it twice.

 

[solderdude]

What would be a good 1/4 inch A/B switch to do this with? I can easily split the output from my DAC between two amps, but then I would need a box that would take the output from each amp's headphone out and allow me to switch between them. So one 1/4 stereo output, 2 or more 1/4 stereo inputs.

It is cheapest to make one yourself. All you need is a decent 3PCO or 4PCO, a plastic box, a headphone socket and 2 headphone plugs and some wire.
Find someone around you that knows how to solder and you are good to go.
Oh... you need an AC voltmeter as well. Getting a level match needs to be done within 1% !!
be off 2 or 3% and you will hear a difference always leaning towards the louder one (which you do not perceive as louder !)

 

[bboris77]

It is cheapest to make one yourself. All you need is a decent 3PCO or 4PCO, a plastic box, a headphone socket and 2 headphone plugs and some wire.
Find someone around you that knows how to solder and you are good to go.
Oh... you need an AC voltmeter as well. Getting a level match needs to be done within 1% !!
be off 2 or 3% and you will hear a difference always leaning towards the louder one (which you do not perceive as louder !)

Oh, I can solder...I made my own Bottlehead Crack a couple of years ago. Talk about distortion - it would be really cool to measure one of those with and without Speedball.

I did use a voltmeter when I did a level-matched comparison between the Magni 3+ and the Heresy, BUT I had to manually unplug and plug the headphones hence invalidating the "blind" part of the test

 

[solderdude]

it would be really cool to measure one of those with and without Speedball.

It probably has been done already. The speedball is surely going to lower distortion. Replacing a resistor with a current source is going to linearize a triode amplifier.

 

[solderdude]

I did use a voltmeter when I did a level-matched comparison between the Magni 3+ and the Heresy, BUT I had to manually unplug and plug the headphones hence invalidating the "blind" part of the test

The tricky part here would be to make sure the volpots in such amps are near max setting.
At lower volume settings it is easy to get more than 0.1dB level difference between channels.

The blind part and enough 'tries' (you can spread it over several days) is key as well.

 

[Zensō]

There are still many better options for less money.... even other options made in the USA (such as those from JDS or Geshelli).

I already own an Asgard 3 and a Modius. I’m trying to understand the graphs more clearly so I can correlate what I’m seeing with what I’m hearing. I also own an Element II, which to my ear sounds pretty much identical to the Asgard paired with the Modius.

 

[3125b]

There are still many better options for less money

True, there are cheaper options that measure a bit better for low impedance and high sensitivity headphones. In practice though, that probably doesn‘t make much of a difference. I wouldn‘t specifically recommend this thing with analog volume control and mediocre noise for those kinds of headphones, but it isn‘t bad either, there are worse options for a lot more money for sure.

 

[poimandres]

Glad to see that the Asgard 3 measures well.

I would love to see Amir re review the Jot as only an amp as well. The measurements by Schiit on their site measure much better than with either internal dac card. If memory serves correctly there were no amp only measurements by Amir.

 

[restorer-john]

We are unfortunately. We hear "Class A," Discrete" and an image magically pops into our head that is impossible to get out. It even happens to me until I do a test blind and these differences disappear. We won't be human if not affected this way.

Not only that, it runs warm. Running your hand across the top of a nice warm amplifier while you listen, nobody is going to say it sounds cold and clinical.

 

[Jimbob54]

Glad to see that the Asgard 3 measures well.

I would love to see Amir re review the Jot as only an amp as well. The measurements by Schiit on their site measure much better than with either internal dac card. If memory serves correctly there were no amp only measurements by Amir.

I think there are. The ones where he starts talking about grounding issues. I'll try to find. IIRC the single ended was nothing good at all all, balanced powerful but rough.