5 Watts of Cheap, Raw, American Power : Schiit Asgard 3 Review

[@HiFiInsider]

No RGB lighting so not serious enough for gamers. lol....

[@JoshuaValour]

True. I did not consider that. I should mod it lol.

[@DeviantDeveloper]

It has R, isn't that enough?

[@koolpep]

I bought the first Schiit product ever released when it was released, the original Asgard. Back then it was what started my whole audiophile journey....

[@joshsmith4998]

Been really loving my Schiit Hel. Has been a great intro to "hi-fi" audio for me

[@joshsmith4998]

@Tasunke I experienced some interference from my cell phones actually. I had some bizarre static and located my phones across my desk and the problem hasn't reoccurred. Other than that it's been a phenomenal upgrade over my on board audio

[@SUPERTOMMO]

Hi! Great review as always, thb since the last time I asked you the question, i couldnt wait and already got one for myself. Had it shipped to Thailand and have enjoyed it for the past week. I actually got the multibit version and one thing to note is the gain is quite low compared to when i connect it to the external DAC but I still get to the desired volume so its not a deal breaker. I still like the Valhalla 2 just a tad more with the Hd6XX though but this is actually very good. Btw, i like the extra touch you do when you operate the camera and still have some movement in the shot at the same time (or at least i think thats what you do). It can get tricky sometimes but you do it very smoothly.

[@rakitakhan]

The power may seem like overkill for most people, but that extra power also translates in enough power for good transient response. Nice review.

[@rajendrabiswas]

What is TR?

[@rakitakhan]

@@rajendrabiswas Essentially, fast, sudden peaks in the music or program.

[@Matthanna90]

Got into Schiit audio a while back. I had the Modi DAC (version 1 I believe) and the Asgard 2. The power output they bumped up in the Asgard 3 is insane. I have a pair of 600 OHM Beyerdynamics and the Asgard 2 just doesnt power it enough at that resistance. Love the review!

[@lindastevens6926]

Thanks Josh, the quality of your videos is amazing and more impressive than any other KZbinr. I have the Asgard 2 @ $250 at the time. It's an awesome amp because there is no noise floor, it is dead quiet when there is no sound. The Asgard 3 has more power and is only $200 with more power. This is next on my list. I like that it's a slightly warm sounding amp. The Asgard 2 sacrificed power for no noise floor and this looks like it takes care of both. Sorry Z, Metal 571 and DMS 3 Josh's videos are so polished and more enjoyable to watch even though I like you guys too.

[@marekkouril7134]

I would love a Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy comparison.

[@samwhite7693]

The difference is incredibly minimal. The 3+ uses a more traditional circuit layout, the one Schiit has been using for all the traditional Magni amps, while the Heresy uses a more compact, efficient circuit layout. The spec differences are not even close to large enough to hear consistently. MAYBE, maybe you could hear very slight differences if you listened to the right recordings, and you had an incredible ear. The Heresy does technically have the better specs, and it's the one I picked. It is wonderful value and sounds crazy good, but in my testing the 3+ did not really sound any different. Just pick the colors you like more.

[@Assimilator702]

Marek Kouril The Heresy is an op amp design while the 3+ is a feedback forward design.....basically a higher tech AB topology and the topology that was suppose to go into the Asgard 2 but the purists wanted to keep it Class A. Watch Zs review on the comparison. He nailed it on the comparison. But basically pick one and enjoy it.

[@BlueSpectre]

He already did lol, the schiit hel is literally a modi 3 dac chip (the ak4490) wired into a heresys main board with a touch less power driving it it all. If you heard the hel, youve literally heard a used a heresy as well as utilized a modi 3

[@mariodrv]

Still cant believe that none of the KZbin audio reviewers except Currawong reviewed the Schiit Bifrost 2, thats true value.

[@PixelPipes]

I had an Asgard 3 for the 15 day trial period, and I liked it quite a bit. It won't give you soundstage depth or width of more highend headphone amps, but it will give you all the power and dynamics. I moved up to a much more expensive amp and it gave me everything this did but with much more soundstage and separation. Such is the way with audiophilia. But for $200 its only real competition is the used market.

[@KingdomKey57]

What AMP do you now use?

[@vseanw]

What would you consider competition for this in the used market?

[@snowrang3r657]

The new Schiit Magni Hersey is designed similarly to the HEL (using OPAMPs) and puts out 2.4W @32ohm (instead of the 1w the Hel does). Mangi Hersey + Modi 3 + RCAs is going to cost you $220? If you don't need the mic in that's probably a better combo IMO.

[@jashplash8502]

or dont be a dumb dumb and get the hersey over the magni 3+... Schiit basically tells you you're an idiot for buying the opamp alternatives.

[@Guyc00l]

@@jashplash8502 what's the purpose of even having this compared to directly connecting the headphones anyway. I bielieve they did blindtests and experts couldn't even tell the difference.

[@Subliminal_Panda]

Listened to this review with my Asgard 3 w/ 4490 DAC. It is way more power than any headphones I own require (at 9 o'clock with TR-X00's). I was looking for an external DAC/AMP for my desktop setup. I've got a handful of headphones and earphones ranging from 16 ohm to 250 ohm, and a pair of powered desktop speakers. The Asgard was just a natural fit at its price.

[@sphaera3809]

I like the gray volume knob over black. It’s very Mark Levinsonish. If all Schiit gear followed that look, I’d be tempted to swap all my current silver Schiit with black and gray Schiit.

[@loopyquinones420]

And it’s over 300 now for the silver version which is pretty shady because the black version used to cost more and this is before taxes and shipping so close to 400 for the base model

[@Simon-dn9kv]

For a review I'm missing quite a few things. Like how tight is the bass, how resolving are the highs, how black are the backgrounds, how good is the depth reproduction, how does it compare against say a 789?

[@JSym92]

I was literaly asking these exact same questions inside my head during this review. You must be a fellow 789 owner.

[@HansProbs]

Ditto... these all should be VERY common questions!?!?

[@igorcosta8559]

I have both the 789 and the Asgard 3, so I can draw some subjective comparisons. On Asgard 3, the bass is a bit more lose, and the sound has more body. Separation is not as effective as in the 789 (hard to beat THX on that). I drive both HD6XX and AEON 2 at around 9 o'clock on high gain (low gain doesn't sound super to me, but high gain is another story). With volume at max and no music playing, I can't hear background noise on low gain. On high gain, noise starts at about 3 o'clock on the volume pot, which would be totally insane with any music playing.

[@stevenswall]

Unless it's broken, the transient response should be beyond the headphones ability to resolve, the bass similarly "tight" and the frequency response more linear than anything you plug into it, plus orders of magnitude lower distortion.

[@iTzxNooBs]

Agree really would like to know. Currently using a Monolith Liquid Spark but I would like to upgrade my single ended performance. How does this compare to the JDS El Amp II? Can Josh make any relevant comparisons to the other single ended products on the market? Does this huge increase in power somewhat alleviate the feel/need to go balanced in search for proper amplification rather than sound quality?

[@pennfootball71]

I use a Jottenheim 2 with the dac card built in and a 1 box solution for work. I don't have sensitive IEM's and it is great synergy with my Thieaudio monarch MK2 that like some juice , My Dan Clark Audio Aeon Noir and my Grado RS1E's. I also use Koss but if you plug a 3 pin TRRS into it it will sound bad you need a Schiit adapter if your headphone has a mic built in which I also purchased. This thing is a dream at work. The inboard new ESS dac is smooth and just natural and no cables needed and it is better than their cheaper dacs with RCA's. I am also getting a cable made to hook up my Chord Mojo2 to it as well from 3.5mm to RCA from double helix cables. BUT if you get an Asgard 3 or Jottenheim 2 just get the inboard ESS dac it is so good and flexible and a complete package for anything you need.

[@divrajbajwa]

Love the video man, video production is smooth. Will stay subbed ✌🏻

[@a.a1001]

Be honest did you plug the 4$ headphones into the Asgard 3?

[@leonphung7812]

Idk about him, but i definitely do that for the 'lol'

[@Petersonmgee]

How would it sound? The same? Lol or a bit better

[@t.m.1593]

Using a dedicated DAC with the Shiit Asgard 3 does make a tremendous difference even with the low end in ears (50€ sound magic).

[@krypto_9872]

@@t.m.1593 Personally I plugged in a pair of airline earbuds into a magnius put them at max volume.

[@sankalpagrawal8386]

@@krypto_9872 smot person

[@timothychan4566]

Comparison with the thx aaa 789 amp would be greatly appreciated

[@emperordarthjarjarsnoke7596]

Especially now that they’re in the same price bracket.

[@Hesoos]

789 is a very powerful, balanced amp. Its single ended power is meh. Very different use cases

[@kwicksandz]

@@Hesoos on the other hand the 789 is not a true balanced amp and has more single ended outputs than it does balanced. I have not noticed a difference is sound quality only volume via the balanced outputs.

[@fclp67]

This is an endgame amp. It can power everything - High end hifimans, Fostex and high impedance beyerdynamics and Abyss headphones. It sounds great. You only get something this good for something like Rebel Amp or the A90 which are both 500$

[@teemuvesala9575]

Well Lyr 3 is even more powerful... I think someone actually killed his 2nd gen T1 (600 ohm) with Lyr 3 cause he went too aggressive on volume on high gain xD I mean from what I know 100mW at 600ohm is what 600ohm Beyers require to be powered properly and Asgard 3 already has 300mW at 600ohms. Lyr 3 has insane 450mW at 600 ohms.

[@wabbasMEpern]

No offense, but no self respecting endgame headphone user is going to power them with a Schiit amp.

[@blackdragon44]

@@wabbasMEpern no offense but just on KZbin alone there are plenty of examples proving you wrong. That's not even counting everywhere else.

[@selinapoochie]

@@wabbasMEpern if you're on a budget then yes you would

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

@@wabbasMEpern then what amp is end game?

[@Isaac_L..]

I love my Oppo HA-2. I doubt I’ll be upgrading unless I get a headphone I can’t power with it. It’s just so versatile, fits my needs, and sounds up to my expectations.

[@unalloyedbee8691]

I have a schiit stack with the asgard 3 and the modius paired with the 6xx, and I've noticed a very noticeable crackle on the right driver on both high and low gains. I've already tried rma the stack and now with the second units it still has the same issue.

[@romank1099]

wish someone would test headphone amplifiers... not only signal to noise ratio and yada yada (since its most likely low enough to even notice) but also how consistently it performs across different range of impedance. (Headphones dont have same impedance across the frequency spectrum). I have Fulla 2 and it can drive my hd650 to painfully loud levels but i know I'm missing out especially in the bass region. Currently in a market for $200-300 amp and there are so many good options...

[@inepsaog9631]

I absolutely love my Hel. I have been using it for a week+ and it's a game changer for me coming from onboard audio for the last 20+ years. It brought my old powered speakers to life, and my headphones have never sounded so good. People complain about not having a switch to go from speakers to headphone but it's really a non issue, when I'm using my speakers it's not hard at all to just quick unplug headphones.

[@rajendrabiswas]

Is hel 2 having good soundstage ? How does it compare to pro desktop DACs amps

[@inepsaog9631]

@@rajendrabiswas I still have the original schiit hel so I'm not sure on the hel 2. I have the Hel plugged into my Go XLR to power my headphones and still love it.

[@inepsaog9631]

@@rajendrabiswas Honestly though, unless you're using a 3.5mm mic for some reason, I'd go with a dedicated amp. I got the hel because I used to use a 3.5mm mic but now use an XLR mic. So the mic input is wasted on the hel, although it's preamp is very good when I did use it

[@rajendrabiswas]

@@inepsaog9631 is hel as good as a bifrost 2

[@inepsaog9631]

@@rajendrabiswas I have no experience with the Bifrost 2, it looks like it's leagues above the Schiit Hel 2 but is a different product segment.

[@emilsal]

Awesome review as always. I’m curious about the bike in the background. 😊

[@antoinep9733]

emilsal Yeah, tell us about the bike Josh.

[@michaelhoye6549]

I’m, honestly, more interested in the bike. The wheel set caught my eye.

[@emilsal]

Michael Hoye new channel idea Josh? 🚲

[@carchd1]

That wireless viper is the best thing in this vod honestly.

[@antxiety]

Schitt really getting their schitt together

[@faisal_sama9763]

We need review of fiio k5 pro and some closed back and cheap headphone and keep up the fantastic work

[@Mr0Tubby]

closed backs and cheap headphones are a waste of time.

[@faisal_sama9763]

@@Mr0Tubby idont think so I mean like sivga 006 takstar 82 pro sennheiser 280 hd sony 7506 monoprice retro I want to know Joshua opinion on these headphone and beacuse he is best guy review headphone on KZbin

[@teemuvesala9575]

@@faisal_sama9763 honestly its worth it to get asgard 3 over k5 pro. i got k5 pro, its solid for 150 bucks but for double the cost (with 100 dollar extra dac option) you get 6x more powerful amp in asgard 3. so its actually better for the money than k5 pro.

[@Ibanez7god]

So, it was mentioned in the video but never really definitively said. Are these a GOOD pairing for the Sennheiser hd800s and or the hd820? I have the Bifrost Uber and an original Asgard Amp and was thinking of upgrading to one of those two headphones. I was looking for a review just like this and saw the hd820 in one of the flavor shots of the amp and was hoping you would go a little more in depth on the profile it added to some of the headphones! Thanks for doing this! Great videos as usual! Thanks also for the steadier stream of content!

[@mromzie]

I need a new dac/amp for my sennheiser hd600, I had cambridge audio dac magic + but it's broken somehow. Should I buy this Schiit Asgard 3 or should I rather buy the THX AAA™ 789? I don't use XLR btw.

[@MAKExEVIL]

I'd be curious to hear what you think about Creative's SoundBlaster X7. I've been using it for a few years now. You can change out the opamps to get better/different sound which is cool.

[@Phillyo118]

Right at the start...is that a Sigma lens with the MC-11 adapter on it? I'm assuming if it is then you must shoot Sony Mirrorless??

[@intelgigabyte]

*insert palpatine meme* UNLIMITED POWAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

[@cjeffcoatjr]

How's the single-ended compared to the Jot? How noticeable would an A/B test be? Would it be worth stacking on top of my Jot?

[@Phoked]

I'd be interested to hear your opinions on the SMSL SP200

[@JE-tn5tc]

The Mackie Big Knob Studio is also a good choice.

[@dennisvanderben2719]

What camera setup do you use? videos look AMAZING

[@JoeGunawanfotosiamo]

HI Joshua! Can you review the Schiit Lyr 3 hybrid tube Amp please? Would love to hear your opinion

[@Fukushuu-u7z]

How does this compare to the 789 in terms of sound quality?

[@rhodey2952]

Better from what I hear.

[@ahmedsafa91]

Asgard 3 is a class AB amp with contiuety circuit .. means a respectable amp with 3d sound not just a wall

[@BrainLure49]

Josh great video! What are your thoughts on the NAD D3020 (v2), have you ever heard it? It's a stereo amp/ headphone amp combo

[@0dyss3us51]

That is one good looking amp wauw!

[@cdtje3]

Listening through my new Heresy :)

[@1rexrex]

Plug the Hel into Asgard and you get the same 4490 dac sound. All headphones need more Schiit.

[@bill3117]

Did I read/understand somewhere that the True Multibit lowers the power of the amp??? I hope not, as I have one on order. Thanks for the great comparisons! Any noise out there about the Asgard getting upgraded to a 4 version?

[@MattRBX]

Blow up 600 ohm headphones? YESSIR!! Not literally ofc.

[@mrt6349]

I got the magni 3 and the modi really nice for my hifiman 4xx

[@NerdFromDenmark]

Boy i'm i a fan of yours, get a website already! hahaha. any chance of getting your thoughts on the Schiit Loki? It seems really neat, i'm planning on getting a Schiit stack with it to run some HD800's i'm hopefully getting for $700 and my current HD6xx.

[@balintcsoma4321]

Hey, can you review the FiiO K5 Pro (maybe it is better than the Shiit for this price and there is a DAC included) ? Thannks!

[@nemie240]

FiiO K5 Pro owns the Asgard 3.

[@balintcsoma4321]

@@nemie240 cool, but the k5 pro has a dedicated dac inside (but yeah its similar)

[@Nightjar726]

How does this compare in sound compared to the Mojo headphone DAC? I recently bought the Dragonfly cobalt and dont like it, so I’m returning it.

[@Static_Age]

What are the specs on the bike sitting back there???

[@JoshuaValour]

27 watts. Balanced. + Tidal streaming.

[@Static_Age]

@@JoshuaValour ha, I did really want to know what the bike, wheels, build is. I'm a cycling need and wrote about bikes for Bikerumor in the past.

[@JoshuaValour]

@@Static_Age It's not really anything special. Trek ALR, Super Team Carbon Rims, Shimano Cleats & Clips & the always recommended CO2 tire pump.

[@cosmefulanito7598]

A review that's not actually a review. thanks!

[@chrishall7601]

Comprehend the basics, friend.

[@sadus33]

I would like to buy and amp that will allow me to plug in my headphones (HD 58X Jubilee) and run speekers at the same time. Would this run it?

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

no, ragnarok will though

[@emarshallp]

Joshua, having a 6xx, what do you recommend me, the Hell, or the Asgard 3 (i know about the dac aspect). I´m asking about layering and dynamic range you usually talk about now with my new 6xx. Thanks and sorry if i missspell something, english is not my first language.

[@stefanjovanovic488]

wow, 5w for $200 , that's an insane deal :D

[@antonhelsgaun]

What's that lit intro music?

[@flossenking]

I'm wondering as well

[@harryholden6817]

My very large problem is in Europe, it is impossible to purchase schist products

[@jeromemarceau6278]

Got mine last week and it's a fantastique amp/Dac for the price !!!

[@brianchristopher4666]

I guess NO ONE in the world is or has tried using the Asgard III as a stand alone preamp from it's out's to drive external amplifier or powered speakers???! I've now tried 6 reviews on youtube on this and not even a whisper on the sound quality as a preamp for this, only headphone amp reviews! That sucks

[@carchd1]

As a normal user, HD700/DT770/Ether CX, will I notice difference from Element going to this as an all in one?

[@djb113]

I feel like these videos are the MKBHD of audio equipment

[@briarboy8959]

Just got a pair of BD DT770 Pro’s (80 ohm). Do you think the Asgard would be a good match for these?

[@teemuvesala9575]

Yeah but Asgard 3 can run even 600 ohm Beyerdynamics with ease. 600 ohm Beyers need 100mW at 600 ohms, Asgard 3 provides 300mW at 600 ohms so... Asgard 3 is an overkill for DT 770 80 ohm, but if you plan on getting higher impedance headphones in the future its worth it.

[@briarboy8959]

@@teemuvesala9575 Thanks for answering my question.

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

it's $250 now.. is it still good compared to other options? After tax and shipping about $300 usd

[@dynamic-audio]

What about body and timbre?

[@Khursus]

so i have an honest question. these amps have RCA in and the small one i have is 1/4 jack in. how would this be hooked up? i want something a little stronger than my little fiio that came with my DT990 Pros 250ohm

[@TheProgrn]

I really want an update to the jotunheim.

[@JoshuaValour]

TheProgrn don’t we all!

[@azimbiswas2341]

Can you do a review on the Noble Falcon and Campfire Polaris

[@pc_decisions8764]

best amp for DT880 600-ohm. period.

[@Raviolei]

they drive them well? I'm worried they still wont get loud enough. Can you drive them to loud levels?

[@pc_decisions8764]

@@Raviolei it does 3 times the thx 789 on 1/4, 2.5 times against atom or magni 3+,output on 600ohms, the asgard can give you more than 120db or just buy an emotiva and don't think about, but according to beyerdynamic you will do fine with less than half on asgard.

[@Raviolei]

@@pc_decisions8764 your totally right about that but I read a post where a guy with the Asgard 3 and DT880 250 said they weren't enough. That has me scared lol but hopefully his is just defective, how's your experience with the Asgard 3/DT880 though? Is there enough power to blow them up?

[@pc_decisions8764]

@@Raviolei better than t1, thats what can I say. I am more a guy of tygr300 and k712 and an atom is more than what I need, even if buy hd800.

[@jst1rm]

Nice piece of Schitt

[@Ante770]

You need to share a playlist 🤤

[@Baxwar2092]

Is the hel enough for the Argons?

[@NestorZaharopoulos]

Same question here.

[@joshski85]

This, Topping A90, or SMSL SH-9 for HD660s?

[@ricardoavi123]

Fiio k5 pro review please

[@muttineni03]

Intro song please?

[@EssenceofPureFlavor]

Two DAC options OR a phono stage.

[@timlu5389]

does it runs hot?

[@mattialemboluscari8774]

So is this enough for a Argon MKIII?

[@User_not_found_403]

Josh your video production is top notch, but void of substance. Super disappointed you completely avoided comparing this to your reference THX 789. Get into the sound! Just saying it has power and you love it, doesn't really tell us much...

[@nemie240]

Because it is junk, the noise is so off putting I am sending mine back, I don't trust Josh reviews.

[@DREDKNOT2063]

does anyone know what's the power output in low gain at 32ohms is on the ASGARD HEADPHONE AMP & PREAMP an does the AK4490 DAC MODULE upgrade have dsd support an if so what kind i know all the listed specs but i also know that max power doesn't always refur to all gain modes i was looking for a headphone amp that puts out at least a watt at low gain with zero db increase at 32ohms like the Asgard but thats if it does 1 watt at low gain like most amps the low gain is sometimes drasticaly different in output so i was trying to find out what the power out is for this one in low gain i dont need db increase just power delivery my max budget is 320$b for any amp im in search for a good upgrade from my jds atom to really drive my m570 cans which i really love but since coming from my previous set of cans my 565 & ad-500x both sounded good an loud at low gain an rarely did i need turn the dail past 9:00 im not a fan of the jsd atoms high gain but to get the same volume output with my m570 i have to so i seek an alternative amp

[@azlanikram9393]

what was the wave in the start

[@Yattofskee]

intro song?

[@roomchaos]

Intro song name please ?

[@air90air]

roomchaos slow decay- Ingrid Witt

[@roomchaos]

@@air90air Thanks!

[@Hzq_ali]

damn these are $249 on Schiit's website now...

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

yeah.. is it still worth it

[@kimdotnet2110]

And now over $300

[@DuncanBM]

How would this pair with the dt 880 600 ohm

[@LordRedDragon]

if it just had a mic input, it would have been way more awesome.

[@SiggieVRC]

SMSL THX is 6 watts for thx plus its only 30 bucks more expensive

[@AOBONO87]

I want a hel but there out of stock :( on Amazon

[@jeromemarceau6278]

Schiit.com/products/hel

[@brydon10]

Nice large volume knob.

[@McgarickWAstate]

Anyone use this as a preamp to power amp to speakers?? How is it that way?

[@armandohernandez1879]

Can i used with philips fidelio x2hr?

[@TheMadPaddy]

I use the Phillips Fidelio on the Asgard 2, so I'm assuming they will work just fine on the 3.

[@LeJohnz]

Okay now review the Viper Ultimate.

[@pc_decisions8764]

Sounds like the khadas tone board IT would be the DAC to go with this big boi....have you considered also to try something budget, like really budget, something like the syba sonic sound card?

[@franzb69]

smsl sp200 vs asgard 3

[@Smith000006]

franzb69 Agreed. Waiting for a response to this!

[@kristoffer8740]

I own both. I prefer the asgard 3. It is more engaging. The potentiometer in SMSL SP200 is the worst that I have ever used. After 3 o'clock the does not increase the volume, and the potentiometer it self has no resistance what so ever. The SMSL SP200 does sound cleaner and more neutral. Great match with the HD650/HD6XX.

[@Raviolei]

@@kristoffer8740 I'm deciding between the Asgard 3 or the SMSL for my DT880 600 ohm. I'm leaning more towards the Asgard but I'm worried that they aren't powerful enough. Do you think the Asgard will be enough?

[@BlueSpectre]

Dont even mention the older magni lol, believe it or not you already own a modi 3 and heresey edition mangi 3 amp. Thats all the hel is, a modi 3 dac chip (the akm4490) stuffed into the op based magni 3 heresy, with a touch less power of course than a standard stack

[@StrikitRich]

Asgard 3 or Heresy?

[@jipillow1]

Accidental puns are the best puns

[@kipling1957]

Because of the name I checked to see if this was published on April 1.

[@AdrianIII]

Disappointed you didn’t compare sound performance with your favorite THX789!

[@Maaruks]

please compare with THX 789, everyone has THX 789

[@jekken333]

Waiting for ryou stella review.

[@JoshuaValour]

Not coming - Watch this for explanation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4eWaXyqqqyVj7M