Schiit Asgard and Valhalla Headphone Amplifiers
Asgard
SINGLE ENDED CLASS A FET HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
ZERO FEEDBACK | SINGLE VOLTAGE GAIN STAGE
$249
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Asgard is a fully discrete, Class A, single-ended FET headphone amplifier with no overall feedback and a noninverting circuit topology. Its high-current design makes it uniquely suitable for low-impedance headphones.
Now, if you’re an engineer, the preceding paragraph probably means something to you. For everyone else, let’s simplify it: Asgard will sound friggin tremendous on virtually any headphone you throw at it, from $39 cheapies to those $1400 monsters you’ve been wanting to try. Asgard will even drive them to ear-imploding levels, if that’s what you’re into. And Asgard will do this for years and years, with no maintenance or tube replacements.
5-Year Warranty
Asgard is covered by a limited warranty that covers parts and labor for five years. That’s 5 years. Yes. FIVE. Compare that to the competition.
15-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
Don’t like your Asgard? No problem. Send it back for a full refund within 15 days of your original purchase. When was the last time you spent a couple of weeks in an audio store? With your own equipment? Thought so.
Specifications
Headphone Impedance: 8-600 ohms
Frequency Response: 2Hz-200KHz, -3dB
Maximum Output: 20V P-P into 32 ohms
THD: Less than 0.1%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V
Topology: Fully discrete FET, Class-A single-ended, zero feedback, noninverting, single voltage gain stage
Power Consumption: 35W
Size: 9 x 6.75 x 2.25”
Weight: 4 lbs
Valhalla
Single-ENDED TRIODE OTL HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
ZERO FEEDBACK | NONINVERTING
$349
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Valhalla is a Class A, single-ended triode headphone amplifier with no overall feedback and noninverting circuit topology. It provides classic tube sound and can drive headphones with impedances as low as 32 ohms.
Yes, we know that all you got out of the preceding paragraph is probably, “Classic tube sound.” And if you’re not a tube junkie, you might not even know what that means. Well, let us explain. Tube sound is a smoky nightclub with a hot chick in a red dress, it’s a warm swimming pool in summer, glowing green against the purple twilight, it’s a . . . well, hell, you can’t really explain tube sound. Think “smooth, fluid, liquid, alive.” But not in a SF-movie-gonna-eat-you kinda way. Valhalla delivers warm, magical sound for most headphones, as long as they aren’t less than 32 ohms.
5-Year Warranty
Most of Valhalla is covered by a limited warranty that covers parts and labor for five years. That’s 5 years. Yes. FIVE. Compare that to the competition.
The parts that aren’t covered by a 5-year warranty: the tubes. Tubes are covered by a 90-day warranty. They should last between 3000 and 5000 hours, but they do wear out. They will need replaced. Do not panic. Humans lived for many decades with this technology.
15-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
Don’t like your Valhalla? No problem. Send it back for a full refund within 15 days of your original purchase. When was the last time you spent a couple of weeks in an audio store? With your own equipment? Thought so.
Specifications
Headphone Impedance: 32-600 ohms
Frequency Response: 10Hz-200KHz, -3dB
Maximum Output: 30V P-P into 600 ohms
THD: Less than 0.1%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V
Topology: Class-A single-ended triode, zero feedback, noninverting, single voltage gain stage
Tube Complement: 6N1P dual triode input, 6N6P dual triode output, 1 each per channel
Power Consumption: 40W
Size: 9 x 6.75 x 3.25”
Weight: 7 lbs
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