I just bought the Schiit Asgard 3 with the ES9028 DAC to use with the 8XX and I hate it. Everything is rough and not smooth at all. Will the Valhalla 2 be nice and smooth with the 8XX? I will be getting the Modi 3 to go along with it. What will be the differences going from an Asgard 3 to a Valhalla 2?
The Schiit Valhalla 2 & Modi 3 for Sennheiser HD8XX
- Thread starter KB24
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I'm getting rid of the Asgard 3 and getting the Monolith Balanced THX AAA DAC/Amp combo. I had this amp for 10 days before returning it due to a defect. I loved it's sound. Pristine sound!
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
~ The Asgard 3 really takes a while to burn in. Also, the ESS9028 chip DAC may not be the best match for the 8XX given the 8kHz (or thereabouts) peak in the FR of the 8XX.
~ A somewhat warmer amp with detail and gusto would be the Schiit Jotunheim 2. If you go this route and want ‘one-box’, I recommend the Multibit DAC option for Jot 2.
~ A Valhalla 2 can be detailed, smooth, warm with 8XX with some tube upgrades - an activity which may/may not interest you.
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Which had the ‘pristine’ sound? The THX AAA amplifiers are indeed powerful and tonally neutral with very low distortion. Sonically, I (and others) have found that THX AAA amps lack: ambience, dynamic range, excitement, liquidity, soundstage, three-dimensionality. THX AAA amps can/do sound: anechoic, dry, flat.
The Monolith had the pristine sound. So what amp do you recommend for $500?
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
For the amplifier, at $500, I recommend the Rebel Amp which is made in Europe. The colours are: green or black. Importantly, the amplifier operates in Class A mode. This avoids sonic ‘nasties’ like brightness, glare, hardness. The Rebel should be a nice match to the 8XX headphone (and quite a few others).
Never heard of Rebel Amp. Does it sound much better than the Monolith? I'll have to do some of my own research. It looks really cool.For the amplifier, at $500, I recommend the Rebel Amp which is made in Europe. The colours are: green or black. Importantly, the amplifier operates in Class A mode. This avoids sonic ‘nasties’ like brightness, glare, hardness. The Rebel should be a nice match to the 8XX headphone (and quite a few others).
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jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Search for Rebel Amp in the “Headphone Amplifiers” forum here in Head-Fi. Those who own the Rebel Amp really like it. Will it sound ‘better’?…I’ll guess that it will sound far more lifelike…than the Monolith.
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What is cheap DAC that you recommend for the Rebelamp? What about the JDSLabs Atom DAC+??
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Let me ponder that…I want to give you a useable idea…
I might go with the Topping E30 DAC. What do you think about that? It's little mean the Rebelamp doesn't come with a power cable.
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
~ The Topping E30 should go well with the Rebel. (Just black or silver for the E30…). The DAC chip in the E30 is the AKM (Asahi Kasei Microdevices) AK4493 - this is just below the state-of-the-art AK4499. The AK4493 digital to analogue conversion is quite musical: no ‘etch’, ‘glare’, or ‘stridency’ which can afflict the output of some ESS DAC chips (as you have experienced!).
~ FYI, the AKM factory where all the DAC chips and more were made was destroyed in a fire in November 2020. Availability of DACs with the AK4499 chip is currently close to nil….unless luck in the second-hand market prevails.
~ Not providing a power cord is a bit inconvenient; but it does present the chance to upgrade the power cord. It does make a difference.
Is this a good power cable for the Rebelamp?
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...BDD46tfWQMHNfFFx5dRoCHUsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Also, the Rebelamp only outputs 1 Watt at 32 ohms. Would it be too weak for the HD8XX because it is rated at 300 ohms?
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
~ 1000 milliwatts (into 32 ohms) is still pretty powerful. The Sennheiser HD800 has a sensitivity of 103.8 dB/V; this takes into account the nominal input impedance of 300 ohms. Assuming similarity between the HD800 and the HD8XX, a dB/V sensitivity in the 103 vicinity is about median across a variety of headphones and headphone types. I would not expect any power issues regarding the Rebel driving the HD8XX.
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