@ProfFalkin, Asgard 3 and Modius have arrived in the mail today and pairs exceptionally well with Mrspeakers Ether. It was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. Bifrost maybe in future after I upgrade my ears
I reckon after some burn in, the way it sounds will be even better but initial impressions going from Nad d1050 to Schiit is favourable (excuse my inability to express what I hear in words, giving it a shot):
Ethers + Nad d1050: upside, very precise on instrument and vocal texture/timbre, perhaps a bit clinical (which is also enjoyable in its own way), downside, fatigue in an hour or so.
Focal Clear Pro + Nad d1050: upside, easy to listen to (less focus on detail than Ethers, more of a chill out session than critical listening), warmish, tight bass, downside, vocals are a bit more laid back, does not pick up the subleties that the Ether picks up (e.g. liveliness/emotionality in voices like it’s whispering in your ear, the performers’ instrumental subtle variations or dynamic errors).
Swapping out the Nad d1050 to Schiit, the Ethers retain the whispering quality, improves in bass spaciousness and I’m not experiencing fatigue like I did before. Effects are not worlds apart but quite noticeable and most importantly, more enjoyable. The Focal Clear Pro on the other hand, had vocals come forward a bit (better), the bass was more detailed. Hopefully it doesn’t fatigue over time.
My favourite thing to so is to pick up Ethers when I want to be emotionally engaged by the vocals (singing is like whispering into your ear) or when listening to live performances to hear it like I’m there. I pick up the Focal Clear Pros when I do not want to do critical listening but just relax, it’s like I’m watching live music perform in front of me, close, but not so close up it’s constantly demanding my attention.
I ended up changing rooms so there is more desk space to prevent vertical stack. Turns out music will make people move.