The Mjolnir 2 thread

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by maxedfx, Oct 11, 2015.

  1. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    What I've deduced from @schiit's book is that the low gain setting on all their amps barring the Rag is implemented with negative feedback, or more accurately, by increasing it.

    I've previously gone back and forth with the TH900, which due to their high sensitivity and LISST's higher noise floor really pickup a lot of hiss and noise. It was a little tricky to be sure because I couldn't volume match but my impression was that microdynamics and microdetail suffered a little, enough to bug me that I was losing something if I set it to low.
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2017
  2. Johan

    Johan New

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    Anyone using freya as a pre for the mj2 with lisst? Seems like that would be interesting
     
  3. winders

    winders boomer

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    Let's assume Schiit is using negative feedback. From what I understand , the low gain setting would be the one using negative feedback. If that is the case, shouldn't the low gain setting be the better one, not the worst?
     
  4. Johan

    Johan New

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    Most people dont like negative feeedback
     
  5. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    Depends what you mean by better. Measures better, yes. Sounds better, well, that's down to implementation and personal preference. If I had to guess I would say that the probable reason I preferred high gain on Mjo2 is not to do with less feedback but rather that that it can swing more volts for transients. Like when you hear a really well set up and tuned sound system like at Corsica Studios in London or Wax Treatment in Berlin, the amps are all barely ticking over most of the time. If you want punch and impact headroom is king.
     
  6. winders

    winders boomer

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    I am going to listen to my MJ2 in high gain mode for a while with headphones and monitors. Let's see what I think......
     
  7. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    According to @schiit it very much 'depends'...

     
  8. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    I've ignorantly discounted vacuum tubes from the get go. Due to inexperience I was focused on a narrow set of characteristics. I finally did a proper comparison of stock to LISST. As experience grows, and new knowledge is gained, opinions change..

    LISST Quick Review
    LISST possesses more clarity, is comparatively un-colored, gives a more tactile sound, slams harder, with tighter bass. They’re also super-duper compressed sounding in a variety of ways. Micro-dynamics have been stripped out of existence. Micro-detail is there but it just doesn't stand up and make itself known. The mids are irritatingly blurred, separation is a bit of a cludge, and stage width is smaller. Macro-detail of everything not at the forefront just falls to the background in a mild haze.

    All the nuance is lost, there's no space between sounds. Decay, reverb, air, volume gradations all get squashed out. And there’s a wonderful sweetness about the high frequencies with the stock tubes that you just loose.


    Would you guys say this is indicative of solid state, or more due to solid-state components being crammed into something designed for high voltage vacuum tubes?
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2017
  9. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Hello, I just got me a used Mjolnir 2 from Lenroot77. It will arrive with only stock tubes.

    I've been reading about the recommended tubes, and I look forward to blowing more money :)

    I have a couple of questions I hope you all can help me out with.

    1) if I use the pre-amp out, does the signal pass through the tubes, or is the pre-amp just the volume control?
    2) I read about people using tube savers to raise the base up out of the box for easier tube rolling. Is that a good idea? Any recommendation on basic, decent quality tube savers for this purpose?
    3) Anyone have some LISST tubes for sale, hopefully cheap :) I'm not thrilled about the LISST tubes given what BenBore wrote above, but it might be a good idea to have and test some.
    4) Any issues or concerns with using a SE DAC in and using Balanced headphone out?

    I'm hopeful that I can replace my Crack and Taurus II with the MJ2.
     
  10. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I've got some Amperex 6dj8 orange globes or Tesla ee88 tubes I'd unload for pretty if you wanna try some to roll. I've accumulated way too many and narrowed down to two pairs (for now lol)
     
  11. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    1) Through the tubes. It's not very transparent as a preamp, I wouldn't particularly recommend it for speakers.

    2) Tube rolling is a pain in the ass, moreso than on the Vali or Valhalla because there is very little protruberance to grab hold of. The only thing that stopped me using socket savers is the question of how to get them out of the amp again. If you do want socket savers go for these ones:
    http://www.tubemonger.com/NOVIB_Socket_Saver_1960s_NOS_British_McMurdo_B9A_p/novib-mcmurdo.htm

    In the end what I did was get some of those "this is going to hurt you more than it's going to hurt me" doctor's latex gloves to help get a grip on the tubes.

    4) Nope, SE in is fine, just avoid SE out.
     
  12. hifi01170

    hifi01170 Acquaintance

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    What can explain the fact that mjolnir 2 used as a preamp is not transparent enough?
     
  13. Vent

    Vent Friend

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    RE: changing tubes.

    I find that a little bit of tape makes things much easier.
     
  14. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Thanks @Garns

    I was actually just wondering what the mj2 would sound like as a preamp to the Taurus. Just idle curiosity.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2017
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    yes
     
  16. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Hi all. Regarding the "2pc Gold plated 5670 6n3 WE396A TO ECC88 6922 6DJ8 tube adapter for you (sic) amp" from eBay, just to be sure, "2pc" means the buyer gets 2 adapters for $15.90 + shipping, right?

    Also, anyone try these tubes from AudioTubes?
    5670 (396A or 2C51) United label, made in England NEW LOWER PRICE! MATCHED PAIR
    According to them, "they are QUIETER and are sonically SUPERIOR to the acclaimed W-E tubes" Same price too, $100/matched pair


    Update: I ended up ordering the W-E tubes rather than take a chance.
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
  17. Delayeed

    Delayeed Facebook Friend

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    That's very relieving to hear... I just got my MJ2 less than a week ago and running it SE into Ether C and it's fantastic but there is audible noise floor at any volume (Not bad, but annoyingly noticeable due to Ether C being closed) Ordered a balanced cable from ForzaAudioWorks, luckily the "new toy" excitement has eased the pain of waiting. :)

    Oh, and will post impressions on the amp once the cable arrives. Spoiler: (or not) It's already insanely good...
     
  18. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    I'm new to the Mjolnir 2, having enjoyed the Valhalla 2, Lyr 2, Jot, and so on. But my chain of Bifrost Multibit + HD650M + Mjolnir 2 balanced out hurts to listen to, even with warm tubes like some Brimar E88CC's I have. Tubes I really like in the Lyr 2 sound somehow wrong or muddied or hazy on the Mjolnir 2 using the balanced out. To provide some reference levels... with the Valhalla 2 I could listen at about 100 dB without pain (not that I do), with the Lyr 2 maybe 95 db; with the Mjolnir 2 balanced out it is more like 75. I've tried several sets of tubes and I can't seem to shake a wincing pressure headache sensation using the balanced out, whether low or high gain.

    The SE out is not painful, and the difference is not subtle. (At the risk of sounding dramatic, I can very obviously feel muscles tensing throughout my body when using the balanced out, and my body relaxes when switching to the SE out, regardless of gain setting or volume). Is there something about going SE in -> balanced out that would create fucked treble or other painful artifacts, or is there something else at play here? I will be able to test going fully balanced with a Gungnir Multibit next week, but I was surprised to come across this issue and am wondering if anyone else is familiar with this.

    Edit: The SE in -> SE out is pretty good though... definitely better than I was expecting after reading the SE out summing circuit discussions in this thread. Without that nasty balanced out problem, I'm currently enjoying it more than the Valhalla 2 (which is my favorite for kicking back and being immersed in music); it's like the smoothness of the Valhalla 2 with more wetness, the fullness of the Lyr 2 with more detail... I guess that's what Marv meant by saying the Mjolnir 2 combines the best aspects of the Lyr 2 and Valhalla 2. Seems like a winner so far. Excited to see what the Gungnir Multibit does to it.

    Edit 2: It just seems to keep getting better with time; using Philips Miniwatt tubes. I've never heard my music sound this organic and full bodied before. Every single album I have listened to, from electronica to rap to indie rock, has sounded more musical AND more detailed, and I thought I might get one or the other but not both. I'm extremely pleased (and surprised... the Bifrost Multibit is an even more capable DAC than I already thought).
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
  19. Delayeed

    Delayeed Facebook Friend

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    Just got my balanced cable and I think your on to something. Sounds a lot more V-shaped and solid-state for some reason at least from first listen...

    Edit: No doubt the highs sound more peaky than SE out, there is more extension both ways and mids seem recessed now. Everything hits harder too so maybe the combination of those things causes the pain.

    Really disappointing to be honest.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2017
  20. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    Are you using balanced inputs from a balanced DAC? Or are you using SE inputs?
     

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