Schiit Mjolnir 3 Impressions

MJ3/Yggdrasil A2 is an excellent pairing with the Caldera as well. It sounded very resolving while also being incredibly easy to listen to. Timbre was excellent and nothing seemed to be missing from the sub-bass all the way through the treble. I was equally enamored with the synergy with my Meze Elite. Both the Caldera and Elite impressed me tremendously with this setup. I’m a bit intrigued by the new MIB, but I’m perfectly satisfied with the OG/A2 at present, so I’ll stick with what I’ve got.

 

Another May>MJ3>Caldera winner: https://mareikewiening.bandcamp.com/album/reveal where Wiening's hard-hitting drum work really stands out as the first track opens. This album is relatively "classical" in style, what one may call "straight ahead-ish" but very centered in the leader's drums, surrounded by the other instruments while every single percussion stroke occupies its own place. I hear it as in some live jazz sessions where we sat close to the drummer, with the other instruments spread out to the side and behind. Nicely recorded -- detail, dynamics, placement -- if somewhat non-standard for its centering on the drums. Dave Douglas appears with his trumpet, in top form, in a few guest tracks.

 

My MJ3 has developed a weird static noise in the right channel. It has only developed in the last week or so. At first I thought the noise was only present in high gain.

Up to this point, I had only been using the 4-pin XLR output, but while trying to try track down the full extent of the problem, I plugged in some single-ended headphones. The staticky noise is even louder from the SE output, and it is equally loud in both high gain and low gain. Weirdly, the balanced output is silent when in low gain regardless of mode, push-pull or SE Class A.

The noise seems most similar to what I recall hearing from dirty tubes or tubes that aren’t making a good connection. Obviously this is a solid-state amp, but it’s the best way I can think to describe it. It’s random in level and duration, but it is noisy almost all the time. It’s easily heard during quiet passages of music or when the music is paused. The position of the volume knob doesn’t change the level of the noise.

I bought my MJ3 from a a fellow SBAF member pretty recently. I’m probably the first person to own one of these second-hand. I’ve tried everything I can think of to get rid of the noise, but I’m pretty sure there is something wrong internally in the amp. I’ve tried different headphones, cables, wall outlets as well as turning off my phone and all WiFi devices in the room, but nothing made a difference.

Any suggestions on what I could possibly try before resorting to sending the amp back to @schiit for repairs?

 

Just contact Schiit. A bunch of people had the same issue and posted about it in the Head-FI thread about the amp.

 

I couldn’t find anything posted about noise in one channel like I’m experiencing. There were some dead units and units with one dead channel. Of course it could be the same root issue that is causing the noise on my amp.

 

The noise is there always like if no source is plugged in still noise? When I was messing around and wanted to try different sources I first tried with this portable dac, frankly because it was the most convenient, didn't have to unplug / move anything from my speakers... anyhow if that was plugged in at all I had noise.

 

I recall Jason in his HF thread mentioning one of the warranty returns had a switch that was causing the problem in that particular unit.

 

This also happened to me with my Freya N. It sounded like low level low frequency noise just on the left channel. Very faint. Only when using the 1x buffer. I RMA'd it and it is now on its way back to me.

I only mention this because the buffer in the Freya +/N is the kind of the same design of the amp section of the MJ3. But these are old school amps with a set bias point. Part of also why it takes quite a bit to warm up and sound its best.

 

Thanks for all the detailed info. That’s definitely beyond anything I would want to tackle on my own. I guess I’ll dust off the Cayin iHA-6 and use that while the MJ3 gets fixed up.

 

Here are some more thoughts I had about the MJ3.

Chain - Preferred Yggdrasil A2 over other DACs I tried. Wanted to and didn't get to try the MIB at socal meet up with this amp, but I still think I would have preferred the A2 based on how I **think** the MIB sounds. It may also be good with something that sounds like a Wavedream type of sound or maybe a Callia type of sound - not because "it's a Wavedream it can make anything good", but just overall synergy. Interconnect cables didn't seem to make a huge difference - had to use different cables at home + meet to make everything reach, etc. and while I wasn't listening for it, it wasn't naturally noticeable like on some other amps. Didn't try rolling headphone cables.

From before -
1. Yes, every time I used it, it was very congested with less than 30 minutes of warm up. It was good after 2 hours, best after 3 hours.
2. I still agree with my previous statement that all of the settings that can be adjusted are not superfluous.
3. I should also clarify that the amount of heat this generates is not absurd, but it is significant enough to me. I get warm easily and just don't like it when it's not cold and I have to deal with an amp emitting any significant amount of heat.
4. My same issue I had with the JAR600 + HD6xx not being able to "go any faster" described earlier went away with other DACs but kept happening every time I used it with the A2. Still don't think Utopia was the right HP.

Some other HP I tried at socal meet on this were OK or good with this amp, but some of the other gear paired better for my tastes with those particular HP IMO. I think my favorite HP with the amp was the ZMF Atrium, although my Autuers were good the whole time as well.

Overall, I still really liked the amp. I noticed just about every amp at socal meet was a hybrid or tube amp other than the EC BW and Ragnarok that were there. I personally prefer the sound of this amp to both of those. Edges of notes are a bit rounded off, it can be bit warm as others have said, and as mentioned before, doesn't have that extra slam and energy present in a lot of other Schiit amps. Otherwise, I agree with a lot of what has already been said about the sonic characteristics of this amp so I'm not going to re-write it all here. Resolution and other aspects of technical performance didn't WOW me in any way compared to "big tube amps", but it's definitely good enough to scratch the itch, definitely good enough for a SS amp around $1k, and definitely good enough for me to recommend. Definitely a top choice for a SS headphone amp if we don't go crazy in price.
EDIT: Not going to comment very much about how it compares to DSHA-3/3F (original version from ECP), Phonitor, or a couple of other SS amps in the $1k-3k range as I don't remember how they sound well enough to do accurate comparison. I will say I think the Phonitor sounded slightly more "neutral" overall but didn't quite have as much drive / juice as this while running cooler. I think the 3 and 3F were pretty different sounds from this amp but again, can't remember.

Lastly, what others have already said, yes, this amp will vibrate. The way the vibration felt to me was akin to hitting an A 440Hz tuning fork and then grabbing it a few seconds later, except your fingers don't make it stop. I had the amp on hockey pucks both at home and at the meet and didn't hear any of the physical vibration transmitting into any HP I used or as any kind of significantly raised noise floor, gray-ground instead of black-ground, etc. It also isn't intense enough to mess with the switches, your cables, etc.

 

Got the loaner in yesterday. Give me a few days to write something up but holy shit Jason really outdid himself on this one. Had no idea when I started this thread I’d be such a fan because I did not care for MJ2. This is golden schlong shoo-in.

 

Ethernet to fiber adapter > Allo Usbridge > Unison Bifrost 2 balanced > MJ3 > HD600/HD650 KISS MODDED balanced

I was planning on waiting til next week but I got inspired and wrote something up...

The word "masterpiece" is an overused term in our hype fueled society nowdays. Extremes are the norm. Visit your average imdb movie review page and witness hyperbole ladden drivel from the masses about such and such being the "worst movie ever" or "best movie ever". Same with video games, albums, politicians, etc. Everything either sucks or is amazeballs. If its mid it sucks. If it's a little more than mid its a masterpiece. Bleh. I just want Bill Hicks to come back from the dead and scream at everybody.

The truth is masterpieces take time and are rare. A good artist will be lucky to have one in a multi-decade career. Well Schiit has been around about 13 years so far. And I think its been long enough for Jason Stoddard to have one in his belt. Moffat already has one with the Yggdrasil, but he's been around forever. I don't think Jason has ever made a bad amp but I'm not sure he's ever made a masterpiece... until now.

I never heard the MJ1 and was not impressed with the MJ2... it was fine, probably even more than a little good, but it never grabbed me. Something something something wrong tubes... whatever, point is MJ3 doesn't use tubes and thus wont ever be heard under anything but ideal circumstances.

Let's get a few things out the way first...

1. Yeah, so people who think this amp gets hot have never owned a Zana Deux. Own that amp for a while then come back and talk about "heat". The MJ3 got no more than mildly warm and I would not consider it a space heater or problematic unless your room is already on the warm side and you don't have AC.

2. Balanced in sounds better than SE in IMO, similar to BHA-1. SE in is... fine, but balanced I felt was better.

3. Sounds a bit congested for the first hour or so.

4. I liked single-ended over push pull, and preferred feedback switched off. Feedback switched on sounded more sculpted in the imaging department with more defined separation, but slightly less nuanced overall. And single-ended had more nuance than push-pull, but push-pull enacted more grip on the drivers and sounded more authoritative (with a taller, more upfront sounding stage). In the end options increase nervosa, but it's good to have choices for different headphones and even different types of music... like I wouldn't use push-pull for classical because I don't like tall/upfront headstages for that genre, but I'm more open to it for rock/pop if it means a more aggressive presentation.

The technical part...

It's greatest strength is its ability to translate the recorded musical moment into a faithfully and fully realized event in physical space hovering in front of you like magic, and without any mucking up of any part of the signal... and it never highlights any one specific area like some amps do, leading to an uncanny feeling of wholeness and completeness. Basically it does exactly what an amp is supposed to do and does it better than most I've heard. Back when the first amps were conceived, I can imagine this was what they were dreaming of. This is about as high of praise I can give.

MJ3 is very... pleasant sounding... a sit back relax and just take it all in experience without much judgement... its more right brained than left brained, though the left brain will have plenty to marvel at. Pulls off this magic trick where it's extremely resolving enough to present all the musical information but never brags about what it can do, even though it's more than earned it. It has this effortless detached kind of cool factor that never breaks a sweat... like it can walk, chew bubble gum, juggle, dance and recite poetry at the same time.

The stage is marvelous, just marvelous. Not as "in your face" as the SW51. Everything is open, spacious, able to breathe... excellent separation and front to back layering. The stage has a coherence, focus, dimensionality and solidity reserved for the best tube amps. As a result classical music sounds absolutely stunning. The amp is a genre master, but classical in particular seems to benefit most from its ability to convincingly stage a real event in 3 dimensional space. I got flashbacks of EC Zana Deux which is also world class in this area.

I will call the amp kinda thick sounding, but not in a bad way. It has a slight chunk factor but never feels bloated, slow or congested in any way... still very nimble and quick on its feet... it has speed (electric guitars sound heavenly). And that thick sound is possibly it just being extremely transparent to the thick sounding BF2, which would actually be another thing in the plus column.

"Engagement" level is off the scale, world class... the kind I'm used to hearing with Eddie Current amps. The sweetness of a violin, the grand swell of an orchestra, the sultry smokiness of a veteran singer's voice, the startling blare of a trumpet, it's all vividly presented without ever feeling hi-fi or faked, just natural. It was VERY hard to go to bed the first night I had it... everything sounded so magical and every time I was about to switch it off some nuance in a piece of music startled me enough to want to keep at it. It just doesn't hold back in dosing you with auditory goodness... straight into the vein, without breaking a sweat. Easily the most engaging Schiit amp I've heard. Its easy going and effortless qualities only enhance this. Listening to it is like being in the zone and just staying there for however long you feel like it... no weird boring spells to snap you out of it. Every track sounds like its been maximized to sound the best its ever sounded. The amp just doesn't cease its onslaught of awesomeness. And you feel good about turning up the volume. Never got fatigued with extended listens. Cannot overstate how engaging a listen it is. Pair it with an engaging DAC and have enough towels on hand for all the inevitable drool.

Not the airiest thing in the world, but the treble is well extended and very very well behaved... zero nasties. Mids to treble transition remind me of the HD650, about as close to perfect as you can get. And mids to bass just as good... nothing sounds truncated or weird or out of place.

The mids have a smoky quality similar to the Rag 1.5, and again, are a bit thick sounding but it's tastefully done and not offensive at all... and I'm not sure the BF2 chunky mids aren't mostly to "blame"... this is why I need multiple sources. Someday.

Sub bass is hard to examine with the Senns, but midbass is hefty, plentiful and never spills into places it doesn't belong... everything below the waist is tight and controlled and confident.

Has the slam that is missing from the SW51, though does not Hulk Smash like Zana Deux, which is fine... the amp is more about seduction and the whole experience than brute force, but not to worry... there is plenty o' thump to satisfy.

Resolution is outstanding through the entire frequency band. Even though there may be slightly more resolving amps, you are talking extreme diminishing returns at this level and you never get the sense that something is lacking in this area... there is more resolution than most audiophiles will ever need here for headphone listening.

Microdynamics are stunning... one of the amps strong suits. If we come to understand microdynamics as "truth in motion", as the connective tissue of music, we understand how vitally important it is in getting us closer to the truth of the musical moment. Billie Holiday's very specific vocal tone and inflections... even the way her tongue interacts with her mouth as she sings (yes I can hear it)... the variable way woodwind players use air pressure to make sound... how hard or soft and everything in between a pianist uses to strike the keys... you can even hear any "error" a musician makes and "see" a violinist locked in 3D space as they move a bow across the strings with varying pressure at different points of the movement... the way music bounces around and reflects off large acoustic spaces... it's all there in spades, leading to an increased sense of engagement... you feel less like you're just listening to music and more that you're experiencing it. You understand and appreciate more of what musicians are going for and their various techniques to get there. Just like OLED TV's more faithfully reproduce what the cinematographer was after in choosing certain lenses, lights, exposures and focal lengths... MJ3 is like OLED for music. And this is just with BF2... I can only imagine what an Yggdrasil would do to further enhance this area. Or a Wavedream. I can tell this amp just loves to be fed the best sources and I'm certain it will reward you as a you level up in this area.

Layering and separation are predictably top level... nothing smeared, homogenized or frankenstein'd... all of this is related to the amp's top priority of musical truth and it's no-aspect-left-behind attitude... it just gives you everything without necessarily highlighting any one thing.

Background is sufficiently black, helping bring all the subtleties to life, but I wont say it's inky... as I don't like the conotations that implies. It's black enough to where you will hear nothing but the musical notes appear and vanish with as much clarity as possible.

I do prefer this amp to the EC Black Widow 2, which was too strident sounding for me... and I don't think "warm" is quite the correct term for MJ3... I would replace it with "organic". Warm implies this kind of saturation effect I hear on amps like BW2/Jot2/Piety etc... MJ3 does not sound saturated to me, but more organically dense. And its careful never to overdo this, perfectly balanced. Closer to a DNA kind of richness. It really did kind of remind of the Starlett here.

And bygod this thing really does vibrate... pretty wild.

Biggest difference from SW51 is MJ3 brings back the nuance and complexity where SW51 sounds more simplified. Like BF2 vs. Yggdrasil proper.

My fav schiit amp so far. Really liked Folkvangr but didn't listen long enough at the meet to come to any conclusions about it. Maybe this is the SS equivalent? SW51 still has the magical tube energy that synergizes better with the Senns. The MJ3 succeeds at cutting through the Senn veil but also highlights it at the same time... the Senns still retain some of their slow and grainy qualities. I would really like to hear this amp with the clearer sounding Focals probably because I don't think the Senns do the amp's clarity and speed justice. BUT, this is still one of the best amps I've heard for Senns. To be perfectly transparent I do not sense this "issue" (I hesitate to even call it that) on the SW51, as think tubes play better with the Senns peculiarities. The MJ3 is so good, it forces you to sense the limitations of your transducers and level up, because the amp deserves it.

To sum up, MJ3 is all about finesse, energy, drive, focus, control, engagement, refinement and maybe most of all... SEDUCTION. It wants to massage your eardrums, but it still has enough balls to satisfy slam-heads. It doesn't drop the ball in any area, and is actually able to spin that ball on its finger in most areas. And it offers a plethora of options to tailor the sound for different users and headphones. Amp makers in particular should really be paying attention to it. And a golden schlong snub would rival E.T. losing best picture to f'ing Ghandi... or Kubrick and Hitchcock never winning best director or Kurosawa's bullshit "honorary" Oscar when he should've won proper for multiple films. You get the idea. Make it happen.

I knew the amp was good, but I did not expect to be blown away like this, a very welcome surprise. This is one of the few hype trains that is absolutely worth getting aboard. And represents a satisfying moment in a hobby littered with disappointment. But be warned, this amp is only for the most disciplined music enthusasist... those who have the will power to pull themselves away when they know they have to get up early the next day or the wife or girlfriend or kids wants you to spend some time with them. Otherwise this amp could be blamed for alot of interpersonal strife!

Yes there are better amps on a technical level, but there is no perfect amp, and no exeperienced audiophile should be foolish enough to be chasing that. We should all know by now its more about trying to find amps that have the least flaws (for individual taste) while doing most things at a high enough level to calm or better yet, eliminate nervosa. There are very few high level amps that I've owned or extensively demoed that have no onjective flaws. Hell, I cannot think of one off the top of my head that I've owned besides maybe the Starlett. Zana D had too much OTL veil. 445 was too clinical and the warmer tubes overdid it. BW2 was too warm-fakey-saturated and too strident for me. And if I'm nitpicking, Starlett had a bit too much upfront staging for my taste. MJ3 is the first amp I've spent quality time with that I don't feel has any real objective flaws and does everything at, if not a last-5% super-duper high level, a high enough level that I'd be hard pressed to find another amp that does that AND has zero outright flaws. End game isn't necessarily about the last 5% of technical performance.

The MJ3 may quite possibly come to represent peak Schiit in the amp department when we all look back in 10 or 20 years. I'd still love to see a transformer coupled tube amp that's not a hybrid, and an update to Valhalla, but it's hard to imagine their solid state lineup getting much better than what I feel is Jason's masterpiece. Bravo.

 

This ^.

 

Switching to a more neutral source (Magnavox CD player line outs) I think tonally it works better than BF2, which sounds a wee bit too thick with it for for my taste. I think this amp probably does better with drier leaner sources. I found the same to be true with my old DNA Starlet, which had better synergy with the neutral NAD C510 than BF2. Oh and it really makes me want to take another look at planars.

 

Though I will say switching to the HD600 with the BF2 is actually working pretty well and balances everything out, so maybe HD650+BF2 was too much of a good thing and you just have to be mindful of headphone pairing.