Schiit Jotunheim 2

Would going from Audio-GD Master 11 to Jotunheim 2 and Bifrost 2 be a downgrade?

 

Hmm, I seem to be Jot-cursed at the moment. My Jot 2 with D-S DAC card has a really high noise floor. I typically use the SE output, but even with bog standard 70 ohm HD-25, the hiss is audible. It's audible at low or high gain, without anything else connected at all.

Do other people have this? It's way noisier than my OG Jot.

 

Has anyone experimented with cap substitutions or any other mods for the Jotenheim2? If so, what were they and what was the outcome? Thank you.

 

Well, obviously the buzz on this amp is dead on SBAF, as I see the last post was in April 2024, so I'm way behind the times. That said, I just pulled the trigger on one, which is going to allow me to pull a phono pre, the Schiit SYS, and a little Schiit amp (Heretic, Vali 2, Magni 3+) off of my desk.

It was the modularity that sold me. We'll see if it seems "overpowering," which may be the case. Just couldn't justify the Lyr+, especially since I want to ultimately go fully balanced with Modius and dual Gjallarhorns. Plan to post once it's here and ready for listening. First run will be SE, as I did not order any balanced cables yet. Hopefully, SE will be a clear upgrade from what I've been listening to.

Let the adventure begin. Expecting this to be my endgame setup. Not planning to upgrade further if the sound works. Real goal was to upgrade the sound and get my desktop into a nice three tier stack of Schiit.

 

I had that thought too when I got the Jot 2. Liked it a lot, but it didn't quite end there for me!

 

For better and for worse conversations on SBAF seem more purposive than how things might be on other fora, so once everyone who's gotten ears on a thing has said their piece the threads do tend to wind down. Certainly doesn't mean that things are suddenly bad or that you're behind the times IMO, just that there's not a lot more to say that hasn't already been said!

Haven't gotten ears on any variant of Jotunheim because while I feel the macrostuff might be right up my alley, I've always been a bit more persnickety about headstage presentation and only occasionally am in the mood for a sort of "wall of sound"-- the Jotunheim could be different of course, but every amp I've tried that's gone for a similar sort of stage presentation hasn't worked well for me.

I do still have a semi-alive Magni 3+ hanging around, would be curious to get your impressions as to how the Jotunheim 2 fares against it!

 

The Jot2 ended up being more of a gateway for me. It's good enough to really spark your curiosity on upgrade paths. Currently running mine with a Modius (akm) but looking to simplify and save space with a dac card.

Anyone have any impressions of the 9028 dac card vs the new Multibit card with Jot2?

How far off is the 9028 card from the ModiusE with Jot2?

 

An interesting observation.

I feel like Jot 2 started out with a lot of strong SBAF support that has been lost over time. It was originally marketed as a giant killer and I think in retrospect, perhaps a bit of overstatement. If anything, Pietus was that giant killer, and I think along with Piety, it eroded a lot of the justification for Jot 2, other than you want XLR balanced.

For me, Jot 2 is still my work desk amp and other than it blowing out and throwing smoke once (Schiit repaired it under warranty, known issue) I still think it's an engaging amp that is not distracting to listen to.

 

It is definitely a good amp still - especially for used prices. I like the Pietus Maximus a bit better with my JAR650, but I really don't think it is THAT much better an amp, especially considering the price delta. I think a few of us described the differences as macro vs micro focus (Jot 2 vs Pietus). I'd keep mine, but between the Pietus in the office and MJ3 for main listening, I have too many amps sidelined (Jot 2, SW51, Vali 2+, Piety...)

 

Well, we'll see. If it is not the upgrade I expect to my system, I will likely return it and shell out the additional money for a Lyr+. I am expecting it to be a nice change, one I can enjoy for some time. Thankfully, there are other paths open. I do, by the way, plan to ultimately use XLR balanced, which is one of the reasons it has been on my short list for a while.

 

Like one of those old Top Gear comparisons where James May is in a Dacia Sandero or whatever and Clarkson is in a M5 estate. Seriously, I would not try to compare the two. The Jot will make the Magni sound grainy and hazy in a direct back-to-back listening session.

If I had to pick one word in general for the Jot 2 sound it would be clean. Not the kind of sterile polished linoleum hospital floor clean of Topping, just the kind of clean you get from a low noise floor and a tonal balance that doesn’t emphasize anything in particular. I get why it was sold as a giant killer: in my book, it doesn’t really have any sins of omission or commission. Since it isn’t possible for one amp to be both floor wax and dessert topping (see what I did there?) that also means it’s not really bringing any flavor to synergize with. You’re going to hear a whole lot of your DAC or other source, so that really had better be to your taste.

 

Haha, I have to concede that I'm well aware of how silly it is, but even if it's going to end up a unilateral pantsing of the older thing my ears just perked up at noticing I actually had a solid touchstone to go off. This is pretty rare since besides the Piety and owning an OG Liquid Carbon a while back, I don't think that I've ever really had good context for gear to triangulate amps with.

Besides, gotta give folks encouragement to share impressions

I respected the Magni 3+ but never really *loved* it unlike I do the Unity. The 3+ definitely had technical chops but was dry and etched with a harder-sounding treble that grated on my nerves over time, which was what ultimately had me looking at other gear.

Curiously, that characterlessness is how I'd describe the Unity's voicing (maybe a bit warmer in the low mids, but not by very much, and with a ludicrously refined but not smoothed-over treble presentation that's *actually* a straight shooter unlike how the 3+ had that glare); feels like that could be a more apt comparison so folks can determine how much merit there maybe to upgrading as the both are currently-extant Schiit products, but hey Tin doesn't own one hah.

 

Yeesh. If the Jotunheim 2 doesn't completely blow away the Magni 3+, which is my least favorite of the three Schiit amps I have, it's going right back. That "glare" you refer to is something I hear every time I pull it out hoping to enjoy it... and it's sitting in my cabinet collecting dust. Wanted to like the Magni 3+. Tonally, it can't compete with the Vali 2, and that's with a pretty cheap JJ 6922 in there. It also can't compete with the Heretic for detail and balance. Frankly, what I am hoping for is exactly what Darmok described above.

It's coming on Sunday. I can hardly wait. Also very excited to hear the difference between my old Audio Technica PEQ3 and the phono section in the Jotunheim. Will post my thoughts of the comparison, but it's unlikely to involve the Magni 3+.

 

It's more technically competent to be sure.

It's neutral, thicc, mid forward, and not dead sounding solid state. It's got a dash of tubey-ness, but less magic mids than Piety and Pietus (which is a full half tier above it.) There's also some inner warmth, but it's a leaf fire compared to the MJ3 bonfire.

@darmok is also correct about Jot 2 lack of epic synergy. I've taken it to TSAV and plugged a lot of headphones into it and there's a lot of "really not bad!" but never "mother of god." I thought it did well with the Focal Clear Mg to liven it up a bit.

And it is not sin free. Headstage is not very wide, separation not great not terrible, highs kinda dry. Can negatively synergize with thicc DAC's.

 

Be sure to test unbalanced vs balanced, low gain vs high gain, all have a noticeable impact on the end result.

 

I think my frame of reference is a bit skewed since Pietus and Vali 3 are my everyday listening setups. Even the DC Elite and xDSD Gryphon, my usual portable setups, are on the thiccer side of things.

I’ve got the multibit card in mine right now and it definitely helps a bit with headstage and separation, along with being a little wetter overall. Occasionally the highs stick out, but one thing Jot 2 does do well IMO is keeping things well controlled to the point that I’m not wincing in pain. That to me is a key benchmark of refinement: even when not at its best, does it keep things under control?

The synergy is where I’m stuck though. I don’t feel like I’ve found the right DAC for it or even know what the sound signature of that DAC would be. It’s definitely killer at driving current-hungry planars, and I’ve actually found that it can do really nice things with the LCD-2C. If only I knew what DAC would complete that picture and take it into “wow”.

 

Well, my Jotunheim 2 came today. I'm listening to it right now. Impressions:

Phono section is definitely an upgrade from the AT-PEQ3 I have been listening to for years. I think anyone looking to stick with MM cartridges will find it solid. It was a good $100 spent. Finally, I have a section worthy of the Music Hall Magic 3 cartridge on my turntable. Whether it's the amp or the phono preamp, there is a good deal more layering present listening to my 40 year old copy of Tracy Chapman's first album. Nice decay, too.

The volume control. Well, at 9 o'clock, it's pretty much at the same volume as my Magni 3+ and the Heretic, so I suspect this pot has a little more taper. Good, as that was literally the only thing I was worried about in ordering the Jotunheim 2. Looks like I'll be able to use more than the first quarter of the travel.

Compared to all of my little Schiits: Heretic, Vali 2, Magni 3+. It is more "relaxed" than all three, with smoother highs than the Heretic (which I listen to for its high frequency resolution), smoother than the Vali 2 while being a lot more detailed, and early on I detect none of the "glare" I don't enjoy in the Magni 3+.

Listening to Apple Music through my AKM Modius (SE - haven't picked up balanced interconnects yet), balanced, through my HD600s, it's reproducing music I am familiar with well. "Somebody," by Depeche Mode is coming through with the appropriate amount of delicacy, and the background noises are audible without being grainy. Moving to "Rain," by The Cult, I see why people enjoy the bass drive from the amp and the PRaT seems dead on to me. Nice guitar decay, solid but not piercing drum beats, good sense of the arena in "Red Barchetta" from Exit Stage Left by Rush. All the percussion sounds clear and three dimensional to me on Jack Johnson's, "Upside Down." I'm just hearing more of the music through the Jot.

As a preamp, it is also solid, going through the Gjallarhorn to my Energy RC-10s. Same things to say through the speakers in SE as through the headphones in balanced.

It's simply a smoother, more nuanced, better rounded presentation coming from the Jot than I've been listening to from my smaller Schiit amps. When I read SBAF, I sometimes think people are very picky and have had access to a lot of more expensive gear than I have. To me, the Jotunheim 2 is exactly what I was hoping for. Couldn't be happier.

Time to order that balanced cable so I can really hear my AKM Modius, which was one of the reasons for getting the Jot in the first place. YMMV. Thanks to everyone who responded. If this post generates questions, feel free to ask.

 

"wow" is a tall order for Jot 2. Modius works well, and the price and form factor are a fit.

Many of us have, leading to much sorrow.

Stay right there.

 

Well, I can confirm that, to my ears, the HD600-balanced Modius/Jotunheim 2 (I did get a solid balanced cable for the DAC-amp connection) pairing is quite good and does, in fact, give me the "wow" factor with many songs. I see that you have that setup at work, @roshambo123, and don't find it enthralling. This is an area where I am thankful that I haven't had your access to higher end gear. What I love about it is that I find it absolutely unfatiguing, which wasn't the case with any of the smaller Schiit amps I own. The challenge now is that I need to be careful not to turn up the music too loud, because I am tempted to push it to much higher levels thanks to the smoothness of the sound and new details the Jot is bringing out.

That said, I find the Hifiman HE-X4, which I also own, to be a truly "meh" pairing with the Jot 2 through the SE output, even with a little EQ... so not everything will be a great fit.

As I'm not willing to go up dramatically in price range, I don't think I'll be looking for a replacement of the HD600, ever. I am curious about other sound signatures, though, so perhaps the DT880 or DT900, a pair of Grados (SR225x?), etc.... just something different yet enjoyable. Anyone got any ideas of different sound signatures that may sound good with the Jot 2? That's my next adventure.

 

My recommendation would be to try the ZMF perf suede pads for your HD 600. I think you’ll find that it brings a little more dynamic punch to the Senns without compromising the smoothness. Pad swapping is the easiest mod of course, and these are the only third party pads I’d recommend for the HD 6* line.