Schiit Jotunheim 2

The low fatigue factor and lack of utter enthrallment is what makes it a good work setup. And it is still engaging, just not in show of pyrotechnic bombast or instant hypnosis opium trance kindof way that some other amps do.

 

I'd start investigating ETAs offerings. They have some amazing bang for the buck offerings, though they have been out of stock recently. Hopefully @tommytakis or @E_Schaaf will update as to when they'll have stock again.

 

FWIW I've had a Jot2 with the ESS card as a daily driver for > 4 years and has helped control upgradeitis 'cause I know the next level lies in the kilobuck range. So far I've enjoyed the sound of soft-surround carbon composite/wool/paper membrane drivers the most (ETA, Fostex, Denon, etc).

 

Jot 2 doesn't get enough praise IMO, the SE out is also great depending on which headphone and gain used. It's a very adaptable amp and sounds good with many different kinds of headphones. Had mine since launch and it's only recently been replaced as my full time SS amp by an amp that costs 2.5x more.

 

Yeah, the MJ3 replaced the Jot2 as my main ss headamp. But it took 3 years. Prior to the 2 was Jot 1. I guess I'm kind of a schiithead.

 

The ETA suggestion is an excellent one.

I'd ask a couple questions with another suggestion in mind as well. What is your budget range? What kinds of music do you listen to?

If this is not out of what you have in mind, check out the HFA Dahlia too.
https://hififorall.com/

 

Budget limit is around $300-$500.
As for music, I listen to a wide variety: Pink Floyd, Rush, Sarah McLachlan, Regina Spektor, The Scorpions, AC/DC, Depeche Mode, Jack Johnson, Nirvana, Tracy Chapman, U2, The Cure, The Smiths, Mozart, Stravinsky, Yo Yo Ma, Adele, Johnny Cash, The Who, The Cult, The The, Coltrane, either Blanchard brother, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Colin Hay, etc.... You get the idea.
Why? What did you have in mind?

The Dahlia is a bit of a stretch. ETA looks interesting, the Ada that is currently sold out.

 

Proceed with caution, you may be approaching Mid-Fi Hell

You just completed a successful upgrade built around a scalable headphone (HD600) that suits your preferences, which is great. The general advice is to find a transducer that you like and build around that. Until you can articulate what it is you want or don't like about your current setup, you may find yourself in the labyrinth.

Mid-Fi components are often broadly competent while doing a couple things really well, but also a couple things less well, and we tend to fixate on those. You can end up trading flaws in an endless zero-sum game.

 

I asked about genres because some headphones are better than others with certain kinds of music...

I knew ETA was sold out at the moment, so I was thinking about what might be an
excellent alternative "generalist" headphone for you.

 

Different goals. I'm just looking to play, like buying different beers at the liquor store to enjoy different flavors. I'm not searching for the perfect sound. I feel that the Jotunheim 2 is revealing enough and solid enough to make that into an enjoyable activity. I mean, maybe that's a pair of AKG 701s, because though I like my K612 Pros a lot, they are gathering dust because they're pretty darned grainy compared to the HE-X4s and the HD600s. I do like the AKG house sound, though, and not really a bass head - so lacking a strong "bottom" to the music isn't a priority. Maybe it's some ETA headphones next time they're available. I don't know. I'm happy. It's just to play.

I play tennis and have about five different racquets that see court time on a regular basis, just because they feel and respond to the ball differently. I'm not one of those guys who has to have everything be a perfect fit all the time.

 

Man I I’ve drinking and table tennis. Thank you everyone!

 

Don't worry, we'll fix that.

 

Well, down the rabbit hole we go. Just ordered a pair of Grado SR325X from my local audio shop. I'm sure others will have opinions about what I'll think of them before I get them, but like everything, I have to find out for myself. Will update when I have a chance to hear them with the Jotunheim 2. Expecting to enjoy it, and for the Grados to sound different than my Senns... so no duplication.

 

...and the Grados pair well with the Jot 2. Very different sound than the HD600. Much edgier. Better channel separation. Bass. The opposite of smooth, so definitely a reason to have both in the collection. Both are enjoyable. I see why some Grado-philes hear a veil in Sennheisers, but to my ears all the information is there, just presented quite differently. Not experiencing any fatigue with the Jot 2… my MacBook is another story, and is a bit fatiguing with the SR325X.

Still glad I bought the Jot 2. It is exactly what I hoped. Plugged in the Heretic the other day and there’s really no comparison in resolution, speed, or sound signature. Jot 2… hands down.

 

Rather curious whether these impressions are out of the SE out or balanced since lots of folks seem to opine that Grados are a bit of an outlier in terms of how they may NOT actually benefit much at all from "good" amplification. I had a transitional model pre-i Grado RS1 ages ago and I did remember using it more just out of my phone 3.5mm jack vs out of the iFi Micro iDSD I had at the time.

I don't think that any Grado (of *reasonable* price) is capable of being a daily driver headphone for me, but there are just some things that they do impressively well. I can see a 325X being a great flavour can and really liking a lower-damping factor output, but it's been a long while since I've gotten ears on a Grado so please take that with an ounce of salt haha.

 

SE. No budget for balanced cable modification for the SR325X, and they sound so good out of the SE that I'm not going to bother. Amplification does matter, by the way. They're a bit harsh run out of my MacBook Air. That's not the case at all with the Jot 2.