Schiit Jotunheim impressions

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Bill-P, Aug 30, 2016.

  1. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    My Jotenheim arrived today and I've only been listening for about an hour but I'm impressed with some reservations.

    There is a noticeable increase in detail and better separation of instruments/layers when compared to the Vali 2--but not in all cases. I primarily listen to bootleg recordings--NIN in particular--and I didn't notice much of a difference aside from the Jotenheim feeling more sterile/clinical.

    Studio recordings are again like experiencing for the first time in a number of cases. I'm noticing a much wider soundstage and better separation of the MANY layers in The Downward Spiral with new things in each track that I've never heard despite hundreds of listenings (including 5.1 surround which is a real trip).

    I definitely notice the glare that many others have mentioned. I'm using my Modi Multibit + Loki EQ setup so I can control the treble better, but my ears are definitely more agitated and I kind of have a slight headache. I guess I'll just need to slowly phase out the Loki and get used to listening to unaltered music since my endgame is to be balanced with a Gungnir Multibit so there's no room for the Loki anyway. Maybe that'll help reduce the fatigue and glare since I'm a sucker for that deep V sound signature and have the first and fourth knobs cranked all the way up.

    I'm using my 6XXs with a single-ended cable and am probably going to buy this balanced cable in a day or two.

    All in all, I'm happy with the purchase and think it was the right move. It'll just take time to get used to the change.

    EDIT 2/5: This morning, I've been listening to bootlegs for about 3 hours and have entirely bypassed Loki. Fatigue is much lower/non-existent and I got used to the reduction in bass/treble extremes surprisingly quickly. Sound is excellent and after adjusting, I can still hear/feel the bass in the headphones. I guess I was just increasing the volume of those specific frequencies and now I'm increasing the volume equally which has opened up the mids so much more.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2019
  2. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Trying to isolate myself from the noise of the heating fan etc.. I started using my PXC 550 with True-fi and Jotunheim, and with ANC active.
    Way better than with other amps I tried which was DAC Magic Plus internal amp and Talisman T-3h. Bass a bit more extended, treble is still very prominent but not fatiguing. The most important change is that with ANC active on DacMagic of T-3h I could hear some weird pulsation on the cable. It was not loud but annoying. With Jot on low gain it is gone.
    And the phones are more quiet with Jot than through BT.
     
  3. TjH

    TjH New

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    Hey guys, Just purchased a used Jot (w/o DAC). IDK if there's been an answer to this, but, I'm saving a lot of headache and about $50 by going Modi Uber rather than the internal DAC for Jot. My question is: Is the Modi Uber GOOD ENOUGH for the Jotunheim? Even if there are better options out there, I really need to know that it's good enough. My headphones are mrSpeakers AEON .
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    They are good enough for Jotunheim and AEON.
     
  5. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Not sure I would get an older Uber instead of a Modi 3, the later model is significantly better.

    Is it good enough? Depends on your tastes. You have to spend quite a bit more to get a significant upgrade, so there's that at least.

    I mean, i think the jds El DAC is better, but that's 250 bucks, and everything else that comes to mind is Bifrost MB prices or more.

    There's the drop rdac, but that's 350, has a crap usb, and is pretty dark, depending on your Jot revision it might come out too rolled off the top.
     
  6. TjH

    TjH New

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    Yea Modi2U is actually what i'm looking at. There is a Modi3 for sale for a $20 more, still cheaper than the DAC chip...so i'll look into that as well then, if you say it's much better it's worth it.

    "You have to spend quite a bit more to get a significant upgrade" is exactly what I wanted to confirm!

    Ok good, that's what I wanted to know thank you! Modi Uber it is then!
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Modi 2 Uber might actually be better with AEON than the built-in sigma-delta DAC card in Jot or external Modi 3. Better dynamics and sharper attacks, but less resolving and closer headstage, which you will probably not notice with Aeon and Jot.
     
  8. TjH

    TjH New

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    ooh i love me some sharp attacks and dynamics. I might just go for M2U.
     
  9. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Got a black Joti+AK card. Tried it out together with the ADI-2 DAC and Soekris dac1541.

    As an AIO the Joti is below the RME and Soekris devices. Mostly it's held back by the DAC card, so maybe the MB card can even out the odds.

    If ADI-2 DAC and dac1541 feel like DAC's with built-in amps, the Joti is an amp with a built-in DAC. ADI-2 DAC with Joti in the end yields a very high resolution, yet pleasant listening experience. I don't agree with the "garbage" assessment of the ADI-2 DAC HP out, but it's nicer to listen to with the Jotunheim.

    The dac1541 is a closer call. I like its headphone output more than the one on ADI-2 DAC and with Joti as the amp it gets a bit better, but not by very much. If you already have the dac1541, I'd advice shooting for an even better amp than the Joti for a worthwhile improvement. With that said, I was again pleasantly surprised with what the dac1541 HP output can do.

    All tests done with BAL connections between devices. Headphones used - Neumann NDH-20 (SE), Focal Clear (BAL).
     
  10. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    Would you say the SE is on par with the balanced output?
     
  11. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    I don’t think it loses anything worthwhile. There are, however, some factors that contribute to the different sound of balanced connections in some cases, which might come into play here, but didn’t change the listening experience much with the headphones I used.
     
  12. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    After lengthy listening sessions, here are some extra impressions.

    Generally I'd rate the combo setups like this:

    1. ADI-2 DAC+Joti
    2. dac1541+Joti
    3. dac1541
    4. ADI-2 DAC
    5. Joti with AK DAC card

    In all cases BAL outdoes SE, however the margin is so small that it shouldn't change anything in the rankings. ADI-2+Joti even SE sounds better to me than dac1541+Joti BAL.
     
  13. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    I can attest that DAC1541-->EC BW2 is a good step up over the DAC1541 HP out.
     
  14. phant0m

    phant0m New

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    Very interesting. I just auditioned the Jot (w/ Bal DAC), ADI-2, and Monolith THX 788, all separately. The ADI-2 was the clear winner, with the Jot and Monolith being nearly identical in sound using their 1/4" outputs, with the Monolith sounding slightly more clinical. Should have tried using the ADI-2 w/ Jot as amp per your list.... oh well. I was kind of trying to keep it to a clean, single-box solution anyway.
     
  15. Zed Bopp

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    I'm amping my planars (HE-500, LCD-2.1) with just the ADI-2 DAC right now. Maybe I should be eyeing the used Jot market for a reasonably priced replacement planar-amp - maybe Lyr 3? This since THX AAA 789 is not sold to us euro folk.

    Cheers @Hrodulf for the impressions!
     
  16. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Lyr 3 pairs well with planars and is very musical with smooth treble.
     
  17. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    Can I buy an 110V American Jot and use it in 220V Europe or does it need a transformer to work?
     
  18. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Generally no. The transformers they use seem to have double primaries, so if you know what you’re doing, you could change the jumpers on a 110V unit.
     
  19. Scott Kramer

    Scott Kramer Friend

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  20. nerone

    nerone New

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    This is wrong. The amplifiers have specific transformers for specific input voltages.
    If you want to use a 110v on a 220v country you'll need and external transformer.
     

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