Schiit Mjolnir 3 Impressions

I think it's a bunch of pansies who can't live with BDS amps that burn their little soft hands that sell them. Ron Swanson is ashamed.

 

Just a mention on the Class heat. It is possible to use a fan on the heat sinks.

I have run mine this way from the beginning. Gets temp stable almost immediately, sinks stay room temperature, case the same, SQ remains the same, and no snap crackle pop on shut down. Works great for me. If heat is an issue, it never bothered me at all. Amp will likely live forever in bliss. LOL

 

The amp isn't that hot is the thi

I browsed through the comments on reddit and head-fi and found 17 times people explained why they sold.

Breakdown:

4 - Preferred tubes
4 - Needed money for non-audio stuff
3 - Clearing the decks / downsizing
2 - Poor system synergy
2 - Physical size
2 - Needed money to finance other gears
0 - It was too burny for my sensitive skin

"Maybe it was my system pairing but I didn’t like it as much as my Singxer Sa-1 in my chain"

"The hype is real as far as this one being a TOTL amp for non-TOTL price. Just doesn't fit my physical setup well."

"I am going full portable and hence have a black Schiit Mjolnir 3 on sale. "

"The MJ3 could have easily been the last headphones amp I ever bought, but I couldn’t resist the lure of the Aegis. I won’t be surprised if I end up buying another MJ3 down the line.

"Fantastic amp, but I'm trying to downsize my amp collection."

"Selling my mjolnir 3 since I have not been using it and need the funds for other things I wanna do with my current setup."

"Ended up prefering my tube amp but this is an excellent solid state option, possibly end game if you get the synergy right with your chain."

"I'm selling because I'm simplifying my headphone system"

"It's been sitting around unused for the past three months, so figured I'd try to find it a new home to help fund other audio purchases."

"Only selling because I'm moving soon and needs funds. But I will definitely purchase another Mjolnir in the future."

"I love this MJ3, but after plenty of listening sessions with it, I've decided it's time to move on from it."

"Please support my “first child starting to drive” fund"

"i know i'll regret this but i need funds for another project that It's not related to this hobby"

"I got into tube amps. Tubes offer a lot of flexibility, but especially their euphonic nature is more to my taste."

"I love the sound, but at the end of the day I still prefer my tube amps."

"Selling because I fell down the damn tube amp hole and have another tube amp that just arrived and will require some tube rolling. . . (I have no self control)"

"I'm selling off my audio collection at the moment as I've run into some unexpected financial hardships."

 

I initially thought about using a fan but I was worried about dust from negative air pressure. I built and upgraded PCs in the late 90's and remember horror shows.

Then I just decided to find another amp I really liked and split time between it and Mj3. Should reduce lifetime heat wear and tear. But it means I spend less time with my favorite amp. Otherwise, the Mj3 would be on every day for 4 hours or so just to be ready in case.

 

There is still the need to clear the dust inside occasionally, but I understand not wanting to do it as often.

I’m thinking side heat sinks like the Ragnarok 2 would be more effective. But cleaning close together fins is a pain too.

 

Ready for comparison

 

Image of the Mjolnir 3 against Ragnarok not visible, you'll have to use the image embed feature in the text box here:



And then paste the image link (NOT the actual image) into the box that pops up:

 

Big thanks)

 

It’s been a while since I posted, so I thought I’d share my impressions comparing the Schiit Folkvangr to the Schiit Mjolnir 3. As always, this is just my opinion and YMMV.

My setup is:
Tidal (master quality when available)
WiiM Pro streamer using Coax output
Schiit Yggdrasil LIM
Balanced interconnects to the MJ3
RCA cables to the FV.

I tested both amps with the following headphones:

ZMF Verite Closed
Focal Utopia 22
Focal Clear
DCA Aeon Flow Closed(AFC)
Sennheiser 6xx
LCD-X


Keep in mind that I’m not a professional musician, recording engineer, or anything other than a middle aged audiophile. My hearing is a little above average for my age (58) but nothing to brag about. I bought both amps like everyone else.

What I look for in sound?

Broadly speaking, I look for two things: One- the illusion of being there. I want to imagine I’m experiencing the music live and in person instead of through a pair of headphones. Two, I look for a euphonic sound- one that tickles my pleasure center. I’m not so much looking for neutrality and accuracy as a vivid and engaging sonic picture in my head.

Overall impressions:

Both amps sound highly dynamic. The Mjolnir 3 is faster and more analytical with an absolute shit-ton of detail while the Folkvangr is slower and more organic. To my ears they both sound very distinct and are great examples of SS and tube amps respectively.

Folkvangr sound description:

The tubes aren’t stock which does affect the sound, adding some bass thickness and more treble extension. Overall lush with effortless layering and excellent resolution. Mids on this amp are exceptional. Soundstage is wide and deep with excellent imaging. Treble sparkles without hard or sharp edges. Great slam with efficient phones though slightly loose bass in comparison to the MJ3. Slow decay and very euphonic. Overall a very addicting amp to listen to.

Mjolnir 3:

Very sweet sound for a SS amp, yet extremely detailed and resolving. This is an amp that really rewards critical listening with amazing clarity and nuance. It’s fast with crisp edges but also very musical. It isn’t a tube amp, but with some headphones it has an almost tube like sweetness with the resolution and precision of a top notch SS amp. While not particularly powerful, it sounds powerful and drives moderately efficient headphones with enthusiastic vigor.

My evaluation method was as follows:
I listened exclusively to the Folkvangr for a while, occasionally changing modes, volume level and headphones. Then I listened to the Mjolnir 3 and made note of the differences. After that I played a list of some of my favorite music and periodically switched between headphones and amplifier as I played passages over and over to verify my impressions.

ZMF VC: This is one of my favorite headphones and before the Utopia 22, it was the headphone I listened to the most. I’ve owned it for a long time and know it very well. I have the Universe lamb skin pads on which are my preference. The MJ3 and Folkvangr are very, very close in terms of overall performance with the VC. Last night I slightly preferred the MJ3 and this morning I slightly prefer the Folkvangr. With the MJ3 I used balanced out, Hi gain, SE Class A and no feedback. On the FV I used Hi gain, no impedance boost.

With the Folkvangr, the sound is decidedly lush with good detail and microdynamics. There is a little wetness present which has the effect of pushing the stage away from the listener. The combo is a wonderful mix of tube musicality combined with detail, resolution and imaging. Bass is slightly emphasized. It goes deep without bleeding into the mids and has a thick texture that makes for a very visceral experience.

With the Mjolnir, the head stage is closer, clarity, resolution, and imaging are better and the sound overall is more resolving. It’s not quite as euphonic as the FV, at least in part due to thinner bass. For extended listening, all the extra detail and resolution demands your attention and can be a little fatiguing if your goal is to read a book or do something else besides listen to music.

Focal Utopia 22: This is a relatively new headphone for me as I’ve only had it for a little over a week. It’s an amazing headphone that does a superb job of showing the difference between each switch setting, operating mode, etc. It’s also very easy to drive and has an impedance that works well with most amps.

One thing I noticed with the MJ3 is the staging and imaging sounded way better to me using the SE out compared to the Bal out. This didn’t happen with any of my other headphones and I really don’t have an explanation. (Edit: I tried the balanced cable again and now I think it sounds better. WTF?) Other than that, Lo gain, SE Class A, no feedback. For the FV, Lo gain, no impedance multiplier.

Like the VC, the Utopia really didn’t play favorites with either amp, though it REALLY showed the differences, which were pretty much the same as the VC. For me, it came down to my mood and the music I’m playing as far as which amp sounds best. For rocking out on something like 7empest by Tool, definitely the FV thanks to the thicker bass and slight fuzziness taking away any sharpness when playing loud. For acoustic folk like Sarah Jarosz, the added clarity, resolution and microdynamics of the MJ3 really added to the experience. I guess I’m trying to say that with the Utopia, you can go with either depending more on whether you prefer tubes or SS. I frequently shift from one amp to the other when listening, depending on the track.

Focal Clear: is efficient, has moderate impedance at around 50 ohms, and is a dynamic driver headphone that is easy to drive. Both the FV and MJ3 work well with it, but I have to say the Focal Clear and the Mjolnir 3 are a fantastic match. The Clear can sound metallic on some amps, but on the Mjolnir it has an almost tube like sweetness. The Clear is fast, detailed and capable of, well, great clarity, which the MJ3 puts on full display, showing the limits of what the FV can do by comparison. The mids come through like a top notch tube amp and I’ve never heard the Clear sound more musical while also delivering amazing technical performance. The exception is recordings that maybe aren’t the best, in which case the FV continues to sound good while the MJ3 sounds slightly fatiguing. I can’t say it rivals the Utopia (because it doesn’t), but it’s the best I’ve heard the Clear.

DCA Aeon Flow Closed (OG): The AFC isn’t super efficient and is pretty low impedance at 13 ohms. That said, at moderate volumes the FV drives the AFC very well provided the impedance multiplier is enabled. Bass is solid, macro dynamics were good and clarity was great. Turn up the volume and the FV struggles. Still, it did well considering the AFC is a low impedance power pig. However, he MJ3 had no problems and delivered impressive dynamics while also taking advantage of the extremely low distortion Planars are known for to deliver exceptional nuance and layering. If you want to hear every bit of detail and layering, the AFC + MJ3 is fantastic. The MJ3 picked up a little metallic tone with the AFC, but it was only on some tracks and was not at all obvious unless you’re listening for it. The AFC isn’t known for the size of its headstage and neither amp changes that. The settings on the MJ3 were balanced out, push-pull enabled, no feedback.

Senn HD6xx: The 6xx loves OTL tube amps and the FV worked beautifully with it, imparting huge amounts of detail. The bass sounds rich and impactful, the treble is a little recessed but the perfect mids make up for it. Overall the experience is extremely musical and impactful and it’s hard to believe a $200 headphone can sound so good. Not so with the MJ3. The bass sounds rolled off, the mids are flat and the treble is veiled. It’s not even close in terms of preference.

LCD-X: Surprisingly, I preferred the FV to the MJ3. The LCD-X is phenomenally efficient (104 dB/mW) so driving it from the FV is a complete non-issue. It’s got an odd upper mid dip that works better with the FV than with the MJ3, which just makes the dip super obvious. If I used EQ I’d almost certainly prefer it with the MJ3, but I don’t so I don’t.

In Summary:

Both are fantastic amps provided your preferred headphones are a good match. For my tastes, I’d think any moderate efficiency warm leaning fast and detailed phones will generally sound best on the MJ3, while the Folkvangr will sound best with phones that work well on tube amps. Both amps are very musical and sweet sounding. The MJ3 is more resolving and detailed. Very resolving headphones make this very obvious, so the better the headphone, the better the MJ3 sounds. That said, the Folkvangr is no slouch and if your goal is more musicality instead of maximum detail and resolution, the trade-off may be worth it.

All that being said, the Folkvangr isn’t available any more except 2nd hand and the MJ3 is in stock. If I was a one headphone one amp kind of guy looking for a new amp, I’d think the MJ3 with either a Focal Utopia or TOTL warm leaning moderately efficient planar would truly be an end game combination. If I’m lucky enough to have a Folkvangr, I would look at TOTL dynamic driver phones and revel in the tube magic.

 

Thanks a bunch to Schiit and Julie for this loaner.

There's been a lot written already so I don't know what I can add but I'll try.

Chain: Qobuz via Audirvana on Mac -> Pi2AES -> Yggdrasil OG/A2 -> MJ3. I used Abyss Diana and HD600 headphones.

First off, this amp has a lot in common with the SW51+ and Piety^2 in terms of overall profile. The differences for me are:

VS SW51 with Diana. It's not much of a contest here. The Mjonir is easily better with the planar. Better grip, better bass, better dynamics. It's a a bit drier and warmer which for me is a good thing. With the HD600, MJ is better down low, but not as 3D as the Shortest Way.

VS Piety^2 with Diana, it's not *quite* as dynamic and falls a bit short in the two extremes. Piety^2 with a 20K pot extends higher and has better treble presence and volume (never strident or otherwise harsh). Piety^2 with new psu caps and trafos digs down loooow and has better bass definition and weight. Piety^2 is wider at the extreme L/R. I did not try Piety^2 with HD600 so I can't compare.

One thing I found interesting is that it's the first amp I've heard that somewhat undoes the HD600 3 blob effect. It's not night and day but it's obvious to me. The stage is more evenly spread out.

I preferred single ended to p/p. Feedback on/off depended on headphone and song.

 

I don’t seem to have any way to like a post, so consider this a like.

 

Thanks. I'm not able to like posts for some reason either.

 

I don’t seem to have an avatar anymore (and neither do you), so maybe it’s some sort of status thing and we’ve been demoted? Seems like something that would have at least deserve a message so I’m putting it down to buggy code.

 

Seems to be a bug with mobile. On my phone, nobody has avatars and I'm unable to react to messages, but on my laptop everything is normal.

 

For me the issues are only on this page of this thread. And now my avatar is back. But only on this post.

 

Pretty sure the issue started after @nilov ’s post here: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...olnir-3-impressions.13699/page-42#post-432147

Suspect some code or characters in the post causing issues with every post that comes after…I think I’ve seen this type of thing happening before.

Not sure if @shotgunshane or @zerodeefex or @purr1n could help fix it up…

 

So it seems I am now at risk of being a soft handed pansy. Schiit hasn't repaired my MJ3 right channel yet, but I'd hazard that apartment heat and the window position played at least some role. It's already been on elevated rubber feet sitting on Yggdrasil but I think I need a fan or better cooling or I need to examine other options. MJ2 tolerated six years of hotter summers and the same sunlight and it never batted an eye.

 

About cooling, I have used this one: "AC Infinity MULTIFAN S3, Quiet 120mm USB Fan, UL-Certified for Receiver DVR Playstation Xbox Computer Cabinet Cooling". Although not for MJ3, but used it for a tube power amp. Very low noise especially when used it at low speed setting.

 

Interesting idea and product. The visual disturbance is pretty brutal though.