The Mjolnir 2 thread

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by maxedfx, Oct 11, 2015.

  1. econaut

    econaut Almost "Made"

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    I do hear a difference! The Furman is buzzing, and it's easily audible from 3 meters away. I'm not amused. I wonder if the "Hifi"-versions are more quiet? I have to sleep in this room and can't turn the Furman off because Gungnir Multibit is plugged in as well -_-
     
  2. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    Sucks. The Emotiva CMX unit is dead silent, I can say that much.
     
  3. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    That is what I use the Emotiva CMX for my DAC and Amp
     
  4. SSL

    SSL Friend

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    If you mean Furman, probably not since they use the same filter circuitry.
     
  5. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    I do have a Furman a friend of mine bought for me, but it doesn't buzz. Maybe I got lucky and got a good one, or the one you received was just a bad unit I really don't know.
     
  6. winders

    winders boomer

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    It is probably buzzing because of DC offset (DC current in the AC lines).

    I found Topaz Isolation Transformers to work better than devices like the Emotiva CMX or the Furman units.
     
  7. econaut

    econaut Almost "Made"

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    How can I find out if it's a DC offset?

    I read in a review of this Furman PL-8 CE that a guy had the same problem as me:

    - buzzing / humming of the unit itself (it's not in the audio signal!)
    - casing is slightly vibrating

    He thought it was a badly coiled up (<- maybe wrong term) PSU, changed the unit to a Furman AC 210 AE and the buzzing was gone.

    BTW I hope this is not getting too far off topic.
     
  8. econaut

    econaut Almost "Made"

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    f**k me, treble harshness of Utopia is gone!!!

    I am listening rather loud without fatigue for some time now. I don't think it's the not yet warmed up Gungnir Multibit, because the longer it's on, the smoother it sounds, not the other way around.

    If this stays this way, the Furman probably makes me keep the MJ2 stock tubes!

    EDIT: I thought it was the stock tubes fault, but no harshness anymore... amazing!
     
  9. BillOhio

    BillOhio Friend

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    Sounds like it's the Gungnir Multibit to me then, no? The Gungnir Multibit takes about two days powered on to sound right.
     
  10. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    I can speak to the power conditioning properties since I don't hear any buzzing from the gear itself. It is mentioned elsewhere, but Emotiva is cheaper alternative to other stuff. The CMX2 is a well-built device that definitely improved the upper end clarity.

    Yeah, I think I am done for a while. The combo of Gungnir Multibit and now MJ2, especially with WE396A tubes into HD650KM leaves me wanting nothing else, only more time to listen.

    Exactly! Just like Valhalla 2 on steroids! The same wonderful sense of air and space around the instruments is there just like Valhalla 2. Add to that a beautiful bottom end and you have MJ2. I equally enjoy all forms of music on this amp. It reveals what Gungnir Multibit is putting out.

    Thanks guys for all the recommendations!
     
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2017
  11. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    I am still trying to wrap my head around the lack of love for LISST with Mjolnir 2. I am using Emotiva ERC3-->Coax Gungnir Multibit-->balanced MJ2-->bal (HD 580, 650K, TH-X00). There is definitely a more closed in stage compared to WE396A tubes, BUT to me the smoothness throughout the frequency band, the SPEED and bass/ slam are better via LISST. I do detect some strange accentuated areas in the mids, but it is not that big of a deal.
    So, I would agree with @The Alchemist that for me and these HPs MJ2-LISST are indeed great. Maybe with planars or with a different DAC they might have issues?
    Maybe I'm strange, but after LISST MJ2, I'm thinking heavily about trying out Ragnarok.
     
  12. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    bingo. you hit it on the head with warm, maybe less than awesome sauce resolving cans.
    not a problem.
    Rag may have less bright treble than mjo2 with LISST actually. keep that in mind as you search for the Perfect Pairing Chain.
    (tPPC is now trademark of SBAF. if you see juud or 6moons attempt to re-use this term, all legal fees and penalties shall apply.)
     
  13. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    That is exactly how I felt too. In fact WE396a are not very smooth in the top end. Unscientifically I seem to associate this lack of smoothness with warmer/more fun sounding tubes. On the other hand, the ones with smooth treble I generally find to be the ones which are fast and more extended. The LISST I thought were very good at both extremes, just a bit murky in the middle.
     
  14. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Wait, I'm confused. To me, the 396a are smoother than, say, the stock tubes. That's why I like the 396a tubes. If they aren't smooth, what are they?
     
  15. winders

    winders boomer

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    I tend to agree. Although the WE JW 2C51/396A version of the tubes seem a little better up top to me compared to the plain WE396A version.
     
  16. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    Zero buzzing from my one, you might want to get it checked out. Though I currently have it connected to a DC blocker.


    In regards to the differing opinions, I've found the character of the tubes I've tried, both pros and cons, are less accentuated with the HD650. For example the harsh upper mids of the WE396a all but vanished. What headphones/mods/eq are you all using?

    On the power conditioning side. I was expecting little to no sonic difference, but was amazed how much improvement there was. Not that the changes were 100% positive. I'm now a convert.

    I'm still working on a post going over all this, but things have been a little busy.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2017
  17. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    To be sure the 396 are not bright, harsh or forward like some of the Russian tubes can be. But I thought there was something a bit rough about leading edges of attacks in the upper mids-lower treble. For example in strummed guitar. Didn't hear it much through the HD650, but it was more evident with speakers. I have heard two pairs and they both seemed similar in this respect. I'm pretty picky about treble quality though. For example, I hear a similar roughness with the RCA VT-231 or Raytheon VT-231 in the Freya. In the Mjolnir 2 I found Philips E188CC were smoother in the treble, though not anywhere near as much fun overall.
     
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  18. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    come on, listen closer.
    no one else has ever stated LISST in Mjo2 are great.[/QUOTE]


    No one but me a guess right?

    From Schiit:

    "Solid-state tube replacements aren’t a new idea. However, most of them go on and on about how they sound “just like tubes.” We’re not going to say that. We will say that they sound very good. We will also say they have lower distortion than tubes, though with a similar overall profile. Beyond that, it’s up to your own perceptions."

    "LISST run cooler than tubes, since they don’t need a heater connection. This isn’t to say they run cold, though—the cans run plenty warm. Also, since they’re solid-state devices, they have very, very long lifespan, unlike tubes."


    Sound is subjective, what sounds good to one individual may not sound good to another. I think the LISST Tubes sound great, and I enjoy them. That is my opinion. I am not exactly sure why you want to go on saying that "No One Else has ever stated LISST in Mjo2 are great."

    If you own a pair of LISST TUBES and tried them in the MJO 2 and didn't like them, then that is your personal preference. AS far as your statement that "No one else ever Stated LISST in MJO2 are great well, I guess I am the only one then .
     
  19. Delayeed

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    I found the standard WE 396A tubes too harsh and lacking in low end (even with a HD 650) which took me by surprise given all the praise for them. That being said they are the best imaging tubes I've heard in the Mjolnir 2 even surpassing the Philips E188CC SQs but not by much. The SQs are still king for me, perfect tone and the texture is scary realistic.

    Also a very good tube is the Tesla ECC88. While they technically aren't anything special (mainly lacking in imaging and ability to resolve detail), they are nicely warm and punchy sounding with the smoothest treble of the tubes I have. Just really pleasant to listen to and they are cheap. I'm running them right now instead of the Philips SQ tubes.
     
  20. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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