Schiit Jotunheim impressions

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

  1. kevnin

    kevnin #facetweeting - Friend

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    I agree, I did this also and it worked great - it was a good combination of the strengths of the two amps. Added some val2 tube flavor while retaining the bass impact and dynamics of the Jot.
     
  2. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    I was asked how I set up the Jot/Val2 combo so hear is what I did.

    Setup for HE-6 is Gungnir Multibit->RCA in->Val2 high gain(just past 2o'clock on Vol pot)->RCA out->Jot.

    This allows me to have levels matched between Balanced in on Jot and Single ended in for HE-6. HD650 and other headphones or preamp outs will need different volume adjustments to be matched.

    Easiest thing to do is set Valhalla 2 to low gain and max the volume. This shouldn't overload the inputs on Jot regardless of headphone or speaker. If you do hear distortion then back the volume off.
     
  3. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Dang, these were basically all* my issues with Jotu as a pre. Nicely articulated.

    *only thing is I didn't use it as a DAC, just as a pre.
     
  4. Chittagong

    Chittagong New

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    So I got around auditioning the Jot+DAC today at Addicted to Audio in Melbourne. Awesome shop, they had a huge range of headphones, including the Fostex TH-600s I have back in London, so I got to do a really useful audition.

    Dear oh dear. I didn't like the pairing at all. It took what I liked about the TH-600s and made it worse (bass) and exaggerated the weakness (treble).

    I listened to some Beatles, Calvin Harris, Chemical Brothers, Coldplay (Live), Adele, Lana Del Ray, Destiny's Child, to mention a few.

    Soundstage was not an issue to me. Probably because the TH-600s have such a vast soundstage that even a lacking one will be still decent. Coldplay Live sounded quite nice actually.

    Bass was surprisingly weak. Doesn't really make sense based on what I have read about the Jot, especially given that the TH-600s have a real slamming bass usually. Here it was very subdued.

    Upper mids and treble was where the troubles were. Really bright, but in a thin/tinny way. Hard to describe, but the tracks I threw at the combo sounded very thin, and rather fatiguing. I know many have an issue with the TH-600s treble, but personally I have found it satisfactory with other pairings.

    Clarity and detail generally was fine. Acoustic and live music worked better than electronic/pop.

    So my subjective impression of the Jot+DAC -- Fostex TH-600 pairing - decent soundstage, weakish bass, harsh and thin upper/treble. I know this is quite on the contrary to what most people here feel about the Jot, so I guess it's a subjective thing.

    Shame really, was quite sure I would get one, so it's back to research for me now.
     
  5. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    I think this shows just how important system synergy and chains are. Also, people's tastes are all over the place. When I brought Jot and Gungnir Multibit to the Arizona meet, people were amazed at how the combo sounded.
     
  6. Chittagong

    Chittagong New

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    I just realised that the Jot that I listened came in cold, plugged in as I started listening. I wonder if that contributed to the experience.

    I am not sure if DAC warmup is pseudoscience or not, but I remember my Bifrost Multibit sounding a bit harsh on first try, whereas now I like it. Maybe not the case here, seeing how the DAC card is pretty simple.
     
  7. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    FWIW I did notice a difference between the Jotunheim being left on versus turning it off when not in use. It was a little better tonally and a little less edgy, but whether or not these things would make enough of a difference is another story. This is only for the amp BTW, Schiit MB DACs should definitely be left on, preferably for 24 hours at least before critical listening.
     
  8. AstralStorm

    AstralStorm Friend

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    I've pulled a plug on the combo Jotunheim. Might arrive in 1.5 month or more.
    It will be interesting to compare it to Lynx Hilo both as DAC and as amp. Hilo is actually much better DAC and ADC than an amp.

    I suspect the balanced DAC to be actually top notch having looked at its layout and components.
    The DAC is expected to have some slight trouble in Linux due to the USB chip, potentially requiring some quirks in the driver to pull 24-bit audio. Trivial to patch in for me.

    Grabbed DAC mostly for a check and "just in case" when I need a separate audio input for some reason. Say, from a virtual machine.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017
  9. barelyincollege

    barelyincollege Nice Pit Bull

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    I've had my Jodie (with internal DAC) for a month now (thanks again Huxleigh!) and have spent the majority of that time comparing it with my Valhalla 2.

    I don't have enough experience with source equipment to confidently come up with detailed impressions, so I made an illustration comparing the two (with an HD650M):

    [​IMG]

    The Jodie synergizes well with the HD650M (in terms of improved dynamics, increased subbass and extended stage width), but as others have mentioned, but its limited front-to-back stage depth and aggressive tonality makes the HD650M sound too fatiguing for me. The Valhalla 2 sounds hazier and the stage is narrower in comparison, but it allows me to sit back and keep my headphones on for hours whereas with the Jodie, I find myself having to take more frequent breaks.

    Is it possible that the Jot's internal DAC is what's causing the listening fatigue?
     
  10. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    @barelyincollege The internal DAC makes it worse, but isn't the root cause of the fatigue. I experienced it with the Modi Multibit as well. What DAC were you running Valh2 with? I'll have more perspective on how Jot compares to Valh2 tomorrow. Have you tried running the Valh2 as a pre into the Jot like some people have suggested?
     
  11. porkfriedpork

    porkfriedpork Friend

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    I tried using the Valh2 as pre into the Jot. It's less fatiguing and more mellifluous than the jot alone, but its adding distortion and color, and double amping at the settings people have recommended. It sounds pretty good out of the HD650 and HE6 but its still unlistenable out of the HD800. Even with the Valh2 as a preamp, the Jot is stil the Jot.
     
  12. auri

    auri Facebook Friend

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    That's such a great word.

    Can anyone comment on the specific characteristics of putting a Joti in between a Bifrost Multibit and modded HD650s, relative to anything else at or below the same price range including secondhand or DIY? Looking for something that will last me until an YggRok stack.
     
  13. Yeskey

    Yeskey Friend

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    @auri I have the USB > Bifrost Multibit > jot > kiss'd hd650 and while they're my favorite pairing, on some days they're lovely and others there is a small mid-treble harshness that can get fatiguing.

    Note that I turn my Jot off at night (I leave the Bifrost Multibit on though) so your mileage may vary. But based on what others have mentioned, you might be better off with the modi MB over the Bifrost Multibit because of the Momby's darker flavor, which should help balance the brighter Jot.
     
  14. auri

    auri Facebook Friend

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    I must be some kind of idiot, because even after reading the entire Modi MB thread and basking in its witchcraft I still bought a Bifrost Multibit. I did find a good deal on it though. :D

    I was never really in love with my old AKG K702 because of the harshness at 2-2.5k that worsened by an order of magnitude after throwing cheap replacement pads on them. They were thrown in the same box as 35lbs or so of bulk audio cables and never spoken off again. I got my HD650's specifically to address that and love them. Not good to hear that paired with a Joti they might sound the same way, but only sometimes? Hmm...

    I always ran them off a Crown D-75 and liked it, but they're on my monitors right now. Maybe I should get a new amp for them instead.
     
  15. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    Per Marv's recs, I just recently changed to leaving both Jot and Modi multibit on all the time. Huge improvement in any harshness all around!
     
  16. Yeskey

    Yeskey Friend

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    i agree that leaving components on provides subtle improvements over time (somewhere after the 6hr mark for Jot and 24hr for Bifrost Multibit), I just need to get another power outlet to fit the Jot onto!

    EDIT:

    Ok I finally adjusted my setup so my jot can be left on all the time.. Woohoo
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2017
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Yeah, leave on at all times. Or bake in hot sun inside car. Most improvements happen early on in the first day. Give it a week and even modded HD800s are fine. I love the bass articulation and transients.

    Curious about Saga / Jotunheim chain. Valhalla is a bit veiled and colored.
     
  18. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Not to discount warm up and the benefits of leaving your equipment on at all times. I find that my mood, being well rested or not has just as big of an impact. Sometimes my system does not sound very enjoyable while the next day it sounds amazing. Though a nice smooth drink does help to sway the sound sound towards my preference...
     
  19. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    You are not alone in this.
     
  20. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Thanks for the read! Very interesting stuff and i recognize myself in allot of it, especially the last post.
     

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