The Mjolnir 2 thread

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

  1. maxedfx

    maxedfx New

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    Start posting you Mjolnir 2 reviews and impressions! Be it be with the schiit lisst, or be it be with tubes, post your tube rolling tips too!!!
     
  2. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    Watching with interest. Surprisingly, there don't seem to be many Mjolnir 2 / HD800 impressions out there...
     
  3. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Hm ok, I'll take on that dare.
    match them up for a couple days this week, Mjo2 to have old NOS Philips PQ tubes or Telefunken.
    Will takes notes and post in a week or less.
     
  4. maxedfx

    maxedfx New

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    Thanks jexby! Looking forward to your thoughts!
     
  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  6. maxedfx

    maxedfx New

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  7. maxedfx

    maxedfx New

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    Purrin's Report on Mjolnir 2 from SchiitShow, quoted here for convenience...

     
  8. Arnotts

    Arnotts New

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    My Mjolnir 2 arrived today. Signal chain is PC > Wyrd > Gungnir Multi Bit > Mjolnir 2

    I won't say too much just yet because it's only been running for about 2 hours. Started off using it as a balanced pre-amp to my EVE SC205 monitors. It was harsh initially, but is quickly settling down.

    The only headphones I've tried so far are HD800's. Very lightly Anax modded (only the foam trapezoid has been applied). Normally I use some form of EQ with the GMB > Valhalla 2 > HD800's, but for comparisons sake I've turned off all EQ.

    The MJ2 is engaging as hell, for sure - I finally understand what people mean when they say that about the Mjolnir. This thing is so dynamic and lively. With the stock tubes, you can actually use stock HD800's and have a listenable experience. It's not perfect, the HD800's are still inherently bright and have that 6k peak, but it's not so f'ing grating that I immediately have to turn EQ on. I'm still enjoying the sound immensely :). My immediate reaction is that it's certainly an upgrade from the Val2 for the HD800's.

    It'll be interesting to see how this combo drives the LCD-X's in comparison to the Senn's.

    Eventually I'll get around to properly comparing it with the Valhalla 2 for the HD800's/HD650's.
     
  9. maxedfx

    maxedfx New

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    Arnotts, did you get the LISST too??

     
  10. Arnotts

    Arnotts New

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    Yep, but they were sent out separately from the Mojo 2 and the 6BZ7's. They should arrive tomorrow. I'm eager to see which I prefer, and with which headphones!

    I'm actually a little reluctant to post updated impressions on the MJ2 just yet because I really haven't had it for very long (just over 24 hours). I'll just be gushing, and excitement over new toys is pretty natural.

    ...I'm absolutely loving it though. I've been getting goosebumps frequently from how much pleasure the HD800's (using Sonarworks average EQ for the HD800) and HD650's (coin & rear foam modded) have been giving me from the GMB + MJ2. When I close my eyes and focus, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say it makes me feel like I'm high when listening :sail:

    The LCD-X's get driven beautifully by the MJ2 as well, but they don't "open up" or improve quite as much as the HD800's. I think they're actually on a similar, but higher level to the HD650's, which makes the X's relatively poor value. Still excellent headphones, but I think their strength lies in their ability to perform well from lesser equipment.
     
  11. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    GMB & MJ2 arrive tomorrow (a slight upgrade from my Geek Out and Leckerton :D). I can't wait to see what they can do with my new HD800.

    It feels a bit weird swapping out most of my chain in one go though...
     
  12. maxedfx

    maxedfx New

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    Damn!!! You guys are really tempting me now! You devils! I'm still looking at other possible options though for my HD 800, but keep coming back to the Gungnir Multibit + Mj2!

    It will be my first of everything though!

     
  13. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Friends,

    well indeed a trend is emerging, Mjolnir2 (with high quality NOS tubes) is a damn fine amp for HD800.
    past couple days:
    Modi2Uber (waiting for Gungnir Multibit)
    Mjolnir 2 had NOS Philips Miniwatt 2star PQ and also Telefunken tubes. sorry, I kept the LISST in the drawer.
    HD800 stock
    + a great YFS super30 copper Litz (balanced) cable that adds body to HD800.

    onto quick notes:
    usually kept Mjo2 on low gain (balanced) and never had to turn vol knob pass 11 or 12noon.

    best sounding match was the tad warmer Miniwatt tubes, delivers a bit of midrange depth but still kept the treble and superior soundstage of HD800s.
    great sense of "space" and presentation with these tubes. like the air has oxygen and nitrogen, instead of being played in a vacuum.
    do not confuse this as darkness or blurriness.
    Telefunken tubes a bit leaner in midrage, extracting some treble plankton a bit easier, all other great characteristics of HD800 remain.
    (including the HD800 treble spike probably, although not sure I have ever heard/detected it.)

    Found the bass to be fairly equal across the tubes, tight n snappy but no super slam.

    Usually listen to HE1K on Mjo2, but have to say the HD800 makes it a lot easier (more fun?) to detect characteristics in tube changes!
    not as much straining to hear/feel the tube deltas.

    again, sorry I didn't put the LISST in with HD800. mainly due to being spoiled by a SS amp at home (BW) for which the HD800 is a superb match.
    Hard to compare with Black Widow at home since it's not side by side with Mjo2, but after this week of trial certainly do prefer HD800 on BW/Yggdrasil for detailing, presentation, tonal awesomeness, wow factor, amazeballs soundstage, even quality bass when called for thanks to BW and YFS cabling, etc.

    if a BW never graced my life, would have zero complaints with HD800 on Mjo2 with great NOS (slightly warmer) tubes.
    glad to have moved from Lyr2 to Mjo2, and hopefully stack with a Gungnir Multibit down the road.

    maybe I'll put LISST into Mjo2 next week with HE1K....

    carry on.
     
  14. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    I concur with the notes on Jexby's Moljnir2 tube preference and setup.

    I did hear the miniwatts, correct?

    Got to hear it recently with some Hifiman cans and it is very sweet up top and quite different than some other tube setups I have heard on the Moljnir 2. Some tubes can be really open yet somehow a bit grainy or analytical.
     
  15. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Yup, your fly time was with the Philips Miniwatts in there.

    Thinking Friday will either be:
    Hands' Telefunken E88CCs + HE1K
    or
    LISST + HE1K
    and see which one brings da bass slam. ha!
     
  16. Pyruvate

    Pyruvate Friend

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    Still debating between the BW vs Mj2 for my next step up.

    When you tried the BW with the Yggdrasil, was it with Yggdrasil's SE outputs? Or did was it balanced out with XLR --> SE cables?
     
  17. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    not try. do.
    the Yggdrasil SE outputs have fed BW at home since Day 1.

    no complaints. even Marv (and Jason?) recommended just stick with the Yggdrasil SE outputs because they don't suck, and any external XLR to SE should ONLY be done with proper transformer products and not mere cables.
    see previous chang threads on this exact topic so we don't go down the XLR/SE rabbit hole again.
     
  18. Arnotts

    Arnotts New

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    Got the LISSTs. First impressions are that they're too harsh at higher volumes. Same thing on HD800's, EVE SC205 monitors and somewhat on the HD650's. Sounded great straight away on the LCD-X's. The snare on the track Money Trees by Kendrick Lamar is really noticeably bright/harsh/aggressive.

    Hopefully this settles down with more use, because I'd rather use the LISSTs instead of the 6BZ7's and just keep the amp on for most of the day. I hope the HD800's don't require the tubes to avoid sounding harsh, too.

    EDIT: And just like that, in the last five minutes the harshness has significantly reduced. A lot more detail coming through now. I expect this to only get better!
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2015
  19. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    Any further impressions of the LISST and LCD-X?

    I'm guessing if they're somewhat harsh on the HD650, that would bode worse for HD600...
     
  20. elwappo99

    elwappo99 Friend

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