Schiit Jotunheim impressions

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

  1. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Say I want a balanced integrated DAC/Amp with balanced/unbalanced I/O that does not look like crap and sounds/measures reasonably well for $500, and offers a metal chassis with my choice of black or silver finish. Plus offers me a 52 Vp-p balanced and 30 Vp-p unbalanced, and uses a pair of fairly current DACs like say AKM4490s.

    Where do I go? KG something something?

    (I'm aware of some but not all KG designs and products out there. If there is a KG integrated DAC/Amp with similar/better performance specs, features, form factor, presentation and price, let me know).
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
  2. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Had a long listening session with the Jot last night. All I could keep thinking was how terrible the soldering sounded. Really ruined the experience for me.

    If you guys have any tips on the best sounding solder, please let me know. Time for some modding...
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    LOL, I see you registered again under a different handle. I know who you are.

    10 points for anyone who can guess.
     
  4. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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  5. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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  6. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    Needs to be welded, ideally, in a vacuum.
     
  7. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    No I have one name. Didn't realize I was that big of a pain in the ass LOL.

    Speaking of the Jot, mine has finally shipped after waiting two weeks. Bifrost Multibit in the same package. Both were said to be in stock in their website, not sure what the hell was going on to warrant the wait.
     
  8. MattRG

    MattRG Facebook Friend

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    I had about the same wait on the Jot but the website did say it was backordered at the time that I ordered. My personal opinion is that they had a backlog of orders to get through since they were out of stock for a bit and also had the black chassis versions pop up at the same time. I think they were just playing catch-up.
     
  9. neogeosnk

    neogeosnk Friend

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    Judus!
     
  10. Gemini

    Gemini Facebook Friend

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    Not likely OJ as he's from Chicago. Reference to "LA River" suggests someone from SoCal.
     
  11. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Sounds like Judeus/SingSing/whatever his other aliases are. He always picks up phrases (this one's from Marv) and copies them to sound like he fits in.
     
  12. Ali-Pacha

    Ali-Pacha Friend

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    I don't have any clue in electronics but my short encounter with Jot (through an HD600) wasn't very good, very brutal sounding, kinda feeling I've had with Cavalli Liquid Gold. But hey, I'm a stat-head, and far worse, I'm from Europe, so no surprise I'm bitching about Schiit agressive sounding amps and own some Vali2 :cool:

    Ali
     
  13. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I compared the Jotunheim directly against the HP-1 here:

    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/neurochrome-hp-1.3089/page-20#post-120045

    And I thought the HP-1 sounded better. So I'm not a mindless Schiit minion (hell, while I respect Mike, I can't bring myself to agree with most random stuff he says about DS and so forth). Nor am I a mindless Cavalli minion (I think Cavalli amps are way overpriced).

    But look at the amps we are comparing here. A Cavalli Liquid Gold is not $400, and it does not offer an all-in-one $500 configuration. I'm aware KG is now throwing Audio GD DACs as alternatives. Those are not Amp/DACs combos, and once you put a KG amp and an Audio GD DAC together, I don't think you are looking at $500. Someone looking at an all-in-one solution such as Jot, is probably a bit more concern not only about price, but probably also about real state.

    As far as aggressiveness, I agree with you. IMO the Jot is aggressive sounding and I feel this has noting to do with being a stat-head or whatever. But lets be real, so is KGs GSX MK2. Probably even more so. And it's just an amp, costing more than the Amp/DAC Schiit Jot configuration. Yes, the GSX MK2 is the sex in terms of build and chassis, but this is somewhat reflected in the price. Neither the GSX MK2 or the Jot are eBay amps with an Aliexpress chassis.

    Bitching hard about a $500 amp/DAC combo with the features and performance of a Jotun is IMO pointless.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2017
  14. Ali-Pacha

    Ali-Pacha Friend

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    That's why I'm """bitching""" about the sound and only about it. Bitching isn't the right word, but just a friendly joke about some Marv's assesments.

    Joti could have shown adamantium first-class soldering (I don't have any clue what good or bad soldering looks like) with some design which would have pleased the ever-grumpy ol' mafia and cost 50 bucks, I still won't like its sound.

    There's stuff we like and some other we don't...as long as we don't pretend to be any gospel out of our own, and are spending more time listening to music than explaining why and in what extent we don't like some stuff, everything's fine. No big deal here IMO :D

    Ali
     
  15. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    With @Ali-Pacha , we compared to a Meier-audio Classic and we both preferred the Meier by a signiificant margin ( more refined, more open, less forward and brutal sounding). For Sure, The Classic is more expensive but it's not Uber expensive totl stuff. ;)

    And the friend who bought the Jotunheim preferred it to his Meier Classic . Perfect illustration of "to each their own"

    btw those impressions are not related to any KG or Spritzer rant. Honestly I'm not acknowledged enough to have an opinion about how should be built a 350USD amplifier.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2017
  16. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Sorry for not being clear Ali. I don't think your impressions about the sound are bitching at all. I actually agree with them. However, I think KG/Spritzer's creation a full dedicated witch hunt thread is sort of bitching:

    https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/12921-schiit-jotunheim/

    Same style as always. Spritzer or KG buys some stuff they really don't need to "expose" the wrongness. Sometimes there are things that are indeed questionable. But in this case I don't see it.

    As far as soldering, broken switches, cheap hand soldering, I dunno. I don't hear many people complaining of broken this, broken that. I do hear that about certain KG DIY amps though. And let's be honest, does eBay KG amps inspire confidence on build quality and seller accountability? Not to me man. I rather go to someone that is established and has a reputation on the line. eBay is not it. Head-Amp probably is. Dunno about Mjonir audio.

    It's weird seeing this things. Next thing you know we'll have Mike and Jason go on an "ongoing quest to buy random shit to try out" and take a big dump on a bunch of random KG eBay amps and then expose the out-date-ness and unspeshulness of KG amps or whatever. WTF.

    No Ali. I don't think I got all hot and bothered because of your response. I appreciate your response and many others. I feel is candid and coming from someone with a good amount of experience. It's got more to do with that witch hunt non-sense. I definitively don't blame you for it. But you are in Head-Case, and you know the context of what I'm talking about.
     
  17. Ali-Pacha

    Ali-Pacha Friend

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    No problem, I get the point ;) I don't understand neither why Kevin and Birgir have this common urge sometimes to say "hey, look at this ! It's stupid !", but since I'm not really interested in petty squabbling, I let it go... (my deepest apologies to any parent of 5-8 old children :rolleyes:)

    Ali
     
  18. Johan

    Johan New

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  19. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    LOL! Well TBH I don't have a horse in the race, and all things considered I don't give that much of a shit. I give one shit, but proly not two. I like to think I have a life. That said, we should speak up if we feel something doesn't make sense.

    Anyway, I think you know what I mean. Let's carry on with the impressions, which proly is time better spent. And thanks for your candor.

    Yeap. Just saw that. *sigh*

    Like Ali said, and Queen Elsa sang before him, Let it Go. Or maybe not. Dunno.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2017
  20. SSL

    SSL Friend

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    Some people have class, like Jason and Mike. Others, less so.
     

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