The All Purpose Advice Thread

Jaybird x2 here. They aren't going to win any awards for critical listening but I sweat like it's July in the middle of winter and they don't fall out. Pretty durable too. Might be better options out there by now, but mine are good for working out in. Oh, they are blue tooth, you didn't specify.

 

I support Jotunheim for this scenario unless you have the funds for Mjolnir2. I have the 650 and the x00 as my main open and closed cans; the jot kicks ass. I have previously owned the Mjolnir2 and the Valhalla2. The only thing I miss from the Mjolnir2 is the superior bass slam, but it's still solid from the jot. The only thing I miss from the valhalla2 is the slightly warmer sound via the 650, but I undid the coin mod and am sitting pretty.

 

My Bottlehead Crack + Speedball has been really great sounding with my HD650M. It also happens to be 15% off at the current moment!

 

I've never understood why people want the most "neutral" amp and DAC with headphones that are not neutral in the first place. If you want neutrality shouldn't you look at what kind of headphone you have first of all and then kind of balance it out with other gear to make it more neutral. Again, if that's your goal?

So for example: Warm DAC > Warm amp > Bright headphones

It seems like people put so much attention on getting neutral gear with un-neutral headphones.

 

Another question as I'm almost ready to order the MJ2:
What do people think of using tubes in studio needs (Production, mixing and mastering) Always been told that solid-state is more "transparent" and true to the source.

 

I see there are quite a few recent additions to headphone lineups, the first to come to mind are the DT1990's and the Amiron (from what I could grasp a different take on the T90's). Will probably put the new Focal lineup aside since they have their own threads already. Did any member around get to try any of them? Would anyone be planning to share any good reading material soon ?

Also, happy Thanksgiving to the US folk !

 

Quick question here. I was using a pair of tubes with my Valhalla 2, then switched over to the Vali 2 and used only one of it.

Thinking of picking up the Valhalla 2 again. Will there be any issues running both tubes again, but this time with one having an extra 100-150hrs or so of run-in time?

 

I would not call it a versatile amp tho?
If I want to run other headphones like planars

 

Good call. I don't think you can go wrong with the Joutenheim if you don't mind a slightly bright amp. I am not an expert on headphone pairings so I so I would let others chime in.

 

Seeing the Lake People RS-08 on sale new for about $645, how does it compare to the Jotunheim with balanced out in particular?

 

I wouldn't say Jotunheim is any brighter than Valhalla 2. @Prydz if you like the tonality of the Valhalla then Jotunheim is very similar, just a bit more extended at both ends. They are both fast amps though Jot is blazingly quick and also a lot cleaner than Valhalla. On the other hand you won't get the tube magic with the Senns from Jot. Personally I would try and keep Valhalla and get Jot - they are quite complementary if you like that tonality. Mjolnir 2 is another possibility that covers all bases, but bear in mind that it is slightly but noticeably bassier than Val and Jot and is extremely aggressive. If you want more slam that could be good but I found it too much with the Sennheisers. I moved from Mjo2 to Val2+Jotunheim and couldn't be happier.

 

There's plenty of mixing and mastering equipment with tubes in it: Pultec, Fairchild, Culture Vulture, Massive Passive... not to mention microphones and guitar amps. But I wouldn't monitor a mix through a tube stage unless it was intended to use it on the final mixdown. If you are going to pick up Mjo2 I don't see any reason not to try using its inputs and pre-outputs as an effects box.

 

Steve Hoffman has mentioned using specific tube gear in some of his masterings to add dimensionality, when he feels that is desirable. IIRC, he uses tube gear in (maybe) all of his masterings because he prefers the sound in general. On the other hand, he will do a flat transfer of the master tape if that is what he feels that sounds best. I quite like the results of what he does (and does not do).

 

@Prydz Jotunheim pairs great with both HD650 and TH-X00. HD600 is alright but it brings out some of the graininess in the mids, not the amp's fault.

 

Have you had any listen time with the T3 by chance?

 

I've broken three pairs of Porta Pros, two pairs of the cheapo Monoprice,a few pairs of Apple Earbuds, two Monks, and a few pairs of random IEMs while working out: it's almost always the cable that causes the problem, as it shorts out.

Instead I bought the cheapest pair of IEMs with a detachable cable I could find - Tennmak Pro (available through aliexpress) and though I'm waiting on them, no one has noted issues with the driver, the actual sound quality has had good reviews, and I won't need to worry too much about destroying them by shoving them into my pocket without bundling up the cable.

So from a pure beater stand point, these may be the optimal cabled solution (with Bluetooth doing away almost completely with the worry.)

 

Hello, I'm in a similar dilemma in wondering if I should get the Jot + DAC. I plan to use it with the 6xx as I only have an Oppo HA 2 at the moment.

Another option I was thinking was using the HA 2 DAC and getting an IHifi100 amp that the sales dude recommended since I don't have a lot of desk space.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Edit: I should probably note that I'll be using it with my laptop that only has USB and 3.5 out.

 

The Modi Multibit* is still going to sound loads better- and you can just stand it on top of the Jot, if you want to save space. There's every chance that if you try to use the Jot's internal DAC from a laptop, you will get tons of interference down the USB cable anyway- and would end up using a Wyrd, which is the same size as a Modi Multibit, to clean it up.

Even if you did that, you'd spend nearly as much, use as much space, and still not have sound as nice as if you'd just got a Modi Multibit in the first place.

Edit: ..and whatever the hell that "iHifi100" thing is, I'd stake your life that it won't drive HD650 nicely. You need a proper amp to drive those, not some random pocket Chifi. They are really tough headphones to drive properly without flaccid, insipid bass and lack of detail. They will sing out of a Jot though, especially with a balanced cable.

*Modi 2 Multibit

 

I dont understand most of your advice in the above post. How would you get usb interference in one dac, but not the other? What even is usb interference? Wyrd is a one port powered USB hub, which helps with connection and usb power issues mostly. A basic powered USB hub will get close to the same results, but that is a very subjective opinion.

Second, hd600, 650, 6xx, whatever isn't that hard to drive, a basic vali2 will do that well. Other simple and not necessarily complex amps drive well, just do your research on pairings.

While Jotunheim is a convenient little package, the dac is a limiting factor. What I think Kat is trying to say is that you might be ahead with the Modi Multibit / jot combo if you bought the jot without any modules. This will provide better sound quality than the jot w/ the dac module and offer more flexibility if you want to upgrade dac later as jot scales well.

If you are looking for a similarly sized setup, that might be more diverse with headphone pairings vali2 / Modi Multibit would be something I would consider as well. Vali2 isn't quite as bright or sharp and can be used with hd800 and other brighter cans.

Last, in would be weary of salesmen anywhere, they usually promote products they stock, not necessarily what's best for the customer.

Enjoy the hd6xx & and whereever you end up with your amp / dac decision. You've got the foundation for a fantastic system with the hd650.

 

@FenW:

• what is your budget for the amp/DAC to use with the HD6XX?
• will you be keeping your HA2 or selling?
• how limited is your desk space? (i.e., is the Jotunheim chassis too big?)
• have you begun saving for retirement?