Folkvangr Mjolnir 3 comparison
This post compares the Schiit Folkvangr against the Schiit Mjolnir 3. Keep in mind that I’m not a professional musician, recording engineer, or anything other than a middle aged audiophile. My hearing is a little above average for my age but nothing to brag about. I bought both amps like everyone else and have no affiliation with Schiit or any other audio company.
Both the Folkvangr and Mjolnir 3 are over the top designs that eschew practicality and strive for sonic magic instead of bleeding edge quantifiable performance. One is an innovative tube design which directly connects the tubes to the output with no capacitors or transformers. The other is an old skool choke power supply feeding a fully class A solid state topology with or without feedback. Neither amp is especially powerful, but both have plenty of power for most headphones. Both amps have received positively glowing reviews.
What I look for in sound?
Broadly speaking, I look for two things: One- the illusion of being there. I want to imagine I’m experiencing the music live and in person instead of through a pair of headphones. Two, I look for a euphonic sound- one that tickles my pleasure center. I’m not so much looking for neutrality and accuracy as a vivid and engaging sonic picture in my head.
Overall impressions:
Both amps sound highly dynamic. The Mjolnir 3 is faster and more analytical while the Folkvangr is slower and more organic. Headphone pairing is crucial in getting the most out of either amp. For example, the HD6XX sounds like magic on the Folkvangr and a $200 headphone on the Mjolnir. The Aeon Flow Closed is the opposite. That’s not to say any given headphone only sounds good on one or the other as there is overlap.
Folkvangr sound description:
Lush with effortless layering and excellent resolution. Mids on this amp are exceptional. Soundstage is wide and deep with excellent imaging. Treble sparkles without hard or sharp edges. Great slam with efficient phones though slightly loose bass in comparison to the MJ3. Slow decay and very euphonic. Overall a very addicting amp to listen to.
Mjolnir 3:
Very sweet sound for a SS amp, yet extremely detailed and resolving. This is an amp that really rewards critical listening with amazing clarity and nuance. It’s fast with crisp edges but also very musical. It isn’t a tube amp, but with some headphones it has an almost tube like sweetness with the resolution and precision of a top notch SS amp. While not particularly powerful, it sounds powerful and drives moderately efficient headphones with enthusiastic vigor.
Testing Method:
The source for all my testing was Tidal (master quality when available) streaming to a WiiM Pro, then COAX to a Schiit Yggdrasil LIM and RCA cables to both amps. I tested both amps with the following headphones:
ZMF Verite Closed
Focal Clear
DCA Aeon Flow Closed(AFC)
Sennheiser 6xx
I listened to a range of musical genres from classical ensembles to EDM with classic rock, folk and jam bands featuring prominently. The Folkvangr was tested with the impedance multiplier off except with the AFC. The Mjolnir 3 was tested in single ended mode with feedback off.
My evaluation method was as follows:
I listened exclusively to the Folkvangr for a while, occasionally changing modes, volume level and headphones. Then I listened to the Mjolnir 3 and made note of the differences. After that I played a list of some of my favorite music and periodically switched between headphones and amplifier as I played passages over and over to verify my impressions.
ZMF VC: This is my favorite headphone and the one I listen to the most. I have the Universe lamb skin pads on which are my preference. The MJ3 and Folkvangr are very, very close in terms of overall performance with the VC. Last night I slightly preferred the MJ3 and this morning I slightly prefer the Folkvangr.
With the Folkvangr, the sound is decidedly lush with insane detail and microdynamics. There is a little wetness present which has the effect of pushing the stage away from the listener. The combo is a wonderful mix of tube musicality combined with detail, resolution and imaging. Bass is slightly emphasized. It goes deep without bleeding into the mids and has a thick texture that makes for a very visceral experience.
With the Mjolnir, the head stage is closer, clarity and resolution are better and the sound overall is a touch more resolving. It’s not quite as euphonic as the FV though. The sound is dryer and over time a touch more fatiguing. That said, the bass is super clean and detailed.
Focal Clear: is efficient, has moderate impedance at around 50 ohms, and is a dynamic driver headphone that is easy to drive. Both the FV and MJ3 work well with it, but I have to say the Focal Clear and the Mjolnir 3 are a fantastic match. The Clear can sound metallic on some amps, but on the Mjolnir it has an almost tube like sweetness. The Clear is fast, detailed and capable of, well, great clarity, which the MJ3 puts on full display, showing the limits of what the FV can do by comparison. The mids come through like a top notch tube amp and I’ve never heard the Clear sound more musical while also delivering amazing technical performance. The exception is recordings that maybe aren’t the best, in which case the FV continues to sound good while the MJ3 sounds slightly fatiguing.
DCA Aeon Flow Closed (OG): The AFC isn’t super efficient and is pretty low impedance at 13 ohms. That said, at moderate volumes (90 dB or less) the FV drives the AFC very well. Bass is solid, macro dynamics were good and clarity was outstanding. By 100 dB the FV was struggling. Still, it did well considering the AFC is a low impedance power pig. However, he MJ3 had no problems and delivered impressive dynamics while also taking advantage of the extremely low distortion Planars are known for to deliver exceptional nuance and layering. If you want to hear every bit of detail and layering, the AFC + MJ3 is fantastic. The MJ3 picked up a little metallic tone with the AFC, but it was only on some tracks and was not at all obvious unless you’re listening for it. The AFC isn’t known for the size of its headstage and neither amp changes that.
Senn HD6xx: The 6xx loves OTL tube amps and the FV worked beautifully with it, imparting huge amounts of detail. The bass sounds rich and impactful, the treble is a little recessed but the perfect mids make up for it. Overall the experience is extremely musical and impactful and it’s hard to believe a $200 headphone can sound so good. Not so with the MJ3. The bass sounds rolled off, the mids are flat and the treble is veiled. It’s not even close I terms of preference.
In Summary:
Both are fantastic end game amps provided your preferred headphones are a good match. For my tastes, I’d think Focals, planars, and other moderate impedance warm leaning fast and detailed phones will generally sound best on the MJ3, while the Folkvangr will sound best with high impedance phones that generally work well on tube amps. Both amps are very musical and sweet sounding. The MJ3 is more resolving and detailed, but the difference isn’t really there except with very resolving headphones.
All that being said, the Folkvangr isn’t available any more except 2nd hand and the MJ3 is in stock. If I was a one headphone one amp kind of guy looking for a new amp, I’d think the MJ3 with either a Focal Utopia or TOTL warm leaning moderately efficient planar would truly be an end game combination. If I’m lucky enough to have a Folkvangr, I would look at TOTL high impedance dynamic driver phones and revel in the tube magic.
