It’s very hard to get past the fact this is a limited run of what is essentially a “what if” experiment. The novelty and boutique-like exclusivity have likely biased me into liking this amp, which will probably be mentioned in the same sentence as other classics (such as Eddie Current’s Studio B) for years to come. But make no mistake, this is a liquid, slam-happy, detailed, wide, deep, and very fun amp.

If this were a car, oh boy. Ever driven an impractically fun car like a Shelby Cobra? A labor of fun, built on top of years of expertise? Well, this is one of those. Limited edition, unobtanium, crazy, expensive, maintenance will be a bitch, but oh-so-much-fun. So you may need a 3+ car garage after all. And you won’t be looking at performance numbers such as mpg anyway.

First, the industrial design. We may be seeing a new design language from Schiit taking form. Gone is the bullet on/off switch, replaced by an Aegir-like switch. A much more practical an aesthetically pleasant tube access surface helps with the ”may get lost inside the chassis” criticism of the MJ2 And give it a very nice, distinctive look. Rounded corners and edges make it look more thoughtful than other amps that are 2-3x the price. Classic Schiitheads were well-served by a silver option, albeit at a price premium. In the front you find the volume knob three switches: one for inputs, one for gain, and one for an impedance multiplier, sometjhing Grado headphones I used on this puppy benefited from.

Next, using only the stock tubes (no rolling), I spent a lot of time getting to understand the amp. I used various sources, including Schiit’s Gungnir and Yggdrassil, and I found that regardless of source, the amp’s character remains: a nice, not-too-warm performance (which is surprising), an impressive blackground, a lot of detail getting through, and a very interesting soundstage that was width and depth. Psychoacoustics experts may be able to illuminate us on the depth angle, which may be explained by its higher-than-most second harmonic distortion.

I didn’t know what to expect in terms of performance with various headphones. I tried various settings and came to the following conclusions per headphone:

LCD-X 2021, Low Gain, Multiplier On -> Fun
HD600/6xx, High Gain, Multiplier Off -> Lots of fun
Stealth, High Gain, Multiplier Off -> Lots of fun
Utopia’22, High Gain, Multiplier Off -> Lots of fun
Grado 325x, High Gain, Multiplier On -> Lots of fun
Grado GS1000e, High Gain, Multiplier On -> Lots of fun
Grado PS500e, High Gain, Multiplier On -> Peak fun


If someone told me the amp was designed for Grados, I would believe them. I’ve never heard the PS500e this happy before. The LCD-X 2021 were not as engaging as the rest, leaning a bit towards “veiled”. This is not something I’d say about these cans out of, say, Ragnarok 2. The Stealth on the other hand had no issues and did what they do best without problems. My uninformed guess is that’ll-impedance orthos, even with the multiplier on, don’t shine as bright. But if that’s what you have you’ll still be happy.

You can get an idea of what I test stuff with by looking at my test playlist. If your style of music is not there, my experience may not be as informative to you. At the time of review, my hearing is about 20 Hz - 17KHz.

To my ears:

• Detail: Plentiful and liquid (but not wet). Stays on the natural side of things.
• Soundstage: There’s a “big hall” effect going on. Unlike, say, the Eddie Current Studio B in which the soundstage is wide but flat, here you get depth and a bit of height. It’s pretty cool.
• Bass: Full-bodied without distortion. Transients are fine, there’s no slurred decay or anything (which happens with some tube amps).
• Voices: As great as MJ2, nothing more, nothing less.
• Highs: Detailed and 0 fatigue.
• Instruments: Nicely rendered, nicely placed, with a little bit more room in between them (and some crossplay, by which I mean, this is not a clinical separation).
• Overall: So this is what tubes can sound like, huh?

This is one of the best sounding headphone amps I’ve tried. GOAT? Can’t tell you that. It won’t replace my MJ2 on account of it being impractical for routine on-my-desk use. SE-only also limits it somewhat for my gear. If you want a super neutral, super natural sound, this is not it. It’s fun and opinionated.

But as I said… if it were a car, you’d be talking about needing a larger garage. So I added a shelf to my main rig and it is now permanently parked and hooked to my main rig, for after-hours fun use. And it’ll stay there until I run out of tubes.

This is it. Closed back endgame for me. A surprisingly big and luxurious step up from the great ÆON 2 Noire.

These headphones get out of the way, full stop. They are comfortable and precise. Where the Noire impressed me in terms of soundstage, the stealth manages to go a bit wider - but with the eerie feel of being in a very well treated room. There really is nothing but the music, folks. Yup, just like that.

If we try to compare this system to a car, we are in Grand Tourer territory - as in Bentley Continental GT W12. See, it’s not just the best of class comfort or the ludicrously pleasant performance. It’s the statement under the hood. in this case, the unobtanium magic that tames resonances and also adorns the inside of the cans. Because believe it or not, there simply is no reverb. Nothing. Open back performance in a closed system. And yet… it may simply not be for everybody.

Just like the Noire, the cable connectors, while not that common, are very easy to use and a welcome feature if you’re balanced end-to-end. Unlike the Noires, the thought of packing these 4k cans for a weekend trip terrifies me. So while I appreciate the design, they shall remain safely locked at home.

Adjusting them is a breeze. As in there’s just nothing to do. Put ‘em on and you’re done. The VIVO cable is a welcome upgrade from the DUNNER cable that comes with the Noire. Very light and, like the cans, gets out of the way. In contrast with the Noire, there are no running pads. And that’s simply because to my ears, there’s nothing to fine tune. The sound is Goldilocks Good. Just right. And in case it’s not obvious, they are flat out comfortable and unobtrusive cans. Feels like luxury.

You can get an idea of what I test stuff with by looking at my test playlist. If your style of music is not there, my experience may not be as informative to you. At the time of review, my hearing is about 20 Hz - 17KHz.

With my headphone set (Gungnir + Mjolnir 2), a KANN Cube, and out of a Rega Brio headphone amp for vinyl because I just had to try them (albeit with a DUNNER cable for the latter):

• Detail: Precise. Attacks are fast. Very, very nice.
• Soundstage: Of the Noire, I said “these may have the widest soundstage in closed planars I’ve ever heard”. Well… unless I’m wrong, these are a bit wider. Instrument placement is bliss.
• Bass: Natural and full.
• Voices: Human in the room. Seriously.
• Highs: Just right. They sound precise and not fatiguing at all.
• Instruments: Blissfully separated. If you like cool Jazz, bass just shines here in terms of how “real” it sounds. Rare feat.
• Overall: They ought to be the most true-to-nature system in closed backs.

They may not be for everybody, though. Maybe their opinions on what natural is are uninspiring for some folks Who knows. Early reviewers were divisive and I can see why - these guys get so out of the way they are hard to praise for doing something other than exactly that: It’s you and your tunes. And maybe that’s all one can say about them.

This is not a clinically-accurate listening device. This is a fun interpretation of your favorite music at an affordable price. These cans are opinionated. They think you like the voice up front, the instruments detailed, the highs bright, and the lows tamed. They think you prefer intimate yet airy soundstages.

They are grungy with 90s Seattle-sound jams. They are jumpy with bubblegum pop. They are garage-band fun with rock and roll. They dress up when out and about for a night at the opera. And like in all these experiences, your choice of seating matters. These cans will not put you in the middle of the band, but close enough at slightly-over-student-rush price.

There's a lot of ink (or electrons) out there describing Grado, so I'll spare you the details. The important bit is that their headphones have been, for most folks, a gateway drug into Hi Fi. They are affordable. They are likely to give you the first exposure into detail and dynamics. This is the result of a very carefully guarded pair of house sounds: "The Grado Sound", which you find in their Prestige, Reference, and Statement series, and a more clinical sound they use in the their Professional Series. The 325x are the top of the entry series.

If the 325x were a car, they'd probably be a Mustang. Affordable. Fun. Tweakable. By no means the most technologically advanced, or the smoothest ride, or the most refined curve-takers. But charming and with a very loyal fan base. And above all, fun. Quite a few folks claim the Grado Sound fakes you into perceiving more detail than they actually resolve by virtue of being a bit bright. If that's the case, I wonder: If you exhaust sounds awesome, does it matter you're not the fastest commuter on the road?

You can get an idea of what I test stuff with by looking at my test playlist. If your style of music is not there, my experience may not be as informative to you. At the time of review, my hearing is about 20 Hz - 17KHz.

With my headphone set (Gungnir + Mjolnir 2) and a KANN Cube:

• Detail: Precise, a little sharp mostly due to the metallic housing. Attacks are quick and don't hang much. A little tight. Plastic and wood behave different than metal, and here there is a little bit of a tin can feel that may irritate some.
• Soundstage: Narrow, not quite "in your head" but in front of you with the default ear pads. You won't feel "in the band", but close. I recommend ordering the L-cushions, which make the soundstage wider and improve overall enjoyability. The default cushions are perhaps more practical. Yay, another knob to play with.
• Bass: Adequately rendered. Not for the bass-heavy connoisseur. Jazz trios can challenge the headphone — but rest assured it meets the challenge.
• Voices: Centerstage. They seem to get the most attention here.
• Highs: Well-separated and bright.
• Instruments: Very well voiced. I like strings and keyboards here.
• Overall: Fun open-backs at a reasonable price. If you like the Grado sound, this is a great entry point into the line. Quite a few more bucks get you into the Reference series, which uses wood instead of the metal you find here. More bucks after that get you into their crown jewel, the GS1000e. In the other direction, the PS500e behaves similarly but it is voiced differently and respects the instruments just as much as the voice.

The Grado Sound is alive and well in these cans. While not as detailed, spacious, refined, or resolving as the iconic GS1000, the 325x brings the metal casing from the Professional series to the Prestige line, without changing the signature sound as the PS did. The new drivers seem evolutionary more than revolutionary and you'd be hard-pressed to pinpoint any major advantage. Cosmetic enhancements and better cables will likely divide Grado fans. Whether your journey into HiFi started with an SR80 or you're about to purchase you first "high end" cans, you owe these guys an audition. You won't regret it. For the price of admission, this is a ballroom concert you'll be glad you attended. And I'm talkin' Grateful Dead-glad.

One more thing: Burn them in and have fun doing so! Despite the manufacturer telling us the drivers are distressed, 100+ hours of work relax these cans a bit more. Not enough to transform them but enough to make them feel at ease with what they do well. If you do notice something, it’ll likely be in the attacks, which are a tad less sharp but remain quick.

These headphones are fun and comfortable above all else. They impressed me in terms of soundstage, as they may be the widest I’ve ever experienced out of closed-back cans.

I have a complicated relationship with planar headphones. Some experiences:

• Planars tend to be heavy and bulky and get uncomfortable after an hour or so.
• Most of the really good ones cost small fortunes.
• The best planars are open and leak with abandon, so you need to be away from people when you enjoy them. The few closed backs one can find are a bit claustrophobic and have distortion in the bass.
• They are hard to travel with.
• Still, they have surgical precision and dynamics and are definitely part of a balanced audiophile diet.

I have a pair of LCD-X that I truly adore because of their ability to remain neutral and expose every single detail (good or bad) in a recording or equipment I’m getting to know. I EQ them a bit when I feel like listening to them for fun. Starting at ~$1,200, they are a luxury item, for sure.

Enter the Dan Clark Audio ÆON 2 Noire, which simply challenged all my assumptions:

• Light and very easy to wear, with the right amount of clamp to stay put. These guys get out of the way.
• One cent under $900. Easier to explain to your significant other or your sober self.
• Closed back. No leaks. A soundstage usually found in the commodity tear of open backs (I’m serious here. These are in Grado Prestige territory).
• A very precise rendering of bass when used with the white felt inserts, a little bright au natural.
• Clever folding design makes them very easy to travel with.
• Everything you like of planers is here — but let me be clear: wider-than-expected soundstage is not “as wide as open back planars”. But it’s definitely enough room for, say, Peter Gabriel’s Mercy Street.

Ask any car enthusiast what sports car hits all the right notes at a reasonable price, and they’ll likely point you to an MX-5. Not the fastest. Not the most refined. Not the most luxurious. But the most fun and at a great price. If planars are sports cars, the Noire are the latest and greatest MX-5 you won’t mind driving to, at, and from the track.

The cable connectors, while not that common, are very easy to use. This is a feature you’ll appreciate if you have a balanced mic but need to travel single-ended, for example. I can’t emphasise enough how compact they are and how well they pack. Maybe you won’t use them on the plane (noise cancelling these are not) but you’ll have them in your carry-on. And unlike your 4k+ cans that you only travel with in your private jet, at this price, you won’t be anxious about carrying them.

Adjusting them is a bit tricky, but nor impossible. But once you have them you’ll know, because the cans are shaped as your ears, and they will simply disappear. You won’t be aware of them being on your head as you would, say, the HD820. The stock cables offered (DUNNER) are a bit microphonic, and you will pick up sounds if they rub against your chair or your shirt. So sit still. More expensive cables are available if you really need them.

For the hobbyist: Dan Clark Audio supplies three pairs of inserts so you can tune the cans to your preference. I use the white inserts, which for me, give me the most enjoyable listening experience. If you like things a bit brighter, use no inserts. So yeah, one more thing to tweak in your chain.

You can get an idea of what I test stuff with by looking at my test playlist. If your style of music is not there, my experience may not be as informative to you. At the time of review, my hearing is about 20 Hz - 17KHz.

With my headphone set (Gungnir + Mjolnir 2) and a KANN Cube:

• Detail: Precise, a little lean. Does not remove anything from sources, but it does add a little bit of warmth. Attacks are pretty snappy. Overall, they are very relaxed, yet refined.
• Soundstage: These may have the widest soundstage in closed planars I’ve ever heard. Yeah, that good.
• Bass: Natural, a little full. But not for the bass-heavy crowd.
• Voices: Slightly forgiving! They seem to be a little forward as well, which in a wide soundstage, is a welcome thing to experience.
• Highs: Detailed, well-separated. Non-fatiguing with white insert.
• Instruments: Remarkable separation. I think percussionists will be the most pleased.
• Overall: They are not clinical, they are not wooden cup open backs, and they are not for the dubstep crowd as they won’t exaggerate anything. They are something else. They are fun, closed-back planars.

Dan Clark Audio seems to have reserved the color black for their best in range. Well, here they are. The ÆON 2 Noire have just become part of my travel kit.

This headphone amp is fun, refined, and versatile, but it seems to have a very specific listener in mind to justify its price.

If this were a car, I’d call it a Grand Tourer: plenty of power, luxury, and comfort for loooong rides. But neither this amp nor Grand Tourers are for everybody. Clinical listeners may be better served with more neutral amps, of which there are plenty and much cheaper. This guy is for listeners who like just a little bit of warmth, a fun soundstage, and more importantly, have their entire chain balanced.

The amp’s versatility comes from also serving single-ended headphones very well, and allowing you to roll tubes and change its voice a bit. If that’s not your thing, stick to the stock tubes. You’ll be fine. I had very good results with some JJs, Electro-Harmonix, and Phillips Miniwatts, with the latter being the best performing for me.

The device’s ergonomics are not perfect, but not show stoppers. In particular, one must be careful when replacing tubes especially if new to that game. If a tube slips from your fingers you will have a fun time fishing it out of the unit. If desktop space is precious for you, this amp is definitely on the “almost too large for the office” size. The power switch placement seems to annoy three people on the planet who have posted about it a thousand times; If you think you will be the fourth, Godspeed.

In an attempt to understand it better, I had it hooked to an Yggdrassil A2, a Bifrost, and a Gungnir (all Multibit), as well as a Pro Ject Stream Box 2. If you know these DACs and like what each does separately, Mjolnir 2 will not subtract from the experience. It does mellow out the Pro Ject (for the better), which is very sensitive to your choice of filter. If you’re a Schiit-head, you may find that Gungnir strikes the best price/performance match for Mjolnir 2.

Pretty much every headphone I have was happy with this amp, and the amp had plenty of power left. Opinionated cans (such as Grados) are well supported so they express their signature sound with gusto. If I want to enjoy a session with LCD-X, I have to use the Roon built-in profile for them, otherwise they are way too clinical and distracting. I need no such thing with Mjolnir 2 because the amp’s characted is not neutral and it mellows out the LCD-X. HD6xx are still veiled, narrow, and if anything become a tiny bit more relaxed but still enjoyable.

You can get an idea of what I test stuff with by looking at my test playlist. If your style of music is not there, my experience may not be as informative to you. At the time of review, my hearing is about 20 Hz - 17KHz.

With Gungnir and a bunch of cans I know well:

• Detail: Plentiful and very natural sounding. The quiet parts are quiet. There is no sharpness around the details: the overall presentation is very natural, relaxed, and fluid. Never muddled or too warm. Nice, precise
• Soundstage: spacious. Lets headphones do their thing.
• Bass: Precise, full, and not exaggerated.
• Voices: Fantastically human - at CD quality, some opera recordings from the 70s/80s are hard to render well. So if you know a particular tenor or soprano well, you’ll hear them in this rig in a fairly natural way.
• Highs: Never sharp or edgy. Present and detailed enough.
• Instruments: Superbly rendered and placed. In “The End” (The Beatles, Abbey Road, Giles Martin’s remix) you will notice this clearly during Ringo’s drum solo. Ringo’s tuning on his kit went low by this time and it can feel syrupy in some systems (or hang too much). With Gungnir/Mjolnir 2, you will get a very natural reproduction!
• Overall: This is a very smooth amp, presenting the sound with class and a certain casual elegance. Pure sprezzatura.

Sadly, Schiit discontinued Mjolnir 2 in early 2021, and had stopped selling LISST (the solid state “tubes”) quite some time before then. You can find used Mjolnir 2s for under $700 on eBay every once in a while. If you like slightly warm amps (or as I call them, “pleasant”), enjoy tube-rolling, and already have balanced end-to-end, this amp is a no-brainer. Get one before they become cult items. After all, the Jaguar E-Type was also discontinued: It was not that expensive, but it was not selling well and was becoming hard to manufacture… and look at them now.