Schiit Mjolnir headphone amplifier - Page 31

Agreed! The problem with too much color is that it can obscure subtle but musically valuable detail and texture in whatever's being delivered from source.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstaken 

 

It's been my experience that way too many headphones amps color the sound too much. I just want the amp to stay out of the way and amplify my source signal without molesting it. So far the Mjolnir is doing as good of a job as I've heard even compared to some much more expensive amps that I've owned/own.

Right. The fact there have been almost no "wow" comments compared to e.g. the posts in the 'Schitt Lyr shipping. Impressions?' thread at about the same stage has had me thinking Mjolnir could be doing it right. Less exciting short term but more to appreciate long term.

Thanks for the comments.

The Mjolnir is the first dedicated headphone amp I've had that actually has enough power for them. I do like them with the Peak but it clearly runs out of steam if things get busy and large scale classical is out of the question. Previously my best results were with speaker amps. The HE-5LE are 38ohms so the Mjolnir actually has more power available for these than it will for the HE-6 which are 50 ohms. So the answer is the HE-5LE sound as good as I've ever heard them. The Mjonir seems to have more than enough power while also being much more resolving than any of the speaker amps I've tried. A well powered HE-5LE is a much better headphone than most people realize and it probably images more like speakers than anything else I have around.

I'm really curious to find out if the Mjolnir has enough power to truly optimize the HE-6. I've often read that 5W is still not really enough for those to be at their best.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit 

kstaken, how does your HE-5LE sound out of the Mjolnir compared to your other amps?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asr 

 

That's not a fair comparison as it has 3 variables. You can't just volume-match and expect the only variable to be the amp. If a balanced DAC has been designed properly (i.e., with a dual-differential DAC configuration), the balanced output is going to sound better than the unbalanced output and the Mjolnir will have an unfair advantage. Plus, you have one balanced headphone vs an unbalanced headphone - the balanced headphone will have a faster impulse response, among other things.

Hi,

Can you expand on this a bit? (No I'm NOT trolling).

The Mojo sounds like a great design, but I don't see why a balanced output will necessarily sound better than an SE output or why it will have a faster impulse response, we are talikng about a 20 kHz bandwidth and a amp that outputs a few Volts.

signed,

curious

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstaken 

The Mjolnir is the first dedicated headphone amp I've had that actually has enough power for them. I do like them with the Peak but it clearly runs out of steam if things get busy and large scale classical is out of the question. Previously my best results were with speaker amps. The HE-5LE are 38ohms so the Mjolnir actually has more power available for these than it will for the HE-6 which are 50 ohms. So the answer is the HE-5LE sound as good as I've ever heard them. The Mjonir seems to have more than enough power while also being much more resolving than any of the speaker amps I've tried. A well powered HE-5LE is a much better headphone than most people realize and it probably images more like speakers than anything else I have around.

 

I'm really curious to find out if the Mjolnir has enough power to truly optimize the HE-6. I've often read that 5W is still not really enough for those to be at their best.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit 

kstaken, how does your HE-5LE sound out of the Mjolnir compared to your other amps?

Thanks for the answer; I had a feeling that the Mjolnir would be a great match for the 5LE. I've always been of the opinion that 5 watts is pretty much the minimum to drive the HE6 to its potential, so I do think that the HE6 will sound very good with the Mjolnir as well. But along with the 120 ohm K1000, the proof will be in the pudding!

i don't really buy audio equipment anymore, as i am pretty content with my current setups but the schiit gear looks interesting and i could see myself picking up the statement amp, which is supposed to come out later this year.

(First post here, be gentle)

Here's a couple of photos: back-showing connections and bottom-showing the 3 feet.

Someone asked for impressions vs. Lyr, which is what I've been using (w/Golden Lion tubes) for more than a year with Audeze LCD-2s and -3s.

What the M has over the L is detail, both subtle and nearly-dropped-my-scotch varieties. F'rinstance, on one CD I heard turntale noise. Meaning the disc was sourced not from the master tape but from a clean LP (Boo! Hiss! Rip-off!) Not something I really wanted to know, but the M fairly whupped me upside the head with it. Things that you will hear through the L if you care to listen are presented starkly on the M, especially in the upper mids and treble.

Bass is profound on the M, though it may sound less fullsome than on the L. It's an old cliche that tube bass is a bit tubby and uncontrolled, and here's another example. Transients are faster on the M, not that the L is any slouch in that department, but crisper is crisper. And the M has more PRAT (do you know what a prat is in Brit-speak?) as well as the sense of unlimited reserves mentioned by others.

What the L has is that old tube magic, that puts you in a mellow mood and almost convinces you that beauty is truth. Almost. Going directly from the L to the M, the SS unit sounded a little colorless at times. I don't think that's the case; voices, for example, do sound compelling through the M. But like the Bifrost DAC, the M refuses to rose-tint things. In fact, on a couple of recordings it has sounded a bit hard, which the L will almost never do.

For detail-critical listening (especially mixing work,) the M has it all. For tubey goodness, the L. Hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoEars 

You lucky guys with your new toy would you describe the Mjolnir as:

 

A) Warm // neutral // cold

B) Lots of slam and PRAT // more laid back and smooth

C) Images well // diffuse imaging

D) Harsh and aggresive leading edges // smoth and flowing leading edges

E) Slow // medium // fast

My impressions:

A)  Neutral.

B)  Good slam. Amp has excellent dynamics and bite.

C)  Imaging is very good. Particularly with respect to the solidity of the images. With some amps, you feel as if you could easily punch through the soundstage with your fist. With the M, the soundstage presents itself as a more concrete wall of sound.

D) If I had to choose between the two options, I would say "Harsh and aggressive." This is not an amp that dulls or rounds things. If the original recording has aggressive leading edges, that is what you will hear. This is not the amp to get if you want to tone things down, or make things sound syrupy.

E. Fast. Although the amp is resolving and allows lots of detail through, which can give you the impression that it has slowed down the music, when it really hasn't.

Can the Mjolnir drive cans like the HE-6 and does it have overhead for a HE-500?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kskwerl 

Can the Mjolnir drive cans like the HE-6 and does it have overhead for a HE-500?

Not to nitpick, but Lyr can drive HE-6. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kskwerl 

Can the Mjolnir drive cans like the HE-6 and does it have overhead for a HE-500?

Quote:

Originally Posted by paradoxper 

Not to nitpick, but Lyr can drive HE-6. 

The Lyr can make the HE-6 loud, but not really properly drive it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwappo99 

 

 

The Lyr can make the HE-6 loud, but not really properly drive it. 

Haha. Yea, that was pretty much the point. I am a bit tired, apologies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paradoxper 

Haha. Yea, that was pretty much the point. I am a bit tired, apologies.

Indeed. I'm very excited to hear this amp myself. I haven't heard too much about it from the die hard HE-6 users who are all about "more power". 

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwappo99 

 

Indeed. I'm very excited to hear this amp myself. I haven't heard too much about it from the die hard HE-6 users who are all about "more power". 

I agree with them on HE-6 > speaker taps = most optimal. But I've heard some amps drive the HE-6 with fine authority.

Hoping within a few weeks we get some concrete impressions of this pairing. I am trying to hold off ordering until then. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paradoxper 

I agree with them on HE-6 > speaker taps = most optimal. But I've heard some amps drive the HE-6 with fine authority.

Hoping within a few weeks we get some concrete impressions of this pairing. I am trying to hold off ordering until then. 

Indeed. At the LA meet I will definitely be trying out the pair.