[size=10pt]I got my Mjolnir and I been testing it out w/ the lcd3. Its an impressive amplifier, but isn't without flaws. [/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]Spec’s wise its probably the most impressive amp I have heard. You can really tell that 5 watts rms makes a difference. The transient response, decay, and headroom are on par with the best I have ever heard. It really makes anything else seem sluggish. In this regard it slays my Concerto. Noise floor which is what usually bothers me most about amplifiers is as good as I can ask for. Build quality is typical Schiit, flawless.[/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]The qualms I have are more an issue of taste than objective inferiority. It makes my LCD3 sound more like an HD800, with a very quick and responsive diaphragm, ever so slight uptilt in tonality, light and airy w/ massive soundstages. The downside is it sounds more clinical, a bit thin and lifeless like an HD800. I usually love this effect. Infact I remember the pairing with the slightly darker lcd2 as what motivated me to buy the amp in the first place. It really makes jazz, classical, a capella music and especially techno sound amazing. On the downside, pop music, rock, hip hop sound aggressive, clinical and a bit lifeless. Compared to my Concerto which I feel is the most neutral amp I have heard, I think the mjolnir has slightly too much treble energy.[/size]
[size=10pt] [/size]
[size=10pt]A lot of people will read this and think this is a bad impression, but that's not really what I want to convey. The amp's technical superiority over other amps is clear, but I think my taste preferences lie elsewhere. I'll give it a few more days, but I will likely return this amp to get a WA22. I have never heard the WA22, but I am hoping it has the muscle to control the diaphragm just as well w/o sacrificing body and emotional impact. If I did not want to convert to a balanced set up, I’d probably keep my Concerto which I feel is competitively on par with this amp.[/size]