currawong said:

I don't recall exactly what Jason said, but I remember something about it not being possible. The multi-bit DACs are too complex and my understanding is that the Mimby is at the limit of what they can sanely squeeze in a small package.

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This will be an interesting addition in Schiit family especially with the balanced headphone out. However, I think the market could be small if multibit is not possible, then it will be a showstopper for me.

tonykaz said:

Hello Jude, 

I don't get this design.  

A super powerful Amp when the new Headphones need only .1mlw power,
A d/s DAC from a Company making it's name with R2R ( Multibit designs ) presumed competitive with the likes of Chord,
A RIAA/high gain phono-cartridge head amp for a smaller than tiny vinyl World that's already choked up with Phono preamps sitting in everyone's closet collecting dust. ( a good many of them of Audio Research quality levels )

This Jot. probably does everything quite well, as you report but it seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist!

Is it a Analog/Digital/Integreted Amp with Mega-Tons of headphone power but not enough for loudspeakers.  Phew, a Unicorn in Zebra Stripes that can pull a plow  or  a headphone version of a Swiss Army Knife?

I'm impressed, we don't see this kind of thing very often.

Tony in Michigan 

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+1 well put

Mr. Arthrumus,
 
You are probably right about this. It is a tiny niche market. 
 
 I've been around since the 78 Records, I came into headphones at RMAF 2012 when I met Tyll, everyone there had three box portable headphone systems ( including my neighbor Jude ) , Smeggypants's Fostex Moded headphones were the rage.
 
2015 brought Currowong's Chord Mojo as the "Product of the Year",  Streaming Hi-res is becoming common place, owning CDs is becoming 'old school', technology is moving fast ( perhaps faster than I can keep up ), I skip a couple of generations of advancements and up-grade every two years. Phew !  I still have my Asgard 2, which I think is Outstanding, I have NwAvGuy's Odac which I think is darn good and not needing replacement.  Focal just released the finest transducer ever devised ( perhaps debatable ) in their Utopia headphone, it's ultra efficient in addition to it being more capable than our ears.   
 
Geez, what's next?   Can our Audiophile stuff keep getting better?  or is the new frontier gonna be: making Audiophile levels of music reproduction available to the Billions of phone users, on the Global Scale?  or both?
 
I think we'd better buckle our seat belts, we're in for a wild next few years of advancements.  
 
Not bleak but rather:  fascinating and exciting! 
 
The new Schiit design doesn't fit with my Calculus.  
 
Tony in Michigan
 
ps.  which will you bet on?, the new Schiit design or the LG V20 Audiophile Phone system. 

supabayes said:

 

currawong said:

I don't recall exactly what Jason said, but I remember something about it not being possible. The multi-bit DACs are too complex and my understanding is that the Mimby is at the limit of what they can sanely squeeze in a small package.

Click to expand...

This will be an interesting addition in Schiit family especially with the balanced headphone out. However, I think the market could be small if multibit is not possible, then it will be a showstopper for me.

Click to expand...

 
Multibit is possible: You just buy a multibit DAC instead of buying the DAC card.
 
I think it is easiest if you look at it as a headphone amp/pre-amp that has the option of having a very basic DAC or phono stage included if cost is an issue or only a single box is desirable. 
 
About power: I assume that the values are Class A/B. Being quite high, I wouldn't be surprised if the amp never goes beyond Class A during actual use.  It's actual performance while listening to, say, complex music with planar headphones will be the real test I reckon. 

Given that the DAC is using AKM4490 chips and benefiting from the larger power supply, I would hope the DAC is at least competitive with the Modi 2 Uber (using USB of course).

What Currawong said. Also, if the amp itself happens to sound reeeaaally good, at that point it will become obvious why at $399, the thing makes so much sense. We've just been led to believe that everything must be ultra lightweight and a few microns thick. In other words, a giant Yggdrasil-like DAC's not going to fit inside there. So what.

interesting, subbed.

Tempting getting the Jotunheim to replace my Asgard 2 instead of the Lyr 2.

netrum said:

Tempting getting the Jotunheim to replace my Asgard 2 instead of the Lyr 2.

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Lyr 2 is a fine amp and tube rolling make it more apples than oranges to the Jot. Tube rolling allows you to tweak and tailor the amp to your heart's desire. Solid state is what it is. 
 
The new Jot will certainly have mass appeal to those who are starting out. It also makes a fine work/transportable. I'd like to have it as a back up and work solution. 

bardash said:

  Release date? Thanks...

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We should be going on sale later this morning.  The production run started last week and we have a good number of units in stock and ready to ship on Monday morning.

allanmarcus said:

In addition to variable, fixed, or switchable pre-out (I'm guess variable), does plugging in headphones cut power to the pre-outs? I would assume yes, or the preouts are pretty useless when connected to a speaker amp.

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No other Schiit amp does that. You just unplug the headphones when you want to listen to speakers. When listening to headphones I just turn off the speakers.

cavemanta said:

  I bet that if the Jotunheim DAC module included optical and coaxial digital inputs, Modi 2 sales would decrease significantly. I wonder if that's one reason it only features USB input.

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The main reason is physics.  There isn't any more room on the back of the unit to accommodate additional inputs and there isn't any room on the DAC card to handle the additional components required for those inputs.  Jotunheim is by far our most dense amp.  I am still in awe that Jason was able to add on the modular input card.

floss99 said:

  I might be reading this incorrectly, but is there an upgrade scheme at schiit?
 
Or are you sending in your newly bought Magni 2U as it is within the 15-day money back guarantee and buying the jotunheim?
 
I also have the Magni 2 uber, so if there is an upgrade scheme, I'd be very keen to send mine in! 

 

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If you are within your 15-day return period we will waive restocking if you are going up the line. For example, you start out with a Magni 2 but realize that what you really wanted was a Valhalla 2, we'll waive restocking on the Magni 2.  You pay shipping both ways.
 
There is no upgrade for owners outside of the 15-day window.  To offer such an upgrade program beyond the 15-day window would be extremely expensive and would significantly increase the cost of our products.

alex martin said:

If you are within your 15-day return period we will waive restocking if you are going up the line. For example, you start out with a Magni 2 but realize that what you really wanted was a Valhalla 2, we'll waive restocking on the Magni 2.  You pay shipping both ways.

There is no upgrade for owners outside of the 15-day window.  To offer such an upgrade program beyond the 15-day window would be extremely expensive and would significantly increase the cost of our products.

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Yeah thats what I assumed. Thanks for that.

madwolfa said:

  I'm confused - it looks like a souped up Magni, but the size of the chassis is more like Bifrost/Asgard. 

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Jotunheim uses a new chassis design that is slightly shorter than the Asgard 2 but has the same width and depth.  It uses a L-bend aluminum top and sits in steel sled in a design similar to the Magni 2 but with some key differences.  The aluminum top doesn't have any exposed screws, we are using recessed PEM fasteners on the top.  Its actually pretty cool- Jason has been working on the refined chassis design for quite a while.  Jotunheim has permanent feet and doesn't use our famous (infamous) adhesive bumpers (although some people may find them in your Jotunheim box- we've been putting feet in to boxes for six years and old habits are hard to break).  

Are Schiit guys okay with this story being featured on the main page before the SchiitShow announcement?