[Slackaveli]

11 Watts into 30 ohms in stereo mode?!?!?
Bamm.

I kind of wish it had preamp outputs though.

Yeah that's not an issue for me but that is a viable criticism.

But you can buy TWO of these junts and run them dual monoblock and just push any HP that has ever been or will ever come.

 

[GeraltDHowl]

11 Watts into 30 ohms in stereo mode?!?!?
Bamm.

I kind of wish it had preamp outputs though.

It gets to 33.5 watts in 32ohm with the fully stack mono mode

 

[orkney]

Don't forget that the Rag2 uses a IMO quite terrible resistor-ladder volume control. It has noticeable input lag from the volume knob and it's always audibly clicking and popping when being adjusted, the clicking noise comes from inside the chassis (which didn't really bother me) but the popping noise comes through the headphones while listening to music (which did really bother me). To my surprise, many owners don't seem to mind it, but for me it was an instant dealbreaker. Same goes for the Lyr+. I initially thought it was better than the Rag2, but I recently got to try one again and I hated it just as much as I do the Rag2. Just my 2 cents.

That was my experience also. That and the powerful but (for me) relatively lifeless sound sig made it hard to get on with. Preferred the FV musically (though it has its own issues in terms of hum, etc) and ended up going a different direction for a power amp to sub in in the summer months.

I had hoped to use it as a combo unit when it was too hot for my MC275s, but didn't love it enough as an HP or speaker amp to keep it.

Maybe Rag3 will be the one?

 

[psy472]

Yeah i think im sold. Works great with Tungsten, class A goodness. Hell I even like that they are Ukrainians building in Kharkiv.

You should look at the review before believing the specs advertised.
Here is a review on MJ3 vs Flux on Tungsten SS: By @streaml1ne.

 

[GeraltDHowl]

You should look at the review before believing the specs advertised.
Here is a review on MJ3 vs Flux on Tungsten SS: By @streaml1ne.

Thank you that was very interesting juding from the comparison It seems the mentor has Better Highs but Mjolnir 3 has Better low ends It Will be interesting to see the flux m-field when It Will be avaible from the producer description "The sound is characterized by a darker tone and a thicker, fuller sound in the low frequency range. The sound has a smoothness, a certain intimacy that is characteristic of MOSFET-based devices, with an impressive volume of soundstage." And It Will cost 1199$

 

[devilboy]

Yeah that's not an issue for me but that is a viable criticism.

But you can buy TWO of these junts and run them dual monoblock and just push any HP that has ever been or will ever come.

Yeah, saw that.

 

[Slackaveli]

That was my experience also. That and the powerful but (for me) relatively lifeless sound sig made it hard to get on with. Preferred the FV musically (though it has its own issues in terms of hum, etc) and ended up going a different direction for a power amp to sub in in the summer months.

I had hoped to use it as a combo unit when it was too hot for my MC275s, but didn't love it enough as an HP or speaker amp to keep it.

Maybe Rag3 will be the one?

ftr reviewers say thats a strength of the Mentor.

 

[Slackaveli]

You should look at the review before believing the specs advertised.
Here is a review on MJ3 vs Flux on Tungsten SS: By @streaml1ne.

Yeah Ive seen it. MJ3 is awesome if it were only driving my HE1000 Stealths. But, it will have to drive Tungsten SS though. That puts Mentor on top, for me.
Ive read and heard 4 or 5 maybe reviews of it already and almost all of them say it's summit-fi and compare it with $3k+ amps.

As for Bass- I'd point to his Bifrost as the culprit there. I'll be running Yggy so the bass to Mentor from Yggy should be fuller than bass to MJ3 from Bifrost. But, as always, I could be wrong.

Being as budgetarily I need to be around $~1.5k and drive SS, my options are limited to only a few amps, and much less so in Class A.
Mentor is true Class A, has great tonality, and can be upgraded to dual monoblocks (something ive wanted to do for years. dual mono class A!) for obscene power.

Tungsten hunt is just different than a regular amp hunt.

 

[Slackaveli]

Thank you that was very interesting juding from the comparison It seems the mentor has Better Highs but Mjolnir 3 has Better low ends It Will be interesting to see the flux m-field when It Will be avaible from the producer description "The sound is characterized by a darker tone and a thicker, fuller sound in the low frequency range. The sound has a smoothness, a certain intimacy that is characteristic of MOSFET-based devices, with an impressive volume of soundstage." And It Will cost 1199$

so for something like HeK the MJ3 is better, helping fill in bass. Tungsten knocks like an LCD-4 and you want to help open it up with something like Mentor.

 

[psy472]

Yeah Ive seen it. MJ3 is awesome if it were only driving my HE1000 Stealths. But, it will have to drive Tungsten SS though. That puts Mentor on top.
Ive read and heard 4 or 5 maybe reviews of it already and almost all of them say it's summit-fi and compare it with $3k+ amps.

Being as budgetarily I need to be around $~1.5k and drive SS, my options are limited to only a few options, and much less so in Class A.
Mentor is true Class A, has great tonality, and can be upgraded to dual monoblocks (something ive wanted to do for years. dual mono class A!) for obscene power.

Tungsten hunt is just different than a regular amp hunt.

I see where this is going. You’re getting the Susvara eventually then. Running that much electricity will risk overheating your headphones. It’ll be great for speakers though.

 

[Slackaveli]

I see where this is going. You’re getting the Susvara eventually then. Running that much electricity will risk overheating your headphones. It’ll be great for speakers though.

I do love Hifiman lol.
But, yes, you just exposed me. I can't afford Susvara at all , but, I do want to be in a position that if I came up on one I'd need no chain upgrading.
I have a financial ceiling on my journey, so, I can only go so far. I want to keep everything around $1.5k tops until that crown jewell.

As of now my endgame goals are:
Yggy MiB (will have to start with Yggy GS2)
Flux Mentor- dual blocks (may not ever need or get that second but this is "goals")
Modhouse Tungsten SS

I will be ecstatic even with GS2>Mentor> SS Tungsten- but it is cool that both would have an "upgrade path"

But then, yes, I would love to upgrade the Stealths to Susvaras to compliment the SS as they are quite different sounding.
Maybe if they ever update Susvara, OG could feasibly drop to around $3k.

 

[theveterans]

Just wondering how it would drive Susvara vs things like Soloist 3XGT.

It'll drive it perfectly fine and IMHO it would easily outperform the Soloist 3XGT in sheer refinement of the instrument notes

 

[theveterans]

As for Bass- I'd point to his Bifrost as the culprit there. I'll be running Yggy so the bass to Mentor from Yggy should be fuller than bass to MJ3 from Bifrost. But, as always, I could be wrong.

MIB has less bass than Bifrost 2/64 BTW. However, it goes deeper and significantly more textured than BF2/64

 

[Slackaveli]

MIB has less bass than Bifrost 2/64 BTW. However, it goes deeper and significantly more textured than BF2/64

I should clarify, im that weird one that is a sub-bass whore and cares less about 120hz bass. But, I do appreciate your valuable input.
How does MiB compare with Yggy+GS2 in bass/subass/control/texture?

 

[psy472]

MIB has less bass than Bifrost 2/64 BTW. However, it goes deeper and significantly more textured than BF2/64

Strangely my GS2 has more bass than my BiFrost 2/64. With the warmer MJ3, the bass slam EQ I had preset almost knocked me out when I turn on the music. (Note, please remember to set the volume to zero for new gear before turning on your music).