[DSNORD]

Contrary to the naysayers, my new Sennheiser HD800Schiit phones pair PERFECTLY with my Gumby/Jot over balanced connection using the standard XLR cable they come with. Cold out of the box they were just about as good as my LCDX (which have hundreds of hours on them) but with wider and cleaner soundstage. At 80 hours now of music and pink noise, I'm about ready to give the Senns the edge. Thank you RCBinTN for suggesting I look at them!

I guess the best way for me to describe the difference is with a sunglasses analogy. The LCDX paints a beautiful lush image across a pair of flat faced RayBans. The world sits out in front of my face a few inches on the back of those flat lenses. The Senns on the other hand take that flat frame and bend it into a set of wrap arounds. The sonic image is pulled closer to my face, widens and thins a bit, and now wraps around the side of my head. So it gets cleaner, leaner, and wider. It does this regardless of the musical genre. The bass may not be as quite as thick, but it seems more accurate and more in line as to what comes off the strings of my piano and guitars.

Which one is better? I'm beginning to feel that it's the Senns to me. But more hours are needed before I can say for sure.

So to the Jot/HD800Schiit naysayers, I say as usual, "YMMV!!!!"

 

[KoshNaranek]

Contrary to the naysayers, my new Sennheiser HD800Schiit phones pair PERFECTLY with my Gumby/Jot over balanced connection using the standard XLR cable they come with. Cold out of the box they were just about as good as my LCDX (which have hundreds of hours on them) but with wider and cleaner soundstage. At 80 hours now of music and pink noise, I'm about ready to give the Senns the edge. Thank you RCBinTN for suggesting I look at them!

I guess the best way for me to describe the difference is with a sunglasses analogy. The LCDX paints a beautiful lush image across a pair of flat faced RayBans. The world sits out in front of my face a few inches on the back of those flat lenses. The Senns on the other hand take that flat frame and bend it into a set of wrap arounds. The sonic image is pulled closer to my face, widens and thins a bit, and now wraps around the side of my head. So it gets cleaner, leaner, and wider. It does this regardless of the musical genre. The bass may not be as quite as thick, but it seems more accurate and more in line as to what comes off the strings of my piano and guitars.

Which one is better? I'm beginning to feel that it's the Senns to me. But more hours are needed before I can say for sure.

So to the Jot/HD800Schiit naysayers, I say as usual, "YMMV!!!!"

If I may suggest, there is something magical between the Sennheiser HD800, Valhalla 2 and JJ E88CC gold pin tubes. My 800 sounds better with Valhalla than Lyr with same tubes. YMMV

 

[33na3rd]

I guess the best way for me to describe the difference is with a sunglasses analogy.

I've often heard the "window" and "auto" analogies.

This is the first time I've heard the "sunglasses" analogy. I like it!

 

[OldRoadToad]

Contrary to the naysayers, my new Sennheiser HD800Schiit phones pair PERFECTLY with my Gumby/Jot over balanced connection using the standard XLR cable they come with. Cold out of the box they were just about as good as my LCDX (which have hundreds of hours on them) but with wider and cleaner soundstage. At 80 hours now of music and pink noise, I'm about ready to give the Senns the edge. Thank you RCBinTN for suggesting I look at them!

I guess the best way for me to describe the difference is with a sunglasses analogy. The LCDX paints a beautiful lush image across a pair of flat faced RayBans. The world sits out in front of my face a few inches on the back of those flat lenses. The Senns on the other hand take that flat frame and bend it into a set of wrap arounds. The sonic image is pulled closer to my face, widens and thins a bit, and now wraps around the side of my head. So it gets cleaner, leaner, and wider. It does this regardless of the musical genre. The bass may not be as quite as thick, but it seems more accurate and more in line as to what comes off the strings of my piano and guitars.

Which one is better? I'm beginning to feel that it's the Senns to me. But more hours are needed before I can say for sure.

So to the Jot/HD800Schiit naysayers, I say as usual, "YMMV!!!!"

If it works, it works. And that is validation enough.

ORT

 

[Robert Wortman]

I just have a moment, so at the risk of redundancy, what is stopping you?

• Make certain your DMM or scope has high enough input impedance to avoid loading the output
• Understand if your DMM or scope gives you accurate RMS and peak reading for a sinusoidal signal at any frequency, or just for power-line frequencies. My (older, inexpensive) DMM only claims to provide accurate RMS and peak for 50/60Hz, while my (newer, but also inexpensive) scope's manual says it is accurate for any frequency within its measurement range.
  
• Back off the shell and any insulating sleeve from the XLR female that you are plugging into the Gungnir/Freya output. Neutrik XLRs do this by unscrewing the rear boot (which loosens the cable clamp, both can then slide backward), Switchcraft XLRs have a set screw than has to be run down. I think other brands tend to fall into one of these patterns.
• Once the outer shell and any insulator are pushed back onto the cable, clip leads from your DMM or scope should reach to the solder side of the XLR's connectors
• Download or create some 0dBFS test tone at audio frequencies of your choice, play and measure. Repeat on different channels and different places in the chain
• Close up any XLRs you opened for measurement when you are done

If you don't want to temporarily open up one side of your normal interconnect, you could purchase just an XLR female (if out of circuit measurement is sufficient); or one male XLR, one female XLR, and two short pieces of any reasonable (inexpensive) balanced cable, and make a short patch cable with a parallel, unterminated stub of cable coming out of the female for measurement purposes. Those things are so easy to solder than even I can manage it (with much-cursed bifocals and hands that aren't as steady as in my youth). Make sure not to short the unterminated cable stub ends to each other or anything else conductive.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't see why you can't do this to satisfy yourself about levels before hauling gear anywhere for testing or repair.

Even if you have a cheap meter, you can download a 60hz test tone and still test it.

 

[winders]

If I may suggest, there is something magical between the Sennheiser HD800, Valhalla 2 and JJ E88CC gold pin tubes. My 800 sounds better with Valhalla than Lyr with same tubes. YMMV

There is NOTHING magical about JJ E88CC tubes! There are at least 2 dozen better NOS tubes out there. Just about the entire 5670 tube family (using an adapter) is better too. In fact, the 5670 tubes are better than almost all the 6922 tube family.

 

[RCBinTN]

An interesting article from Dr. Mark Waldrep.

http://www.realhd-audio.com/?p=6046

 

[KoshNaranek]

There is NOTHING magical about JJ E88CC tubes! There are at least 2 dozen better NOS tubes out there. Just about the entire 5670 tube family (using an adapter) is better too. In fact, the 5670 tubes are better than almost all the 6922 tube family.

I was expressing an opinion. I have tried many of NOS tubes both 6dj8 family and 5670 family.

I will stick to my opinion as I am sure you will stick with yours.

Have a pleasant day

Edit for grammar

 

[winders]

And I was countering your opinion as those JJ tubes are not very good. Yes, they are one of the best 6922 tubes in current production. But that does not make them good or magical. The better NOS 6922 tubes will always sound better than the new production tubes as will just about any of the NOS 5670 tubes. None of that is really an opinion...it is fact. New production 6922 tubes aren't great....fact!

 

[wout31]

.fact!

I think you mean to say: "my opinion"

 

[sublime9]

This will be a quick post and I'll type a longer one later but in terms of MQA, this seems to be the official word on the subject from Schiit - CLICK HERE. In terms of 192khz support. There is ABSOLUTELY no AUDIBLE benefit for anyone to be recording in 192khz.. 24/96 is enough to get every bit of resolution needed.This magic 192khz figure is simply bull****. Bull**** of the highest order.

When it comes to albums that claim to be recorded at 192khz, the only example I can provide is Hans Zimmer's soundtrack album for 'The Dark Knight Rises'. I know Hans and I also know that when they recorded the soundtrack which for TDKR was at AIR they recorded at both 24/48 and they archived a recording at 24/96. So I don't know where the extra 96khz of audio data came from.

Addendum. On Hi-Res I highly recommend this video from Dr Mark Waldrep about "High Res Audio". Please watch to the end I think you will be surprised.

That was just brilliant. Thank you for posting. A long listen, but worth it. A more erudite "SUCK MY DAC." But the message is the same.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

I think you mean to say: "my opinion"

We all know @winders never just states an opinion.
Why should he? He is always right.
It took me some time to learn that his greatness never fails.
He is the infailable pope of our forum and many others.
Just learn to live with it and be greatfull he enlightens our path.
@winders: Don’t be sad my devine darling.
I will always love you.

 

[MtnMan307]

I had a blast this weekend at RMAF. I was able to listen to all the Schiit and talk to Mike and some of the other people. I ordered a Jotunheim a little bit ago, but everything else was great to hear. From my listening, everything they make excels with the right cans but the Jotunheim could be the greatest all purpose product they make.

 

[GearMe]

...it is fact.....fact!

 

[FLTWS]

I had a blast this weekend at RMAF. I was able to listen to all the Schiit and talk to Mike and some of the other people. I ordered a Jotunheim a little bit ago, but everything else was great to hear. From my listening, everything they make excels with the right cans but the Jotunheim could be the greatest all purpose product they make.

Especially, I found out, with Loki. It's the perfect accessory for Jotunheim. I was very pleased at how I was able tune the combo of the Jotunheim and HD800 for the better.