[purrin]

  Hey Jason, one thing I think might be underplayed in Schiit marketing is clearer exposition of the value proposition in terms of sound for the money rather than features. I bought a Gungnir/Mjolnir, and today is the last day of the return period. I'm very strongly considering upgrading to Ragnarok, but I don't need all the extra fancy features -- speaker outs, selectable gain, etc. I'm only interested in getting world-class sound through my one pair of balanced LCD-X (which is why I went Gungnir/Mjolnir in the first place).
 
Now I emailed Nick and he gave me a reply that you guys do think the sound is better on the Ragnarok, but the point is from the website I really can't tell if the extra $950 gets me mostly new features with the same-ish sound, or if gives you more features in addition to much better sound.
 
I suppose this wouldn't be a problem if I could listen for myself before pulling the trigger, but if I upgrade to Ragnarok I'm looking at a month or more without an amp at all as it's produced and shipped, plus the costs of returning the Mjolnir. So there are big consequences to the decision.
 
I know it's a hard problem because you guys don't know how people hear (and therefore can't make judgments about whether something is "worth it"), but it's tough for newer head-fi guys like me to make an intelligent decision, particularly with products that are backordered for weeks or ones that have very high costs to ship/pay restocking fee if they don't work out. I mean, if I had been confident that I would get much better sound out of the Ragnarok, then I would've ordered it in the first place; instead, I ordered the Mjolnir because I didn't need the extra features of speaker outs and selectable gain.
 
I think you know what I'm saying, and I don't know whether it's even a problem you can solve (or one that affects anyone but me), but I figured I'd relate my experiences. Even with this conundrum, I don't regret diving head-first into Schiit.

 
 
You are suffering from upgraditis. Just enjoy what you have for a year, unless there is something you don't like about the sound of your current M/G stack. Does the M/G stack sound veiled to you? Do the highs lack refinement? Is it not resolving enough?
 
Yes, the Ragnarok is better, totally worth the cost over the Mjolnir, but keep in mind that you'll need a better source, e.g. Yggy, to take full take advantage of the Rag. M/G stack is $1650. R/Y stack is $4200. That's the real cost differential to properly step up. Another approach to consider is replacing the Gungir with the Yggy instead of the Mjolnir with the Ragnarok. In general most DACs sound similar to each other; but I assure you this is not the case with the Yggy which is a HUGE step up from the Gungnir, or IMHO any other DACs lauded on HF.
 
You've started off the blocks with a pretty darn good setup. It only gets more crazy. It's entirely possible that you may discover over time that you do not like how Schiit's stuff sounds like and want to go in another direction; so personally, I would just ease up on the upgraditis, enjoy your music, and concentrate on finding content.

 

[Shembot]

   
 
You are suffering from upgraditis. Just enjoy what you have for a year, unless there is something you don't like about the sound of your current M/G stack. Does the M/G stack sound veiled to you? Do the highs lack refinement? Is it not resolving enough?
 
Yes, the Ragnarok is better, totally worth the cost over the Mjolnir, but keep in mind that you'll need a better source, e.g. Yggy, to take full take advantage of the Rag. M/G stack is $1650. R/Y stack is $4200. That's the real cost differential to properly step up. Another approach to consider is replacing the Gungir with the Yggy instead of the Mjolnir with the Ragnarok. In general most DACs sound similar to each other; but I assure you this is not the case with the Yggy which is a HUGE step up from the Gungnir, or IMHO any other DACs lauded on HF.
 
You've started off the blocks with a pretty darn good setup. It only gets more crazy. It's entirely possible that you may discover over time that you do not like how Schiit's stuff sounds like and want to go in another direction; so personally, I would just ease up on the upgraditis, enjoy your music, and concentrate on finding content.

Thanks for the insights, but there are indeed things about the M/G stack that I don't like, though I like it a lot more than the WA7+WA7tp and the Bifrost/Asgard2 which I also tried (along with the Modi/Magni and some other non-Schiit). It's much more resolving than the other setups I've tried, but it's a bit glarey, and not quite as resolving as I would like (the sound stage is also not quite as good as I would like). 
 
If I get the Ragnarok, it would be with the full intention of getting the Yggdrasil as well, and I'm okay with the extra cost -- even that level of extra cost -- if it's not mostly paying for extra features that I don't need, but rather for proportionally better sound. I understand diminishing returns, etc., and I mean proportionally better taking that into consideration. I would not intend to ever go "higher" than Yggy/Rag. Just looking for the right place to "stop," and I fear that M/G might not be quite there.

 

[OddE]

 
Now I emailed Nick and he gave me a reply that you guys do think the sound is better on the Ragnarok, but the point is from the website I really can't tell if the extra $950 gets me mostly new features with the same-ish sound, or if gives you more features in addition to much better sound. 

 
-Do keep in mind that you are already way into the land of diminishing returns; with the Mjolnir being transparent (or so I assume at that price point, having never heard one myself), there's no such thing as 'more transparent'; the Ragnarok sure is the more versatile of the pair, but if all you intend to do is use it with your headphones anyway, I am not convinced you will be able to tell any difference to the sound alone.
 
Certainly I would be surprised if you would notice any difference even remotely worth the additional $$$.
 
That's not to say that I would duck if someone threw a Ragnarok my way; I am just trying to say in a pretty long-winded way that what you already have is stellar; expecting any change by upgrading to be revelatory and profound is quite likely to disappoint - at best, you may notice some slight difference, probably so small that you will not even be certain whether it is really there or all in your head.

 

[swspiers]

   
-Do keep in mind that you are already way into the land of diminishing returns; with the Mjolnir being transparent (or so I assume at that price point, having never heard one myself), there's no such thing as 'more transparent'; the Ragnarok sure is the more versatile of the pair, but if all you intend to do is use it with your headphones anyway, I am not convinced you will be able to tell any difference to the sound alone.
 
Certainly I would be surprised if you would notice any difference even remotely worth the additional $$$.
 
That's not to say that I would duck if someone threw a Ragnarok my way; I am just trying to say in a pretty long-winded way that what you already have is stellar; expecting any change by upgrading to be revelatory and profound is quite likely to disappoint - at best, you may notice some slight difference, probably so small that you will not even be certain whether it is really there or all in your head.

Nicely put.  You actually managed to be me to rethink some things.  Like maybe a Mjolnir in 2015, a balanced cable for my Primes, and call it done.

 

[zaodriver]

I just went from an Asgard 1 /Bifrost Uber to a Mjolnir and Gungnir. On the LCD-2F, it wasn't night and day. The M/G combo is clearer and has a better frequency balance with increasing volume, but if I had heard the M/G before purchasing, it is (mildly) possible that I may not have purchased them. With the LCD-2.2 pre Fazer versions at 50ohms, it is likely a much bigger impact. Since the LCD-2F is at 110ohms, It doesn't seem to increase in bass as much with the increase in current. I am not saying not to get a M/G or a Ragnarok/Yggdrasil, simply to slow down a bit and ask yourself, "is the increase in sound quality worth the increase in financial investment?". For me, I live in a condo with roommates and I constantly listen to audio in one form or another. For me, big speakers were never really an option. I went for the M/G combination to maximize the sound out the LCD-2F for fun and for getting into music production. Properly amped good headphones and good speakers will give the listener a much clearer picture of the details in the music. I am sure the Ragnarok and Yggdrasil are better, but how much better? I'm not putting the products down at all, after all, I am a new owner of an M/G stack and I am very happy with it. I am just advising you that the M/G stack is already quite stellar. I have a feeling it will be relatively hair splitting to best that stack. Your milage may vary.

 

[Shembot]

   
-Do keep in mind that you are already way into the land of diminishing returns; with the Mjolnir being transparent (or so I assume at that price point, having never heard one myself), there's no such thing as 'more transparent'; the Ragnarok sure is the more versatile of the pair, but if all you intend to do is use it with your headphones anyway, I am not convinced you will be able to tell any difference to the sound alone.
 
Certainly I would be surprised if you would notice any difference even remotely worth the additional $$$.
 
That's not to say that I would duck if someone threw a Ragnarok my way; I am just trying to say in a pretty long-winded way that what you already have is stellar; expecting any change by upgrading to be revelatory and profound is quite likely to disappoint - at best, you may notice some slight difference, probably so small that you will not even be certain whether it is really there or all in your head.

 
I've talked via PM to a number of head-fiers who upgraded from Mjolnir to Ragnarok with a similar setup to mine (Gungnir, LCD-X). Two of them reported that upon upgrading to Ragnarok, they wept at the beauty of the music.
 
I want to weep. I'd pay an extra $950 to weep. But I also know that head-fi is sometimes known as hype-fi. Schiit seems like a very honest company. If Jason, or by extension the Schiit website, told me that they believe the sound alone (as opposed to the ability to drive speakers or high-impedance headphones) is worth upgrading from Mjolnir to Ragnarok, then I'd do it -- indeed, I'd have done it from the start. 
 
My post wasn't really about my own predicament, though. It's about a specific area that I found a bit confusing about Schiit's marketing and website. In Jason's latest chapter, he talked about the fact that they have many products now and how he knows they need to better differentiate them and guide customers to the right products. I was just relaying my personal experiences in hopes that they'll help Jason do just that.

 

[murrays]

Maybe you'd weep when you discover you paid $950 and can't hear any difference?

 

[purrin]

Thanks for the insights, but there are indeed things about the M/G stack that I don't like, though I like it a lot more than the WA7+WA7tp and the Bifrost/Asgard2 which I also tried (along with the Modi/Magni and some other non-Schiit). It's much more resolving than the other setups I've tried, but it's a bit glarey, and not quite as resolving as I would like (the sound stage is also not quite as good as I would like).  
If I get the Ragnarok, it would be with the full intention of getting the Yggdrasil as well, and I'm okay with the extra cost -- even that level of extra cost -- if it's not mostly paying for extra features that I don't need, but rather for proportionally better sound. I understand diminishing returns, etc., and I mean proportionally better taking that into consideration. I would not intend to ever go "higher" than Yggy/Rag. Just looking for the right place to "stop," and I fear that M/G might not be quite there.

 
Totally understand. I still have M/G and now Rag, and have heard proto Yggy at two local meets in CA.
 
I too have heard glare and harshness from Rag, Mojo, and Gung indepedently and have narrowed down to two causes: noise in power lines (a have a lot of dimmers, ballasts, LEDs in the house) and using macs as a USB source for Gung. One thing you can try is power conditioning. A Tripplite Isobar is cheap and effective. Rag is sensitive to power and source. At its best, the Rag has a very smooth treble - one of the smoothest I've heard, even compared to some uber tube amps.
 
As for more resolution, the Gungnir was never a highly resolving DAC in the first place. The Yggy on the other hand makes a quantum leap in terms of resolution. Being a multi-bit non delta-sigma DAC, Yggy has none of the digital nasties in delta-sigma designs of 99% of modern DACs, Gungnir being one of them. Yggy's soundstage depth and layering is also a huge step above the Gungnir - incredibly precise, holographic, even being able to throw images beyond the boundaries of the speakers (if using speakers). The Gungnir has good localization of instruments, but the stage is rather compact compared to Yggy. Supposedly the holographic magic of the Yggy lies with the DSP / digital filter - something I am familiar with as the Theta DACs of yore were running the same DSP, albeit cruder versions since there was less processing power in the 1990s).
 
However hard it is to believe, the Rag is more transparent than the Mjolnir. Mjolnir has this tiny slightest hint of veil when compared to the Rag. The Rag is also more refined sounding in the treble and is a step up in terms of ability to resolve microdetail and distingiush small changes in volume. The Rag's stage is upfront like the Mjolnir, but has much more depth with a great sense of openness.
 
The Rag is an evolution of the Mjolnir which happens addresses all the quibbles I had with the Mjolnir. The Yggy is a revolution (it beats $10,000 to $50,000 DACs).
 
If you can burn the cash (audio gear is NOT an investment), go for it since you seem to have the ears to appreciate it.

 

[Shembot]

Maybe you'd weep when you discover you paid $950 and can't hear any difference?

Haha, true story! So far, I've definitely been able to hear the difference between the WA7+WA7tp, Modi/Magni, Modi/Vali, Modi2Uber/Magni2Uber, Bifrost/Asgard2, TEAC UD-501, Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2, and Gungnir/Mjolnir. I suspect I would hear the difference with the Ragnarok, but that's only a suspicion, as I trust nothing I haven't heard with my own ears.
 
It didn't always work out in favor of price, by the way. The most succinct way I can describe it is that the Dragonfly 1.2 is really good for the price.
 
I'm going to eventually post some of the contents of PMs I've sent to people I've met here on head-fi with specific notes about what I'm hearing (coming from forum communities in other hobbies, I'm a bit trigger-shy to post these things publicly as a newbie here), but my impressions tended to agree with a lot of experienced listeners/posters before I'd read what they posted about the different gear. 
 
Bottom line, I'd absolutely love to discover that $950 later I can't hear a difference. Seriously. So far it hasn't happened, try as I might.

 

[Shembot]

   
Totally understand. I still have M/G and now Rag, and have heard proto Yggy at two local meets in CA.
 
I too have heard glare and harshness from Rag, Mojo, and Gung indepedently and have narrowed down to two causes: noise in power lines (a have a lot of dimmers, ballasts, LEDs in the house) and using macs as a USB source for Gung. One thing you can try is power conditioning. A Tripplite Isobar is cheap and effective. Rag is sensitive to power and source. At its best, the Rag has a very smooth treble - one of the smoothest I've heard, even compared to some uber tube amps.
 
As for more resolution, the Gungnir was never a highly resolving DAC in the first place. The Yggy on the other hand makes a quantum leap in terms of resolution. Being a multi-bit non delta-sigma DAC, Yggy has none of the digital nasties in delta-sigma designs of 99% of modern DACs, Gungnir being one of them. Yggy's soundstage depth and layering is also a huge step above the Gungnir - incredibly precise, holographic, even being able to throw images beyond the boundaries of the speakers (if using speakers). The Gungnir has good localization of instruments, but the stage is rather compact compared to Yggy. Supposedly the holographic magic of the Yggy lies with the DSP / digital filter - something I am familiar with as the Theta DACs of yore were running the same DSP, albeit cruder versions since there was less processing power in the 1990s).
 
However hard it is to believe, the Rag is more transparent than the Mjolnir. Mjolnir has this tiny slightest hint of veil when compared to the Rag. The Rag is also more refined sounding in the treble and is a step up in terms of ability to resolve microdetail and distingiush small changes in volume. The Rag's stage is upfront like the Mjolnir, but has much more depth with a great sense of openness.
 
The Rag is an evolution of the Mjolnir which happens addresses all the quibbles I had with the Mjolnir. The Yggy is a revolution (it beats $10,000 to $50,000 DACs).
 
If you can burn the cash (audio gear is NOT an investment), go for it since you seem to have the ears to appreciate it.

Purrin, I know how respected you and your views are in this community (I lurked a good bit before becoming a member), and I really appreciate you taking the time to comment on my experiences.
 
I don't have any dimmers or ballasts, but I am using my MacBook Air as a source for Gungnir...though it's through Wyrd, which should clean up that business. I haven't A/B tested Gungnir with and without Wyrd, but I did notice a definite improvement adding Wyrd to Modi/Magni (eliminated the digital, "I'm definitely listening through transducers" veil), so I now use it on faith with all other gear. I'm using a Tripplite surge protector, but not an Isobar, so I will consider upgrading. 
 
I tend to think in terms of stacks, not DACs and amps separately. I wouldn't, for instance, mix Bifrost Uber with Mjolnir (losing balanced all the way through), etc. (though I did do that particular test and still preferred Gungnir). I suspect Schiit thinks this way, too, given the obvious chassis matches, so I haven't done much cross-chassis comparison, for better or worse. I might be very, very stupid to think this way, or I might not, but nonetheless it's how I think and listen.
 
Thank you very much for your comparative assessment of the Ygg and Rag. I am basically 100% convinced to buy them, though I think I may take your prior advice -- to listen to my stack for a while -- before I make the jump. I may lose money when I upgrade Gungnir/Mjolnir to Yggdrasil/Ragnarok, but sometimes the journey is worth more than the destination. I have a few hours  left to make my decision.
 
I will say that I received the Modi2Uber and Magni2Uber today, and I think they're excellent for the price. Together, without much burn-in so far, they reach nearly Bifrost/Asgard2 (together) quality. I hear a bit smaller soundstage and a small bit less resolution, but it's damn close...and extremely fun. 
 
Edit: At work, I used the B&O H6 headphones with the Modi and Magni and I find them to be a fantastic pairing. I think the Modi2Uber and Magni2Uber will also be a fantastic pairing for the same reasons, and so I intend to use these setups at work. I don't know why the H6 isn't talked about more here, but I think it really is an excellent headphone for the price with a very neutral sound signature.

 

[DSNORD]

I'm in the same boat too with the M/G/LCD-X stack.
 
It's my first foray into headphone listening and is fantastic. I use a late 2012 Mac Mini running Pure Music to 176.2 upsample 16/44.1 AIFF from a 2T WD  hard drive. I can output to the M/G stack for HQ headphone listening or click on my Bose Companion 3 controller to output via an Audioquest Dragonfly 88.2 for general listening in my computer room.
 
I know- Bose. Don't be hating on me. The Dragonfly 2 and Pure Music was a significant lifestyle upgrade for my general desktop day to day use. Been using the Dragonfly for about a year.
 
But- I got the bug for a really nice headphone system after reading Arnie Nudell's review of the LCD-X in The Absolute Sound a couple of issues ago. Days of research led me to Headfi (I didn't know it existed since I had no interest in headphones previously) and then to Schiit. I originally thought about the Rag since it was soon to be released, but I just didn't see a use for the extra bling of the inputs and especially the speaker outs since I had no plans or room to put in a near field speaker rig. I love what I have. I was done for eternity....
 
Then eternity bit my ass when I discovered the KEF LS50 and figured that my present nearfield Bose system just wasn't good enough anymore for general listening. Now I needed sound quality equal to that of my headphone system.
 
I figured out a way to get the LS50s into my computer desk footprint. Headphones are great in their own right, but sound in the real world never just comes into one of my ears and not the other. On some recordings, a nearfield experience to me is better and just more natural. Sometimes I want the ability to move around my room or be able to feel the presence of someone else in the room enjoying music with me.
 
I thought about using the pre-out from the Mjolnir to feed a power amp and sub combo and then started to go crazy trying to figure out ways to simply and safely switch from nearfield to headphone systems as I can do now. Each scenario ended in failure because the cost was too high or the components weren't balanced or they were too big for my desktop or I risked blowing up the headphones or various other reasons. I was getting further and further away from the simplicity and phenominal cost/performance of the M/G stack.
 
So now the Rag is back in the picture with Yggie likely to compliment it and a REL T7 or JL e110 to round out the sub duties. I just have to get the Rag now because it's the only thing I can see that can do economically what now I need to do. Even if it doesn't sound any better than the Mjolnir.
 
I'm like you, Shembot. I jumped too soon, but I'm so glad I made the jump when I did because it showed me what high quality sound from such relatively inexpensive equipment I have been missing all these years. Contrary to what the guys at TAS had me believing, I don't need to spend 20 billion dollars on esoteric monsters with zero WAF in order to experience The High End, especially with Schiit and Headfi on the scene. Thanks everyone for the guidance.
 
 
The G/M stack? My son graduates college in May. What to give him as a graduation present? Hmmmm...... A new Headfier is born!!!

 

[Shembot]

  I'm in the same boat too with the M/G/LCD-X stack.
 
It's my first foray into headphone listening and is fantastic. I use a late 2012 Mac Mini running Pure Music to 176.2 upsample 16/44.1 AIFF from a 2T WD  hard drive. I can output to the M/G stack for HQ headphone listening or click on my Bose Companion 3 controller to output via an Audioquest Dragonfly 88.2 for general listening in my computer room.
 
I know- Bose. Don't be hating on me. The Dragonfly 2 and Pure Music was a significant lifestyle upgrade for my general desktop day to day use. Been using the Dragonfly for about a year.
 
But- I got the bug for a really nice headphone system after reading Arnie Nudell's review of the LCD-X in The Absolute Sound a couple of issues ago. Days of research led me to Headfi (I didn't know it existed since I had no interest in headphones previously) and then to Schiit. I originally thought about the Rag since it was soon to be released, but I just didn't see a use for the extra bling of the inputs and especially the speaker outs since I had no plans or room to put in a near field speaker rig. I love what I have. I was done for eternity....
 
Then eternity bit my ass when I discovered the KEF LS50 and figured that my present nearfield Bose system just wasn't good enough anymore for general listening. Now I needed sound quality equal to that of my headphone system.
 
I figured out a way to get the LS50s into my computer desk footprint. Headphones are great in their own right, but sound in the real world never just comes into one of my ears and not the other. On some recordings, a nearfield experience to me is better and just more natural. Sometimes I want the ability to move around my room or be able to feel the presence of someone else in the room enjoying music with me.
 
I thought about using the pre-out from the Mjolnir to feed a power amp and sub combo and then started to go crazy trying to figure out ways to simply and safely switch from nearfield to headphone systems as I can do now. Each scenario ended in failure because the cost was too high or the components weren't balanced or they were too big for my desktop or I risked blowing up the headphones or various other reasons. I was getting further and further away from the simplicity and phenominal cost/performance of the M/G stack.
 
So now the Rag is back in the picture with Yggie likely to compliment it and a REL T7 or JL e110 to round out the sub duties. I just have to get the Rag now because it's the only thing I can see that can do economically what now I need to do. Even if it doesn't sound any better than the Mjolnir.
 
I'm like you, Shembot. I jumped too soon, but I'm so glad I made the jump when I did because it showed me what high quality sound from such relatively inexpensive equipment I have been missing all these years. Contrary to what the guys at TAS had me believing, I don't need to spend 20 billion dollars on esoteric monsters with zero WAF in order to experience The High End, especially with Schiit and Headfi on the scene. Thanks everyone for the guidance.
 
 
The G/M stack? My son graduates college in May. What to give him as a graduation present? Hmmmm...... A new Headfier is born!!!

No Bose hate here. One of these things just doesn't belong here...
 

 

[Puma Cat]

 
Thanks for the insights, but there are indeed things about the M/G stack that I don't like, though I like it a lot more than the WA7+WA7tp and the Bifrost/Asgard2 which I also tried (along with the Modi/Magni and some other non-Schiit). It's much more resolving than the other setups I've tried, but it's a bit glarey, and not quite as resolving as I would like (the sound stage is also not quite as good as I would like). 
 
If I get the Ragnarok, it would be with the full intention of getting the Yggdrasil as well, and I'm okay with the extra cost -- even that level of extra cost -- if it's not mostly paying for extra features that I don't need, but rather for proportionally better sound. I understand diminishing returns, etc., and I mean proportionally better taking that into consideration. I would not intend to ever go "higher" than Yggy/Rag. Just looking for the right place to "stop," and I fear that M/G might not be quite there.

Shembot, you will need to let your gear burn in before making any final decisions about how Gungnir and/Mjolnir sound. My guess is it's Gungnir needing burn-in that you're hearing. My first Schiit product, the original Bifrost required about 400 hours of burn-in before it reallty came into it's own...that was about four months of playing time for me. The first week I had Bifrost, it damn near drove me out of the room, but after 100 hours of burn in time, it really smoothed out, any at 400 hours it was a completely different animal; smooth, liquid, detailed, velvety, and not glare-y at all. So, I would give it some time. Keep the gear for a year and see what you think per someone else's advice. Also, the suggestion to do some power conditioning would also really help. Personally, I am a big fan of Shunyata's products, and they make a power cord specifically designed for digital source devices to dramatically reduce the noise level from high-bandwidth processors, like those found in DACS, which operate in the gigahertz range, and cause all sorts of electronic hash problems. I have a full Shunyata loom on my 2-channel speaker-based system, as well as a Shunyata Venom 3 source power cable on both my Gungnir and my Mac Mini. I'm not going to enter in to a power cables don't matter debate, but I'm a scientist by profession, and I go by what the data tells me, and adding the Shunyata power cables and distributor to my 2-channel system paid huge dividends in sound quality, particularly with all the grunge and hash that is there that you don't notice until is it GONE. 

 

[Puma Cat]

   
-Do keep in mind that you are already way into the land of diminishing returns; with the Mjolnir being transparent (or so I assume at that price point, having never heard one myself), there's no such thing as 'more transparent'; the Ragnarok sure is the more versatile of the pair, but if all you intend to do is use it with your headphones anyway, I am not convinced you will be able to tell any difference to the sound alone.
 
Certainly I would be surprised if you would notice any difference even remotely worth the additional $$$.
 
That's not to say that I would duck if someone threw a Ragnarok my way; I am just trying to say in a pretty long-winded way that what you already have is stellar; expecting any change by upgrading to be revelatory and profound is quite likely to disappoint - at best, you may notice some slight difference, probably so small that you will not even be certain whether it is really there or all in your head.

There is always gear out there that is "more transparent"...you just have to pay the big bucks to get it. Go listen to some DarTZeel gear some time....

 

[Puma Cat]

   
-Do keep in mind that you are already way into the land of diminishing returns; with the Mjolnir being transparent (or so I assume at that price point, having never heard one myself), there's no such thing as 'more transparent'; the Ragnarok sure is the more versatile of the pair, but if all you intend to do is use it with your headphones anyway, I am not convinced you will be able to tell any difference to the sound alone.
 
Certainly I would be surprised if you would notice any difference even remotely worth the additional $$$.
 
That's not to say that I would duck if someone threw a Ragnarok my way; I am just trying to say in a pretty long-winded way that what you already have is stellar; expecting any change by upgrading to be revelatory and profound is quite likely to disappoint - at best, you may notice some slight difference, probably so small that you will not even be certain whether it is really there or all in your head.

Your comments are well-placed, but there is ALWAYS better sounding gear out there. I used to think there wasn't either, until I heard this gear at many audio shows. I know this is something that a lot of folks have trouble with getting their head around (like at that other big audio forum), but the really high-end stuff, like DarTZeel, Technical Brain, TAD, Burmester, etc., etc.  really does sound notably better. You DO get what you pay for, it's just you have to pay a LOT. 
 
What it comes down to, at the end of the day, which you are doing an excellent job of point out for Shambot, is where does one's "value proposition" window lie?