Hello,
I was fortunate enough to have a Jot 2 here for several weeks before the announce.
Thanks for Jason and Schiit....owning many Schiit products over the years, I am indeed a Schiit schill for sure and have and do enjoy Schiit products.
A great small company that makes affordable headphone and audio products assembled in the USA but good people in California and soon to be in Texas.
I have recently compared the Jot 2 with several amps both Schiit and other vendors amps (up to $3500).
I am happy to report that the Jot2 IMO stands tall against most any other good headphone amp out there. Its what i call a "super amp"...a total re-design of the Jot 1....enough power to drive most any headphone out there very well.
With SE and Balanced inputs and outputs and two gain choices its like you have 8 different combinations to get you to your audio nirvana "land"...choices!!!
Here were my first impressions back then:
J2 impressions:
1. Good fit and finish. The Brushed Aluminum case looks very good.
2. Seems very close to the J1 for sound signature, objectively its pretty close.
3. Subjectively its definitely "more open. "Clearer less Jot like..: many folks think the J1 is warm...the new J2 is definitely less warm to my ears.
Using HD600s, Focal Clears and Hedd Headphones. The Hedds are the hardest to drive and the J2 has NO issue driving them into destruction.
Perception and reality: Where the volume pot position is located often tells a headphone person how powerful a amp is, just by where the vol pot has to be rotated to, to get the volume they want for their headphone and suitable listening position. Using my HEDD headphones, rated at Efficiency: 87 dB SPL for 1 mW and 42 Ohm impedance. With the Asgard 3 in low gain I can crank the vol pot almost wide open to get them to play loud. On high gain its 10 oclock to 12 oclock...compared to the Jot 1 which I only have to rotate the pot to 10 oclock the impression is the Asgard 3 is anemic, even though it has enough power to drive the cans to unsafe listening levels. With Jot 2 I hardly ever go over 10 oclock in high gain balanced or in low gain, maybe 12 oclock in low gain. On the other end is the Soundaware that I cant hardly move the vol pot before its too loud, another not so good implementation....and why I like the log pots...gets u off the "bottom" end etc.
4. Love the 4 leds internally, nice amber glow and there is still the power on led that I like as well.
5. Out of all the amps I have the balanced out with the HEDDs is near perfect in overall soundstage, musicality, great slam, very 3 dimensional. Bass slam...excellent control with harder to drive cans...more than enough power etc..
6. The end game is I should send back the Lyr3, Asgard 3, the Jot 1, Magnius, Vahalla 2, etc and sell all my other crap and just be VERY happy with this amp. (I love the Lyr 3, the A3 is ok, The Vahalla 2 with the Senns and Beyers .)... There is a bunch of tube heads out here that love the Lyr 3, and want you to make a higher end tube amp $500-$700 range. Something along the lines of the Hagerman TUBA parafeed EL84 based amp for $649. Thats what they "think" they need from Schiit....but sometimes this is more emotional vs rational thinking....cosmetics of the "glowing" tubes etc...
7. It also drove the Hifi man Susvaras extremely well...no need for a speaker amp! All Schiit amps drove the Susvaras here.
8. The experience with the HEDDs comes alive and sounds like speakers hanging off my ears...like the SR1a's..in that direction.
9. Diana Krall vocals are perfect...tone etc. Very well balanced amp.
10. Case is mildly warm to the touch...after 1 hour on. Measured temp on bottom of case sitting on top of J1 (off) and its 83 deg F in a
warm room". AC off. Probe stuck in top vent hole right side 1/4" 90 deg F. Top outside case on the Schiit logo 80 def F.
This is a great selling point....based on past Schiit amps running warmer...this is a big deal for some.
10A. This might be the "one amp" to rule them all!! Hobbitsville!
11. Anything special with the low vs high gain settings, like with feedback or not, wide open etc?
12. Basically a class AB amp with Continuity - S.
13. Is this log taper pot? Yes - Alps 15A Taper.
14. Is the amp direct coupled or cap coupled? = Direct coupled all the way.
At the price point its a "winner" here....will listen for several days to see if the newness of a new amp wears off somewhat.
Thanks again for a GREAT amp....
Alex
Tested against: Lyr 3, Asgard 3, Jot 1, Soundaware P1, Hersey, Magni 3, Tuba, BH Crack, HPA-1, Whammy and several custom DIY amps. etc...