[Midnight12]

Probably a ground loop problem. Wouldn't call it normal, but it is very common.

I see, the hum/hiss stops as soon as I turn the Jot 2 on or unplug my headphone XLR cable.

 

[In1unison]

I see, the hum/hiss stops as soon as I turn the Jot 2 on or unplug my headphone XLR cable.Another possible cause of the hum/ hiss.

Another possible cause of hum or hiss is that your headphone cable acts like an antenna introducing noise into the system. Balance circuit inside the amp is designed to reject the noise which may explain what you describe when amp is on. Don't be afraid to keep the amp on all the time.

Common problem I've encountered too often is that cables are sold for hundreds of dollars, that are not suitable for the job. Connectors or splitters being magnetic, wire design geometry that is perfect antenna, bad solder, etc.

 

[Coran]

To the owners of the Jotunheim in black, how glaring is that big ol silver volume knob on that finish? I kind of like the black more, but I'm not sure about the knob contrast... Is it matte, or polished? It's hard to tell looking at pictures.

 

[In1unison]

To the owners of the Jotunheim in black, how glaring is that big ol silver volume knob on that finish? I kind of like the black more, but I'm not sure about the knob contrast... Is it matte, or polished? It's hard to tell looking at pictures.

It is matte. No shine at all... unlike on silver models. It also does not have machining concentric circles trace on the face of the knob.

 

[tincanear]

Another possible cause of hum or hiss is that your headphone cable acts like an antenna introducing noise into the system. Balance circuit inside the amp is designed to reject the noise which may explain what you describe when amp is on. Don't be afraid to keep the amp on all the time.

Common problem I've encountered too often is that cables are sold for hundreds of dollars, that are not suitable for the job. Connectors or splitters being magnetic, wire design geometry that is perfect antenna, bad solder, etc.

+1.

in this situation, headphone cables are balanced (no ground wire, only + and - hot phases) , but pre-out is taken SE to speaker amp, so hp cable picks up noise with Jot 2 off. Bifrost 2 and other Multibit DACs should be left on 24/7 for best sound quality per Mike Moffat (aka Baldr)

 

[BubbaJay]

I was thinking about getting the Asgard 3 but I feel like it's worth it to spend the extra cash and get the Jot 2 instead, or maybe even the Rebel amp. Has anyone heard both the Jot 2 and Rebel and if so how do they compare?

 

[Coran]

It is matte. No shine at all... unlike on silver models. It also does not have machining concentric circles trace on the face of the knob.

Thanks for the picture! I'm fairly torn, Schiit's silver look is always excellent, but that black looks pretty nice too. I keep telling myself who wants another black box, but...

 

[In1unison]

Thanks for the picture! I'm fairly torn, Schiit's silver look is always excellent, but that black looks pretty nice too. I keep telling myself who wants another black box, but...

My solution: Jot2 in black, Valhalla2 in silver, problem solved!

 

[Coran]

My solution: Jot2 in black, Valhalla2 in silver, problem solved!

Well, I'll be buying a Bifrost at the same time. So that is certainly possible

 

[Mark-sf]

Hey guys, so I have had Jot 2 and BF2 for a few weeks now. One thing I notice is that if I turn both of these devices off and have a headphone XLR/4 plugged in and RCA pre amp out plugged into my speakers, I would hear loud hum/hiss coming out of the speakers. The noise disappears as soon as I plug out my headphones via XLR/4. Is this normal?

Can you provide more details? Are you speakers active or is there a separate power amp? Are you using the Jot2's balanced in/outs or the SE ones? Do you hear any noise/pops if you plug in the headphones when on and connected to your speakers? Finally, does this happen using the SE headphone outputs?

 

[Lolito]

I can't remember if it was in the take I used for the final review (it was something like the 4th) but it sounds the same as a pre-amp as it does a headphone amp -- warmer, narrower sound than a higher-end amp would.

Thanks again, it is good to know this... It makes me wonder though, if I have like 1500€ invested in active speakers, might also upgrade that to something better. And then headphones to have a total of say 2000€ eventually in 3-4 decent headphones... I wonder if maybe it would be better then to actually buy higher-end amp/preamp. it is 3500€ in output devices, maybe dac+amp should cost a bit more? Size is my main concern though. it's a desktop setup after all.

What is there out there, better, for say 800$, or under 1000$?

 

[ColdsnapBry]

Does the DAC module limit the amp like it does in the Asgard 3? Or did they manage to fix this in the Jot 2.

 

[jfoxvol]

Update on my impressions. I had some reservations on the sound with the Senn Hd6XX. Something wasn’t right. It was just edgy, bright and stiff. Fast forward a few days and I realized these are brand new out of the box. I snagged my old pair of 650s from my studio, plugged them in, and there’s the magic. So the 6XX need to break in for a while. This is the thing I was struggle bussing with all week. Add to the fact I had to take a sick day today...so yeah. I like this amp. A lot. Never change too many variables at once. I learned that in undergrad EE lab when I built an entire complex circuit project from scratch instead of each stage, testing along the way. It was a long time ago and needed to be reminded of that again.

 

[jfoxvol]

Does the DAC module limit the amp like it does in the Asgard 3? Or did they manage to fix this in the Jot 2.

I have not tried the card but I have the amp with a much better external dac and can testify that it scales incredibly well.

 

[Midnight12]

Can you provide more details? Are you speakers active or is there a separate power amp? Are you using the Jot2's balanced in/outs or the SE ones? Do you hear any noise/pops if you plug in the headphones when on and connected to your speakers? Finally, does this happen using the SE headphone outputs?

This is the setup I have currently.

BF2 -> XLR 4 PIN Cables going into Balanced In Jot 2 -> Pre out RCA going into Audioengine A2+. I am using a Focal Elex headphone with its stock balanced 4 Pin XLR cable going into the front of the Jot 2 balanced headphone output.

There is always some hum/hiss sound when I put my ear near the Audioengine A2+, but you can barely hear it if you move 3 feet away from the speakers.

A louder and more concentrated Hum/hiss sound comes out when I turn the Jot 2 off with the 4 Pin XLR headphone cable plugged in. This sound can be even louder when I turn the volume button higher on my Audioengine A2+ via the volume knob on the speaker's back. Also I unplugged my headphone from the cable and its still making that sound. I tried plugging in my DT 1990 Pro using SE unbalanced headphone out while the Jot 2 is off and the speakers dont make any noise. Its only when I have that 4 pin XLR cable plugged in that it starts to make this loud hum/hiss sound.

I do hear pop sound sometimes when I unplug and plug the RCA cable from the back of the Jot 2. I also hear a bit of popping sound when I plug in my headphone with cable when the Jot 2 is off, but when the Jot 2 is on I dont hear any sound.