Schiit Jotunheim Review / Preview - Head-Fi TV

[jude]

NOTE: If you can't see the embedded video above, please CLICK HERE to see the video.​

In this episode of Head-Fi TV, we get a first look at the new Schiit Audio Jotunheim, which Schiit is calling a configurable balanced headphone amp and preamp--or even a "configurable desktop center"--but that most of us will probably end up calling something else.

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Products mentioned and/or shown in the video:

• Schiit Audio Jotunheim configurable balanced headphone amp and preamp
• Schiit Audio Fulla portable USB DAC/amp
• Schiit Audio Magni 2 amplifier
• Schiit Audio Modi 2 DAC
• Schiit Audio Bifrost DAC
• Ultrasone Tribute 7 over-ear headphone
• HiFiMAN HE-6 over-ear headphone
• beyerdynamic T1 2nd Generation over-ear headphone
• Sennheiser HD 800 over-ear headphone
• Sennheiser HD 800S over-ear headphone
• Schiit Audio Ragnarok desktop amplifier
• Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC
• Westone ES60 Custom custom in-ear monitor
• Jerry Harvey Audio Siren Series Roxanne custom in-ear monitor
• Noble Audio Kaiser 10 custom in-ear monitor
• beyerdynamic + Astell&Kern AK T8iE universal-fit in-ear monitor
• Sennheiser IE 800 universal-fit in-ear monitor
• FitEar MH334 custom in-ear monitor
• HiFiMAN HE1000 planar magnetic, over-ear headphone
• Focal Elear over-ear headphone
• Focal Utopia over-ear headphone
• MrSpeakers ETHER Flow open, over-ear headphone
• ETHER C Flow closed, over-ear headphone
• Audeze LCD-4 open, planar magnetic over-ear headphone
• ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D-1000 electrostatic over-ear headphone
• beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO over-ear headphone
• HiFiMAN Edition X over-ear headphone
• AudioQuest NightHawk over-ear headphone
• Mitchell & Johnson ME2 hybrid electrostatic electrodynamic over-ear headphone
• Schiit Audio Mjolnir 2 desktop tube amplifier
• Schiit Audio Gungnir desktop DAC
• Fostex TH900mk2 over-ear headphone

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Schiit Audio Jotunheim - Head-Fi TV produced by Joseph Cwik and Jude Mansilla

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[TMoney]

Great video, Jude. Thanks for sharing.

 

[cyclops214]

Wow can't believe you released this a day early before the official announcement.

 

[Rexr3]

Great video !
 
I might need to get one of these now.

 

[kurochin]

I've been waiting for something like this ever since I first discovered Schiit. As a FitEar owner (MH335DW), colour me extremely interested. One question though, Jude;
You mention lowest possible gain is with single ended input and output, but with the DAC module being balanced input, I wonder if you tested your FitEar MH334 with the Jotunheim running as an amp alone, or with the DAC module converting bits as well?

 

[zabzaf]

Nice review! Can't wait to hear it. Thanks Jude.

 

[krumley7882]

Schiit Yes!!!

 

[jude]

  I've been waiting for something like this ever since I first discovered Schiit. As a FitEar owner (MH335DW), colour me extremely interested. One question though, Jude;
You mention lowest possible gain is with single ended input and output, but with the DAC module being balanced input, I wonder if you tested your FitEar MH334 with the Jotunheim running as an amp alone, or with the DAC module converting bits as well?

 
@kurochin, that's with the built-in DAC.
 
By the way, here's the gain breakdown (based on input-output configurations):
 

1. SE in, SE out, low gain  2
2. SE in, SE out, high gain  4.7
3. SE in, balanced out, low gain 2.1
4. SE in, balanced out, high gain 7.4
5. balanced in, SE out, low gain  1.1
6. balanced in, SE out, high gain  3.75
7. balanced in, balanced out, low gain 2.2
8. balanced in, balanced out, high gain 7.5

 
Again, both the DAC module and phono module are fully balanced, so either would constituted balanced-in.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

Does the USB on the optional DAC use the gen 2 or gen 3 implementation? I would hope for gen 3 since the USB is the only input.

 

[Shogster]

I really should have waited before jumping on a new amp/dac. And i just ordered a Magni.. damn it.

 

[jude]

  Does the USB on the optional DAC use the gen 2 or gen 3 implementation? I would hope for gen 3 since the USB is the only input.

 
I've been in Denmark the past week for the AES Headphone Technology conference (which was awesome, by the way), so I'll have to check when I get home.
 
Perhaps someone from Schiit can chime in sooner.

 

[CaveManta]

My mom noticed the Jotunheim as I was watching the video, and she asked, "What's that box-looking thing?" XP

 

[krumley7882]

My mom noticed the Jotunheim as I was watching the video, and she asked, "What's that box-looking thing?" XP

if she only knew!!!!!

 

[akg fanboy]

Not as game changing as I was hyping but still a very much necessary product line from schiit. Not many amp/dac combos for $400 let alone with the capability of driving the he-6, I think schiit may have produced the best amp/dac combo in this price range.

 

[CaveManta]

if she only knew!!!!!

I tried to explain it to her, but it was just impossible. All I could think of was, "It's just a headphone..amplifier..thing." She must think I'm crazy.

Spoiler: More Silliness

My brother-in-law jokingly asked about the stack of Schiit, "What's with the stack of xboxes?"