[jamescheru]

I was almost certain of the Schiit Jotunheim, then came a though of buying a class A amplifier.
 
Is the Asgard 2 any better that the Jotunheim ?
 
I currently use Astell & Kern AK Jr paired with my Hifiman he-400i, I'm looking for a desktop amplifier which will sound better that the AK.
 
I'm planning to add HD650 and Audeze LCD-2 to my collection sometime next year.

 

[zeissiez]

I was almost certain of the Schiit Jotunheim, then came a though of buying a class A amplifier.

Is the Asgard 2 any better that the Jotunheim ?

I currently use Astell & Kern AK Jr paired with my Hifiman he-400i, I'm looking for a desktop amplifier which will sound better that the AK.

I'm planning to add HD650 and Audeze LCD-2 to my collection sometime next year.

So many low cost options out there. U got to first decide to go single ended or balanced.

 

[cskippy]

While I have no doubt the Asgard 2 is good, the Jotunheim is also fantastic and far more versatile. It plays well with the most sensitive IEMs to the hardest to drive planars. I would vote Jot especially considering the last two headphones you meantioned.

 

[CarlosUnchained]

This is a comparison between the NFB-28 and the Jot by k4rstar:
 

Still think you should go for the NFB, it is the better sounding amp and DAC regardless of pairing. The Jot has a flat, 2D sound-stage depth that apparently some people cannot hear but is a massive dealbreaker for me, it almost made me nauseous at times. It also has the effect of smearing or panning vocals across your jaw, which doesn't make sense because the rest of the presentation is so upfront. On the NFB the center image is much more focused and clearly defined. It also has greater power on tap for planars, just make sure you get a balanced cable.
 
Final note, the volume control is much better on the NFB. It has a smoother pot and the way the volume control is implemented allows for greater detail and dynamics to be retained at lower listening volumes. On the flipside the Jot has an annoying pot and a slight haze in the midrange made worse by the smearing I mentioned earlier, so I was constantly turning up the volume to compensate. This isn't good because of it's aggressive tone, and the end result is fatigue even in short sessions with darker headphones.

 
Any Jot owner find the same problems?

 

[earnmyturns]

  I was almost certain of the Schiit Jotunheim, then came a though of buying a class A amplifier.
 
Is the Asgard 2 any better that the Jotunheim ?

No, at least with MrSpeakers Ether C Flows. It's not just the balanced output, either. I felt that the Jotunheim had more extended bass and more accurate upper-mid range, for instance in loud piano passages. Don't get me wrong, the Asgard 2 is a very nice amp, but the Jotunheim's improvements are (at least to me) very well worth the price difference. I also have a Cavalli Liquid Carbon v2, twice as expensive as the Jotunheim. They are different (LC lusher, deeper; Jotunheim more neutral and more accurate), both very enjoyable, but I can't say that the LC is worth the extra cost for me. YMMV.

 

[watchnerd]

  I was almost certain of the Schiit Jotunheim, then came a though of buying a class A amplifier.
 
Is the Asgard 2 any better that the Jotunheim ?
 

 
Sure, it's cheaper.
 
And if it has enough power for your cans, and you don't need balanced, why spend more?

 

[zeissiez]

This is a comparison between the NFB-28 and the Jot by k4rstar:

Still think you should go for the NFB, it is the better sounding amp and DAC regardless of pairing. The Jot has a flat, 2D sound-stage depth that apparently some people cannot hear but is a massive dealbreaker for me, it almost made me nauseous at times. It also has the effect of smearing or panning vocals across your jaw, which doesn't make sense because the rest of the presentation is so upfront. On the NFB the center image is much more focused and clearly defined. It also has greater power on tap for planars, just make sure you get a balanced cable.

Final note, the volume control is much better on the NFB. It has a smoother pot and the way the volume control is implemented allows for greater detail and dynamics to be retained at lower listening volumes. On the flipside the Jot has an annoying pot and a slight haze in the midrange made worse by the smearing I mentioned earlier, so I was constantly turning up the volume to compensate. This isn't good because of it's aggressive tone, and the end result is fatigue even in short sessions with darker headphones.

I have heard many of Schiit and AGD amps and DACs. Overall, I found AGD amps to be of higher fidelity, and Schiit Multibit DACs are better. AGD goes back to the basic in amp design, good power supply and simple amplification stage design, resulting in overall higher fidelity, No ffancy marketing ****. And now AGD and Schiit are not the only options. Gustard A20H is simply awesome.

 

[earnmyturns]

  This is a comparison between the NFB-28 and the Jot by k4rstar:
 
Any Jot owner find the same problems?

I've listened to many hours of jazz and classical with FLAC>Roon>Sonore microRendu+UpTone LPS-1>Bifrost Multibit>Jot>MrSpeakers Ether C Flow. Zero fatigue. Sure, soundstage is not as 3D or stable as on my way, way more expensive speaker system, but it's in no way oppressive or disorienting.

 

[jimmers]

  This is a comparison between the NFB-28 and the Jot by k4rstar:
 
Any Jot owner find the same problems?

"It also has the effect of smearing or panning vocals across your jaw"
 
I have no idea what he is talking about, listening to vocals with HD650 balanced on Jot from Bifrost multibit -  I've got nothing happening across my jaw 

 
Either I have strange perceptions or ...

 

[BarDash]

Anyone own the Jot & Ifi Pro Ican? Thoughts?
TIA

 

[Voxata]

I own Mimby/Jot and the iDSD. The Jot combo balanced is intensely superior.

 

[Voxata]

Lol just..no.

This is a comparison between the NFB-28 and the Jot by k4rstar:

Any Jot owner find the same problems?

 

[MWSVette]

  This is a comparison between the NFB-28 and the Jot by k4rstar:
 
Any Jot owner find the same problems?

I have never heard the NFB-28 but I do have a Jot.
 
So, no...

 

[CarlosUnchained]

Thanks for all the answers. I'm going for it!

 

[valarking]

Mine died a week and a half ago. Schiit took 4 days to get back to my service request, after which I'd already left for holiday vacation. Just got the email telling me to pay to send it in to them myself.
 
Buyer beware I guess. It was great when it worked, for what it's worth.