Schiit Jotunheim Review / Preview - Head-Fi TV
Sep 14, 2016 at 5:12 PM Post #871 of 6,473
On another note, until I figure the DAC situation out, I am running USB to the Mojo, and the Mojo SE to the Jotunheim out.

And...the big surprise for me:

When listening to just the Mojo at low volume, everything sorta becomes dull.
When listening the Mojo/Jotunheim at low volume, everything is the same "goodness", just lower volume.

That is pleasantly surprising, especially since my ears aren't very good, and yet I prefer low volume listening.
 
Sep 14, 2016 at 5:27 PM Post #872 of 6,473
Well,  I have a similar problem with the popping - except it keeps getting worse.
 
Got my Jot this morning - so anxious to hook it up. Hooked it SE up first to just the headphone jack on my MacBook Pro - good!  But then I wanted to hook it up to the usb port - didn't realize I had to have a USB 2 cord - so had to go get one (Office Max - Ativa) - hooked it up.  Had light popping - but it kept getting worse and worse - after 20 minutes it was like static on a 50's radio - terrrible!  I plugged my Massdrop Centrance DAC/amplifier into the adjoining usb port on the MBP - static "mostly" went away immediately - but still there some maybe every second.   So switched now to using only the Jot amp as I am using the Centrance as the DAC and plugging it the SE inputs on the back.
 
I want to use the Jot DAC (and compare to the Centrance) - anyone got any ideas as to the cause?  cure?  This is my first attempt to using a headphone DAC/amp - kinda lost here.
 
Have ordered an optical cord to hook up the Jot (amp) to my OPPO 105 (DAC) to see the difference.  Experimenting...
 
Sep 14, 2016 at 5:31 PM Post #873 of 6,473
  Well,  I have a similar problem with the popping - except it keeps getting worse.
 
Got my Jot this morning - so anxious to hook it up. Hooked it SE up first to just the headphone jack on my MacBook Pro - good!  But then I wanted to hook it up to the usb port - didn't realize I had to have a USB 2 cord - so had to go get one (Office Max - Ativa) - hooked it up.  Had light popping - but it kept getting worse and worse - after 20 minutes it was like static on a 50's radio - terrrible!  I plugged my Massdrop Centrance DAC/amplifier into the adjoining usb port on the MBP - static "mostly" went away immediately - but still there some maybe every second.   So switched now to using only the Jot amp as I am using the Centrance as the DAC and plugging it the SE inputs on the back.
 
I want to use the Jot DAC (and compare to the Centrance) - anyone got any ideas as to the cause?  cure?  This is my first attempt to using a headphone DAC/amp - kinda lost here.
 
Have ordered an optical cord to hook up the Jot (amp) to my OPPO 105 (DAC) to see the difference.  Experimenting...

Sounds like it could be a problem with the addon DAC board. I would send email to Nick ( info@schiit.com )
 
Sep 14, 2016 at 6:08 PM Post #874 of 6,473
They're definitely out there. Mostly on a forum i can't name here.

 
Even there, they're in the minority, except for certain people labouring the point. Lots of positive HD800M feedback. People who make an informed decision to use it unmodded on any amp that isn't a swamp thing are probably au fait with EQ, anyway 
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Sep 14, 2016 at 6:09 PM Post #875 of 6,473
  Sounds like it could be a problem with the addon DAC board. I would send email to Nick ( info@schiit.com )


Thank you cishida.  Nick responded back with some options to try.

I will give them a go.  Mostly directing me to the USB troubleshooting FAQ, and reminding to avoid having WiFi signals nearby, which is easy since I'm mostly ethernet around the house anyway.

We'll see.

Thanks for the suggestion to hit up Nick.
 
Sep 14, 2016 at 6:49 PM Post #876 of 6,473
I guess Nick was spot on.

Just for the sake of simple, expedient, double-checking, I used the iPhone adaptor (normally used with the Mojo), and connected the same USB cable to the Jotunheim.

No little popping.

So, it's not the Jotunheim DAC module, and it's not the USB cable.
Likely a USB port issue on the iMac.
 
I had previously figured that since using JRiver or Swinsian and going USB to Mojo seems to bypass known issues with the iMac's USB port on El Capitain, it would work fine with the Jotunheim. 

Guess not....
 
Sep 14, 2016 at 7:00 PM Post #877 of 6,473
   
Even there, they're in the minority, except for certain people labouring the point. Lots of positive HD800M feedback. People who make an informed decision to use it unmodded on any amp that isn't a swamp thing are probably au fait with EQ, anyway 
smily_headphones1.gif

 
 
Good, because I was getting bummed out, since I see a Jot/HD800 in my future.
 
Sep 14, 2016 at 8:28 PM Post #881 of 6,473
I guess Nick was spot on.


Just for the sake of simple, expedient, double-checking, I used the iPhone adaptor (normally used with the Mojo), and connected the same USB cable to the Jotunheim.


No little popping.


So, it's not the Jotunheim DAC module, and it's not the USB cable.

Likely a USB port issue on the iMac.

I had previously figured that since using JRiver or Swinsian and going USB to Mojo seems to bypass known issues with the iMac's USB port on El Capitain, it would work fine with the Jotunheim. 


Guess not....


I had very similar issues a while back with my MacBook Pro / Thunderbolt Display setup. The Wyrd fixed it for me.
 
Sep 15, 2016 at 5:11 AM Post #883 of 6,473
I don't use computer based audio anymore, just CD player via coax to Mimby.

I have the Beyer T90, a treble spike demon, and it rarely bothers me, so HD800 will probably be okay since it is not nearly as bad.

 
Well, if you're not someone who finds treble spikes painful, you're probably fine. Jotenheim is a very clear, upfront amp with a ton of detail, but it's far from harsh or shrill. Mind you, very few people who really care seem to run their non-S HD800 without modding them to get rid of that treble spike, so you might want to bear that in mind.
 
That said, even if you hated it, I suspect you could resell to an HD650 owner in the blink of an eye, it's one of the less risky purchases that you could make.
 
 
Has anyone used any Grado headphones with this amp? I feel like it might not be the best pairing, but would like to hear some thoughts if they're out there.

 
Wow, I'd be sort of interested in hearing the answer to this. I find the sound of most Grados really unpleasantly thin, harsh and yes, shrill, as above. It's not a pairing that would spring to mind- I just don't get on with the sound, or the comfort. I suspect I'd be diving for the EQ and/or looking for a syrupy tube amp, if I was for some reason forced to use Grados.
 
It'd be interesting to hear from someone who enjoys the Grado sound, though, who has tried plugging them into the Jotenheim- it'd be a genuinely different POV.
 
Sep 15, 2016 at 6:22 AM Post #884 of 6,473
Saw the above posts - so I compared Yggy > Jodie versus Gumby > MicroZOTL2 (still on my head as I type this), both into my PS1000e. Personal biases may be at play here, because I've always preferred any generation of Grado I have owned, including my original SR60i, when they were plugged into a tube. The tube amplifier I used then was the Vali 2, which similar to the MicroZOTL2 is a low output impedance tube amplifier that does not sound like a "tube" amplifier. The sound of both amplifiers is oriented towards a more linear and fast sound.
 
But as fast as they are, they are not solid state - there is an immediately noticeable sound, for those like myself who like just a smidge of tube. Jodie does not sound as good to my ears as MicroZOTL2 through my Grado headphones. But that's not saying Jodie did anything wrong. It's a personal preference, and how I like to listen to Grado.
 
And if someone were to ask instead, how does Jodie compare directly against solid state options - there are a few warmer solid state options that I do like. Jodie is towards the cool side of the spectrum, ever so very slightly, while Moon NEO 230HAD is towards the warm side, again ever so very slightly. I did enjoy the Grado through the Moon. I also enjoyed the Grado through the Black Widow, though it was at the bottom of the usable volume, for my taste in preferred quiet listening.
 
To put it another way, the Jodie will not hide what the source is nor what the headphone you are playing through sounds like. Grado, as people here suspect, tends towards the higher frequencies. Jodie will not hide this. If you are a fan of the Grado, and how it sounds without assistance of warmth or a tube, you will like how it sounds on the Jodie, which does nothing to alter its characteristics. Otherwise, seek something else for your amplifier.
 
Sep 15, 2016 at 10:19 AM Post #885 of 6,473
   
Well, if you're not someone who finds treble spikes painful, you're probably fine. Jotenheim is a very clear, upfront amp with a ton of detail, but it's far from harsh or shrill. Mind you, very few people who really care seem to run their non-S HD800 without modding them to get rid of that treble spike, so you might want to bear that in mind.

 
Very true, but right now I'm struggling on whether to get Jot and use with my T90 and sell Valhalla 2, or get an HD800 (which I would have to sell my T90 to do), and use it with Val2.  
 
I do like that you can leave Jot on all the time, so never have to worry about warm up (which you can'd do with tube amps, b/c of tube life), and not having to spend money every year on tube rolling.
 
I suppose I can get Jot and just keep Val2 for a tube option for schiits and giggles, or use it as a preamp for Jot (tube preamp for solid state is supposed to be a great combo).  
 

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