Not sure if this is the correct thread where you post impressions for the schiit Jothunheim amp/dac but here I go.
Let's start off with what this is. It is an amp, dac, and a pre amp. Not only that but you'll be able to heavily customized this amp/dac to however you want it to. Really nice as this allows you to buy an amp now and then upgrade it later on without having to buy a new amp. Similar to tube rolling but at a much more versatile level of customization. Now you don't have to go out an spend another $2k if you want to upgrade your amp/dac to the next level, a really nice feature.
Now with the design... It's looks like pretty much every other Schiit product you've seen. That's not to say it looks bad at all. No this means you continue to have to all metal construction that looks very simply an elegant. It looks more like something you would use to listen to music with and doesn't end up looking like a science experiment. On the front there's a large volume nob that very easily lets you turn the volume up or down. Other than that there's also a gain switch for high and low impedance cans. There's also a switch that lets you choose which source you want to use. And that's pretty much it for the front, nothing that'll make the amp look sloppy. On the back there's a usb connection, in and out rca connectors, and some xlr connectors I believe?
Finally onto the sound.
I've listened to many schiit amps and dacs and this one definitely stands out. With almost every other schiit product I've heard all I hear is the music and not the amp or the dac. To my ears this amp/dac clearly has some extra character, one that may or may not end up having a positive impression on you. On tracks with lower quantities of bass, say classical or jazz, the music sounds clean and open. Even with closed headphones like the mr speakers ether c, you feel like your listening to full sized speakers rather than closed headphones. Sure the ether c already sound open for a closed headphone. But this amp adds to it. It's strange, but the best way I can put it is that it sounds like a analogue recording without warmth. So you get a sound that doesn't sound compressed and feels more natural. You don't get the usual "forced" sound with this amp. Again this is very pleasant with genres like classical, jazz, and folk.
Moving down to the bass we get something different. With songs that feature primarily mid-bass you get a very strong/quick punch. Even on thicker sounding headphones like the lcd 3, the music overall sound quicker and a tad brighter, not on a negative way however. At last we get to the sub bass and this is where things get interesting. On a song like Lose yourself to dance, you can always here the rumble of the sub bass and it fills and song and adds life to it. When it comes to songs that don't feature continuous bass, there seems to be a lack of rumble each time the bass hits. Its as if someone jumps in the pool at a fast speed yet doesn't make a big splash, if that makes any sense. For the most part you'll get a sound that cleans up your headphones and makes them sound less muddy, you to lose the ability to have deep sub bass rumble with genres like rap or electronic that drop the bass hard. That's just me however, and of course the headphones you use play a large part on the sound. I was however able to listen to the amp/ dac on my headphones and kept hearing the same occurrence.
Currently using Fireflies and a Opus 1 and Sony Dap. I currently have Ether C's and HD700 cans.
Almost pulled the trigger earlier on LC, but shipping, VAT and customs fees just made it too steep.
