[rsnblmn]

Gimmick comes across strong, probably too strong. I didn't mean it negatively. I meant the slot doesn't add value to the serious audiophile and is more of a marketing/packing vehicle. To those that want just one device on the desk and don't want to worry about extra cables, this is a good amp. To those that like to swap components, mix and match and try new things, this is an amp.
 

 
I don't think there's any way for the word "gimmick" to be perceived other than negatively...I think "disruptive" is more appropriate.
 
Jotunheim is also a great solution for those who can't or don't want to spend multiple thousands on gear, but want to try out some high-end features to see what the fuss is all about.
 
I really admire how hard Schiit is trying to poke a hole in the ridiculous audiophile pricing bubble, and I actually wish there was someone doing the same thing to the same caliber on the transducer side of things.

 

[AviP]

Reconsidering the Jotunheim, though I don't care about vinyl it seems to me that;

2. The extreme power capability wil make it worthwhile for me to begin to explore high-impedance headphones.

Best of all, I can still feed it my Bimby's output.

Personally, I don't find the power that compelling at all. In SE mode it's barely more power than a Magni 2 Uber. For balanced it's more impressive, but I don't see myself recabling my headphones.

 

[XERO1]

You know what would have made the Jotunheim an even bigger value and significantly more versatile?
 
A switch that lets you toggle between fixed or variable outputs. 
 
It would allow the volume pot to be bypassed and transform it into a fully balanced USB DAC or MM phono pre.  It would also allow any incoming signal to be directly passed through to a set of desktop speakers, so you won't have to keep unplugging the headphones and adjusting the volume knob every time you want to do this.
 
Maybe we'll see it on the Jotunheim 2. 

 

[Allanmarcus]

You know what would have made the Jotunheim an even bigger value and significantly more versatile?

A switch that lets you toggle between fixed or variable outputs. 

It would allow the volume pot to be bypassed and transform it into a fully balanced USB DAC or MM phono pre.  It would also allow any incoming signal to be directly passed through to a set of desktop speakers, so you won't have to keep unplugging the headphones and adjusting the volume knob every time you want to do this.

Maybe we'll see it on the Jotunheim 2. 

I've asked many times, but still not sure of the functionality. Does having a headphone plugged in (either balanced or SE) cut out the pre-outs? Is the volume fixed or variable with the pre-outs? You sound like you know the answers.

 

[JohnBal]

I've asked many times, but still not sure of the functionality. Does having a headphone plugged in (either balanced or SE) cut out the pre-outs? Is the volume fixed or variable with the pre-outs? You sound like you know the answers.

I don't think Schiit has confirmed, but going by the fact that these are pre outs and not line/tape outs, they would be variable. Line/tape outs are not normally variable. All other Schiit amps with pre outs will disable the pre outs when a headphone cable is plugged in.

 

[Oklahoma]

I've asked many times, but still not sure of the functionality. Does having a headphone plugged in (either balanced or SE) cut out the pre-outs? Is the volume fixed or variable with the pre-outs? You sound like you know the answers.

Thus far all of schiit's amps except for mjolnir and Ragnarok mute the preamp out when you plug in headphones. Mjolnir is I believe something to do with the fact it uses circlotron topology and ragnarok because you can select what output to use and can have both speaker and headphone outs at the same time. So this should mute the preamp outs with plugging in headphones. The preamp outs are variable. It is in the name. Preamp outs control volume going to an amp and line out is a full power signal. Since they are preamp out they would be controlled by the volume knob. It sounds like you select the input and all outputs are active so if you select single ended in it will output that through the single ended and balanced outputs at the same time.

 

[ThurstonX]

Just for the record, the original Lyr does not mute the preamp outs when headphones are plugged in.  That was corrected with the Lyr 2, IIRC.

 

[Allanmarcus]

 

I've asked many times, but still not sure of the functionality. Does having a headphone plugged in (either balanced or SE) cut out the pre-outs? Is the volume fixed or variable with the pre-outs? You sound like you know the answers.

Thus far all of schiit's amps except for mjolnir and Ragnarok mute the preamp out when you plug in headphones. Mjolnir is I believe something to do with the fact it uses circlotron topology and ragnarok because you can select what output to use and can have both speaker and headphone outs at the same time. So this should mute the preamp outs with plugging in headphones. The preamp outs are variable. It is in the name. Preamp outs control volume going to an amp and line out is a full power signal. Since they are preamp out they would be controlled by the volume knob. It sounds like you select the input and all outputs are active so if you select single ended in it will output that through the single ended and balanced outputs at the same time.

This makes complete sense. post #70 was fulla schiit then
 
As for pre-amp meaning variable by definition, I don't think that is totally true The wikipedia definition of a home audio preamp is "may sometimes be used to describe equipment which merely switches between different line level sources and applies a volume control". I've heard of equipment that doesn't control volume but allows for input switching referred to my their manufactures as "pre-amps". My Oppo HA-1 can have fixed pre-amp outs and allows for input switching, and it's still a pre-amp.
 
Variable volume pre-outs and muted pre-outs when headphones are plugged in is probably the most desired configuration, so that would be good schiit.

 

[pctazhp]

 
This makes complete sense. post #70 was fulla schiit then
 
As for pre-amp meaning variable by definition, I don't think that is totally true The wikipedia definition of a home audio preamp is "may sometimes be used to describe equipment which merely switches between different line level sources and applies a volume control". I've heard of equipment that doesn't control volume but allows for input switching referred to my their manufactures as "pre-amps". My Oppo HA-1 can have fixed pre-amp outs and allows for input switching, and it's still a pre-amp.
 
Variable volume pre-outs and muted pre-outs when headphones are plugged in is probably the most desired configuration, so that would be good schiit.

It's been over a decade since I owned a high-end, speaker-based system. But back in the dark ages most preamps had both level control AND balance control. I don't understand why headphone oriented amps are often also used for speaker systems. I guess people who do that just want a unified system and don't mind sacrificing balance control.

 

[Allanmarcus]

 

 
This makes complete sense. post #70 was fulla schiit then
 
As for pre-amp meaning variable by definition, I don't think that is totally true The wikipedia definition of a home audio preamp is "may sometimes be used to describe equipment which merely switches between different line level sources and applies a volume control". I've heard of equipment that doesn't control volume but allows for input switching referred to my their manufactures as "pre-amps". My Oppo HA-1 can have fixed pre-amp outs and allows for input switching, and it's still a pre-amp.
 
Variable volume pre-outs and muted pre-outs when headphones are plugged in is probably the most desired configuration, so that would be good schiit.

It's been over a decade since I owned a high-end, speaker-based system. But back in the dark ages most preamps had both level control AND balance control. I don't understand why headphone oriented amps are often also used for speaker systems. I guess people who do that just want a unified system and don't mind sacrificing balance control.

In my case, I have decent speakers next to my computer, so I would prefer to have some unification in devices on my desk. Many people here may have a headphone rig near their computer, and also some desktop powered speakers. 

 

[pctazhp]

 
In my case, I have decent speakers next to my computer, so I would prefer to have some unification in devices only desk. Many people here may have a headphone rig near their computer, and also some desktop powered speakers. 

I understand )))

 

[gr8soundz]

Gimmick comes across strong, probably too strong. I didn't mean it negatively. I meant the slot doesn't add value to the serious audiophile and is more of a marketing/packing vehicle. To those that want just one device on the desk and don't want to worry about extra cables, this is a good amp. To those that like to swap components, mix and match and try new things, this is an amp.

For those that want one device and have a computer and a turntable, the Jot misses the mark unfortunately.

That all said, the jot is primarily a stone headphone amp. It will be great when the reviews, measurements, and comparisons start rolling in.

 
Lost count of how many times some of us have asked/wished for an integrated (yet modular) balanced dac inside our headphone amps. Btw, we also  asked for the amp to be balanced and there aren't many small, affordable, high-powered, balanced headphone amps.
 
Now that one is finally here, I can't believe some of the comments about the Jot's dac section. No way an optional $99, dual AKM chip, fully-balanced dac should be considered so little value.
 
Chassis is far too small for even an SE R2R dac (much less balanced) and DS chips are still being used all the time because the implementation is most important (even the Senn HE 1 uses a single ESS chip).
 
So, unless the actual sound the dac module puts out is terrible compared to totl external dacs, I don't understand how its anything less than a good option. Maybe Schiit should have given the dac a higher price to avoid it be valued (initially) solely on the $ attached to it.
 

 

[Oklahoma]

I doubt the dac will be a slouch. I picked up jotenheim with the dac even though I have yggy sitting on my desk. I won't use the dac often but if I want to pack up an amp for something I can just take jotenheim with and have a good dac with me as well. The convenience is there for me on that. Most of the time it will be hooked up to yggy as balanced and then to my desktop monitors for speaker sound and I can plug headphones in whenever. This also leaves things open so I don't have to use lyr with everything or have other control for speakers and can use tubes when I want without worrying about putting the lisst in just to keep it on to control my speaker volume.

 

[LajostheHun]

I did not (would have been kind of weird to lug my own amp to the event). However, I did make the disclaimer that this "comparison" was purely based on my experiences with the LC with a variety of gear, so yeah you should take it with a grain of salt. But I don't think I'm totally inaccurate about it (for example, I think it's quite obvious that the Jotunheim is brighter than the LC).

The only thing that is obvious is the differences in their physical appearances, everything else is open to any subjective interpretation .

 

[rsnblmn]

I doubt the dac will be a slouch. I picked up jotenheim with the dac even though I have yggy sitting on my desk. I won't use the dac often but if I want to pack up an amp for something I can just take jotenheim with and have a good dac with me as well. The convenience is there for me on that. Most of the time it will be hooked up to yggy as balanced and then to my desktop monitors for speaker sound and I can plug headphones in whenever. This also leaves things open so I don't have to use lyr with everything or have other control for speakers and can use tubes when I want without worrying about putting the lisst in just to keep it on to control my speaker volume.

 
The 4490 is absolutely no slouch. I had a Bifrost 4490 which I later upgraded to Bimby when it became available, and for a lot of "popular" music / less than perfect recordings, I actually slightly preferred the 4490 as it sounds a little more forgiving, IMHO.
 
Thats's why I picked up the Jotunheim with the DAC module as well, so that I'd have the option of switching between 4490 and my Bimby based on what I feel like listening to.  At $99, it was pretty much a no-brainer for me.  I agree that the only downside to the option seems to be that some people will dismiss it on price without even giving it a chance.