[rutter]

Dude, I spent $40 on their cables. The shielding is supposedly there. There is background noise at listening level with a headphone. Are you kidding me? The first Schiit Loki I got had a clear imbalance when using a particular knob. You've never had a problem, I've had a problem two out of five times. What do I care about you?

 

[GrussGott]

Dude, I spent $40 on their cables. The shielding is supposedly there. There is background noise at listening level with a headphone. Are you kidding me? The first Schiit Loki I got had a clear imbalance when using a particular knob. You've never had a problem, I've had a problem two out of five times. What do I care about you?

That's a good point. You're the expert here and you've got the problem nailed: it's between the cups every time you wear headphones.

Should be an easy fix! Good luck!

 

[kevlar51]

Dude, I spent $40 on their cables. The shielding is supposedly there. There is background noise at listening level with a headphone. Are you kidding me? The first Schiit Loki I got had a clear imbalance when using a particular knob. You've never had a problem, I've had a problem two out of five times. What do I care about you?

You specifically asked for solutions and he's trying to help you find them.

Any issue with background white noise with the Jotunheim? Just noticed that it is present on mine. I think it's just or somewhat above max listening volume but somehow I noticed it and if you turn the knob it becomes quite loud. Is it about the 20-ohm LCD-X I'm currently using, is this something there with any headphone, or? Would using balanced lower the threshold?

 

[Tuneslover]

Hmmm...assuming you want to get to a flat response I guess. I own the Sonarworks product and it's fun to play with but, for the most part, I'd rather listen to the headphones I own in their 'natural' state. From AKG to Audeze to Beyer to Denon to Foster to Grado to HiFiMan to Koss to OPPO to Phillips to Sennheiser to Yamaha...they each bring listening joy in their own way.

I didn't buy Grados or Fostex to turn them into something they aren't...rather hear them with music they excel at and then swap them for something different when I feel like it!

To each his own... I guess.

As a general rule I'm in agreement with your philosophy however I still haven't found the "perfect" headphone (close though). However I find that the Loki gives me just enough adjustment flexibility to dial in the sound of all of my headphones to put a satisfying smile on my face. When I'm in the mood to be a purist I switch the Loki to by-pass.

 

[NEXTLEVEL5]

In theory, the Modi Multibit should sound better because it has an external power supply. All of the Jot DAC cards are powered by the USB, which can be a source of noise (not powered by the Jot's internal power supply, which is exclusively for the amp section).

I have the multibit add-in for my jotunheim and it is super quiet. If there is extra noise from the powered USB I don't hear it.

 

[rutter]

You specifically asked for solutions and he's trying to help you find them.

I already stated I'm using the Schiit interconnect and USB cables. Another poster already stated background noise shouldn't be occurring (make that two now), and certainly not to the extent it is for me. Not following what has been written isn't trying to help, and I actually wasn't asking for solutions but to identify a problem. Schiit is going to provide the solution, at my inconvenience and expense. That or I provide my own solution and stop dealing with their defective, overrated, and chronically back-ordered products due to their mismanagement.

This shouldn't be the issue, but is the USB connection of the separate Modi Multibit gen5?

What is the Jotunheim Balanced module supposed to be, by the way? If I'm going to stick with these people maybe I just try to save money and spend when I upgrade to better products, preferably from another company. Anyone compared the balanced module, versus the multibit module, versus a Modi Multibit? They seem to trash delta sigma a lot and I presume that's what the balanced module is.

 

[GrussGott]

I already stated I'm using the Schiit interconnect and USB cables. Another poster already stated background noise shouldn't be occurring (make that two now)

There is no promise from any vendor that using their equipment (or cables) is a guaranteed equivalent to sitting in a Faraday cage connected to filtered power - no vendor can control for your environment or your set up.

For example, you may have a ground loop which happens when two or more devices are connected to a common ground through different paths (and connected together with interconnects, creating the loop). Currents flowing through the multiple paths generate voltage which comes through as noise or hum from your amp. (e.g., the "60Hz hum"). Another possible source can be an unshielded power cord which throws off EMI and sits a inch or so from your amp inputs.

What people are telling you is, the issue is 90%+ likely to be a setup / environment issue which is beyond any vendor's control - The way we know this is true is because some people using the same equipment have no noise and some people have had noise, but in taking further steps individualized to them, they've eliminated it. Vendor equipment is a starting point, not the final answer for every possible environmental / setup variable.

Sure, one method of troubleshooting is to constantly switch vendor equipment until you find something/some setup that isn't passing through noise, but that sounds like much more of a moving target than simply changing one variable at a time. Cycling through tons of vendor equipment sounds like WAY more "inconvenience and expense".

If you believe the problem is your specific device (Jot and/or Mimby) work through Schiit and post a follow up or ditch the equipment for new stuff and good luck with it.

If you believe the problem is set up, play with that and let us know.

 

[rkw]

Anyone compared the balanced module, versus the multibit module, versus a Modi Multibit?

There are comparisons, but they tend to be scattered comments in individual posts. The same DAC cards are also used in Lyr3 and you could search the threads on head-fi and another forum.

They seem to trash delta sigma a lot and I presume that's what the balanced module is.

Keep in mind, 2/3 of DACs in the Schiit product line are delta sigma (including an $850 Gungnir).

If you've been unhappy with your experiences, it will be hard for your perception to change and it may be best to cut your losses now and move on.

 

[rutter]

There is no promise from any vendor that using their equipment (or cables) is a guaranteed equivalent to sitting in a Faraday cage connected to filtered power - no vendor can control for your environment or your set up.

For example, you may have a ground loop which happens when two or more devices are connected to a common ground through different paths (and connected together with interconnects, creating the loop). Currents flowing through the multiple paths generate voltage which comes through as noise or hum from your amp. (e.g., the "60Hz hum"). Another possible source can be an unshielded power cord which throws off EMI and sits a inch or so from your amp inputs.

What people are telling you is, the issue is 90%+ likely to be a setup / environment issue which is beyond any vendor's control - The way we know this is true is because some people using the same equipment have no noise and some people have had noise, but in taking further steps individualized to them, they've eliminated it. Vendor equipment is a starting point, not the final answer for every possible environmental / setup variable.

Sure, one method of troubleshooting is to constantly switch vendor equipment until you find something/some setup that isn't passing through noise, but that sounds like much more of a moving target than simply changing one variable at a time. Cycling through tons of vendor equipment sounds like WAY more "inconvenience and expense".

If you believe the problem is your specific device (Jot and/or Mimby) work through Schiit and post a follow up or ditch the equipment for new stuff and good luck with it.

If you believe the problem is set up, play with that and let us know.

I'm just using the equipment as I'm supposed to, with their shielded cables to boot. The power cords are theirs. Plugging them in different places isn't helping. I have moved them away from other power cords and the issue persists. There is noise with a Jotunheim and a Magni 3, worse with the Jotunheim. No one aside you has told me anything, and I'm 90% certain you're wrong. The only thing others have told me is this shouldn't be happening. Seems like a logical fallacy on your end that just because you haven't had a problem with Schiit so far they don't send out defective units. And you must think me a huge fool to be troubleshooting through you. I've emailed Schiit. Decided to ask here if others were experiencing the same thing, which for whatever reason you assume is unlikely to be a fault with the product. It's a pointless discussion unless you have any other ideas that make sense. I sure as hell am not buying more cables after spending money on the Schiit cables. What am I supposed to "play with" regarding the "set-up"? It really isn't complicated.

Think I'm just going to order the Questyle CMA400i and return everything. Schiit charges by far the most for shipping and coincidentally it's the slowest shipping I deal with, by the way, and everything is constantly on back-order. Exceptional inconvenience. Just not a very professional company, albeit it has a considerable following.

 

[MWSVette]

I'm just using the equipment as I'm supposed to, with their shielded cables to boot. The power cords are theirs. Plugging them in different places isn't helping. I have moved them away from other power cords and the issue persists. There is noise with a Jotunheim and a Magni 3, worse with the Jotunheim. No one aside you has told me anything, and I'm 90% certain you're wrong. The only thing others have told me is this shouldn't be happening. Seems like a logical fallacy on your end that just because you haven't had a problem with Schiit so far they don't send out defective units. And you must think me a huge fool to be troubleshooting through you. I've emailed Schiit. Decided to ask here if others were experiencing the same thing, which for whatever reason you assume is unlikely to be a fault with the product. It's a pointless discussion unless you have any other ideas that make sense. I sure as hell am not buying more cables after spending money on the Schiit cables. What am I supposed to "play with" regarding the "set-up"? It really isn't complicated.

Think I'm just going to order the Questyle CMA400i and return everything. Schiit charges by far the most for shipping and coincidentally it's the slowest shipping I deal with, by the way, and everything is constantly on back-order. Exceptional inconvenience. Just not a very professional company, albeit it has a considerable following.

In all likelihood you have a ground loop causing the "noise". This has nothing to do with your equipment. It is a ground loop inside the walls of the residence.

I have found the folks at Schiit to be very professional. I have also been pleased with their product availability and shipping options.

Sorry your Schiit did not work out for you. And if it makes you happy to return it then of course do so.

 

[rutter]

Out of curiosity, how I would fix the ground loop inside the walls of the residence? Never heard it expressed that way before and I was under the impression the fix should involve the products, but Schiit don't seem to have such support on their website. Their customer relations over email are fine, but that isn't what sums up the professionalism of a company.

 

[GrussGott]

Out of curiosity, how I would fix the ground loop inside the walls of the residence? Never heard it expressed that way before and I was under the impression the fix should involve the products, but Schiit don't seem to have such support on their website. Their customer relations over email are fine, but that isn't what sums up the professionalism of a company.

Try googling ground loops and audio noise! Here's the info I discovered in 0.02 seconds of research
https://www.psaudio.com/ps_how/how-to-find-and-fix-hum/
https://www.techhive.com/article/30...noises-from-your-audio-and-video-systems.html

Ground loop:

No ground loop:

 

[Natarian]

Out of curiosity, how I would fix the ground loop inside the walls of the residence? Never heard it expressed that way before and I was under the impression the fix should involve the products, but Schiit don't seem to have such support on their website. Their customer relations over email are fine, but that isn't what sums up the professionalism of a company.

When my Schiit Valhalla 2 had an audible noise, I got a EbTech Hum X and it fixed it.

 

[Oklahoma]

Out of curiosity, how I would fix the ground loop inside the walls of the residence? Never heard it expressed that way before and I was under the impression the fix should involve the products, but Schiit don't seem to have such support on their website. Their customer relations over email are fine, but that isn't what sums up the professionalism of a company.

As someone suggested an eb tech hum x will isolate the ground and can eliminate it. The main reason people are suggesting it is because it is happening on multiple amps. An easy way to test is to unplug the modi multi and cables from the jot and put the headphones on and crank the volume. If there is no background noise that will eliminate the jot add the issue. Next add the cables not plugged into anything and see if you get noise. If you do the cables are picking it up and so the shielding could be bad, if not then you know it isn't being picked up along the cables. Next I would plug in a phone or laptop audio out instead of the Modi as this will take you to eliminating everything but the modi and ground loop. As to the modi, what input are you using? If usb you might have a noisy usb output and that can very easily create a lot of noise. Modi does not have schiit usb5 as the is not enough room so the only way to test it would be to use either optical or another input from a cd player or the computer digital non usb out. If you still have noise out it's then most likely a ground loop or the modi has an issue. If you have no noise on a non usb input then you have a noisy usb and would either need to isolate with a wyrd, eitr, or other isolater product, this can also include a bifrost with usb5 as that isolates the usb. If you have a ground loop the EB Tech Hum X will most likely fix it.

 

[the finisher]

Apologies in advance for what is likely a beginner question, but I just recently bought my first pair of "high impedence headphones" (Sennheiser HD 6xx) and now need to purchase my first "real" desktop DAC/AMP (my portable Fiio Q1 isn't going to cut it). In the past, in other aspects of my tech/gadget life, I've made purchases in "multiple rounds" after discovering that I really enjoy/like something and didn't get *enough* the first time around (my first subwoofer, my first pair of tower speakers, my first 2 AVRs, my first two "big screen TVs", etc). So while I don't need balanced inputs/outputs yet and think I would probably be just fine (for now) with a Modi2/Magni 3 "stack", I'm very tempted (leaning towards, in fact) to just pull the trigger and buy this Jotenheim with one of the two (probably the Balanced) DAC options...

That said, I wanted to better understand how the Pre-Outs work. I know at the 3:00 minute mark of the video on the O.P., it says that this can act in the role of a dedicated USB DAC should I choose to task it to be "just a DAC". That's great news. I'm guessing it does this by passing the now-converted-to-Analog signal out these pre-outs?

I can envision a couple of different ways I may want to use this (in the future). One of which being (and some of you out there might give me a stern lecture for this) I'd like the *option* to *only on occasion* use something like the Schiit Loki (hardware EQ). Is there any reason why I couldn't:
1) come into the DAC from my source (laptop or phone) via USB
2) out of the Jotenheim via the SE outputs
3) into the Loki's RCA inputs and out the Loki's RCA outputs
4) Back into the Jotenheim's "SE Input" for amplification to my headphones



I guess what the question boils down to is, if I have the Jotenheim's input switch set to the bottom (for SE Inputs), will the pre-outs still send a signal from the DAC to an external device?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, all outputs, including the headphone outputs are active simultaneously.