[huggbees]

Total noob here but if I don't need the modularity of the Jotunheim 2, and plan to use an external dac, am I better off just buying the Midgard for $180 less?

FYI, I'm still using the original Jotunheim 1 with the internal dac from 2016 (or 2017) and haven't bought a new amp or dac since. I'm getting the upgrade bug but I'm not sure if the Midgard or Jot 2 would just be a side-grade at best and maybe I should be looking at another tier above?

 

[Hyde00]

Lol I'm also in similar boat where I have Lyr 3 but I'm wondering is it worth it to try the Midgard or am I just buying things because I'm bored?

Like would it complement the Lyr 3 or just "different"?

 

[Plautus001]

I have Asgard og, Asgard 3, Darkvoice, and THX789 on my desk... So interested in Midgard, but no where to put it... lol

 

[agrawa96]

Hey all! A noob here. I just got the HD800s and currently have the Topping DX3 Pro+. I recently learned that I have been using 1/4 inch to 3.5 mm adapter and hence it is an unbalanced medium. While looking for balanced amps, it seemed Modius/Magnius stack is the sweet spot for freshers like me. While researching I found that the Midgard has released.

I love the transparency of HD800s and the sounstage that it comes with. I want to listen to actual recording not sugar coated by headphones.

My questions:
1) Does balanced/unbalanced make much of a difference?
2) How does Modius/Magnius stack compare with DX3 Pro+? Is it worth the extra 200-250$?
3) If Yes for the above two, should I go for Modi/Midgard or Modi/Magnius?

I appreciate any help here!

 

[tvrboy]

Lol I'm also in similar boat where I have Lyr 3 but I'm wondering is it worth it to try the Midgard or am I just buying things because I'm bored?

Like would it complement the Lyr 3 or just "different"?

I have the Lyr+ which, according to my understanding, hasn't changed much from the Lyr 3, in tube mode at least. I did a writeup above comparing the two. Lyr is definitely better so if you are happy with that, I wouldn't buy a Midgard. It does have a more forward character which contrasts nicely with the Lyr's laid-back sound, but the Lyr is better in timbre and technicalities.

But if you are like me and need to buy new things as a substitute for actually accomplishing things in life, and you have XLR cables for your headphones to try both outputs, Midgard is fun to play around with!

 

[ozziegurkan]

I will be testing out between my Lyr+ and Midgard this weekend as well. I really do love though Midgards clarity and smoothness that it brought to my Focals and Mezes that I didn’t get from the Lyr. I suppose it is very subjective at this point. The price point is absolutely bomb though and taking Midgard to work and using it during my in office days is an absolute no brainer for me. Now I need to decide on whether to get a standalone DAC like Modius or just take one of my million DAPs.

I will be testing out DAPs too and see which one sounds the best with it.

 

[XERO1]

I have the Lyr+ which, according to my understanding, hasn't changed much from the Lyr 3, in tube mode at least. I did a writeup above comparing the two. Lyr is definitely better so if you are happy with that, I wouldn't buy a Midgard. It does have a more forward character which contrasts nicely with the Lyr's laid-back sound, but the Lyr is better in timbre and technicalities.

Sometimes it's nice to have a different type of amp to listen to that has a different sonic signature than what you're used to hearing from your main amp.

It can be fun to compare and contrast between them and that will help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each amp.

 

[Hyde00]

I have Asgard og, Asgard 3, Darkvoice, and THX789 on my desk... So interested in Midgard, but no where to put it... lol

The obvious choice is to stack Midgard between Asgard and Asgard 3. Get it? Get it?

Mid-gard (Asgard and Asgard 3) LOLLLLL.

I have the Lyr+ which, according to my understanding, hasn't changed much from the Lyr 3, in tube mode at least. I did a writeup above comparing the two. Lyr is definitely better so if you are happy with that, I wouldn't buy a Midgard. It does have a more forward character which contrasts nicely with the Lyr's laid-back sound, but the Lyr is better in timbre and technicalities.

But if you are like me and need to buy new things as a substitute for actually accomplishing things in life, and you have XLR cables for your headphones to try both outputs, Midgard is fun to play around with!

LOL I mean....... I also like to buy things to fill the void in my heart, but I'm also really poor these days and don't have XLR cable.

So maybe I should pass this time then...... or wait for better deal later.

Otherwise as you said I really do enjoy Lyr 3 already lol.

Sometimes it's nice to have a different type of amp to listen to that has a different sonic signature than what you're used to hearing from you main amp.

It can be fun to compare and contrast between them and that will help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each amp.

But I also want to buy the iFi iDSD Finale, I like the forwardness of the signature.

Too many things to buy, wallet explode LOL.

Though I know what you mean, we need to try as much things as possible to see the big picture (also discover what we really like).

 

[Reputator]

Sometimes it's nice to have a different type of amp to listen to that has a different sonic signature than what you're used to hearing from your main amp.

It can be fun to compare and contrast between them and that will help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each amp.

Incidentally this is also how this hobby goes from being just another vehicle to music enjoyment, to a vacuous money hole of endless experimentation and discovery.

 

[Jo-JS]

I should get mine before the end of December. I also have experience (a month) with the magnius... So I can make a direct comparison, albeit from memory and not a/b tests

 

[tutetibiimperes]

My Midgard arrived last week but I just had the chance to get it set up today and enjoy some time with it.

I'll take more time this week to really feel it out, but some quick impressions (feeding it with an iPad connected via USB to an RME ADI-2 DAC):

Super clean sound, no noise/hiss/hum that I can hear, and tons of power.

It has that 'Schiit Bass' thing going on where there's just a ton of grip on the lower end and the bass is deep and punchy. It's something I'd noticed first with my Rag 2, it just brings out bass from headphones more than other amps I've tried to the point where I'd had to reduce bass boost in my EQ profiles.

With the Midgard today I didn't even use any of my EQ settings on the RME, just tried to get a feel for how id sounds as straight as possible.

I have a pair of ZMF Auteur OGs (Wenge if it matters) that I've had a love-hate relationship with, or maybe a love-apathy relationship with. I've always loved the way they look, and the craftsmanship of them, but I've always felt they sounded muffled and like headphones instead of offering a clear window into the music.

Maybe it's because I haven't used headphones in a while, or maybe it's really because of something the Midgard is doing, but I found myself really loving the sound of the Autuers today through the Midgard. They had more punch and life to them than I remember them having before. I was hearing the music instead of the veil. It seems like a really nice pairing.

I switched up to my other pair of woodies - the Fostex TH909 next, and immediately remembered why I love them - just a big open fun sound. The Midgard seemed like a great pairing again - easily wrangling what can sometimes be a bit of wooly bass on them, and the top end which some people find a bit hot didn't come across that way at all.

To round it out for today I hooked up my Hifiman HE6se to see how it would handle difficult-to-drive headphones. While I did have to turn the volume bot beyond 50% for the first time today, the Midgard didn't struggle with the HE6se, and in fact seemed to bring out more bass with them than I've heard from other amps, and did a great job with the detail, midrange, and treble. Seemed to me like a great pairing.

Overall first impressions are that the Midgard is very impressive. Clean, punchy, detailed, great bass grip, and more than enough power for anything I have.

I'll try to dig out my old Massdrop AAA THX 789 If I can find the AC adapter to do a head-to-head later on.

On the subject of AC adapters, if I have one gripe with the Midgard, it's that the wall-wart AC adapter is the old-school wall-wart type. I'd much rather see the style that has the wall-wart midway between the part that plugs into the amp and the part that plugs into the wall, that way it doesn't cover more than one outlet on a power strip. I don't know if that style is more expensive, but even if they're an extra $5-$10 per unit, it seems like they'd be worth it for convenience.

 

[erics75]

Snagged a B stock Midgard from Schiit today, already got the shipping notice. I'm excited to give it a try, especially the balanced out with the 2ohm output impedance. I'll write up some impressions once it arrives and again once I'm familiar with it's sound. I'll have it at work so it will be going up against my Asgard 3 and Woo WA3.

 

[Svperstar]

Snagged a B stock Midgard from Schiit today, already got the shipping notice. I'm excited to give it a try, especially the balanced out with the 2ohm output impedance. I'll write up some impressions once it arrives and again once I'm familiar with it's sound. I'll have it at work so it will be going up against my Asgard 3 and Woo WA3.

I imagine it will sound a lot like the Asgard 3, same company, solid state. Delivers a lot of power. If I was sane I would have stuck with my Asgard 2 instead of going further but I could never shake that it didn't deliver enough power for my LCD-2

 

[erics75]

I imagine it will sound a lot like the Asgard 3, same company, solid state. Delivers a lot of power. If I was sane I would have stuck with my Asgard 2 instead of going further but I could never shake that it didn't deliver enough power for my LCD-2

It probably will sound similar/the same, but I'm curious what that higher balanced output impedance does sonically. I have mostly high ohm headphones which tend to be very reactive to output impedance changes. The Asgard 3 has a more traditional sub-zero ohm OI whereas the Midgard is 2ohm. Doesn't seem like much, but could have a noticeable effect on the dampening factor of the headphones. I know there's a lot more that goes into it than just OI, but it's the one factor that seems to really alter the sound of my headphones consistently. I'll spend the next few days flipping between the Asgard and Woo tube amp with my Atticus to refamiliarize myself with the differences. Then once the Midgard arrives put it in the chain to see how different it sounds, if there is a difference. My instincts tell me it's going to sound like the Asgard, but we'll see.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

Got mine in today. First impressions is that it’s clean. Really clean sounding on mids and subbass. It’s really airy as well. Plenty of juice all around. I am most impressed with how it’s driving the 109pros and Radiance. There is really good subbass and airiness coming out of nowhere. These are all XLR connections of course.

However, one thing I didn’t like so much is with the Diana V2s and I am not sure why. Is it because planars are linear impedance? I feel like it made them boomy. Maybe it’s just me. Need to do more testing.

So far I like the sound and form factor a lot.

I see you have an RME ADI 2 DAC. Do you mind comparing the Midgard to the headphone output from the RME? I have the RME as an all in one but I find the RME amp to be kinda boring and underpowered.

I’m just curious if the Midgard is a big step up for not a lot of extra money.