Schiit Mjolnir 2 Listening Impressions
Aug 22, 2015 at 4:32 PM Post #31 of 6,930
How does the Mjolnir 2 compare to the Ragnarok? I'm just genuinely curious!
 
Aug 22, 2015 at 6:56 PM Post #32 of 6,930
  My MJ2 arrived yesterday. I just finished setting it up  (it's replacing an Emotiva XSP-1 as a preamp in addition to headphone use).
 
I don't have the best tubes in it at the moment, figured I'd let it burn in for a while with something I wouldn't miss too much if something went wrong and they blew up... but even with the tubes I'm using, it sounds great.  I'll reserve judgement until it's had some time to burn in and I swap in better tubes. My Yggy also got powered off for the first time since I bought it (tail end of the 1st batch) and was off for an hour or so, so that needs to warm up as well.
 
LISST will be here next week.
 
   -Mike

 
Mike, on a slightly different note, I'd love to read a comparison between the Dangerous Source and the Yggy too, and between the headphone amp in the Source Mjolnir 2. I have a Source but I'm contemplating an upgrade so it would be great to read your thoughts.
 
Aug 23, 2015 at 5:06 AM Post #34 of 6,930
Aug 23, 2015 at 8:12 PM Post #35 of 6,930
  Just got notification that my LISST's shipped USPS priority
biggrin.gif

 
Funny thing is that they will arrive before the rest of the order that shipped yesterday Fed Ex...lol

Good! I ordered mine last Sunday and got a message they were on back order. I am curious to hear them.
 
Aug 24, 2015 at 4:22 PM Post #36 of 6,930
Encouraged by previous reviews of the Mjolnir and Schiit's return policy, I've ordered a Mjolnir 2 with both the normal tubes and a set of LISST. Can't wait to see how well it works out paired with a Bifrost (Uber, USB2) and unmodded Fostex TH-900s (unbalanced in both inputs and outputs). :) This looks like a great amp to set me up for future expansion.

Here's hoping all goes well. I expect that I'll be using the tubes more, but we'll see. I'll let you all know how it goes.
 
Aug 24, 2015 at 5:48 PM Post #37 of 6,930
Question, does the Mjolnir 2 run the tubes on the input stage or output stage?
 
Aug 24, 2015 at 10:17 PM Post #38 of 6,930
The tubes are on the input... they are not power tubes.
 
Question... has anyone heard the Mjolnir 2 driving HE-6's?
 
I am really enjoying the Hifiman EF-6 amp with balanced in and out driving my mod HE-6's. But, I wouldn't mind getting back to playing with tubes. I've been a tube man since beginning with hifi. So, if anyone has heard the combo, please let me know. Thanks.
 
Aug 25, 2015 at 12:12 AM Post #39 of 6,930
Aug 25, 2015 at 12:32 AM Post #40 of 6,930
I'm really enjoying the Mjolnir 2 a lot so far.
 
I've been listening for the past almost week with the LISST's installed. It sounds really nice; dynamic and detailed without being overly bright. Neutral, which is what Schiit was going for with them. They succeeded. It will be interesting in the future if they come out with ones that perhaps are tuned differently to perhaps mimic tubes or provide a darker signature. 
 
The amp seems to have plenty of power to drive my LCD-3's well, which I run balanced-sounds amazing. My powered speakers only have RCA ins so I've been using the Mjolnir 2 single ended preamp out. It sounds very good, but I'm certain would be better if using the balanced outs.
 
I generally prefer tubes however and the Mjolinir 2 sounds sublime that way (with some 1969 Holland Amperex Orange Globes). Directly comparing the tubes with the LISST's, with the tubes (as you would expect), mids and lower mids are more pronounced, with an overall smoother signature and slightly less dynamics. I find I can listen longer with tubes than with solid state, probably because the highs are a bit more nuanced rather than in your face. The power of the Mjonir 2 running balanced, combined with the tubes really make for a smooth and engaging experience. 
 
In the end, the LISST's seem sorta like a beer whereas the tubes are like a glass of wine. If you drink, you probably feel that both are nice at times, but you will typically have a preference.  
 
Aug 25, 2015 at 12:45 AM Post #41 of 6,930
I'm really enjoying the Mjolnir 2 a lot so far.

I've been listening for the past almost week with the LISST's installed. It sounds really nice; dynamic and detailed without being overly bright. Neutral, which is what Schiit was going for with them. They succeeded. It will be interesting in the future if they come out with ones that perhaps are tuned differently to perhaps mimic tubes or provide a darker signature. 

The amp seems to have plenty of power to drive my LCD-3's well, which I run balanced-sounds amazing. My powered speakers only have RCA ins so I've been using the Mjolnir 2 single ended preamp out. It sounds very good, but I'm certain would be better if using the balanced outs.

I generally prefer tubes however and the Mjolinir 2 sounds sublime that way (with some 1969 Holland Amperex Orange Globes). Directly comparing the tubes with the LISST's, with the tubes (as you would expect), mids and lower mids are more pronounced, with an overall smoother signature and slightly less dynamics. I find I can listen longer with tubes than with solid state, probably because the highs are a bit more nuanced rather than in your face. The power of the Mjonir 2 running balanced, combined with the tubes really make for a smooth and engaging experience. 

In the end, the LISST's seem sorta like a beer whereas the tubes are like a glass of wine. If you drink, you probably feel that both are nice at times, but you will typically have a preference.  

+1. Thanks for your impressions, it is deeply appreciated. I am very tempted to get the Mjolnir 2, sooner than later.
 
Aug 25, 2015 at 5:57 AM Post #43 of 6,930
I brought my he-6 to the schiit show. Using the balanced output on high gain, there was plenty of volume pot left.  And, i actually preferred the gungnir multibit/mjolnir 2 stack over the yggy/rag combo, mainly because of the tube sound of the m2. 
mjolnir 2 get my recommendation for he6 owners.


Wow, this is awesome to hear about HE-6 on this amp. Sorta surprised it came out better than Yggy/ Rag combo...
 
Aug 25, 2015 at 12:06 PM Post #44 of 6,930
  I brought my he-6 to the schiit show. Using the balanced output on high gain, there was plenty of volume pot left.  And, i actually preferred the gungnir multibit/mjolnir 2 stack over the yggy/rag combo, mainly because of the tube sound of the m2. 
mjolnir 2 get my recommendation for he6 owners.

Thanks for your post, CrocCap. Both the Mjolnir 2 and the HiFiMan EF6 are rated at 5w output into 50ohms. But, I wanted to hear from someone like you who had actually heard the M2 drive the HE-6's before I made the big leap. Good to get your opinion after actually hearing the combo.
 
I sure like the EF6, but I've missed being able to roll tubes to gain that exact flavor. And, even in a hybrid amp like the M2 or the Lyr2, where the tubes are driver tubes on the input, they still make a difference.
 

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