Schiit Mjolnir 3 - Impressions Thread

[taipan254]

I just ordered a Mjolnir 3 to use with both my openback cans and IEMs, and I just caught this part in the FAQ:

Can I run IEMs with this?
We wouldn't recommend it. Seriously, you want to run IEMs on a 16-lb desktop amp?

Can anybody explain in more detail why IEMs aren't recommended to be used with this amp? Is it just a safety thing because an amp this powerful is capable of causing hearing damage? I've seen a few dedicated headphone amps out there with alot more power than the MJ3 that have dedicated 4.4mm outputs intended for IEMs, so i'm just wondering.

My MJ3 should arrive in mid June (assuming no further delays). I have a few IEMs (Dita Project M, Mega5EST) that I plan to try with them, though the amp will be primarily used with my Calderas.

Once I get it in, I'll let you know my impressions re: noise floor, gain, and usability. On my desktop, I run IEMs using an old Schiit Vali 2, 0 db gain mode, with volume at 10 O'Clock or so with no noise floor issues. We'll see if I can do the same with MJ3.

 

[DACattack]

@billhickok From Jason's story on the origin of the Mjolnir 3, here's his direct quote...

The good news: the chokes improved noise performance significantly. Mjolnir 3 still won’t win any awards for noise floor, but it’ll be usable on pretty much every full-sized headphone. If you’re using IEMs, ah come on, just don’t. Using them with a 15-lb amp that puts out so much heat it should have a grill attachment…are you kidding?

It's basically that the noise floor may not work well with sensitive IEMs.

 

[billhickok]

Mine is coming later this week, so I'll see how it fares with IEMs. I purchased it mainly to use with openbacks, but I've been getting much more into IEMs lately and I wanted the MJ3 to be an all-in-one amp for me. Most of my IEMs are fairly efficient and I'm hoping there won't be any channel imbalances at low volumes, nor any noticeable background noise. I did originally plan on using the single-ended output for IEMs, and the XLR for my cans, as that's how my cables are set up currently. I will update this thread with my impressions, fingers crossed.