Schiit Mjolnir 3 - Impressions Thread

[DavidSerig]

If anyone happens to have Freya+ and one of these bad boys, I'd also love to hear thoughts on the pairing. I'm getting back into the over-ear game after a while exclusively in the IEM game, and have a few stacks in mind as potentials: BF2->Lyr+, BF2->Val2/Jot2, or maybe BF2 or Yggy into MJ3 and... maybe Freya+ in between to optionally get that tube flavor, since Folkvangr is more expensive, much harder to find, and nightmarish to source tubes for (though, having heard it at the Schiitr last summer.... I haven't ruled it out, either )

I had this running off of my RME-ADI-2 at a meetup. With feedback off sounded louder to me. I listened to my Arya, LCD-2, and Sennheiser HD800.

Don't have anything amazing to add to the thread, just that I didn't hear anything special compared to the headphone out on the RME-ADI-2. Based on the size of the Mjolnir 3 I expected it to have more power.

Folkvangr has plenty of cheap tubes on ebay last I looked. FV is endgame. Need more power, attach a Gjallarhorn to the preouts and use banana to xlr for planars.

Mjolnir3 runs my friend's power hungry DCA Stealth on low gain perfectly fine. If you want to go deaf, you could use high gain.

PP and FB enabled for the curious, for sq not power. Seems a little cleaner. Very low impedance headphones.

 

[vcoheda]

more impressions of abyss please. does it power these headphones sufficiently. where is the volume knob and what are the used settings (gain, etc).

thanks

 

[D Rob]

It has arrived. Time to get acquainted.

 

[artur9]

Are you asking for a table for when to use them (best setting for a headphone) or something else?

No, just a table of what they are. Need to try them all without retracing my steps. ("wait, didn't I see that filter about 1/2 mi back?!")

 

[Rhodey]

No, just a table of what they are. Need to try them all without retracing my steps. ("wait, didn't I see that filter about 1/2 mi back?!")

In the manual there’s a diagram that has the layout and explains what they do.
You can even download it digitally from Schiit’s site.
Once you have an idea what does what, then just use your ears and adjust accordingly.

 

[Rhodey]

It has arrived. Time to get acquainted.

Keep an eye on your monitor bezel above the mj3. The heat will rise

 

[newToAudio100]

more impressions of abyss please. does it power these headphones sufficiently. where is the volume knob and what are the used settings (gain, etc).

thanks

I need some more time behind it to give a comprehensive review but it's really good with the abyss to me. It heightens the ab 1266's strengths of bass and treble detail while offering a slight liquid mid range sound. Not as smooth as bliss kte, more texture in bass and treble. More liquid and flowing than "smooth". The haze I described in my intial impression isn't at all times or between notes it is more so a layer of texture that some amps smooth out. It isn't feedback or static, just an extra layer of micro texture. It doesn't sound veiled at all it sounds detailed and open but with character. I would say to prefer the smoothness or imperfect texture is really a subjective preference, and the mj3 isn't analytical it has a liquid mid range.

Off the ab 1266 phi tc volume for me is about 10:30 with qobuz exclusive mode -> yggy og a2 -> xlr to mj3 -> xlr to ab 1266. It varries by song. 12 o'clock is really loud and I would imagine 2-3 o'clock is approaching peak concert levels without ear protection.

Currently listening to Everything Connected - jon hopkins singiularity. With this setup at 10:45 on the volume knob it is very loud, sound stage is extremely wide, massive, powerful bass and dynamics, tangible texture to sound, sound visualization from 360 view in space, details are popping out.

 

[klardotsh]

Folkvangr has plenty of cheap tubes on ebay last I looked. FV is endgame. Need more power, attach a Gjallarhorn to the preouts and use banana to xlr for planars.

Mjolnir3 runs my friend's power hungry DCA Stealth on low gain perfectly fine. If you want to go deaf, you could use high gain.

PP and FB enabled for the curious, for sq not power. Seems a little cleaner. Very low impedance headphones.

Welp. I gave it thought last night and this morning and decided "oh what the hell, if I'm coming back into over-ears, let's just build an end-game worthy setup and be "done enough" fiddling". MJ3 order placed, WTB opened for a black FV on Classifieds (which I suspect will take weeks to months to fulfill and that's a-ok). I'll probably scoop up a Magnius for hot summer days when I want to run neither of those, and still want to casually listen, but whatever.

(this in part also influenced by thinking about the wiring complexity that would become inherent to trying to use Freya+ as a "sometimes pre" - only as tube flavor - and other times wanting to hear MJ3 itself. blegh. too much work.)

 

[D Rob]

Keep an eye on your monitor bezel above the mj3. The heat will rise

Will do. I've left it on non-stop since about 5 minutes prior to posting the pic earlier. I feel like the heat was oversold. I think the bottom might be getting warmer than the top but at no point have I not been able to flat out touch the heatsinks. But I can smell the light wiff of "heat" if you know what I mean. I was initially worried about it being below my monitor but so far there seems to be nothing to worry about.

 

[Rhodey]

Will do. I've left it on non-stop since about 5 minutes prior to posting the pic earlier. I feel like the heat was oversold. I think the bottom might be getting warmer than the top but at no point have I not been able to flat out touch the heatsinks. But I can smell the light wiff of "heat" if you know what I mean. I was initially worried about it being below my monitor but so far there seems to be nothing to worry about.

Awesome! Glad it’s working out and no adjustments are needed. I’m sure the angle of the pic makes the monitor look closer too.

 

[D Rob]

First impressions:
I don't post much but I've been here for forever and gear I've had is all linked in my profile if it matters to anyone. The Mjolnir 3 landed on my desk in place of my Gilmore Lite Mk2 with GRRV PSU.

My setup: Chord Qutest to Mjolnir 3 to Peachtree M24's ( all with Pangea power/World's Best Interconnects, etc. etc.)
Using Sennheiser's exclusively at this point since that's my reference. HD600,660S2 and 650.

I’m impressed with the level of forewarning Schiit put into this given how easy it would be to overlook several things they mention in the manual. The heat for me has been a non-issue. Think holding a ceramic mug with hot chocolate. It's warming your hand a bit sure, but you could hold it indefinitely. That's about how warm mine has gotten. The vibration was nice to know about going in too but I also can't imagine it being bothersome unless you had it sitting in your lap.

• It is quieter than I expected. Pitch black background. The Gilmore is really quiet too but this is even quieter. There's a router beneath my desk and even if I go full volume on the pot without music playing I can't hear any EMI/RFI. Best I've ever had in that regard. Silent as the grave.
• It hasn’t gotten nearly as warm as I thought. Less heat than Gilmore Lite Mk2 with PSU where I could feel it coming even through the plastic volume knob and it could be uncomfortable to touch. My monitor is only about 1 1/2" above the heatsink and the bottom bezel is only just barely warmer than room temp.
• It seems to have slightly less power than I expected with my HD600/650/660S2's... BUT remember I’m using single ended in and out and this would be different on balanced in/out or even single ended in balanced out. Plenty of clean power. I think that’s good since it will work with a wider variety of headphones with a usable amount of volume pot adjustment.
• It has less bass so far on SE than the Gilmore Lite Mk2 on single ended but it is punchier with better bass extension, bass resolution and texture. Again, I bet this is due to less power on single ended and less on time. The Gil was very similar before I left it on for about two days so I'll follow up on this in my final impressions on Wednesday or Thursday.
• High gain offers notably punchier bass on my HP's as a further indication that less power in single ended (as in vs balanced HP out) that has it seemingly being less punchy. Balanced cable will be ordered.
• It has less midrange warmth than the Gilmore Lite Mk2 and so it is clearer in the mids and more articulate. This is the thing I had hoped to see the most. The Gil could come off as stuffy at times.
• I get why people mostly draw comparisons between other gear vs just trying to say what it sounds like.
• It sounds and feels, special in some sort of way I can’t quite describe.
• It sounds very analogue. Like it was a premium product from the 90’s to me (I mean that as a compliment). The word I imagine most would probably say is smooth. Not laid back or soft. Not dull or blunted. The word I would say is refined. No glare or shout. It has a refined sound and presentation.
• It purrs like a half sleep kitten but it’s actually hard to notice. My wife said,"Ah, I feel it. But only because I was looking for it". And she's "always right"
• The vibrations don’t translate to my desk. I was worried I might feel a dull hum and I'm glad to report that doesn't happen.
• It’s clean and clear but not analytical and pairs well with neutral and incisive sources. It plays music with the details included more so than playing recorded sounds if you know what I mean.
• The unbalanced input doesn't seem gimped like it can on some devices. I don't feel like I'm being cheated on sound quality. That was a big one for me since I'm primarily using a Chord DAC.

I plan to follow up later this week after more time but this was the running list of my notes while listening to it today so sorry for the wall of text. I can say I do think this has been worth buying and my initial impression is I'm glad I bought one.

 

[klardotsh]

No lol, just an easy swap. Had an extra one laying around from eBay.

What kind of knob should I be looking for for this thing? I don't see the pot's model number mentioned in the specs page on Schiit's site, though maybe I'm just blind, wouldn't be the first time I've questioned my eyesight lately...

 

[Rhodey]

What kind of knob should I be looking for for this thing? I don't see the pot's model number mentioned in the specs page on Schiit's site, though maybe I'm just blind, wouldn't be the first time I've questioned my eyesight lately...

This should be what I bought or very close. Should work. This and schiit use a set screw.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3035978017...TyRzBbyRre&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[honeyjjack]

It has arrived. Time to get acquainted.

I was thinking of your exact setup as my under monitor pc setup. Im stuck between Qutest+Mjonir, Qutest+Anni, Questyle CMA fifteen. I wonder which would be best for my DCA stealth. I guess i will never know till I buy them all

 

[D Rob]

I was thinking of your exact setup as my under monitor pc setup. Im stuck between Qutest+Mjonir, Qutest+Anni, Questyle CMA fifteen. I wonder which would be best for my DCA stealth. I guess i will never know till I buy them all

I can feel your pain.
I was considering the Anni too. I ruled it out for me because the gain only affects the speaker outs and not the headphone out. For more sensitive stuff you will be on a razors edge for volume (or so I've read); the stand they make for the two of them is astonishingly expensive; it has a fan that is always on even if the unit is off and I wanted a preamp built in too.
I have owned the CMA400i and still own a CMA Twelve. I love the fit and finish of it. It feels very good to interact with and has a very clean sound. The feature set is top notch and I've never had trouble out of it but I wanted to go with separates. I've got nothing bad to say about them other than I feel like they weren't/aren't very dynamic sounding compared to some other amps I've had Mjolnir 3 included.
It's a hard choice, especially buying blind.

And now back on topic. Sorry for the derailment.