Schiit Mjolnir 3 - Impressions Thread
Mar 4, 2024 at 3:47 PM Post #1,966 of 3,099
I have discovered the weirdest bug in my Mjolnir. The SE RCA inputs are still pushing audio through the amp even when it's set on XLR balanced inputs. And the audio doesn't increase or decrease with the volume knob, like it's set at a fixed point. The reverse doesn't hold true in that the XLR inputs don't make any sound when the amp is set to SE RCA ins, so that's working like it's supposed to. Argh, this is unfortunately something that I should send my amp back for.
Mine sends signal both ways, if I only have XLR or RCA cables plugged in, and switch to the other input mode, I can hear bleed coming through from the other inputs, some kind of crosstalk going on, I was assured it was a normal finding, but my issue seems to be different from yours because it's only present if turning the volume knob high.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 3:54 PM Post #1,967 of 3,099
Anyone who has their MJ3 listen to a lot of small group acoustic jazz?

In WaveTheory's review he says more than once that the MJ3 emphasizes dynamics and impact, and it is powerful, potent and hard hitting. Around the 18:48 mark he says it can sound aggressive, with almost a brute force approach to sound reproduction, which can be fun and engaging at times but other times there could be music where you don't want that. It becomes a bit overdone with some mellower kind of chill kickback and relax music. He says for rock, heavy metal, EDM and big scale orchestral kind of classical, the dynamic, lively, brute force presentation matches that kind of music.

I'm wondering if the hard hitting nature of the MJ3 may not match my musical taste too well.

Looking for feedback on this :)
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 5:12 PM Post #1,968 of 3,099
Anyone who has their MJ3 listen to a lot of small group acoustic jazz?

In WaveTheory's review he says more than once that the MJ3 emphasizes dynamics and impact, and it is powerful, potent and hard hitting. Around the 18:48 mark he says it can sound aggressive, with almost a brute force approach to sound reproduction, which can be fun and engaging at times but other times there could be music where you don't want that. It becomes a bit overdone with some mellower kind of chill kickback and relax music. He says for rock, heavy metal, EDM and big scale orchestral kind of classical, the dynamic, lively, brute force presentation matches that kind of music.

I'm wondering if the hard hitting nature of the MJ3 may not match my musical taste too well.

Looking for feedback on this :)
His review was based on his DAC setup. The MJ3 is a very detailed Amp and brings out your DAC coloring so if the DAC is not up to par, you’ll hear it. I know my Bifrost DAC has issues with smooth jazz while my Yggy GS is more mellow. I love my jazz on it.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 5:41 PM Post #1,969 of 3,099
MJ3 is quite transparent and doesn't add much flavor to the source signal. Pairing a good capable DAC is important, a DAC with the flavor you want/like, so it can be sent to the amp in all it's glory. But if the recording is bad to begin with, the MJ3 is going to let you hear it, won't sugar coat it like a warmer/darker/less transparent amp will.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 5:47 PM Post #1,970 of 3,099
I have a Pontus II and I think it will pair well, so probably nothing to worry about.
 
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Mar 4, 2024 at 6:03 PM Post #1,972 of 3,099
I have a Pontus II and I think it will pair well, so probably noting to worry about.
Indeed it should, I am using a Pontus 2 with my MJ3.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 7:11 PM Post #1,973 of 3,099
There is still this difference - class A vs AB. I believe that for headphones specifically, it should be beneficial to have class A, if done properly (which I believe MJ3 does). Because why not?
Of course, then there are products like Aune S17 Pro, which is also class A headamp for half the price of MJ3. And honestly, I'm not sure what to think about that. Maybe cheaper components and so potentially shorter lifespan? Or just lower margin expectations for the producer?
Haven't had any issues with the S17, tho if you go to the thread for this amp on this forum, some people that also own this amp have reported what may be some QA related issues, the most complains are about temp managing but I think is mostly neophytes like myself that have never own a fully discrete, class-A amplifier and the two current modes that the amp operates at.

Have own it since October of last year, tho still need to wait till the end of this year to see if any issues prop up for a longer term assessment of this product and see if it holds up to daily use over time.

Soundwise, best headphone amp I've ever own and listen too, tho i don't have a great deal of experience in this regard tbh.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 7:14 PM Post #1,974 of 3,099
V281 is not anymore available at dealer side as I originally thought, so (thankfully) no need to bother with that. But there is something about this cross-continental-shopping :) Mentor is a bit more intriguing now. Not that I'd cancel the order for MJ3, but.. In the SoundNews review of Mentor, there was presented interesting thing - a breakdown of components vs final cost of the unit. It was like: 700 for components, 300 for the box cover, which means about 22% remains for the margin. Fair enough.

Would it be possible to do a similar rough breakdown for MJ3? I know this has not so much to do with the final sound. But both companies are presented like affordable hifi, so it could be interesting to compare, who is actually "better" in this regard. Common sense would tell Flux Labs will win this (if only because they have no dealers at all whereas Schiit has), but who knows :).
I had a look at that review. He was guessing at the costs, which is idiotic, and actually offensive. As if you can just glance inside a box and tell how much it cost for the components, which doesn't factor in not just the cost of manufacture, but ignores that starting even a small audio company requires considerable outlay in parts just so you can even create a product, AFTER considerable research and development to get it working as you want with a wide variety of other gear. Unless, of course, you're just a manufacturer who blatantly copies a DAC datasheet, or lifts wholesale another manufacturer's design.

So, even if it were possible, no, and hell no in going down the route of judging a product's value by calculating the component costs. It'd basically be devaluing all of Jason's efforts to design products on the same level as news services that thought that they could replace their reporters with AI.

I have discovered the weirdest bug in my Mjolnir. The SE RCA inputs are still pushing audio through the amp even when it's set on XLR balanced inputs. And the audio doesn't increase or decrease with the volume knob, like it's set at a fixed point. The reverse doesn't hold true in that the XLR inputs don't make any sound when the amp is set to SE RCA ins, so that's working like it's supposed to. Argh, this is unfortunately something that I should send my amp back for.
It appears that Schiit had a bad batch of toggle switches. Looks like you'll have to return it.
Mine sends signal both ways, if I only have XLR or RCA cables plugged in, and switch to the other input mode, I can hear bleed coming through from the other inputs, some kind of crosstalk going on, I was assured it was a normal finding, but my issue seems to be different from yours because it's only present if turning the volume knob high.
This is completely normal. Some manufacturer's amps short disconnected inputs to prevent this, but it can cause issues with a connected source (such as an Yggdrasil).
 
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Mar 4, 2024 at 7:23 PM Post #1,975 of 3,099
This is completely normal. Some manufacturer's amps short disconnected inputs to prevent this, but it can cause issues with a connected source (such as an Yggdrasil).
Yep, just so happens mine also has the bad gain toggle switch, gotta send her in soon. I purchased mine first day of initial release run, no problems at first but after like 2-3 months the left channel doesn’t jump if put in high gain.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 8:50 PM Post #1,976 of 3,099
... hell no in going down the route of judging a product's value by calculating the component costs....
That's very common on certain segments of the internets. Maybe it springs from the era of screwdriver PC-making where the resulting PC doesn't have any value other than component costs? (ofc, that ignores all the labor in putting something like that together including the cost of researching/selecting the "right/desired" components....)

Having worked for a few hardware manufacturers, I find that attitude very offensive. About as offensive as the attitude that all artifacts delivered via bits is should have zero cost to the consumer...
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 8:52 PM Post #1,977 of 3,099
Mar 4, 2024 at 9:11 PM Post #1,978 of 3,099
Yup, that's what I'm talking about. Really like Steve Nelson who is on that album. Another great vibes player is Behn Gillece. Sticking to the Smoke Sessions Records catalog, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, Jimmy Cobb, etc. Check out Ben Paterson on piano, he has way too few releases. And any version of the marvelous jazz standard Ceora by Lee Morgan.
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 10:16 PM Post #1,979 of 3,099
That's very common on certain segments of the internets. Maybe it springs from the era of screwdriver PC-making where the resulting PC doesn't have any value other than component costs? (ofc, that ignores all the labor in putting something like that together including the cost of researching/selecting the "right/desired" components....)

Having worked for a few hardware manufacturers, I find that attitude very offensive. About as offensive as the attitude that all artifacts delivered via bits is should have zero cost to the consumer...
First, the issue here is that we can't really know BOM cost for any product, companies are never going to disclose how much each component is going to cost them, nor should they, and they're getting bulk discounts most likely, secondly it's not taking into account R&D cost and you indirect cost to manufacture and bring to customer the final product, which can vary greatly by manufacturer, so saying this cost so and so it's at the very best a very rough estimate.

Saying that this product it's being produce in the middle of war-torn ukraine at an incredibly price should have been more than enough for most people.
 
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Mar 4, 2024 at 11:00 PM Post #1,980 of 3,099
Yup, that's what I'm talking about. Really like Steve Nelson who is on that album. Another great vibes player is Behn Gillece. Sticking to the Smoke Sessions Records catalog, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, Jimmy Cobb, etc. Check out Ben Paterson on piano, he has way too few releases. And any version of the marvelous jazz standard Ceora by Lee Morgan.
DMoM80R.png


Marvelous album!

My biases: I want my equipment to have a drier sound, I want any wetness to come from the recording. My hearing is crap and always has been ;-( so brightness isn't a thing for me.

My chain (dup'd from sig): Linn Akurate Katalyst streamer/DAC (love that thing!) -> MJ3 -> Eta Mini C.

Listening to the above album, my takeaways are:

The accuracy of the chain is super nice. Really, really makes cymbal work sound fantastic.

Seems to me that the leading edge of the vibraphone is favored over the trailing edge (my chain's bias?), there's little tail there. Really works for the piano (I have a grand (not mine!) downstairs my youngest was learning on for a while). The piano does have a very slight honky-tonk character to it; dunno if that's the recording or something else.

The pluck of the bass is great (again, my chain's bias?). Very little fat on it, some people would like it to have more of that. Has more of a tail than the vibra.

The sax doesn't seem to have the bite it should, or as much of that kind of vibrato character it should have on certain notes, iykwim? Overall, I would have liked the sax to have a bit more of the stridency that it can have.

My favorite piece there is Portrait of Jennie. I seem to miss some of the richness that my 2ch rig has/had for this. The sax solo at the end is really something. In an odd sort of way, it seems as if, while playing everything nicely, it de-emphasizes the sax in favor of the other instruments? The sax solos on this and Lou's Idea sound better than the sax in the mix.

Overall, I think my chain with the MJ3 makes this recording sound pleasanter than it would IRL.

If I understand the term correctly, and going by this document, there's no "roundness" here. I imagine a fair number might not like that. I actually think the un-rounded character here favors stringed instruments, which I adore.

hth!

P.S. Forgot to mention, all the MJ3 switches are in the down position, except for the one to select XLR instead of RCA output. I used XLR.

P.P.S. an update https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-mjolnir-3-impressions-thread.969416/post-18012770
 
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