it's insane tbh. i only push stuff i believe in and companies i want to support.
I appreciate your effort, but your comparison of normal 3XP lacks very crucial information.Here is my (brief) impression after spending a few days with MJ3. I am writing my impression in comparison to the Soloist 3XP to give a better context of where the MJ3 stands.
Chain: Gustard R26 -> MJ3 (SE mode without - feedback) / Burson Soloist 3XP (V6 Vivid Opamp) / Burson Soloist 3X GT / Luxaman P750-u -> HE1000se
I am mainly comparing the MJ3 with the Soloist 3XP because they are roughly in the same price range. To offer a bit more context of my listening. I mostly listen to classical and jazz. I personally tend to focus on soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, tone and resolution more (quite in that order too).
Soundstage, Imaging & Instruments Separation:
Tone, Resolution & FQ response:
- MJ3: It is wider than most headphone amps I have ever heard. It also has good depth and height. It is quite holographic sounding too a point without being unreal. It gives every instrument the right amount of breathing room. Imaging is precise in both distance and placement. One of the amps with better instruments separation I have heard in general. Based on personal experience, most amps at around $1k, esp. >$1k, are usually not good at or capable of providing good instruments separation. When I say good instruments separation, I mean 3D like separation.
- Soloist 3XP: It is noticeably narrower. It is not the bad kind of narrow. In comparison, it feels narrower going from MJ3 to 3XP because MJ3 sounds wider than most amps. It is a matter of preference. However, the Soloist 3XP has more depth than the MJ3. It is almost like sitting in a listening room with speakers in front. As for imaging, I would say it is accurate enough for the most part. But because of a narrower soundstage, instruments could sound a little bit clutter when listening to music like orchestra music or anything that has a lot of instruments. Because of that, I would say instruments separation suffers a little as well. But it is not below standard.
Other things to consider:
- MJ3: It is a quite transparent and accurate sounding amp but not to a point of being sterile. Some amps do everything right but it would become boring sounding. This is not the case. It reflects your chain (what you feed into it) very well. Resolution is excellent. This is probably one of the very few amps at this price range that can achieve the level of resolution you would find in a higher tier amp. It might even be just as good or better than some of the more expensive amps out there. But good luck finding another amp with this level of resolution at the same price or cheaper.
I am not good at describing FQ response. So, I will keep it brief. Overall, it is a neutral and balanced sounding amp (not flat!). There is a good level of refinement across the highs, mids and lows. My fear with a lot of the neutral transparent sounding amp is that they sometimes could be shouty and bright at the upper FQ response region. Personally, I do not find that in MJ3. It is quite smooth up top and not being recessed. The mids are neutral with good presence. There is great extension in the low end. Very good speed and clean sounding. Some of you MAY find the low region not as dynamic and beefy. If you switch to push-pull mode from SE mode, you would find the dynamic of music noticeably increased overall. There is a little more 'bite' to the music.- Soloist 3XP: It is a tonally softer and warmer sounding amp in comparison. It is a bit more dynamic than the MJ3. I think things could change when you equip the 3XP with different opamps. This is what I have heard with the V6 vivid installed. Although, it is a warmer and softer sounding amp, it still has very good resolution. It is the level you should expect for amps at this price range. No more; no less. In comparison to MJ3, the Soloist 3XP is not AS transparent and reflective of your chain. It still retains that warmer and energetic character regardless of what DAC I pair it with. At the end of day, it comes down to your preference. I do not think Soloist 3XP is not good because of that. After all, tonally speaking, these two amps are going for two different directions.
In comparison to higher tier / more expensive amp:
- They both run HOT! Good ventilation is highly recommended.
- Soloist 3XP has mic in/out. It could be important if you need an amp with this feature.
- 3XP has three levels of gain which MJ3 only has two. You can use IEMs with 3XP but most likely not with MJ3.
- 3XP has power amp mode which can constantly be at its max output.
- MJ3 has push-pull, single-ended, negative feedback and no -feedback to play with, if you care.
- 3XP gives you the option of opamp rolling, if you care.
- As of now, MJ3 has much longer wait time if you wanna buy one. And I believe it is a one off deal. They won't be available when they stop making it.
- Planar headphones seem to sound more engaging in push-pull mode than SE mode.
- If I'm missing anything important, let me know.
I will keep this comparison short and brief. Since I do not think it is realistic and fair to have detailed comparison with amps from vastly different tier/price range. Also, I impressions are only based on brief comparison of the two amps. It is just to give a general sense of where the MJ3 stands in contrast to higher tier/more (some) expensive amps
Conclusion:
- vs. Soloist 3X GT (V6 vivid; super charger PU; fully upgraded with silent power module 2):
The 3X GT has better micro detail retrieval. Soundstage presentation is about the same but with a better sense of air. These give the 3X GT an edge over the MJ3 when it comes to realism in instrument sound reproduction and the refinement in imaging/separation.
The new V7 opamp just came out. I do not know if that would even further improve the listening experience with the 3X GT.- vs. Luxman P-750u
Speaking of refinement, when you thought you know what refinement is, once you have heard the Luxman, you will find a new definition of refinement. If you think you found the last few ounces of detail, the Luxman will further refine it for you. Sometimes, i wonder if 'elegant' is the right way to describe what I hear. Or is that liquid gold coming out of my ears? Everything is so well presented, detailed, smooth, and musical. It is neutral and balanced sounding but not the same kind of transparency of the MJ3. The soundstage is about a step or two closer than the MJ3. The one 'drawback' I personally feel about the Luxman is that all headphones will sound good with it, BUT not all headphones will sound great with it.
Who am I kidding?! The Luxman is 3-4x the price of MJ3, and the 3X GT costs at least 2X as much. Theoretically speaking, there should be at least one aspect that is better than the MJ3. However, please remember it all comes down to personal preferences. Just because I or you prefer a cheaper amp over a more expensive amp does not always make the more expensive amp bad. We all have different pocket depth and judge the worth of an amp differently. I am willing to pay (so much) more for an amp for something / improvement that may seem trivial to you does not mean it is trivial to me. For many, even the MJ3 is far out of their budget.
Back to the MJ3, for an amp at this price range to do many things so well, it is not common. Not to mention, at a level that is very close or even as good as amps that are more expensive. I think that is why a lot of us like this amp and gain so much attention. Usually, amps at this price range would only to one or a couple things at a level that is above its price range. If you are in search of a great amp that will last you a long time, and it checks all/most of your boxes, and also at an achievable budget, I cannot recommend it enough. Get it while you can! Now, looks like I need to find 3XP a new owner.
. , if I tell you that something is missing, trust me that it is for some reason xD., are you using the supercharger by the way?
Im pretty sure you can set the output voltage of Wandla- (to 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 iirc). i saw it on a video though not personally.
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your observation! My impressions were based on limited hours with the amps. I did not and was unable to spend as many hours as you did. So, it is possible I would miss something about the amp. Glad to learn more about other users' findings.I appreciate your effort, but your comparison of normal 3XP lacks very crucial information.
If you look at the thread, you may see someone that says that the soloist 3xp is already more detailed and clear than the MJ3, which is a controversy compared to what you wrote, if you ever saw that, I will explain you reasons of this controversy.
The guy I mentioned and compared them was obviously comparing them using the soloist in normal mode, i don't know which gain but it was obvious that it was normal mode, I replied to him and he did not even not the power amp mode existed...
I don't have 1, I have TWO normal Burson Soloist 3XP and I have been comparing and studying them, I have done maybe 1200+ A/B test in the past year, testing PSU, the supercharger, DC filters with both the stock PSU, op-amp rolling, etc in very tedious a/b testing.
Here is the thing, the burson soloist 3xp changes A LOT depending of the mode and the gain you have.
The power amp is a MUCH warmer sounding mode.
If we speak of "warm" amps I have the schiit asgard 3 to here, I don't use high-gain in the burson so nothing I will say will have high gain in count and I can tell you that the soloist come "very close" to asgard in warmth when it is in power amp mode , and I was very surprised of that
I have compared both Asgard 3 and the Soloist 3XP in power amp in various sessions.
People underestimate how much the soloist's sound can change depending of the mode.
When it is in normal mode and lowgain, it sounds "more" like the "reference sounding( for some people) " RNHP amp, which I also have here, but when it is in medium gain and normal mode, it sounds more distant and can be percieved as wider sounding, but also thinner overall, but it has notably more treble clarity, if you compare midgain normal mode and lowgain power amp mode, there is a big, very big difference in presentation.
Poweramp mode gives me the sensation of having more soundstage depth, but it can lack the "air" and clarity of the normal mode depending of the headphones.
If you want to test the soloist in its max clarity, you need to put it in normal mode and medium gain, with or without the supercharger, you will still experience this.
The poweramp amp of the soloist it's not a better mode, it's a different mode that brings the bass forward, becomes more relaxed in the treble, less clarity, but more full and authoritative sound.
Power amp mode kills some of my headphones, AD2000 non X and AD2000X lack air, clarity, they lose the detail of the normal mode , but A2000Z and A1000Z which have a lot of upper treble for "some reason" sound better for me in poweramp amp.
And here is the thing, if you are going to compare the soloist 3xp, you NEED to specify the details of the configuration used with the soloist, people really miss the thing with the soloist, it is a massively changing amp depending of the mode lol.
It can be transformed from a somewhat distant , reference like, clarity amp, to an amp with noticeable warmth like the Asgard 3, just by changing the mode.
For reference, I have the famous Sparko SS 3602, recommended by Passion for sound and other people, I can tell you the Sparkos are like a 7-8% change at most, compared to the 20-25% change of the poweramp and mode
Not even the op-amp rolling makes a difference as big as changing from burson normal mode in midgain to poweramp either gain, not close man.
I have spent a lot of time comparing and studying the soloist, using other amps as references, lots of guys miss the details about the soloist, which are very very important, they even buy the sparkos but they don't notice that without the sparkos they can change the sound presentation in a big degree.
My prediction is that you must be using the burson 3xp in poweramp mode(either gain) or normal mode in low gain, or am I wrong?
I think the community would be blessed if someone compares the 3xp in poweramp mode AND the 3xp in normal mode (preferably in midgain) compared to the MJ3.
Im a balanced 4v kinda guy, but, hell, i been living on the Edge since childhood and I wouldnt put 9v in one lol.
I used to own a 3XP as well and always used it in power amp mode as it sounded superior to me that way. By memory, power amp mode was a lot clearer with better depth, much better dynamics and it was also a little more neutral. In comparison normal mode was a little warmer, smoother, less dynamic, with the impression of having less details coming through. Kind of the opposite of what you are describing which I find a little odd. Perhaps it depends on the DAC as well? I think that time I used the ADI-2.I appreciate your effort, but your comparison of normal 3XP lacks very crucial information.
If you look at the thread, you may see someone that says that the soloist 3xp is already more detailed and clear than the MJ3, which is a controversy compared to what you wrote, if you ever saw that, I will explain you reasons of this controversy.
The guy I mentioned and compared them was obviously comparing them using the soloist in normal mode, i don't know which gain but it was obvious that it was normal mode, I replied to him and he did not even not the power amp mode existed...
I don't have 1, I have TWO normal Burson Soloist 3XP and I have been comparing and studying them, I have done maybe 1200+ A/B test in the past year, testing PSU, the supercharger, DC filters with both the stock PSU, op-amp rolling, etc in very tedious a/b testing.
Here is the thing, the burson soloist 3xp changes A LOT depending of the mode and the gain you have.
The power amp is a MUCH warmer sounding mode.
If we speak of "warm" amps I have the schiit asgard 3 to here, I don't use high-gain in the burson so nothing I will say will have high gain in count and I can tell you that the soloist come "very close" to asgard in warmth when it is in power amp mode , and I was very surprised of that
I have compared both Asgard 3 and the Soloist 3XP in power amp in various sessions.
People underestimate how much the soloist's sound can change depending of the mode.
When it is in normal mode and lowgain, it sounds "more" like the "reference sounding( for some people) " RNHP amp, which I also have here, but when it is in medium gain and normal mode, it sounds more distant and can be percieved as wider sounding, but also thinner overall, but it has notably more treble clarity, if you compare midgain normal mode and lowgain power amp mode, there is a big, very big difference in presentation.
Poweramp mode gives me the sensation of having more soundstage depth, but it can lack the "air" and clarity of the normal mode depending of the headphones.
If you want to test the soloist in its max clarity, you need to put it in normal mode and medium gain, with or without the supercharger, you will still experience this.
The poweramp amp of the soloist it's not a better mode, it's a different mode that brings the bass forward, becomes more relaxed in the treble, less clarity, but more full and authoritative sound.
Power amp mode kills some of my headphones, AD2000 non X and AD2000X lack air, clarity, they lose the detail of the normal mode , but A2000Z and A1000Z which have a lot of upper treble for "some reason" sound better for me in poweramp amp.
And here is the thing, if you are going to compare the soloist 3xp, you NEED to specify the details of the configuration used with the soloist, people really miss the thing with the soloist, it is a massively changing amp depending of the mode lol.
It can be transformed from a somewhat distant , reference like, clarity amp, to an amp with noticeable warmth like the Asgard 3, just by changing the mode.
For reference, I have the famous Sparko SS 3602, recommended by Passion for sound and other people, I can tell you the Sparkos are like a 7-8% change at most, compared to the 20-25% change of the poweramp and mode
Not even the op-amp rolling makes a difference as big as changing from burson normal mode in midgain to poweramp either gain, not close man.
I have spent a lot of time comparing and studying the soloist, using other amps as references, lots of guys miss the details about the soloist, which are very very important, they even buy the sparkos but they don't notice that without the sparkos they can change the sound presentation in a big degree.
My prediction is that you must be using the burson 3xp in poweramp mode(either gain) or normal mode in low gain, or am I wrong?
I think the community would be blessed if someone compares the 3xp in poweramp mode AND the 3xp in normal mode (preferably in midgain) compared to the MJ3.
Yes, it would be useful. Hopefully someone can share the number soon. I also prefer to use my DACs in balanced mode (to fully utilize a balanced amp). Average balanced out voltage is 4V, my next DAC will do 5V. I hope, that will be fine with the MJ3, but the 9V of the Wandla does seem a bit over the top. (Although as far as I know, that is adjustable.)
If you ask the AI on Schiit, the Mjolnir 3 can handle up to 20 Volts. For some odd reason people are underestimating the MJ3 because it only output 2W at 32 ohms. However, we don’t even second guess when a 20K usd amp only outputs 1.5W at the same watt and claims it can drive any headphone well.
In AI we trust!
Considering that’s our future doctor, we better trust it…or else it may deem that we need an XL sized camera for colonoscopy.In AI we trust!
