[Erick Muller]

No longer have the s17, i can’t imagine it being beneficial though, maybe the MJ3 into the S17 but certainly not the other way around

Bummer, I was curious if the 100ma mode on the S17 might translate into the MJ3.

 

[betula]

Bummer, I was curious if the 100ma mode on the S17 might translate into the MJ3.

I read somewhere that the S17 can't run in 100ma mode for too long due to overheating. Apparently, an hour or so and it switches back to 50ma which is not as impressive.

 

[Erick Muller]

I read somewhere that the S17 can't run in 100ma mode for too long due to overheating. Apparently, an hour or so and it switches back to 50ma which is not as impressive.

Depends, I can run it on 100ma on high gain for hours on end, but there's some people that report that they can only use it for a couple of hours at most, there seems to be some issue with temp management, but generally most of these issues are solved if you just elevate the amp from your desk or rack by an inch or so.

 

[kopczas]

I read somewhere that the S17 can't run in 100ma mode for too long due to overheating. Apparently, an hour or so and it switches back to 50ma which is not as impressive.

Not true.
100ma can run all day reaching 65 degrees.
Overheating seems to be problem to some units, faulty units straight from the factory. These should be replaced.

 

[Slackaveli]

I am truly content at the moment, and I’m really excited for the Gumby 2 MB version. I know Schiit is going to make sure the symphony between the two is something special. For now, the Bifrost 2/64 is more than ok with me.

SB: The Bifrost seems to like sitting above the MJ3 more than it does sitting below it. When placed below, it would get just as warm as the MJ, but when above, it’s luke warm while the MJ does that toasty thing it does no matter where its placed lol

The new Gungnir is delta sigma, although surely they will eventually do a MB version.

 

[DavidSerig]

So just how much better/different is this than the Jotunheim 2? I'm considering using part of a work bonus towards a Mjolnir 3 as I currently have the Jot. I am using a Hifiman HE1000 Stealth and Focal Clear OG.

I was surprised to feel M3 is far different, but Jotunheim 2 has all the music and all the sounds

Something tells me the mentor has less bass quantity than the MJ, and if the MJ had any less bass I’d return it. Preference of course, and i could be wrong also.

M2 has all the bass. So does Lyr 2.

 

[quawn0418]

I was surprised to feel M3 is far different, but Jotunheim 2 has all the music and all the sounds

M2 has all the bass. So does Lyr 2.

Funny you mentioned this, I’ve actually been noticing more bass from the MJ3 as of lately.

 

[BenJoe]

Of course, synergy is king and personal taste overwrites every rule. At the end of the day everyone is coming from a subjective point of view, so there is no better or worse amp regardless price. The taste of the pudding is in the eating, so I will rather refrain from further discussions until I hear the MJ3 myself.
I liked my 3XP, as I said I think it is great little amp, I just didn't find it as outstanding as some others. Maybe the secret you are a little shy about is the clue for the 3XP to rule them all. Have you found an op-amp made by elves in Lothlórien?

I agreed and seconded wholeheartedly with what you said.

I also think that 3XP and MJ3 are good. But having preference on either one doesn’t always equate to the other one being worse. I don’t think it’s necessary to be too adamant about sharing a certain view or experience, respectfully speaking.

 

[BenJoe]

Funny you mentioned this, I’ve actually been noticing more bass from the MJ3 as of lately.

After some amount of burn-in, the bass did improve slightly with better body and control in my experience.

 

[artur9]

So, I made these observations for @Ceora and I remembered being a bit disappointed in how bland The Return of the Jazz Communicators sounded, which did not match my recollection of the attention this recording usually commanded.

Today I noted that Roon said my chain was not bit perfect. I had volume leveling and headroom management (3dB) turned on. I turned those off and

Listening today, changing nothing about the settings other than laying on the sofa instead of sitting at the end near the MJ3, this recording sounds amazing.

The sax regained its incisiveness, the room ambience became a little more noticeable, the tail of the vibraphone a hair more "tail-y". The recordings went from being a pleasant listen to compelling music.

The Mjolnir 3 is kind of too transparent to the effects of source

 

[Slackaveli]

I have heard that it will "expose your sources" so to speak.

 

[dogwan]

Checking back in. Still loving the MJ3. Wish I had the capability to run balanced in. My DAC has balanced outputs, but I wanted to run everything through my tube preamp, which sounds effin' awesome, BTW!

Here's some pics. You can see the little RCA switch box on top of the preamp that I am using to switch between the MJ3 and my tube amp when I can get away with speaker listening. I was really struggling to figure out how best to integrate the MJ3 into this system and finally just settled on a switch box rather than try and run the signal through the MJ3 in series (using the "preamp" option) between my preamp and tube amp. I also don't want to run the MJ3 off the "tape out" on the pre because the pre uses relay switching, which means powering up the tubes when the signal wouldn't even pass through them.

Some other observations:

1. This headphone amp loves analog!
   I recently switched phono stages and added my Nak CR-7a back into the mix. So, have been playing more vinyl and tape than digital through the MJ3 and it's fantastic. The raised noise floor really doesn't bother me as soon as the music starts.
   
   
2. Yes, a power cord upgrade is worth it.
   I had an unused Shunyata Diamondback and just for kicks I threw it on the MJ3. No the skies didn't part and the hand of god didn't reach down to caress the back of my balls. But, I swear the (minimal) transformer buzz did decrease. The effect on the sound signature was subtle but positive. The soundstage got a bit wider and the headscape moved a little more forward. Transients got a bit more distinctive and leading edge of notes have more bite. I spent a couple hours switching the stock cord and the DB back and forth on several well known albums just to make sure I was confident in what I was hearing.
   
   
3. Feeding the MJ3 with tubes is not too much of a good thing with the Class A topology. In fact, I'm finding it very synergistic.

 

[Slackaveli]

Power cable upgrades are always good for power amps; on DACs much less so but still useful.
On a Class A amp I think it's a literal must-buy. Nothing too crazy is needed but spending $50-$120~ is a good buy imo.

 

[Chuy24]

Checking back in. Still loving the MJ3. Wish I had the capability to run balanced in. My DAC has balanced outputs, but I wanted to run everything through my tube preamp, which sounds effin' awesome, BTW!

Here's some pics. You can see the little RCA switch box on top of the preamp that I am using to switch between the MJ3 and my tube amp when I can get away with speaker listening. I was really struggling to figure out how best to integrate the MJ3 into this system and finally just settled on a switch box rather than try and run the signal through the MJ3 in series (using the "preamp" option) between my preamp and tube amp. I also don't want to run the MJ3 off the "tape out" on the pre because the pre uses relay switching, which means powering up the tubes when the signal wouldn't even pass through them.

Some other observations:

1. This headphone amp loves analog!
   I recently switched phono stages and added my Nak CR-7a back into the mix. So, have been playing more vinyl and tape than digital through the MJ3 and it's fantastic. The raised noise floor really doesn't bother me as soon as the music starts.
   
   
2. Yes, a power cord upgrade is worth it.
   I had an unused Shunyata Diamondback and just for kicks I threw it on the MJ3. No the skies didn't part and the hand of god didn't reach down to caress the back of my balls. But, I swear the (minimal) transformer buzz did decrease. The effect on the sound signature was subtle but positive. The soundstage got a bit wider and the headscape moved a little more forward. Transients got a bit more distinctive and leading edge of notes have more bite. I spent a couple hours switching the stock cord and the DB back and forth on several well known albums just to make sure I was confident in what I was hearing.
   
   
3. Feeding the MJ3 with tubes is not too much of a good thing with the Class A topology. In fact, I'm finding it very synergistic.

Water of love, deep in the ground.

 

[quawn0418]

Attended Canjam this weekend and Schiit had a MJ3 paired with a MIB Yggy. The pairing is absolutely perfect. In fact, i only found it to be beat by pairings that included super expensive amps. It really makes me want a Yggy but i dont want such a footprint on my desk, and im OCD as we all are so I cant get with MJ3 and Yggy being different sizes. Im dealing with the Bifrost 2/64 only untill Schiit releases the Gungnir 2 MB version.

Another thing, Wavetheory praises Violectric amps and I've yet to hear any untill this weekend (V226 and V281 LE). They are really nice, but there is certainly a house sound. What i got from them were that they were spacious with great seperation, 226 being a bit warmer and less separated than the 281, but what i couldn't get passed was the high end on each amp (the "S" region specifically). It’s weird because both were stunning, but the "S" region on each amp sounded too technical for my taste. I wouldn't call it hot AT ALL, but it was definitely attention grabbing. Those amps just sound (to me atleast) a bit too technical (electric sounding if that makes sense) and aren't as easy of a listen as the MJ3 (timbre may be what im getting at here, possibly). To be fair, this is canjam I’m talking about lol and the dac section was running from the V226 which likely isn’t great and maybe that was the problem. Who knows.