Schiit Mjolnir 3 - Impressions Thread

[BigTonkotsu]

Hello, I have had the Mjolnir 3 for a while now and it has been excellent with the Hifiman HE1000se. I recently purchased the HE6se V2 and have read limited, mixed reviews/opinions regarding whether or not the Mjolnir 3 is sufficient for the cans. Passion for Sound, in his review, said it could drive the Susvara well, so I would assume it would be enough. Just wondering if anyone has any more knowledge regarding the matter or even first hand experience with the pairing?

 

[billhickok]

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.

 

[cgb3]

Hello, I have had the Mjolnir 3 for a while now and it has been excellent with the Hifiman HE1000se. I recently purchased the HE6se V2 and have read limited, mixed reviews/opinions regarding whether or not the Mjolnir 3 is sufficient for the cans. Passion for Sound, in his review, said it could drive the Susvara well, so I would assume it would be enough. Just wondering if anyone has any more knowledge regarding the matter or even first hand experience with the pairing?

I'm curious why you purchased the HE6se V2? Your HE1000se (I really like mine) are the better phones. Open box for $399 is a good price.

 

[BigTonkotsu]

I'm curious why you purchased the HE6se V2? Your HE1000se (I really like mine) are the better phones. Open box for $399 is a good price.

I wanted a high end Hifiman that has better macrodynamics (slam, bass quantity) with a warmer sound signature, and, at 380ish dollars after an additional discount, it was hard to pass. The HE1000se is excellent. I know the HE6 will not match the technical performance, sound stage, speed, but I do miss me some bass. I sold my LCD-X and have missed that punchy bass ever since. I also have heard the HE6 scales incredibly well with proper amps. This is why I am concerned the Mjolnir 3 will not be enough to achieve that, and hopefully someone will have better knowledge than I.

 

[MindBreak]

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.

I think that was more referring to the fact that IEMs don't require bulky equipment to sound their best. So why buy a 16 lb Amp to power only IEMs. I would recommend running them off the SE out, so that you have some more headroom in the volume attenuation. Even though the XLR output is rated at 2 watts of Class A, it sounds a lot more powerful than the number would suggest. The SE out, is half that and a safer bet for your IEMs.

 

[bagwell359]

I wanted a high end Hifiman that has better macrodynamics (slam, bass quantity) with a warmer sound signature, and, at 380ish dollars after an additional discount, it was hard to pass. The HE1000se is excellent. I know the HE6 will not match the technical performance, sound stage, speed, but I do miss me some bass. I sold my LCD-X and have missed that punchy bass ever since. I also have heard the HE6 scales incredibly well with proper amps. This is why I am concerned the Mjolnir 3 will not be enough to achieve that, and hopefully someone will have better knowledge than I.M

M3 enough for HE-6 SE IMO unless you are using bass EQ/PEQ in which case might not be depending on the amount of EQ, or listen very loudly.

EDIT: That's with the XLR, with SE out I'm afraid probably no.

 

[adydula]

Hello, I have had the Mjolnir 3 for a while now and it has been excellent with the Hifiman HE1000se. I recently purchased the HE6se V2 and have read limited, mixed reviews/opinions regarding whether or not the Mjolnir 3 is sufficient for the cans. Passion for Sound, in his review, said it could drive the Susvara well, so I would assume it would be enough. Just wondering if anyone has any more knowledge regarding the matter or even first hand experience with the pairing?

Last year at a Schitt Meet in North Carolina, which Jason attended. Schiit sent a first run Mjolnir 3 and they had a pair of HE6SE's as well. It was the first time I had the chance to try the HE6SE's and I did try them on the MJ3. I believe it was with the XLR connection. After a few minutes of listening I had no problem achieving loud SPLS and good reproduction to my ears. I actually remember telling Jason about this. 2 watts RMS with chokes can handle a lot of loads IMO.

Now I also have the very hard to drive Tungstens DS from Ryan at Modhouse. 76db/mw!! Harder to drive than both the He's and Susvaras...yesterday I spent the whole day with the Tungstens with MJ3....absolutely no issues achieving very high SPL's...IMO beyond what one should be safely listening to!

I was testing out some new FUSION earpads with the Tungstens for deep bass response. Some will tell you that with lesser amps the low end becomes loose or flabby...great objective terms eh!!! ?? With the Tugstens DS with one of my low bass test tracks MJ3 and the T's passed my test with ease.

On the Tungsten thread on Telegram. many dont think MJ3 is the best match. I disagree. Some zealots seek the amp the will play these the loudest and "best" but to listen at those levels is absolutely insane. Your hearing is too valuable to gamble with IMO.

IMO MJ3 works with difficult loads with aplomb.

of course YMMV and we all hear differently!
Alex

 

[MindBreak]

Last year at a Schitt Meet in North Carolina, which Jason attended. Schiit sent a first run Mjolnir 3 and they had a pair of HE6SE's as well. It was the first time I had the chance to try the HE6SE's and I did try them on the MJ3. I believe it was with the XLR connection. After a few minutes of listening I had no problem achieving loud SPLS and good reproduction to my ears. I actually remember telling Jason about this. 2 watts RMS with chokes can handle a lot of loads IMO.

Now I also have the very hard to drive Tungstens DS from Ryan at Modhouse. 76db/mw!! Harder to drive than both the He's and Susvaras...yesterday I spent the whole day with the Tungstens with MJ3....absolutely no issues achieving very high SPL's...IMO beyond what one should be safely listening to!

I was testing out some new FUSION earpads with the Tungstens for deep bass response. Some will tell you that with lesser amps the low end becomes loose or flabby...great objective terms eh!!! ?? With the Tugstens DS with one of my low bass test tracks MJ3 and the T's passed my test with ease.

On the Tungsten thread on Telegram. many dont think MJ3 is the best match. I disagree. Some zealots seek the amp the will play these the loudest and "best" but to listen at those levels is absolutely insane. Your hearing is too valuable to gamble with IMO.

IMO MJ3 works with difficult loads with aplomb.

of course YMMV and we all hear differently!
Alex

A lot of owners in the Tungsten thread seem to want to bass levels nearly to the point of rupturing their eardrums (exaggerating, yet not exaggerating at the same time).

The harder to drive loads that I have hooked up to my Mjolnir 3 include my four SJY Audio headphones: Starry Night V1 (first run), Moonlight, Hinode (wave), and Horizon Open. They all respond well to more power, yet "more power" is relative to the amp design as well as the number of watts. I have an amp that is rated at 8 watts per channel (also Class A), that sounds tame compared to the Mjolnir 3. So as always YMMV, but don't make assumptions about an amp prior to testing it.

 

[Clemmaster]

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.

I think the main issue you could face is noise with very sensitive IEMs.

I use my MJ3 with CFA Moon Rover all day when I work from home and notice no noise on the SE output in SE mode. I do get some low-level but clearly audible hum when I use the PP mode which measurements show it does indeed bring some power-supply noise (+ harmonics) into the mix.
Note that I am very sensitive to noise, so others might not hear it?

 

[MindBreak]

I think the main issue you could face is noise with very sensitive IEMs.

I use my MJ3 with CFA Moon Rover all day when I work from home and notice no noise on the SE output in SE mode. I do get some low-level but clearly audible hum when I use the PP mode which measurements show it does indeed bring some power-supply noise (+ harmonics) into the mix.
Note that I am very sensitive to noise, so others might not hear it?

I only own one pair of IEMs, but now you are making want to test this out on my Mjolnir 3. Nothing against IEM enthusiasts, I just have issues with my ears that prevent me from enjoying them. Sensitive headphones that are under 20 ohms might also pickup some of that noise I would assume. I have yet to experience it with any of my headphones in my regular rotation though.

 

[De7mi]

I own He6se and HE6 OG 6-screws, and Modhouse tungsten DS and they all sounded their best on my MJ3! Absolutely stunning! I even prefer it over other amps I owned including but not limited to Holo bliss KTE, violectric v281 and v280.
The single ended mode with zero feedback is just the most natural beautiful sound I heard in an amp, it’s just special.

 

[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.

 

[Pythegu]

I've had a mjolnir 3 for about a year now and I love it. I have been scared to plug my FiiO FD7s into it. Schiit literally says not to connect IEMs on it on their website. But the FD7 has a 50 ohm resistance.

I rolled the dice today and thought between 9 and 10 o'clock was a good volume. Nothing started on fire, but I only had them on there for like 90 seconds. They sounded STUPID good. No hiss. No channel imbalance. Just super detailed, holographic sound.

Been using the Mjolnir 3 with Meze 109 Pros (which makes them insane), Focal Celestee, and Audeze LCD X. I will say I like the extra power mode for the headphones. It gives it way more low end and dynamism. And now the FiiO FD7. The beryllium and the mjolnir is just wildly amazing. Obviously with the extra power turned off.