[Shembot]

   
Um, er…
 
I have used the Mojo with HD-800's for years.
 
Yes you have to burn the amp in, along with the dac and 800's.
And it may take hundreds of hours to fully settle in.
Case in point, my Rok with 690 hrs. is just now going magical.
 
My unasked advice is to track your burn in over time, by finding where the "icepick to the skull" starts to kick in (10:00, 11:00, etc.) on the vol. control.   This position, (of the vol. control) will change as it breaks in.
 
I'd also suggest that when it hurts, turn it down, and not to 'push thru' it.
Pain is a warning that damage is or can be happening.
 
Wait until the, what I call the Listener Fatigue Factor (LFF), has 'lowered' to the point that you can 'easily' (without the "icepick to the skull") reach your desired volume.
 
And know that you may need to apply some additional tweaks in order to fully deal with the "icepick to the skull" syndrome, especially if you want to crank it up all the time…
 
You're playing in the big leagues now,

and there are certain 'procedures' that are 'advisable', that is if you want to realize all the potential that this gear is capable of delivering…
And the first step is burn in.
 
JJ

 

 
Thank you very much for the sage advice. I do appreciate it. It's funny, I've listened to the G/M stack almost exclusively since my original posting, and with some music that's not in my usual repertoire -- the entire Buena Vista Social Club album. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it! At one point, I compared it to the UberBifrost/Asgard2 stack, and the G/M was so much better as to render the UberBifrost/Asgard2 almost unlistenably muddy (don't get me wrong -- I love the UberBifrost/Asgard2 combination and think it's excellent, but in comparison with that particular music, the G/M really shined). 
 
I think my usual repertoire can be pretty bright with the G/M, but in terms of overall playing time, I probably only have about 30 hours in on it...so assuming burn-in is a real thing with this stack, I think there's plenty of room for further improvement. We'll see! I'm a Schiithead, so I'm sure I'll learn to appreciate the unique sound signature at the same time as any physical changes take place.

 

[johnjen]

   
Thank you very much for the sage advice. I do appreciate it. It's funny, I've listened to the G/M stack almost exclusively since my original posting, and with some music that's not in my usual repertoire -- the entire Buena Vista Social Club album. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it! At one point, I compared it to the UberBifrost/Asgard2 stack, and the G/M was so much better as to render the UberBifrost/Asgard2 almost unlistenably muddy (don't get me wrong -- I love the UberBifrost/Asgard2 combination and think it's excellent, but in comparison with that particular music, the G/M really shined). 
 
I think my usual repertoire can be pretty bright with the G/M, but in terms of overall playing time, I probably only have about 30 hours in on it...so assuming burn-in is a real thing with this stack, I think there's plenty of room for further improvement. We'll see! I'm a Schiithead, so I'm sure I'll learn to appreciate the unique sound signature at the same time as any physical changes take place.

 
The 800's can and do have a frequency 'hump' in the 6-8KHz range.  Sometimes it's 'minor' other times not so much.
 
The anax mod or the Tyll varient (on innerfidelity.com) will help with this.
 
But the best of these (at least for me on my system) was version #2 of the anax mod where shelf liner/under carpet pad was used.  This mod is the trickiest to install but has the most satisfying results.
 
JJ

 

[olor1n]

I too, suffered the "ice pick to the eye" blows from the Gungnir/MJ stack. The MJ will get better over time - even after sufficient burn in, I find the MJ sounds much better if it's been on for some time.

I know the Gungnir is lauded as a fine dac, but for me, it was the main culprit in that ice pick assault. Steering away from that dac has allowed me to enjoy the MJ with the HD800. This enjoyment is time tested too - I haven't been afflicted with "upgraditis" for a while.

The Rag has caught my eye, but its versatility is the appeal for me, rather than the overly positive impressions that always herald the arrival of new Schiit components.

 

[RCBinTN]

New rig up and running.  
 

 
Macbook pro / USB / Gungnir / Mjolnir / Wywires Red / LCD-X
 

 
The test music.
Out of the box, the G/M take full control of the X compared to the uB/A2.  Not even close.  I do not experience treble fatigue even from Axle Rose's voice.  The sound is full, detailed and fast.  

 
Cheers -
RCB

 

[Shembot]

  New rig up and running.  
 
Macbook pro / USB / Gungnir / Mjolnir / Wywires Red / LCD-X
 
The test music.
Out of the box, the G/M take full control of the X compared to the uB/A2.  Not even close.  I do not experience treble fatigue even from Axle Rose's voice.  The sound is full, detailed and fast.  

 
Cheers -
RCB

 
Congrats on the new gear! Glad to hear you're having a good experience with G/M. I definitely think it's more resolving than the uB/A2. I have mine burning in continuously with pink noise (when I'm not listening to music) or my music (when I am) as much as I can have my laptop sitting next to the stack. I've noticed a lot of reduction in the glare; not sure if it's psychological or physical burn-in, but I hope it continues.
 
Still thinking about upgrading the Mjolnir to Ragnarok during the return period because I've heard so many good things about it (and because I fear a Mjolnir 2 release), but need to decide whether I think the Ragnarok will be worth the vast price difference.

 

[RCBinTN]

   
Congrats on the new gear! Glad to hear you're having a good experience with G/M. I definitely think it's more resolving than the uB/A2. I have mine burning in continuously with pink noise (when I'm not listening to music) or my music (when I am) as much as I can have my laptop sitting next to the stack. I've noticed a lot of reduction in the glare; not sure if it's psychological or physical burn-in, but I hope it continues.
 
Still thinking about upgrading the Mjolnir to Ragnarok during the return period because I've heard so many good things about it (and because I fear a Mjolnir 2 release), but need to decide whether I think the Ragnarok will be worth the vast price difference.

 
Me too.  I debated a long time whether to go with the Rag.  Everybody says it sound fantastic.  But it also is a 32-lb amp that begs a permanent space that I don't currently have.  I can move the G/M stack around pretty easily.  Maybe the Rag will find a spot in my next house .

 

[BeatsWork]

  New rig up and running.  
 

 
Macbook pro / USB / Gungnir / Mjolnir / Wywires Red / LCD-X
 

 
The test music.
Out of the box, the G/M take full control of the X compared to the uB/A2.  Not even close.  I do not experience treble fatigue even from Axle Rose's voice.  The sound is full, detailed and fast.  

 
Cheers -
RCB

I'll be nice but I have to take a little poke and say that I don't think I have ANY gear that would not make Axle fatiguing

 One song for nostalgia's sake is enough.

 

[RCBinTN]

 
I'll be nice but I have to take a little poke and say that I don't think I have ANY gear that would not make Axle fatiguing

 One song for nostalgia's sake is enough.

 
LOL that's a decent come-back.

 

[Eee Pee]

  (and because I fear a Mjolnir 2 release)

 
Get over it.  Do you fear Toyota will have a new Camry in three years also?
 
Get on with it!

 

[Shembot]

   
Get over it.  Do you fear Toyota will have a new Camry in three years also?
 
Get on with it!

 
Hmm. My comment about fearing a Mjolnir 2 was a loose parenthetical in trying to justify a Ragnarok to myself, not intended to be very serious. But if it were a serious fear, then it would be a fear of one coming within 3 months, not 3 years; it's a product more on the comparative level of a BMW 7-series, not a Camry; and it's one where the performance difference would likely be much greater than the cosmetic changes between cars from model year to model year. I also just got bit by the Modi 2/Magni 2, so perhaps I'm a bit sensitive to the issue.
 
Like computers, you have to buy it when you need it and not wait endlessly for the next version, but it's still worth consideration...especially when it's possible to get in on the ground floor of a statement model like the Ragnarok that is likely to be the very best for a long time.  

 

[elwappo99]

   
 
Hmm. My comment about fearing a Mjolnir 2 was a loose parenthetical in trying to justify a Ragnarok to myself, not intended to be very serious. But if it were a serious fear, then it would be a fear of one coming within 3 months, not 3 years; it's a product more on the comparative level of a BMW 7-series, not a Camry; and it's one where the performance difference would likely be much greater than the cosmetic changes between cars from model year to model year. I also just got bit by the Modi 2/Magni 2, so perhaps I'm a bit sensitive to the issue.
 
Like computers, you have to buy it when you need it and not wait endlessly for the next version, but it's still worth consideration...especially when it's possible to get in on the ground floor of a statement model like the Ragnarok that is likely to be the very best for a long time.  

 
I'd agree with your logic here. The next step in the pattern is a reiteration of the Mjolnir. It will include a "lessons learned" of sorts from every amplifier they have made including the rag. I think most of their time has been focused on the rag though, so who knows how long it will be from here. 

 

[RCBinTN]

 
I'll be nice but I have to take a little poke and say that I don't think I have ANY gear that would not make Axle fatiguing

 One song for nostalgia's sake is enough.

 
OK now I'm testing the G/M rig with Mahler's 5th Symphony on the HD800.  Still not overly bright treble - sounds fantastic!  Just to compare against the Guns n Roses .

 

[Eee Pee]

I feel ya Shembot, especially re: Magni2 et al.  
 
7 series... not quite, but okay.  Hehehe.
 
Whatever.  Don't care.  Schiit's good anyways!
 
Cheers!
 
And reading deeper into JS's post about a new balanced circuit that is insane should then make you wonder if it'll be better than the Rag, then, right?
 

 

[FayeForever]

   
The 800's can and do have a frequency 'hump' in the 6-8KHz range.  Sometimes it's 'minor' other times not so much.
 
The anax mod or the Tyll varient (on innerfidelity.com) will help with this.
 
But the best of these (at least for me on my system) was version #2 of the anax mod where shelf liner/under carpet pad was used.  This mod is the trickiest to install but has the most satisfying results.
 
JJ

Hi,
 
Do you have pics or instructions for your mod?
 
Thanks!

 

[zaodriver]

Note taken on the burn-in. My music will most certainly be ice picks at time, should this be the case. Granted, I am pretty sure most the metal I listened to was mixed to be a bit on the overcooked treble side of things (anything with a 5150/6505 amp or Axe FX in the mix comes to mind). I will likely download a pink noise track, make a playlist with that included, and mix in a variety of regular tracks. Of note, I am digging the LCD-2Fs so far. I am looking forward to getting the Molly/Gunny combo. I have read a big mix of things on this thread alone that say the Mjolnir is treble happy, or the Gungnir is. At other times, I have read the exact opposite on the Gungnir and that the Mjolnir is wire with gain. I also noted that it appeared most users that said the Mjolnir is treble happy were also using single ended inputs, which makes sense to me because of the 2V output Vs. the 4V output of balanced. It has been my experience that higher voltages and/or current levels tend to result in thicker and deeper bass responses, but that could all just be signal manipulation not related to that. I am no electrical engineer, though I would love to get into it just to design hi-fi amps, headphone amps, and guitar amps. If there are any amp builder in this thread, I would love to hear about signal manipulation (frequency curve, volume, phase, etc.) as it relates to certain aspects of amp design.