[MWSVette]

  I think the balance 4 pin xlr at the front should give enough power to drive the HE6 well. It wont sound bad, but it may be different to powering it with a 40-50w loud speaker amp. 

Exactly...

 

[Gavin C4]

However, I dont think we need to use the HE-6 as a basic standard for Jotunheim or any other amp. There are many other headphones that sound very good and required less power at least compare to the HE-6. HE-6 is just a beast, a mutated beast. You normally wont need that much power in other headphones. If you want 50w of power to power any other headphone, then you are looking for power speaker amp, not a headphone amp. If you are pushing 50w of power for example to a M50X, all I can hope for is that you wont burn down your house lol. 

 

[StanD]

  However, I dont think we need to use the HE-6 as a basic standard for Jotunheim or any other amp. There are many other headphones that sound very good and required less power at least compare to the HE-6. HE-6 is just a beast, a mutated beast. You normally wont need that much power in other headphones. If you want 50w of power to power any other headphone, then you are looking for power speaker amp, not a headphone amp. If you are pushing 50w of power for example to a M50X, all I can hope for is that you wont burn down your house lol. 

An Amp designed for speakers will not deliver the same wattage to headphones at the speaker taps.  The HE-6 is 50 Ohms, not the 4 or 8 Ohms that are typical for speakers. To deliver the same wattage at 50 Ohms would require a much larger voltage swing which would not be a design parameter for such an amp.

 

[billtboys]

Gavin C4,
Your reply uncovers my confusion about this unit. I want my source to be an Astell and Kern AK 240 Hi-Rez player. . I want the heaphones to be plugged in to the four pin balanced XLR on the front of the unit. One question I have is this: If I want a balanced output (on the front of the unit where the cans are plugged in via the four pin on the front) do I need to come up with a cable that is 3.5mm on the 240 player and terminates in two three pin female XLR inputs on the back which is labeled balanced in? I would also like to know if the only way to engage the DAC, is to hook it up to a source via the USB on the DAC. I've emailed Schiit support for an answer. I don't expect you to solve this for me but your opinion is welcome.  Just felt like I needed to explain my situation so that I know we're on the same page.  The pre-amp output is also on the back of the unit and are two three pin male XLRs that are labeled pre out.You can accomplish the same thing with an RCA pre out.  Thanks for you comments. 

 

[KLJTech]

You don't have to feed the amp via its XLR inputs to use its balanced headphone output. Enjoy!

 

[Gavin C4]

According to my Mjolnir 2, I can feed single ended input into it and both the 4 pin XLR and single ended out put at the front will work. I think the Jotunheim will do the same.

 

[franzdom]

Correct and as for the other question, the only DAC input is USB.
For your AK you only need a 1/8" to RCA splitter.

 

[billtboys]

That's great. I've got four or five of those.  So you're saying the DAC is engaged the whole time, but you would use the USB only if you wanted to use the DAC by itself without the amp?

 

[billtboys]

LOL. Yeah, I've already switched from HD600s to Phillip SHP 9500s quickly without thinking.  I'm lucky the driver didn't explode and embed into my skull. 

 

[franzdom]

  That's great. I've got four or five of those.  So you're saying the DAC is engaged the whole time, but you would use the USB only if you wanted to use the DAC by itself without the amp?

 
The DAC is optional the amp is not. 

 

[Gavin C4]

  That's great. I've got four or five of those.  So you're saying the DAC is engaged the whole time, but you would use the USB only if you wanted to use the DAC by itself without the amp?

You can use the amp by feeding Jotunheim with Single Ended input or Balanced input. In this case you are only using the amp function and you listen from the SE and XLR from the front, and also you are able to use the PRE OUT at the back connect it with your powered speaker. 
 
There are PRE OUT (Pre amp) both single end and balanced at the back. When you use USB input, you can take the signal from the Pre amp output at the back and connect it to powered speaker. Is that what you mean by only using the DAC itself? When you are using the Pre OUT, you can control the volume by using the volume nod at the front.
 
But anything that goes through the Jotunheim will be amp(ed). If you dont want the amp, then the only option is to buy a seperate dac such as the Modi 2, bifrost, Gungnir

 

[billtboys]

So then you're saying the only way to engage the DAC is by USB?

 

[billtboys]

The DAC comment was apparently me misinterpreting what I heard a reviewer say. I think I'm only confusing the issue that I confused too much already. Let's forget I ever said that. It sounds like to me, in order to engage the DAC I have to go from micro USB on the AK240 and plug it into the USB on the Jot. Is that correct? BTW I've steered you in the wrong direction. I'm not using the preamp. I'm just wanting to listen to headphones. Sorry I'm being so thick.

 

[Gavin C4]

  The DAC comment was apparently me misinterpreting what I heard a reviewer say. I think I'm only confusing the issue that I confused too much already. Let's forget I ever said that. It sounds like to me, in order to engage the DAC I have to go from micro USB on the AK240 and plug it into the USB on the Jot. Is that correct? BTW I've steered you in the wrong direction. I'm not using the preamp. I'm just wanting to listen to headphones. Sorry I'm being so thick.

This link should have the information that you are finding. 
http://schiit.com/guides/getting-connected

 

[billtboys]

Gavin C4,
That was exactly what I needed. Thank you very much.