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amdee1979
233
Oct 17, 2018
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Rocking the new Schiit Jotunheim DAC/Amp with the Schiit Wyrd USB Cleaner. I jump around on my headphones daily. Pictured are my Beyer DT770's. Plugged in are my 64audio U4-SE's. I built the headphone/amp stand myself. Simple system, yet great audio reproduction.
DenonFanboy
825
Oct 18, 2018
amdee1979I highly suggest a HD6XX balanced, nice setup dude!
amdee1979
233
Oct 18, 2018
ElvisizerTo say Schiit's products are crap is subjective. Everything is relative. The study you posted was very interesting to read. It's very clear the iFi is a better DAC/Amp then the Jotunheim, can't deny that. But what would the comparison be of the Jotunheim to other products? Additionally, the purpose of that test was to push both systems to the limit. I don't listen to music at levels that would shatter my ear drums just so I can hear the noise floor. I understand the Schiit product may have more distortion, but I certainly don't hear it at the volumes I listen to.
I just switched from a Creative X7 setup, and the upgrade in resolution and instrument separation is vast. I also have the dual AK4490 DAC which has lower THD and frequency response than the multibit module. I use the Wyrd USB filter to help remove more jitters off my PC.
I have no desire to be a douche bag audiophile with a pretentious $10k library of amps, filters, dacs, oscillators, and other useless equipment. I wanted a simple, clean, beautiful mid-fi setup that allowed me better submersion into my average music library. For $500, Schiit provides exactly that, and I would suggest it to anyone else looking for a similar solution. For others seeking pure auditory nirvana of unparalleled sonic performance with indiscernible noise floors and impossibly low SNR's, feel free to blow your wad elsewhere.
Elvisizer
6
Oct 18, 2018
amdee1979schitt really does suck, though. measurements are not subjective. There are many MANY other options that are far better for less $$, shoot, basically any chi-fi dac+amp (like topping) kills anything from schitt. And they're even properly grounded, unlike that Jotu!! lolololol (Seriously schitt, hire an actual electrical engineer, why doncha)
yanasitta
6
Oct 19, 2018
amdee1979Rock that Schiit.
DenonFanboy
825
Oct 19, 2018
ElvisizerWhat’s your setup? I sense jealousy here.
ProfessorPat
380
Oct 19, 2018
ElvisizerWhere Schiit's measurements fall in the spectrum of available gear isn't subjective. But, where gear stops "sucking" definitely is, so yes, whether Schiit "sucks" is absolutely subjective.
I think Schiit's gear tends to be overly bright and generally not the best option out there, but it's not some abysmal hunk of trash, or something to steer people away from immediately. I like to provide other options, sure, but I have yet to be outright disappointed in Schiit gear. Those numbers show the superiority of one alternative (excluding the briefly mentioned, and much more expensive Oppo). How does that show Schiit is terrible across the board, or that anyone outside of iFi is better?
I'm not saying the iFi isn't better, or that measurements are useless, but a few numbers and one person's opinion on the sound doesn't say, "nobody will like this, everyone buy the other thing" in any capacity.
Elvisizer
6
Oct 19, 2018
DenonFanboyoh come on now, I’m not jealous. Even with all that schiit, those beyer’s probably still sound good! i’ve got HD6xx’s with a balanced cable and a mytek brooklyn. Dragonfly red for the phone. Nothing super fancy.
DenonFanboy
825
Oct 19, 2018
Elvisizerkeep calm, I was just kidding.
yanasitta
6
Oct 19, 2018
DenonFanboyI just found this Shiit.
kmeier2001
3
Oct 19, 2018
amdee1979Das good schiit right there
ElvisizerWhile I don’t think Schiit makes bad products, I do think they are over-recommended.
Schiit has a product at almost every $100 increment price point, was one of the first to push Multibit/R2R/Ladder DACs, have a unified “look” to all their Made-In-USA products, and unpretentious yet very carefully crafted marketing. What really put them on the map was being one of the first companies to out-value the Objective2 amplifier back in the day, with the Magni, and then by bringing back Multibit with their Yggdrasil DAC, an old tech from their ancestral company, Theta. They have sustained their popularity by trickling down Multibit products to lower and lower price points, and by carefully responding to market trends (the Jotunheim was carefully created to be a balanced amp, combined with a DAC, at a Just-low-enough price point to entice people when balanced drive started to make people curious).
Subjectively, I’ve always enjoyed their staff at CanJams, but felt underwhelmed with the sonic ability of their products, particularly their amps. Was the Magni good or even great for it’s Price point? Sure, but it’s always sounded a bit sterile to me, and it faces some stiff competition from the Cavalli Spark and many other $99 amps which we barely ever hear. Their Magni, Asgard, and Jotunheim amps all have a fatiguing icy quality to their treble, and the Asgard in particular confused me by how much it muddied the details and overall potential of the MrSpeakers Ether and Schiit’s own Bifrost Multibit. I haven’t listened to the entire amp lineup to determine if they all continue this “Nordic“ theme in their house sound.
I think it’s a shame that people buy a M&M Schiit Stack and assume they’ve reached a practical end-game. @amdee1979, I also had a Creative X7, and a Schiit Bifrost Uber (the model just before your AK4490 version), and even with the X7 stock going line-out vs the Bifrost Uber – both to a nice amp – the sound quality and timbre was SO close between the two. Later on, I upgraded the X7’s opamps (also improves the line-out), which really elevated the output beyond the Bifrost and made it easy to just use the X7 as an all-in-one with better versatility, features (surround, multi-source playback and mixing, Bluetooth, microphone and input, etc) for about the same price as the Bifrost. The new AK4490 may be a noticeable improvement akin to the opamp upgrade on the X7, but the price on the X7 can often be found at $299 these days (like on this site), so someone could start at an affordable price point and then upgrade it later to come close to (or subjectively surpass) your $500’s stack sound quality while objectively having more versatility and features. Schiit “got you” because you were looking for something at that $500 budget, and Schiit said “we have that” while nobody else marketed to you as well as they did.
amdee1979
233
Oct 19, 2018
EvshrugThanks for a great reply! I admit, I am a sucker for good marketing, and I can't disagree that's my end result. I've been in the "audiophile" world for two years now, and admittedly have still so much to learn. It's good to know about the upgrade potential of my X7 as I've been trying to decide what to do with it.
I agree with the treble quality of the Jotun. It does seem rolled off to me compared to the X7, albeit I could manipulate the sound much easier with Creative's software UI. The power output of Jotun is higher with a lower output impedance which is noticeable on my sensitives.
amdee1979Thanks for reading... I know it was a bit long. Hard to describe why I like them but they’re not my favorite.
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