Alright, it didnāt take long as my perception of how things would play out were spot on. I tested using a Hel 2e DAC/Amp combo vs Jotunheim 2 amp single end with Hel 2e as DAC vs Jotunheim 2 Balanced with Hel 2e as DAC
The Hel 2e puts out 1.35w at 16 Ohms while the Jotunheim puts out 2.4w SE and 7.5w Balanced at 16 Ohms. Itās immediately apparent with the Hel that everything feels flat. The dynamics in sound arent there, everything is mixed together at around the same volume. The Soundstage feels smaller, flatter. Itās like the music has very little separation, imaging is soft and really most of it blends together. The timbre isnāt there either, it sounds fake with very little realism.
The Jotunheim 2 in SE is so pleasing. Immediately youāre hit with a more full sound. Iām now surrounded by the sound and am hearing separation in the instruments, and more clarity. Dynamics are introduced and it creates this space where the music starts to pull your attention in different directions. You start to hear the music almost like youāre there instead of knowing itās a recording.
And finally in balanced the Jotunheim 2 is interesting. Single End is good enough but with the extra power youāre now forcing a more analytical sound. Speed and decay are better, notes have a tough edge around them instead of softness. The bass kinda filled the entire Soundstage while everything else around it was played with crisp detail, dynamics were even better. The stage opened up just a tad bit more and with it the imaging distanced itself a bit farther apart making it more noticeable when things panned across. It can be kind of fatiguing compared to the Single end which is in turn more relaxed and smooth. However, I have a bifrost 2 coming and the idea is that it will introduce some warmth and relaxation to the detailed and analytical balanced output of the Jotunheim
Overall Iād say this. I have zero desire to listen to the Hel 2 when I have the Jotunheim 2. Itās quite apparent that the difference between the two is that one sounds good, but the other one makes me want to not stop listening. I can see how the XS could be quite dissapointing if youāre using something like the Hel 2 or even weaker. I keep telling people that loudness is not a measure of sound quality and when it comes to planars I have experienced that more power = More sound quality.
With that being said Iād say go with a Magni+Modi Schiit stack over the Zen stack if youāre going with the XS. Itāll cost you half the price ($200) and have much more power to help the XS sound fantastic
Hrmm, I bought a used JDS Labs Atom+ stack to try and pair with the XS. Based on this do you think thatās going to be inadequate to pair with the XS?
Its running 1w at 32 Ohms which is lower than the Hel 2. The cheapest set up Iād recommend is a Schiit stack Magni and Modi. Or anything thatās at least giving you 2 to 2.5w at 16 Ohms
Get an emotiva a-100 basx, a 100-ish dac (modi, topping e30, etc.,) and some he-400se. You will be happy for months ahead. Then upgrade your dac and buy XS used
ā¦
Profit
The problem I have with it is all the ridiculous marketing lingo and quotes about how itās this all powerful amp thatāll work with everything out there and quite frankly itās deceitful marketing.
But, you wouldnāt be the first person to spend money on audio equipment without knowing what to look for. Including myself
I wouldnāt dive into it so hard if I hadnāt heard the differences myself. And with different headphones at that (Ananda, HD 560s, XS)
I dare anyone to compare an underpowered amp to something in the 5+ watt range and tell me the difference isnāt substantial.
That being said I donāt know how they scale with even more power. Iām using balanced out from my Jot 2 at 7.5w at 16 Ohms. I imagine a speaker amp would gain results but Iām not sure how much itād scale. 7.5w is a lot for headphones already. Someone compare a headphone amp to a speaker amp and chime in!
I wasnāt basing it so much on marketing as I thought I saw other people who said they were using the Atom stack with the XS and working well. So when I was able to get a used Atom+ stack for $140 I thought that would work well.
I.e on another thread someone said;
ā Iām using a JDS Labs Atom + DAC-amp stack. $210 new combined. Works well. Clean power that wonāt color the sound.ā
I guess a little bummed that it sounds like I need to spend $400 (Magnius/Modius) or $500-600 (Jot 2 with a DAC module) to actually get proper performance from the XS.
But Iād rather invest in whatever it is that I need to to actually get good performance
It does seem like the need for such expensive Amp/DACs does change value proposition of the XS a bit to me. Especially if I could keep my Atom stack and spend a bit more to get an Ananda
I thought the same thing when I bought the Hel 2 but what weāre looking at are entry level amps and DACs that may be enough for the people that casually use headphones, or find that level of performance to be satisfying enough. Iām not saying you canāt enjoy these headphones at that level of performance but youāre leaving a lot on the table.
Ananda are a different beast and likewise as scalable as the XS. They are pretty fantastic but different. Theyāre more analytical, the Soundstage is bigger and imaging is more noticeable. My biggest issue was the fit, they gave me splitting headaches.
Audio is tough to get in to, itās expensive and what works for others may not work for you. My advice is get something with a good return policy and when you stop feeling the itch to try something else the youāve found what works for you. Maybe youāre just fine with something lower budget and thatās fine. Donāt let it deter you
An Asgard 3 with a Modi or ES9028 card (or the jds dac) will probably have synergy with a much broader selection of headphones compared to a Magnius. Plus muting pre-outs. Get the Modius later if you feel you need it.
I bought a bifrost 2 and PayPal has been holding my funds for a week now. No shipping until it clears. Iām so pissed, they can take my money in a day but canāt clear it for a week. And then I have to wait for shipping.
I donāt own higher end equipment than the Atom stack though so I donāt really have a way to tell what Iām missing compared to a higher end setup. It sounds good to me, but I wouldnāt really know what something better sounds like
So the Hel 2 and atom arenāt enough? I think the liquid spark is slightly more powerful but itās still is under 2 watts I think, the ananda runs of a potato from what I know, interesting value plot twist if you need a $200 amp minimum ($400 where I am probably lmao T.T)
this thread is starting to sound like the he-6 threads. You can run it on an atom lolā¦will it sound better on a jotenheim, yes most likely but does not mean it doesnāt work with an atom
Speaker amp anyone? 
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