Jotunheim 2 vs Asgard 3 paired with Modius

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories DACs
1

I recently ordered a Asgard 3 and Modius to pair with me Anandas. However, the amp and dac have not come in yet due to backorder.

I was wondering if it would be a good idea, to cancel my Asgard purchase and upgrade to the Jotunheim 2?

Is the jump in performance and balanced connectors worth the extra $200?

Thanks.

2

IMO there’s not a definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to that question. The J2’s party trick is having SE and BAL headphone outs that are roughly equal in technical performance but give you 2 slightly different sound signatures. In terms of raw performance, I don’t think it’s worth $200 more than A3. As I said in my review, in terms of raw performance it sounds like it should be priced at $300 for each of its outputs, IMO - a little bit better than A3 but lagging behind the $500ish amps by a larger gap than its performance gap over A3. But, if you’re interested in having the 2 sound signatures (and you can get it quicker, lol) being essentially 2 $300 amps in one box, then yes, it might be worth the additional $200.

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3

Only if you you are seriously interested/planning on adding balanced capabilities. There is another thread topic dedicated to just that subject discussing why or when it makes sense for either option (SE vs. BAL).

Honestly, as an owner/operator of both an A3 and Jot 2. If you do not have an immediate need or, are only just “thinking” about balanced, I would say save the $200 and run with the A3. You are not loosing out on enough to justify the added cost for the Jot 2, without a specific need for balanced i/o. Or, you have the extra cash and don’t mind paying for the opportunity to experiment.

Anything else I would mention has already been expressed by @WaveTheory in his response to you already, and in his review of the Jot 2.

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Not trying to nullify the Asgard discussion, but changing to the Jotunheim isn’t going to change the fact that you, like me, are waiting on a now March 31st backorder date for the Modius…

5

March 31st? I thought it was March 9th?

6

Ah crap, sorry. I got my backorders mixed up. I’m waiting on a Magnius and Modius since January 29th and they just revised the dates again…