Schiit Jotenheim

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories Headphone Amps
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Just wondering if anyone uses the Schiit Jotenheim?

I had one for quite some time.

Jason Stoddard approached me the other day and is sending a Jotenheim for me to play with in conjunction with my recently purchased Bifrost2. He thought I might like to see how it compares with the THX AAA balanced amps…It should arrive today! :grinning:

https://www.schiit.com/products/jotunheim

Amplifier:
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-700KHz, -3dB
Balanced Headphone Output:
Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 7500mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 5000mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 3000mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 900mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 500mW RMS per channel
Single-Ended Headphone Output:
Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 2500mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 1500mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 800mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 350mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 175mW RMS per channel
THD: <0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS
IMD: <0.0015%, CCIR
SNR: >109db, A-weighted, referenced to 1V RMS
Crosstalk: >-70dB, 20 Hz-20KHz
Output Impedance: Less than 0.1 ohms, balanced or SE, at both gain settings
Input Impedance: 50K ohms
Gain: 2 (6dB) or 8 (18dB), selectable via front switch
Inputs: Balanced XLR and Single-Ended RCA, selectable via front switch
Outputs: Balanced headphone (4-pin XLR), single-ended headphone (1/4” TRS), balanced line preamp, single-ended line preamp
Optional Inputs: Multibit DAC, AK4490 DAC, or Passive MM Phono
Gain Stage: Proprietary Schiit Pivot Point™ fully discrete differential current-feedback topology
Power Supply: One 48VA transformer with 6 stages of discrete or integrated regulation and over 70,000uF total filter capacitance

Optional Dual AK4490 DAC:
USB Input Receiver: C-Media CM6631A
D/A Conversion IC: AK4490 x 2Input Capability: up to 24/192
Analog Output: fully differential, active summing and filtering
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz, +/-0.1dB, 2-100kHz, -3dB
THD: <0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, full scale
IMD: <0.001%, CCIR
S/N: >108dB, referenced to 2V RMS, unweighted

Optional Multibit DAC:
USB Input Receiver: C-Media CM6631A
D/A Conversion IC: Analog Devices AD5547
Digital Filter: Schiit Comboburrito Time- and Frequency-domain Optimized DSP filter
Input Capability: up to 24/192
Analog Output: fully differential, active summing and filtering
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz, +/-0.25dB, 2-100kHz, -3dB
THD: <0.005%, 20Hz-20KHz, full scale
IMD: <0.006%, CCIR
S/N: >109dB, referenced to 2V RMS, unweighted

Optional Passive Filtered Phono Stage:

Gain: 42dB

THD: <0.01%, A-weighted, at 1V RMS

SNR: >80dB, A-weighted, inputs shorted

Crosstalk: -70dB, 20-20kHz

Sensitivity: 2.3mV for 400mV output

Overload Margin: >20dB

Input Impedance: 47k ohms

Input Capacitance: 100pf

RIAA Accuracy: +/- 0.25dB, 20-20kHz

Topology: Fully passive RIAA network with AD8599 gain stages and PET film capacitors throughout, DC coupled, with DC servo

Power Consumption: 25W typical

Size: 9” x 6” x 2”

Weight: 6 lbs

APx555 Report for Jotunheim
APx555 Report for Jotunheim with 4490 DAC module

APx555 Report for Jotunheim with Multibit DAC module

Alex

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Experience:

Well I never had the Jotenheim on my radar for a headphone amp…just thought it was well, just another amp, middle of the class, run of the mill…when I was looking for a new amp that had those “stellar” measurments and had a balanced solution that would fit my “world”.

Been thru tubes and even have a Schitt Vahalla 2 which to today I think provides one on the best parings for the Senn HD600’s…its just short of magical at times! Still do. Back in the early days I remember conversing with Jason about this Corvette and him making stuff for headphones in that tiny garage…I bought a first gen ASGARD and LYR…had to see what this snarky upstart maverick was up to…reminded my of some of the young EE’s I used to work with at IBM, designing computer memory. but on the side they all were building stereo amplifiers!! Mavericks with neat ideas and the smarts to make stuff happen…Me? Well lets say I can solder and fabricate stuff well!!..my love for DIY!

Over the years Schiit has grown up, well somewhat! They still have that "I am going to do it my way attitude and show the world things can be good, and not cost mega-bucks…Jason and Mike have rocked the world with there stuff love it or hate it…they have a rabid follwing and I are “one”!

So the other day I was quite surprised to get PM from Jason at Head-Fi asking me if I would like to try out a Jot? Well my first thought was Why?? To try with my new Bifrost 2 with a totally balanced setup…ok? Then Jason replied “It might make a good (discrete, low loop gain) counterpoint to the THX amps, kinda like Magni 3+ vs Heresy.” Well…that makes sense!!

When you look at the numbers of the Jot, they are really pretty stellar for a discrete design even compared to the stellar measurements of the THX AAA stuff…one of those things from Jason where he goes and build a highly integrated OP amp Heresey and a great little Magni3 for the same price! Then has the balls to tell “us” to you decide!! Ha!! Love it!..

So its with his stating it might be 'fun" to try a Jot…and see how it goes!! Well its going very well thanks you!

The parallels are very similiar to what people have stated about the discrete and non-discrete new Magni 3 series! Both amps are great, but is one greater than another? Only you can decide.

The Jotenheim I was sent is the black with silver knob version to match the B2. Am still amazed on how much this mini tank weighs! Its SOLID. Feels good. And its NOT made in China! Parts compared to the Monoprice ae superior mechanically to me. The volume pot in the Jot is “Huge!” the vol pot in the THX AAA is tiny! and like some smaller pots over time they can develop a scratchiness and then its a send it back to get the pot replaced or get out your contact cleaner…the vol pot I believe is a fully balanced one in the Jot?

One thing that kept this off my radar when it first came out was it was described as a “Configurable Desktop Control Point”…Well what is that?? I just want a amp and or a dac…whats configurable? It hurts my brain when I have to dwell on such complex matters or desgins !! Ha! Simple me.

I as an old 2 ch stereo purist used to hate all things configurable, loath Eq’ing and tone controls…just give me a stright wire with gain, bit perferect and if the source was crap, well time to move on to a bettere recording…

Then I read the reviews and manual! Voila the old dog learns new tricks! You mean I can have a dac installed in the Jot and its still an amp, or just use the dac if I want etc…hmmm…well i can see how this would make some people like this piece of gear…but for me I want to hear how good this powerful balanced amp would play compared to the other balanced setup I have now.

Both are $400. One is definitley made better overall and thats hands down the Schitt Jotenheim. Both have plenty enough power to make most headphones melt if you not careful. The THX AAA beats the Jot on pure specs, but thats not everything.

So how do they sound? Well they do sound different, and to me the JOT has a nicer musical presentation …the soundstage is wider in my head…and it has a slight warnth to it…where as the THX AAA aounds very clinical and dry at times. Either amp would do just fine, but when you get them side by side and can actually choose one, IMO its the Jot over the THX AAA by a small margin sonically. The Jot had more body in its sound…full throatiness that makes me smile alot…listen to some good old Beatles…LOUD like Abbey Road and its a rock concert all over my head!

I could bore you with a dozen songs and the exact details to look out for when comparing stuff…but at my age, I dont have the time!! LOL…So if your looking for a "configurable desktop control center, amp/ dac. phono, SE, balanced, hi, low gain, powerful amp…look no farther this should be on your list!!

Take a Jot with a Bifrost 2 and be prepared for countless hours of great listening!!

Back to Eric Clapton!!

Many, thanks for Jason for the ability to experience this amp…The boys are Schitt are indeed special!

All the best
Alex

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So if Schiit were to come out with a new Jotenheim what would you like to see it have or do??

Alex

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I have one, doesn’t get much use anymore, I prefer it to the THX amps I’ve heard, it still stages very flat (though better than the 789), and the treble can be a bit in your face, though it doesn’t have the dry brittleness of the THX.
In a lot of ways it was the original measurement focused amp.

What I’ve never been able to clarify is if there was a silent revision to the Jot, the internet seems to say there was, and mines recent enough it would have it, but I can’t find anything definitive from Jason or anyone else at Schiit.

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Funny many folks seem to think the Jot is warm.

I find it to be stellar in the balanced outs with many cans…and I have all the latest stuff etc…

But we all hear differently for sure…

So what needs to be changed or updated?

Alex

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I think what I hear as in your face treble is what people like @M0N describe from the Jotenheim as compressed sounding. It’s not overtly bright and I’ve never considered what I hear compression.

I’m all about staging and presentation these days, which is why I pick other similarly priced amps over it by choice (SW51+, ZDT Jr, Liquid Platinum, Whammy).
It’s not at a price point I’d consider if I were buying SS at this point, so I’m probably not the right person to give feedback.
The problem with the Jot to me is more an issue with Schiit’s lineup of amps, it needs to differentiate itself in some way, since I don’t really care balanced or not, to me it has to sound much better/different than the Asgard 3, and I’m not sure it’s pricing will allow that.

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To me the jot while it isn’t really brighter leaning and is a bit warmer it also ends up having pretty forward and somewhat etched treble, it’s sharper and strangely peaky but on some cans it works out, personally I don’t find this an issue on new schiit amps though like a magni 3+ or asgard 3, but it was an issue to me on their older amps

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I recently had a Chinese Soundaware P1 in house with a Topping D90 and a set of Hi-Fiman Susvaras
and got to play with both amps…and several others i have here.

The Schiit Jotenheim actually made the Susvaras dance nicely…I preferred the sound over the more costly Class A P1…which ran as HOT as heck!

Nothing approaching “etching” at all here…depending on what headphones u use this treble thing you describe might be more noticeable. But with Focal Clears which are bright cans (IMO), Meze Emperyeans, HEDDs or HD 600s the Jot is just fine here to my ears…

With the P1 amp, treble emphasis was there in “spades!” Very bright and was not to my liking at all expecially paired with the D90.This was an in your face bright sound that made me turn down the volume many times…

IMO the Jot is the Swiss Army Knife of head amps…albeit with a “pretty” sharp blade IMO.

Getting improvements in power, better parts, all the secret sauce Schiit has like Continuity, Nexus, same price, preamp switch, black or silver…whats not to love?

It could be the amp that would drive 99.9% of the stuff out there very well…

Alex

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Sure but that’s true of almost all headphone amps, there are a few headphones that require the extra power.

There are other ~$500 amps I’d rather own (and I do), and if I were buying and trying to drive a $6000 headphone, I wouldn’t be picking a $500 amp.
My current main headphones are a D8000 Pro and a Verite Closed, neither really make sense off the Jot, it’s pretty good with the Gjallarhorn, but Id probably take the Asgard 3 over it, or a Whammy, or a Liquid Platinum…

The Jot is fine for what it is, but it’s in a bit of a no mans land for price, unless you need the additional power and balanced, with the Asgard 3 providing a good powerful amp for less and other competitors at $400.

I guess perhaps I could put this differently, there is nothing wrong with the Jot, it’s a powerful, balanced, reasonably good sounding amp. I’d take it over THX amps (but I have low opinions of those), it’s just not something I’d recommend. But that issue is as much about what’s available around it, and personal preference, there are few places where the Jot would have an advantage for most people over an Asgard 3, and I’d usually suggest people make a bigger step if they want to step up from the Asgard.
At some level I’m loathed to talk about equipment in isolation synergy is a thing, there is quite probably a place for the Jot for some people.

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It depends on what you define as driving 99.9% of headphones “very” well is…

With Schiit you have many great choices at differing price points and that make us consumers all winners for sure.

And many folks want balanced and power. How many times do you read and hear why didnt you make it with a balanced connection, Why is the SE part worse than the Balanced section? No matter what u make someone always thinks its not perfect, underpowered, overpowered and lacking in something …

IMO the Jot at $399 is in the sweet spot for a powerful amp that has pretty much all the bases covered.
HE6 sure, Susvaras sure, all those more efficient cans sure, balanced sure, SE sure, etc…

Again the great Schiit story is there are many choices…and with the JOT if you do want power its there for $399. Yes the Asgard 3 is a great option for $199, but its SE only and some well…will like this and do and others will want balanced…fine too.

I do have a Whammy, an Asgard 3, Lyr3, Magnius, Vahalla2, Magni 3 etc…as far as the Liquid Platinum goes i had one here that was recapped with boutique caps and a pair of military miniature tubes ($240 a pair) and it ran HOT as heck…the volume pot at full off leaked sound and it did not really impress me over anything else I have…and they just dropped the price down ALOT…wonder why? Not impressed at all.

If Schiit updates the Jot with even more power, better parts, all that secret sauce a good amp will become even better IMO.

Waiting!!

Alex

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All the ones @ZeosPantera tricked into thinking that it’s inherently better :joy:

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Actually and unfortunatley the old age debate between SE and Balanced it still real today.

And technically its a moot point in theory and in real life IMO.

But the reality of it is in many headphone amplifiers, whether we like it or not the only way to get the maximum power out of a particular amplifier is often via the Balanced output circuit…

Also in some amplifiers that have bot SE and Balanced outputs, the actual specifications or measurements many be very different…

Now this might not matter to you at all…fine.

But it cant be ignored if you want the “whole story!”

Just say’in!
Alex

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That’s mainly due to balanced amps mainly focussing on their balanced outputs rather than their SE outputs due to being balanced amplifiers though

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This is true with some amps but not with others…

And if its true and this is an amp u want for whatever reason…and u want max power, good or bad, its still a fact…

Some of the better designed amps have both outputs optimized …some dont.

Alex

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The only way to really optimize both is to have both a balanced and unbalanced amps in the same chassis. Otherwise you have 3 choices:

  • gimp the balanced out
  • gimp the unbalanced out
  • gimp both so they sound the same

How much one or both are gimped depends on the designer and budget.

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Cross-post. Seems relevant here too.

https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/schiit-asgard-3/4398/540

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You have a 4th option and that is an “half-way” where you need to ensure your “negative” amp-section work towards the same potential (or just have 10 Ohm output impedance).

Could be done by detecting a plug in the TRS-socket, have never seen this done in practice though.

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My jot is used for my Mac mini (secondary computer) since I have the integrated multi it dac. It is also basically my speaker preamp now. I just got a bifrost so I was going to get an xlr splitter so I can also connect my pc to the jot simultaneously

Mac > jotunheim through integrated dac > speakers

Pc > bifrost > jotunheim > speakers
> rnhp through balanced
> ifi can single ended
> tuba single ended

That way my pc is connected to everything at once since I used it most. Then when I use my Mac, I just have to flip the input switch on the jot to the integrated dac.

I just need to find a good xlr splitter. I already have an rca splitter.

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Like most of us here we like “Stuff” and gosh I have bought and built a lot of stuff in this crazy hobby or pastime…and for most of us there are no “absolutes”…but we sure do have our opinions!! LOL.

You get a low cost amp, with not much power, no balanced or anything else fancy, buy a set of $200 headpones and think you have found audio nirvana…

The you start down the road of hey whats this balanced thing about, and why are those higher cost amps touting so much more power than my $100 amp? Is it real, does it matter? You read a myraid of discussions pro and con…then what happens!

Your buying that stuff just because YOU want to see for yourself what the “truth” is…for yourself.

And many of us do this over and over…rinse and repeat!!

Then you get a HE 6 or a low efficiency planar and the low power low cost amp just doesnt “Seem” to cut it anymore, so you go read, do it all over again…and voila another more pricey nice new amp with more watts and maybe even balanced!! You smile once again…but soon the doubt creeps in and history repeats itself…

IMO after doing this 50+ times over 30+ years…I still have several amps here, but in reality that little Jot is smiling at me saying " what took you so long???"…

Ah life is good!
Enjoy the music, while you can!
Alex

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I personally have a Jote, a Liquid plat, Asgard 3, Corda Jazz and my electrostats (Koss). Each of these have their purpose and each of these is amazing in their own way. Most are fed with a Schiit Bifrost 2 that also feeds my Kali audio LP6s… The Jote is fed by a SMSL SU-8. The Jote feeds my Adam T5Vs and a sub as well as any headphone I own and I have a ton of those as well as several IEMs… No complaints about my setups at all… Right now I am taking the time to refine my home theater… Next up is a good 75" tv to go with my Denon AVR

Keeps me out of the bars so to speak and is supremely enjoyable !!

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