As a Mjolnir 3 owner I can confidently say that this is the best amp I have ever heard

@emotive7

6 ай бұрын

Have you used it as a preamp?

@urbenkam

6 ай бұрын

which other amps you had before?@@emotive7

@hemispherecompensation

5 ай бұрын

Compared with?

@mopnem

Ай бұрын

@@hemispherecompensationthank you…the amount of pointless comments like this can be annoying cause for all we know this could’ve been only the 2nd amp he’s ever heard in his life.

I'd love you to compare the new Mjolnir to the new Aune S17Pro Class A amp that is supposed to be the finest amp under $1000 and setting a new standard for all others. I loved that you discussed the idea of more detail being sharp vs. smooth because more detail to me would normally indicate a sharpness. I've heard some headphones like HiFiMan's HE1000SE described this way also: "Bright but very smooth." Very important point. So thank you for that distinction and a great review Currawong.

Finally a review on KZread, and a great one. I have this amp and am really appreciating it. Kind of new at this hifi/audiophile stuff; all I've had before the Mjolnir 3 is the Topping L50, Topping A70 Pro, Xduoo MT-604, and my Denon receiver's headphone output, but to my ears the Mjolnir 3 is definitely noticeably better. The best way I can describe it is that things sound "fuller, more textured, and better" than anything else I've used, the best probably being the Topping A70 Pro, which I returned because I liked the Xduoo MT-604 better, even though I thought it was technically inferior. But I like this Mjolnir 3 way better than the MT-604. I'm able to quickly switch between the two on 3 different headphones and always prefer the Mjolnir 3; even a lower volumes. Probably not the comparison people want, but that's all I currently have.

My Mjolnir 3 is currently on loan with a friend. That particular friend is always eager to listen to new gear, but rarely ever wants to keep anything around for more than a few weeks. But with the Mjolnir 3, it's been almost two months and he's still happily listening to it every day. That's the highest compliment any headphone amp could hope for if you asked me… ;p

@datdudeinred

7 ай бұрын

Can I be your friend 😉😂

This is indeed a wonderful amp! I use it primarily with a HE1000 stealth and Bifrost 2 amp and I simply love it. Sounds great with my HD650 as well.

@Dovndyr13

7 ай бұрын

Guess you mean DAC. But cool it sounds great with the bifrost 2

@urbenkam

6 ай бұрын

I was thinking about getting hifiman 1000 stealth with this one. how do you define the combo? plz

Thank you for this Amos, much appreciated

Good evening from Toronto ☕️ Nice 👍 amp . For my 60th birthday I treated myself to a new headphone amplifier…I went with the Bryston BHA-1 ..Class A and it’s gorgeous. Now ..I noticed on your bench there’s a Schiit Lokius🧐 I also have one ..and I use it for poor recordings ..it’s not a perfect tool ..but it’s a fair one.😮 Oh, also picked up the AUDEZE LCDX 2021 along with the amp …and my jaw hits the floor on great recordings. Great video. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Great review! I will have to agree that this amp excels at separation and when I first got it I was blown away at how detailed everything sounded vs my old amps(Magnius, Ragnarok 1 and Magnis of various sorts. Using this amp with Audeze LCD X, XC, MX4 and Beyer DT 1990. Schiit Bifrost 2 non 2/64 variant for DAC and Roon as my source.

@sp6450

5 ай бұрын

You know I don't understand why people rate the LCD XC so low. I have one myself and under the correct Amplifier and Dac, the XC really comes alive and gives you imaging and resolution while extracting micro detail like Headphones that would cost twice it's price. It's definitely a great headphone.

Compared to Aune S17 Pro?

I own one and love it. Great amp for the money. I find it pairs nicely with the D8KP LE.

Trying to parse the resolution portion after reading the specs and schiit FAQ; i believe the XLR/RCA difference is topological for how they built it out in favor of full balanced XLR I/O. Great to see Native DSD as a sponsor. Also I saw the correction flash up but im pretty sure you were right the first time 😅 push pull is more power.

@MikeDawson1

7 ай бұрын

I believe the correction was about Distortion (less, not more)

Thank you Now I really can’t wait to get mine 😬

Incredible sound from this hot slab. Not sure where I can find a better sounding solid state amp, esp at the price. Really puts your $2k amp video from a few months ago into perspective, Amos. I kept head-faking with the GSX Mini but couldn’t actually go through with it. I’m becoming a Schiithead; the value is legit. I will have to branch out and get gear from other makers…eventually

@KXP70

6 ай бұрын

The Aune S17 Pro could be a contender, but we won't know for sure without a head to head.

Thanks for the in depth review as always. I'm planning to buy a pair of Planar Magnetic Headphones (most likely a pair of Audeze) and have heard this amp pairs well with that kind of driver. It's either this amp or the Burson Soloist 3X that I currently have my eyes on

@dan-qe1tb

7 ай бұрын

Though they may not be worth $1950 given more modern competition, the newest Audeze LCD-3 headphones are a notable improvement over the previous ones; they had done something to raise the clarity over time. Natural timbre, and voices had body. HE-1000 and Arya hadn't sounded as thick to me; the sound was more diffuse. Planar drivers tend to be current hungry. There's no doubt in my mind that the $1199 Mjolnir can do the job. If it can drive Susvaras.

A little bit more detailed compsrison vs the Master 9 and possibly the Ragnarok, would be appriciated , excluding this a great review. And a one I was waiting for 😊

Any plans on reviewing the Magni Unity any time soon? I'm considering getting one almost exclusively to drive my Beyerdynamic 177X Go. Currently, I'm running them off an Earmen Eagle which is pretty great for detail, tone, imaging, separation but I'd love to have something more ... Schitty (more depth and physicality) but not sure how much of a boost in that/trade-off of detail(?) that might be. But of course now I desperately want a Mjolnir.... Thanks for all your reviews. They're the best in the biz.

Hey! Do you think if the Mjolnir3 will have a good performance paired with the aries 12-1 dac? I also use a Sinxer su6 iis going to the aries.

I didn’t think it drove my Susvara as well as my Ragnarok but they were brand new and breaking in. They seemed to loosen up and the Mjolnir drove them better. At modest volumes I could A/B the two amps and the Mjolnir had more flavor so it was frustrating for me. I decided to swap inputs so the Mjolnir became the preamp for the Ragnarok. The Class A goodness seemed to filter into the Ragnarok. Bass was always punchier and tighter on the Ragnarok if you wanted anything past 2-3 O’clock on the Mjolnir. Accidentally in A/B testing between the two I played the Susvara too hard and lost one side. Got a replacement and haven’t played them as much. Every other pair of headphones drives easily on the Mjolnir and I have Focal Utopia as well. The Mjolnir definitely pairs well with them.

Currawong , Thanks Much !.......

Good review… ++++ it’s an excellent paring with Dan Clark’s Ether Flow C 1.1 (Closed) headphones. Interesting... Place the headphones on my head... adjust my brain… then relax and then the music opens up and flows. Then I hear into the recording... It’s magical. With the MJ3 added to my system it forced my hand and I ordered the Yggdrasil MIM. I After reading Jason's class A thread... Convinced me to own MJ3. It's one endgame. Plays well with others… a keeper. Ultra quite Fans keeps it cool. - Ron Smith

Thanks for this review, I think I'm going to pickup one of these to pair with my Bifrost 2. Speaking of Bifrost 2, I would GREATLY appreciate you're input on the upgrade to a 2/64. You've been my goto source for quite a number of years now. Thank you again.

@nothingelse1520

7 ай бұрын

You consider the Midgard? I've heard them both, didn't notice any magic out of it that would justify the price difference

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

It's coming.

@rcobsesssed

7 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly! @@Currawong

@lpspinners8736

7 ай бұрын

I have both the Bifrost 2 and the Bifrost 2/64 and once the 2/64 settled in, it CLEARLY is a noticeable improvement. I immediately upgraded my standard Bifrost 2 to the 2/64. Very pleased with how it sounds.

@rcobsesssed

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for the response. I appreciate the feedback from someone who has both. @@lpspinners8736

Thanks for this nice review, would be interesting to see how it compares to Aune’s latest tour-de-force in true class A headphone amps, the S17 Pro. Any plans for reviewing the S17 ?

@marlowe1537

7 ай бұрын

Would also like to see a S17 Pro review (though I know you can only review a fraction of the various gear requested in the comments). I've had one for a few days--it's great and it's steal at $700 USD.

@KXP70

6 ай бұрын

​@marlowe1537 I can't wait for mine. It'll be my first time trying a dedicated headphone amp, let alone anything class A. Hopefully we can get a review from Currawong to see how it stacks up against the Mjolnir 🤞

@MorrisonSoft

5 ай бұрын

Currawong has one for review so he could share his opinion any time now

Could you please comment very briefly on the difference between XLR (bal) and 6.35mm (SE) headphone output as well as between XLR and RCA line input in terms of sound quality? It was not very clear in the review. Thanks.

Just paired my M3 with a yggy more is better and just wow wow wow. That pairing seems to open up the soundstage a bit from the Bifrost 2/64. Agreed on your topology changes analysis, push pull feels ever so slightly more dynamic (my preference) over single ended and feedback on feels ever so slightly more precise then off (I switch back and forth depending on what I’m listening to). Changes or quite subtle with my OG focal clears and a slightly less subtle with my Dan Clark aeon rt. Both driven with balanced out. This is my end game dac and headphone amp. Now saving up for my end game headphones: expanse or utopia? Which to choose? Need to find a place to test drive.

Hope you will review burson voyager when it is out as well.

Would love a Violetric v550 review 🙏🏼

@currawong those rings you have around your Studio6 tubes - are these for vibration? If so curious impact you find with them, and if u could share info where to get them? Thank you.. (great video)

@Currawong

5 ай бұрын

They are Herbies tube dampers. I don't find that they make a significant difference with the tubes in the Studio Six, though using damping feet improved the sound a bit, when I last tried comparing.

@goldwerger

5 ай бұрын

@@Currawong thanks! always tried to use damping feet or vibration isolating shelves with tube amps, but those ring dampers have always been a question market to me. may try them and see... thank you 🙏

Hey, just wondering why you never review abyss headphones? I know they measure terribly but wondering your opinion on it.

Wonderfull to hear that I seem to have made the right decision preordering the Mjolnir 3! Verry excited to hear how it performs with my HE1000stealth. However I am only pairing it with the Mojo2 which I guess will likely be a pretty noticable bottleneck .. however sweet the sound of the Mojo2 may be. Do you have a suggestion on what to pair with the Mjolnir BELOW 2000€? I am myself looking at the Chord Qutest and the Shiit Gungnir. Or maybe something R2R? I would be greatfull for any advice or impressions that may help me choose.

@amb3cog

7 ай бұрын

They stopped making the Gungnir unfortunately. ✌️

@priedits

2 ай бұрын

Have you upgraded? I use he1000 Stealth with mojo and now I'm thinking of buying mjolnir 3

Would really like your opinion on the Flux Labs Mentor amp.

Thanks for another great review. Unfortunately for me no remote control means no deal.

Nice Utopias congratulations 🎉 Did you buy them in Japan?

@Currawong

5 ай бұрын

No. Got them via a friend when a dealer decided they would no longer deal with Focal and cleared all their stock. The price in Japan is insane.

I heard your "THIRTY TWO" voiceover 😆 Do you use a 100V -> 120V transformer for Schiit products? Greetings from Chiba ✌🏼

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

Ha! Yes, I use one from 変圧器工房. Unfortunately the price of them has doubled since I bought it.

Just found the channel for the most part. What’s the best competition that exceeds the mjolnir 3?

Still waiting on mine.... patiently waiting....

Great Review. You haven't mentioned anything about the volume knob? is it normal knob?

@Currawong

6 ай бұрын

I didn't? It's a normal one.

@urbenkam

6 ай бұрын

thank you. I wish they had the 128-step relay-switched attenuator@@Currawong

Thank you for your review! I’m confused in regards to the whole class A amps, they talk about it like there is no other amp has it while audio gd has master 9 and holo has the bliss and they are able to give 10 w or more? How come Schiit only 2 w and not more if it’s doable?

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

The problem is heat! The Master 9 has a much bigger chassis with much more metal, and the whole thing gets very warm.

Nice, but it would have been nice to hear a bit more of the sound description. Apart from crazy resolution and bass control how about soundstage, instrument separation, timbre, texture, vocals etc? Thanks!

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

Fair comment. 1. Soundstage: The same as the soundstage and depth of the source used. 2. Instrument separation: Fantastic. That's part of what you get with actual resolution/detail. But also, as the source. 3. Timbre: That's more an issue with headphones. 4. Texture: My comment about how it is so detailed it becomes smooth. I should have added a thought I had later, that you can hear the underlying texture of notes easily with a suitably capable source. 5. Vocals: Depends on the headphones and source primarily.

@turboguzar

7 ай бұрын

​@@CurrawongSound like initial idea of amplifiers, to aplify the electricity/sound without adding or modifying original source. On what degree do you think MJ3 is transperant?

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

I'd say it has a minimal colouration if any, which, if I compare it to the headphone output of the TT2, I'd say is more a difference in the subtleties of the amplification circuit than anything, especially the different modes.

how many room above should I give to the Mjolnir if I want to stack something on top (I see those air vents, maybe 10 cm room)?

@Currawong

4 ай бұрын

Something like that at least.

I'm trying to figure out this vs gsx mini

@Currawong

4 ай бұрын

If you prefer: Resolution: Mjolnir 3 Warmth: GS-X mini

@chronometa

4 ай бұрын

@@Currawong tough call. I think 3 out of the 4 headphones I have will lean slightly warm because of the poor metal recording I listen to.

@brianthomas3354

3 ай бұрын

I have both, They both share and exchange certain strengths. I'd say comes down to desktop space, headphone synergy, and types of music you listen too. The Mini can be a lot more engaging, fun, with more realistic timbre, but the MJ3 can be better with control and separation with more complicated music passages. MJ3 has the push pull and feedback switches, which can be great to use once and while. Mini's volume knob feels great, (alps pot), is super smooth with the correct resistance. The MJ knob, (also alps), is not as smooth, kinda drags for a second then smooth...sandblasted finish feels cheap. I going to keep both for awhile since they're both great.

I want one. But I have so many head amps already. Thanks for the review!

Hi! Would you suggest this against a THX AAA 888 amp to a mixing engineer looking for the most resolving and detailed, clinical but not sterile amp ever?

@Currawong

6 ай бұрын

Yes, absolutely.

@FedericoDigeronimo

6 ай бұрын

@@Currawong thanks so much! I’ve had testing the Aune S17 Pro and that amp is the most forgiving amp I’ve ever tried. Everything sounded the same! My previous amp, Topping A90 Discrete, was miles better even though scene and stage are flat. How would you compare Mjolnir 3 to A90 Discrete?

Ok hear me out. I absolutely love my Mjolnir 3. I sold my Bliss after getting it. Also liked it more than the Bryston BHA-1. With my DAC on the 6v setting the MJ3 pushes the Tungsten pretty good. I’m around 1-2 o’clock. But if you don’t have a DAC that’s pushing 6v or and option to change your DACs voltage, then it could be limited with things like the Tungsten and Susvara. Would be nice to have a tad bit more power. So here’s what I’d love to see Schiit do. Heck, it could even be a limited run, I’ll buy one. Please give us a Mjolnir 3 design in a Ragnarok chassis with a bit more power. Maybe 3 watts? With the Ragnarok chassis we could have the bigger heatsinks and additional inputs, even speaker taps. I know Currawong wanted more inputs and I think it would be great too. Sure it’ll cost a bit more but this thing sounds amazing so let’s give it a bit more juice and features. Jason Stoddard, give us Stormbreaker and kill the competition! Please!🙏 I’ll buy the first one, day one!

@Currawong

4 ай бұрын

A Mjolnir 3 in a Ragnarok chassis would be a Ragnarok, essentially. But, going by my calculations, it's excessively large amounts of voltage swing, as well as current, that the Tungsten needs.

Now all Schiit has to do is to make a tube hybrid version. 👍😎

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

That was the Mjolnir 2. I actually suggested that they bring it back, as it was cheaper too.

@DJaquithFL

7 ай бұрын

​@@Currawong.. I would agree with you completely! 👍😎

Impressive.

It sounds good because it has great specs,its that simple.

@jonathandavis9507

6 ай бұрын

Sure… 😅

Thanks for the review. Could you pls clarify a bit more how SE vs PP sounded to you?

@Whimsical3D

7 ай бұрын

I'm sure he could try, but it won't be of much use to you. From my personal experience with the amp, it doesn't actually have a "sound" per se. Whatever your source and transducers' flavors are, you'll simply get, well, more of. And for the SE versus PP bit? Yes, there's a bit of a difference when you toggle between them. But what that difference sounds like, exactly, will, again, be entirely dependent on your source and transducers. I know this is the least satisfying response one could possibly get, but with this amp, it's just the reality.

@razisn

7 ай бұрын

@@Whimsical3D I'm well accustomed to neutral and transparent amps, for both speakers and HPs, thank you very much.This is certainly not the first one that has been ever made. A difference need not be a tonal or timbral difference to be noticeable. If it's a noticeable real difference then an attempt can be made at describing it. If it is not and it's all placebo, then the different modes are just a gimmick.

@Whimsical3D

7 ай бұрын

​@@razisnOh, gee. I see now how my genuine attempt at responding to your question with a balanced and honest reply could be interpreted as an attack against your person. My sincere apologies, won't happen again. ;p That said, he talks about what SE vs PP sounded like to him starting at 11:55. Easy to miss, I know, since it's the chapter of the video that he so cryptically titled with "circuit and feedback switches." So maybe you could answer your own question by actually listening to what was said in the video instead of barking at strangers who are just trying to help a fellow audiophile out. Serves me right, though, for trying to post something helpful to YT's comment section… ;p

@razisn

7 ай бұрын

@@Whimsical3D Man, you should see a shrink. Seriously now.

"If you listen closely to the chassis it actually hums."

I still have the very first Mjonir....will never part with it!

didnt the Asgard 2 have 1 watt in pure class A?

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

Yes, it did. And it got very hot as well.

@keiths5931

7 ай бұрын

@@Currawong Well I have the Asgard 2 and it has the same power output in SE as the Mjolnir. Do you recall the improvements in sound of the new Mjolnir? Im using the Meze Empys and am looking for an amp to better power them as Im using a Violectric V200. It sounds great but I think they can be pushed a bit better. Im thinking the Mjolnir, or perhaps a used V550. Do you have any thoughts on this? And yes the Asgard 2 runs very hot. Thank you for the reply! Its 1am here and I may be sleeping if you respond to this.

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

I only ever heard the original Asgard at a meet, but the Mjolnir is a considerable step up in resolution from the current Asgard. I didn't talk about the SE output, as most people who buy them will have headphones that come with a 4-pin XLR plug.

@keiths5931

7 ай бұрын

@@Currawong thank you for the insight!

🤤

I listened to one at meetup ..... actually the whole meetup did, they ran it off my DAC. I didn't hear any magic compared to their cheaper amps like the Asgard 2 or Midgard which I own

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

What DAC was that?

@nothingelse1520

7 ай бұрын

@@Currawong RME ADI-2 FS

@Currawong

7 ай бұрын

An Asgard is much "woolier" sounding, but if you don't notice the difference with the music you like, you've saved yourself a lot of money.

@nothingelse1520

7 ай бұрын

@@Currawong when toggling the feedback button it seemed to get quieter. That's all I really noticed

@nothingelse1520

7 ай бұрын

@@Currawong I only use the Asgard 2 work from home. The Midgard or the RME ADI-2 headphon out is my main amplification source these days.

Meow-Meow? What’s MeowMeow?

The mjolnir 2 has more power✌

@sjqideez6626

7 ай бұрын

The Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision DAC/amp is rated at “only” 1W into 16 ohms yet it can power everything I know (Susvara, MySphere, AB1266, K1000, etc). Haven’t tried it with the ModHouse Tungsten yet though.

@c34webb

5 ай бұрын

@@sjqideez6626did you try it with the tungsten yet?