Review and Measurements of Schiit Jotunheim and iFi iDSD Black Label DACs and Headphone Amps

[amirm]

"Fun" little observation and measurement. After fixing the grounding issue I thought I tap on the top of the box to makes sure it still maintains connection. I was surprised to see a significant rise in noise in the FFT:

Investigating further, I realized it is the volume control that is "microphonic" and generates noise due to vibration. Because the lid is tightly coupled to the pot shaft, it transmits (and probably amplifies) the vibrations. The pot should really be isolated from the case this way.

I tested the same thing on iFi iDSD and unless you bang on the volume control itself or just at the edge of the case, there is no such effect.

I say this because I am selling a new tweak for Schiit Jotunheim that is called the "Schiit Isolator." As with the jumper cable, it is made in a tropical island and costs $300 for each footer. You will need four for best performance and for that, I provided a $100 discount for a total of $1,100.

 

[Blumlein 88]

"Fun" little observation and measurement. After fixing the grounding issue I thought I tap on the top of the box to makes sure it still maintains connection. I was surprised to see a significant rise in noise in the FFT:
View attachment 13936

Investigating further, I realized it is the volume control that is "microphonic" and generates noise due to vibration. Because the lid is tightly coupled to the pot shaft, it transmits (and probably amplifies) the vibrations. The pot should really be isolated from the case this way.

I tested the same thing on iFi iDSD and unless you bang on the volume control itself or just at the edge of the case, there is no such effect.

I say this because I am selling a new tweak for Schiit Jotunheim that is called the "Schiit Isolator." As with the jumper cable, it is made in a tropical island and costs $300 for each footer. You will need four for best performance and for that, I provided a $100 discount for a total of $1,100.

That's not a bug. It is a feature. It gives it the microphonic qualities of a tube design.

You need to sit it in front of a speaker, and measure the output while another device plays music to get an idea how well it couples thru the Schiit to the output.

 

[svart-hvitt]

"Fun" little observation and measurement. After fixing the grounding issue I thought I tap on the top of the box to makes sure it still maintains connection. I was surprised to see a significant rise in noise in the FFT:
View attachment 13936

Investigating further, I realized it is the volume control that is "microphonic" and generates noise due to vibration. Because the lid is tightly coupled to the pot shaft, it transmits (and probably amplifies) the vibrations. The pot should really be isolated from the case this way.

I tested the same thing on iFi iDSD and unless you bang on the volume control itself or just at the edge of the case, there is no such effect.

I say this because I am selling a new tweak for Schiit Jotunheim that is called the "Schiit Isolator." As with the jumper cable, it is made in a tropical island and costs $300 for each footer. You will need four for best performance and for that, I provided a $100 discount for a total of $1,100.

It starts to make sense now, all the remedies for $$$$$ in the hifi shops.

 

[gvl]

"Fun" little observation and measurement. After fixing the grounding issue I thought I tap on the top of the box to makes sure it still maintains connection. I was surprised to see a significant rise in noise in the FFT:
View attachment 13936

Investigating further, I realized it is the volume control that is "microphonic" and generates noise due to vibration. Because the lid is tightly coupled to the pot shaft, it transmits (and probably amplifies) the vibrations. The pot should really be isolated from the case this way.

I tested the same thing on iFi iDSD and unless you bang on the volume control itself or just at the edge of the case, there is no such effect.

I say this because I am selling a new tweak for Schiit Jotunheim that is called the "Schiit Isolator." As with the jumper cable, it is made in a tropical island and costs $300 for each footer. You will need four for best performance and for that, I provided a $100 discount for a total of $1,100.

Is there a fine print in the manual saying "performs best with the volume turned off" ?

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Have you listened to these the two DACs I mentioned extensively side by side ? Doubt it .

Why would I want to? Just because a bunch of outspoken audiophiles in sighted, unbias controlled listening thought this or that sounded better?

 

[garbulky]

Why would I want to? Just because a bunch of outspoken audiophiles in sighted, unbias controlled listening thought this or that sounded better?

It would be to see what you thought of the sound.

 

[March Audio]

It would be to see what you thought of the sound.

Why would you bother doing that when you know for a fact it performs poorly?

Honestly, what is it with anti knowledge audiophiles?

 

[Kyle / MrHeeHo]

Would it be worth it to perform that headphone load test you did for the DAC3 on both these two units? I'm wondering if the results would reflect your sighted listening impressions.

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

It would be to see what you thought of the sound.

Why care about what I think of the sound? I don't waste my time with shit like Schiit. As far as all the fanboy testimonials go, as someone said here, I think, a million flies can't be wrong.

 

[garbulky]

Why care about what I think of the sound?

You asked a question. I was attempting my guess at an answer. For me, what I think about the sound is what matters in the end.

 

[Wombat]

You asked a question. I was attempting my guess at an answer. For me, what I think about the sound is what matters in the end.

Why do you think your perception of the sound in your particular circumstance would relate to someone else's particular impressions?
Descriptions are not particularly uniform across listeners.

 

[amirm]

Would it be worth it to perform that headphone load test you did for the DAC3 on both these two units? I'm wondering if the results would reflect your sighted listening impressions.

Sure, here they are:

Bit of mixed picture. Given our insensitivity to low frequency distortion, perhaps it does correlate somewhat with what I heard past the crossover point of 300 Hz.

 

[March Audio]

You asked a question. I was attempting my guess at an answer. For me, what I think about the sound is what matters in the end.

Which is dictated by its technical performance and NOT by your ndividual, biased and uncontrolled subjective interpretation / imaginings.

You just haven't grasped what this forum is about have you?

 

[Thomas savage]

I’d like us to avoid the subjectivist/objectivist antagonisms in these threads . If a guy wants to be lead by their perceptions of sound quality rather than what the testing shows please let them get on with it. If you are that guy please know no one here thinks what you reckon holds much water so keep that in mind before being outraged at possible negativity surrounding responses to you.

Either way if this dynamic continues I will be deleting swathes of content as it’s really rather dull and not worth anyone’s time to read.

 

[garbulky]

I’d like us to avoid the subjectivist/objectivist antagonisms in these threads . If a guy wants to be lead by their perceptions of sound quality rather than what the testing shows please let them get on with it. If you are that guy please know no one here thinks what you reckon holds much water so keep that in mind before being outraged at possible negativity surrounding responses to you.

Either way if this dynamic continues I will be deleting swathes of content as it’s really rather dull and not worth anyone’s time to read.

It is dull and unproductive.
There is a difference between a negative opinion/post and hostile behavior. And that's the difference between a friendly forum and an unfriendly one.

 

[Dana reed]

Just out of curiosity, I checked my Jotunheim and Saga, which appear to have the same case design, and both have the top of the case connected to ground. Touching the bottom of the case doesn't show ground, but that's probably because it's painted. when I check the screws that go through the bottom of the case, they are connected to ground.
Would be interesting to see how the measurements came out for the Balanced 4490 DAC card vs the Multibit, since I wouldn't expect the multibit card here to measure any better than the modi multibit or the bifrost multibit.

 

[gvl]

I’d like us to avoid the subjectivist/objectivist antagonisms in these threads . If a guy wants to be lead by their perceptions of sound quality rather than what the testing shows please let them get on with it. If you are that guy please know no one here thinks what you reckon holds much water so keep that in mind before being outraged at possible negativity surrounding responses to you.

Either way if this dynamic continues I will be deleting swathes of content as it’s really rather dull and not worth anyone’s time to read.

Have the powers considered adding a "subjectivist corner" sub-forum?

 

[rmo]

Have the powers considered adding a "subjectivist corner" sub-forum?

Well without subjective comments like mine, you might as well only have audio engineers or similar on the site.

I have zero technical expertise regarding audio measurements.

On each device that fares poorly on a measurement, I would like a comment as to whether the human ear can audibly hear the glitch,hum,etc
or whether it is inaudible. That would help a lot for someone like me that has no engineering background.

 

[amirm]

Well without subjective comments like mine, you might as well only have audio engineers or similar on the site.

I have zero technical expertise regarding audio measurements.

On each device that fares poorly on a measurement, I would like a comment as to whether the human ear can audibly hear the glitch,hum,etc
or whether it is inaudible. That would help a lot for someone like me that has no engineering background.

That doesn't make you a subjectivist.

We absolutely value audibility in our discussions. It is the ultimate test.

What we don't value, and what subjectivism is about, is having any casual listening test, no matter how improper and incorrect, considered valuable and correct. The charter of this forum is to be guided by audio science and research and there, such subjectivism is not accepted at all. Same here.

 

[March Audio]

I’d like us to avoid the subjectivist/objectivist antagonisms in these threads . If a guy wants to be lead by their perceptions of sound quality rather than what the testing shows please let them get on with it. If you are that guy please know no one here thinks what you reckon holds much water so keep that in mind before being outraged at possible negativity surrounding responses to you.

Either way if this dynamic continues I will be deleting swathes of content as it’s really rather dull and not worth anyone’s time to read.

No Thomas we really don't want this forum cluttered up with the audiophile subjectivity rubbish that is found in other forums. So let the ones that don't understand the raison d'etre of this forum feel antagonised if that's how they perceive it and hopefully go to other forums where their anti knowledge views are embraced.