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

[pkane]

And if you think individual perception is no indication of performance ... well, there are a lot accounts and business owners much wealthier than you ready to laugh.

Yes, and the original snake oil salesman made a lot of money too, with many millions of doses of the 'medicine' sold. Does that prove anything beyond the extreme gullibility and suggestibility of the consumer?

 

[JJB70]

Instead of audio, think of a race car: there are zillions of performance measurements than can be (and are) taken of any given car but, at the end of the day, they don't (and can't) predict performance on any given day with a reliable level of accuracy ... and one of, but not the only, reason for that is the driver and the environment on that day. In fact, there's so much inaccuracy in the predictive value of measurements, there's a healthy wagering economy.

That's the problem with humans: it's so easy for us to be arrogant, believing with our measurements we've got it all got it all figured out.

That's a false comparison, a racing car is a user controlled complex system which performance is ultimately determined by the skill of the driver. You can engineer a car with a given acceleration and braking performance, grip, turning performance etc etc but ultimately to get the best out of it needs a driver with the responses, coordination and nerve to be able to take it to the limit without losing control and killing themselves.

However, if you break it down to the engineered systems of a car then these are designed analytically and their design is based on a combination of calculation (including FEA modelling) and measurement. There is nothing subjective about it. If you take the engine, you can analyse and model combustion performance including normalising for different ambient conditions, you measure combustion efficiency and evaluate different fuels, it's relatively easy to calculate fatigue and torsional characteristics from the mass - elastic data of the shaftline and combustion harmonics etc in order to optimise the shaft design. All of it adds up to the engineers knowing how an engine will perform and optimising design based on objective calculation and measurement.

An audio system takes an input carrier, extracts the audio signal, converts it to analogue (unless it's an analogue carrier), amplifies it and then converts it to audible vibration in transducers (headphones or speakers). The final stage does need some subjective judgement but the DAC, amp etc can be designed entirely based on measurement and analytical processes.

I don't dispute that subjective opinion is important in deciding what equipment we prefer, but even there how much of that is based on liking equipment that adds a warm gloss to poor recordings? I sometimes see equipment derided as being harsh, clinical, lacking all the usual subjective descriptive terms etc when actually I've found the problem is that if they're fed some poorly recorded and mastered mess then that's what they give the listener, warts and all when people would rather it was smothered with a bit of fuzziness to make it palatable. The problem with that is it might be nice for badly recorded and mastered material but it strangles very well recorded and mastered material.

 

[Veri]

View attachment 15530

These power cords you mentioned, what problems did they solve?

If I recall correctly, these are actually in Amir's backlog for review/measurement I sure wonder if they do anything at all!

 

[JJB70]

To return to Schiit, have they addressed the issue of sharp casing edges and corners? When I've picked their gear up in person this is one of the aspects that has taken me aback somewhat as it doesn't cost much to design and build stuff that doesn't have such sharp edges. OK, some will say it's audio gear, not a childrens toy and that's true, but this stuff goes in homes where children are allowed out of their cages to wander (occasionally) and I'm sure most of us have been slightly careless when picking sharp edged stuff up from time to time (has anybody never had a paper cut?). Stuff like that is just the basics of good design to me, but it's an aspect that seems to be seldom remarked upon in reviews.

 

[Thomas savage]

Can we get off this tangent please and return to the subject of the op.

Cheers

 

[ernie824]

This is a review, detailed measurements and comparison of Schiit Jotunheim Headphone Amplifier (with its optional Multibit DAC) and iFi iDSD Black Label DAC and Headphone amplifier. Both are on kind loans from members and arrived on the same day. Seeing how their prices are similar, I decided to compare them to each other. The iFi however, has built-in battery, is far smaller and less power hungry, making it suitable for portable use in addition to desktop. The Jotunheim on the other hand, is firmly a desktop product, in a pretty heavy case for its size and is mains powered. Here they are together:

View attachment 13844

I say the minimalist look of Schiit products is best represented in this form factor. I also like the heft and feel of the large volume control.

The ifi is quite cute and nicely done from style point of view. Alas, I don't like switches spread everywhere on the side and bottom. Placement is more optimized though so perhaps that is good for performance.

As mentioned, the Schiit Jotunheim came with its optional DAC board. With the included DAC it retails for USD $599 plus shipping direct from Schiit (they don't sell any other way). The iFi iDSD Black Edition seems to be listed at the same price. So it is a fair comparison from that point of view.

Both worked in plug-and-play mode with Windows 10 Creators edition. For measurements I used ASIO4ALL to create an ASIO interface for my Audio Precision analyzer software to control them. For listening, I used WASAPI interface in Roon player.

iFi iDSD Black supports DSD up to 512 whereas Schiit Jotunheim DAC does not support DSD at all. On the other hand, the Schiit Jotunheim has both balanced analog inputs and outputs in addition "balanced" headphone out. I did not test any of the balanced functionality in this review.

I am sure you are all anxious to see how they measure so let's get into that:

Measurements
Let's start with our usual Dashboard of iFi iDSD Black:

View attachment 13845

I have set the level of the headphone output to 2 volts to more or so match the nominal RCA DAC outputs. At 93 SINAD (signal over distortion+noise) fidelity is respectful. No, it is not at the state-of-the-art desktops that go 110 dB and beyond but pretty good for a portable USB DAC with headphone output.

Switching to Jotunheim, we see clearly reduced performance at the same 2 volt output:
View attachment 13846

We lose 10 dB of SINAD. And we see that mains hum in the FFT spectrum as indicated.

The story does not end here though. By chance, I put my hand on the Jotunheim while having my other hand on the metal case of my laptop and to my amazement saw that mains hum go right down! What the heck???

I disconnect power and pull out the power and check for grounding. I first test to see if there is continuity between mains safety ground and unbalanced/RCA signal ground:

View attachment 13847

We get 0.2 ohms which essentially says they are connected. Now the same test but this time with the upper part of the case:
View attachment 13848

Yup. "OL" means open load or no connection whatsoever! Notice how I am poking my sharp leads into the drilled holes of the upper case. There is some kind of coating on it that insulates electricity which I suspect the reason it is not grounded. However it is screwed to the bottom (which is grounded), there is no electrical connection.

So I ground the upper case using the same drilled holes to the RCA connection as such:
View attachment 13849

And our dashboard now shows:

View attachment 13850

Look at the FFT. The mains hum is gone, gone, gone! The worse channel (#2) shows 1.6 dB of improvement in SINAD. All with a 10 cent wire jumper!

Note that the difference was more dramatic at other times.

The Jotunheim like other Schiit products uses an EI core transformer (as opposed to toroidal) so it is essential that the entire case is grounded to keep the magnetic field from coupling into the audio circuit.

More important, this is a three-pronged mains input in a device with metal case. This means it is NOT double insulated and as such, from safety/UL point of view, it most definitely needs to have the entire chassis connected to mains safety ground. Should the hot lead come in contact with the upper case holes, it will energize it and no circuit breaker will trip! Yes, it is a one in a million chance of happening but if it happens to you, it will be a one in one chance.

This problem needs immediate investigation by Schiit. I suggest that owners get an ohm meter with sharp probes and repeat my test above. If you get an open load as I did, contact Schiit and ask them to investigate and repair.

Anyway, let's continue with distortion versus frequency measurement:
View attachment 13851

Once again, the iFi DSD Black provides competent performance whereas the Schiit has that odd rising distortion with frequency. 0.3% distortion at 20 kHz in this day and age? Really? This is unacceptable. It is likely running out of gain to provide feedback and reduce distortion.

Here is the intermodulation distortion versus input level:
View attachment 13852

Looks like one channel in iFi iDSD Black is noisier than the other. As the signal gets larger, that difference gets lost in the noise literally and performance is good. But again, not in desktop category as shown by the Oppo UDP-205 -- one of the best measuring DACs out there (really a UHD Blu-ray player). The Schiit Jotunheim underperforms the iFi iDSD Black by 10 dB or so. This is very significant difference.

How about jitter and noise?
View attachment 13853

While iFi iDSD Black outperforms the Jotunheim by 10 dB again in noise, the latter seems to have a decent performance too. So not much to complain about.

And oh, here is the frequency response for iFi at 44.1 kHz CD sampling:

View attachment 13855

And Schiit Jotunheim:

View attachment 13856

The reconstruction filter in the DACs rolls off the highs in both starting at 17 kHz. Not an issue for us older folks but for younger crowd, it would be good to have this be a couple of kilohertz higher.

As headphone amplifiers, probably the most important measurement is distortion versus output power. These are newly styled measurements that show the power directly. They rely on me remembering to set that parameter correctly which I think I have (crossing fingers). First at 300 ohm load to simulate a headphone like Sennheiser HD-650:
View attachment 13857

The iFi iDSD Black yet again shows off its lower noise but I was very surprised to see it outperform the Schiit Jotunheim on power! The iFi is a USB powered product folks. Yet it is pushing more power and cleaner level than Schiit Jotunheim which seems to have some kind of internal limiting.

Stepping down to 150 ohm we get this:

View attachment 13858

Same differential in performance in favor of iFi.

And 33 ohm:

View attachment 13859

Amazing. The iFi continues its lead at all output loads/impedances.

Finally, let's look at channel imbalance as I in real-time adjust the volume control and the analyzer plots the power (at 300 ohm load) versus channel imbalance. First iFi iDSD Black:

View attachment 13860

I put both units in their lowest gain mode because that is the most useful scenario. There, the error for the iFi is below 0.3 dB or so until the very end/minimum level. Audibly you can easily tell one channel cuts out earlier than the other in high-gain mode. In low/eco mode, it is much, much less noticeable. With three different gain settings, I don't think this is a problem for the iFi.

Here is Schiit Jotunheim:

View attachment 13861

The Jotunheim is more well behaved here with channel balance maintained much better at the limit.

Output impedance was excellently low in both with iFi landing at 0.9 ohms and Jotunheim at 0.8 ohms.

Let's get into how they sound.

Listening Tests
I usually perform level match testing of headphones. This time I thought I do as others do, listen to music and quickly switch the headphone jack back and forth (playback is ganged through Roon). Even though the tests are sighted and obviously not level matched, I think the results mirror measurements pretty well because focus is on power delivery and clarity. Then again, they may just be my imagination so read with caution!

I started my testing with my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. I seem to never have enough power to drive these. Well, that changed with this review.

I started with my electronic tracks which I find most revealing with headphones and headphone amps. To wit, this track from 20 KID: https://suiciderobot.bandcamp.com/track/switch

Here is another one of their tracks:

I must say, I didn't there was a such a thing as "subwoofer for your ears" but this is the best analogy I can come up with when driving the HD-605s with iFi iDSD Black. At mid-levels before pain sets in, you can feel your ear lobes vibrating and the headphone cups taking flight! Yes, the cans start to physically vibrate back and forth. It was an incredible and highly satisfying experience I had not had with headphones!

What is that? Speak up, I can't hear you! Yes, it was loud, but not too loud for a few seconds of testing.

Too loud came after turning up the level even more! It now feels like my head is inside the drums. What an experience. If I did not fear permanent hearing loss, I would listen like this all day! I must say, the sound stayed clean until I got too scared to turn it up further.

I then switched to Schiit Jotunheim. It too had incredible power able to make the headphone cups run for their lives. Alas, the bass is less clear and distinct than the iFi. And highs have this smeary slightly weird sound to them.

Mind you, the extra power of the Jotunheim is quite a bit more satisfying than lower distortion but lower power headphone amps. It is just that in the presence of the iFi iDSD Black, it had power but without the finesse. So I can understand the praise this unit gets.

I should say that the iFi iDSD Black as the measurements showed, has more power and headroom than Jotunheim.

Next I switched to a low impedance Grado SR60e. With ifi at low volume the experience is quite satisfying with highly dynamic sound. Turn up the volume just a quarter though (in "turbo" or highest gain mode) and the Grado starts to cry. The drivers start to rattle and buzz. Prior to that there is a transition period where distortion sets in. It is fascinating to see the headphone distort well before the amplifier does.

Using the Gradoes with Jotunheim was unpleasant after listening to iFi drive them. High frequencies are more distorted at almost all listening levels.

Next was Sony MDR-V6. At more than a quarter volume with the iFi, it felt like the drivers were going to tear up! These headphones simply can't handle power. Driving them with Jotunheim delivered a dull experience in contrast. Detail and distinction in bass gets lost due to the amp and the driver distortion screws up the rest.

Last but not least is HiFiman HE400i. What a delight these headphones are. As with Sennheiser HD-650s, they easily handle enough power for the cans to take flight and your hearing anatomy dance to the pressure waves of the music! Distortion was so low that I could turn the volume enough until my cheeks started to resonate with music! Too scared to push the volume above 2:00 o'clock position.

The experience with Jotunheim was muddy and dull again. Yes, the power is there to rattle my teeth just fine. But the overall fidelity simply is not there compared to iFi iDSD Black. As you turned up the volume to the end, distortion gets really bad and obvious. This is in sharp contrast to the iFi which would deliver clean power to the extreme.

Conclusions
It was great to test these two high-power headphone amplifiers. They forever changed my experience and expectation of headphone amplifiers. Between the two, the iFi iDSD Black Edition is a clear winner. It is so both in objective measurements and subjective listening tests across multiple headphones.

The lack of upper lid grounding in Jotunheim is a safety concern and likely the cause of hum and noise in its user base. It produces higher distortion and noise which I find audibly objectionable. It also generates fair bit of heat. The top is borderline too hot to put your hands on.

In sharp contrast, the iFi iDSD Black barely gets warm and delivers power that belies its diminutive size. The fact that this much performance is also portable with battery power, is incredible. As such, iFi iDSD Black Edition gets my strongest recommendation in headphone DACs and Amplifiers. Well done iFi.

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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

If you like this review, please consider donating funds for these types of hardware purchases using Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/audiosciencereview), or upgrading your membership here though Paypal (https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...eview-and-measurements.2164/page-3#post-59054).

Thank you Amirm for the comparison between the ifi iDSD Black Label and Jotunheim and I will be picking up a iFi iDSD Black down the road in the near future. So how does the iDSD Black compare to Chord Mojo? and I love your review on the NX4 DSD, cause I do have one and so far I'm loving it the NX4 DSD, it's my first dac/amp I have owned, continue on making great content reviews

 

[amirm]

Thank you Amirm for the comparison between the ifi iDSD Black Label and Jotunheim and I will be picking up a iFi iDSD Black down the road in the near future. So how does the iDSD Black compare to Chord Mojo? and I love your review on the NX4 DSD, cause I do have one and so far I'm loving it the NX4 DSD, it's my first dac/amp I have owned, continue on making great content reviews

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the kind words.

I have not measured the Chord Mojo. If someone has one and is willing to loan it to me, that would be great.

Looking at Mojo specs, its DAC portion should be superior to iFi iDSD Black. However, its amplifier has far less power than iFi iDSD. And that, matters a lot with headphone listening than the DAC itself. So unless you listen at low volumes or have very efficient headphones at lower impedances, I would guess than iFi iDSD Black would sound better.

 

[RayDunzl]

Re: Measurements

"Hey. Your socks don't match."

"I go by thickness." - Stephen Wright

 

[Dana reed]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the kind words.

I have not measured the Chord Mojo. If someone has one and is willing to loan it to me, that would be great.

Looking at Mojo specs, its DAC portion should be superior to iFi iDSD Black. However, its amplifier has far less power than iFi iDSD. And that, matters a lot with headphone listening than the DAC itself. So unless you listen at low volumes or have very efficient headphones at lower impedances, I would guess than iFi iDSD Black would sound better.

I don't have the iFi, but can speak to the Mojo having plenty of power for DT880 600 Ohm and HE560, driving both to earsplitting levels. Those are the two hardest to drive cans I own, (with Amiron Home, HD600, DT770 80 Ohm, LCD2 and all Sonys and Grado obviously, being relatively easier). If I was willing to give up the Mojo for a time, I'd loan it for review. How long would it usually take?

 

[amirm]

If I was willing to give up the Mojo for a time, I'd loan it for review. How long would it usually take?

My backlog is terrible right now but if we arrange it for fall, and we coordinate it, I can turn it around in a week. I ship it 2-day USPS so all in all, you would be out about two weeks.

The testing itself only takes a day but I like to allow time for questioning, retesting, etc. and hence the one week time frame.

 

[Pavano]

Since the iFi analogue input was sub par, could you perhaps test it against the iFi Ican special edition, first version or pro? That would be great!

 

[amirm]

This was a loaned unit so unfortunately I can't measure it anymore.

 

[Pavano]

I understand. Thanks.
any plans to take a look at the icans at all?

 

[Veri]

I understand. Thanks.
any plans to take a look at the icans at all?

Probably only if someone is willing to send theirs in

 

[Pavano]

Probably only if someone is willing to send theirs in

I would if I'd own one

 

[amirm]

I understand. Thanks.
any plans to take a look at the icans at all?

I have two other iFi products to review so let me get through those and then we can decide.

Meanwhile, it would be very useful to contact manufacturers and tell them that you are interested in their products but won't purchase without us measuring it first. Maybe that will prompt them to send one in without strings attached.

 

[frogmeat69]

I have two other iFi products to review so let me get through those and then we can decide.

I know one of the iFi's you are gonna review is my iOne, what's the other if you don't mind mentioning?

 

[Dana reed]

The unit was bought in March of this year with the multibit DAC in it from the factory.

Would be interesting to see this tested with the Dual 4490 DAC board instead of multibit. On Schiit’s specs the AKM board has 5x better distortion than the multibit. And it’s $100 cheaper.

 

[amirm]

I know one of the iFi's you are gonna review is my iOne, what's the other if you don't mind mentioning?

ifi Nano iDSD Black Label Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier.

 

[amirm]

Would be interesting to see this tested with the Dual 4490 DAC board instead of multibit. On Schiit’s specs the AKM board has 5x better distortion than the multibit. And it’s $100 cheaper.

If it is the same thing as what is in modi uber, I have reviewed it: https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...n-of-schiit-modi-2-uber-and-topping-d30.3207/