Schiit Jotunheim 2 Review (DAC & Headphone Amp)

[Jimbob54]

So, I'm in the market for a great tasting birthday cake. What measurements do I look for that tell me which one I would prefer the texture & taste of? Let's assume I can't sample either cake. I just have the ingredients list and on-line reviews to go by. How do I decide?

If the cake A cost $100 and cake B $500, I'd be asking some questions.

 

[Racheski]

I didn't mean to criticize any of our measurements or standards, just that we have standard measurements and probably more measurements will be developed, the state of the art is a moving target, in my own testing some, not all, DACs are better at reproducing voices and there is less of a sense that it is a recording

For your sake and all of ours, please read this thread:
Message to golden-ear audiophiles

Your testing is irrelevant in this forum unless you can describe your methods in detail and undergo some sort of peer-review. This is a science-based forum, not storytelling.

 

[HiFidFan]

If the cake A cost $100 and cake B $500, I'd be asking some questions.

Edit: scratching my original post here

New post. . .

Price moves the goal posts. There could be many reasons for a wide price discrepancy that have no bearing on how the finished cake tastes. For instance:

-The $100 cake is produced in a location that allows the bakers to be paid $2.00 an hour wages. $500 cake is produced in a location that requires $20 an hour wages for the bakers.

-$500 cake has very expensive R&D costs built in. $100 cake co. bought a $500 cake and reversed engineered it, saving them all of the R&D costs.

Just a couple of examples of why there may be price discrepancies between very similar products.

 

[Long Audio Beard]

Tell you guys what. The first of you can hear the difference between 5 amplifiers and their relative levels of distortion I'll pay $100. We'll work out a fair selection.

Here are the amps chosen by blind AB random selection:

Pyle 1000 Watt Hi-Fi AV Receiver Amplifier
Cambridge Audio AXA35 Integrated Amplifier
Naim Uniti Star Network Streamer, DAC & Amplifier
Marantz PM-10 Reference Integrated Amplifier
Reisong A10 Tube Amplifier

 

[HiFidFan]

Here are the amps chosen by blind AB random selection:

Pyle 1000 Watt Hi-Fi AV Receiver Amplifier
Cambridge Audio AXA35 Integrated Amplifier
Naim Uniti Star Network Streamer, DAC & Amplifier
Marantz PM-10 Reference Integrated Amplifier
Reisong A10 Tube Amplifier

Please stop. Or start another thread.

 

[Long Audio Beard]

For your sake and all of ours, please read this thread:
Message to golden-ear audiophiles

Your testing is irrelevant in this forum unless you can describe your methods in detail and undergo some sort of peer-review. This is a science-based forum, not storytelling.

Lol, anyone can snark. Science? Ok well admit we have no measurements and sometimes no means to readily isolate the filtering going on with different DACs and measure how they may be impacting actual fidelity or frequency response or timing with context that is meaningful, or admit if a person assumes our standard measurements are fully resolving differences between components that they may be too quick to judge, or if you assume filter designers are mostly concerned with programming to test tones and take no listening tests into account, I assume you've polled and interviewed all filter and DSP designers involved with DAC development and have compiled facts and statistics to share about their methods and that you have their proprietary designs to peer-review

 

[Jimbob54]

Gish galloping.

 

[amirm]

I agree that's the trouble, we have specs and measurements that are more or less objective but may not tell you all you need to know, and you can't always trust subjective reviews!

You can never trust subject reviews of DACs. There is no way of verifying anything they say to be true. If you want unreliable data like that, we are not the right choice for you. We want to express opinions that we can demonstrate to be true. You don't take opinions of random people online when you are sick. You go to a doctor. Same here. Don't have different standards for audio versus your health, or any other profession.

 

[amirm]

Ok well admit we have no measurements and sometimes no means to readily isolate the filtering going on with different DACs and measure how they may be impacting actual fidelity or frequency response or timing with context that is meaningful,

We darn well do. That is beside the point. If the final outcome is that the device adds more distortion and noise to the design, that is that. It has lost the transparency battle. We are not here to entertain fantasies about sounds, believing stories designers tell, etc. We are here to determine what an audio product is really doing. You are asking us to believe in wishful thinking.

 

[Racheski]

Lol, anyone can snark. Science? Ok well admit we have no measurements and sometimes no means to readily isolate the filtering going on with different DACs and measure how they may be impacting actual fidelity or frequency response or timing with context that is meaningful, or admit if a person assumes our standard measurements are fully resolving differences between components that they may be too quick to judge, or if you assume filter designers are mostly concerned with programming to test tones and take no listening tests into account, I assume you've polled and interviewed all filter and DSP designers involved with DAC development and have compiled facts and statistics to share about their methods and that you have their proprietary designs to peer-review

I'm trying to help you bruh, not your enemy.

 

[Helicopter]

A R2R DAC, a MB DAC, tube DAC, a discrete circuit, are harder to get good performance out of, so they usually have more noise, more distortion, and higher cost. Some designs are easier to repair and some might last longer, but that can also go the other way or the same way.

Most of the differences are inaudible, some are audible, all are measurable, all audible differences are easily measurable using Amir's setup.

Why do we have these things then? It is still possible to get good performance, as is the case with this product's amp section. The stories can be interesting. They can be fun to own and see.

Personally I like having more than one horse in the stable, including discrete circuits and tube gear, but the serious gear all uses more advanced technology like chips, opamps, and DS.

I have little interest and no gear with R2R/MB. Not nostalgic, not cool looking, not usually audibly voiced, and not well performing, at a higher cost.

 

[BDWoody]

How these numbers reflect the real sound when you can't hear the differences doesn't strike me as scientific thiking on your part kid.

This isn't how we talk to each other here. Maybe a break from this thread would be good.

 

[PuX]

What science do you point to that the measurements taken by Amir reflect the sound of the products he reviews? Can he hear the difference between these amps? I doubt it. How these numbers reflect the real sound when you can't hear the differences doesn't strike me as scientific thiking on your part kid.

if they all sound the same to you, then why are you even here, kid?

You may not like it, but there is a market for distortion

and why would you come here looking for that? the whole point of this website is to look for better performing by the numbers and charts DACs, amps, speakers, headphones etc.

where do these people come from? what leads them here?

 

[HiFidFan]

and why would you come here looking for that? the whole point of this website is to look for better performing by the numbers and charts DACs, amps, speakers, headphones etc.

Who said I was here "looking for that"?

where do these people come from? what leads them here?

My guess is Google results when searching for reviews. I think that's how I found ASR.

 

[BDWoody]

if they all sound the same to you, then why are you even here, kid?

To try to get people to sink to his level, and it seems to have worked.

To repeat:
This isn't how we talk to each other here.

Help bring 'these people' up, or ignore them.

 

[Veri]

where do these people come from? what leads them here?

Guess it's because this is a schiit review :/ anyway let's try to stay constructive, indeed.

 

[Helicopter]

Google has certainly found ASR. Seems half the time I can't fund something here, next step us a search on Google with ASR in the result. The YT videos come up right away too.

 

[abdo123]

Lol why don't you compare the A30 Pro with the Maginus, the Maginus are much cheaper at almost half the price and with similar performance.
This Dac/Amp is for a difference market segment/ target audience.

Does the Maginus even have balanced inputs?

 

[HiFidFan]

Does the Maginus even have balanced inputs?

Yup

 

[Jimbob54]

Does the Maginus even have balanced inputs?

Yes.