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

Dana reed

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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/
It's somewhat different than the modi uber in that it uses 2x of the 4490 DACs and has 2V out on SE and 4V out on XLR (as opposed to the 1.5V on the Modi Uber). And their specs list <0.001% for both THD and IMD on the Jot 4490 card (as opposed to 0.002 and 0.003 for the Uber).

It just seems like this one (as long as the case is grounded properly) could actually do the amp portion of the Jotunheim justice in terms of measurements where the multibit holds it back in terms of the distortion. (listed at 0.005 and 0.006% on their specs)

*edit* I actually own the one with the Dual 4490 card, so could loan it at some point, although I know you have a backlog and I already have the Mojo in the queue.
 
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amirm

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*edit* I actually own the one with the Dual 4490 card, so could loan it at some point, although I know you have a backlog and I already have the Mojo in the queue.
Let's get it planned to test then at some point. :)
 

hidecom

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wonder if this topic is still active. can anyone tell if the white edition and black edition are the same? I found big price difference between them on amazon.jp, the white edition is near 500USD, while black one 620USD. I'm going to take a white one if its performance is as good as the one tested above. Thanks!
1538954273727.png
 
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derp1n

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The Black Label is a revised version with different ("better") internals. I don't think it's safe to assume the original has the same measurable performance.
 

helloworld

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wonder if this topic is still active. can anyone tell if the white edition and black edition are the same? I found big price difference between them on amazon.jp, the white edition is near 500USD, while black one 620USD. I'm going to take a white one if its performance is as good as the one tested above. Thanks!
View attachment 16274
I recommend you to wait for the thx aaa products from Massdrop or monoprice
 

hidecom

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The Black Label is a revised version with different ("better") internals. I don't think it's safe to assume the original has the same measurable performance.
thanks. I found some review about both, will take a look first.
 

Veri

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wonder if this topic is still active. can anyone tell if the white edition and black edition are the same? I found big price difference between them on amazon.jp, the white edition is near 500USD, while black one 620USD. I'm going to take a white one if its performance is as good as the one tested above. Thanks!

The white one has substantially worse channel imbalance.
 

Furholden

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Hi guys, I've been on the fence of either purchasing the Schiit Jotunheim or the iFi iMicro iDSD Black Label.

Thing is I'll more or less be using this permanently for a desktop PC with 2.0 powered monitors. (Swanspeakers m200mkiii+)

Do you think for this reason, the iFi black label would still outperform the Jotunheim multibit?

I know very little about audio.. so pardon if this has been asked earlier.
 

Veri

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Hi guys, I've been on the fence of either purchasing the Schiit Jotunheim or the iFi iMicro iDSD Black Label.

Thing is I'll more or less be using this permanently for a desktop PC with 2.0 powered monitors. (Swanspeakers m200mkiii+)

Do you think for this reason, the iFi black label would still outperform the Jotunheim multibit?

I know very little about audio.. so pardon if this has been asked earlier.

I use the iFi black label with my desktop PC. It outperforms the Jotunheim.

Don't think twice.. (except about the price ;))
 

Dana reed

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I've used the Jotunheim to feed powered speakers, but I don't have the multibit DAC reviewed here. I have the dual AK4490 DAC option, which should be significantly better measuring than the multibit, hard to say how close it would be to the ifi without sending mine in to compare measurements. Specwise, the 4490 on the Jotunheim claims <0.001% THD and the ifi claims 0.003 THD+N.
The thing with the Jotunheim's grounding issue is somewhat disconcerting, but also for a pure desktop solution I like to avoid anything with a battery that may be difficult to replace down the road.
 

Furholden

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I've used the Jotunheim to feed powered speakers, but I don't have the multibit DAC reviewed here. I have the dual AK4490 DAC option, which should be significantly better measuring than the multibit, hard to say how close it would be to the ifi without sending mine in to compare measurements. Specwise, the 4490 on the Jotunheim claims <0.001% THD and the ifi claims 0.003 THD+N.
The thing with the Jotunheim's grounding issue is somewhat disconcerting, but also for a pure desktop solution I like to avoid anything with a battery that may be difficult to replace down the road.

If I were getting these for desktop powered speakers do you think the dual DAC would be more suitable than the Multibit?
 

Dana reed

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If I were getting these for desktop powered speakers do you think the dual DAC would be more suitable than the Multibit?
Well, all I can say is that the dual 4490 DAC has lower distortion and noise specs than the multibit card. I've compared the multibit DACs with others like the built in 4490 card (and also the DX7s reviewed on this site), and I'm hard pressed to tell them apart in a level-matched comparison. This is mostly with rock music of various types. Given that, and that the Dual 4490 card is cheaper than multibit, I'd go with that.
If it's just a DAC/preamp for powered speakers, there are also cheaper options. The speakers you mentioned don't have balanced inputs, so any DAC with volume control and RCA/line out would do the trick. on the super cheap end and if you want to stay with Schiit, the Fulla is $99. JDS labs has the Objective2+ODAC at $279, or the Element at $349
The reason I got the Jotunheim was to have more power for planar magnetic headphones with balanced cables.

**edit: It looks like the speakers you mention have volume control as well, so you don't even need a DAC with volume control/preouts. you just need line out which opens up more options
 

iamzhou

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Hi amirm, thanks for the great review. I reached ASR by googling hifi gears, this is like a treasure cave ;-)

Did some homework on iFi products, their product lines actually are Pro, Micro, Nano... so there're Pro iDSD, Micro iDSD and Nano iDSD etc.
I think what you reviewed is Micro iDSD Black Label https://ifi-audio.com/products/micro-idsd-bl/, from the picture you posted.

Maybe an update to the title? That will be more clear. Thanks.
 
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amirm

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Hi amirm, thanks for the great review. I reached ASR by googling hifi gears, this is like a treasure cave ;-)

Did some homework on iFi products, their product lines actually are Pro, Micro, Nano... so there're Pro iDSD, Micro iDSD and Nano iDSD etc.
I think what you reviewed is Micro iDSD Black Label https://ifi-audio.com/products/micro-idsd-bl/, from the picture you posted.

Maybe an update to the title? That will be more clear. Thanks.
Hi there. Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I have a heck of a time keeping their model names straight.

Changing the thread title may break everyone who has linked to it elsewhere so I put the correction at the start of the review.
 

teej

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I've read through this whole thread (yes, all of it, including all the objective-measurables-vs-subjective-listening-experience heavy stuff that frankly gets at the essence of the audio hobby and why it is so difficult to debate online).

Anyhoo, just wondering if Schiit has addressed the grounding issue in any way, publicly or otherwise. Haven't seen anything about that...

Thanks!
 

jsheard

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amirm

amirm

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Anyhoo, just wondering if Schiit has addressed the grounding issue in any way, publicly or otherwise. Haven't seen anything about that...
Retroactively, no. Moving forward, they claim to have put a check in manufacturing but until we examine some new units, we won't know.

And in general, the did not address the safety issue of properly grounding the mains terminal.
 

Roen

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Will you re-measure the Jotunheim without any associated DAC module for use as a pure headphone amp?
 

Dana reed

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That was a loaned unit and I don't have it anymore.
I could send mine. I've been enjoying it quite a bit since fixing the grounding/hum issue. I don't have the multibit DAC card, but the dual 4490 one. I've been back and forth between using that internal DAC and using the DX7s to feed it.
Would be interested to see it as a pure amp compared to the massdrop THX in SE and balanced.
 
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