SCHIIT JOTUNHEIM 2 Modular Headphone Amp and Preamplifier Owner’s Manual
- June 5, 2024
- SCHIIT
Table of Contents
SCHIIT JOTUNHEIM 2 Modular Headphone Amp and Preamplifier
JOTUNHEIM 2
MODULAR HEADPHONE AMP AND PREAMP
IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY, JOTUNHEIM IS THE LAND OF THE GIANTS. OUR JOTUNHEIM 2 ISN’T
EXACTLY GIANT IN DIMENSIONS.
BUT IT DELIVERS GIANT-SLAYING PERFORMANCE
WITH NEXUSTM AND CONTINUITY STM, TOGETHER WITH THE FLEXIBILITY AND FUTURE-
PROOFING OF A MODULAR DESIGN.
OWNER’S MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
Jotunheim 2 combines our unique Nexus™ topology and Continuity S™ output stage with a modular architecture that allows you to configure it to your specific needs. Featuring class-leading, unique, all-discrete design and super-high performance, Jotunheim 2 is ready for any headphone you can throw at it, while the ability to choose different internal cards means you are ready for today—and the future!
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
- (1) Jotunheim 2
- (1) Power cord
CAUTION
The following is required by the roughly 9,542 government agencies and
regulations we have to comply with. If you have some common sense, they should
seem pretty straightforward. In any case, read these instructions before
proceeding farther, follow all instructions, and heed all warnings. Or else!
- If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualified professional to help.
- Never use this device near water, and clean only with a dry cloth.
- Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings, or place near heat sources.
- Use only the supplied power cord or suitable replacement. Route cords away from traffic areas and protect them from being pinched. Unplug the cord from the outlet if the apparatus is unused for a long period of time.
- To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
- Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Service is required when the device has been damaged, including cord or plug damage, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the device, the device has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
GETTING STARTED
- If you chose Jotunheim 2 as an amplifier only (no DAC or phono card), simply:
- Plug it in with the supplied power cord.
- Connect your inputs and outputs (sources, headphones, powered monitors, power amp, you know, whatcha got).
- Turn on the amp, select the correct input, wait 15-20 seconds for the relay protection to engage the output, and enjoy.
- If you chose Jotunheim 2 with the optional DAC card, you’ll also need to connect your source to the DAC module.
- Use a high-quality, USB 2.0-rated cable of 2M or less in length.
- Ensure the DAC is selected in both the OS and in any player software you are using—it may need to be selected both places to hear music.
- If you chose Jotunheim 2 with the optional phono card, you’ll also need to connect your turntable.
- a. Using short, high-quality, well-shielded cables, connect the RCA outputs of your turntable to the RCA inputs on the Jotunheim.
- b. Also connect the turntable ground to the ground post with a short, sturdy wire.
- c. Note that the phono preamp’s gain is fixed at 42dB, input impedance is 47k, and load capacitance is 100pF. The Jotunheim’s phono card will work well with most moving magnet (MM) cartridges.
ABOUT UPGRADES
Additional cards for Jotunheim may be released in the future. When this happens, you can return the Jotunheim to us to have the card installed, or have it installed by a qualified electronic tech. If you’d like to be the first to know about upgrades as they become available, sign up on the SPAM link on our site.
CONTROLS
- Input Switch. If the name wasn’t clue enough, this selects the input. All the way up for the internal card (DAC or phono), middle for balancedinput, bottom for SE input. Hint: if you don’t have a card installed, you won’t hear anything when the card is selected.
- Gain Switch. Up is high gain, down is low.
- Preamp Switch. Up turns on the preamp outputs,down turns them off.
- Volume Knob. Turn it to the right to make the music louder. Stop before it hurts.
- Power On LED. Do we really have to tell you what this one does?
- SE Headphone Jack. Plug in standard headphones here (with “standard” being defined as “most headphones with the typical 1/4” headphone plug.”)
- Balanced Headphone Jack. Plug in your fancypants balanced headphones here, using a 4-pin male XLR plug conforming to the K1000 output jack pinout. Ensure no pins are shorted to each other or tied to ground, or bad things can happen.
CONNECTIONS
- Card Input. If you have a module installed, the input for the module will be here. If you don’t have a module installed, it will be covered.
- Ground Lug. If you have a phono card installed, there will be a ground lug here. Connect to your turntable ground for minimum hum.
- Balanced Input. Connect a balanced source here with XLR cables.
- SE Input. Connect a standard source here with RCA cables.
- SE Preamp Output. Connect to powered moni-tors or a speaker amp with RCA cables.
- Balanced Preamp Output. Connect to powered monitors or a speaker amp with XLR cables.
- On-Off Switch. Up is on. Down is off. Pretty simple, right?
- AC Input. Plug the power cord in here. Plug the other end into an outlet of the correct voltage. Trying to run a 115V product on 230V will blow the fuse and generally make for a bad, bad day.
FAQ
I hear hum through the headphones, what do I do to fix it?
You may have a ground loop. To fix a ground loop, try a ground loop isolator
or an EbTech HumX. If it’s low-level hum and noise, you can use Lo gain to
reduce it.
There’s no sound for a while after I turn Jotunheim on.
That’s perfectly normal. Jotunheim delays the headphone output for 20-30
seconds after you first turn the amp on.
There’s no sound with the input switch in the top position.
Do you have the optional DAC or phono card? If you don’t, you won’t get any
sound.
Can I leave Jotunheim on all the time?
Yes, you can.
Can I use both headphone outputs at the same time?
Yes, you can, but be careful—if one pair of headphones is very sensitive, and
the other is not, you may damage the sensitive pair if you turn it up too
loudly while listening to the
other pair.
I’m having DAC connection problems, what do I do?
Start at schiit.com/faq/dac-problems for troubleshooting tips. Contact us if
that doesn’t solve it.
I’m having hiss and hum from the phono card, how do I fix that?
Start at schiit.com/faq/phono-problems for troubleshooting tips.
It doesn’t turn on, what do I do?
Plug it in to a different AC socket. Ensure you are not currently in a
blackout. Then email us if it still doesn’t work.
5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be
free from defects in material and workmanship for five (5) years from the date
of purchase. If a defect covered by this warranty occurs during this period,
Schiit Audio will repair the defective product, free of charge. Date of
purchase will be based on customer receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing
will be used.
If you believe you need warranty service, contact us first. Schiit Audio
products sent back to us without a Return Authorization (RA) will be returned
to the sender without repair. To contact us and obtain an RA, email
info@schiit.com.
Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is
modified or tampered with; (b) is damaged by negligence, accident,
unreasonably use, or other causes unrelated to defective materials or
workmanship, or (c) has had the serial number altered or removed.
Any implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness
for a particular purpose, are hereby limited in duration to the warranty
period of 2 years. In no event shall Schiit Audio be liable for consequential
or incidental damages resulting from the breach of any implied or expressed
warranties. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply
to you. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or
province to province.
This product is in compliance with standards and regulations of the European Community.
References
- Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California
- Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California
- Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in California and Texas
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