Schiit MJOLNIR User manual

CLASS A DUAL MONO CHOKE INPUT
BALANCED HEADPHONE AMP & PREAMP
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Small, cool, light...none of these words
describe Mjolnir 3. Come in, it’s Class A.
It’s dual mono. It has 2 giant chokes. It’s
fully discrete down to the power supply.
There’s no microprocessor. Every switch
is solid and mechanical. It’s big for a
desk, it runs hot, it’s denitely not for
everyone...but it may be just the thing if
you want a crazy Class A headamp.
INTRODUCTION
CONNECTIONS
1 Balanced input. Connect to any com-
ponent with balanced outputs using XLR
cables. There won’t be any conversion to
SE inside or any other funny business.
2 Single-ended input. Connect any
SE source with RCA cables. They’ll
automagically be converted to balanced
thanks to the differential input stage.
3 Balanced preamp output. If you’re using
powered monitors or external speaker
amps with balanced inputs, connect them
here with XLR cables.
4 Single-ended preamp output. No
balanced inputs? Connect to your powered
monitors or external speaker amps from
here with RCA cables.
5 Power switch. Up is on, down is off.
Sound only comes out when it’s on.
6 AC input. Connect the supplied AC cord
here, or you won’t get any sound even if
the power switch is on. You can even use
a fancy power cord if you like; not that it’ll
make any difference.
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!
1. If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a
qualied professional to help.
2. Never use this device near water, and clean only with
a dry cloth.
3. Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventila-
tion openings, or place near heat sources.
4. Use only the supplied power cord or suitable replace-
ment. Route cords away from trac areas and protect
them from being pinched. Unplug the cord from the out-
let if the apparatus is unused for a long period of time.
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5
2
5. To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an
extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be
fully inserted.
6. Refer all servicing to qualied 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.
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1 Input select. Up for balanced XLR, down
for single-ended RCA. Simple as that.
2 Preamp enable. Up to enable the preamp
outputs, down to disable them. Useful for
when you’re using both headphones and
powered monitors or speaker amps.
3 Volume. Turn up for more, down for less.
Everybody knows this. Or, well, maybe not
in the future because touchscreens are
everywhere. Then again, we may all die in an
accident while trying to turn on our wipers.
4 Gain. Up for high, down for low. Changing
gain does not change the overall feedback
of the amp. There’s another switch for that.
5 Mode. Up for push-pull Class A, down for
single-ended Class A. Single-ended Class A
is considered to be the purest form of Class
A, but push-pull gives you 4x the power
output. Use push-pull when you need more
power.
Note 1: Noise oor will be higher in push-pull Class A
mode; best for less sensitive headphones.
Note 2: There may be a small to moderate glitch
when switching modes from the SE outputs. If you
would like to avoid this, unplug your headphones. We
do not recommend IEMs with this amp in any case.
OPERATION
1
3
2 5
8 SE Headphone Output. Plug any 1/4” TRS
terminated headphone in here. We do not
recommend the use of IEMs with this product.
Also please note that headphones using
adapters to TRRS (typically headphones that
have microphones) may be problematic. We
don’t recommend those with Mjolnir 3.
9 Balanced Headphone Output. Connect any
balanced-terminated headphone using a 4-pin
XLR connector here. The balanced connection
allows for up to 4x the maximum power of the
SE headphone output, as well as an overall
lower noise oor. Using balanced headphones
is highly recommended.
Not shown: heat. This amp runs hot. Very hot.
As in, if you’re sitting in an 85 degree F (30C)
room and you think it’s comfortable, you may
need to point a fan at this device. Sorry, but real
Class A is super inconvenient. See why we say
this amp isn’t for everyone?
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Final note: “single-ended” in the context of Class A does
not refer to the balanced or SE inputs. You can have a
balanced differential gain stage that runs a single-ended
Class A output stage. Yes, we know, engineering sucks
and is sometimes confusing.
6 Feedback. Up to turn on overall feedback,
down to turn it off. When feedback is off,
Mjolnir 3 is a no-overall-feedback amp. Turn-
ing on feedback lowers output impedance and
decreases measured distortion, and may be
useful for hard to drive headphones. In any
case, it’s your choice—there are no demerits
for liking feedback.
7 Power LED. This is on when the Mjolnir 3 is
on, off when it’s off. Simple as that.
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79

I hear hum, what do I do?
The noise oor of this amp may be too high
for extremely sensitive headphones. Use the
balanced outputs for the lowest noise oor,
and note that noise will be lowest in low
gain, single-ended Class A, and no feedback
modes. Do not use IEMs.
No I mean a LOT of hum!
You may have a ground loop. Try a ground
loop isolator or a device like the EbTech
HumX to eliminate the ground loop.
I hear a pop when I change modes.
This is normal for this kind of radical mode
change (from single-ended to push-pull
Class A) from the single-ended outputs. It
took a ton of work to get it down to this level
of pop without the use of a microprocessor.
If you consider it problematic, unplug your
headphones before switching modes.
There’s no sound after I turn Mjolnir on.
Totally normal. Mjolnir delays the output for
15-20 seconds after turn-on to allow it to
reach safe operating levels.
FAQ
WARRANTY
No I mean there’s still no sound.
Make sure you’re using the correct input,
and, if you’re using the preamp outputs, that
the preamp outpus are turned on.
Does Mjolnir convert from SE to balanced?
Yes. It is a differential amplier, so SE
inputs are naturally converted to balanced.
Balanced inputs are maintained balanced all
the way through with no conversion.
Can I use both balanced and SE outputs at
the same time?
Most of the time, yes. If you have products
that short the input when turned off, then
that can cause distortion.
Sounds like a lot of caveats, what gives?
What gives is that this is the best we can do
with an old-skool, choke-input, no-IC, real
Class A design. It’s not for everyone.
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.
Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be free from defects
in material and workmanship for ve (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 rst. 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 [email protected].
Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is modied or tampered
with; (b) is damaged by negligence, accident, unreasonable 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 tness for a particular
purpose, are hereby limited in duration to the warranty period of 5 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.

SCHIIT.COM
[email protected]
IN THE BOX
(1) Mjolnir 3
(1) Power Cord
(0) Cool running class D modules
(0) Small, desktop friendly form factors
(0) 100% “the amp for everyone” claims
(Various) Stickers and stuff
(Innite) Appreciation from the whole
Schiit crew in Valencia, CA and Corpus
Christi, TX
(Even more) Thanks from our chassis
and PCB guys in
California, Nevada, and Utah.
This product is in compliance with standards
and regulations of the European Community.