It’s currently sitting in my office, in its box, awaiting return to headphones.com.
At least, I believe this is the unit that’s available as an open-box option (I’ll need to confirm with Taron, who’s traveling at present). It’s possible there was another such unit.
But, due to a former situation where an open-box unit I had for review wasn’t removed from the “available” list, and someone actually purchased it via the headphones.com store, making for a fiddly situation and misunderstanding, they now get removed from the listings when they’re out for evaluation/Community Preview Program.
Competitive but different. The THX AAA 789 will post better numbers. I preferred listening to the Jotunheim, however (I’ve owned both). Both are highly enjoyable and pair well with the Clear. The Schiit unit is much easier to come by, of course.
If I had to choose one, I’d go with the multi-bit. But based on your question 3, I’d go with an external DAC instead and use the internal slot for the phono card.
The phono card is a proper, balanced, phono pre-amp. You can plug any proper turntable directly into it, provided you’re using a moving-magnet cartridge. You don’t need an additional box. I used it this way with the Rega Planar 3 I had at work.
The “passive” part refers to how the RIAA EQ network is implemented. Which is part of what makes it a proper phono pre-amp.
The reason I say to go with the phono card internally and an external DAC, is that I think the phono card is closer to the performance of similarly priced external phono pre-amps than the internal DAC card options are to similarly priced external DACs.
My path here would likely be, Jotunheim + internal Phono Card w/ Modi 3 - followed by an upgrade to Bifrost 2 (which will let you take advantage of the Jotunheim’s balanced input too) when you’re ready to move up.
Is this in addition to a desktop DAC/amp or instead of?
Ahead of an answer there, I’ll just rank the items you list in what I think is the appropriate order, from best-to-worst based purely on sound (bearing in mind the desire to pair with the Clear):
- iFi Micro iDSD Black Label
- Chord Mojo
- iFi xDSD (wired)
- iFi Nano iDSD Black Label.
Mojo can be finicky with a phone as the source (EMI issues with some phones).
Sony and FiiO have lots of options. Can’t really comment on the recent FiiO stuff, and hard firmware issues with the older X-series (which may well have been fixed as that was 2 years or so ago now). I’ve liked all the Sony players I’ve tried (ZX2, ZX300, WM1A, WM1Z), and they’ll do a nice job with the Clear.
Well, the transportable options there have better DAC sections, but aren’t as good on the amplification side of things. Though they’re both very flexible (other options such as bass-boost and 3D+ if you like those sorts of things).
An option to consider might be the Jotunheim w/ Phono Card + iFi Micro iDSD Black Label (it has proper RCA DAC outputs). That’d get you both portable and desktop options with the better amp, balanced headphone drive, a better external DAC, more features, etc. If you want both sources (phono and DAC) with the THX AAA 789 you’ll have two external boxes.
Though if it was me, I’d still likely pair the Jotunheim + Phono Card w/ a Bifrost 2, and if I still wanted something portable, go with a dedicated unit (I hate have to connect/disconnect stuff frequently).