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THOR Mjölnir MK2 – Sound
The Mjölnir is tuned as a basshead’s delight, it has an elevated bass response, however, its signature is not an overly warm one, instead, THOR managed to squeeze a good amount of detail from their special fusion DD while having a full, impactful and rounded bass. Before advancing further into the realm of sound details, let me list the devices I paired with the Mjölnir MK2. I used Chord Mojo 2, FiiO M11 Plus ESS, and SMSL’s DO100/HO100 stack.
Firstly, the IEMs have an elevated, fun, basshead-ish low reproduction. It is big, it is impactful, and it is rounded and exciting. Consecutively, anything that is bass dependent will sound great. My favorite artists from the bass-y genres off the top of my head include Monolink, The Blaze, Ben Böhmer, and Stavroz. These all sound very good through the Mjölnir MK2, it surely is a capable IEM.
Secondly, its technical capability depends on the source. The Mjölnir has a good technical foundation and pairing it with a $100 dongle does not do it justice. Pairing the IEMs with Mojo 2 immediately opens up the soundstage and you feel the huge DD pushing more air as everything feels cleaner, faster, and more dynamic in comparison.
Thirdly and finally, Mjölnir MK2 is not your regular basshead IEM, it is designed with the bass-loving audiophile in mind, yes, but unlike many IEMs in this category, you don’t have to sacrifice the majority of the fidelity for a great bass. Let’s take a closer look at the sound, we’ll go over this again.
Bass
The undisputed star of the show. The bass reproduction of the 12.56mm “Fusion Diaphgrahm” DD is quite interesting. It does not exactly feel like the usual DD or BA bass. It feels airy, large, and spacious. The texture and the feeling are similar to full-sized cans, rather than BA or DD IEMs. I think that is the magic behind the Mjölnir that the fans go crazy about.
It’s not hard to see why honestly, there aren’t many IEMs that can punch hard and still retain an adequate level of resolution in this price bracket. The sub-bass is great too, the Mjölnir MK2 shows good extension, recuperates surprisingly fast, and does not feel sluggish. In fact, the control and feeling of dynamism are very good for the asking price.
Overall, the Mjölnir MK2 has a punchy, fairly fast, impactful, and tight bass response that would probably make you tap your feet as soon as you hear it.
Mid
Let’s start by detonating this bomb right away. The midrange is not as recessed as you’d speculate. The Mjölnir actually has a relatively balanced midrange with an adequate amount of detail. The low region and the lower mid/midbass is where the Mjölnir gets its warmth boost but that is pretty much it. The vocals and mid-based instruments sound good and luckily, the low end does not bleed into this region.
The upper mids are energetic and vivid but they don’t soar over the boundaries so you don’t have to worry about the sibilance or unwanted shrill. The midrange is thick and full, guitars have authority, and so do male vocals. Overall we get a very musical and dynamic approach.
Treble
The treble follows the route of the midrange but it feels slightly more tame in comparison. The highs carry a good amount of detail, they are controlled and clean. The definition and extension could be a bit better in my opinion, with some tracks the treble may come off too soft but that’s the nature of the Mjölnir. Upper mids feel more energetic so oftentimes they shadow the treble, especially in complex passages.
Also, pairing is extra important for this region as I found out that it sounds very good with the Mojo 2 but not as good with the 11 LTD ESS, treble-wise. Using Mojo 2’s UHD DSP to boost the upper treble by 2-3 decibels do wonders to the perceived airiness so if you are okay EQ’ing your gear, you can give it a try.
Technical Performance
The Mjölnir MK2 is not a technical marvel and there are a few reasons for that. Simply put, the IEMs are not tuned in that way. It focuses on musical delivery, fun and excitement factors over detail-retrieval, top-notch resolution, and accurate stage projection. The IEMs have a big, impactful, electrifying (pun intended) bass response and you have to trade some of the technicalities for that.
However, the Mjölnir is not by any means lacking here. It has a medium-sized soundstage. The stage stands out with its depth rather than its width but the instrument positioning is adequate and it is not hard to define the exact locations of the instruments. The IEM is a single DD and it is not the fastest I’ve heard when it comes to PRaT. The Mjölnir does an okay job dealing with congestion-prone tracks with multiple instruments and complex passages. For a basshead focused IEM, the Mjölnir has good resolution, sounds fairly clean and exciting.
The most important weapon of the IEMs is its dynamism. The elevated bass response and energetic upper mids create a very exciting and fun IEM to listen to. Adding the warmth from the sub, mid-bass, and bass ranges to the mix gets us a musical touch and we get a good, non-picky all-rounder IEM with a big bass as a result.
Comparisons
vs. Shozy Magma ($499)
The Magma is a quad-driver IEM that utilizes tribrid technology. It has 2EST, 1DD, and 1BA drivers in its compact shell. Let’s see how it fares against the Mjölnir MK2. Firstly, build-wise, both of the IEMs feel durable and well-built. The Magma has a unibody shell and its lacquer feels slightly better applied. The Mjölnir MK2 is a tad easier to scratch.
Their packaging and accessories are similar but the Magma comes bundled with a small carrying case. Sound-wise, the most obvious difference between them is the bass reproduction. The Mjölnir has a more rounded, thicker, bigger, and more impactful bass and the difference can be heard right away. As for the staging, the Magma projects the stage farther away from you. The Mjölnir projects the stage closer and this creates a more intimate presentation compared to the Magma. Furthermore, the Magma has better treble extension and treble resolution but the upper midrange of the Mjölnir is more energetic and forward. Magma’s overall resolution is superior but Mjölnir’s signature feels more dynamic and more energetic in comparison.
The Magma has a slightly recessed midrange and that is another big difference between the two IEMs. If you like big bass, go for the Mjölnir, if you like tribrids and want to know all about this sub-500 pocket rocket, stay tuned for Headfonia because its review will soon be here.
Yanyin Canon ($349 USD)
Yanyin is a new manufacturer that recently emerged into the audio sphere with some interesting earphones. The Canon is their entry to mid-tier offering that features a customizable SQ via switches on the shell. The Canon has a hybrid configuration and features 4BA and 1 Dynamic Driver per side. Compared to the Mjölnir MK2, the Canon is a worthy rival with a very clean and energetic presentation, impactful bass, and an overall resolving signature.
The most obvious difference between the two is the note weight and the mid-bass tuning. The Mjölnir MK2 is thick compared to the Canon.
The Canon’s soundstage is much wider and the headroom feels spacious in comparison. Technical-wise the Canon is a strong rival and it has a great technical foundation. It also feels faster and handles congestion with ease. The Canon’s treble is more resolving and extended. Its overall presentation feels spacious and airy compared to the Mjölnir MK2.
The low end of the Canon is of course not nearly on-par with the Mjölnir MK2 but quality wise it does have a good bass that can punch hard and tight when the track asks for it. The Canon’s review will be up soon on Headfonia so stay tuned!
Last Words
The Mjölnir MK2 is a fun and exciting new IEM that managed to impress many with its big bass response and musical delivery. It is handcrafted by a single individual and every pair is unique. The preferred materials and the grade of craftsmanship are certainly impressive. I would have wanted to see a better package with more accessory options, hopefully, THOR will listen and not strike us.
If you are a basshead or you simply like thick, juicy bass, make sure to try the Mjölnir MK2. It would be really hard to find a cleaner-sounding bass delight IEM without breaking the bank!
Page 1: THOR, Mjölnir MK2, Packaging & Accessories, Design, Build & Fit
Page 2: Sound, Low, Mid, High, Technical Performance, Comparisons, Last Words
