New Schiit Vali 2 Discussion Thread

That means you found the problem, @Deep Funk ?

 

I've been enjoying the Vali 2 so far. Far better than the Vali 1 and almost any other tube amp in the price range that I've tried.

It's definitely a keeper for work. Not the last word in anything sonically, but it is the last word in what's the least expensive good tube amp I can buy.

 

Further to my tube adventures on Vali 2. I stand by my recommendation of the E288CC for high end.

For a budget tube, however, I recommend the Valvo PCC88, dimpled disk getter made in Heerlen Holland. Great tube, well balanced, a bit forward in the mids, lacks detail and refinement compared to the E288CC (but then so do most of the tubes I have tried). It is definitely the best PCC88 I have tried. I believe the Philips branded tube is the same tube. Somebody else, earlier in the thread, recommended this tube also.

I don't recommend the PCC189's any more, they sound just too busy and all over the place. They seem to sound worse after I eq'd my HD650's.

I have a WE396A square getter. No doubt, it is a great tube. Forward in the mids (like most of the tubes of this family), great detail (but not as detailed as the E288CC), much less loose in the bass than the other 5670 tubes I tried (with the exception of the Tesla 6CC42 pinched waist), great soundstage. The negative with this tube is a its euphonic characteristic, this maybe a positive if it is your cup of tea. This makes some music sound even better and more exciting, but some other music may just sound "wrong". This is the best tube of this family I have tried with Vali 2.

The Tesla 6CC42 I auditioned was a pinched waist variety with white tip. It sounded extremely thin and did not suit the Vali 2 and HD650 at all. This was the most disappointing tube of all. Also tried the Tung-Sol square getter, it was alright but nothing special. A bit less exciting in the mids than GE 5* IIRC. The GE 5* was my second favourite 5670 tube after the WE396A.

EDIT: Possibly, when some music sounds "wrong" with the WE396A this could be due to soundstage rather than euphony. Would have to do some more listening to be sure.

 

I think I am going to buy a Vali 2 to pair with my Modi Multibit for my nearfield setup in my office. But, I might buy a SYS instead. For my MJ2 and HD650 headphones, I have found the 5670 tubes to be better than the 6922 family. My favorites are the WE JW 2C51 and WE 396A. Next I like the Tung Sol and the Tesla 6CC42 PW. The GE 5 Star Triple Mica is a very nice tube too. In fact, I have no 6922 tubes anymore.

I wonder how different the tubes respond in the MJ2 versus the Vali 2.

 

I got bored of listening to my Valvo E288CC on the Vali 2 and am enjoying listening to my GE 5-Star Triple Mica. The 5-Star sounds less harsh than I remember. I had to think about what has changed in my system since I last listened to the 5-Star: I've upgraded to Gen 5 USB on my Gungnir Multibit and am using that to connect to my computer rather than using SPDIF via an M-Audio Audiophile 192.

The E288CC is the "better" tube (it has a super 3D quality and is more refined), but the 5-Star sounds more exciting on the Vali 2. The Vali 2 is a pretty laid back sounding amp and it benefits from a more forward sounding tube, which is a characteristic of many (but not all) of the 5670 tubes that I have tried. Not sure which tube I prefer, depends on how I'm feeling!

 

I found the Vali 2 to be more responsive to tube rolling than MJ2. I also agree that 5670 > 6922. I've tried most of the tubes you mention - for me the Tesla 6CC42 bulb top is best, followed by the WE JW 2C51. Ultimately, I found the Vali 2 to be more enjoyable than MJ2. I think it's worth a shot, especially for $149.

 

There is a Vali 2 with some funky tubes (6J5G) for sale on ebay:

https://ibb.co/ewmNqm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263266194130

Anybody ever tried these kind of tubes in Vali 2? Any thoughts or opinions!?

 

This site ends up being expensive - or cheap depending on your frame of reference. Have a Modi Multibit/Vali 2 ordered up. I'm a long-time tube amp (guitar/bass) user, but admittedly have migrated to class D solutions for bass and sound reinforcement as it just is so much smaller/lighter/easier. Figure the Vali 2 is a nod to my vacuum past.

But since anything worth doing is worth over-doing, also have an iDSD BL en route. Figure they are different tools for different situations. Wonder if any of the tubes I have stashed will work with Vali 2 - have to see what I can find.

 

If you don't have a clean/low jitter source for that Modi Multibit, you'll be wanting an Eitr, too. The Modi Multibit PLLs against S/PDIF and has a quite basic USB input stage, so the gains are pretty impressive.

Expensive.. but that Eitr should outperform much more expensive options, too... so also a bargain. The stack will be neat, tidy and sound great.

 

Yeah, I started nosing around about that. Looks like the Eitr is backordered for awhile. I also have a DAC for my home studio that has spdif if I want to listen there. But then I might as well use my near fields. I figure I'll work incrementally...

 

I feel less bad about encouraging you, if you were already thinking along those lines, then.

 

Hello all,

I have been lurking on this informative forum. Long time reader, first time poster. I hope any of you don't mind my first post that is somehow a question rather than contributing to forums.

Vali 2 will be my first tube amp that I will get tomorrow, hopefully. I got this amp to pair with iDSD black which I really like to use with any headphone that I have. However, when I listen to music with my HD800 & iDSD black, I find this pair more analytical than I prefer. That's the main reason I got Vali 2. The question is, do you think that Vali 2 will be useful with this setup? Is there anyone who has both and use iDSD as a standalone dac? I hardly use 3D and XBass features so I think there is no need for double amping.

Thanks.

 

A nice cheap place to start with the Vali 2 is the EH6CG7:

https://www.tubedepot.com/products/electro-harmonix-6cg7-6fq7-eh-preamp-vacuum-tube

You might even find that you like it so much that you stop there. It's a solid upgrade from the stock tube. "balanced triodes" is probably a good option to go for, btw, as is "low noise and microphonics".

Like @Marvey says, don't go mad. It's not worth spending tons on an esoteric tube- once you've fixed the shortcomings of the stock tube, it doesn't usually change massively unless there's something actually wrong.

It's not the last word in extension and resolution, and you'll never get a whole load of slam out it, but you can slightly change characteristics. If you find yourself spending more than the cost of the amp on tubes, give yourself a slap.

 

Yeah part of the fun of the Vali 2 is you can buy a shitload of tubes for pretty darn cheap and they're pretty much all better than stock.

 

Yes, now listening to this setup and as you say, Vali 2 takes the edge off the treble peak. This is what I noticed immediately. However, I feel HD800's crystal clear presentation decreased, what would you say about this? Also, I don't know whether this tube is stock, it says Zee Mytron 6BQ7A USA. I'm waiting for Reflector 6N23P to arrive soon. Would you say there will be noticeable difference between these? Thank you very much.

Thanks a lot for information, especially on tubes. I have read some recommendations on here before I placed my order. I thought a cheap place to start with the amp would be 6N23P. If I don't notice any difference between stock and the other, I may stop there.

 

EITR > Parasound PCM63 R2R DAC > Saga + Sylvania VT231 > Vali 2 + Telefunken > HD650K

Having owned and having loved the original Vali, the Vali 2 is definitely a treat to listen to. Clearly, a good step above its predecessor. Laid back sounding, people weren't kidding when they described Vali 2 as this; simply perfect to kick back and relax to for hours on end. The original Vali came off as a tad soft sounding due to its tube wetness and was lacking in the extremes.

However, Vali 2 is more neutral sounding in comparison, with greater resolution (Vali 1 was no slouch either in this regard), alongside with better treble extension. Practically no faults on my end, except for a polite bottom end. You won't get that hard hitting textured solid state bass, instead you'll get a rolled off bass that can only be rectified so much with the chosen tube. Nonetheless, despite the tube used, be ready to enjoy an amp that provides great clarity, layering/depth, while retaining a great sense of space that does almost every genre of music justice (extreme EDM bassheads look elsewhere). You know something is right when you forget you have the HD650s on your head and instead thought you were listening to speakers.

Luckily I have some tubes saved from my swapping days when I first began years ago. Here are some quick thoughts on a few:

1. Genelec Gold Lion E88CC: bright tube, yet detailed. Extends well on both extremes. Very spacious sounding. Brightness comes off as fatiguing, so I can't listen too long on it. Fair amount of bass slam, relatively speaking.

2. Amperex 6922 PQ Gold Pin: neutral warm, easy to listen to. Less 3D compared to the Telefunken, but comparable to Gold Lion. A little bit less bass than the Gold Lion, midrange seems more fleshed out, and highs may be more present.

3. Telefunken E88CC? Gold Pin: neutral bright, most holographic of the trio. The layering is insane on this one that it feels damn dreamy, with the planktons floating waiting to be devoured by the whales... I mean my ears. Best extensions, bass is tightest, highs smooth without fatigue, blah blah blah...

Didn't even bother trying out the stock tube lol. Anyway, life is too short to dick around with tubes too much and I'm getting bored of whoring myself between these three and will instead listen to music, so the Telefunken stays until it dies. kthxbai.

tl;dr - excellent laid back sounding amp, better than original Vali in every way. Pair with HD650 and a tube you can be faithful with, for a fun filled monogamous experience that you can enjoy for a long time.

 

The stock tube is fun but lacks the refinement of the better tubes. Buying the Halske tube was the best decision for me in years. When your tubes are so good you simply want to enjoy your music, your wallet is spared a lot of spending.

 

Yep, it's cheap and easy to get the Vali 2 sounding pretty damn close to its best- it's a really practical little amp that's easy to like. There's no real worry suggesting it to people who'd not normally go anywhere near tubes- iow stress, low cost, small footprint and pleasant laid-back sound.

I like the fact that Jason uses one on his desk at work, makes a lot of sense. I'd probably have brought mine to work if I had closed-backed headphones that felt suitable, but since TPTB decided that "renovation" meant knocking down the walls and creating a giant open-plan area, the usual suspects are right out. Oddly, this isn't because it's noisy- it's funereally quiet, everyone trying to avoid getting on each others' nerves- I wouldn't want the leaks from a pair of HD600 or similar to drive people nuts.

 

I'm shocked at how tiny it is (along with Modi Multibit) in person. Nice to have little glowing bottles of love back in the house. The stock tube doesn't sound bad to my ears, I have a few replacements sitting around from previous guitar and bass amps, may roll. Just one. I swear.