Schiit Valhalla 2

Yes. Left is left, right is right. I have hissing on one of my orange globes, so I confirmed this a while ago.

 

Spent over an hour trying to clean these tube pins. Hum is on the left side, but the tube that had more corrosion ended up being the right side tube... Either way, the hum seems only a tiny bit less prominent after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, contact cleaner, aluminum foil, exacto knife, etc.

In the process I managed to almost entirely clean off the labeling on the outside of the glass, because I'm an idiot and didn't realize it was happening. Looks like I won't be able to return them even if one is bad.

 

That sucks.. Is it constant throughout the volume pot, louder as amp gets louder, or hums only on certain parts of the pot?

 

It's constant. Same volume no matter where on the pot.

I also checked both tubes on Ember and Vali 2 and found no noticable change in noise between the two tubes. Odd... The hum definitely switches sides on the Valhalla when I switch them.

Edit: I'm going to run some tunes through the tubes for a few hours and see if they just need to burn in a little. Seems like this is sometimes the case with NOS.

Edit 2: Damn. Well that's all it was. Played it over night and it turns on with no hum at all now. Apologies for the derail

 

Well, I really don't think I like the sound of these tubes, unfortunately. They sound rolled off on both ends, very warm with more mid bass but hardly any sub bass in comparison, treble energy and clarity is definitely lacking. The midrange is very silky smooth but it all sounds smeared together. I can see why some people prefer this type of thing though, don't get me wrong.

I'd like to find a warmer, punchier tube that doesn't lose the treble detail... maybe 6DJ8 bugle boy instead of orange globes?

Honestly, stock vs. orange globe reminds me of HD600 vs. HD650: chop the top end treble off, boost mid bass while leaving sub bass where it is, and, overall, providing a more intimate midrange-focused presentation. That said, I would probably prefer stock tubes + HD650 over HD600 + orange globes.

 

Interesting, I'll have to give those a listen to see for myself. Going to be plotting out my tube rolling order sometime soon.

 

I switch between A-frame Orange Globes and Bugles. The Bugles have better clarity and a more coherent soundstage IMO. The Bugles lose out a tad in macro-dynamics, but the overall presentation has that tube "wetness" that alleviates the slightly dry character that some here have attributed to the Valhalla 2.

 

Thanks, sounds like I need to try some matched Bugle Boys.

 

Has anyone with the Valhalla 2 tried using it as a tube-preamp for a headphone amplifier? I have some Koss ESP/950's that must run off of a electrostatic amplifier (E/90) and I am looking to add the dynamics and spatial character of the tube amp to the solid state system I am forced to use for my stats (I know I can make an adapter and spend $700+ on a Stax amp...but that's not going to happen right now...).

I have tried this setup out and feel pretty positive about it. Still doing critical listening for my final verdict.

I know that "double amping" is generally bad, but since the V2 has been developed with a preamp-out is this less of a bad idea than it otherwise would be?

My potentially misguided hypothesis is that the more capable amplifier (the Valhalla 2) will take some of the load off of the less capable E/90 by allowing the stat amp to have much more headroom than it otherwise would. At the same time it will be adding a taste of tube capabilities.

I would be so grateful for any meaningful input here... I posted something at the "other place" and had a less than savory interchange.

 

I got some socket savers with gold pins pretty cheap from eBay - for my Valhalla 2. Even though the Valhalla 2 doesn't really need socket savers, I think it looks really cool with the tubes standing higher out of the unit.

Here's a couple pics:

 

Oooh... Got a link?

 

Sure these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151033005377?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

You get a pair for $6.79 or best offer. I think I paid $5.25 for the pair with the best offer option.

 

Nice. Thanks!

 

No Problem

 

I have not tried using the V2 as a Pre-amp for another amp - usually you would use the Valhalla 2 output to speakers. I guess in theory it wouldn't hurt anything to try it, however you may have a loss in audio quality if the V2 is then going into another amp - but that is just a theory, I have never tried it. I've read the general rule of thumb is, the less gear in your chain, the better.

 

Just wondering, anybody try the Ragnarok vs Valhalla 2 feeding the HD 650?

I currently have the Rag and was wondering how Valhalla 2 would sound and have an opportunity to pick up one used.

 

The Rok is better across the board, but the Valhalla 2's transparency is quite impressive given the price differential. With the right tubes the Valhalla 2 is smooth and presents good depth, but bass isn't as taut or as well resolved.

 

Gotcha thanks for the info

 

No point in owning the Valhalla 2 with the Ragnarok in the stable IMO.

I didn't utilise my Ragnarok with speakers and it was too big as just a headphone amp. I down-scaled to the Valhalla 2 and continue to be impressed by the V2's bang for buck. Really enjoy the pairing with the HD650.

 

I also think the Valhalla 2 pairs nicely with the HD800's (Z28 Resonator Mod)