Schiit Vali 2+ Review and Measurements

You’re correct, the Vali 1 is not relaxed like the 2. The Vali 1 is more precise, controlled, and lively. The 2 is smoother, looser, has more “flow”. I prefer the presentation of the 1 but with the right tubes the 2+ is very good.

 

I've had the vali 1 2x, sold it 2x, and regretted it 2x. Will probably end up rebuying it a 3rd time. Great little amp

 

So I got a 6N1P-EV tube and no music plays, tube doesn’t seem to light up, nothing. Stock tube works fine when I put it back in.

Any ideas?

 

Isn’t that a different pin out? ++ is 5670 is I believe instead of the 6922 it once was

 

According to the manual Vali 2++ uses 6N3P, are those quite a bit different than 6N1P?

EDIT: NVM, the answer is yes.

 

In addition to being the wrong pin out for the ++, the spec sheet lists that they can be +/- several percent from the 600mA maximum heater current of the Vali 2*. So it was a game of roulette even if you were playing at E88CC/6922 compatibility and used an adaptor. If you get lucky and it's within spec it'll work but run hot!.

For the benefit of the next person to find this in a search, the correct 6N tube for a Vali 2+ would be a 6N23P.
Get one with an EV suffix if you are hunting for tight tolerances and have cash to burn.

Vali 2++ owners, you are already in a better place. Hunting outside of your pin out isn't an upgrade.

 

I liked my Vali 2 with planars a lot. Especially with my LCD2.2 pre-fazor and an EH 6922.

 

@ColtMrFire , have you tried the GE JAN 5670W? Might be a good first upgrade to try over the stock tube; in the Vali 2 (with an adaptor) I found it pretty nice, although a little soft in the bass and slightly rolled off up top compared to my fave 6DJ8s. There are lots of NOS ones around cheap, eg here.

To reiterate some of the above: 5670W is the correct pinout to drop straight in the 2++. To use it in the 2+ or 2, a 5670 to 6922 adaptor is required.

Going further (not an exhaustive list)...

Vali 2/2+: 6BZ7 (stock), 6DJ8/EC88/6922 & variants, 6N23P, 6CG7/6FQ7, 6N1P (but higher heater current draw = hotter), 7DJ8/PCC88 & variants (higher heater voltage spec but will usually run fine on 6.3); this is the pinout (see list of substitutes/similars on the same page).

Vali 2++: 6N3P (stock), 5670, 2C51, 6CC42/ECC42, WE396 if you're rich. This is the pinout and list of equivalents/similars.

 

Put in a bid for one yesterday.

 

A few more notes....

Again, shocking performance from such a diminutive and cheap unit as the tube has continued to blossom... any reasonable individual would be happy and not bother upgrading, but we're all crazy phools who need MOAR.

So far the combo of Vali 2++ and BF2 (BF2 on generous loan from @Joshvar) seems to synergize quite a bit better with the black screen HD600 (on generous loan from @famish99) than the Aeolus... the ZMF images slightly diffuse and combined with the so-so imaging of the Vali (it's very good but not TOTL with imaging), the stage takes on a slightly cluttered and hazy presentation... not bad, but distracting enough. The HD600 on the other has a larger more open sounding stage with more separation, and while it doesn't image as well as an HD800, the open aspect allows the stage to breathe alot more.

Also, I think tubes do something to further elevate the "magic mids" of the Senn, a bit more than the ZMF, which has a similar midrange lushness, just different... maybe not as overt, maybe the wood coloration does something to mitigate it a bit? Anyway, I'm surprised how tubey this amp sounds... toned down from the Vali 1 but still quite unabashed in its tubey-ness.

I may actually pick an HD600 up at some point, after I get the SW51+ in, because I hear the BF2/SW51+/HD600 combo is supposed to be killer, as supported by @Carlos CPA 's FS thread: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ynergy-pi2aes-bifrost-2-sw51-and-hd600.13717/

The Vali 2++ doesn't have the tonal weight of the better amps either, but it's prioritizing musicality over extreme technical performance (even though technically its shockingly adept). It's an amp to just sit back, relax and enjoy your tunes and not obsess about the last word in performance.

Also preferring low gain over hi, which sounds too bloated and lacking slam.

 

Thanks for the shout-out!