The All Purpose Advice Thread

Silly question, but does it do that when it's not sat on top of a speaker too?

(Not being funny, just ruling out weird stuff..)

 

Also, do you have any other balanced headphones or cables to try? Could be a miswired cable?

 

All the balanced cables I have work fine on the Mjolnir 2. I did take it off the speaker with same results. Thus why I'm stumped. Unless the unit is truly bad.

 

anyone have any experience with Riva speakers? i was thinking of picking up one (or a pair to use in stereo) to use around the house or outside. there's the Riva "S" and Turbo X. also there seems to be some other ones coming down the pipeline. anyway, just curious for some thoughts about them, and also if you were to arrange them in stereo, would that be similar to regular speakers or would they be placed very differently given their driver placement?

 

thanks @zerodeefex ! they'd be used at home but not as a permanent rig, just to move around the house... kitchen, outside, den... would the new arena speaker of the WAND series be movable like that as well? hard to say since probably very few folks have heard the arena.

 

There's a subtle distinction between "my cables work on another amp" and "other cables that are known to to be good don't work on my suspect amp”. If you can, try borrowing some other balanced cables and/headphones- just to rule out possible faults that your mjo2 can tolerate but the Liquid Carbon can't.

 

Yeah looks like it's just happening when I plug in my Elear headphones so that's probably the issue. Too bad I don't know dick about re-cabling to fix it.

Thank You!

 

I will need a new amp to pair with my HD6XX whenever they arrive...based on my reading, it seems the best bang for the buck DAC is the Schiit Modi Multibit, which will be used via USB, so I will need an amp to be paired with that. I listen to most types of music.

What I am looking for is an amp is something that can hit low notes hard and fast, and not be too bright up top, a sound that will get my feet tapping. I'd like it not to be a bright amp as I am sensitive to sibliance. I am not a bass head, but I enjoy being able to have a sound that extends low and have good impact (but not boomy) even if I need to EQ it. I'm sure at my price range I'll need to compromise, and maybe the DAC i've chosen is wrong, so please feel free to shoot me suggestions.

My current setup is modded HE-400 with a little dot 1+ with Russian rocket tubes and a muses 02 opamp. Previous to that I had an HE-6 powered by a 100wpc yamaha speaker amp, but I downsized due to the space it took up.

 

Man, that is a big change! The descriptors you use are more akin to changing headphones. I amp differences are relatively small, especially compared to different headphones. I know the universal recommendation for HD650 and now HDXX is Jotunheim. I use Gungnir Multibit->bal->Jot->bal HD650/HE-6. Jotunheim power both very well especially from it's balanced output. Some complain about a steely treble or upper midrange shout as it's a forward sounding amp but a good DAC will make those issues all but go away. Also, leaving it on all the time apparently helps. I don't have enough reference points to compare Jot to other than the Liquid Carbon which is warmer sounding with a slightly relaxed treble and lower frequency bloom. Jot is lightning quick so it can sound dry or hyper focused compared to other amps. I agree though that Jot/HD650 is a superb combo for the money.

You could also try Vali 2 or Valhalla 2 if you want that tube sound but I haven't heard these, so you'll have to read their respective threads.

 

Hi everyone, please bombard me with your favourite headphones to pair with the Valhalla 2? I purchased the Valhalla 2 for my Hd800's and while it has many great qualities it is just too soft for me. Was going to roll tubes but I have apprehensions for that path. My Valhalla 2 is now not getting any love and I want to change that.
Cheers.

 

Your options are pretty limited to high impedance headphones. The best matches are the hd650/600 if you didn't like the hd800. There's the new ZMF Eikon and Atticus, which will also work well with the 300ohm impedance but I have not heard those yet. Can you tell us what in particular you didn't like aside from it being too soft? The softness is inherent to the Valhalla 2 and not the hd800. It's not a very hard hitting amp.

 

Thank you for the reply. The HD650 and ZMF Atticus are currently on the top of my list. I find that with the HD800 and Valhalla 2 that I miss the bass slam and engagement that brings. I was looking into an amp upgrade but all the really highly regarded amps are out of my price range. My plan is to get a headphone under 1000 dollars which allows me to enjoy the textural qualities of the Valhalla 2 but has some solid foundation as well. If that is even possible.

 

Mjolnir 2 is what you're looking for, and is within your price range. See these three threads below:

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...erbaf-cheap-tube-amp-guide-1200-or-less.2796/
http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...ith-nerd-and-four-hot-amps-a-comparison.2456/
http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...compendium-what-schiit-amp-should-i-get.3058/

 

I had a suspicion that was the best route for me. I even have a balanced DAC which I never thought would happen. I just wish most balanced HD800 cables did not cost as much as the HD650!

Thank you for your guidance.

From watching the meet up thread, so jealous of your new amp!

 

Yes i've gone through a some headphone changes. The HD6XX were too good of a price to miss. The steely treble or upper midrange shout of the Jot is what worries me, and could be a deal breaker. However, the balanced output, price and the fact that it is a very quick amp is all positives.

 

Haha np. What dac are you using? Based on what you've said and my memories of the Valhalla 2, I don't think you would like the sound of the Sonett 2. The S2 is a lot like the V2 in that they're fairly soft sounding amps.

 

That's interesting, but the S2 sure is a beautiful amplifier and a classic piece of audio engineering history. Enjoy.

My DAC is a NAD M51 connected to a CD player. I am in the UK and trying to avoid purchasing anything which incurres ludicrous import fees.

 

Anyone have any opinions on how these amps would compare? Audio GD NFB-1AMP/C-2, Lake People G109 or Schitt Jotunheim for HD650. I'll be using a single ended DAC (Schitt Modi Multibit) as I don't have the funds to allocate to a balanced DAC. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated. I've heard that tube amps are the way to go with the HD650, but I'd prefer at this stage solid state for simplicity (no tube rolling) and ease of maintenance (no tubes breaking)

 

@gamerstudent , FWIW I had the same fears about tube amps, but they were unfounded. There's plenty of good guidance here about tube rolling that will save you money, and they aren't that fragile. I have the Valhalla 2, which has 4 tubes of which two can remain stock. The Vali 2 has one tube and is a steal. Garage 1217 amps have a small but devoted following here. I bring this up because of the proven track record of tube amps with the HD650. If you were objecting to the sound signature of tube amps, that would be a different story.