New Schiit Vali 2 Discussion Thread

Thanks to everyone who described the merits of 7V tubes- I just got a philips PCC88 and it sounds great - a lot livelier than stock and i'm hearing more detail than with the Sovtek 6922 I had in there prior. I was running out of affordable options for 6V tubes - this thread has been a real help. Ta!

 

No, I hadn't. But now I want to dammit! It's ADORABLE! Teeny tiny little tube for teeny tiny little amp.

Kinda wondering why you ask. What's the potential benefit?

 

Jason has suggested it several times. Makes me think it's a nice performer for much less than you'd pay for some NOS tubes. To be clear I haven't tried it myself, but have been eyeing this route for my Mjol2.

 

Interesting... ...I may give it a shot sometime. It's a really inexpensive tube. I already have two great tubes for my Vali 2, though.

I'm having trouble finding the adapter domestically. This is all I could find :/

 

I doubt you'll find this type of adapter in the US.. seems most everyone (stateside) sources them from China. Here's the one I'd get. Seller has good feedback and a history with the product in question (67 sold). Plus, my linked adapter looks better built than the one you linked**

Being that these adapters are made by unknown manufacturers, there's a chance you could get a dud. If you've followed some of the more masturbatory/exotic tube adapter/rolling threads at Head-Fi, it isn't out of the ordinary. Seller/product feedback is your friend here (and the record looks good), but you never know. So, I always recommend buying in pairs. Better chance of getting one of two that works rather than two that don't. It's worth the slightly extra cost.. especially vs the frustration of waiting for one adapter (which probably made it's way across the pacific in a bottle).. getting a dud.. then having to hassle with with "chi-fi customer service" to get a replacement. If both adapters work.. huzzah! Sell one to a fellow SBAF!

**Black, sleeker, more aerodynamic = better speed and transients.. generally speaking, it's 77% more adapter-ry than the chincy looking one you linked.

 

Just randomly asking this here: has anyone ever cracked open a LISST? I'm just curious to see the insides.

 

For those looking for a cheap tube: the Electro Harmonix 6922 that sell on Amazon for ~23 is really good.
Much better than the stock one (which sounds flat and etched). Very well balanced with good tight bass.

I prefer it to the Philips 7DJ8 (PCC88) I got from upscale audio (in a rush of getting a replacement tube).

Took roughly 24h before it settled.

Edit: that's on low gain

 

I believe they are potted in epoxy, so there's no way to open them up without destroying them.

 

72 hours in with the 6922EH, the Moby + Vali2 definitely pulled ahead of the Mojo, in most every way (wasn't the case at first - especially with the stock tube).

Good stuff!

 

FWIW, I own those two identical tubes and have the opposite preference. The EH 6922 just sounds sterile and cloudy to me. My favorite tube is actually an RCA 6CG7 I got on ebay for ~$25. The 6CG7 is not listed as compatible on the Schiit website but it works great. This is all with HD600.

 

It went through this with E288CC I got. Similar concern - heater current of just under 500ma as opposed to the roughly 300ma of most 6922/6dj8 tubes.

The Vali 2 faq indicates a max current of 600ma. Nick over at Schiit confirmed to me that the E288CC was fine.

But marv makes a good point about linearity and electrical properties. The E288CC is electrically similar to a 7308, which is pretty much a 6922, so I think it's reasonable to assume similar behavior... ...just different power needs.

6CG7's, I'd be more wary of and definitely ask Schiit. Power requirements may not be the only problem. And besides, aren't the 6v ones usually 600ma? I dunno, man. Iffy. They wouldn't normally be considered interchangeable.

 

"To throw some more fuel on the rolling opportunities, Mike Moffat has told me he likes 6CG7s in the Vali 2. While this tube isn't on the "official" tube list (and it does look extra silly--it's a big tube) it does highlight the fact that you can use tubes up to 600mA heater current with Vali 2.

So, if it has 6DJ8 pinout, 6V heater, and 600mA heater current or under, it's good to go with Vali 2. In addition to the 6CG7s, this opens up the 6N1P as well." -@schiit

http://www.head-fi.org/t/790828/official-schiit-vali-2-thread/120#post_12171219

 

Well, alright then. Never saw that before.

 

I've got an intermittent Low hum on my vali 2. The hum comes and goes. At first I thought I had a bad tube, so I tried a NOS telefunken 88 that I had lying around, hum still persisted. Then I tired different outlets that I had lying around and even a line filter, the hum is still apparent, albeit intermittently. At times it would be dead quiet and at times it would hum. I tired unplugging all cables leaving only the wall wart and the issue persists. Which leads me to think, could I have gotten a funky power supply?

Unit is only a week old. The sound is fantastic when it is dead quiet though. ( I've tried with high and Low impedance headphones and the hum is at the same volume regardless of impedance ).

I'm trying to ask Schiit Tech for help but they seem to have stopped replying my emails after 2 days ):

 

Thanks @robot zombie after reading your posts and everyone's replies
I ordered a Philips PCC88 from Upscale Audio. I agree that it significantly elevates the Vali 2, this is my first tube rolling adventure...I am listening to vinyl and I can't stop playing record after record. I think this is easily the best $45 I have spent in audio! SBAF rulz!

 

I'm glad that you and so many others are enjoying the tube and getting closer to the music! That's what it's all about, man!

 

So I ended up selling the Vali 1 because I felt my SS integrated/amp was better. But I am a wondering if the reason I didn't warm to it was because it was ultra revealing of my Bifrost 4490 and the "digital glare" people refer to in D/S DACs. My treble tilted HPs probably didn't do this any favors. Ironically the Vali 1 sounded harsher than the SS amp... Could it be it was more revealing of the 4490's flaws?

I have a Modi multibit on the way so am considering the Vali 2. My question is, how much better is the Vali 2 performance wise vs. Vali 1? And what are the things it improves upon?

I suspect the smoother R2R DAC will be much more forgiving in the treble, so maybe I won't have that same problem. And if the Vali 2 is even more revealing than Vali 1, it could be a perfect match for Modi Multibit.

I'd appreciate any feedback.