New Schiit Vali 2 Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by jexby, Dec 11, 2015.

  1. robot zombie

    robot zombie Friend

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    I go back and forth between three tubes. Stock, a Phillips PCC88, and a Valvo E288CC. It depends on my mood and what I want to listen to. Music sounds different to me every day. Sometimes I just need a slightly different flavor. If there's one thing I've learned by bouncing between these tubes, it's that there's no one perfect tube. They're all great, but sometimes I just have to swap them. Part of the magic, I think, is novelty. This is definitely a component to the rolling obsession. Once you get too acclimated to the sound of one tube, you start wanting something different. Fortunately for me, I have a couple to rotate and that generally does the trick. I just stick with one until I forget what the other sound like... ...and then when I finally swap I have a new sound to explore.

    I think a couple of cheap tubes in addition to the stock should be sufficient for most. I mean, you can keep hunting for the holy grail tube if you want, but I don't think it exists. I tend to leave it at, "I really like this tube." or "This tube sounds great today!"

    I think that's really the beauty of rolling tubes. Once you pick a couple of tubes that you know are good, you have a way to easily change the sound of your system whenever you get ADHD or perhaps the onset of shinyitis. Think you need a new amp? Maybe all you really need to do is grab that other $20 tube off of the shelf and just be happy! Way cheaper than swapping between dacs, amps, or headphones! But as it is in all things, it's a matter of degrees.
     
  2. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I'm not saying there aren't better tubes than the EH 6CG7 for the Vali 2, nor did I have the stock tube to try. All I know is the Vali 2 sounded very good to me with it, and unlike a lot of NOS tubes, you can find this new production tube easily and for relatively cheap.
     
  3. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    I've had really good success with the Genalex Gold Lion.
    It's the least microphonic of all my tubes, too. As in, I can tap it and it won't do a damn sound.
    The Philips 7DJ8 is the worse. It rings for seconds, especially in the left ear and will distort while the ringing is audible.
     
  4. robot zombie

    robot zombie Friend

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    And I'm not contesting that!
     
  5. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Almost "Made"

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    I'm having a lot of fun with the NightHawk and the Vali 2 (w/ Electro-Harmonix 6CG7 tube)

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    You guys are making me regret gifting mine to a friend. Maybe when the Freya becomes available I'll throw another Vali 2 into the cart and grab a 6CG7 tube for use on my desktop since I will be living the Jotunheim into my speaker rack once the preamp comes.
     
  7. doors1991

    doors1991 New

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    Most of the people in head-fi prefer the Electro Harmonix 6922 instead 6cg7.
     
  8. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    Since it appears you are new @doors1991 welcome! I would recommend going to the "New Members - Introduce Yourself Thread" and give everyone the context of who you are and what you like to listen to.
    For future posts...
    It would be helpful and interesting if you added the context of the system that the HF people prefer the 6922 in. Do you have a Vali 2 with the 6922? 6CG7? What do you think are the differences in these tubes?
     
  9. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    6CG7 it is then!
     
  10. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Anybody got a link to a 5670(6N3) to 6922 (EC88) adapter for the Vali2?
    The ones on eBay seem rather wide and I'm not sure they would fit in the opening o_O
     
  11. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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  12. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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  13. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    I'm using the WE396A on the Mjo2--not Vali 2--and I'm not excited about paying more than $100/pair for more of them if demand goes up, but I gotta say, it's a really great tube. At $50 for a single, I don't see how you can't try one of these out if you have the Vali 2. Unless you don't like good bass, rich detailed midrange, and really nice soundstage :)
     
  14. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    echoing the sentiments above, like the mini adapter with Vali 2 for certain, but more so with JAN GE 5670W tubes than a JW-2C51 Western Electric tube.
    this one JW-2C51 is microphonic compared to dead silent JAN GE, and JAN GE has a bit bigger sound stage and deeper, better bass.

    could all just be individual tube dependent tho, neither of them suck in any way and often times I am pulled to listening to the Vali 2 with these tubes over the Jotunheim for the Vali2 really nice (large, layered) soundstage.
     
  15. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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  16. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    I should add that when I ordered these, I ordered qty 2 and got 4 adapters. The ad copy didn't make it clear to me that qty 1 buys you a pair of the adapters. :)
     
  17. Turdski

    Turdski New

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    I highly recommend the 6N3P-E Reflektors with the adapter mentioned above. I found them to be so good (particularly the '89s*) that I sold my '75 6N23P SWGP silver shields. I have cash left over from selling 3 pairs total of from my '74 and '75 6N23Ps, despite purchasing 175 of the 6n3P-Es.

    *I've thus far heard tubes from '74, 75, 85, and 89. Compared 'em with Ocharaku Flat 4 Kaede IIs.

    Addendum: Forgot to state the obvious: your mileage may of course vary. Also, I don't mean to suggest that they're better than the '75 6N23Ps, but rather they exhibited slightly different characteristics, and otherwise were close enough in performance (but probably less coloured/distorted, so yes, potentially more boring to some). Plus, I needed the cash. Perhaps one day when I can afford the Yggdrasil, more neutral cans again, and another pair of the SWGPs, I'll do a big shootout.
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2016
  18. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    I tried a matched pair of 6N3P-E Reflektors from 1980 in my Mjo2. Very early impressions here: I found them flat, gray, lacking detail, and boring sounding. I'll update this if further listening shows them to be better, but I'd give them the thumbs down for my taste.

    EDIT: They're better. Further listening puts my 6N3P-E Reflektors in the "I basically like them" category. Their shortcomings compared to the WE396A's are a small but noticeable lack of dynamics. For some this might translate to "boring" and for others it might be "non-fatiguing". Like the 396As they add soundstage depth at the expense of width which, for the Mjo2, is a significant benefit. At $5 for the pair on Etsy, I consider the 6N3P-E a great backup tube for my 396A's. They'd probably be a super-cheap upgrade to the Vali2 stock tube, though I haven't heard that amp or tube.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2016
  19. doors1991

    doors1991 New

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    i don't have any,i want to replace the stock tube.
    i do not know their systems.

    Some posts :

    "It's nice to finally hear some feedback concurring my earlier recommendation and praise for the EH 6922.
    I did feel like playing some recently, so I went back and tried the 6CG7 that I have again, it wasn't in there very long. "


    "I just received my 6CG7 EH from Tube Depot today. I've only got about 3 hrs on it so far but it's not sounding anywhere near like the 6922 EH. I have a post in the main thread on the 6922 EH. I'll give the 6CG7 some more time to break-in but it's got a long way to go equal the 6922 EH. I don't have much faith it's gonna make it. The difference is great and easily apparent as it stands right now."


    "I have an EH 6CG7 w/ balanced triodes and I don't like it as well as the EH 6922. Your experiences will vary, of course."



    "Received my 6922EH today... WOW this is the tube sound I've been looking for! The bass extension is just amazing! Unbelievably smooth highs. Mids are present and clear as well. Sound stage is also very good. Much wider than the other two tubes I have. Its like a night and day difference between this tube and the 6CG7EH."
     
  20. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Some posts from where, out of interest? The secret sauce of this site is that people are consistent and we learn their sonic preferences and calibrate accordingly. Scattergun quoting random Head-fiers is a much less informative exercise.
     

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