New Schiit Vali 2 Discussion Thread

There's no talk about the box or serial numbers. They talk about tubes and a Garage 1217 Project Ember amp I think it's called.

And who cares what they talk about there. Or, why not go look for yourself? Too cool for HF?

 

It was a joke about the serial number counting in the TH-X00 thread.

 

Hmm. So a little to my consternation, I am having a hard time telling which I like better between the balanced out of the GOV2 Infinity, or the SE out to the Vali 2. I want to say I get a little bit more energy with the Vali 2, but the spatial cues are lessened. For instance, when listening to a wonderfully mastered Haydn string quartet from the Nordic Sound straight from the GOV2, the space between instruments is startlingly clear. From the Vali 2, the instruments themselves bite a little more, which is quite appealing, but the space between them is lessened. Either way, it sounds good, but it would be nice to get both together. Perhaps that is where a better amp than the Vali 2 comes in. Or it could be the difference between the balanced and the SE out of the GOV2 . I can't really isolate since I don't have any alternative gear that is up to par. Regardless, I get tremendous sound for the money. Like better than setups that cost 2 to 3 times more that I have had in the past.

At this point, the Vali 2 is everything I could have hoped for it to be. I am just not sure if I need it. Will give it a few more weeks to see if I am swayed again one way or another.

 

It was pointed out to me that a tube roll might be in order to get what I am looking for, so add that variable to the puzzle.

 

Headphones?

 

Unmodded HD650s.

 

With the 650s and project ember, I really enjoy the 6DJ8 Amperex tubes. It made the 650s a little brighter and more energetic.

 

Thanks. How's the texture and detail? I like the tonality and presentation of the stock tubes just fine. It's the plankton type stuff where I noticed the difference. I lose just a touch of 3D for lack of a better descriptive word.

 

Things were sharper and more in focus. Better defined edges and more dynamic sounding.

But, I can't compare to the Vali 2 stock tube since I haven't heard it, so take all this with a grain of salt.

 

I've been listening to my Vali 2 for a few days. Very nice with my HD800 & HE1000, I don't find much lacking with the sound given its price & tubes. Build quality was exceptional and it looks much nicer than the photos. Only complaint is the white LED on the front is a bit too bright and distracts from the nice warm glow.

After a couple of days of listening I was able to hook it up to my switch box and compare with the O2 amp after very careful volume matching. Both amps sound very close with the HE1000 however the Vali 2 might have had the appearance of a bit less detail, and the edges were a bit rounded off making it a bit smoother in tone but with a slight 'haze' over the sound. The O2 was cleaner and sharper. Pretty much typical given SS vs. tubes. I was able to pick out the Vali2 14/20 times blind.

Overall, great little unit. I'm really happy with it.

 

Agree above, though compared to my Matrix HPA-3B it's such a stark contrast (loss of detail etc) doesn't even make sense to blind test. So not my cup of tea, it was just a support punt. Using Bifrost Multibit/HD800.

 

Hmm, so no real solution at this budget then.

 

The form factor and the single tube reminds me of a guitar effect pedal.

 

I'll poke around on the various tube threads, too, but anyone here that has the Vali 2 or similar amps have any recommendations for a budget tube that might be a little bit better than the stock tube? I don't want to pay more than $30-40 for the tube if I can help it. A touch more warmth would be appreciated, but not at the expense of resolution and soundstage. Definitely don't want to go brighter or sharper, though. Thanks!