Schiit Valhalla 2

Watch out for Head-Fier's "championing" tubes. More than a few people over there (without MOT status) are tube sellers who are pumping the market. They'll go on about how good a particular tube is. Then just surreptitiously, magically they've gotten a warehouse crate full of just that specific tube in stock.

What luck? And with such unlikely odds, given their price and scarcity? No worries, they'll be more than happy to share their bounty with you "at cost."

 

Good point, but I already ordered them and paid. The good thing is, if I don't like them, since they're the rage on HF, I can resell them for not much loss.

 

@The Alchemist how did you insert your socket savers? Did you open the chassis or stuck on the end of the tubes before putting them in? Or did you just use nifty fingers?

 

I just used my fingers, I didn't open the chassis. It was a pain in the ass-but I got it to work.

 

Thanks again!

 

no problem

 

Well, looks like I am jumping from the Vali 2 ship to the Valhalla 2 ship. All that talk of being happy with what I had went out the window when I saw the great deal Greed put up. This damn hobby keeps sucking me back in. I really hope no one puts a Bifrost 4490 up for sale anytime soon...

 

That was a great deal - seriously. And the Valhalla 2 is really a fantastic price/performance stop point for Senn dynamics.

 

We keep mirroring each other's gear. GOV2 first, then Vali 2, now Valhalla 2. If you're rocking an HD6xx or HD800, you're going to be VERY happy with that upgrade.

P.S. It pairs very nicely with a Bifrost...just saying...

Edit: Also, as @AustinValentine suggests, this is my stopping point for digital, until I'm making beau coup bucks and can afford a summit-fi setup, which may not happen until my next life!

 

The nice thing is that I really don't see anything above the Valhalla 2 that would tempt me until I reach Eddie Current level of hobby funds. Now for DACs, that is a different discussion.

 

Hah! I considered buying that and realized someone else would benefit from it more. I bet you'll enjoy it. Which DAC are you using now?

 

Going to use my GOV2 Infinity until it sells. Was thinking the updated Modi whenever it came out, but will probably have to go with the Bifrost 4490 so it will match the Valhalla 2. If I get a decent price for my Vali 2, I might stretch for a Bifrost Multibit, but 90% sure it will be the 4490. Already started designing the rack I will need to build for the set.

 

Well the nice thing about the Bifrost is you can get the 4490 sooner and then get Multibit later if you decide to.

I have a

Vali 2
Lyr 2
Bifrost

stack right now and it's aesthetically pleasing. I haven't heard the 4490 but the Bifrost Multibit is pretty fantastic.

And the Vali 2 still sounds good compared to the Lyr 2, I would probably lose a blind test there. I should try them both with the same exact tubes actually, I have 3 of the JJ 6922 gold pins.

 

I just acquired a Bifrost Multibit last week and am getting the Val2 when I return back home in a couple of days. Looks like it's a pretty popular stack around here. My headphones are the HD600.

Thing is, I'm still torn between keeping the Asgard 2 that has been with me for quite some time and selling it off. I love the Asgard 2 for the combination of value, solid state lack of hassle, and of course the SQ.

Anyone with both the Asgard 2 and Valhalla 2 willing to chime in on this? Apart from the HD600, I have the TH-X00 incoming in May, and also use a couple of IEMs. So far what I can come up with is:

Keeping the A2:
Obviously, two flavours to toggle between.
More ideal for IEMs with lower power and lesser gain.
From all accounts, probably a better match with the TH-X00.

Letting the A2 go:
$. Possibly upgrading another component in my audio chain. Some good tubes maybe.
Valhalla 2 should do at least half-decently with IEMs and the TH-X00

...Stick with the A2 only (no Valhalla 2):
No hassle with tubes
Good enough a match with the HD600(?)
$. Not worth the upgrade.

Edit: FWIW, I think the HD600 already sounds great with the warmth and weight of the A2.

 

This generally seems to be the case, with the exception being a TIII. Even then, I feel like you'd need to really step up to a ZD for a significant upg. The BW felt more of a sidegrade than upgrade with the hd650s.

 

How about something like a used Super 7? If the ZDS is the next real step up then it looks like the V2 might be here to stay for a while.

 

@purrin: Just curious, what advantages does the S7 have over the ZDS? From impressions I've read here and there, would the S7 be closer in sound signature to the V2 vs the supposedly more "euphonic" sounding ZDS? I'm kind of liking the more neutral sig of the V2 and don't want to lose much of it atm.

 

Can anyone give me the exact model of orange globe I should be looking for? Or possibly a link to where to buy them? I'm talking about the ones that seem to float around here highly recomended every now and then.

I only want to do this once just want to make sure I'm getting the right tube as there are a million and one different types of tubes as I've found out over the last couple days.

 

Ebay has a bunch of orange globes, I've bought them from Mercedesman and had good experiences. Ones from the 60's are supposed to be superior, but its all kind of a guessing game. I bought some made in 72 because they were cheap and really liked them.