Valhalla 2 with HD650 -> where to from here

You Color-Reddians . . . if I were 10 years younger, I'd join you.

 

lol
Sure enough I was testing the fast HD800 on the Crack & the slower (?) Audeze LCD-2 on my solid state amps & there was a huge decrease in the PRaT(?) with the HD800/Crack combo. Or maybe the term is decay.
I was shocked how big a difference it made when I did A/B tests between them.

Then again, I used the stock RCA tubes that came with the Crack & it wasn't with the Speedball upgrade. That might have made a big difference.

 

Hi. Any updates on this? I'm eying that Elise... and some impressions outside the rave on that other forum would be very welcome and appreciated!

 

C

Curious aabout this Elise amp..Anybody has done a review of this amp?

 

There is an Elise tour going on, but I don't think the impressions have hit yet.

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/feliks-audio-elise-loaner-program.923/

 

I've had my Elise since February (ordered Mid November).

I don't have the scope of experience to write a quality review, so I haven't.

I've found tubes to make a Huge difference. For me, the power tubes that came with it were garbage and destroyed the bass. I bought the upgraded driver tubes from Feliks Audio in the beginning so I've never heard the stock drivers.

I use

Drivers: Sylvania 6sn7-WGTA (1957 or 1958 I think) - the stock upgrade tube from Feliks at the time.

Power: RCA JAN-CRC-6AS7G 1955 - replacement power from eBay.


Ifi Purifier 2->Gungnir Multibit->Elise->HD650

(note: I don't believe I can hear the Ifi Purifier 2 difference)​

I couldn't be happier.
I was really worried at first with what I heard. I was really glad I replaced the power tubes. I couldn't believe it made such a difference.

With my combo, Bass is powerful and punchy. Treble is comfortable. Not harsh. I probably prefer things a tad on the warm side of neutral. Everything feels precise, yet gooey. My ears don't feel the waves as knife edges, yet they are never left waiting or wanting for what's coming next. I never feel as if the detail isn't there.

Elise does take a while to break in. I'd say it took maybe a week of heavy usage for things to settle in. (Leaving it playing constantly)

There are times where I have taken my headphones off thinking I left the speakers on somewhere or to see if someone was in the room (during a game) only to realize that the sound was that good from my headphones. I don't think I could ask for anything better than that. If it sounds like you're right there, I'm happy.

I use the Elise for all my PC audio. This includes music and games.
Music wise, I listen to a lot of: Pink Floyd, REM, Paul Simon, Sia, The Refreshments, Regular Pop. Classical wise really only Bach, WoW soundtrack (yeah), and a little Beethoven depending on mood.
Games are almost all RPG type things.

I didn't like the power button location so I built an external in-line power switch I use.

I don't use any magic cables. I did buy a shielded power cord. Though it's just a shielded power cord. It's not made by virgins of pure unobtainium and soaked in unicorn blood (was maybe $20-$30 for 10ft).


It is a too rare occasion where I reach and spend a bit more than I should on something and I I'm happy I did.

The Elise is one of those instances.

I hope this helps.

 

Tropics?

 

@PerfectAnalog
Thanks for the lengthy reply. Good tube advice

Anybody else? Maybe somebody can offer a comparison or some other reference point?

What about that loaner program?

 

I am apprehensive about posting things on the Elise here.

The HF thread is very very over-the-top positive on it. So it's hard to believe any real criticism of it would last long there.

Here, I feel like there is already a negative bias toward it because the HF threads are so over-the-top. Thus, it must be snake oil or just a continuation of all of the other bullshit that goes on at HF. So commenting something positive on it will get one labelled as a fan-boy or some other non-pleasant adjective.

I don't have any particular invested opinion on anything.
I've owned the Valhalla 2, Apogee Groove, and the Elise. The Bifrost Multibit and the Gungnir Multibit. And the HD650.
I've heard the Magni, Modi, O2/ODac, Yaggi, Ragnarok, HD800, HD600, LCD-X, ZMF Blackwood, and HE1000.

I think I'm at endgame on my Amp/Dac combo which is nice. Maybe if they make a balanced Elise I'll look at it.
The only headphones I can say I've liked more than the HD650's sound-wise are the HE1000's. Those will be a while I think.

 

I forgot I do have an Ifi Purifier 2 hooked into my Gungnir Multibit. I don't know that I tell much of a difference. But since I bought it, I have it plugged in there.
Will edit the chain above.

 

@SSL not from the tropics I know snow all too well. Though Alaska snow is different than Minnesota snow is different than Dallas snow is different than Moscow snow....

It is really hard to describe sound to another without a common point of reference. Hence my not posting "a review" previously.

 

Now that's a very positive impression of Feliks Elise.. I also own HD650 and looking for a tube amp. So this one will go to the shortlist..

 

That HF thread has a number of folks raving about how good EL3N tubes sound in the Elise. Most are using the EL3Ns as drivers (EL3N -> 6SN7 adapters), but some are using EL3Ns for both driver and power tubes (using adapters as needed). Not coincidentally, the price of NOS EL3N tubes seems to have tripled over the past year or so.

Anyone here have any experience with EL3Ns?