Schiit Valhalla vs Little Dot MK III

Heya,

 

I can't compare them as I don't have them, but I can at least comment on the Little Dot MK III in combination with the Ultrasone Pro 900 as I have them paired (amongst other headphones of mine). I've tried my Little Dot with my 900's and compared them with other amps I have, such as my Matrix Cube and my Vivid V1 Tech. You don't need an amp for the 900's, but you definitely get a richer more full bass with them when amplified. I really like the sound that the Little Dot gives to my 900's. Likewise, it pushes my DT990 600's perfectly fine too. The amp is powerful enough to do volumes you want with a lot of room to spare. My Matrix Cube's built in amp, I noticed a difference in the crispness of the low bass frequencies when comparing to the Little Dot. The Matrix Cube seems to be a more revealing, tight, detail oriented sound. My Little Dot on the other hand is warm, has a bit more sound stage, it blooms a little. It's definitely `tubey.' If you're looking to pair something warm with the cold sound of the Ultrasones, it will definitely do it.

 

Have you considered not getting such powerful amps for your line up? A Little Dot MKI+ would do the job for significantly less. Or are you specifically thinking of future headphones to drive where a lot more power is needed?

 

Very best,

 

I wonder if this amp would still be a bang for the buck I moved to different and harder to drive headphones.

It depends on what harder to drive headphones you are talking about. You will not have any problems driving the Sennheiser 600 series for example. You may run into issues with Ortho headphones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

From a technical standpoint, there are still differences between the two amps.

 

First, the LD has pre-amp outputs which I use to connect it to my active Tannoy monitors, for example. I leave the monitors connected. When I want to use the monitors instead of the headphones, I just turn on the Tannoy AC power from a power center I am using.

 

Second, the LD has adjustable gain ranges, instead of a fixed setting of 8, in the Valhalla. I use a gain setting of 4 because I use DACs that balance pro-level outputs into the unbalanced inputs of the LD using an adapter cable setup. This means that, since the tubes are operating in lower gain range, the tubes are less likely to pick up outside RF interference. I still have plenty of power for my headphones.

 

Third, the two amps used different driver tubes which will give a bit different sonic flavor. The Valhalla uses the 6DJ8 family of tubes which I am still using in my outstanding Melos pre-amp in a different setup. The LD uses the stock EF95 family of tubes and has jumpers that can be used to change families, for example, the EF91 and EF92.  After experimenting with different tubes in my LD, I settled with the EF91 GEC which is also called a CV4014 tube.  Both amps use the same power tubes. There you have it from a few technical points.  

Edited by john57 - 8/4/11 at 2:59pm

So is the Valhalla worth the extra $150? (and I know it does have 5 year warranty but I doubt Little Dot will ever chanrge much/anything for repairs)

 

Thanks

Phil

 

Valhalla's advantages

• Made in USA
• Shipping cheaper and may be quicker for warranty repairs
• 5-Year Warranty
• No jumpers
•  Competitive price with other USA brands

 

Edited by john57 - 8/21/11 at 6:53am

Soo, this is a total noob question. On Schiit's site, the option is given to purchase either a 115V Valhalla or a 230V Valhalla (same price). Are there advantages/disadvantages to the additional voltage? Suppose that my primary goal is to drive Beyer DT990 600 ohms, but that I might use the Valhalla to drive other headphones later on if the opportunity presents itself. Thanks! :D

Voltage depends on which country you are currently located 

If you stayed in the US I would have definitely said go for the Valhalla but since you are in Brazil chances are shipping will be equally expensive with both the Valhalla and the Little Dot.

From reading peoples opinion both companies have good customer service.

The biggest drawback of the Valhalla is that you cannot roll the tubes resulting in a fixed sonic signature. It wouldnt have been a bad thing (especially on the wallet !!! ) but the Valhalla is a slightly bright amp and not totally neutral. So if you get a bright can in future you could get a less than pleasing sound.

For that reason alone I would recommend the Little Dot.