[Rico613]

I just compared a new GS-X MK2 with my Balancing Act and I have to agree with most of what Purrin says. 

 

[magiccabbage]

   
I don't own the amp anymore.  However, the amp is far from what was described.

Yea but you know the way Purrin is - he gets excited from time to time. There are a lot of people who's opinion I trust that love the GSX - heck i nearly bought one. 
 
I would love to do a side by side with the DNA St and GSX when I get my amp but I don't think there is anyone in Ireland with a GSX. 

 

[Madmollusk]

   
Again, I urge caution. The Vahalla 2 is not an artificially warm sounding amp, so I have concerns with HD800 pairing depending upon source. If you already find the HD800 bright, I recommend Anax mods or DPEQ (digital parametric EQ) to tone down the brightness. Personal taste and choice of recordings will matter of course.

I consider myself duly warned. For some reason, the HD800 has never struck me as overly bright though. Uber detailed and airy, yes, but never bright, never fatiguing. The only thing I really want from the Valhalla is a touch of tube warmth, while hopefully retaining all of the HD800's stellar attributes, namely: its airiness, its immersive sound-stage, its almost subterranean sub-bass.  (A pitch black background would be nice too.) Put another way: I don't want to muck up the HD800's essential character with syrup, so to speak. For context, even the little dot mkiii was slightly too "tubey" sounding for me.  So, I think the Vahalla 2 might be just what I’m looking for. If not… well, I can always return it. Again, thanks for your advice.  

 

[ultrabike]

  What a load of crap..I'm talking straight BS 

 

 
Nope. I also heard the GSX mk2 + H800 and it was a pretty darn bright combo. Great build, but SQ-wise proly much better with something like an HE-500 or similar signature.
 
I know at some point you paired your HE-6 with the GSX mk2. I find that rather painful. Protect your hearing man.

 

[preproman]

   
Nope. I also heard the GSX mk2 + H800 and it was a pretty darn bright combo. Proly better with something like an HE-500 or similar signature.
 
I know at some point you paired your HE-6 with the GSX mk2. I find that rather painful. Protect your hearing man.

 
Sorry dude, Yeah - it's a load of crap - period.  Even the lessor amps of all kinds are not exaggerated upon like that.  That was over exaggerated as over exaggerated can get.  
 
The HE-6 with the GS-X mk2 was a pretty good match for a headphone amp - not the best by far, but not as bad as some would make it seem.
 
It seems to be some kind of product bias, some kind of [Mod Edit: *cough*]

 

[ultrabike]

Prepro, I can tell you Purrin and I were sitting at Justin's table and gave a few tunes a go with the MK2 + HD800. I can  tell you that Nirvana's "Come as you are" cymbals at the beginning of the song made Purrin and I cringe. This is not an exaggeration and not the only time this combo was heard either.
 
Maybe you just don't listen to anything with cymbals? Or maybe you are not sensitive to this issues? Dunno man. But I'm being honest.
 
The BHSE + 009 combo in that same table sounded uber-mellow by comparison.

 

[purrin]

  I consider myself duly warned. For some reason, the HD800 has never struck me as overly bright though. Uber detailed and airy, yes, but never bright, never fatiguing. The only thing I really want from the Valhalla is a touch of tube warmth, while hopefully retaining all of the HD800's stellar attributes, namely: its airiness, its immersive sound-stage, its almost subterranean sub-bass.  (A pitch black background would be nice too.) Put another way: I don't want to muck up the HD800's essential character with syrup, so to speak. For context, even the little dot mkiii was slightly too "tubey" sounding for me.  So, I think the Vahalla 2 might be just what I’m looking for. If not… well, I can always return it. Again, thanks for your advice.  

 
I think you will be fine with V2. The little dots are also too tubey for me, and lack necessary technicalities go make the HD80 shine. V2 just has that touch of tubes, but most importantly that clarity and immediacy which is only heard on tubes done right. The V2's stage isn't as expansive as the big boy amps, nor is the V2's slam; but it's still pretty darn good. But it's hard to get everything you want at that that price point.

 

[magiccabbage]

  Prepro, I can tell you Purrin and I were sitting at Justin's table and gave a few tunes a go with the MK2 + HD800. I can  tell you that Nirvana's "Come as you are" cymbals at the beginning of the song made Purrin and I cringe. This is not an exaggeration and not the only time this combo was heard either.
 
Maybe you just don't listen to anything with cymbals? Or maybe you are not sensitive to this issues? Dunno man. But I'm being honest.
 
The BHSE + 009 combo in that same table sounded uber-mellow by comparison.

Using "come as you are" as a test track for cymbals? I could think of better tracks. You didn't give the GSX much of a chance did you? 

 

[ultrabike]

  Using "come as you are" as a test track for cymbals? I could think of better tracks. You didn't give the GSX much of a chance did you? 

 
We tried some other ones in Justin's setup (not sure, but I think we tried the usual Hotel California and Daft Punk's Get Lucky deal with similar results), but that one is the one that delivered the most pain going by memory.
 
I feel that particular track is good for testing brightness. Heard the same song in Justin's setup through the BHSE + 009 and it was rather pleasant.
 
IMO using jazz and classic music to test gear is not always as telling as using not so optimal tracks that are more revealing of a rigs performance in different areas.

 

[magiccabbage]

   
We tried some other ones in Justin's setup (not sure, but I think we tried the usual Hotel California and Daft Punk's Get Lucky deal with similar results), but that one is the one that delivered the most pain going by memory.
 
I feel that particular track is good for testing brightness. Heard the same song in Justin's setup through the BHSE + 009 and it was rather pleasant.
 
IMO using jazz and classic music to test gear is not always as telling as using not so optimal tracks that are more revealing of a rigs performance in different areas.

yea good point actually - Metallica's black album, any of the tracks on there would make your ears bleed!! Those cymbals are horrible! 

 

[ultrabike]

Well, again, that exact same Nirvana song though Justin's BHSE + 009 did not made my ears bleed.
 
What do you think of Talking Heads and The Eagles?

 

[magiccabbage]

  What do you think of Talking Heads and The Eagles?

Love talking heads. I like the eagles as well but only some albums - i love Joe Walsh's - the smoker you drink, the player you get. Now that is a fantastic sounding album
 
As for talking heads my favorite albums is  - remain in light. Mostly because of the Adrian below session guitar work. Love bellows playing especially the King Crimson stuff. You can really hear what he brought to those albums - Discipline and  remain in light

 

[ultrabike]

Going by your music preferences I think you might be better off with your current HD-800 pairing.

 

[magiccabbage]

Sorry the Joe Walsh albums is - "But seriously folks" not the other one

 

[magiccabbage]

  Going by your music preferences I think you might be better off with your current HD-800 pairing.

What do you mean by that/?  GSX or DNA Stratus? i;m not planning on buying a GSX at all. My musical preference is far from rock - I mostly listen to jazz / soul  / funk  / acoustic. Recorded between 1955 and 1979. Rock takes up about 10% or less.