NEW Vali Schiit AMP!!!
Nov 30, 2013 at 10:27 AM Post #1,246 of 4,971
So some new thoughts on the Vali, sound and microphonics.
 
Microphonics - they go away completely if left fully untouched for some time (4-5 minutes), once warmed up. The whine is non-stop for the first 10-15 minutes after turning on, and doesn't really depend on touching the unit or not. This is without any music playing. I test this with the HD650 and an IEM, using the H650 and playing music, I'd say 60 seconds is enough.
 
Once the unit is really warmed up, I can even turn the volume control without ringing if being very careful. If it starts to ring slightly, 30 seconds and it's gone. Using the laptop on the table, moving things and generally working causes some ringing, but not very loud. My unit needs to be isolated on a different surface. Typing next to /touching the unit causes ringing, but once warm it's not that bad and fades quickly.
 
Using the IEMs, it eventually goes completely silent in terms of the ringing, but the noise in the amp sounds like water running in the background. To me it's a no-go for iems or even my vmoda M80.
 
Comparing to the O2 amp, using an ODAC as source, I find that it has thicker tone and the bass lingers longer. Detail is at the same level, cant really tell any big difference in soundstaging or imaging. I like the added impact/thickness that's added, when changing amps I find that I want to turn up the O2 to get the same bass response. Overall the midrange feels thicker.
 
Please note that I've got no way of level matching the units, and even short term memory is a fickle thing... For the tone differences, as Harman Kardon's "How to listen" illustrates, characteristics are often not based in the frequency range you guess.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 10:36 AM Post #1,247 of 4,971
  How is the general sound signature of this amp, can't really get a grasp of it?

 
Sounds very neutral to me. No emphasis to me. Originally I thought somewhat in the low mids but I think it just might not be a good match for my DJ100.
It doesn't mess with how my headphones normally sound.
 
I would definitely say the mids are very very very very slightly fuller than they are on the O2. About the same as my Micro Amp.
 
It doesn't magically make the mids of my headphone super thick or anything.
 
It doesn't smooth over trebly/super bright songs or anything but perhaps smoother than something like the O2. Definitely not by much at all.
 
I really can't believe how natural/neutral this sounds to ME.
 
EDIT: This was with the modded Q701 on day one.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 11:11 AM Post #1,248 of 4,971
For those who haven't played with tubes before, they can be highly variable in their quirks and foibles.
 
So while you may get essentially the same sound signature from a batch of tubes, the individual tubes may vary in gain, amount of microphonics, noise and hiss, etc from sample to sample.
 
To get the most satisfying results, you'd want to match them into stereo pairs for gain (so one side isn't louder than the other), and weed out the ones that are unacceptably microphonic.
 
That's what audio tube vendors normally do. You'll see them sold in matched pairs, and graded as to the quality (the more costly grades are selected for low noise and low microphonics).
 
Of course, all that takes work. For the price that Schiit is asking for the Vali, I doubt that they can afford to go through a tube selection process like that. So that may explain why some of your Valis ring more than others, and why you may have more microphonics in one channel vs the other.
 
Still, a very exciting product!
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 11:46 AM Post #1,250 of 4,971
  I though Schiit rapid prototyped a rig to do just that :confused:


From what I read in this loooonnnggg thread, 
tongue_smile.gif
The prototyped rig(if I understand what your meaning)  was used to attach the tubes to the board.  Also I believe I read that the reason it took more time to produce enough for the roll-out was because it took them awhile to test and match the tubes. 
 
Michael
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 12:26 PM Post #1,252 of 4,971
 
From what I read in this loooonnnggg thread, 
tongue_smile.gif
The prototyped rig(if I understand what your meaning)  was used to attach the tubes to the board.  Also I believe I read that the reason it took more time to produce enough for the roll-out was because it took them awhile to test and match the tubes. 
 
Michael

 
OK, if they did it, then that's the case.
 
I was just surmising that might be why some folks were getting more ringing in one channel more than the other. But if matching took place, that's great.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 12:36 PM Post #1,253 of 4,971
Anybody had the chance to test it with the T1?
 
I should get my Vali next week, I will test it with the DT880 and T1.
 
I'm curious to see how it will sound compared to my Auditor. 
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 2:15 PM Post #1,254 of 4,971
Yeah! Mine arrived
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  I am going to let it warm up a bit before I plug it in and turn it on.  I do have to say I should have spent the extra money for USPS Priority.  I hate waiting.
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Will give impressions after burn in.  What would people suggest as a good safe way to burn the Vali in?
 
Thanks
Michael
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 2:22 PM Post #1,255 of 4,971
Damn this thing really spanks 598s. 
 
Non-pro opinion without buzzwords: I love it. This however is my first 'proper' amp, as before I was using a Topping TP41 speaker amp that happened to have a headphone jack. The topping drives 598 ok, but this is clearly superior in every way but one: My Vali seems left channel 'heavy', or slightly louder or offset left more than right. Noticeably so. I offset the left channel to 95/100 balance in Windows and it seems fine now. Other people might not notice, and this might be standard for better amps than I've used so I can't call it a flaw. I did see the other post noting that these tubes probably weren't matched at this price, and that I can fully understand. With the -5 to one side they sound spectacular to me. 
 
Being that I'm only comparing to a previous shoddy amp I can't do anything but whole heartedly recommend the Vali. It does everything better, in spades. It's also well built and much heavier than I thought it would be in hand. I finally understand the term 'round' in relation to audio playback.
 
Microphonics are not really noticeable to me personally. There was very slight ringing on power on, that went away in roughly 15 seconds. 
 
I haven't tested extensively but did momentarily load up an MKV of The Originals and couldn't hear any audible hissing or anything else during speech or quiet scenes.
 
I hope to convince the Gods that Be to let me try my T90 which are sitting waiting for Christmas to arrive, but that might have to wait. 
 
PC (320 and flac) > HRT MS II > Vali > Senns 598
 
edit: on further listening the 'left offset' is most likely the proper voicing of an amp that I wasn't getting with my previous POS cheap amp. I'll listen more. 
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 3:09 PM Post #1,256 of 4,971
Has anyone paired this with an AKG K7xx headphone? I have a K712 Pro and I'm curious if this might be a good fit. I had been considering the Magni until the Vali was released.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 3:25 PM Post #1,257 of 4,971
  I have a DT 880 (the 250-ohm version), and just got my Vali today. Is that a useful comparison? I'm not sure how the sound sig compares to the DT250.
 
Basically: yeah, I'm happy with this Schiit. Can't wait for my Mad Dogs to come in.

I'd love to hear what you thought about the Vali paired with DT 880/250-ohms.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 3:35 PM Post #1,258 of 4,971
  Damn this thing really spanks 598s. 
 
Non-pro opinion without buzzwords: I love it. This however is my first 'proper' amp, as before I was using a Topping TP41 speaker amp that happened to have a headphone jack. The topping drives 598 ok, but this is clearly superior in every way but one: My Vali seems left channel 'heavy', or slightly louder or offset left more than right. Noticeably so. I offset the left channel to 95/100 balance in Windows and it seems fine now. Other people might not notice, and this might be standard for better amps than I've used so I can't call it a flaw. I did see the other post noting that these tubes probably weren't matched at this price, and that I can fully understand. With the -5 to one side they sound spectacular to me. 
 
Being that I'm only comparing to a previous shoddy amp I can't do anything but whole heartedly recommend the Vali. It does everything better, in spades. It's also well built and much heavier than I thought it would be in hand. I finally understand the term 'round' in relation to audio playback.
 
Microphonics are not really noticeable to me personally. There was very slight ringing on power on, that went away in roughly 15 seconds. 
 
I haven't tested extensively but did momentarily load up an MKV of The Originals and couldn't hear any audible hissing or anything else during speech or quiet scenes.
 
I hope to convince the Gods that Be to let me try my T90 which are sitting waiting for Christmas to arrive, but that might have to wait. 
 
PC (320 and flac) > HRT MS II > Vali > Senns 598
 
edit: on further listening the 'left offset' is most likely the proper voicing of an amp that I wasn't getting with my previous POS cheap amp. I'll listen more. 

 
  I don't know about the imbalance, you might want to shoot an email to them and ask about that. I have two tube amps and neither one of them has any channel imbalance at all.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 4:21 PM Post #1,259 of 4,971
  Has anyone paired this with an AKG K7xx headphone? I have a K712 Pro and I'm curious if this might be a good fit. I had been considering the Magni until the Vali was released.

 
 
Got the Vali about 20 hours ago so I'm hesitant to post any solid thoughts on this unit. 
 
 
I've got a K702 Anniversary and Q701 on hand. The Q701 has really great synergy with the Vali. The Vali's looser bass just hits a nice spot with the Q701, and the Vali really shows off how much more resolving, spacious and detailed the Q701 is over the K702 anniversary.
 
Nov 30, 2013 at 4:48 PM Post #1,260 of 4,971
  I've just put 200h of burn in through this little amp with my HD650s and put on Explorers by Muse. WOW! The details in the piano are so realistic and the ghostly harmonies are almost life like. This is some good Schiit!!

It hasn't been anywhere near 200 hours since release, let along shipping time.  If yours was shipped the first day, and you received them overnight, then at the point you posted, at best you would have 92 hours.  I suspect a math error.
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