" My first impressions of listening, from two days ago, are strengthened on several points:
The Vali is a headphone very pleasant to listen to, euphonious, alive, with rhythm and relatively little aggressive compared to other headphones.
The Vali should be listened to less strong than the Odin, for two reasons:
-If it is listening too hard, the generous bass of the Vali takes over and may become predominant, see invading on pieces loaded into low (unless you are a fan of low frequencies);
-If it is listening too hard, the high medium of the Vali can project itself (at 1 KHz) and to be the cause of hardnesses, see unpleasant projection for female voices during fortissimo.
The Vali is widened slightly in the medium, due to a serious generous (70 Hz) may have a masking effect on the lower midrange, and a small level of bump in the midrange at 1 KHz ( may be responsible for some hardness at this frequency).
The Vali has a treble well-balanced, fine, pleasant to listen to, absolutely not aggressive, not grainy, but it is shortened in the higher harmonics in the upper treble; This is visible on the response curve, but mostly it is hearing, undoubtedly (at least to my ears); the higher harmonics of the triangle and cymbals are shorter; It is clear compared to Odin, where these instruments, with the Odin, have more sparkle in the upper-treble.
After to well listen to these two headphones, the Vali, in fact, suffers a lot of a direct comparison with its big brother, the Odin, in the areas of the definition of sound and texture, simplified with the Vali.
This is very clear, both in the low, where Odin bass are both faster, more textured and defined, but it must be said also with a less powerful level and with a little less impact than the bass of the Vali (Nb: when to them, the bass of the Vali seem faster and with more impacts than the LCD3F or LCD - X) for a similar definition).
It is even more net and obvious for the mids, where the medium of the Odin is much more detailed, precise, subtle than that of the Vali, who appears to him in comparison as fairly significantly less detailed and also slightly indented.
The mids of the Vali is pleasant (euphonic) because warm, and both supported and punctuated by dynamic and powerful bass (favouring the taping foot), but it lacks definition; or then it is Odin who is particularly well defined (everything is relative :
)
For comparison, the difference in accuracy of the mids (and bass) from Vali compared to Odin would be of the same order as the difference in accuracy of the mids (and bass) of the LCD3-F Audeze compared to the Stax SR-009 (on the Luminare amplifier) (Nb: what does not prevent the LCD3F to be more euphonious and hot to listen compared at the Stax SR-009).
So in the end, I maintain, more than ever, that Odin is a headphone in resolution "native" 1080 p (if reference is made to a HD TV screen images), then the Vali remains one headphones in "native" definition any 720 p, which is already not so bad.
This difference in definition of sound (which could also apply to... sound image) that applies in the registry of the lows (bass), but especially in the medium (mids).
To be convinced, just listen to the voice of the singer Rebecca Pidgeon on the very good record CD "The Raven"; should not more than 10 seconds to realize: everything is clearer, more defined, more precise, better position, more subtle, not to mention an extension in the upper-treble better with Odin versus Vali.
Otherwise, the Vali defends itself well for symphonic works (Petroucka), Opera (Carmen) and a Piano work (Schumann), on par with the Odin, but with two very different perceptions:
-Odin because of its precision, definition and clarity, but with a lower bass level, gives an impression of listening close to the Orchestra (where we hear more details, but with less bass);
-While the Vali gives more the impression of a listening more to the bottom of the concert hall (close to the back wall) with a certain dullness (upper-treble loss and decrease in the details) and strengthening of the bass. These two styles of listening can please; they are different, though natural, both.
The Vali can be listened for use Home-Theater (test of the music of the film Avatar) with lots of level and dynamics in the bass, but a certain dullness (damping in the treble), as in a real Old movie theater (with large speakers JBL, with a well damped room).
For Jazz: Petrucciani and Grappelli (album Flamingo), I clearly prefer the Odin to the Vali; the accuracy of the Odin and virtuosity make wonders; the Vali seems heavier and left (less fast and accurate) in comparison; Yet once more, everything is relative
Otherwise, I was following reflection, the pleasant side of the Vali could come in part from sound reproduction related to the speakers of loudspeakers (disregarding, of course of the soundstage, which has nothing to do with that of loudspeakers): I found in the strength and the impact of the bass of the Vali a certain sound of dynamic loudspeakers quality (with powerful HP in the bass) but also, of course, a definition that is often less than that of a very good headphones (ortho or electrostatic).
Odin, when to him, is more akin to listening to electrostatic headphones, with its speed and its definition, but with more thickness on the timbre and more impact.
In short, my first impressions of listening, of two days ago, are largely confirmed, but also refined by various titles and styles of music heard this evening.
So, these are both great headphones, each in their respective categories; but one (Odin) is still larger than the other (Vali), and fully justified his label (for resolution) "HD 1080 p", while the other, also nice to listen to, justify right the label "720 p". (Nb: all headphones are not eligible for such labels, with such a success).
These two headphones remain fully competitive for their price and could be even considered as a good value, because, I will put gladly (and even head) the Vali compared to headphones Audeze LCD-X and LCD3-F (nb: similar definition, but with even greater impact, better speed, and a less down character for tone).
I put in another category, also in the leading pack, the Odin with the Quartet of headphones you know probably better than me (except for the Stax I've owned): the LCD4, HE1000, the Stax SR-009 and the Abyss (NB: I personally place the helmet Stax SR-009 behind Odin; for the other headphones, not judgments, I have not listened to them) (Nb bis : here, the differences in taste between all of these helmets will also occur).
Last remark; due to its "native" resolution 1080 p HD
the Odin benefits more records of quality (with a material upstream of the headphone also qualitative) than its little brother, the Vali, of resolution "native" 720 p.
With lesser quality recordings (and unfortunately there are many), even with a good system, the difference in resolution 1080 p / 720 p between these two headphones fades a little. The Vali can even get won the game by its own qualities, for some superior than Odin (its further "overall euphony"; its sound rendering in both warmer, more generous and more dynamic in the bass, especially for those loving this kind of sound signature and/or who are nostalgic of the sound of a dynamic loudspeaker (of quality) doing foot taping)."
