Spirit Torino Cuffie Valkyria Titanium
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Valkyria - The pinacle of dynamic headphones, flying over the competition
This was tested with a Spring 3 KTE and a Feliks Audio Envy with upgraded tubes. Almost all of my music is 44.1 kHz CD-rips or equal quality.
Let's take a step back and think about what dynamic drivers excel at.
Dynamics, of course, it's right there in the name, the ability to slap, slam, hit as hard like a thunderstorm is happening right next to your eardrum when an instrument like a drum is hit and you really feel the impact.
Natural timbre also comes to mind, the ability to represent the music very life-like and let the listener engulf into it.
For me, the Valkyria does those things better than any other headphone, period. There is never a problem in any region that would detach yourself from the music, no shouty midrange, no harsh treble, no disruptive peaks.
The treble region is recessed, but not as much as it would take anything away from the music.
The midrange is simply perfection, seductive voices and beautiful instrument presentation.
The bass is very boosted, especially the midbass. I generally hate headphones that bleed into the midrange, but the Valkyria does not that, WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIGHT GENRES.
Yes, i needed the use of capitalization there, because the Valkyria does simply not work with certain genres. Everything that has fast recurring midbass slaps, it completely overpowers the whole song and you just get a muddy mess. This includes rap & hip-hop, electronic music, and some pop.
WELL, THAT'S A JOKE, RIGHT? A 12k€ HEADPHONE THAT SUCKS AT PLAYING MY MUSIC? GET OUT!
Well, some genres.
Other genres, especially rock, hardrock, metal, but also classical and jazz and blues are the best i heard, period. Of course there are also pop songs that sound the best they ever sounded, mostly if there are no fast midbass slaps present and / or rely on string instrument. Oh god, string instrument. They sound so good that the Susvara sometimes gets jealous. Voices are completely outstanding too, be it male or female. The star of the show are the dynamics. This is such a hard hitting headphone that i look over to the 1266 and scratch my head because i'm considering if i need it anymore.
Let's get into some example tracks and determine whether they work or not. In general, there are only two categories, either it's sublime and the best you have heard this track, or you want to get the Valkyria off of your head immediately.
Lets start with some classic rock:
Queen - You Don't Fool Me
Fantastic song by Queen, this is just a pure joy, the drum never overpowers the song and the Valkyrias ability to render Freddys voice is just amazing. When the triple drum drops at 2:34 you just sit there with an open jaw wondering if you ever need a different headphone.
Let's pick up the pace slightly:
Shinedown - Adrenaline
Not particularely well mastered, but it does sound amazing, the Valkyrias ability to combine thunderous drum hits with string instrument, even if they are electric guitars, is perfect.
The last step up in this regard is probably my favourite genre: Symphonic Metal. It's a very complicated genre to portrait correctly, you have thunderous drum impacts, shredding electric guitars and in the middle of all of this a beautiful female voice that needs to pierce through this chaos.
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score
The Valkyria handles this track with absolute perfection, the drums hit as hard as with the 1266, and the guitars and Floor Jansens voice sound as magnificent as on the Susvara - WOW!
In general, voices are utter perfection, no matter female ones like here or male ones like here, they are more laid-back though and never in your face, if you want that, get an Utopia.
Let's go for the obvious example that everybody wants to hear with this headphone - Ride of the Valkyries is pure bliss. Most likely, everything classical you throw on this headphone will be the best you heard it through any device.
That also includes a lot of video game music, the OST of NieR on the Valkyria is incredible. If you don't own the NieR soundtrack, you're missing out.
Ok, so, what is on the edge or over it when it comes to genres?
Eminem - Drug ballad is way too boomy while on the other hand, Fort Minor - Remember The Name does works. In general what i've found: The deeper the beat is (for example here it's very deep - Sommerregen Fanta 4) the better the Valkyria handles the track because the large midbass does not disturb vocals.
The Valkyria seems to have a drop down in the low subbass, it's definitely not as flat as the Planar competition. There are a few tracks where i miss that last bit of extension, for example Leprous - Have you Ever? is so much better on planars like the Susvara.
While you suspect that the midbass bump or subbass recess also affects bass string instruments in a negative way, that is not the case. These instruments are a bit more in the foreground, but in no way disturbing and jazz tracks like Roger Cicero - Zieh die Schuhe aus sounds magnificent.
Which does not work, almost exclusively, is electronic music. Some slower tracks like Paradise Warfare - Carpenter Brut sound ok, but you really want a faster, non-boomy planar for that music. Anything a bit faster, for example some Dance With The Dead is most likely just headache inducing, it does not sound clean, it just sounds like too much: Too dark and too thick.
Lastly, i need to talk about pianos. Oh god, this headphone is so good for anything piano related. I played the piano myself for years, and know the timbre of this instrument inside and out. Tracks like Robbie Williams - Feel or Nadir Rustamli - Fade To Black will blow your mind on the Valkyria.
Let's see how the Valkyria performs versus some of its competition!
vs Spirit Torino Pulsar:
Remember when i just talked about the last missing part of subbass extension? The Pulsar also has that problem, amplified by a magnitude. While on the Valkyria you hear that it doesn't reach all the way down, on the Pulsar you don't even hear that, because a lot of the information is just completely missing. I don't know if that's typical for this headphone or just the unit i borrowed, but sadly the effect is quite drastic. This robs the Pulsar of the deep sound, which very often is accentuating the whole music in general, you only really miss it when you hear that's it's not there, and sadly, with the Pulsar, you start missing it a lot, especially when comparing it directly to the Valkyria.
I also have to state that i've not heard another Pulsar, nor have i tried to EQ the bass.
Besides from that, the Pulsar is slightly brighter and more sparkly and sounds a bit harsh in a direct comparison, the Valkyria sounds darker and smoother. The Pulsar has a bit smaller soundstage, the Valkyria has even better dynamics and sounds more grown-up and more musical. Because the Valkyria is darker, it makes the initial perceived details on the Pulsar higher, its midrange is also a bit more forward compared to the Valkyria, on the Valkyria voices are a bit more laid-back and also softer. The Pulsar is more aggressive. Because there is no reduced bass foundation, the Valkyria sounds more meaty, with a thicker body to each tone, even more than the Pulsar already does, because it does have a very good midbass which creates this effect, but it's even much larger on the Valkyria.
If you like the Pulsar, you will love the Valkyria, the Valkyria is the polished more musical version of the Pulsar.
vs Hifiman Susvara:
It's a completely different presentation. Valkyria is much more weighty and bassy and way less airy, the Susvara has a lot more treble. What these two have in commmon are outstanding voices - be it male of female, extremely natural and soft and realistic. In general, Susvara is more detailed and faster and sounds clean, but it sounds like it only touches the surface of the music, allthough a bigger surface than the Valkyria can oversee (soundstage of the Susvara is slightly bigger too). But here comes the comparison with the depth: The Valkyria digs deep into the music like the Susvara cannot do, especially instruments like drums. If you pick a genre the Valkyria does not like, the Susvara outpaces the Valkyria like a rabbit outpaces a turtle. String instruments are super amazing with both of them but i think i even prefer them on the Valkyria. After listening to the Valkyria for a while (with genres it likes), the Susvara sounds quite flat. Shocking, yeah, i know... Still, the Susvara is my most used and loved headphone for a reason, its capabilites combined with its musicality are truly outstanding.
vs OG Utopia
I owned this headphone for a long time. For me the Valkyria is the next step up from the Utopia. The Utopia had a mostly narrow soundstage, it's tuning was mostly neutral, but its upper midrange was borderline too much for me, i found it too aggressive. If you put it onto tubes, it softened up, the soundstage got bigger, the bass got boosted, it became much more enjoyable for me. Now amplify this effect much more and you get the Valkyria. More bass, more soundstage, not a hint of natural aggressiveness left (only when the song calls for it!), extremely musical while being highly dynamic with a thunderous bass. Perfection.
vs LCD-4
Very interesting comparison. Besides the boosted bass of the Valkyria, these have a lot in common. Both have a fantastic midrange, the LCD-4 has a slight emphasize around 1,2k which the Valkyria does not. Both are dark and laid-back, but very resolving. The LCD-4 is even darker. Both are very dynamic, but each in a different way and the Valkyria takes it overall, it slams more. The Valkyria strikes me as a dynamic driver and overall better version with more bass than the LCD-4.
vs 1266 TC
The only headphone that can rival (and sometimes even surpass) the Valkyrias dynamics. Both are incredible. The 1266 is notorious to get a good midrange out of, i managed it with very sweet tubes, the Valkyria always does that. The 1266 is just overly aggressive otherwise. The Valkyria bests it in timbre and natural organic sound while it is darker, the 1266 has the bigger soundstage, more treble, and can handle any genre. Of course the 1266 has all the typical TOTL planar advantages like the Susvara, which is speed and technical details. If you would force me to decide which i like more, i'd have a very hard time.
vs Verite Open
Valkyria is just better, except in genres it can't handle. Better dynamics, less aggressive and harsh, more detailed, more organic sounding, the list goes on. On the one hand, it's not a fair comparison if you glance at the price, on the other hand, it shows how big the difference in dynamic drivers actually can be, the same goes for the Utopia.
For me the difference between VO / Utopia and Valkyria is really big, maybe not so much in the technical aspects, but the overall musical enjoyment of the Valkyria is much, much bigger.
vs Campfire Audio Trifecta
Weird comparing a headphone to an IEM, right? I'm doing this because they sound somewhat similiar. They both go for that very dynamic, engaging live-factor. The Trifecta has even more bass and is less resolving, but they both share a sound signature that immediately reminds you of being in front of your favourite band more than anything else i've heard. They have very similiar weaknesses and strengths. The Valkyria is the perfected and upgraded headphone version of the Trifecta.
That was quite a journey!
The Valkyria is, by far, the very best dynamic driver headphone i've listened to. Nothing comes even close. The merits of the dynamic driver platform are truly focused in this headphone. For more speed, technicalities or seperation you have to switch to planars (or Estats).
This bad boy is the ultimate musical experience if you love the same genres as the manufacturer.
Is it stupidly expensive? Oh hell yeah! But i think it's much better than any of the dynamic driver competition. If you see one of these on the used market and have any interest in what i've described i highly recommend it. Sadly while its little brother, the Pulsar, got me addicted, it does not have the same musicality when you compare them, and the elephant in the room is its lacking bass extension, which the Valkyria suffers from way less. The Valkyria made me reduce my headphone collection significantly because it's so, so good. It truly has a weighty, musical flow that is unique.
Other thoughts:
It's heavy, but as an LCD-4 and 1266 guy i don't care, it very comfortable though!
Normally i would strongly dislike attached cables, but it's of such a high quality that i totally accept it.
The design is super unique with the silver / red / black colours and the pentagram, giving me some Diablo incantation vibes, i love it!
I also highly recommend watching Kojis (ConvinceMeAudio) Valkyria review as i agree with almost everything he says.
Lastly i have to give a shoutout to @visi77 for selling me his unit, thanks!
Thanks for reading everyone, and remember: Enjoy the music, doesn't matter with what gear.
Cheers!
This was tested with a Spring 3 KTE and a Feliks Audio Envy with upgraded tubes. Almost all of my music is 44.1 kHz CD-rips or equal quality.
Let's take a step back and think about what dynamic drivers excel at.
Dynamics, of course, it's right there in the name, the ability to slap, slam, hit as hard like a thunderstorm is happening right next to your eardrum when an instrument like a drum is hit and you really feel the impact.
Natural timbre also comes to mind, the ability to represent the music very life-like and let the listener engulf into it.
For me, the Valkyria does those things better than any other headphone, period. There is never a problem in any region that would detach yourself from the music, no shouty midrange, no harsh treble, no disruptive peaks.
The treble region is recessed, but not as much as it would take anything away from the music.
The midrange is simply perfection, seductive voices and beautiful instrument presentation.
The bass is very boosted, especially the midbass. I generally hate headphones that bleed into the midrange, but the Valkyria does not that, WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIGHT GENRES.
Yes, i needed the use of capitalization there, because the Valkyria does simply not work with certain genres. Everything that has fast recurring midbass slaps, it completely overpowers the whole song and you just get a muddy mess. This includes rap & hip-hop, electronic music, and some pop.
WELL, THAT'S A JOKE, RIGHT? A 12k€ HEADPHONE THAT SUCKS AT PLAYING MY MUSIC? GET OUT!
Well, some genres.
Other genres, especially rock, hardrock, metal, but also classical and jazz and blues are the best i heard, period. Of course there are also pop songs that sound the best they ever sounded, mostly if there are no fast midbass slaps present and / or rely on string instrument. Oh god, string instrument. They sound so good that the Susvara sometimes gets jealous. Voices are completely outstanding too, be it male or female. The star of the show are the dynamics. This is such a hard hitting headphone that i look over to the 1266 and scratch my head because i'm considering if i need it anymore.
Let's get into some example tracks and determine whether they work or not. In general, there are only two categories, either it's sublime and the best you have heard this track, or you want to get the Valkyria off of your head immediately.
Lets start with some classic rock:
Queen - You Don't Fool Me
Fantastic song by Queen, this is just a pure joy, the drum never overpowers the song and the Valkyrias ability to render Freddys voice is just amazing. When the triple drum drops at 2:34 you just sit there with an open jaw wondering if you ever need a different headphone.
Let's pick up the pace slightly:
Shinedown - Adrenaline
Not particularely well mastered, but it does sound amazing, the Valkyrias ability to combine thunderous drum hits with string instrument, even if they are electric guitars, is perfect.
The last step up in this regard is probably my favourite genre: Symphonic Metal. It's a very complicated genre to portrait correctly, you have thunderous drum impacts, shredding electric guitars and in the middle of all of this a beautiful female voice that needs to pierce through this chaos.
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score
The Valkyria handles this track with absolute perfection, the drums hit as hard as with the 1266, and the guitars and Floor Jansens voice sound as magnificent as on the Susvara - WOW!
In general, voices are utter perfection, no matter female ones like here or male ones like here, they are more laid-back though and never in your face, if you want that, get an Utopia.
Let's go for the obvious example that everybody wants to hear with this headphone - Ride of the Valkyries is pure bliss. Most likely, everything classical you throw on this headphone will be the best you heard it through any device.
That also includes a lot of video game music, the OST of NieR on the Valkyria is incredible. If you don't own the NieR soundtrack, you're missing out.
Ok, so, what is on the edge or over it when it comes to genres?
Eminem - Drug ballad is way too boomy while on the other hand, Fort Minor - Remember The Name does works. In general what i've found: The deeper the beat is (for example here it's very deep - Sommerregen Fanta 4) the better the Valkyria handles the track because the large midbass does not disturb vocals.
The Valkyria seems to have a drop down in the low subbass, it's definitely not as flat as the Planar competition. There are a few tracks where i miss that last bit of extension, for example Leprous - Have you Ever? is so much better on planars like the Susvara.
While you suspect that the midbass bump or subbass recess also affects bass string instruments in a negative way, that is not the case. These instruments are a bit more in the foreground, but in no way disturbing and jazz tracks like Roger Cicero - Zieh die Schuhe aus sounds magnificent.
Which does not work, almost exclusively, is electronic music. Some slower tracks like Paradise Warfare - Carpenter Brut sound ok, but you really want a faster, non-boomy planar for that music. Anything a bit faster, for example some Dance With The Dead is most likely just headache inducing, it does not sound clean, it just sounds like too much: Too dark and too thick.
Lastly, i need to talk about pianos. Oh god, this headphone is so good for anything piano related. I played the piano myself for years, and know the timbre of this instrument inside and out. Tracks like Robbie Williams - Feel or Nadir Rustamli - Fade To Black will blow your mind on the Valkyria.
Let's see how the Valkyria performs versus some of its competition!
vs Spirit Torino Pulsar:
Remember when i just talked about the last missing part of subbass extension? The Pulsar also has that problem, amplified by a magnitude. While on the Valkyria you hear that it doesn't reach all the way down, on the Pulsar you don't even hear that, because a lot of the information is just completely missing. I don't know if that's typical for this headphone or just the unit i borrowed, but sadly the effect is quite drastic. This robs the Pulsar of the deep sound, which very often is accentuating the whole music in general, you only really miss it when you hear that's it's not there, and sadly, with the Pulsar, you start missing it a lot, especially when comparing it directly to the Valkyria.
I also have to state that i've not heard another Pulsar, nor have i tried to EQ the bass.
Besides from that, the Pulsar is slightly brighter and more sparkly and sounds a bit harsh in a direct comparison, the Valkyria sounds darker and smoother. The Pulsar has a bit smaller soundstage, the Valkyria has even better dynamics and sounds more grown-up and more musical. Because the Valkyria is darker, it makes the initial perceived details on the Pulsar higher, its midrange is also a bit more forward compared to the Valkyria, on the Valkyria voices are a bit more laid-back and also softer. The Pulsar is more aggressive. Because there is no reduced bass foundation, the Valkyria sounds more meaty, with a thicker body to each tone, even more than the Pulsar already does, because it does have a very good midbass which creates this effect, but it's even much larger on the Valkyria.
If you like the Pulsar, you will love the Valkyria, the Valkyria is the polished more musical version of the Pulsar.
vs Hifiman Susvara:
It's a completely different presentation. Valkyria is much more weighty and bassy and way less airy, the Susvara has a lot more treble. What these two have in commmon are outstanding voices - be it male of female, extremely natural and soft and realistic. In general, Susvara is more detailed and faster and sounds clean, but it sounds like it only touches the surface of the music, allthough a bigger surface than the Valkyria can oversee (soundstage of the Susvara is slightly bigger too). But here comes the comparison with the depth: The Valkyria digs deep into the music like the Susvara cannot do, especially instruments like drums. If you pick a genre the Valkyria does not like, the Susvara outpaces the Valkyria like a rabbit outpaces a turtle. String instruments are super amazing with both of them but i think i even prefer them on the Valkyria. After listening to the Valkyria for a while (with genres it likes), the Susvara sounds quite flat. Shocking, yeah, i know... Still, the Susvara is my most used and loved headphone for a reason, its capabilites combined with its musicality are truly outstanding.
vs OG Utopia
I owned this headphone for a long time. For me the Valkyria is the next step up from the Utopia. The Utopia had a mostly narrow soundstage, it's tuning was mostly neutral, but its upper midrange was borderline too much for me, i found it too aggressive. If you put it onto tubes, it softened up, the soundstage got bigger, the bass got boosted, it became much more enjoyable for me. Now amplify this effect much more and you get the Valkyria. More bass, more soundstage, not a hint of natural aggressiveness left (only when the song calls for it!), extremely musical while being highly dynamic with a thunderous bass. Perfection.
vs LCD-4
Very interesting comparison. Besides the boosted bass of the Valkyria, these have a lot in common. Both have a fantastic midrange, the LCD-4 has a slight emphasize around 1,2k which the Valkyria does not. Both are dark and laid-back, but very resolving. The LCD-4 is even darker. Both are very dynamic, but each in a different way and the Valkyria takes it overall, it slams more. The Valkyria strikes me as a dynamic driver and overall better version with more bass than the LCD-4.
vs 1266 TC
The only headphone that can rival (and sometimes even surpass) the Valkyrias dynamics. Both are incredible. The 1266 is notorious to get a good midrange out of, i managed it with very sweet tubes, the Valkyria always does that. The 1266 is just overly aggressive otherwise. The Valkyria bests it in timbre and natural organic sound while it is darker, the 1266 has the bigger soundstage, more treble, and can handle any genre. Of course the 1266 has all the typical TOTL planar advantages like the Susvara, which is speed and technical details. If you would force me to decide which i like more, i'd have a very hard time.
vs Verite Open
Valkyria is just better, except in genres it can't handle. Better dynamics, less aggressive and harsh, more detailed, more organic sounding, the list goes on. On the one hand, it's not a fair comparison if you glance at the price, on the other hand, it shows how big the difference in dynamic drivers actually can be, the same goes for the Utopia.
For me the difference between VO / Utopia and Valkyria is really big, maybe not so much in the technical aspects, but the overall musical enjoyment of the Valkyria is much, much bigger.
vs Campfire Audio Trifecta
Weird comparing a headphone to an IEM, right? I'm doing this because they sound somewhat similiar. They both go for that very dynamic, engaging live-factor. The Trifecta has even more bass and is less resolving, but they both share a sound signature that immediately reminds you of being in front of your favourite band more than anything else i've heard. They have very similiar weaknesses and strengths. The Valkyria is the perfected and upgraded headphone version of the Trifecta.
That was quite a journey!
The Valkyria is, by far, the very best dynamic driver headphone i've listened to. Nothing comes even close. The merits of the dynamic driver platform are truly focused in this headphone. For more speed, technicalities or seperation you have to switch to planars (or Estats).
This bad boy is the ultimate musical experience if you love the same genres as the manufacturer.
Is it stupidly expensive? Oh hell yeah! But i think it's much better than any of the dynamic driver competition. If you see one of these on the used market and have any interest in what i've described i highly recommend it. Sadly while its little brother, the Pulsar, got me addicted, it does not have the same musicality when you compare them, and the elephant in the room is its lacking bass extension, which the Valkyria suffers from way less. The Valkyria made me reduce my headphone collection significantly because it's so, so good. It truly has a weighty, musical flow that is unique.
Other thoughts:
It's heavy, but as an LCD-4 and 1266 guy i don't care, it very comfortable though!
Normally i would strongly dislike attached cables, but it's of such a high quality that i totally accept it.
The design is super unique with the silver / red / black colours and the pentagram, giving me some Diablo incantation vibes, i love it!
I also highly recommend watching Kojis (ConvinceMeAudio) Valkyria review as i agree with almost everything he says.
Lastly i have to give a shoutout to @visi77 for selling me his unit, thanks!
Thanks for reading everyone, and remember: Enjoy the music, doesn't matter with what gear.
Cheers!
