I can't wait to see how they are going to sound with amp. Right now I am listening to "Hair" soundtrack and if somebody also listened to that soundtrack they will know that bass is amazing in the entire soundtrack. I can't believe how clear it sounds. You can actually hear bass played instead of some low frequency mess.
I also have Kurzweil KS 40A monitors. Will they benefit from Vali 2 on their input? I'm listening to them directly from computer right now.
So, is there any difference between Vali2 and Asgard2? Vali2 uses tube as a input buffer, or something like that, but as someone here said, it is not used as output stage. So is there any difference except the price tag?
So, is there any difference between Vali2 and Asgard2? Vali2 uses tube as a input buffer, or something like that, but as someone here said, it is not used as output stage. So is there any difference except the price tag?
Asgard 2 is a class A solidstate amplifier while Vali 2 is an hybrid tube amplifier.
The Asgard 2 is more precise and cleaner from a technical point of view, as it's the Magni 2 (and Magni 2 Uber)
Most of the times SS amplifiers are a little bit more analytical than amplifiers using tubes.
Asgard 2 is a class A solidstate amplifier while Vali 2 is an hybrid tube amplifier.
The Asgard 2 is more precise and cleaner from a technical point of view, as it's the Magni 2 (and Magni 2 Uber)
Most of the times SS amplifiers are a little bit more analytical than amplifiers using tubes.
Right, and it's just an economic and power issue. Never used the Vali or Magni. I own an Asgard One and it just gets the power for the AKG k701s. So being the Asgard is upline not looking at measurements at all, I would suspect that the Vali or Magni could not run them as effectively.
With the AKG 701s, it's about getting a tight and full as possible bass response and mid soundstage. Sadly when underpowered all the negative traits with the headphone start to reveal themselves.
Much of what you read about 1st time buyers liking them under amped is just due to the revelation of finally hearing a top tier soundstage and spacial placement, which still even goes on with the k701s out of a phone.
The issue is in the pace and lower spectrum which is slow and non detailed when underpowered. IMO
The k701s do act nice with a warmer upstream signal. I purchased a W5LE just because I wanted to hear what a super powerful but slight warm feed would do with them.
Sadly I'm not sure how many warm and powerful amps would work in the price range asked.
The Asgard is on the slightly bright side in today's understanding of color. Though ideas about color have changed in the last 6 years. Six years ago the Asgard would be viewed as flat.
Combine the Asgard with the k701s with a slightly warm signal from a warm Dac and they sound nice, though maybe the most thin signature I admire. The offered detail and speed more than make up for any drawbacks in bass or warm lower mid energy not around in the signature.
Still again we are met with the fact that no matter how you judge the signature, the k701s are always going to be best with pop vocals like Dido's album No Angel or Classical or any pure acoustic guitar recordings. It's just what they do best.
Matter of fact Dido is kind of the poster child for the vocal dynamics and charm the k701s love to provide.
Vali 2 is an hybrid amplifier, it's not a solid state amp + a tube amp.
Vali 2 has a tube for the gain stage with a discrete solid state output, so it can provide good amount of power into low impedance loads unlike complete tube amplifiers.
Magni 2 is 100% solidstate, so there's no tube to care or change with time and it has significantly lower levels of distortion than the Vali 2.
Vali 2 can sound warmer/lusher/different? Yes, but differences are still small, Schiit is not known for making very coloured amplifiers.
Vali 2 has a tube for the gain stage with a discrete solid state output, so it can provide good amount of power into low impedance loads unlike complete tube amplifiers.
Just note that the low impedance issue is more of a problem with output transformerless or other low output tube designs. More complex tube designs with output transformers typically do not have this limitation (easy to tell if it's this kind of tube amp - it would have three black cubes on top), but the thing is these are heavy as hell and expensive vs comparable performance solid state amps (especially fullrange Class D). OTL amps are simpler to design, and if you got the circuit right for less distortion and only use them with high impedance cans, typically the only audible distortion in them is likely intentional. Amps like the Valhalla of course minimize this, basically just rounding out harsher treble notes.
650mW RMS vs 1W RMS
AB class vs A class
$169 vs $249
I am only concerned that Vali 2 is AB class amplifier. But I bet I wouldn't hear the difference.
Additional thing, In Vali 2 I can change tube to get slightly different sound.
I don't want to nitpick, I did that for three weeks choosing the headphone. This is now just the matter of how much I want to spend.
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