Hello all, looking Amplifier

[chihwahli]

  You chose wisely OP.  Valhalla 2 is fantastic for high ohm headphones.  It was the first amp that had me go WOW!  Other amps are different flavors of the same.  OTL is amazing.

Could not have chosen wisely without people with good experience. It's just great when people help each other. the wild forest becomes a nice bush with fruit. 

 

[buke9]

No,
I want to hear things the way they were recorded and they way they are meant to be heard.

I don't want to color or distort the sound, but I think that this point of view doesn't have only one answer, because reproduction of audio bitness is just one step.

I knew by your comments you were going to say I want to hear it as it was recorded . That will never happen unless you have the gear that was used at the studio and you will have to do that for every studio on the pieces you listen to and doesn't stop there. It is then sent to mastering were they tweak the sound to get it to sound as good as it can on multiple devices as in your car your home and on portable devices. If you want it to sound as recorded you will need the master recordings to achieve that feat and the room and gear plus a lot more variables thrown in to boot. I just don't get this fallacy that if you have the most neutral headphones and setup you will hear what was recorded it can't happen sorry. The artists made music to be enjoyed or tell a story or a felling not how does it sound. They want you to feel the song not just hear it. I've played music most of my life and not professionally but when I play I want people to enjoy it and make them smile not ask them how it sounded. Well I'm done with my rant and hope you can just enjoy the music that the artist made and not worry too much if it is how they intended it to sound as I would bet they just wanted you to hear it how ever. You can follow your most neutral sound and I hope you enjoy it I'm going with what makes me feel good. Rant over sorry for going off topic.

 

[Jimster480]

I knew by your comments you were going to say I want to hear it as it was recorded . That will never happen unless you have the gear that was used at the studio and you will have to do that for every studio on the pieces you listen to and doesn't stop there. It is then sent to mastering were they tweak the sound to get it to sound as good as it can on multiple devices as in your car your home and on portable devices. If you want it to sound as recorded you will need the master recordings to achieve that feat and the room and gear plus a lot more variables thrown in to boot. I just don't get this fallacy that if you have the most neutral headphones and setup you will hear what was recorded it can't happen sorry. The artists made music to be enjoyed or tell a story or a felling not how does it sound. They want you to feel the song not just hear it. I've played music most of my life and not professionally but when I play I want people to enjoy it and make them smile not ask them how it sounded. Well I'm done with my rant and hope you can just enjoy the music that the artist made and not worry too much if it is how they intended it to sound as I would bet they just wanted you to hear it how ever. You can follow your most neutral sound and I hope you enjoy it I'm going with what makes me feel good. Rant over sorry for going off topic.

I think your rant is pointless.
 
Having as close to reference quality is what I am after.
I'm not saying reproduction from the studio, have you seen any live music?
because it always sounds different based on the location and the system used.

 

[buke9]

I think your rant is pointless.

Having as close to reference quality is what I am after.
I'm not saying reproduction from the studio, have you seen any live music?

because it always sounds different based on the location and the system used.

Well you said you wanted to hear it as it was recorded and the way it was meant to be heard. How do you know how it was meant to be heard? I've heard a lot of so called reference headphones and they all have sounded different to me. We all hear differently so I don't know how one can tell. I hope you find what you want I just see things differently is all. Good luck in your quest.

 

[Jimster480]

Well you said you wanted to hear it as it was recorded and the way it was meant to be heard. How do you know how it was meant to be heard? I've heard a lot of so called reference headphones and they all have sounded different to me. We all hear differently so I don't know how one can tell. I hope you find what you want I just see things differently is all. Good luck in your quest.

With music you cannot know with all tracks as it depends on the artist and Genre, etc.

 

[chihwahli]

I agree that it's not very realistic to say that you like to hear music as the artist or as it was at the record studio. It's not possible to do that. You would need the same studio with exact the same acoustics, exact the same amps, headphone or speakers. Speakers need to be places exact the same at the exact distance to you. This is the technical aspect. Then there is the fact that everyone's ear is different. The professional ear is trained. So they hear a bit differently. On top of that some people can hear higher frequenties and other cannot go higher that 12KHz. (Perhaps like me, not sure. Did not try professional equipment and phone).
And you ask the singer and reocrding studio to check the sound as it is played in your room? Did he give a thumbs up or down for if the music sounds as it is in the studio or as it was intended???? No way you should push your quest for music as in intended so far....
 
So all in all, you can never hear it as it was.  Trying so hard to archive this is torture I think. Bottom line should be: Do you enjoy the music as it is now?
 
Nothing more or less. Just relax and enjoy..... nothing complicated

 

[chihwahli]

Ok, back to topic if I may. =)
 
I received my Schiit Valhalla 2 today. Because of "Carnaval" when people dress sunny and go for drinking feast, the delicary was delayed I guess.
 
When I unpacked it, I felt the weight of it. Quiet heavy thing. Installed the 4 tubes gently.
 
Connected as follows:
- Laptop -->  (USB)--> jitterbug -> (USB) --> Soundblaster E5 --> line out (jack converter with female RCA, RCA to RCA cable) --> Valhalla 2.
- RCA plugs are cheap without gold. 8 years old??
- Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm to Valhalla headphone plug.
- Soundblaster set to high gain offcourse.
 
Software settings:
- E5 Direct mode, EQ off,auto volume off.
- Windows volume ~50%, Valhalla volume 75%
 
I listed to my CD quality music and kept switching between E5 and the Valhalla 2 to hear the differences.
 
I was wrong about the Soundblaster E5. It can power the DT800 600 ohm without problems. But I must say that the E5 amp is not high quality.
The Valhalla 2 what I think compared to the Soundblaster E5 headphone:
 
- Low sounds are sharper and more present.
- Mids are more focused, alive, real, non airy. No echo as in E5. voices not with higher Treble.
- High sounds are more present.
- Overall the sounds are much more cleaner, not muffled. A female singer is like in front of you as she
   is singing life you me.
 
So, I can positively say, the Valhalla 2 is a great improvement as in sound quality!
On top of that I got an extra hand warmer in cold days! Bonus!
I think I will buy more S-H-I-T, I mean Schiit! =) In the future...

 

[Jimster480]

  I agree that it's not very realistic to say that you like to hear music as the artist or as it was at the record studio. It's not possible to do that. You would need the same studio with exact the same acoustics, exact the same amps, headphone or speakers. Speakers need to be places exact the same at the exact distance to you. This is the technical aspect. Then there is the fact that everyone's ear is different. The professional ear is trained. So they hear a bit differently. On top of that some people can hear higher frequenties and other cannot go higher that 12KHz. (Perhaps like me, not sure. Did not try professional equipment and phone).
And you ask the singer and reocrding studio to check the sound as it is played in your room? Did he give a thumbs up or down for if the music sounds as it is in the studio or as it was intended???? No way you should push your quest for music as in intended so far....
 
So all in all, you can never hear it as it was.  Trying so hard to archive this is torture I think. Bottom line should be: Do you enjoy the music as it is now?
 
Nothing more or less. Just relax and enjoy..... nothing complicated

Exactly,
This is what I am saying.
 
But clarity is a factor, and I find that different headphones present different soundstages.

For example my RP-HD10's have a "theater" sound, it sounds to me like I am in a well tuned theater of some sort and I am also a bit more distant from the artist, but that the theater has a great surround sound system so its still a 3D feeling.
 
Where my 1More Triple drivers have a analytical sound, as if I am very close to the artists (and as such more 3D) with finer details being more apparent but more airy as if maybe the artists are playing outside and there is no real reverberation.

 

[Jimster480]

  Ok, back to topic if I may. =)
 
I received my Schiit Valhalla 2 today. Because of "Carnaval" when people dress sunny and go for drinking feast, the delicary was delayed I guess.
 
When I unpacked it, I felt the weight of it. Quiet heavy thing. Installed the 4 tubes gently.
 
Connected as follows:
- Laptop -->  (USB)--> jitterbug -> (USB) --> Soundblaster E5 --> line out (jack converter with female RCA, RCA to RCA cable) --> Valhalla 2.
- RCA plugs are cheap without gold. 8 years old??
- Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm to Valhalla headphone plug.
- Soundblaster set to high gain offcourse.
 
Software settings:
- E5 Direct mode, EQ off,auto volume off.
- Windows volume ~50%, Valhalla volume 75%
 
I listed to my CD quality music and kept switching between E5 and the Valhalla 2 to hear the differences.
 
I was wrong about the Soundblaster E5. It can power the DT800 600 ohm without problems. But I must say that the E5 amp is not high quality.
The Valhalla 2 what I think compared to the Soundblaster E5 headphone:
 
- Low sounds are sharper and more present.
- Mids are more focused, alive, real, non airy. No echo as in E5. voices not with higher Treble.
- High sounds are more present.
- Overall the sounds are much more cleaner, not muffled. A female singer is like in front of you as she
   is singing life you me.
 
So, I can positively say, the Valhalla 2 is a great improvement as in sound quality!
On top of that I got an extra hand warmer in cold days! Bonus!
I think I will buy more S-H-I-T, I mean Schiit! =) In the future...

The only problem with 50% windows volume is that you lose a bit of details due to it not being bit perfect.
The artificial reduction does have an impact on the sound quality, its not that much of an impact from what I have seen but it also depends on how much you turn it up or down.

 

[buke9]

I always have my computer volumes maxed out and use lower volume on the amp myself.

 

[chihwahli]

In my case , my computer volume  is the DAC volume setting. In direct mode, the volume can still be used. In my sitaution I should not set DAC to max volume. It will then play Youtube movies with quiet high volume. =) I used a add-on in Firefox already to limit the youtube volume to 1%. Really needed!

 

[Jimster480]

  In my case , my computer volume  is the DAC volume setting. In direct mode, the volume can still be used. In my sitaution I should not set DAC to max volume. It will then play Youtube movies with quiet high volume. =) I used a add-on in Firefox already to limit the youtube volume to 1%. Really needed!

It would be better if you could lower the volume on your Amp/Speakers directly instead of using the PC's volume.

 

[buke9]

In my case , my computer volume  is the DAC volume setting. In direct mode, the volume can still be used. In my sitaution I should not set DAC to max volume. It will then play Youtube movies with quiet high volume. =) I used a add-on in Firefox already to limit the youtube volume to 1%. Really needed!

That just sounds weird to me as everything on the computer has the same output for me. I have not used YouTube movies but Tidal plays at the same level as YouTube music but I can't believe that it would be that different for movies.

 

[TwelveTrains]

  Ok, back to topic if I may. =)
 
I received my Schiit Valhalla 2 today. Because of "Carnaval" when people dress sunny and go for drinking feast, the delicary was delayed I guess.
 
When I unpacked it, I felt the weight of it. Quiet heavy thing. Installed the 4 tubes gently.
 
Connected as follows:
- Laptop -->  (USB)--> jitterbug -> (USB) --> Soundblaster E5 --> line out (jack converter with female RCA, RCA to RCA cable) --> Valhalla 2.
- RCA plugs are cheap without gold. 8 years old??
- Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm to Valhalla headphone plug.
- Soundblaster set to high gain offcourse.
 
Software settings:
- E5 Direct mode, EQ off,auto volume off.
- Windows volume ~50%, Valhalla volume 75%
 
I listed to my CD quality music and kept switching between E5 and the Valhalla 2 to hear the differences.
 
I was wrong about the Soundblaster E5. It can power the DT800 600 ohm without problems. But I must say that the E5 amp is not high quality.
The Valhalla 2 what I think compared to the Soundblaster E5 headphone:
 
- Low sounds are sharper and more present.
- Mids are more focused, alive, real, non airy. No echo as in E5. voices not with higher Treble.
- High sounds are more present.
- Overall the sounds are much more cleaner, not muffled. A female singer is like in front of you as she
   is singing life you me.
 
So, I can positively say, the Valhalla 2 is a great improvement as in sound quality!
On top of that I got an extra hand warmer in cold days! Bonus!
I think I will buy more S-H-I-T, I mean Schiit! =) In the future...

Amp volume at 75% is a LOT. Put your windows volume at 100% and adjust from the amp. Soundblaster being set to "high gain" may be running too hot of a signal into the amp though. The Soundblaster E5 is not just a DAC, it is a headphone amp as well. Ideally, you should be running a line level input into your Valhalla.

 

[buke9]

Amp volume at 75% is a LOT. Put your windows volume at 100% and adjust from the amp. Soundblaster being set to "high gain" may be running too hot of a signal into the amp though. The Soundblaster E5 is not just a DAC, it is a headphone amp as well. Ideally, you should be running a line level input into your Valhalla.

That was my feeling there should be no difference on high gain if it was just a line out.