[techboy]

   
I know exactly what you're saying and I've heard these unclear (veiled) HD-650's before. This pair is something special because it's crystal clear, yet very full sounding in the mids and has smooth treble. Not dark at all and no recessed sounding upper mids. There is a graph somewhere on Dr P's website that shows what mine would kind of look like if measured. Maybe I have that one. When I compared it to the HD-580 and 600 it sounded as if it had more extended low-bass, but just slightly.
 
You might find this strange but years back I had about 3 HD-650s and always was nit-picking about their stupid sound and didn't like them much. Too dark and muffled. I have the same amp and source around still. It wasn't just me getting used to the sound. I'm extremely picky.
 
This one is actually very close in sound to my (bass) modded Q701. Slightly fuller mids and slightly less treble. Obviously the Q701 has a larger soundstage and is more airy/spacious sounding. There is no real mid-bass hump on my HD-650. Nothing that sticks out really.
 
So anyway, i'm glad I gave the HD-650 another try. It all started when I bought an HD-580 for dirt cheap and found it better than the HD-600. It was the grills! It reduced the bass and sounded much more neutral and clearer. Probably not measurable.
 
Haha, maybe some HD-650s are just a complete fail with the Vali, but probably not.
 
I'll probably be keeping my HD-650 and Q701 for about forever since they have my favorite sound signatures.

Which amp do you like the HD 650 with?
Thank You
Aakshey

 

[hans030390]

 
I have not heard the Crack (since I don't have HD600 or 650), but I know some guys who like it a lot and they are exactly the sort of listeners who would notice the relatively poor timbre of the Vali.  I'm gathering that the majority of readers of a thread about $119 amps don't listen to music with much variety of instruments, so they would not notice.

 
Wow, that's a REALLY bold (and nonsensical) assumption to make! In what way is the cost of an amp or someone's budget at all indicative of the type of music they listen to?
 

 
He's no John Cleese as someone suggested (perhaps sarcastically) and I expect better writing from a contributor. If you're a contributor to head-fi and being given a review sample, show some professionalism and perhaps a few more subordinating clauses. I would be nonplussed if I were from SA and had just read that.

 
*Woooooooosh*
 
The folks at Schiit have a good sense of humor and probably enjoyed the review quite a bit (assuming they read it).

 

[Murdocderdon]

Because of my bad english skillz i normally don´t write here but i just want to say something about the HD650/Vali pairing.
 
I was kinda surprised that the HD650s aren´t get sounding warmer on the Vali. K701 & HD800 get a well rounded dry bass from the Vali what makes the K701 imo an amazing great pairing. I like the HD800 on my more neutral Corda Symphony more but they also sound great with the Vali whats kinda surprised me too. On the HD650 it feels a lot more clear and a bit brighter with the Vali what i really like on these warm phones. The pairing sounds first a bit weird for my ears but then i get used to it and would recommend it to try in case of you don´t like the 650s darkness.
 
Just a bad written noob-opinion so don´t kill me.
 
Greets from Germany

 

[leesure]

He's no John Cleese as someone suggested (perhaps sarcastically) and I expect better writing from a contributor. If you're a contributor to head-fi and being given a review sample, show some professionalism and perhaps a few more subordinating clauses. I would be nonplussed if I were from SA and had just read that.

I totally agree.
It was very confusing writing for sure.

/facepalm

You recognize it was humorous satire, right?

 

[UmustBKidn]

I would really like to hear how the Vali stacks up against:
 
Modi -> Bravo V2 -> Beyerdynamic DT 770
 
Preferably with a pre-1958 Mullard D-getter 12AU7 driving it.
 
Go, budget-fi.

 

[UmustBKidn]

On relative truth: Relativism on Wikipedia.
Bottom line: if a brick falls on your foot, it will hurt. It doesn't matter if it's my foot or yours.
 
On all the disagreements over SQ: a recent post of mine on sound science.
Bottom line: We're not comparing our ears. Sometimes argument is pointless.
 
On lightening things up, again:
 
Chuck Norris and Superman once fought each other on a bet. The loser had to start wearing his underwear on the outside of his pants.

 

[doublea71]

/facepalm

You recognize it was humorous satire, right?

It was sophomoric humor at best. If SA likes it, then no harm was done.

 

[leesure]

It was sophomoric humor at best. If SA likes it, then no harm was done.

We'll have to disagree on that point. I think it was genius and played ever so nicely off the standard review double speak. It injected some much-needed levity into this thread. Knowing Jason, I can say he would laugh out loud at that post. It was well written satire. That you did not recognize it as satire is not the author's fault.

 

[Misterrogers]

   
Like you said, the Ember is "chameleon-like" in its ability to let a tube's sound through (and add little else).  I've been trying to find what tube in my collection best approximates the Vali's sound (to make comparisons between the amps a little more uniform).. and it's proving difficult.  I prefer to use the Ember with orthos (HE-500, Paradox, etc.) over my favorite high impedance dynamics (HD600, HD800, etc).  BTW.. running the HD600 off a speaker amp (with a resistor network between the amp and headphone) is truly wonderful.. but that's OT.
 
With the HE-500, the Ember vs Vali is a real toss up.  I'm using some pretty nice tubes with the Ember (early 60s, USA-made Amperex "PQ" 6DJ8 among others).  Vs the Vali, the Ember is a little more multi-dimensional as far as soundstage goes.. with the HE-500 driven off the Ember, it's bass is punchier & better controlled vs the Vali.  The Vali is more transparent and arguably more detailed, though (to what degree varies based on the tube used in the Ember).
 
Purrin mentioned letting the Vali 'warm up' for a while before evaluating.. I wholeheartedly agree with this.  The Vali just seems to generally sound 'better' after it's been powered on for a good 20 to 30 minutes.. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is (heck, toss placebo into this, if you wish).. but the Vali seems to sound more effortless and the bass, in particular, sounds better controlled after a brief 'warm up' period.
 
 
Interesting.. I don't find the Vali to have 'poor' timbre.. even compared to my (speedballed) Crack.. but I'll keep listening and observing.

Can you elaborate a bit on Vali vs. Crack/Speedball FlySweep? 

 

[anetode]

 
It was sophomoric humor at best. If SA likes it, then no harm was done.

More like sophmoronic humor, LOL! You're right, he's no John Cleese. He's barely even a Michael Palin.

 

[doublea71]

We'll have to disagree on that point. I think it was genius and played ever so nicely off the standard review double speak. It injected some much-needed levity into this thread. Knowing Jason, I can say he would laugh out loud at that post. It was well written satire. That you did not recognize it as satire is not the author's fault.

I saw that he was trying to be funny/clever, but no, it didn't cross my mind that it was all satirical, just taking the piss out of the typical review speak - I literally thought he was just a god-awful writer. I couldn't fathom that a head-fi contributor who had been given a review sample would be allowed to treat the entire review as a big joke and offer so little of value to the reader (the joke is on me, I suppose). Since you know Jason, it seems like it'd be taken well.

 

[Sweden]

/facepalm

You recognize it was humorous satire, right?

It wasn't exactly obviously funny so no.
You really need to know the prior writing of he person to figure these subtleties out. It's not exactly like people's reviews make less than sense some times and use exactly those type of words. Some places only give you those type of reviews.
Looking back it was perhaps a bit too loose even for a head-fi commentary.

 

[leesure]

It wasn't exactly obviously funny or witty so no.
I see these type of attributes mentioned here so you basically need to know the writers prior writing to figure these things out.

I don't know the author at all and by the end of the first paragraph I recognized it as a parody of the typical review. It was obvious...but I guess not obvious enough for some...which is what makes for good satire.

 

[Sweden]

I don't know the author at all and by the end of the first paragraph I recognized it as a parody of the typical review. It was obvious...but I guess not obvious enough for some...which is what makes for good satire.

 
"The DSHA sounds like butter while the Vali sounds like I can't believe its not butter"
 
Kind of obvious when reading it two times. 

 

[FraGGleR]

After listening for a few more hours with my HD800s, I am really liking the pairing.  This is still out of my Nuforce HDP, which I like better than the ODAC and Modi as a DAC.  I'd say upper budget fi, as the Resonessence Concero is better to my ears and is lower-mid mid-fi on my arbitrary scale (where the Bifrost seems to also sit).  I love the "wetness" added to the sound.  I already loved the HD800, but I had forgotten how much better they sound with just a sprinkle of tube magic.  Aural memory isn't very reliable, but I enjoy the Vali/HD800 pairing as much as anything I have heard in the sub $1000 range though personal trials at home and at meets.  
 
And on the soundstage thing, I don't think it sounds closed in at all.  Maybe it is my HD800s and the music I listen to, but I just don't agree.  Then again, all I currently have to compare to is the HDP headphone out and my CEntrance HifiM8 (and the memories of amps gone by).  I'd say it presents a more natural sound both in timbre and soundstage and positioning than either of those two.  I really wish I still had my HD650s to test on the Vali, as I am surprised that they don't sound good to the couple people who have reported back.  Then again, I had removed all the foam in mine to reduce whatever "veil" people had talked about and never had an issue with it.
 
Definitely think it sounds overall better than the old Bravo amp that I had, even after I had modified it and rolled tubes.