[x838nwy]

I bought off a forum member =)

Ahh.

 

[fenderf4i]

Ahh.

 
 
I placed an order for a Vali on Wednesday evening, and received the shipping email yesterday.

 

[CrunchyChick]

  I received my new Vali today and from the minute I plugged my headphones the ringing was very loud from the left channel without even wearing them. I left the HPs plugged in for a few minutes without music playing and eventually the ringing diminished but it was still barely audible so I thought great!! problem solved, until I simply pressed play on the first track on my computer and the loud ringing started again, this time from both channels. It seems no matter what I do, wether I touch the case, volume knob, the HP cord, the mouse, scratch my head, it triggers the loud ringing. I've read this ringing is normal for inexpensive tube amps but I can't tolerate it, it's too loud even with the headphones off. My fiancee even asked what that ringing was, she was trying to rest on the couch 10 feet away from me. I'm calling Schiit Audio tomorrow, hopefully their customer service is as good as some have claimed, wish me luck.

Thats definitely not normal.  I only ever get a slight ringing when the Vali first "clicks" on after the 15s mute.  After that it only rings if I whack it intentionally.  You should open it up and see if the tubes are sticking up (customer service will likely recommend this)
 
BTW, what headphones are they that you can hear the ringing even with them off your head?  Must be something pretty sensitive?

 

[x838nwy]

I placed an order for a Vali on Wednesday evening, and received the shipping email yesterday.

Mine just shipped

 

[fenderf4i]

Mine just shipped

Excellent. I hope we get good ones!!

 

[UmustBKidn]

  Wow this thread is still going strong about ringing... Accept it, the ringing is a feature of the Vali

 
Funny about how social media is... well... social, like that.

 

[XVampireX]

Hi, Pulled the trigger on this, how is it with LCD-3's and HD700?
 
Also how will it be with HD600 cause a friend was asking me for a good tube amp suggestion and I looked against into schiit vali and thought the specs look rather fantastic, he's interested in eliminating as much as possible Sibilance and treble harshness
 
This is for me something until GS-X mk2
 
Edit: It happened in the following way, after work we were talking he asked me to find him an amp I keep telling him about bottlehead crack, then I went home,  thought to look on head-fi what is recommended, then remembered Schiit Vali, went on the website looked at specs, pressed the button, and bam the next hour I was spending time figuring out how all this internet buying works XD

 

[Snips]

  Hi, Pulled the trigger on this, how is it with LCD-3's and HD700?
 
Also how will it be with HD600 cause a friend was asking me for a good tube amp suggestion and I looked against into schiit vali and thought the specs look rather fantastic, he's interested in eliminating as much as possible Sibilance and treble harshness
 
This is for me something until GS-X mk2
 
Edit: It happened in the following way, after work we were talking he asked me to find him an amp I keep telling him about bottlehead crack, then I went home,  thought to look on head-fi what is recommended, then remembered Schiit Vali, went on the website looked at specs, pressed the button, and bam the next hour I was spending time figuring out how all this internet buying works XD

 
It pairs well with the HD600. Quite a few of us here really enjoy our HD600s with the Vali. I'm pretty damn sensitive to bright sounding stuff though, so the Vali actually sounds a bit bright for certain tracks. Other than that it's wonderful. I would have written down my own impressions, but I'm not too good at describing what I hear. 

 

[New Yorker]

CNET's Steve Guttenberg just reviewed the Vali:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57619279-47/schiit-audios-tiny-but-powerful-$119-tube-headphone-amplifier/

 

[K.T.]

Yes, the Vali is pretty great with the HD600. And I'm pretty picky about harsh treble, too. Have no fear.

Steve Guttenberg's review puts the Magni very close to the Vali.

Whenever I compare the two, I come away thinking the Vali is more musical by far.

 

[XVampireX]

I cancelled the order, I heard it's not good with orthodynamics and noise floor and macrophonics would be a bother with them, as my primary headphones are the LCD-3, I decided atm against it....

 

[StanD]

  I cancelled the order, I heard it's not good with orthodynamics and noise floor and macrophonics would be a bother with them, as my primary headphones are the LCD-3, I decided atm against it....

I use it with an HE-500. Although you can't melt the ears off the sides of your head with it, it does a decent job of it. I believe there are different versions of the LCD3 that can deliver 115 dB SPL anywhere from 232 mW to 484 mW. The Vali can deliver 550 mW at 50 Ohms. That's no so bad, especially if you have the more sensitive version. I would think that he noise floor would be a problem with sensitive IEMs or headphones that are far more sensitive than the LCD3's. Maybe the Asgard 2 is more up your alley, it works great with my HE-500's.

 

[abhinit90]

If it's worth anything, the ringing(totally manageable) increased when I applied the rubber feet

 

[Snips]

Huh, it looks as if a lot of the newer Vali units are suffering from above-average ringing. 

 

[Rudiger]

 
I don't know that there is a general consensus on the Vali at all, opinions seem to vary widely, and there is possibly some variations between individual units (impossible to verify until two units are in the same room).
 
My opinion with the Alpha Dog is that A) the Vali doesn't have quite enough power to make the AD work at its best, B) the Vali has weak points (timbre and soundstage) that nullify big strong points of the AD.   My feeling is that when you are paying more than $300 for a headphone, you should have equipment that takes advantage of the improvements of the more expensive headphones.
 
(...)

I compare since yesterday. I totally agree with you. The Alpha Dogs lacks Soundstage with the Vali.  The Magni is better with these cans IMO.
 
EDIT : I'm not sure now ... I listen more with the Vali. Sounds fuller, more body. Maybe a good complementary. As Vali have less Soundstage, the AD compensates favorably.
Definitively, it's a matter of taste, they are both good with the Ad's IMO. Vali is "fun", have "punch" (PRAAT), Magni is more clean, faithful to the source IMO.