[DigitalFreak]

Well guys, after over a month with it I officially love the Vali. Matter of fact I'm pretty much gushing all over it in my video review
 

 

[sling5s]

Nice review.  I guess I would add the word lively and energetic to your description of aggressive.  I found it does pair well with LCD-2 which can sound slow and think.  It doesn't have all the power it needs but it more than makes it up with it's "aggressive nature".  It some how thins out the thickness and separates the wall of sound with nice detail and separation.  
 
Quote:

  Well guys, after over a month with it I officially love the Vali. Matter of fact I'm pretty much gushing all over it in my video review
 

 

[Head1Case]

With the risk of coming late to the party, how does the Vali compare to the Magni?

 

[Insidious Meme]

Well guys, after over a month with it I officially love the Vali. Matter of fact I'm pretty much gushing all over it in my video review

I thought they didn't allow that stuff on youtube.

Anyway, this will probably be on my radar now that I'm looking at higher end headphones. Thanks for the review.

 

[Billheiser]

(Reply to:   With the risk of coming late to the party, how does the Vali compare to the Magni?)
 
Vali a little warmer than Magni.  Thus a little more preferable to some (including me).  Vali is made for high impedance headphones, and is not for all headphones (too much noise for IEM's and for some efficient and low impedance headphones).  Magni more powerful for those headphones that need it, and there's no noise/hiss whatsoever.
Soundwise, they're both good.  I have a preference for V but still like and am impressed with the M.

 

[sling5s]

 

True, the Vali is Grado like in a good way.  Not that it's bright but it's has a very upfront and musical sound. 

 

[tdockweiler]

Wow, Vali aggressive and Grado like? I can't agree with that at all and if I heard this I would have gotten rid of it for that reason alone.
That's more like the Magni (yet that's still fairly neutral). That type of sound signature doesn't go well with the Q701.
 
Maybe it's rather just your songs, DAC or headphone?
 
I'll agree that the Q701 is a great match for the Vali. Vali and my favorite Q701 amp (that originally cost $350) sounded almost identical. Vali was just a thinner.
 
With the Q701, the Vali sounded like a much fuller sounding O2 without any of the annoying treble.
 
Vali sounded basically transparent with the Q701.
 
This was with the Modi and Micro DAC.
 
 

 

[sling5s]

  Wow, Vali aggressive and Grado like? I can't agree with that at all and if I heard this I would have gotten rid of it for that reason alone.
That's more like the Magni (yet that's still fairly neutral). That type of sound signature doesn't go well with the Q701.
 
Maybe it's rather just your songs, DAC or headphone?
 
I'll agree that the Q701 is a great match for the Vali. Vali and my favorite Q701 amp (that originally cost $350) sounded almost identical. Vali was just a thinner.
 
With the Q701, the Vali sounded like a much fuller sounding O2 without any of the annoying treble.
 
Vali sounded basically transparent with the Q701.
 
This was with the Modi and Micro DAC.
 
 
 

Let me qualify that.  Don't mean to offend.  I've had all Grado cans with all kinds of amps with them.  I currently have a Grado Magnum.  
Now, what I mean that the Vali is Grado like, is that, while not being bright or harsh or tilted in the upper midrange and lower treble, the Vali brings out the details like you're on stage or the front row rather than sitting in mid row or back of the concert hall.  This is is what I meant by Grado like.  It's presents music in a very immediate, up close way rather than far away.  Hope that helps. 

 

[DigitalFreak]

I think its safe to say that the Vali with its slightly pulled forward mids presents the details as more in your face while a more linear amp wouldn't. I consider this amp a good amp for rockers and metal heads by the way.

 

[fenderf4i]

I think its safe to say that the Vali with its slightly pulled forward mids presents the details as more in your face while a more linear amp wouldn't. I consider this amp a good amp for rockers and metal heads by the way.

How does it have pulled forward mids, when they state in the specs that it has a -0.2 dB frequency response from 20hz-20khz?

 

[DigitalFreak]

How does it have pulled forward mids, when they state in the specs that it has a -0.2 dB frequency response from 20hz-20khz?

(shrugs)
Don't ask me to explain it all I know is to my ears the mids sound slightly forward meaning they don't sound linear from the lower mids to the upper mids. It's not forward like a Grado can but there is a slight lift in those mids. Like everything else in this hobby your mileage may vary my friend.
 
P.S.
 
My Bombers are gonna kill your Roughriders at the next Banjo Bowl. See you at the pregame keg party.

 

[grumpy1471]

I have a quick question for any other Vali users. Does the Vali heat up a LOT for you? Mine seems to get hot to the point in which I can't touch the top of it for more than a few seconds. The amount of heat is quite worrying to me as the Vali is my first tube amp (first amp of any kind for that matter).

 

[potterpastor]

Yes, mine definitely heats up. But I'm not worried about it.

 

[PapaSmurf6768]

Yup, mine gets really hot too. But definitely not worried about it, seems pretty normal.

 

[hodgjy]

Tubes get hot because it's normal.  They have a heater to emit electrons.  No worries, play away!