NEW Vali Schiit AMP!!!

[BunnyNamedCraig]

   
Does it go away when you cycle the amp off and on? I have the problem where the right channel straights to get a really high pitched frequency after about 30 minutes. If I cycle the amp off and on it's good to go for the rest of the day. I have an early model of the Vali so I'm pretty sure the issue is with the tubes coming off their little pads. I can push them back down onto their pads, but they always lift back up after a day or two. I know some people were bending the leads so that they were forced to stay on their pads. I was going to do this but am afraid I was going to break them off. 
 
So I've been having to just cycle the amp on and off after the first 30 minutes of it being on. It's getting a little annoying to do this everyday, but I'm not sure what else to do.

it will go away for about 20 seconds, then slowly but surely it will get back up to an annoying level.... i am about to try and push them back down on to the pads if that is the reason for this. i have heard of people putting blu tac on top of the tubes to give it more weight (i do not endorse doing that personally btw, only because i cant speak for it working/not burning the blu tac....). Long story short had a friend listen to it with akg 612's and there was no audible sound. then you plug in my 712's and there was a slight hiss in the left ear, then a  hiss in either the right or both. correct me if i i wrong Evshrug?

 

[Evshrug]

I remember when I first heard BNF's Vali, sounded remarkably good for $120, only slightly behind my more expensive one and it had some microphonics issues that took slightly longer to ease away. When I heard it again Friday, I was a little annoyed that something costing $120 could develop defects within a year.

BNF's AKG K712 may be "just" 62 ohms, but on my amps it took about the same volume setting as the 150 Ohm HD700 because the AKG's sensitivity is lower. The K612 is pretty much the most dampened headphone I have, fortunately that dampening was enough to crush what I would describe as a ringing sound (not a TV static "hiss") that could be easily heard on the K712. It was pretty loud on the K712 too! I didn't suggest we listen with a more typical headphone with even less dampening than the K712. The first time we tried it, the ringing developed after a few seconds in the left ear (and I handed the headphone to BNF, we could both hear it), we switched the Vali off and back on with only like 2 seconds inbetween, the amp behaved but after another 20 seconds or so the RIGHT channel began ringing.

This is not a knock against the K712, which sounded great on my amps, but I definitely recommended sending in that Vali for repair (or attempting DIY). That kind of ringing hurt my ears.

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

I remember when I first heard BNF's Vali, sounded remarkably good for $120, only slightly behind my more expensive one and it had some microphonics issues that took slightly longer to ease away. When I heard it again Friday, I was a little annoyed that something costing $120 could develop defects within a year.

BNF's AKG K712 may be "just" 62 ohms, but on my amps it took about the same volume setting as the 150 Ohm HD700 because the AKG's sensitivity is lower. The K612 is pretty much the most dampened headphone I have, fortunately that dampening was enough to crush what I would describe as a ringing sound (not a TV static "hiss") that could be easily heard on the K712. It was pretty loud on the K712 too! I didn't suggest we listen with a more typical headphone with even less dampening than the K712. The first time we tried it, the ringing developed after a few seconds in the left ear (and I handed the headphone to BNF, we could both hear it), we switched the Vali off and back on with only like 2 seconds inbetween, the amp behaved but after another 20 seconds or so the RIGHT channel began ringing.

This is not a knock against the K712, which sounded great on my amps, but I definitely recommended sending in that Vali for repair (or attempting DIY). That kind of ringing hurt my ears.

Thanks dude. I didnt feel like I could articulate well enough what happened

 

[StanD]

I remember when I first heard BNF's Vali, sounded remarkably good for $120, only slightly behind my more expensive one and it had some microphonics issues that took slightly longer to ease away. When I heard it again Friday, I was a little annoyed that something costing $120 could develop defects within a year.

BNF's AKG K712 may be "just" 62 ohms, but on my amps it took about the same volume setting as the 150 Ohm HD700 because the AKG's sensitivity is lower. The K612 is pretty much the most dampened headphone I have, fortunately that dampening was enough to crush what I would describe as a ringing sound (not a TV static "hiss") that could be easily heard on the K712. It was pretty loud on the K712 too! I didn't suggest we listen with a more typical headphone with even less dampening than the K712. The first time we tried it, the ringing developed after a few seconds in the left ear (and I handed the headphone to BNF, we could both hear it), we switched the Vali off and back on with only like 2 seconds inbetween, the amp behaved but after another 20 seconds or so the RIGHT channel began ringing.

This is not a knock against the K712, which sounded great on my amps, but I definitely recommended sending in that Vali for repair (or attempting DIY). That kind of ringing hurt my ears.

Actually amplifiers amplify voltage and when they can handle the load they supply enough current to drive the impedance. If they cannot supply enough current, they distort, usually by clipping. That said, at the same position of the volume knob the lower impedance headphone draws more current (hence more power) but at the same output voltage since the voltage gain is the same and the impedance is lower. They are both spec'd to the same sensitivity thus the same volume, not because as you say the AKG's sensitivity is lower. The AKG's lower impedance means it draws more power at the same volume as the HD700. Power = Voltage²/Impedance
AKG K712 Sensitivity:105 dB SPL/V
HD700 Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/V

 
Also I don't see how the damping of the headphone would affect the ringing of the tubes? If that's what you meant.

 

[Exacoustatowner]

  Actually amplifiers amplify voltage and when they can handle the load they supply enough current to drive the impedance. If they cannot supply enough current, they distort, usually by clipping. That said, at the same position of the volume knob the lower impedance headphone draws more current (hence more power) but at the same output voltage since the voltage gain is the same and the impedance is lower. They are both spec'd to the same sensitivity thus the same volume, not because as you say the AKG's sensitivity is lower. The AKG's lower impedance means it draws more power at the same volume as the HD700. Power = Voltage²/Impedance
AKG K712 Sensitivity:105 dB SPL/V
HD700 Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/V

 
Also I don't see how the damping of the headphone would affect the ringing of the tubes? If that's what you meant.

Nice explanation. 

 

[Tautologi]

  Actually amplifiers amplify voltage and when they can handle the load they supply enough current to drive the impedance. If they cannot supply enough current, they distort, usually by clipping. That said, at the same position of the volume knob the lower impedance headphone draws more current (hence more power) but at the same output voltage since the voltage gain is the same and the impedance is lower. They are both spec'd to the same sensitivity thus the same volume, not because as you say the AKG's sensitivity is lower. The AKG's lower impedance means it draws more power at the same volume as the HD700. Power = Voltage²/Impedance
AKG K712 Sensitivity:105 dB SPL/V
HD700 Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL/V

 
Also I don't see how the damping of the headphone would affect the ringing of the tubes? If that's what you meant.

As an addition to the sensitivity bit.
 
Efficiency gives you the sound level as a function of total power (P=U*I or P=U^2*Z as quoted says) in the form of dB SPL/W.
I've noticed that some headphone makers mistake efficiency for sensitivity and erraniously write efficiency.

 

[StanD]

  As an addition to the sensitivity bit.
 
Efficiency gives you the sound level as a function of total power (P=U*I or P=U^2*Z as quoted says) in the form of dB SPL/W.
I've noticed that some headphone makers mistake efficiency for sensitivity and erraniously write efficiency.

If you think about it Sensitivy is voltage related and efficiency is power related, however, all three are cross computable due to the impedance. So one can derive the dB SPL/W from the dBSPL/V and visa versa. Look at the math.

 

[OmarCCX]

Just bought a pair of DT880s. I need to pump the volume pot to 5 o'clock to get the most dynamics out of these. At 3 o'clock they sound nice, but not up to their full potential. And max volume just isn't usable, the voices tend to get distorted when I bump it that loud. 
Volume depends on the source, but that's where I'm averging out. 3-5 o'clock.
Going to try them with a friend's Magni just to see how they sound.
 
I love the sound out of the Vali though. Bass seems very tight with the right songs and the details are unbelievable when you delve into a song. Oh and there's no humming noise whatsoever with these.

 

[Defiant00]

Just bought a pair of DT880s. I need to pump the volume pot to 5 o'clock to get the most dynamics out of these. At 3 o'clock they sound nice, but not up to their full potential. And max volume just isn't usable, the voices tend to get distorted when I bump it that loud. 
Volume depends on the source, but that's where I'm averging out. 3-5 o'clock.
Going to try them with a friend's Magni just to see how they sound.

I love the sound out of the Vali though. Bass seems very tight with the right songs and the details are unbelievable when you delve into a song. Oh and there's no humming noise whatsoever with these.

What source are you using?

 

[OmarCCX]

What source are you using?

Schiit Modi.

 

[RickB]

  Schiit Modi.

 
Make sure the volume in your music player is at 100%.

 

[Defiant00]

  Schiit Modi.

 

   
Make sure the volume in your music player is at 100%.

 
Yup, outside of that I'd expect it to be much louder than you describe.

 

[mysticstryk]

Currently using a Modi2U/Magni2U stack and loving it.  I plan on buying an HD650 as soon as they go on sale again, and they apparently sound really good with tube amps.
 
How does the Vali compare with the Magni2U and with the HD650.  Or would I be better off looking at different tube amps, maybe saving up for awhile longer and get something really nice, like a BH Crack or something.

 

[heart banger-97]

Hey guys,
I'm on the edge of buying nfb-28. Currently, I'm using my T1 with schiit modi/vali. Is there anybody who listened to both vali and nfb28 side by side? I don't want that my new amp sound thinner than vali.

 

[BobFiggins]

  Hey guys,
I'm on the edge of buying nfb-28. Currently, I'm using my T1 with schiit modi/vali. Is there anybody who listened to both vali and nfb28 side by side? I don't want that my new amp sound thinner than vali.

 
I have Vali/Modi 2 Uber, and I listened to the NFB-28 recently at the Seattle Head-Fi meet. While I can't give you in-depth side by side critical listening details (meet conditions were very loud), I can definitely say Vali has a thick sound and the 28 will probably leave you unimpressed if you want to avoid that. It was very resolving, and didn't strike me as sounding interesting enough to consider purchasing. I don't remember it being harsh though, smooth would be a good way to describe it. Though thick and tube-like, no. The more I listen to other amps, the more I am impressed with Vali.
 
That's the tough part of liking Audio-GD stuff. Finding one and listening to one in-person is rather difficult.