[RickB]

And now the EH 6CG7 has "opened up" and the same album I was listening to earlier doesn't sound muffled anymore...

 

[bcowen]

And now the EH 6CG7 has "opened up" and the same album I was listening to earlier doesn't sound muffled anymore...

Perhaps some Q-tips are in order?

Kidding, of course. How much play time do you have on the 6CG7? One thing I've experienced with most every Russian-made tube I've tried is that they need longer break-in time to fully settle in than most other tubes (with pin solder issues that can exist in octals like the 6N8S notwithstanding). May be a figment of my imagination, but if it is my imagination is pretty consistent. Personally, I'd give that tube a good 25 hours of play time before coming to any final conclusion on its sonic character.

 

[RickB]

Perhaps some Q-tips are in order?

Kidding, of course. How much play time do you have on the 6CG7? One thing I've experienced with most every Russian-made tube I've tried is that they need longer break-in time to fully settle in than most other tubes (with pin solder issues that can exist in octals like the 6N8S notwithstanding). May be a figment of my imagination, but if it is my imagination is pretty consistent. Personally, I'd give that tube a good 25 hours of play time before coming to any final conclusion on its sonic character.

Not sure how many hours, I used it for slightly longer than a week. Whether it was all the tube burning in, or some of it my brain burning in (getting used to the sound signature), it's fine now. I just had a couple of days where it sounded like it didn't have enough air and the bass was wooly/boomy on my HD6XX and it had me worried. All fixed now.

 

[emorrison33]

Just got my Vali 2 15 minutes ago. So excited! Question though. I'm running my Fiio M11 DAP into the Vali 2 and then out to my headphones. Using the LO (Line Out) setting as the output through the 4.4mm output. What do I set the Gain? High or low? I use low when just plugging in my Grado headphones, but since I'm going into an amp, should I use the high gain setting? When I switch it I hear absolutely no difference. Not even sure it does anything with the Line Out setting.

 

[oakparkmusicguy]

Which ever one sounds good! I always leave it on high gain. You could experiment with low gain and turning up the volume to see if it makes a difference.

 

[senorx12562]

Just got my Vali 2 15 minutes ago. So excited! Question though. I'm running my Fiio M11 DAP into the Vali 2 and then out to my headphones. Using the LO (Line Out) setting as the output through the 4.4mm output. What do I set the Gain? High or low? I use low when just plugging in my Grado headphones, but since I'm going into an amp, should I use the high gain setting? When I switch it I hear absolutely no difference. Not even sure it does anything with the Line Out setting.

I am pretty sure the gain setting function doesn't do anything in lo mode. I believe there is a setting in the M11 to make the volume control active in line out mode, but I would set that to fixed and use the Vali's volume control. I also have a suspicion that you can only use lo mode through the 3.5mm. If you are taking the signal from the 4.4, I believe you are double amping it.

 

[emorrison33]

Which ever one sounds good! I always leave it on high gain. You could experiment with low gain and turning up the volume to see if it makes a difference.

This is the gain on the DAP I'm talking about, not the Vali 2. The Vali 2 I have the gain on low. On the DAP, using the line out, the volume is maxed and I can't control the volume. Switching the gain from low to high (or vice versa) doesn't do anything volume wise. Just wondering if it made a difference to the amp.

 

[emorrison33]

I am pretty sure the gain setting function doesn't do anything in lo mode. I believe there is a setting in the M11 to make the volume control active in line out mode, but I would set that to fixed and use the Vali's volume control. I also have a suspicion that you can only use lo mode through the 3.5mm. If you are taking the signal from the 4.4, I believe you are double amping it.

Yea, I think your right. I apologize, I am using the 3.5 mm output. Using a 3.5mm male to RCA input's on the back of the Vali. There is a setting on the M11 for PO (Headphone out), LO and SPDIF (which I would need to use the balanced outputs, 4.5mm or 2.5mm)

 

[senorx12562]

Yea, I think your right. I apologize, I am using the 3.5 mm output. Using a 3.5mm male to RCA input's on the back of the Vali. There is a setting on the M11 for PO (Headphone out), LO and SPDIF (which I would need to use the balanced outputs, 4.5mm or 2.5mm)

Actually, you can only use the S/PDIF out via the 3.5mm port just like the lo function. But that output format is designed to send a digital signal, which would require an outboard dac btwn the m11 and the vali, via the included adapter and an additional coax 75 ohm cable. I believe the 4.4 and 2.5mm outs are balanced headphone outs only. A 3.5-dual rca cable on fixed volume lo setting to the inputs just as you describe is exactly right. Btw, I have found that high gain on the Vali sounds better, but may not give you enough volume control. Happy listening!

 

[CarlosAudio51]

Yea, I think your right. I apologize, I am using the 3.5 mm output. Using a 3.5mm male to RCA input's on the back of the Vali. There is a setting on the M11 for PO (Headphone out), LO and SPDIF (which I would need to use the balanced outputs, 4.5mm or 2.5mm)

If the gain setting does not do anything to the line out output, then it's a fixed output. According to Fiio's website, the output is 1.95 V into 10 kOhms load. This is plenty to drive the Vali 2.

 

[emorrison33]

If the gain setting does not do anything to the line out output, then it's a fixed output. According to Fiio's website, the output is 1.95 V into 10 kOhms load. This is plenty to drive the Vali 2.

Thank you! And thank you to senorx12562 Help is much appreciated

 

[ScubaMan2017]

My Vali 2 helps me avoid going off the deep end and buying a Lyr 2. I just can’t get my head around buying that headamp and having an empty expansion slot.
According to a recent webcast on FB, Schiit’s digital engineer Dave did assemble a TOSLINK/SPIDIF expansion card (for the larger rigs). It didn’t make sense financially to make a run of these cards.
Lyr 2 plus a UNISON card? I doubt I can differentiate that card from their earlier offering, the USB “5th gen” card. My point = Vali 2 with modified knobs for the win!

 

[senorx12562]

My Vali 2 helps me avoid going off the deep end and buying a Lyr 2. I just can’t get my head around buying that headamp and having an empty expansion slot.
According to a recent webcast on FB, Schiit’s digital engineer Dave did assemble a TOSLINK/SPIDIF expansion card (for the larger rigs). It didn’t make sense financially to make a run of these cards.
Lyr 2 plus a UNISON card? I doubt I can differentiate that card from their earlier offering, the USB “5th gen” card. My point = Vali 2 with modified knobs for the win!

While I have bigger, more expensive, "better" head amps, my Elex sounds better from my little Vali 2 than any of them. All about synergy I guess.

 

[RickB]

My Vali 2 helps me avoid going off the deep end and buying a Lyr 2. I just can’t get my head around buying that headamp and having an empty expansion slot.
According to a recent webcast on FB, Schiit’s digital engineer Dave did assemble a TOSLINK/SPIDIF expansion card (for the larger rigs). It didn’t make sense financially to make a run of these cards.
Lyr 2 plus a UNISON card? I doubt I can differentiate that card from their earlier offering, the USB “5th gen” card. My point = Vali 2 with modified knobs for the win!

I think you mean Lyr 3. The Lyr 2 doesn't have an expansion slot, AFAIK.

 

[tafens]

My Vali 2 helps me avoid going off the deep end and buying a Lyr 2. I just can’t get my head around buying that headamp and having an empty expansion slot.

Jason said somewhere (I think it was in the Schiit happened thread) that although they don’t have the RCA input card on the web site it would be possible to buy if you ask for it (just as with the Modi Multibit firmware update chip). Perhaps it’s possible to order a Lyr3 with the RCA input card pre-installed too?