Official Schiit Vali 2 Thread

[Keefkok95]

Hi all, need some help from any audiophile guru.

I'm currently using the FIIO E10K with Beyer DT990s.

The line out goes to my speakers and headhphone out to my DT990s.

I'm planning to get the Schiit Magni/Vali and more interested in the Vali due to the fact that it is a hybrid tube amp and might provide a more warmer sound.

If I do get the Vali, I plan to connect it through the line out of my FIIO E10K via 3.5mm to RCA cable. My only concern is the ringing sound that occurs with tube amps when you turn them on for the first few minutes. 

-Would the ringing sound affect my speakers as well?
-Should I just connect my speakers through the line out from my DAC as per usual instead of RCA from the Vali to avoid the ringing?

Kindly advise as I've heard it would be better to output the amp (Vali) through line out as opposed to headphone out. If it makes no difference, I might as well use the headphone out to the Vali and use the line out from my DAC to my speakers to avoid the ringing.

 

[Skarecrow77]

  Hi all, need some help from any audiophile guru.

I'm currently using the FIIO E10K with Beyer DT990s.

The line out goes to my speakers and headhphone out to my DT990s.

I'm planning to get the Schiit Magni/Vali and more interested in the Vali due to the fact that it is a hybrid tube amp and might provide a more warmer sound.

If I do get the Vali, I plan to connect it through the line out of my FIIO E10K via 3.5mm to RCA cable. My only concern is the ringing sound that occurs with tube amps when you turn them on for the first few minutes. 

-Would the ringing sound affect my speakers as well?
-Should I just connect my speakers through the line out from my DAC as per usual instead of RCA from the Vali to avoid the ringing?

Kindly advise as I've heard it would be better to output the amp (Vali) through line out as opposed to headphone out. If it makes no difference, I might as well use the headphone out to the Vali and use the line out from my DAC to my speakers to avoid the ringing.

If your tube amp rings, you'll hear it in the line-out, as the line-out is pre-amp'd by the vali2. the tube is what's causing the ringing, and it's also what's doing the amping. you can't de-tangle the two.
 
That said, My Vali2 doesn't ring with any of my 3 tubes, stock, Philips (TI) or Philips (Herleen). I've only ever got ringing once, and that was because I knocked the hell out of the amp by accidentally lifting up one corner and dropping it about a quarter inch back onto the desk. In more normal use, I've never heard any ringing by turning it on (although I keep headphones off my ears for the first 30 seconds to avoid the "pop" anyway), or by switching from high gain to low gain.
 
The original Vali was, I've read, susceptible to ringing, but the vali 2 has been nothing but silent for me under normal operation. 

 

[HOWIE13]

  Hi all, need some help from any audiophile guru.

I'm currently using the FIIO E10K with Beyer DT990s.

The line out goes to my speakers and headhphone out to my DT990s.

I'm planning to get the Schiit Magni/Vali and more interested in the Vali due to the fact that it is a hybrid tube amp and might provide a more warmer sound.

If I do get the Vali, I plan to connect it through the line out of my FIIO E10K via 3.5mm to RCA cable. My only concern is the ringing sound that occurs with tube amps when you turn them on for the first few minutes. 

-Would the ringing sound affect my speakers as well?
-Should I just connect my speakers through the line out from my DAC as per usual instead of RCA from the Vali to avoid the ringing?

Kindly advise as I've heard it would be better to output the amp (Vali) through line out as opposed to headphone out. If it makes no difference, I might as well use the headphone out to the Vali and use the line out from my DAC to my speakers to avoid the ringing.

As Skarecrow77 says, Schiit are supposed to have sorted out the ringing problem with the original Vali and Vali2 is not supposed to ring. 
Mine doesn't anyway.
As to which outputs you use I would just experiment and see which you prefer.

 

[AviP]

Has anyone compared the Vali 2 to the Darkvoice?
I know that the DV is an OTL and this a hybrid, but I'm curious since there's only a $50 difference.

 

[Noremac82]

@AviP
I have been wondering the same thing. I see them come up on mass drop occasionally and almost pulled the trigger on one this last time. I ultimately decided to save that money to put towards a pair of alpha primes so I guess I will never know the answer. I have heard read good things about OTL amps in general though. Seems like it's easier to get really good sound out of an OTL amp compared to other designs too. I'm still really happy with my Vali2 so I just can't justify purchasing another amp at this time. I kinda feel like if I upgrade to OTL I will go with the Valhalla. I am like that though, if I find a brand I like I am pretty loyal to it and stick with it until it does me wrong. Not sure if that's the best mindset but it's worked pretty well for me so far. I still feel like there is a little more I can get out if the Vali2 so I'm gonna persue that for a while longer. I'm looking at the input side now and have found a couple components that could stand to be upgraded. Too bad it's all surface mount though, that really limits what you can do. Gonna have to get creative in order to squeeze a little more out of it.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Does the Vali 2 support Op-Amp rolling? I had that with my Little Dot I+ and it did does some nice things, along with tube rolling of course.

 

[HOWIE13]

  Does the Vali 2 support Op-Amp rolling? I had that with my Little Dot I+ and it did does some nice things, along with tube rolling of course.

I wasn't aware that Vali 2 had op-amps.

 

[rnros]

It doesn't: "fully discrete, current-mode noninverting hybrid topology."

 

[JohnBal]

Per the Vali 2 web page:
 
"The Most Serious Tube Design—Far Beyond its Price
Some inexpensive (and not-so-inexpensive) tube amps don’t use tubes to their full potential, “starving” them with low plate voltages or using op-amp buffers for output. Not Vali 2. Vali 2 uses a unique, class-leading power supply that gives us 60V on the plate. Combined with a fully discrete, current-mode noninverting hybrid topology, Vali 2 redefines what you can expect from an affordable tube amp, even at 2x its price."
 
I think it does not have op amps.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

My bad. lol.

 

[Noremac82]

Does the Vali 2 support Op-Amp rolling? I had that with my Little Dot I+ and it did does some nice things, along with tube rolling of course.

Theoretically yes. In reality probably not the best idea. The op amp on the vali2 is a SOT-23-5 package size and not the regular 8 pin DIP package. This means that you will have to desolder and resolder the SOT-23 component which takes some soldering skills. Plus seems like I have seen two different pin out conventions for the SOT-23 op amps. This means if you don't use the exact same pin out then you are going to damage the op amp and potentially other components. Then you run into potentially lifting pads and all the other fun stuff that goes along with changing surface mount components.

So yes it can be 'rolled' but it's more than just adding a socket and plugging in a new IC. I can look at my notes when I get home to see which op amp comes in the vali2 from Schiit but if my memory serves me it seems like it was a pretty decent part.

On side note, after looking into how op amps are intended to be used in an amp I am off the op amp rolling kick. Not sure this is the place to discuss how a 20 dollar op amp is entirely unnecessary when a 3 or 4 dollar audio grade op amp will do just fine. based on some data I seen a week or so ago, there is one out there, can't remember the number right now, that cost like $. 60 and it's noise is lower than any others that were tested. There is a lot of information already available but the whole op amp rolling thing seems to have gotten a little over hyped and out of control in my opinion. It might have applied years ago but now companies have had time to spend a lot of R&D money on dare I say 'slow' audio grade amps so using one that was intended for Uber high speed data lines is like killing gnats with a bazooka. It works but is it really necessary? If it's working for you then by all means rock on but I feel like there are bigger gains to be made in areas other than a component that's goal is to be tonally neutral and add no noise. Op amps that are intended to be uses in high speed systems are usually not the quietest op amp out there. For this guy, when it comes to op amps, its now became slow and easy for the win. Which in most cases means leaving whatever the stock one is alone unless you know it's junk and causing problems.

 

[nwavesailor]

On side note, after looking into how op amps are intended to be used in an amp I am off the op amp rolling kick. Not sure this is the place to discuss how a 20 dollar op amp is entirely unnecessary when a 3 or 4 dollar audio grade op amp will do just fine. based on some data I seen a week or so ago, there is one out there, can't remember the number right now, that cost like $. 60 and it's noise is lower than any others that were tested. There is a lot of information already available but the whole op amp rolling thing seems to have gotten a little over hyped and out of control in my opinion. It might have applied years ago but now companies have had time to spend a lot of R&D money on dare I say 'slow' audio grade amps so using one that was intended for Uber high speed data lines is like killing gnats with a bazooka. It works but is it really necessary? If it's working for you then by all means rock on but I feel like there are bigger gains to be made in areas other than a component that's goal is to be tonally neutral and add no noise. Op amps that are intended to be uses in high speed systems are usually not the quietest op amp out there. For this guy, when it comes to op amps, its now became slow and easy for the win. Which in most cases means leaving whatever the stock one is alone unless you know it's junk and causing problems.

I would agree that there are many very good op amps for very little $$$.
 
I have been rolling dual op amps (8-10 'flavors') in a Project Starlight amp and thought that while I preferred the ones with more detail, there was more to be gained rolling tubes...............that is until I tried OPA627's!
The hype (IMO) is true. Yes, they cost real $$$ but, at least in the Starlight with a modest Amperex 6DJ8 tube they sound as real as anything I have heard in my headphones. Deep solid bass, sweet mids and great detail w/o brittle sibilant highs. I am thrilled with vocals, instruments as well as percussion and my wife (she had better ears) agrees. I couldn't be happier and glad I tried these op amps in the Starlight.
 
Truth be told, I was pretty happy with the stock op amps, LM4562 / LME 49720 and could easily have lived with them but now that I've heard the OPA627's, there is no going back!
 
BEWARE! E-Bay has a lot OPA627 op amps from China and there are supposed to be lots of counterfeits out there...........Mouser and Digikey wold be safer bets to get the real 627's.

 

[enginepartsguy]

I have a Vahalla 2 and have just run the stock tubes for the two years I have owned it. I did put two fans from coolers guys to blow into the amp from the left side. They are plugged into a switched outlet on my HK3490Z receiver. Stays cool now, and has changed the sound a little. I have seperated the amp from the preamp, run that into a JVC SEA 7 graphic equilizer then into the Vallhalla 2 and then back into the amp in on the receiver. I have an extrrmely heavy duty headphone extension cable that goes to the other side of the room to my recliner. I am disabled, I have CIDP. I can't do much more thant than listen to music, or watch TV on my headphones. I was just wondering if there are any recommendatuons as to rolling tubes on the V2? I have not seen any discussions on it. Thanks! Charlie

 

[Skarecrow77]

 I was just wondering if there are any recommendatuons as to rolling tubes on the V2? I have not seen any discussions on it. Thanks! Charlie

 
I'm not sure if you mean the Vali 2, or the Valhalla 2.
 
There is a Vali 2 tube rolling thread, yes.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/793982/vali-2-tube-rolling
 
There is a Valhalla 1 tube rolling thread.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/619910/schiit-valhalla-tube-rolling-thread
 
I don't know that there is a Valhalla 2 thread, I would guess they probably folded it into the Valhalla 1 thread.

 

[enginepartsguy]

Thanks for the link on the Vahalla1, I have the 2, just has a preamp out, the 1 does'nt. C.