[inseconds99]

Schiit Vali 2 Released
 
 
From Schiit's website.
 
"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. 
 
Roll Your Own Sound
Vali 2 is supplied with a single NOS RCA 6BZ7 tube, which can be swapped for the same tubes we use in Lyr 2 and Mjolnir 2—feel free to use virtually any ECC88, 6922, 6DJ8, 2492, etc to “roll” the sound to your own preference. Plus, you only need a single tube, so rolling is easy and more affordable!
 
Serious Power, Gain Switching, Preamp Outputs
Vali delivers 1W into 32 ohms for hard-to-drive headphones—and, at the same time, offers a low gain mode for low-noise performance with sensitive headphones. You can also use the preamp outputs to add a tube preamp to your power amp or powered monitors. "
 
http://schiit.com/products/vali-2

 

[mysticstryk]

Looking forward to impressions. Looks like another slick looking piece of good schiit!

 

[Badfish5446]

This update has put the Vali on my radar for a spare room, the ability to use spare 6922's from my Lyr setup is cool, as are the pre-outs and selectable gain.

 

[fjrabon]

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. 

Dang, lol, was that shade they threw at the Starving Student really necessary?

 

[sling5s]

Looking forward to impressions.

1+
So this mean you never have to worry about "matched pair" since your only using a singe tube?
This could make buy tubes so easy and inexpensive. 

 

[mysticstryk]

1+
So this mean you never have to worry about "matched pair" since your only using a singe tube?
This could make buy tubes so easy and inexpensive. 

Garage1217 does the same thing with their amps. Now we've got 2 quality tube amps under $200.

Certainly makes for cheaper tube rolling.

 

[sling5s]

So this also mean no more microphonic and noise on low impedance sensitive headphones? 
I'm also hoping that it doesn't have that little upper mid edginess. Vali 1 was great for warm or dark headphones but I found it didn't work so well with Grados or headphones with upper mid peaks for that reason.

 

[mysticstryk]

It's always entertaining to read through a new schiit FAQ list.

 

[fjrabon]

  So this also mean no more microphonic and noise on low impedance sensitive headphones? 
I'm also hoping that it doesn't have that little upper mid edginess. Vali 1 was great for warm or dark headphones but I found it didn't work so well with Grados or headphones with upper mid peaks for that reason.

yeah, I thought it was more or less a worst case pairing the with THX00.  Tubby bass, but also had that upper mids peak edginess too.  Plus no low gain, so bad dampening factor on low ohm headphones.  To me, this is a 1000X better product, at least on paper.

 

[Badfish5446]

 
1+
So this mean you never have to worry about "matched pair" since your only using a singe tube?
This could make buy tubes so easy and inexpensive. 

Yeah but using a single tube for both channels could be problematic if the triodes aren't in balance, something to take into consideration.  Schiit's topology may make this a moot point but we won't know until someone more familiar with electrical engineering chimes in

 

[fjrabon]

  Yeah but using a single tube for both channels could be problematic if the triodes aren't in balance, something to take into consideration.  Schiit's topology may make this a moot point but we won't know until someone more familiar with electrical engineering chimes in

Schiit says it's an issue and they have to have a highly internally matched dual triode tube to address this issue.

 

[inseconds99]

 
yeah, I thought it was more or less a worst case pairing the with THX00.  Tubby bass, but also had that upper mids peak edginess too.  Plus no low gain, so bad dampening factor on low ohm headphones.  To me, this is a 1000X better product, at least on paper.

This could be a very interesting paring with the TH-X00's on low gain, I am curious to hear this amp myself. Might order one for my Christmas gift to myself very soon.

 

[sling5s]

I remember the hype when the Vali just came out: "sounds like a $1600 amp" or "think mini Current Eddie".
Is the micro dynamics of the Vali 2 still there in spades like the Vali 1 or is it now just a really good $200 amp.
Impressions...

 

 

[mysticstryk]

I remember the hype when the Vali just came out: "sounds like a $1600 amp" or "think mini Current Eddie".
Is the micro dynamics of the Vali 2 still there in spades like the Vali 1 or is it now just a really good $200 amp.
Impressions...  

Hype can be a terrible drug...

 

[Vader2k]

 
yeah, I thought it was more or less a worst case pairing the with THX00.  Tubby bass, but also had that upper mids peak edginess too.  Plus no low gain, so bad dampening factor on low ohm headphones.  To me, this is a 1000X better product, at least on paper.

 
Your impressions on the Vali/TH-X00 pairing made me not even bother to plug the TH-X00 into it and I instead use the Magni.  I always run my K7XX on the Vali, though and really like the tube sound.  The Fidelio X1 is decent off it, though it doesn't do the already loose bass of the X1s any favors.
 
This looks like it just might solve my problems and allow me to use one affordable tube amp for all my cans!