LimeCoke
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
- Posts
- 45
- Likes
- 17
I personally love the Valhalla 2 with both headphones, which brought out a big improvement in the low end and soundstage over the Vali 2. I rolled various tubes (Amperex, Mullard, EH6cg7, etc.) with the Vali 2. That's not to say Vali 2 isn't a performer. Its amazing for the price, and you get to roll tubes for half the price. But, it really didn't do much for the HD650 for me. The HD650 became a completely different can when paired with the Valhalla 2. The Valhalla really opened up the HD650 for me. If you get lucky you might find the Valhalla used under $300.
Anyways, it's best to demo amps for yourself. I'm sure bottlehead will be amazing with the HD650. At least with Schiit products you can return them within 15days. There is a 5% transaction fee, but I think its a fair price to demo products. And if you like it, no need for returns.
Fyi, I also have the Asgard 2. But I just prefer the sense of depth and space the Valhalla 2 provides with the X2 over the Asgard 2. The Asgard definitely has a cleaner sound. I guess I enjoy the distortion of the X2 and Valhalla 2 pair
Thanks a lot for the help! Your suggestions have made it really interesting for me. Now there are lots of good options available for me to decide.