[Paladin79]

I’ve been using Kimber Kables for over 20 years because they consistently beat most lower cost cables in detail. Other cables always had a somewhat muffled quality to them in comparison.

When I read former Belden engineer Galen Gareis‘ papers on how cables affect the music signal I was curious enough to try his relatively inexpensive BAV rca cables. The budget version of his premium Iconoclast cables.
Compared to the Kimber PBJ I had been using for years the BAV cables sounded more dynamic, punchy, as well more transparent. I also compared them to Blue Jeans LC-1 cables which are cheap and well made but still have that muffled quality. Blue Jeans is a great company to work with and they have a solid return policy. I liked the BAV cables so much I replaced all of my rca cables with them.

I’m still using Kimber 4TC for speaker cables. I’d love to try Iconoclast speaker cables but their cost is a bit more than I can justify.

Belden is based in northern Indiana so I am pretty familiar with the company. A gentleman who got me into Belden cables has a pretty famous father-in-law in these parts. If any of you has ever seen the movie Hoosiers, the movie and famous last shot was based on his shot for Milan in 1954. The movie used the same building and same spot on the floor where Bobby Plump hit the shot.

Oh and I have read Galen’s papers of course.

 

[rfernand]

Having been in the hobby for over fifty years, I have a large collection of cables. I can honestly say that I don't have a clue who made them.

Shocking.

 

[AudioGal]

Since my Mjolnir and Gumby (my usual desk setup) are on their way to Valencia for some TLC, I have pulled the trigger on a new toy to keep my ears busy while in the office.

This Valhalla is my first-ever OTL. So apart from the usual reviewers' palaver, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

First impressions after the first 30 minutes of listening:
- Huh.
- Interesting.
- Hmm…
- It won't be going back.

I own a pair of AKG K712's. I can't stand them for more reasons than I care to list here. But most of all, they sound like ass. And not just any old ass, but the ass that you get on a steady diet of Taco Bell with industrial-strength laxatives for desert. Driven by this Valhalla, for the first time ever, they actually sound borderline acceptable.
As it turns out, you CAN polish a turd: with Schiit.
If that's not some weird kind of voodoo, I don't know what is.

Also:
What inconsistencies in metal?! I don't see it…
But all kidding aside: The finish of this Valhalla is outright gorgeous. Essentially the same as Gungnir and Mjolnir. And since this type of coarsely brushed alumin(i)um and this wrap-around, U-style of chassis seems to be on its way out, I'm enjoying this even more while it lasts.

I have both of these and they are a seriously enjoyable pair. The Valhalla is a surprisingly versatile OTL - I have used mine to drive my HiFiMan HE400 (Actually Drop HE4xx, same thing) with surprisingly satisfying results. Won't get to rock concert levels without sounding closed in and audibly clipping, but hey, it's an OTL that manages to drive a sensitive pair of planars! If you are feeling adventurous, rolling the 6n1p tubes with your favorite flavor of 6BQ7/6DJ8 series of tubes can be enlightening. If you swapped the tubes in your Mjolnir, try those same tubes in the Valhalla.

 

[rfernand]

The Valhalla is a surprisingly versatile OTL.

And surprisingly quiet!

 

[Paladin79]

And surprisingly quiet!

My first Schiit headphone amp was a Valhalla, I moved on to other OTL’s but it was a very good device. I held onto a Mjolnir and roll tubes in that frequently.

A cat and dog photo I just took…

 

[A Jedi]

former Belden engineer Galen Gareis‘ papers on how cables affect the music signal

Got a link?

 

[corndog71]

Got a link?

https://www.iconoclastcable.com/techpapers/index.htm

 

[valiant66]

FWIW:

https://fortune.com/2021/08/30/apple-acquisition-classical-music-streaming-service-primephonic/

 

[myquealer]

@Jason Stoddard - you mean 2021??

Nah, we are finishing up the 20th month of 2020. No end in sight.

 

[OldRoadToad]

Since my Mjolnir and Gumby (my usual desk setup) are on their way to Valencia for some TLC, I have pulled the trigger on a new toy to keep my ears busy while in the office.

This Valhalla is my first-ever OTL. So apart from the usual reviewers' palaver, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

First impressions after the first 30 minutes of listening:
- Huh.
- Interesting.
- Hmm…
- It won't be going back.

I own a pair of AKG K712's. I can't stand them for more reasons than I care to list here. But most of all, they sound like ass. And not just any old ass, but the ass that you get on a steady diet of Taco Bell with industrial-strength laxatives for desert. Driven by this Valhalla, for the first time ever, they actually sound borderline acceptable.
As it turns out, you CAN polish a turd: with Schiit.
If that's not some weird kind of voodoo, I don't know what is.

Also:
What inconsistencies in metal?! I don't see it…
But all kidding aside: The finish of this Valhalla is outright gorgeous. Essentially the same as Gungnir and Mjolnir. And since this type of coarsely brushed alumin(i)um and this wrap-around, U-style of chassis seems to be on its way out, I'm enjoying this even more while it lasts.

I very much enjoyed reading this. Thank you!

ORT

 

[OldRoadToad]

I have both of these and they are a seriously enjoyable pair. The Valhalla is a surprisingly versatile OTL - I have used mine to drive my HiFiMan HE400 (Actually Drop HE4xx, same thing) with surprisingly satisfying results. Won't get to rock concert levels without sounding closed in and audibly clipping, but hey, it's an OTL that manages to drive a sensitive pair of planars! If you are feeling adventurous, rolling the 6n1p tubes with your favorite flavor of 6BQ7/6DJ8 series of tubes can be enlightening. If you swapped the tubes in your Mjolnir, try those same tubes in the Valhalla.

I have no real idea what OTL stands for other than there is a weird ball game played at the beach in San Diego called Over The Line. I do not think that is what it means here. I bought my Valhalla 2 because it looks cool. I will one day try to change the tubes to some thing that looks "Metropolis" cool. That is a famous silent film from 1927. I just watched it again because I am a fan of such things. My favorite SciFi story is by Lester Del Rey, "Helen O'Loy". And once again, I have rambled.

I will seriously consider any cool looking tubes you or any one else here that does not mind recommending to a novice asking for assistance. I just want to hear my music and stare into a past I was not around to be a part of. As is so often the case, I was born too late.

Thank you all!

ORT

 

[rfernand]

I have no real idea what OTL stands for

The output stage has no transformers (Output Transformer-Less). If it sounds good to you, get it!

I will seriously consider any cool looking tubes you or any one else here that does not mind recommending to a novice asking for assistance. I just want to hear my music and stare into a past I was not around to be a part of. As is so often the case, I was born too late.

If you buy from Schiit, whatever valves they offer you will sound great: (a) they chose to put them in their product, and (b) the pair (or set) is matched, i.e., they are within the same error in terms of performance. You wouldn't want the left channel sounding louder than the right or such things.

Honestly, go try some at a store and have fun. Some of us also like experimenting with different valves and end up spending more on a set than the amp itself. Some folks swear by solid state amps and want nothing to do with the audio nervosa that comes with the glass n' glow. Within the tube rolling clique there are sects: OTL, SET, Bottleheads, 300B-ers, me-myself-and-I with my blahblahblah Mjolnir 2 with unobtanium valves, ... you get the idea. In general, this class of amp will give you a nice, warm, pleasant sound, and well-designed valve amps also deliver plenty of detail.

Is it better? Ask your ears, enjoy the music, and have fun!

 

[filthy mechanical]

Some folks swear by solid state amps and want nothing to do with the audio nervosa that comes with the glass n' glow.

Yep, although I am more than a little crazy to thing the Folkvangr looks neat when I have avoided tubes everywhere else.

 

[AudioGal]

Yep, although I am more than a little crazy to thing the Folkvangr looks neat when I have avoided tubes everywhere else.

I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the announcement of that miniature space heater. I want one. Vermont winters are *c*o*l*d*.

 

[Rensek]

Tubes are a wonderland inside a rabbit hole with no bottom that has more branches than an ant hill. Without restraint, tube collecting is a more expensive hobby than collecting whisky.