[HiFi1972]

  Respectfully disagree. Headphones/speaker, and a clean/adequate (enough 0s & 1s) copy of the recording is numero uno.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course. I offered mine because I do post production audio for a living and have been working professionally with audio since before the digital age (since the late 80's, back when everyone was using magnetic tape to record). I often help my clients achieve optimal playback, and these are people who have spent years seeking the most accurate/transparent response from their production and recording systems. When they've asked me how they can improve accuracy in monitoring, we start by conditioning their power supply and move up from there.
 
Often times people don't realize how much of an improvement can come from the upgrades I mentioned above and can only speak from personal observations made from my own systems, and feedback from my clients after they've done it themselves (usually translates to better mixes that eventually I get to work on) so if that helps anyone else who is also looking to improve the accuracy of their playback systems, great (if not, please be content with what you're doing and "carry on").

 

[Traum]

HiFi1972,

I'd say there are 2 things involved here:

1) Conceptually, I agree with your approach to start straight from the source.
2) The biggest improvement will always come from upgrading the weakest link in the chain.

In your case, I think you're making the suggestions you did because the folks you work with probably already has some relatively decent headphones to start, so the DAC might be the weaker link. But for a lot of us, we may or may not be working with something that is deemed decent enough. Or, a lot of us might be balancing the 2 above ideas, both of which have huge merits, in order to get the best sound.

 

[sceleratus]

......I have only spekers and have seen them do the "disapearing trick"..........  For now I will go for uberbifrost/vali, the next buy will be the Lyr and next a modi, that way I have all the gear I should need for now and buy more mussic!
Antonio

Antinio,
You wrote that you only have speakers.    My guess is that they are 8 ohm.
 
Here are the Vali's output specifications from the Schiit Web Site:
Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 650mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 550mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 220mW RMS per channel
Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 115mW RMS per channel
 
This amp is made for headphones, not speakers.
 
EDIT:  I might not be understanding this...
Also, there are several vendors that offer 30 day trial periods for gear.
Audio Advisors has Schiit.  Headroom might be another place to look.

 

[czrtly]

Hi sceleratus, yes I do have some speakers but at present it's not just possible to use them (along with the full gear) so I'm building a HP system... trial periods are not really viable as I don't live in the USA, so I have to make some bets... Most of my music are good classical recordings, my choice of headphones (for now) are the AKG712. Whatever I end up getting should be something to keep, don't know any one interested in headphones and very few in good audio around here.
I have good mussic, a good source and I think some good headphones, so I lack an amp and a DAC... with the Bifrost I can use my SACD player (even as redbook cd), all my riped cd's and 24/96 tracks I'm buying; for a couple of months the amp will be restricted but I think a lyr can serve me well when I'm able to buy it; if conditions get better and I can get my gear out the lyr can work as a pre-amp. Having the Vali-magni/modi/ will be nice, they can go to the office or travel with my laptop. Sorry for not being clear enough!


Antonio

 

[jaywillin]

i just noticed the gungnir has two pair of unbalanced outputs, for two amps ?

 

[mhamel]

  i just noticed the gungnir has two pair of unbalanced outputs, for two amps ?

 
You can use the balanced outputs and both of the single-ended outputs simultaneously with the Gungnir.

 

[jaywillin]

   
You can use the balanced outputs and both of the single-ended outputs simultaneously with the Gungnir.

i'm talking about there being two pair of single ended outs, in addition to the balanced

 

[mhamel]

 
i'm talking about there being two pair of single ended outs, in addition to the balanced

 
Yes... me, too.  You can run the balanced out to one amp and each of the pairs of single ended outs to other amps.
 
I have the balanced out on mine going to my main preamp, one of the s/e outputs to my Lyr and the other to a Vali.

 

[jaywillin]

   
Yes... me, too.  You can run the balanced out to one amp and each of the pairs of single ended outs to other amps.
 
I have the balanced out on mine going to my main preamp, one of the s/e outputs to my Lyr and the other to a Vali.

hell i gotta get me one  lol
and then get a mjo,
i could be set for the lcd's and go balanced, and have my little dot for my rs1i

 

[Amictus]

I am an interloper here - but I'm hoping not to be. I have two pairs of cans: Sennheiser HD650 and AKG Q701. I got the 650s because of the the tendency of the Q701s to find a harsh glare in some music. They both have considerable merits, I'm keeping them both, but the HD650s are my default headphones. So - I'm looking at the Lyr or the Valhalla to smooth out the AKGs and to bring new life to the HD650s. I don't think that I want to go balanced yet. Any ideas, folks? I currently have an Audiolab M-DAC and a Lovely Cube SS amp. Valhalla for 100ish% tubes or the power of the Lyr? What do your ears tell you?

 

[pdrm360]

  I am an interloper here - but I'm hoping not to be. I have two pairs of cans: Sennheiser HD650 and AKG Q701. I got the 650s because of the the tendency of the Q701s to find a harsh glare in some music. They both have considerable merits, I'm keeping them both, but the HD650s are my default headphones. So - I'm looking at the Lyr or the Valhalla to smooth out the AKGs and to bring new life to the HD650s. I don't think that I want to go balanced yet. Any ideas, folks? I currently have an Audiolab M-DAC and a Lovely Cube SS amp. Valhalla for 100ish% tubes or the power of the Lyr? What do your ears tell you?

 
The Valhalla is an OTL but it's brighter than the Lyr (to my ears). I do like the Valhalla for the HD650 but I'm not sure about the Q701.  I have the Lyr because I found it more all-rounder amp than the Valhalla.

 

[UmustBKidn]

  I am an interloper here - but I'm hoping not to be. I have two pairs of cans: Sennheiser HD650 and AKG Q701. I got the 650s because of the the tendency of the Q701s to find a harsh glare in some music. They both have considerable merits, I'm keeping them both, but the HD650s are my default headphones. So - I'm looking at the Lyr or the Valhalla to smooth out the AKGs and to bring new life to the HD650s. I don't think that I want to go balanced yet. Any ideas, folks? I currently have an Audiolab M-DAC and a Lovely Cube SS amp. Valhalla for 100ish% tubes or the power of the Lyr? What do your ears tell you?

 
You may also want to consider the Bottlehead Crack for the HD 650's.

 

[NinjaHamster]

  I am an interloper here - but I'm hoping not to be. I have two pairs of cans: Sennheiser HD650 and AKG Q701. I got the 650s because of the the tendency of the Q701s to find a harsh glare in some music. They both have considerable merits, I'm keeping them both, but the HD650s are my default headphones. So - I'm looking at the Lyr or the Valhalla to smooth out the AKGs and to bring new life to the HD650s. I don't think that I want to go balanced yet. Any ideas, folks? I currently have an Audiolab M-DAC and a Lovely Cube SS amp. Valhalla for 100ish% tubes or the power of the Lyr? What do your ears tell you?

 
The AKG 701's aren't that high an impedance, so the Valhalla shouldn't mate that well with them ... I know for a fact that the Lyr does ... and the added bass weight it supplies evens out the AKG's presentation a lot.

 

[Amictus]

   
The Valhalla is an OTL but it's brighter than the Lyr (to my ears). I do like the Valhalla for the HD650 but I'm not sure about the Q701.  I have the Lyr because I found it more all-rounder amp than the Valhalla.

 
 

   
You may also want to consider the Bottlehead Crack for the HD 650's.

 
 

   
The AKG 701's aren't that high an impedance, so the Valhalla shouldn't mate that well with them ... I know for a fact that the Lyr does ... and the added bass weight it supplies evens out the AKG's presentation a lot.

Thank you so much, folks. I have also e-mailed Schiit who were very helpful. The Lyr is on its way! An interesting thing to me in this thread is the sheer number of people who have LOTS of equipment - there are practically complete collections of, er, Schiit out there... I'll let you know how it goes. Burn-in time advice, anyone?

 

[sceleratus]

   
 
 
 

Thank you so much, folks. I have also e-mailed Schiit who were very helpful. The Lyr is on its way! An interesting thing to me in this thread is the sheer number of people who have LOTS of equipment - there are practically complete collections of, er, Schiit out there... I'll let you know how it goes. Burn-in time advice, anyone?

CONGRATULATIONS  !!!!
 
Now you and your wallet need to go HERE.