[gmoney80]

Has anyone tried the valhala with the Beyer T1's? i am looking for a quality tube amp under $600 and am considering it and the Woo WA3.  Any help would be awesome.

 

[hodgjy]

The Valhalla is better than the WA3. I've had both.

 

[Irakaia]

Quote:

Has anyone tried the valhala with the Beyer T1's? i am looking for a quality tube amp under $600 and am considering it and the Woo WA3.  Any help would be awesome.

 
I have and I own both. Valhalla drives T1's pretty good but it lacks a bit punch in the bass. Overall I would recommend it though. Very good value for the price.

 

[Mediahound]

Quote:

Has anyone tried the valhala with the Beyer T1's? i am looking for a quality tube amp under $600 and am considering it and the Woo WA3.  Any help would be awesome.

 
Quote:

 
I have and I own both. Valhalla drives T1's pretty good but it lacks a bit punch in the bass. Overall I would recommend it though. Very good value for the price.

Not that you asked, but the Lyr would likely be better with the 600 Ohm Beyer T1s. 

 

[Irakaia]

Quote:

 
Not that you asked, but the Lyr would likely be better with the 600 Ohm Beyer T1s. 

 
+1
 
I own Lyr too and T1 sounds spectacular with it. Much more detailed and the bass got a good impact. Not that the Valhalla is bad for T1's, but Lyr drives them much better.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

I like to compare Schiit to Beyer A1, Musical Fidelity M1, & PS Audio NuWave DAC.

 

[Serenitty]

So I've been mostly lurking (It's research!) for a while and I'm trying to find some opinions on how noticeable to upgrade from the Pure I20 to the Bifrost would be.  So far I've only found one reference and I'm looking for more opinions.  Right now I'm:
 
32gb Touch with mostly 320VBR AAC's>Pure i20 as Transport/DAC>Valhalla>HD650's
 
I'm looking to go to:
 
32gb Touch with mostly 320VBR AAC's>Pure i20 as Transport>Bifrost>Valhalla>HD650's
 
And I'm just looking for opinions on that.  Do I need to be using ALAC/FLAC files to benefit from the Bifrost, as it is I can't tell the difference between my 320VBR AAC's and some stuff I ripped (same song) as ALAC.
 
So far I'm really happy with my setup, after years of UE SF5Pro's and a few months with TH10's this is my first around the ear setup.  Most songs sound great, some sound unreal (bach cello & the Wild Things soundtrack were both Holy $h!t moments)
 
Thanks,
Dan

 

[hodgjy]

I can hear the difference between 256 kbs and ALAC files.  I've never encoded in 320 kbs, so I can't comment.  With the cost of hard drives being lower now than ever, space is never really an issue.  There's really no reason to encoded lossless anymore because if you want to fill up a portable player, you can reduce the bitrate on the fly while filling it. 
 

 

[Serenitty]

I guess partly I was trying to describe my listening level, I don't know what metal ears I have, I just know they aren't Golden.  So given the fact that I can't hear the difference between 320AAC and ALAC, will I hear the difference between the Pure I20 DAC and the Bifrost?  I have found almost nothing in my searches comparing the two.  I don't want to spend another $350 just so my setup will look cooler, though it certainly would...
 
320 also pretty much fills my 32gb touch.  ALAC would cut what I have on there to 1/3 the current level (roughly based on the couple of ALAC CD's I've ripped).  My music setup location does not lend itself to a laptop and harddrive just yet.  Maybe someday I won't care about how much space I use... 
 
Thanks,
Dan
 

 

[hodgjy]

If your ears can't tell the difference, then that's all that matters.  The DAC in the i20 is actually pretty good.  It is a step up from the iPod's built in DAC, and not too far behind the V-DAC II.  The i20 and V-DAC II are pretty similar in soundstage and detail, but the V-DAC is more refined and smooth.
 

 

[cthalupa]

I'm a huge proponent of storing in FLAC or ALAC purely because you never know how encoders are going to change in the future. Look at how much LAME has changed over the past 5 years, for example. With lossless storage you can always encode again when lossy formats change.

 

[Serenitty]

That makes me think that maybe my listening skills aren't ready to appreciate stepping up from the Pure to the Bifrost.
 
Any other opinions out there?
 
Thanks...
 

 

[hodgjy]

I would not consider an external DAC if you were using lossy formats; DACs maximize their performance with lossless tracks.  Putting premium gasoline in a Honda Accord does not make it Ferrari. 
 
Quote:

That makes me think that maybe my listening skills aren't ready to appreciate stepping up from the Pure to the Bifrost.
 
Any other opinions out there?
 
Thanks...
 

 

[Serenitty]

Then maybe I'll just stop and enjoy for a while.  Consider the system done until I can tell the difference between ALAC and 320 VBR AAC...  It does sound awfully good as it is...
 
Thanks
 
 
Quote:

I would not consider an external DAC if you were using lossy formats; DACs maximize their performance with lossless tracks.  Putting premium gasoline in a Honda Accord does not make it Ferrari

 

[SladeWilson]

 
 
 
Got my Shciit