Schiit Valhalla 3 - Impressions Thread

[Orange5o]

That's a good price!

I ended up paying around $20 more than that for a patched pair from TubeDepot. However, it looks like these tubes are still manufactured. So, you can buy them for roughly $165 in matched pairs with balanced triodes directly from Telefunken here:

https://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com/product/e88cc-tk-vacuum-tube-6922/

Just know that these are new production, the only thing they share with NOS Telefunkens is the name, which was purchased by a completely different group.

 

[MindBreak]

Just know that these are new production, the only thing they share with NOS Telefunkens is the name, which was purchased by a completely different group.

Good to know, yet I am not surprised given the demand for tubes these days.

 

[j0val]

Had to edit this post to correct an issue. Didn’t work though.

Edit: I think I found the original Telefunkens.

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/telefunken-e88cc-6922

 

[MindBreak]

Had to edit this post to correct an issue. Didn’t work though.

Edit: I think I found the original Telefunkens.

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/telefunken-e88cc-6922

Looking at that site right now, and I am wondering if anyone has tried the Mullard 12AU7 NOS tubes.
https://upscaleaudio.com/products/mullard-ecc82-12au7-vintage-new-old-stock?variant=21828866629

$260 for a pair of Kevin's Stash.

 

[sacd lover]

There is a lot of information on 12AU7 and 6922 tubes. But over time it seems to be forgotten.
The links I am posting for you give some of the most detailed descriptions and rankings of these rube types. But this is one mans opinion and obviously he listened to the tubes with different equipment. But, the links are still very useful.

https://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/joes-tubes.html#12AU7

https://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/joes-tubes.html#6DJ8

 

[j0val]

Looking at that site right now, and I am wondering if anyone has tried the Mullard 12AU7 NOS tubes.
https://upscaleaudio.com/products/mullard-ecc82-12au7-vintage-new-old-stock?variant=21828866629

$260 for a pair of Kevin's Stash.

I just realized that Upscale Audio is about a 40 min. drive from me. I’m going to have to go check them out. Maybe I can bring my V3 to compare against other amps

 

[MindBreak]

I just realized that Upscale Audio is about a 40 min. drive from me. I’m going to have to go check them out. Maybe I can bring my V3 to compare against other amps

Nice, let us know if they give you the green light on that.

 

[theveterans]

I just realized that Upscale Audio is about a 40 min. drive from me. I’m going to have to go check them out. Maybe I can bring my V3 to compare against other amps

Been to upscale two times to upgrade my Berkeley USB DDC. My experience with them is they don't let you modify their showroom configurations there so I highly doubt you can use your V3 there unfortunately

 

[j0val]

Been to upscale two times to upgrade my Berkeley USB DDC. My experience with them is they don't let you modify their showroom configurations there so I highly doubt you can use your V3 there unfortunately

That’s a shame, if so. I’ll send them an email to ask. The V3 doesn’t take up too much space (my Gungnir 2 is a behemoth though in comparison).

I know that The Source AV, which is about 45 min from me, encouraged me to bring in my setup to compare.

 

[MindBreak]

After another user informed me that 6085 tubes are compatible with my 12XXX adapters, I am also considering rolling those as well. The only thing to keep in mind is that they draw as much current as 6SN7 tubes.

 

[theveterans]

That’s a shame, if so. I’ll send them an email to ask. The V3 doesn’t take up too much space (my Gungnir 2 is a behemoth though in comparison).

I know that The Source AV, which is about 45 min from me, encouraged me to bring in my setup to compare.

The Source is way more chill with that indeed!

 

[sacd lover]

The 6085 vacuum tube, also known as E80CC, is a dual triode tube with specific characteristics for audio applications. It's known for its low noise floor, high gain, and ability to produce rich harmonics and warmth.

 

[NippleSauce]

Alright folks.... I may or may not have purchased a Feliks Echo Vibe for trials with my high impedance headphones. It'll arrive tomorrow- a day before my new Telefunken Black Diamond 6922s arrive.

It'll certainly be difficult to do a quick, direct comparison between the Vibe and the Valhalla 3 since the tubes would have to be moved back and forth. However, I recently acquired a few tube pullers from Arie Bergs and can now swap them whilst hot enough to melt my fingertips.

I'll keep everyone posted on the perceived sound comparison.

 

[j0val]

Alright folks.... I may or may not have purchased a Feliks Echo Vibe for trials with my high impedance headphones. It'll arrive tomorrow- a day before my new Telefunken Black Diamond 6922s arrive.

It'll certainly be difficult to do a quick, direct comparison between the Vibe and the Valhalla 3 since the tubes would have to be moved back and forth. However, I recently acquired a few tube pullers from Arie Bergs and can now swap them whilst hot enough to melt my fingertips.

I'll keep everyone posted on the perceived sound comparison.

Looking forward to your impressions with both the new Echo Vibe and Telefunkens. I’m really close to pulling the trigger on the tubes. Also, if there were an easy way to do so, I would gladly donate my stock V3 tubes to help with comparisons….although, I wonder how much difference there could be between matched pairs of the same tube?

 

[Aerocraft67]

My Siemens E88CCs arrived today. Listening commenced. Initial assessment: real close—tough to improve on “great.”

It’s also tough to casually compare tubes A-B. I compared the stock V3 with the Pietus Maximus (A-C) in anticipation. Then compared V3 with the Siemens tubes vs. the PM (B-C). That gives me an indirect (A-B) = (A-C) - (B-C).

The E88CC is objectively a better tube than the 61NP (better transconductance, for instance). But I don’t hear a game-changing revelation in sound performance.

The Siemens are not excessively bright or analytical. I expected more of that than I'm hearing. If anything, the stock tubes might sound a bit leaner.

Maybe the Siemens expand the contrast between V3 and PM just a bit, and sound slightly more authentic.

The occasional excessive ring/reverb from the V3 I noted last time might be less apparent with the Siemens. The PM delivers discrete, neatly packaged notes. The V3 splays them out a little more. Most of the time, the latter is more favorable, but sometimes it sounds off.

Part of the issue here is that PM is really good, and competitive with tube sound. The stock tubes match the amp's design and sound great. It’s too soon to declare whether the Siemens were worth the upgrade. Everything sounds great. That's a good problem to have.