[Lvivske]

The next level of performance versus the V2-BF2-CV455 combination is likely to cost multiples of what you have thus spent. Diminishing incremental returns…but still improvements…bank/wallet be damned?…

Yeah thats why I made sure to specify under 1900, if we're talking multiples for an appreciable increase then I'd rather just spend on *different* than *better*, laterally

 

[GumbyDammit223]

I believe that's the definition of insanity (already there)

'Zactly. Crazy/insane let's not quibble about semantics!

 

[exchez]

Already have a Bifrost 2 & HD800s so the Valhalla 1 is technically the least expensive key piece in my chain



How so?

With the Valhalla 2 I couldn't entirely square people's descriptions of what they loved about tube amps with what I was hearing from it. Notions like "holographic", "natural" and "harmonics" were subtle with the Valhalla 2. And I think that's by design. Schiit made a nice OTL tube amp version of the Asgard or Jotunheim. When I started listening to the WA2 those previously vague notions became immediately more clear. Every aspect of what makes vacuum tubes special is on full display with the WA2 and I find the result very satisfying. Also, when tube rolling with the Valhalla 2 I found the differences between two very different output tubes to be almost negligible. The Valhalla 2 sounds very similar whether I use 1980's Matsushitas or 1960's Amperex Heerlens. With the WA2, the differences are much clearer and mostly correspond to other impressions I've read on here and Tube Asylum.

The WA2 also comes with some pitfalls. Since the tubes have such a large impact on the sound, it can take some time and a considerable amount of money to find the right tube combo for you. The Valhalla 2's consistent sound from one tube to the next saves you from a lot of that BS. Both amps I listen to with a Bifrost 2 DAC and Beyerdynamic T1.2 headphones. Headphone choice can make a big difference too. If you decide to get a WA2 you should also be seriously considering T1s or HD800s. I found my old HD6XXs were not up to the task of giving me everything the WA2 had to offer.

 

[Jbucla2005]

Can I use the JJ ECC99’s in the Valhalla as power tubes, or will it damage the amp?

 

[Wes S]

With the Valhalla 2 I couldn't entirely square people's descriptions of what they loved about tube amps with what I was hearing from it. Notions like "holographic", "natural" and "harmonics" were subtle with the Valhalla 2. And I think that's by design. Schiit made a nice OTL tube amp version of the Asgard or Jotunheim. When I started listening to the WA2 those previously vague notions became immediately more clear. Every aspect of what makes vacuum tubes special is on full display with the WA2 and I find the result very satisfying. Also, when tube rolling with the Valhalla 2 I found the differences between two very different output tubes to be almost negligible. The Valhalla 2 sounds very similar whether I use 1980's Matsushitas or 1960's Amperex Heerlens. With the WA2, the differences are much clearer and mostly correspond to other impressions I've read on here and Tube Asylum.

The WA2 also comes with some pitfalls. Since the tubes have such a large impact on the sound, it can take some time and a considerable amount of money to find the right tube combo for you. The Valhalla 2's consistent sound from one tube to the next saves you from a lot of that BS. Both amps I listen to with a Bifrost 2 DAC and Beyerdynamic T1.2 headphones. Headphone choice can make a big difference too. If you decide to get a WA2 you should also be seriously considering T1s or HD800s. I found my old HD6XXs were not up to the task of giving me everything the WA2 had to offer.

If you were to roll in some 12AT7's with adapters, all those descriptors will apply to the V2 as well. Those descriptive terms like "holographic" "natural" and "harmonics" suddenly come to mind, when that tube type is rolled into the V2, and especially if they are some 7728's, CV455, or CV4033 tubes.

 

[jonathan c]

If you were to roll in some 12AT7's with adapters, all those descriptors will apply to the V2 as well. Those descriptive terms like "holographic" "natural" and "harmonics" suddenly come to mind, when that tube type is rolled into the V2, and especially if they are some 7728's, CV455, or CV4033 tubes.

I agree with @Wes S. The Valhalla II becomes a very special h/p/a when the tubes mentioned (as well as other 12AT7s) are used. (Also, use the best 6N6Ps - Foton or NEVZ). The Valhalla II in this fashion will deliver you the music in a naturally engaging manner. And it can do so with high and low impedance hps. (Mine go from Beyerdynamic DT880 @ 600 ohms to Audeze LCD-X @ 20 ohms.)

 

[Lvivske]

Well, I'm officially in the club now lol

Need to run them in a bit to be fair. Early impressions were mixed - both clearer highs but muddier lows with my previous EQ tuning, though standard I think it sounds very good (for reference, HD800 + Valhalla stock I found so bad I shelved the whole thing for years)

New DAC, new EQ, new tubes, its been a busy couple days of changes to keep account of. I've rolled the 2k band way up and 6k lower than usual and things are feeling magical again like when I first got the JJ's in this. Gonna be agonizing finding the exact sweet spot...hope I dont blow my ears out again ><

 

[MacMan31]

I have a Valhalla 2 on the way. Bought one used on Canuck Audio Mart. Comes with the stock tubes as well as Amperex 7308 Orange globe from the 1960s. According to the seller the latter are really great tubes. My headphones are the HD6XX and ZMF Aeolus. For now I will be using the DAC in my Marantz HD-DAC1 HP amp. Recommendations on other tubes to try would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Lvivske]

I have a Valhalla 2 on the way. Bought one used on Canuck Audio Mart. Comes with the stock tubes as well as Amperex 7308 Orange globe from the 1960s. According to the seller the latter are really great tubes. My headphones are the HD6XX and ZMF Aeolus. For now I will be using the DAC in my Marantz HD-DAC1 HP amp. Recommendations on other tubes to try would be appreciated. Thank you.

Really interesting to see how the Marantz DAC pairs with this, saw one in the classifieds recently for a great price and urge to try it bit me

Other guys here have tried like....all the tubes, so will have a better take on what to get, but for the output tube we're limited to Soviet 6N6P tubes, with the rough preference being the Foton (diamond logo) manufacturer (you'll see Novosibirsk (e logo, or pentagon logo) out there as well. These tubes dont make the largest impact on sound.

Your Amperex are pretty pricey, sounds like you started with a helluva upgrade. Lately the guys here have been recommending Brimar CV4033 / CV455s as the optimal input tubes. (there, you're up to speed on the thread)

 

[MacMan31]

Really interesting to see how the Marantz DAC pairs with this, saw one in the classifieds recently for a great price and urge to try it bit me

Other guys here have tried like....all the tubes, so will have a better take on what to get, but for the output tube we're limited to Soviet 6N6P tubes, with the rough preference being the Foton (diamond logo) manufacturer (you'll see Novosibirsk (e logo, or pentagon logo) out there as well. These tubes dont make the largest impact on sound.

Your Amperex are pretty pricey, sounds like you started with a helluva upgrade. Lately the guys here have been recommending Brimar CV4033 / CV455s as the optimal input tubes. (there, you're up to speed on the thread)

The Marantz HD-DAC1 is an overall great HP amp. On paper it doesn't seem very powerful. However I never need to go past 11 o'clock on low gain. It's plenty loud for me. It actually replaced a THX789 + Topping D70 stack as I thought the Marantz sounded better overall.

So is it best to leave the output tubes as stock and just swap the other set as desired? I'll keep an eye out for those Brimar tubes.

 

[Lvivske]

So is it best to leave the output tubes as stock and just swap the other set as desired?

Once I pulled them I found Schiit didnt even put the same brand in, 2 random tubes, so in theory guess it would makse sense to get a proper pair in if they did that, but thats maybe down the line "i have nothing better to do with my time to upgrade this anymore" stuff. I'm really happy with mine but I've made so many changes in such a short span I can't truly pinpoint how much they affected the sound in the end once everything settled. I posted some first impressions here at the time.

they're super cheap on ebay, not a big deal

 

[jonathan c]

The Marantz HD-DAC1 is an overall great HP amp. On paper it doesn't seem very powerful. However I never need to go past 11 o'clock on low gain. It's plenty loud for me. It actually replaced a THX789 + Topping D70 stack as I thought the Marantz sounded better overall.

So is it best to leave the output tubes as stock and just swap the other set as desired? I'll keep an eye out for those Brimar tubes.

I run the Valhalla II with NEVZ 6N6P matched tubes and the Brimar CV455 KB/FB (Footscray plant: 1956) tubes. For the CV455, you will need 12A*7 (top) —> 6922 (bottom) adapters. The CV455 are available at Langrex in the U.K. Results of all this: .

 

[MacMan31]

Once I pulled them I found Schiit didnt even put the same brand in, 2 random tubes, so in theory guess it would makse sense to get a proper pair in if they did that, but thats maybe down the line "i have nothing better to do with my time to upgrade this anymore" stuff. I'm really happy with mine but I've made so many changes in such a short span I can't truly pinpoint how much they affected the sound in the end once everything settled. I posted some first impressions here at the time.

they're super cheap on ebay, not a big deal

Could you please provide a link to your first impressions post?

I run the Valhalla II with NEVZ 6N6P matched tubes and the Brimar CV455 KB/FB (Footscray plant: 1956) tubes. For the CV455, you will need 12A*7 (top) —> 6922 (bottom) adapters. The CV455 are available at Langrex in the U.K. Results of all this: .

Hmm okay. I would likely get my tubes from CAM if I do any tube rolling. https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/classifieds/15-vacuum-tubes-valves/ Where can I find this adapter?

 

[Lvivske]

Could you please provide a link to your first impressions post?

Hmm okay. I would likely get my tubes from CAM if I do any tube rolling. https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/classifieds/15-vacuum-tubes-valves/ Where can I find this adapter?

the most cost effective adapters are on aliexpress/ebay

i checked my old post, i had to null the thoughts because something else in my chain changed. im getting something new in a day or so, so hopefully i can do a more direct A/B comparison on that

fwiw, the tubes I ordered from the UK ended up with zero duty or sales tax in Canada, if you were worried about staying domestic for that reason

 

[GumbyDammit223]

Could you please provide a link to your first impressions post?



Hmm okay. I would likely get my tubes from CAM if I do any tube rolling. https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/classifieds/15-vacuum-tubes-valves/ Where can I find this adapter?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-valhalla-tube-rolling-thread.619910/post-16464300

When I asked this question, the above was the answer I received. They come from India and were shipped FedEx. They were stuck in Deli customs over the weekend but broke loose and I received them last Wednesday for close to a week from order to receipt. I ordered the tubes from the UK guy and received my pair last Saturday. Haven't had a chance to mess with them yet. It's been too damned hot and smoky here and I'm not keen on firing up a space heater just yet. Good luck!