[Lvivske]

So with all my components unplugged a very dim lightbulb went off in my head regarding throwing a pre-amp before the valhalla - my integrated amp I'm listening to right beside me has a pre-out. It's hyper detailed & bassy and kind of a bizzzaro world opposite to the valhalla's weaknesses. Currently using it and it's a trip, total merger of the two amp's sounds for better or worse, it's totally a neutral objective perfectionist's nightmare - distorted and fun. Definitely want to experiment with a desktop pre-amp now. Damnit.

Notably, drums have never sounded more detailed & real to me and I kinda wanna chase this, but need to disassemble it in a few hours.

Going full psychopath volume on this (past 3pm) then turning the valhalla up is way too much distortion but there's a sweet spot of putting the valhalla at like 80% before it starts to hum and using pre for the remainder of volume control with muting off so like 25% (unless there's a benefit to tone when pushing the valhalla full hog? that a thing?)

 

[Guidostrunk]

So with all my components unplugged a very dim lightbulb went off in my head regarding throwing a pre-amp before the valhalla - my integrated amp I'm listening to right beside me has a pre-out. It's hyper detailed & bassy and kind of a bizzzaro world opposite to the valhalla's weaknesses. Currently using it and it's a trip, total merger of the two amp's sounds for better or worse, it's totally a neutral objective perfectionist's nightmare - distorted and fun. Definitely want to experiment with a desktop pre-amp now. Damnit.

Notably, drums have never sounded more detailed & real to me and I kinda wanna chase this, but need to disassemble it in a few hours.

Going full psychopath volume on this (past 3pm) then turning the valhalla up is way too much distortion but there's a sweet spot of putting the valhalla at like 80% before it starts to hum and using pre for the remainder of volume control with muting off so like 25% (unless there's a benefit to tone when pushing the valhalla full hog? that a thing?)

Usually amps will hit unity gain around the 1 o'clock mark. I'd float around there on the Valhalla.

 

[Ripper2860]

Hmmmm. Maybe when I'm bored I can try Lyr 3 into Valhalla 2 and vice versa?

 

[wenbinbin2010]

So with all my components unplugged a very dim lightbulb went off in my head regarding throwing a pre-amp before the valhalla - my integrated amp I'm listening to right beside me has a pre-out. It's hyper detailed & bassy and kind of a bizzzaro world opposite to the valhalla's weaknesses. Currently using it and it's a trip, total merger of the two amp's sounds for better or worse, it's totally a neutral objective perfectionist's nightmare - distorted and fun. Definitely want to experiment with a desktop pre-amp now. Damnit.

Notably, drums have never sounded more detailed & real to me and I kinda wanna chase this, but need to disassemble it in a few hours.

Going full psychopath volume on this (past 3pm) then turning the valhalla up is way too much distortion but there's a sweet spot of putting the valhalla at like 80% before it starts to hum and using pre for the remainder of volume control with muting off so like 25% (unless there's a benefit to tone when pushing the valhalla full hog? that a thing?)

I've been experimenting with the Valhalla 2 as a preamp into my Eddie Current Studio Jr. With the VH2 being more neutral, rather than the typical warm OTL sound, it let's the sound of the more expensive Eddie Current still come through, but I seem to gain the extra layering and more 3D soundstage that the VH2 provides. This was magnified even more after I upgraded my input tubes to the Brimar CV4033, also from @Guidostrunk. As strange as it is running a tube preamp into another tube amp, I actually like it quite a lot!

I may still end up going back to my Rebelamp as the main preamp though. The benefit to the Rebelamp is that it has a preamp switch, so I can keep a 2nd headphone plugged into the Rebelamp and switch between that and my main setup whenever I wish for more variety. Also doesn't get as burning hot as the Valhalla...

 

[Lvivske]

I may still end up going back to my Rebelamp as the main preamp though. The benefit to the Rebelamp is that it has a preamp switch, so I can keep a 2nd headphone plugged into the Rebelamp and switch between that and my main setup whenever I wish for more variety. Also doesn't get as burning hot as the Valhalla...

ok since I'm *strongly* considering the Rebel as both a solid state amp just to have & intending to run it as a pre-amp for the valhalla.....how does that sound? as a pre does it help your main amp?

 

[jonathan c]

I've been experimenting with the Valhalla 2 as a preamp into my Eddie Current Studio Jr. With the VH2 being more neutral, rather than the typical warm OTL sound, it let's the sound of the more expensive Eddie Current still come through, but I seem to gain the extra layering and more 3D soundstage that the VH2 provides. This was magnified even more after I upgraded my input tubes to the Brimar CV4033, also from @Guidostrunk. As strange as it is running a tube preamp into another tube amp, I actually like it quite a lot!

I may still end up going back to my Rebelamp as the main preamp though. The benefit to the Rebelamp is that it has a preamp switch, so I can keep a 2nd headphone plugged into the Rebelamp and switch between that and my main setup whenever I wish for more variety. Also doesn't get as burning hot as the Valhalla...

To alleviate the heat issue with the Valhalla: a) put the Valhalla on feet, say 2” height; b) use socket savers for the 6N6Ps (power/rear tubes); c) use socket savers/adapters for the driver/front tubes (6922/6DJ8 family, 12AT7 family…). This did a lot for my Valhalla.

 

[wenbinbin2010]

To alleviate the heat issue with the Valhalla: a) put the Valhalla on feet, say 2” height; b) use socket savers for the 6N6Ps (power/rear tubes); c) use socket savers/adapters for the driver/front tubes (6922/6DJ8 family, 12AT7 family…). This did a lot for my Valhalla.

Yeah I should really get some socket savers for the rear tubes. Any recs on well built socket savers? I've bought generic ones from eBay that were pretty poor quality, not well fitting.

 

[wenbinbin2010]

ok since I'm *strongly* considering the Rebel as both a solid state amp just to have & intending to run it as a pre-amp for the valhalla.....how does that sound? as a pre does it help your main amp?

I don't recall any major differences plugging in the Rebel as a preamp. It seems to have similar characteristics to my Eddie Current with Gold Lion 300b tubes, on the warmer side, very punchy, above average soundstage, so I think any changes with the Rebel were probably less obvious. I personally just think the Rebel is a fantastic standalone amp, so no hesitation in recommending it! (as long as you don't need a completely balanced setup)

 

[jonathan c]

Yeah I should really get some socket savers for the rear tubes. Any recs on well built socket savers? I've bought generic ones from eBay that were pretty poor quality, not well fitting.

Pulse Tube Store (located in India: https://pulse tube store.com)………

 

[jonathan c]

For those owners of the Valhalla II that wish to stay with the 6DJ8 / 6922 tube type, an excellent tube, that matches well to the NEVZ 6N6Ps, is the Amperex 7308 (green label).

 

[FLTWS]

Excellent tube, I have an NOS pair, purchased back in 2016, I use in my MJ2 (among dozens of other 6922 types, LOL). The color of the label; some say it matters, some say it doesn't and that they all perform the same regardless of color. I have the green in matched pair, looks fine with matching instead of contrasting color schemes sitting on tube lifters.

 

[Lvivske]

btw curious, how long should the Brimars last?

 

[KoshNaranek]

btw curious, how long should the Brimars last?

At 2-3 hours per day average usage, about 5 years. MTBF is 5000 hours

 

[Lvivske]

well im more like 8 hours a day, so 2 years? what happens after 5k? quality goes down hill?

i only replaced my stock tubes after 10 years because i wanted to upgrade, they never shat the bed forcing a change

 

[FLTWS]

Brimar's, I have 2 matched pairs of Brimar's in my inventory but they are 12AU7's. If your Brimar's are true NOS when you got them, I believe most all small signal tubes can last 5,000 hours to 10,000 hours plus depending on how used in the circuit ( and maybe how often you roll). I've had tubes go noisy on me long before their time and so needed replacing well before 5,000 hours even though still working otherwise. A lot depends on how NewOS the tube actually was. I don't have a tube tester and haven't seen one in the wild since the days of drug stores and early days of radio shack (60's/70's). The few bad tubes I've gotten over the past 6 years were bad on arrival. My tube buying days are in my rear view mirror, (unless I at long last decide to try a 300B design amp). I got enough of all types that I want at this point in time to sustain me thru to the end.