[TheRealMVT]

What would be a better fit for the HD600, a Schiit Valhalla 2 triode OTL amp or the Lyr 2? The rest of my collection are low impedance/high efficiency phones such as Modded Grados and the Fidelio X2.
 
Edit: I'm using the Vali 2 atm with a Philips PCC88 tube.
 

 

[madwolfa]

 
For the better. The treble of the HD 600 could be problematic with certain recordings when I tested it. 

 
I prefer another wording - treble of the certain recordings (usually low-fi) could be problematic with HD 600.
 
If it was for the better, every HD600 owner would naturally upgrade, but they don't and HD600 sales remain strong. 

 

[DavidA]

  What would be a better fit for the HD600, a Schiit Valhalla 2 triode OTL amp or the Lyr 2? The rest of my collection are low impedance/high efficiency phones such as Modded Grados and the Fidelio X2.
 
Edit: I'm using the Vali 2 atm with a Philips PCC88 tube.
 

I would say the Valhalla2 would be the better pairing with the headphones that you currently have.  You might also want to consider a amp from Garage 1217 like the Ember, its a more flexible amp with the ability to adjust the output resistance to better match with headphones of various impedances.

 

[madwolfa]

  What would be a better fit for the HD600, a Schiit Valhalla 2 triode OTL amp or the Lyr 2? The rest of my collection are low impedance/high efficiency phones such as Modded Grados and the Fidelio X2.
 
Edit: I'm using the Vali 2 atm with a Philips PCC88 tube.

 
Why not just keep using Vali 2 ?

 

[madwolfa]

  Not having a go at you, I have no idea if you have a 650 or not, this is the HD600 thread. 

 
I had it briefly - was just too wooly sounding to my taste, exactly as you described. Very much prefer the HD600, it remains in my collection since 2002!
 
It just proves that you can't retune a single spec of a headphone without significantly altering the overall balance.

 

[TheRealMVT]

 
I would say the Valhalla2 would be the better pairing with the headphones that you currently have.  You might also want to consider a amp from Garage 1217 like the Ember, its a more flexible amp with the ability to adjust the output resistance to better match with headphones of various impedances.

 
Thank you.
 

   
Why not just keep using Vali 2 ?

 
Good question. In short I feel the need to upgrade my setup since I'd like to buy a HD800 in the not so near future, I'm afraid the Vali2 would not be good enough for that kind of a can. I've setup email notifications for when a used pair comes into my price range in my area. I want to go and take my gear with and do a listen before I buy: bring the Modi2u, the Vali2 or possibly the Vallhalla and my HD600 to AB.
If the Valhalla sounds good enough with the HD600 I might nog even have to, who knows. I'd prefer to upgrade the amp first and try it out.

 

[raybone0566]

The 650 only sounds wooly when it isn't amped properly.

 

[madwolfa]

The 650 only sounds wooly when it isn't amped properly.

 
Right. Meanwhile HD600 sounds great out of a $200 stereo deck. Let's just agree that HD650 sound signature is not to everyone's liking.

 

[mothmanex]

Anybody with the Valhalla 2 has a recommendation for custom tubes?
 
Currently have 2 setups, for work I have a Magni 2 + Modi Uber 2 and for my home have a Valhalla 2 + Bifrost Uber. The home setup is better but tires me faster than the work one (I am using Bauer stereophonic-to-binaural dsp for Foobar2000 to help with that).

 

[notfitforpublic]

  Anybody with the Valhalla 2 has a recommendation for custom tubes?
 
Currently have 2 setups, for work I have a Magni 2 + Modi Uber 2 and for my home have a Valhalla 2 + Bifrost Uber. The home setup is better but tires me faster than the work one (I am using Bauer stereophonic-to-binaural dsp for Foobar2000 to help with that).

Check the Valhalla Tube rolling thread here.
Page 34 I tried to sum up the tubes I've used with the 600. Its not exactly comprehensive and super coherent so feel free to ask questions in that thread. I too found the Valhalla a little fatiguing with the 600's on stock tubes.

 

[Pahani]

 

 

"Retuning" isn't a simple matter if it's at the level of the manufacturer. This is open back, so it's not a matter of just adding or reducing the stuffing, or changing the material. Changing the earpad design can be an issue with production costs, but at the end user's level you can practically try the HD380's earpads, or even the Brainwavz HM5 (try the HM5 angled pads with yours, both velour and leatherette; also the regular shape hybrid). 

 

That leaves the manufacturer just the drivers to tinker with, but it isn't a simple matter that works like EQ where changing any parameter only changes a relatively narrow range - changing the specs can alter something else as this is a fullrange driver, not like how for example a multiple-driver speaker can be tweaked by changing crossover settings or changing just the tweeter to make the bass more audible without actually boosting the bass.

^this^
 
I'm actually amazed that headphones with a single driver can sound as good as they do when compared to multi-driver speakers.

 

[StanD]

  They also took a little bit off the top of the HD650.

 
 

 
For the better. The treble of the HD 600 could be problematic with certain recordings when I tested it. Might as well stick with the HD 800 / HD 800 S then. Which is why I went with the HD 650 instead of the HD 600.

Perhaps it's just the recording. I think the HD600 is an excellent example of neutral. If one wants to experience a grating treble, IMO, look at the HD700.

 

[DavidA]

 
Good question. In short I feel the need to upgrade my setup since I'd like to buy a HD800 in the not so near future, I'm afraid the Vali2 would not be good enough for that kind of a can. I've setup email notifications for when a used pair comes into my price range in my area. I want to go and take my gear with and do a listen before I buy: bring the Modi2u, the Vali2 or possibly the Vallhalla and my HD600 to AB.
If the Valhalla sounds good enough with the HD600 I might nog even have to, who knows. I'd prefer to upgrade the amp first and try it out.

If you are looking at the HD-800 I would start looking at a BH Crack or better for them, tried the Valhalla2 and HD-800 once at a friends house, it was quite bright and not very musical to me.  When I first got my HD-800 I only had the Ember, Lyr2 and Asgard2, none were a good match for the HD-800, almost sold them until I built a BH Crack.  The HD-800S is different, I think the Valhalla2 might pair good with it since I actually liked the HD-800S with SS amps (MHA-100, Master 11 and Liquid Gold) when I got to listen to them a while back at a friends house.

 

[Midgetguy]

  To make you feel bad, yes I can walk to the beach in 10 minutes from where I live, lol

, the view from my lanai:

 

This is what makes this hobby so fun, I don't consider myself a treble sensitive person but the HD-600 just bothered me on a few tracks, and as some pointed out it could be that the spike for the HD-600 is were I'm sensitive to while the 6khz spike of the HD-800 does not bother me.

Dang it man! That looks nice. But you still don't have any headphone meets nearby, so I've got one up on you here in Seattle

 

[UtopiaB]

  Lucky for me it hasn't been an issue with the music I listen to. Also, I'm probably not a very treble-sensitive person, so that kinda helps too. Which is good cuz I preferred the overall sound sig of the HD600 compared to the HD650.

 
It hasn't been an issue with me either. If there is any sibilance in any recording or any headphone I hear it every time, and can't tolerate it, and I suspect that no one can tolerate it, but I haven't heard any sibilance in the HD600, which leads me to believe that those people hearing it are using a bad DAC. I know for sure that some DACs are creating harshness in the music, and the only time I ever hear sibilance in the HD600 is when it's in the song, not being caused by the HD600. I just wish people would stop blaming the HD600 for something it isn't causing. People shoulod check their shi_ty DAC and check their music, because one of those two are causing the problem, or both the music and the DAC together. Would anyone like to be accused of something they're not guilty of? Just sayin, meaning most 600 users don't complain about hearing sibilance from it, only a minority of HD600 users mention it. I do know that when I did tests I noticed the SABRE ES9018-K2M DAC causes a bit of harshness.