[mammal]

I'm waiting for your answer and impressions, when Andrea Ricci will send you the Adapter Cable to try Valkyria with your Viva Egoista 845 & DCS Bartok set up.

The Egoista 2A3 and THA2 mentioned above must be phenomenal pairings, and I also suspect the additional grunt of a Viva 845 does not add much value to the Bartok internal amp in this context. @mammal could give a first-hand confirmation to these speculations.

I tried Valkyria with Viva Egoista 845 on Bartok's 0.2 V setting to have a plenty of volume knob control give, using the adapter that came with my Abyss headphones - XLR to 6.3mm, as Valkyria's XLR connector is too big to fit into Viva. Not sure if adapter changes quality or is considered by us all transparent, but the sound quality of Viva (over Bartok's solid state amp) did not improve more than 10-20%. The practicality of owning a tube amplifier that is dissipating so much heat as 845 tubes can, out-weights the sonic qualities I gain, unfortunately. It improved Valkyria's technicalities and I would definitely recommend said amplifier to others, if they only had a DAC to pair it with, as it is truly transparent and in my opinion, works universally better than Riviera AIC-10, that is changing the tonality (albeit to my liking on 1266).

how much does the valkyria weigh?

Close to 700 grams, actually the headband distributes the load on your head pretty evenly, but of course you clearly feel them when you wear the Valkyria.
That does not prevent me from multiple hours straight of listening, by the way

They are heavy, but not LCD-4 uncomfortable (to me). The weight is better distributed for my head-shape, so no issues wearing it for hours. Perhaps worth pointing out that my wife tried them and since she wears earrings (the rock type protruding from her ear lobes, not hanging), she found Valkyria's ear cups very uncomfortable and had to remove the earrings.

 

[up late]

Close to 700 grams, actually the headband distributes the load on your head pretty evenly, but of course you clearly feel them when you wear the Valkyria.
That does not prevent me from multiple hours straight of listening, by the way

thank you - making the valkyria heavier than the abyss ab-1266, which weighs in at 640 grams and lighter than the lcd-4, which weighs 735 grams. i'm not surprised by this based on the images.

 

[best56]

I tried Valkyria with Viva Egoista 845 on Bartok's 0.2 V setting to have a plenty of volume knob control give, using the adapter that came with my Abyss headphones - XLR to 6.3mm, as Valkyria's XLR connector is too big to fit into Viva. Not sure if adapter changes quality or is considered by us all transparent, but the sound quality of Viva (over Bartok's solid state amp) did not improve more than 10-20%. The practicality of owning a tube amplifier that is dissipating so much heat as 845 tubes can, out-weights the sonic qualities I gain, unfortunately. It improved Valkyria's technicalities and I would definitely recommend said amplifier to others, if they only had a DAC to pair it with, as it is truly transparent and in my opinion, works universally better than Riviera AIC-10, that is changing the tonality (albeit to my liking on 1266).



They are heavy, but not LCD-4 uncomfortable (to me). The weight is better distributed for my head-shape, so no issues wearing it for hours. Perhaps worth pointing out that my wife tried them and since she wears earrings (the rock type protruding from her ear lobes, not hanging), she found Valkyria's ear cups very uncomfortable and had to remove the earrings.

If you've heard the sound improve by 15/20%, that's already a lot...after all, at certain levels of product, they mean a lot.

 

[jeffhawke]

If you've heard the sound improve by 15/20%, that's already a lot...after all, at certain levels of product, they mean a lot.

Never forget that the "Law of diminishing returns" perfectly applies to the audiophile world.

 

[best56]

I tried Valkyria with Viva Egoista 845 on Bartok's 0.2 V setting to have a plenty of volume knob control give, using the adapter that came with my Abyss headphones - XLR to 6.3mm, as Valkyria's XLR connector is too big to fit into Viva. Not sure if adapter changes quality or is considered by us all transparent, but the sound quality of Viva (over Bartok's solid state amp) did not improve more than 10-20%. The practicality of owning a tube amplifier that is dissipating so much heat as 845 tubes can, out-weights the sonic qualities I gain, unfortunately. It improved Valkyria's technicalities and I would definitely recommend said amplifier to others, if they only had a DAC to pair it with, as it is truly transparent and in my opinion, works universally better than Riviera AIC-10, that is changing the tonality (albeit to my liking on 1266).



They are heavy, but not LCD-4 uncomfortable (to me). The weight is better distributed for my head-shape, so no issues wearing it for hours. Perhaps worth pointing out that my wife tried them and since she wears earrings (the rock type protruding from her ear lobes, not hanging), she found Valkyria's ear cups very uncomfortable and had to remove the earrings.

I smile at the thought that his wife has to take off her earrings, just as we have to take off our glasses, to listen 'properly' to a headphone of this level...it is customary not to wear anything, to have the best seal between ear and pad.

 

[best56]

Thomas, great write-up and photos, thank you!
Your comments and conclusion largely resonate very well with what I hear as well.
I also appreciate you transparently mentioning your business relationship with Spirit Torino as a distributor in your review.
Would be nice if you make full disclosure of this by adding the MoT (Member of Tribe) of your company in your signature or profile




A finely grained amp, with clean, tight bass pristine and ultra-high resolution is what I would recommend for amp matching, and I agree that the Valkyria need more quality than quantity.
The Egoista 2A3 and THA2 mentioned above must be phenomenal pairings, and I also suspect the additional grunt of a Viva 845 does not add much value to the Bartok internal amp in this context. @mammal could give a first-hand confirmation to these speculations.




This is very possible, as Spirit Torino used a similar Audio GD stack during the development of the Valkyria.
Spirit are strong believers, and also resellers - again, for full disclosure - of Kingwa products.



Close to 700 grams, actually the headband distributes the load on your head pretty evenly, but of course you clearly feel them when you wear the Valkyria.
That does not prevent me from multiple hours straight of listening, by the way

Hi Simone, I read that you understood my point of view perfectly, having both listened to Valkyria, I perhaps for longer than you. So I made it go with 14 of my drivers, and the best synergy I had was with the Viva Egoista 2A3 for the valves and with the Goldmund THA2. Wells Audio Headtrip, The Dark Star and the Huracan 845, were too powerful, even though they increased the soundstage of the Valkyria, but made Volume control difficult. All in all a nice headphone, but I prefer the Abyss, the Raal and the LCD-4. I won't go into its cost, because it is highly subjective.

 

[simorag]

Hi Simone, I read that you understood my point of view perfectly, having both listened to Valkyria, I perhaps for longer than you.

Hi Valentino, I am a happy owner of the Valkyria since a couple of months

. All in all a nice headphone, but I prefer the Abyss, the Raal and the LCD-4. I won't go into its cost, because it is highly subjective.

Valkyria are not necessarily better than the other three you mention, sure they are different and very special on their own.

 

[TomKorn]

Would be nice if you make full disclosure of this by adding the MoT (Member of Tribe) of your company in your signature or profile

Thank you! How to do that?

Valkyria need more quality than quantity.

Exactly. That's my experience as well.
For that reason, it's easy to drive them with a very good DAP.

 

[simorag]

Thank you! How to do that?

Easiest way would be using the signature line (Profile > Signature).

Most proper way is to make the MOT (Member of the Trade) show up just below your nickname. I am not aware how to do this, you could contact the administrators of this platform (see "Contact us" link at the bottom of the page) to know how.

 

[simorag]

OMG, tears-to-my-eyes album of the day , followed by a masterworks playlist exquisitely attuned to Valkyria's strengths

​

 

[TomKorn]

Easiest way would be using the signature line (Profile > Signature).

Most proper way is to make the MOT (Member of the Trade) show up just below your nickname. I am not aware how to do this, you could contact the administrators of this platform (see "Contact us" link at the bottom of the page) to know how.

Ok. Thanks. I just don't want them charging me for that.

 

[mammal]

Ok. Thanks. I just don't want them charging me for that.

I think you have to be careful here, some users got banned when they were not disclosing they are dealers the proper way (and not paying them of course)

 

[paradoxper]

I think you have to be careful here, some users got banned when they were not disclosing they are dealers the proper way (and not paying them of course)

Indeed. And he needs to rectify this immediately.

However, he has intimated he has some audio-business foundation as to not be a complete shill in shadow.

 

[best56]

Hi Valentino, I am a happy owner of the Valkyria since a couple of months



Valkyria are not necessarily better than the other three you mention, sure they are different and very special on their own.

I thought that after your two listenings of the Valkyria, you had given up and instead you took it like Salvatore did, who in the meantime is having Leonardo Lamberti (MHZ Audio) make the Pegaso 2A3. The Valkyria has been proposed to me, but at the moment I prefer to wait, since the MHZ Mezzoguerra has also arrived. Anyway, I am very happy for you.

 

[TomKorn]

Indeed. And he needs to rectify this immediately.

However, he has intimated he has some audio-business foundation as to not be a complete shill in shadow.

I have been on Head-Fi for years now, long before having my own business and my only reason is exchange with fellow audiophiles. That's it. I don't actually promote stuff, I just give my personal opinion. Like anyone else. Of course I learn a lot here about what people think and want or not want. I am also a user experience designer by trade and so any forum is valuable to me in that regard.