[number1sixerfan]

Happy you are liking them, given your experience and arsenal the bar was very high!

To me, the most remarkable feature of the Valkyria in nowadays offering is that they dare to be different, accepting a) not being perfect (far from it) and b) not pleasing everyone.

They have something really special to offer, so unique that no other headphones I have tried can replicate, both sonically and most importantly at an emotional level, provided they 'click' with one's sensory apparatus, which may happen immediately or - as in my case - after several weeks of aquaintance.

The price is demential in every possible way, but I don't regret a single coin spent on them.

Yup, it's pretty remarkable how unique they are, without being so to a point of fault. I've been giving a lot of sessions to them completely, which is pretty out of the ordinary. I almost always at least get an e-stat listen in at each session or at least swap to 1-2 other headphones. These are really easy to put on and completely forget about them. Definitely a no regret purchase on my end.

 

[Exekuhtor]

Sooo, uuuh, anyone thinks of selling his Valkyria?
I borrowed a Pulsar and... Uhh... Yeah...

 

[Ciggavelli]

So, the sub-bass problem is a problem with certain types of metal (e.g., death metal). The sub-bass problems weren't exaggerated. The mid bass is amazing though. You just gotta be picky about what you listen to, or at least don't listen to rap or sub-bass heavy metal.

 

[jlbrach]

wouldnt be a problem for me lol....death metal isnt my thing,not sure I even know what qualifies as death metal

 

[jlbrach]

Yup, it's pretty remarkable how unique they are, without being so to a point of fault. I've been giving a lot of sessions to them completely, which is pretty out of the ordinary. I almost always at least get an e-stat listen in at each session or at least swap to 1-2 other headphones. These are really easy to put on and completely forget about them. Definitely a no regret purchase on my end.

interesting, I find I confuse my brain if I switch HP's in the same listening session...for instance if I am listening to my abyss 1266 and then was to switch to the sr1a it would sound incredibly thin and if I switched form the sr1a to the 1266 it sounds bloated initially..on the other both sound sublime when I listen without the in session change....

 

[Hiker816]

I also haven't noticed the lack of sub-bass much, and I do listen to metal. But, not death metal. Technical instrumental metal (Night Verses, Animals as Leaders, etc.). Maybe there just isn't as much sub-bass in that sub-genre? Or maybe I'm just deaf to sub-bass, LOL.

 

[number1sixerfan]

interesting, I find I confuse my brain if I switch HP's in the same listening session...for instance if I am listening to my abyss 1266 and then was to switch to the sr1a it would sound incredibly thin and if I switched form the sr1a to the 1266 it sounds bloated initially..on the other both sound sublime when I listen without the in session change....

Makes sense. There's usually a 1-2min adjustment but I tend to adjust pretty quick. Every now and then I get stuck listening to just one headphone for most of a week, and then in that case there is usually a major adjustment when moving on to something else.

 

[jlbrach]

in my case it is far more than 1-2 minutes...I find I simply listen to one pair for the day,works best for me

 

[Exekuhtor]

Well, my plans to get into some Stax actions this year (or the Caldera Closed) have changed. Instead there's an extremely expensive headphone on the way. Crazy how listening to the Pulsar has changed my opinion. All it took was one day. At first i compared the Pulsar to the Verite Open. On the same day later, i listed the VO in the classified and compared the Pulsar to the Susvara. The Susvara did sound thinn in comparison. Every string instrument on the Pulsar had so much note weight and lifelike timbre, i totally became obsessed with it. Lucky for me that a chance to get the bigger brother presented itsself, in less than one hour. I love this community. I honestly can't wait to hear it. I will compare the Valkyria to the Pulsar when it arrives.
I have to agree that some genres do sound very bad, but i listen to a lot of rock, metal, and also a good amount of classic. The Pulsar is just unbelievable with those genres. I played piano for ~8 years or so myself and truly know the timbre of that instrument inside and out. It's so easy for me to tell if a song has a keyboard in it or a real piano. The Pulsar brings out string instruments like no other headphone, not even the Susvara can touch it.
It's such a damn shame that the resemblance to the much worse Grado headphones are there, including the non-removable cable, which honestly doesn't bother me at all because it's so well made. I didn't see any Pulsar recommendations, ever. I can't speak for the other headphones of Spirit Torino, i read that most of them have a very wonky tuning. I honestly don't think the Pulsar is as overpriced as many other people think, the problem is rather that because of the scarcity it almost never pops up on the used market. Of course everyone just smiles and moves on when they see the pricetag of the Valkyria, but a few units are circling around inside a very small community here in head-fi that truly appreciates what it can do. I will also join that community and am very eager to experience it.
This hobby always suprises me, it's quite nuts.
To anyone: Before spending a fortune on cables / DAC's etc, make sure you check out a lot of headphones. You might be suprised what awaits you behind the standard horizon that is Hifiman, Audeze, Focal etc.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Well, my plans to get into some Stax actions this year (or the Caldera Closed) have changed. Instead there's an extremely expensive headphone on the way. Crazy how listening to the Pulsar has changed my opinion. All it took was one day. At first i compared the Pulsar to the Verite Open. On the same day later, i listed the VO in the classified and compared the Pulsar to the Susvara. The Susvara did sound thinn in comparison. Every string instrument on the Pulsar had so much note weight and lifelike timbre, i totally became obsessed with it. Lucky for me that a chance to get the bigger brother presented itsself, in less than one hour. I love this community. I honestly can't wait to hear it. I will compare the Valkyria to the Pulsar when it arrives.
I have to agree that some genres do sound very bad, but i listen to a lot of rock, metal, and also a good amount of classic. The Pulsar is just unbelievable with those genres. I played piano for ~8 years or so myself and truly know the timbre of that instrument inside and out. It's so easy for me to tell if a song has a keyboard in it or a real piano. The Pulsar brings out string instruments like no other headphone, not even the Susvara can touch it.
It's such a damn shame that the resemblance to the much worse Grado headphones are there, including the non-removable cable, which honestly doesn't bother me at all because it's so well made. I didn't see any Pulsar recommendations, ever. I can't speak for the other headphones of Spirit Torino, i read that most of them have a very wonky tuning. I honestly don't think the Pulsar is as overpriced as many other people think, the problem is rather that because of the scarcity it almost never pops up on the used market. Of course everyone just smiles and moves on when they see the pricetag of the Valkyria, but a few units are circling around inside a very small community here in head-fi that truly appreciates what it can do. I will also join that community and am very eager to experience it.
This hobby always suprises me, it's quite nuts.
To anyone: Before spending a fortune on cables / DAC's etc, make sure you check out a lot of headphones. You might be suprised what awaits you behind the standard horizon that is Hifiman, Audeze, Focal etc.

I feel like a drug dealer that gave the first shot at No charge now.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, "I'm sorry for your wallet" but welcome to our circle

 

[bmichels]

Well, my plans to get into some Stax actions this year (or the Caldera Closed) have changed. Instead there's an extremely expensive headphone on the way. Crazy how listening to the Pulsar has changed my opinion. All it took was one day. At first i compared the Pulsar to the Verite Open. On the same day later, i listed the VO in the classified and compared the Pulsar to the Susvara. The Susvara did sound thinn in comparison. Every string instrument on the Pulsar had so much note weight and lifelike timbre, i totally became obsessed with it. Lucky for me that a chance to get the bigger brother presented itsself, in less than one hour. I love this community. I honestly can't wait to hear it. I will compare the Valkyria to the Pulsar when it arrives.
I have to agree that some genres do sound very bad, but i listen to a lot of rock, metal, and also a good amount of classic. The Pulsar is just unbelievable with those genres. I played piano for ~8 years or so myself and truly know the timbre of that instrument inside and out. It's so easy for me to tell if a song has a keyboard in it or a real piano. The Pulsar brings out string instruments like no other headphone, not even the Susvara can touch it.
It's such a damn shame that the resemblance to the much worse Grado headphones are there, including the non-removable cable, which honestly doesn't bother me at all because it's so well made. I didn't see any Pulsar recommendations, ever. I can't speak for the other headphones of Spirit Torino, i read that most of them have a very wonky tuning. I honestly don't think the Pulsar is as overpriced as many other people think, the problem is rather that because of the scarcity it almost never pops up on the used market. Of course everyone just smiles and moves on when they see the pricetag of the Valkyria, but a few units are circling around inside a very small community here in head-fi that truly appreciates what it can do. I will also join that community and am very eager to experience it.
This hobby always suprises me, it's quite nuts.
To anyone: Before spending a fortune on cables / DAC's etc, make sure you check out a lot of headphones. You might be suprised what awaits you behind the standard horizon that is Hifiman, Audeze, Focal etc.

Very interesting writing. Please let us know your impression when you will have been able to compare the Pulsar with the Valkyria.

 

[normie610]

Listening to this album as I type, the Valkyria presents a ginormous and utterly enveloping soundstage. Perhaps it's the combination of ER300B and Primavera's SV572-10 (both DHT tubes) that gives an incredible and truly remarkable soundstage presentation from Valkyria. FWIW, I did try Andrea's recommendation of the high shelf PEQ, but I don't really dig it since it takes away Valkyiria's clarity and transparency and it didn't give any meaningful improvement to the sub-bass, which is in fact already quite good (at least on my system).

 

[beaverton]

Well, my plans to get into some Stax actions this year (or the Caldera Closed) have changed. Instead there's an extremely expensive headphone on the way. Crazy how listening to the Pulsar has changed my opinion. All it took was one day. At first i compared the Pulsar to the Verite Open. On the same day later, i listed the VO in the classified and compared the Pulsar to the Susvara. The Susvara did sound thinn in comparison. Every string instrument on the Pulsar had so much note weight and lifelike timbre, i totally became obsessed with it. Lucky for me that a chance to get the bigger brother presented itsself, in less than one hour. I love this community. I honestly can't wait to hear it. I will compare the Valkyria to the Pulsar when it arrives.
I have to agree that some genres do sound very bad, but i listen to a lot of rock, metal, and also a good amount of classic. The Pulsar is just unbelievable with those genres. I played piano for ~8 years or so myself and truly know the timbre of that instrument inside and out. It's so easy for me to tell if a song has a keyboard in it or a real piano. The Pulsar brings out string instruments like no other headphone, not even the Susvara can touch it.
It's such a damn shame that the resemblance to the much worse Grado headphones are there, including the non-removable cable, which honestly doesn't bother me at all because it's so well made. I didn't see any Pulsar recommendations, ever. I can't speak for the other headphones of Spirit Torino, i read that most of them have a very wonky tuning. I honestly don't think the Pulsar is as overpriced as many other people think, the problem is rather that because of the scarcity it almost never pops up on the used market. Of course everyone just smiles and moves on when they see the pricetag of the Valkyria, but a few units are circling around inside a very small community here in head-fi that truly appreciates what it can do. I will also join that community and am very eager to experience it.
This hobby always suprises me, it's quite nuts.
To anyone: Before spending a fortune on cables / DAC's etc, make sure you check out a lot of headphones. You might be suprised what awaits you behind the standard horizon that is Hifiman, Audeze, Focal etc.

"Before spending a fortune on cables / DAC's etc, make sure you check out a lot of headphones."

Yes, some people spend a fortune on power cord cables; they can pay 25000 euros for a one meter interconnect cable (and can swear they observe a huge improvement over a 12500 euro interconnect... ); paying 20000 or 25000 euros for a headphone amplifier is nothing strange for them...
But Valkyria? A way too expensive...

 

[ThanatosVI]

"Before spending a fortune on cables / DAC's etc, make sure you check out a lot of headphones."

Yes, some people spend a fortune on power cord cables; they can pay 25000 euros for a one meter interconnect cable (and can swear they observe a huge improvement over a 12500 euro interconnect... ); paying 20000 or 25000 euros for a headphone amplifier is nothing strange for them...
But Valkyria? A way too expensive...

Do you seriously think there are people that spend 25k on cables but consider the Valkyria too expensive?

 

[beaverton]

Do you seriously think there are people that spend 25k on cables but consider the Valkyria too expensive?

Yes, I do.
I don't mean of course that they cannot afford to buy the Valkyria...
I just happen to think that some (many?) people overestimate certain elements and underestimate other ones.
And - as Exekuhtor said - before you spend a fortune (especially if your fortune is quite limited ) on cables or/and - I would add- on a power plant-like-headphone amplifier, "make sure you check out a lot of headphones. You might be suprised what awaits you behind the standard horizon that is Hifiman, Audeze, Focal etc."