[Hiker816]

Perhaps because it’s quite heavy. Fortunately I don’t have such problem, it sits comfortably on my head with no headache nor neck pain. On the contrary, my 1266 TC occasionally gives me neck pain. So perhaps try to adjust the sliding rods until you find a more comfortable position.


i haven’t experienced any static shocks so far. Which amp do you use to drive Valkyria?

Thanks! I'm driving it with the Zahl HM1. Half the time, I also have my Supratek Pre in the chain (though that doesn't seem to make a difference in terms of the shocks, as far as I can tell).

 

[normie610]

Thanks! I'm driving it with the Zahl HM1. Half the time, I also have my Supratek Pre in the chain (though that doesn't seem to make a difference in terms of the shocks, as far as I can tell).

Seems like you need to consult Andrea. Maybe it has to do with the cabling/XLR jack of the cable itself.

 

[Pingisbord]

i have read the thread and noticing a few Susvara owners (driving them through top tier amps) switching to Valkyria.
Are you still satisfied with Valkyria?
im looking for a great dynamic to compliment Susvara. But after reading through this thread i realised maybe susvara isnt needed…

 

[simorag]

For how good it was, I do not regret leaving the Susvara go.
The Susvara did everything very well and to date remains the most balanced heapdhones I owned, and the most accomplished all rounder. But at the time I preferred to keep the AB-1266, which provides me with a more exciting experience, and look for a complementary option for the things the Abyss is less good at.

The Valkyria, which I now own since close to 3 years, proved to be that and then some, to the point that my AB-1266 are now in the classifieds as well

They are more for the music lover than for the investigative audiophile, but with the genres they work best (classical and jazz in primis, but also blues, classic rock) the Valkyria can compete with everything else out there IMHO, especially in terms of emotional involvment, including the HE 1 I had at home for two weeks recently.

The Susvara is - all in all - technically superior (more open, better extension at both frequency extremes - namely sub bass, a more neutral upper bass / lower midrange), but for my tastes the things the Valkyria do especially well (tonal density, presence, high-energy delivery in the bass and midrange, their overall masculine timbre, big sound) are worth accepting its shortcomings.

 

[ThanatosVI]

For how good it was, I do not regret leaving the Susvara go.
The Susvara did everything very well and to date remains the most balanced heapdhones I owned, and the most accomplished all rounder. But at the time I preferred to keep the AB-1266, which provides me with a more exciting experience, and look for a complementary option for the things the Abyss is less good at.

The Valkyria, which I now own since close to 3 years, proved to be that and then some, to the point that my AB-1266 are now in the classifieds as well

They are more for the music lover than for the investigative audiophile, but with the genres they work best (classical and jazz in primis, but also blues, classic rock) the Valkyria can compete with everything else out there IMHO, especially in terms of emotional involvment, including the HE 1 I had at home for two weeks recently.

The Susvara is - all in all - technically superior (more open, better extension at both frequency extremes - namely sub bass, a more neutral upper bass / lower midrange), but for my tastes the things the Valkyria do especially well (tonal density, presence, high-energy delivery in the bass and midrange, their overall masculine timbre, big sound) are worth accepting its shortcomings.

The only weakness of Valkyria/Pulsar is the subbass. As long as you don't listen to dubstep or other subbass heavy genres they are magnificent.

 

[Pingisbord]

For how good it was, I do not regret leaving the Susvara go.
The Susvara did everything very well and to date remains the most balanced heapdhones I owned, and the most accomplished all rounder. But at the time I preferred to keep the AB-1266, which provides me with a more exciting experience, and look for a complementary option for the things the Abyss is less good at.

The Valkyria, which I now own since close to 3 years, proved to be that and then some, to the point that my AB-1266 are now in the classifieds as well

They are more for the music lover than for the investigative audiophile, but with the genres they work best (classical and jazz in primis, but also blues, classic rock) the Valkyria can compete with everything else out there IMHO, especially in terms of emotional involvment, including the HE 1 I had at home for two weeks recently.

The Susvara is - all in all - technically superior (more open, better extension at both frequency extremes - namely sub bass, a more neutral upper bass / lower midrange), but for my tastes the things the Valkyria do especially well (tonal density, presence, high-energy delivery in the bass and midrange, their overall masculine timbre, big sound) are worth accepting its shortcomings.

Thanks alot for this information. We got the same taste in music and sonic preferences so i think you hit the nail.
Are you still driving them with the Riviera? How is the soundstage and presentation compared to Susvara and lets say Utopia og?

 

[simorag]

Thanks alot for this information. We got the same taste in music and sonic preferences so i think you hit the nail.
Are you still driving them with the Riviera? How is the soundstage and presentation compared to Susvara and lets say Utopia og?

Yes, I am using the AIC-10 and after trying out several tubes I settled on the G73-R for the Valkyria. The soundstage is on par with the Susvara in terms of dimensions and layering, musical objects are more forward and this gives the idea of a bit less air, but can sometimes produce a much more immersive, cohesive presentation also depending on the recording (the sense of presence I was referring before is reinforced).

The Utopia OG - which I only had on loan for a month from I friend - had a definitely more closed-in, narrower staging, and a slight aggressive edge which, while exciting, was a bit too much for my tastes.

 

[Pingisbord]

The only weakness of Valkyria/Pulsar is the subbass. As long as you don't listen to dubstep or other subbass heavy genres they are magnificent.

Yes, I am using the AIC-10 and after trying out several tubes I settled on the G73-R for the Valkyria. The soundstage is on par with the Susvara in terms of dimensions and layering, musical objects are more forward and this gives the idea of a bit less air, but can sometimes produce a much more immersive, cohesive presentation also depending on the recording (the sense of presence I was referring before is reinforced).

The Utopia OG - which I only had on loan for a month from I friend - had a definitely more closed-in, narrower staging, and a slight aggressive edge which, while exciting, was a bit too much for my tastes.

Thanks. Time to take a listening trip to Amsterdam

 

[Malcyg]

For how good it was, I do not regret leaving the Susvara go.
The Susvara did everything very well and to date remains the most balanced heapdhones I owned, and the most accomplished all rounder. But at the time I preferred to keep the AB-1266, which provides me with a more exciting experience, and look for a complementary option for the things the Abyss is less good at.

The Valkyria, which I now own since close to 3 years, proved to be that and then some, to the point that my AB-1266 are now in the classifieds as well

They are more for the music lover than for the investigative audiophile, but with the genres they work best (classical and jazz in primis, but also blues, classic rock) the Valkyria can compete with everything else out there IMHO, especially in terms of emotional involvment, including the HE 1 I had at home for two weeks recently.

The Susvara is - all in all - technically superior (more open, better extension at both frequency extremes - namely sub bass, a more neutral upper bass / lower midrange), but for my tastes the things the Valkyria do especially well (tonal density, presence, high-energy delivery in the bass and midrange, their overall masculine timbre, big sound) are worth accepting its shortcomings.

All very fair comments though I am surprised at you listing the1266 tbh, that is a big move for you. I have determined myself that Valkyria, Susvara and 1266 provide the complete headphone solution for me covering all my bases, with each optimally matched source wise. I too am using Valkyria a lot more than the other two but expect that will settle into a more balanced pattern in due course. I’m currently sitting waiting for my Sunday roast with a glass of wine listening to 1266 out of AIC and it is a perfect combination. I hope you don’t miss it.

 

[jlbrach]

personally as one has owned most everything ,some more than once...although not the valkyria I think we have reached a point where the differences are more subjective than qualitative...a 1266 and a susvara as example are both equally good technically but they are very different presentations obviously....clearly I can see why one would gravitate to one or the other but not due to one being better than the other etc

 

[Malcyg]

personally as one has owned most everything ,some more than once...although not the valkyria I think we have reached a point where the differences are more subjective than qualitative...a 1266 and a susvara as example are both equally good technically but they are very different presentations obviously....clearly I can see why one would gravitate to one or the other but not due to one being better than the other etc

That’s exactly why one would own both. I dislike arguments over what’s best and always strive to avoid it myself. Some people are very sensitive though, unfortunately.

 

[simorag]

All very fair comments though I am surprised at you listing the1266 tbh, that is a big move for you. I have determined myself that Valkyria, Susvara and 1266 provide the complete headphone solution for me covering all my bases, with each optimally matched source wise. I too am using Valkyria a lot more than the other two but expect that will settle into a more balanced pattern in due course. I’m currently sitting waiting for my Sunday roast with a glass of wine listening to 1266 out of AIC and it is a perfect combination. I hope you don’t miss it.

Totally agree that the trifecta you mentioned lets little of what you can achieve with headphones uncovered.

I owned all AB-1266 versions since 2017, and I love what that HP can do, especially with the AIC-10 and the Superconductor. They indeed are a very special piece of gear, which has given me a lot of joy over many years.

However, just out of respect for the 1266 I feel guilty everytime I look at them and realize that I am not using them anymore (perhaps 10h in the last 2 years). I would rather prefer to think that they are making a new owner happy.

I will always feel emotional about the 1266, they have been for me (together with the Chord DAVE, which I also still deeply admire) the driving force towards going deep into head-fi, showing a level of enjoyment of music that I did not believe was possible outside the 2-channel world was achievable on a headphones rig.

 

[Pingisbord]

How dark is the sound signature on the Valkyria compared to other cans? Is it dark like lets say a ZMF dynamic or Caldera?

 

[msq123]

 

[Malcyg]

That is a pretty accurate appraisal imo. Could be the perfect headphone for some and a ‘no thanks’ for others depending upon what you listen to. There is no perfect headphone which is why people tend to own more than one set. He does say though that Valkyria is fabulous for drums, percussion, vocals, rock/metal, electric/acoustic guitar and all classical music. This is true and, since I don’t actually listen to anything outside of that, Valkyria have fairly quickly become my favourite headphones and I haven’t found them lacking in any respect so far. I’m not sure yet whether they will totally displace my Susvara and 1266 TC over the longer term - and I kind of hope not - but @simorag has owned them for a lot longer than I have and his comments and decision to sell his long held 1266 is a significant move on his part.

One interesting thing that I find is that they are by far the most flexible and responsive headphones that I have owned. The Manley Absolute amp in my ID photo allows a very large degree of custom tuning from variable negative feedback and a choice of Push Pull or SE operation together with impedance selection and defeat-able bass/treble control. I’ve had that amp for more than 4 years now and, whilst the range of tun-ability is very wide, I have essentially stuck within a very narrow range with my other phones but Valkyria is so positive in response to any changes that I am finding great enjoyment can be had from those variables and I find myself using them quite regularly.

Edit - I don’t know who the reviewer is, but someone sent me his review of Wells Headtrip and I found that to be an accurate assessment as well - though, for my impatient mind, he takes too long! The first word I learnt say as a kid was ‘Fast’, quickly followed by ‘Why’ which kind of sums me up really.