[StanD]

  Vali will power (nearly) anything you throw at it, up to 600 ohms. It's a hybrid amp, not an OTL tube amp.

The Magni 2 has much more power, especially the Uber. Soundwise, it's a matter of preference. If one prefers a wire with gain, as in clean uncolored sound, then the Magni is the way to go. If one prefers having some added coloration to the sound, then some form of tube amp is in order, My preference is for a SS amp, others may have different preferences.
I find the Vali barely powers my HE-500's. I also have a Magni(original) and Asgard 2, both of which can drive my HE-500's. Any of these 3 amps can power my HD600's.
I've used many different amps, SS, pure tube and hybrid. I just prefer a good SS amp.

 

[scizzro]

 
Correct.  However, it's not ideal for headphones that are both low impedance and electrically efficient.  Vali has a little bit of background noise that will show up on those type.

Oh, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks 
 
 

  Cool! If the Vali is not customizable, I think I may lean towards the Magni Uber, just because it does seem to be better. If I were to use another headphone, would the Vali not be as good?

If you're interested in buying used stuff (Schiit's warranty does not transfer to second owners), this guy on the classifieds is asking for $150 for Vali + Modi 1.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/747192/leaving-head-fi-liquidation-sale

 

[yearsofwisdom]

  Oh, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks 
 
 
If you're interested in buying used stuff (Schiit's warranty does not transfer to second owners), this guy on the classifieds is asking for $150 for Vali + Modi 1.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/747192/leaving-head-fi-liquidation-sale

Thanks man! I'll most likely pick up the Uber Stack in that case. I think if the Vali were interchangeable, I would get it but because it isn't, I'll just get the Magni! Plus I think it was said the Magni Uber sound is great!

 

[Gamingmusiclove]

how does this combo pair with he400i?

 

[yearsofwisdom]

Also, with the HD600, how much should I expect the Uber Stack to alter my sound? Currently plugged into my Samsung phone and they sound decent.

 

[Blrag]

how does this combo pair with he400i?

Second this request if anyone has this combo, bought a he400i and have it paired with a Fiio e18, and have a pair of mass drop akg 7xxx coming in and was thinking about picking up a desktop amp/dac set

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

yea, if you are passing through & skipping the amp in the mixamp, adding another amp to the chain is fine. note that amps are amps. the differences between them aren't as significant as people suggest as long as you have a quality product & they provide enough power to your headphones.

the mixamp is designed for the pro gaming crowd though, so perhaps you will see significant sonic improvements with a more audiophile-geared amp. or maybe not. =S

You're not bypassing the Mixamp's amp. You CANT. You need it for the Dolby Headphone processing. Also, yes, there is a huge benefit on attaching another amp, the Mixamp will not get loud enough for many headphones when you have voice chat mixed in. You have to look at it as you using the Mixamp as a pre-amp + Dolby processor.

I used the Lyr to power the HE-4 while attached to the Mixamp for Dolby headphone goodness.

Magni and Asgard 2 were also used this way briefly.

Currently using the Vali in this manner when I game.

Console - Mixamp - Vali - Headphone

 

[XERO1]

  Also, with the HD600, how much should I expect the Uber Stack to alter my sound? Currently plugged into my Samsung phone and they sound decent.

 
Prepare to be amazed.  Seriously. 
 
Especially in the bass region.  Your music will take on a whole new life.
 
 
Samsung phone  +  HD600  =  

Samsung phone  +  Uber Stack  +  HD600  = 

 
 
 
.

 

[StanD]

  Also, with the HD600, how much should I expect the Uber Stack to alter my sound? Currently plugged into my Samsung phone and they sound decent.

Expect a very noticeable improvement, My HD600 kind of gets by on my Note 3, but with a real DAC and Amp, it's night and day.

 

[mkozlows]

Also, with the HD600, how much should I expect the Uber Stack to alter my sound? Currently plugged into my Samsung phone and they sound decent.

There will probably be an audible difference, but it will be subtle, not "night and day" or anything.

It is possible to have that big of a difference with the HD600 when run out of a really weak headphone output; back in the '90s, my desktop computer was so awful at driving them that I would have described the difference as night-and-day.

But modern phones are actually pretty decent (and the HD600 is no longer the hard-to-drive exemplar that it was 15 years ago); I'm pretty sure that I can tell a difference between powering my HD650 direct from my Nexus 5 vs. USB out to a HeadRoom Micro DAC/Amp, but I'm not 100% convinced that I'd notice the difference blind at normal listening volume. I think I would, but it's subtle enough that I could be wrong.

That said, I don't know how your particular phone is, and it might be worse than the N5. It's definitely possible that you'll notice something significant. But if you don't notice problems right now, I wouldn't count on the difference being huge.

 

[yearsofwisdom]

There will probably be an audible difference, but it will be subtle, not "night and day" or anything.

It is possible to have that big of a difference with the HD600 when run out of a really weak headphone output; back in the '90s, my desktop computer was so awful at driving them that I would have described the difference as night-and-day.

But modern phones are actually pretty decent (and the HD600 is no longer the hard-to-drive exemplar that it was 15 years ago); I'm pretty sure that I can tell a difference between powering my HD650 direct from my Nexus 5 vs. USB out to a HeadRoom Micro DAC/Amp, but I'm not 100% convinced that I'd notice the difference blind at normal listening volume. I think I would, but it's subtle enough that I could be wrong.

That said, I don't know how your particular phone is, and it might be worse than the N5. It's definitely possible that you'll notice something significant. But if you don't notice problems right now, I wouldn't count on the difference being huge.

I just wasn't very impressed. It was definitely clear but certain songs sounded muddy and anemic. Just not very exciting. Out of a total volume of 15, I have to put it at like 9-10 to listen to it at a normal volume.

 

[rovopio]

  I just wasn't very impressed. It was definitely clear but certain songs sounded muddy and anemic. Just not very exciting. Out of a total volume of 15, I have to put it at like 9-10 to listen to it at a normal volume.

 
i think thats just how hd600 sounds. it's not bright. have you listen to something like grado for a change? even the $100 one. it has a completely diff signature with your hd600. with better amp you will get better bass and more power to drive the hd600 but the essence of the sound is still there. i think hd600 sounds natural.
 
i maybe mix up neutral and natural here, but yeah. it's not bright. maybe thats why its not exciting to you....?

 

[yearsofwisdom]

   
i think thats just how hd600 sounds. it's not bright. have you listen to something like grado for a change? even the $100 one. it has a completely diff signature with your hd600. with better amp you will get better bass and more power to drive the hd600 but the essence of the sound is still there. i think hd600 sounds natural.
 
i maybe mix up neutral and natural here, but yeah. it's not bright. maybe thats why its not exciting to you....?

Could be. I love the natural sound. It just felt muddled in some more modern music, like Taylor Swift. Wasn't very clear and her vocals didn't shine through which I hear is one of the biggest selling points.

 

[StanD]

My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 doesn't have enough voltage swing to really drive a 300 Ohm headphone like the HD600 to good levels. Works in a pinch but a proper amp makes a big difference. I used to have a Galaxy S3 and if I can remember properly, it was just a little bit better, but it wasn't the same as using a real HP amp that can handle 300 Ohms.

 

[mkozlows]

  My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 doesn't have enough voltage swing to really drive a 300 Ohm headphone like the HD600 to good levels. Works in a pinch but a proper amp makes a big difference. I used to have a Galaxy S3 and if I can remember properly, it was just a little bit better, but it wasn't the same as using a real HP amp that can handle 300 Ohms.

 
So I found this Anandtech audio test, and they say: "In our test data, the most powerful phone was the iPhone 5, at 32.46 mW of power. Next is the Nexus 5 at 22.24 mW, though we can’t drive it that high. Then the Note 3 at 11.81 mW and finally the Galaxy S4 at 3.895 mW."
 
They don't say what load those numbers are into, but just looking at those relative numbers, our different impressions make sense: The Nexus 5 has twice the output power of a Note 3, and more than 5x the power of a Galaxy S4.  So I take back what I said: If you're using a Samsung phone with the HD600, you might very well see a significant, not merely audible, difference with the Magni.
 
I still quibble a bit at "night and day" -- nothing you can do is going to give you the same totally clear, radically different sound signature you'd get from a different headphone -- but yeah, you will almost certainly be much happier with the HD600 with an external amp, rather than straight out of a Samsung phone.