Schiit Valhalla 2

[tricolor]

Hey folks! Good morning! Hope all is well!

Got my Schiit together... Well... getting there... and I must say I am a happy puppy!

I got the Valhalla 2 hooked up! Decided to use the JJ E88CC tubes instead of the stock ones... along with the russians 6N6P.

Not sure if they need time to "sit in", but my ears are pretty happy... My first impressions are that it sounds a bit "sharp/harsh" with the Grado GS1000i and not so with the KEF Q700s.

The looks of the tubes glowing in the dark... that is quite mesmerizing indeed! I had to put some electrical tape over the super bright white LEDs, both Bifrost and Valhalla 2 though. Maybe a dub of paint? or glue? over them would give me a better "finishing"... lets see in the next while...

Hooking it up as a "pre amp" to my old home theatre Sony receiver seems to work quite well... yeah, I need to fine tune and use "both" volumes, but I guess it's not a biggie and that's common thing, eh? I am not familiar with having a "pre amp", but I don't think it will cause any harm as long as I don't crank it up right away...

Listening to music as a head amp feels "better", but I am still super happy with the Q700 & Sony combo.

Cheers!

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by tricolor

I had to put some electrical tape over the super bright white LEDs, both Bifrost and Valhalla 2 though. Maybe a dub of paint? or glue? over them would give me a better "finishing"... lets see in the next while...

Congratulations on your new Schiit. For the LEDs, you should try LightDims: http://www.lightdims.com/

[tricolor]

Good morning Tony, folks...

Hehehe, interesting indeed... thanks for sharing! I guess I am not the only one who thinks it's way bright...

A simple dab of paint is cheaper still...

Have a great weekend!
Cheers!

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by tricolor

A simple dab of paint is cheaper still...

Here’s to you too! Keep in mind paint will be a lot harder to remove if you decide to sell it later.

[Formerly YB-2]

Another happy Valhalla 2 listener here. And, yes, that white LED could be a bit less bright - especially with my black Valhalla2. Mine is a week-old today and am very pleased. So much so that I've got a Saga in-bound. Will let the Saga completely break-in before tube rolling. Got a set of FL 6922s from Bob (Vintage Tube - thank you) that I'll roll-in first, followed by a Sylvania coin-base 6SN7 in the Saga. Let the fun begin.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Another happy Valhalla 2 listener here. And, yes, that white LED could be a bit less bright - especially with my black Valhalla2. Mine is a week-old today and am very pleased. So much so that I've got a Saga in-bound. Will let the Saga completely break-in before tube rolling. Got a set of FL 6922s from Bob (Vintage Tube - thank you) that I'll roll-in first, followed by a Sylvania coin-base 6SN7 in the Saga. Let the fun begin.

You can get some LightDims in silver on Amazon. Place them over your bright white LEDs on your Schiit gear for a less intrusive LED.

[Humbuster]

Presently debating between the Lyr3 Multibit and the Bifrost Multi/Valhalla 2 combo

[Formerly YB-2]

Just heard back from Schiit on any differences between the two. I ask if the DAC performance would be the same and they gave me the non-answer of "While I cannot speculate on what differences you may hear between the two, they both use the same Multibit DAC (The Analog Devices AD5547).", which doesn't answer the question of the DAC performance nor answer the question I didn't ask. Guess we are on our own. Have a couple of days to decide before my 15-day window is gone.

[tricolor]

Hey folks! hope all is well!!

Dollarama carries stickers with "tiny pearls" that work perfectly to dim the LEDs... hehe

And I have tried to find info regarding HIGH gain vs LOW gain... High gain sounds better to me and I am happy to use it even if it shortens a bit the life of my tubes... BUT if I keep the volume down... would it compensate it?

Would the amp be using use less "tube" resources if I keep a lower volume? Lower volumes "requires" lower temperatures, therefore longer lifespan?

Cheers!

[Formerly YB-2]

From the 'specs' on their website: Gain: 7 (16.9db) or 1.5 (3.5 db), via rear switch.
The primary source of heat in tubes is from the heater. Additional heat from actual use is low by comparison. Small signal tubes, such as those in the Valhalla 2, should easily last 5000hr and more. Many radios from the 1930s are still working fine with their original small signal tubes in place. Use whatever sounds best to your ears. Replacement tubes from Schiit are quite inexpensive.