I think you will enjoy the pairing, my HD650 is kind of taken to the next level with this amp. It’s a pretty perfect pairing. Plus, any high impedance relatively efficient headphone will also like this amp. I got this amp for my ZMF headphones (Verite and Aeolus), and they both sound fantastic on it. I’m not ready to spend large $ on a tube amp yet, and the Valhalla 2 has a very clean, airy presentation with a more 3D sound stage than my SS amp.
Let the tubes burn in for a bit, and let us know what you think
I wanted to say thanks to @chrisnyc75 for suggesting Valhalla 2 with the ZMF Verite open, it’s a really nice combo! It brings a certain air or 3D sparkle to the music, while still being accurate sounding. It also sounds great with Aeolus as well (no surprise).
I now have a ridiculous Schiit stack with BF 2, Valhalla 2, Lyr 3, and Jot 2! Pretty much covers the entire midsize range… But the Valhalla 2 does bring something different to the table from the other 2, at least with the ZMFs and my HD650. It is a perfect match for the 300 ohm headphones
Mine is hooked up to a BF 2, has NOS 1960’s Telefunkin tubes, and is used with Auteur and Aeolus, as well as HD800s, HD650 and HD6xx with Cardas Clear or Cross cables.
The Valhalla 2 brings a wonderful, relaxed, revealing and musical sound to 300 ohm headphones…as only an OTL amp can do.
On high gain it also does pretty well with my Beyer T1, T1s and DT880.
I also j have the Jot, Valhalla and Lyr 3. The Bifrost 2 only has the two outputs thus only two of the amps can be connected. Is there some sort of connector that I can use to connect all 3 at the same time.? That way I dont have to disconnect one and connect the other. Thanks
You could also use a Schiit SYS as an RCA switch box, which is what I did. You are using it in reverse, if you will.
You feed the RCA out from the the BF2 to the “output” of the SYS, which will in this case become the input. Then the “input 1” and “input 2” become the outputs, and voila you have an RCA switch box. The traces on the board of the SYS don’t care which way the signal flows, and the button allows you to select which amp you want the signal to go to.
My understanding is that it is VERY important to have the volume pot on the SYS set to MAX at all times, so keep this in mind.
Schiit says it’s fine to use it this way in the FAQ section. I decided to go this route when looking at what seemed like some crappy RCA switch boxes on Amazon that were at or near the same price…
Splitter cables risk degrading the sound, and introducing noise. I totally avoid them.
In my experience any RCA switch with a volume pot (e.g., SYS) risks flattening the dynamics, losing details, and shifting the tone. I now avoid them too.
Simple switches are easy to find (samples below). Every passive switch (no wall plug) should work fine in either direction. These can use 3.5 mm cables, regular RCA, or XLR. To my ears, these have a minimal impact on the sound.
It may be more cost effective to buy a preamp with integrated switching (above the SYS tier). It depends on your budget and end goals.
I’ve been using the Nobsound 3-IN-1-OUT XLR Audio Switch ; Balanced Audio Converter for several years, works flawlessly and no added coloration that I can discern.
Loving my Vahalla 2. I recently put in a couple of Amperex orange globes made in Holland and these are really nice. Highly recommended. I also like the JJ 6922’s for a new production tube.
My HD600 and Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm headphones love this amp. Im currently using it with a Modi multibit 2 and an Audiolab transport.
I switched back to the JJ6922s to give them a chance and put more time on them. They’re actually good too. Different from the Amperex orange globes. Less laid back and not as warm. Both are great in their own way.
I found some socket savers/risers for my Valhalla 2 I like, as they are a lot better quality than the $5-10 cheapies, but a lot less than the $40-60 high end ones.
They are price appropriate for an amp like this, 4 for less than $50
For anyone looking to roll the outputs, this sounds really good. Amperex Holland 7119 on 5670 to 6N6 adapters. They sit high, but sound much better than the stockers. The inputs right now are Jan 5670, also on adapters.
I am pretty impressed with this amp, including with low impedance headphones. I was hunting for a really “tubey” tube amp and this was not it. But it had a very nice sound. Pretty clear, but a little bit of thickness. I bought it second hand and the guy included several pairs of nice tubes. And then a buddy of mine passed me a few more sets. I now have six or seven sets of nice sounding tubes. I also bought a set of stupid expensive socket savers from Tube Monger, I think it was.
I did end up finding my “tubey” sounding amp (Little Dot MK9) and thought I would have a “tube-off” and keep the winner. That didn’t happen though. These are two Very different amps. The Valhalla 2 is like middle ground between the Little Dot MK9 and the Violectric V220.
I had avoided the Valhalla 2 for years because everyone said it wasn’t tubey enough and was a compromise. That is probably true but with some nice tubes it sounds good with pretty much anything. And it is Cheap, especially used. While tube pricing has gone nuts, the 6922’s are not bad.
