Entering the gates of Valhalla

[Doggie Howser 0]

I have to offer my sincerest apologies to Tubeman

 

I had met him earlier today to pick up the Valhalla gear from him and brought along the iQube and the UE11 and Livewires (Crystal Cable-d). I could tell he was hoping I would love the Valhalla as much as he did. I know he has put in his blood and sweat (literally) into this project for me.

 

I marvelled at the lovely wooden housings he used for the capacitors. Beautifully stained and was as good as the Thiel speaker finishes.

 

Initial impressions of the Valhalla was good. Really good, but it didn't seem ground breaking.

 

But I think the truth is that I had been spoilt rotten in the last few weeks.

 

In the bedroom, I was using Tubeman's Irukandji partnered with the iMod, feeding a LISA III XP with LLP hooked up and driving my Alessandro MS-Pros. I know many here have written off the iPod as a source, but they really owe it to themselves to try out what the iMod can do with one of Tubeman's creations.

 

In the living room, I was in the process of upgrading the speaker setup. I am using my iTunes/Squeezebox server to stream (lossless FLAC or ALAC) music to the Squeezebox Duet feeding a digital output to a Benchmark DAC1 Pre hooked up over balanced interconnects to two Bel Canto REF1000 mono power amps, driving a pair of Thiel CS2.4 Signature Editions. The 2.4SEs are being run in now (a real pain because it's hard to drive these speakers loud in an apartment), but the clarity of the highs and mids are already pretty good. Only the bass driver hasn't loosened up yet.

 

In this context, then, the Valhalla didn't seem game-changing.

 

UNTIL I brought it home.

 

I had turned in around 1130. As I was trying to run in the Valhallas, I decided to unhook the Irukandji from my bedroom gear and swapped in the Valhalla.

 

One of my acid tests for introducing any new gear is how much it keeps me awake playing familiar songs. If it reveals nothing more than usual, I think my brain tunes out and I end up sleeping.

 

With the Valhalla? My brain was in two minds. A part was lulled by how good and soothing and revealing the music was that I was almost half asleep, but all that new nuances and detail and dynamics also kept the other part of my brain awake, processing all the new information. The MS Pros have also found some new authority in the bass department. When Alanis Morissette sang Uninvited from the City of Angels soundtrack, there was this projection of soundstage wider and further I have ever heard before with my headfi gear!

 

3 hours later, I am still not asleep I feel I have wronged Tubeman, and need to make amends.

 

Bro, you have really outdone yourself. If it sounds this good now, I can't imagine how good it would sound when it is finished burning in!!

 

 

Downsides? I really hope the Thiels would sound this good as this after running in. But I am a little worried...

Edited March 30, 2009 by Doggie Howser

[ito 0]

Tubeman never fail to WOW us for sure....with any of his product....no doubt at all

[Eric Chia 0]

if my sonic memory not wrong..

i tried with vic's vahalla with my shure se530 with my jellyfish side by side

it gave me more wider soundstage, more musical and bass and high extension is simply breathtaking for my shure to handle....about 500 hours burn in that time..

it aledi become a bottleneck for my shures lol