Shiit Vali 3

[idc]

On the basis of it has a valve, it looks good, it cost £160 delivered, it is just a headphone amp and the power output specs suggest it will easily drive my various headphones, I bought the Vali 3.

So far, so good. It sounds as good as the Musical Fidelity X-CanV8 and heavily modded X-CanV2 it replaces. Maybe hi-hats are not quite as clear and it does not have quite the dynamic drive of the X-Cans, but mid-range is improved. I can make out lyrics I could not before.



There is also no electrical noise leaking through to the headphones any more. The X-Cans both produced a slight background hiss, which has gone. Whether that noise affected overall SQ, the hiss was so slight, I cannot say, but it is nice to know it has gone. It drives the DT-990 Pro 250 ohms with no issue at all and I like the gain adjustment, to refine volume control.

Overall, highly recommended and I have not even started to change the tube and try others, something I could not do with the X-Cans.

 

[Gray]

Maybe hi-hats are not quite as clear

😕 That alone would rule it out for me.

 

[idc]

😕 That alone would rule it out for me.

Presently listening to some stoner rock, wall of noise by PigsPigsPigsPigsPigs and the cymbals are all quite clear.

 

[idc]

I am not a great believer in burn-in, I think it is more the ear gets used to the new sound characteristics, but some well recorded David Byrne albums sound absolutely amazing on the Shiit. Great midrange, some hefty bass and only the slightest of recessed, tissy cymbals. Cymbals are possibly the hardest part of the sound a hifi has to recreate and they sounded best with my X-Can V8P driving a loan pair of Hifiman's top of the range, very expensive, cannot remember what they were called, it was over a decade ago, headphones.