So I vacillated about posting this in a headphone/HD650 related thread, or a an amp/Valhalla 2 thread, but in the end felt that I wanted to relate an experience that I imagine most of you have been through. This is one of those epiphanies-along-the-audiophile-journey stories.

I have been through various headphones on my quest, vModa m100s was my intro, then several others, then HiFiMan he400s, etc, before arriving at the HD650's thanks to advice on this forum. I initially set up the HD650s with the Schiit Modi 2 and Magni 2, and was quite pleased.  After reading about some synergistic combinations, and Purrin's recommendations, I ordered the Vali (and Wyrd, although I can't claim I hear its influence) to go with this. 

Now the Vali was my first toe-dip-in-the-water where I thought I heard something different. In a way this was something of a step in the direction of subjecvtivism for me, in that I thought I heard some kind of subtle change in the presentation that was very pleasing, and better than the Magni 2, but it was difficult for me to pin down in A/B testing. I couldn't be completely certain that I wasn't imagining things.  Nonetheless, after switching back to the Magni for a stretch of time, and then returning to the Vali, I would generally have this AHA moment where I thought I heard this livelier, more engaging sound.

I decided that if there really was something to this tube thing, I should be able to prove it by purchasing a real OTL tube amp.  So I bought the Valhalla 2.  I expected that it would sound nice, maybe similar to the Vali, but potentially not super noticeably different.  When the amp arrived, I set it up and let it warm up for a couple hours, put on the HD650s, and was immediately blown. the. frick. away.  First of all, the sound presentation was _obviously_ and easily noticeably different.  I A/B'd with the Magni 2 - the Magni immediately felt dry, less instrument separation, less immersive.  Switched back to the Valhalla 2, and the liquid quality to the sound, the sense of space, the _naturalness_ to the sound, the sense of being right in there, came back.

As a n00b reading what all the ivory tower audiophiles discuss about how googly amp x, or bygolly DAC y sounds this way or that, and having never experienced the equipment, one wonders if mere mortals hear these things.  So this experience is rather earth shattering for me, as the differences I hear with the Valhalla 2 are night and day, obvious and wonderful. It's not some subtle golden ears only thing.  At least in this case. 

Now granted there are certainly objective reasons why an OTL amp would be different than solid state, it is still remarkable to be able to experience that first hand.

tl;dr - Vali is a gateway amp, dammit. Sucked me into buying Valhalla 2.  n00b finally hears what everyone has been talking about.  Mind blown.