About Valhalla

Does Valhalla sound better than Asgard?
Again, it depends. They both sound amazing for their price points. As to which is better, we have long arguments about that. Valhalla has a classic smooth tubey midrange, but extended highs. Asgard is more neutral all around.

What headphones does Valhalla work best with?
Beyer 600 ohm models and Sennheiser 300 ohm headphones are best–think high-impedance when you’re thinking about Valhalla. Yes, we have plenty of people using Valhalla with low-impedance headphones, but the best match is with high-impedance cans.

Can Valhalla drive my orthodynamic headphones?
Being polite: not a chance. Although Valhalla can deliver large voltages into high-impedance headphones, it cannot supply the current needed for low-efficiency, low-impedance orthodynamic headphones. If you have Audeze or HiFiMan headphones, look at Lyr. LCD-2s, HE-400s, and HE-500s are also efficient enough to be used with Asgard, if you’d like an all-solid-state option.

Which tubes does Valhalla use?
One 6N1P dual triode for input and one 6N6P dual triode for output per channel are stock.

Are Valhallas “rollable?”
Earlier Valhallas (August 2010-April 2012) are not designed for tube rolling. All Valhallas shipped since May 2012 are rollable to accommodate E88CC, 6DJ8, 6922, 6N23P, etc on the input stage (that is, the shorter tubes.)

How long do the tubes last?
They should last about 5,000 hours. Some last more. Some last less. If you want certainty, go with solid state.

What do I do when the tubes fail?
You buy new ones from us. They’re only $40 for a complete set, so you won’t have to give up many happy meals.