u/Common-Refrigerator2

I bought a Valhalla 3 this summer as my first OTL tube amp purchase and have been loving it. I landed on the Valhalla vs the many other options out there specifically because of the Impedance Multiplier as my headphones (RS2x & Arya Organic) are both low impedance. Figured it would be necessary.

The ubiquitous wisdom online suggests low impedance cans do not play well with OTLs due the high output impedance of the amp vs. the low input impedance of the headphones. More specifically, I’ve read that the headphone impedance should be roughly 8x the amp’s output. Thankfully, the impedance multiplier makes this a non-issue.

However, in the months since and using it daily, I’ve found that my preferred settings when paired with my Grados (38ohm input impedance) is High Gain w/o Feedback (60ohm output impedance) with the multiplier off. To me, it sounds better than the low or high gain settings w/ feedback and multiplier on.

So my question is: Why does this work? Why am I not hearing a ton of unpleasant distortion, flabby low end, etc. with this pairing? The Arya Organics absolutely need the multiplier and sound better with it, so is there something about Grados (impedance spikes in certain frequency ranges maybe?) that makes the apparent mismatch a non-issue? Am I misunderstanding this?

tl;dr: 38ohm Grados sound great on tube amp with high 60ohm output impedance, why? how?

Was disappointed to go to my local liquor store for a fresh bottle of Papalin 5yr High Ester and find they are totally out…

Thankfully they had this bottle of Holmes Cay Jamaica 2014 as a consolation. Stoked to pour a dram.

Anyone here try this before? Would love to hear thoughts on it.

I feel like it’s easy to write off these releases as overhyped shit for guys with cable raisers but listening to CBaT in this format is like listening to it for the first time. Vocals are holographic, every little nook and cranny is transparent, the tracks have so much body. Can’t make it your whole collection but I highly recommend picking a UHQR copy of something. Truly a remarkable pressing.

Also… no Yacht Rock flair?

can anyone recommend me some other records i might like that are more unique and esoteric than what i already have.

i’m desperate for validation from strangers online but am terrified my collection makes me seem pedestrian….

Can anyone identify the issue with my crosley suitcase player?? i got it as a gift but my records sounded bad playing on it. so i tried fixing it with my sledgehammer (pics attached) and now it sounds even worse.

Do i need to tape a quarter to it for more weight? or maybe just install a new needle? any help would be appreciated… i just want to get back to spinning my vinyls.

having a small dram of DOK after an annoying work day, lovely stuff!

Recently got a Schiit Valhalla 3 & mimir and man the way this amp has made me fall back in love with my rs2x’s all over again has been incredible. Smoothed them out and boosts the bass a bit, just makes them sound more full than they ever did on my vali 3 and magi heretic.

My other cans (arya organic, sennheiser hd650) sound lovely on this, too. it seems to play with with a variety of headphones which is awesome. Turned off all the EQ presets for various headphones I had set from using the Vali 3 and feel no need to reactivate them.

What a cool amp, so glad i finally pulled the trigger on this.

Alright so context is I own the lp-120x and over the past few days I kept taking a look at it and feeling as if something was wrong. When I inspected it I found that my that at least to me my cantilever appears to be bent to the side a bit. Good news is without knowing this issue, me just upgrading I bought the ortofon blue and arrives this Friday. Is this stylus safe to use on my records till then or is it better to just wait for my upgrade to get here?

you guys ever peep the vinyls section at target? they got some crazy deep cuts. i was surprised to see this off discogs.

To supplement and deepen my reread of Infinite Jest I’ve decided to split my reading time while also working thru Derrida’s Of Grammatology for the first time. I have read some lectures and essays and secondary sources and summaries of Deconstruction in college, but never read Of Grammatology. This decision came around 700 pages into IJ, but has definitely made me reflect on the parts i’ve read so far in new ways.

The main thing that this has caused me to reflect on is the Eschaton chapter. The Map vs the Territory, and the convergence of the two within the game—the play—is like the whole breaking point of the chapter and a fun interrogation of a metaphysical concept via very physical means.

I know DFW is writing in opposition to literature and culture produced in the wake of Derridean (in specific) and post-structuralist (in general) thought, but it’s interesting to see how he concedes the validity of their tools to draw different conclusions about one’s proximity to the potential meaning gleaned expressed in these moments of rupture.

Anyway, what are your favorite intersections with philosophy in the book? How has reading philosophy in general informed your read or reread?

(edited due to typo)

I’ve been nursing this bottle for about 2 and a half years now and it’s easily the best rum i’ve tasted next to Great House 2022. Still can’t believe i got this for a mere $80. I will be very sad once it’s gone.

It’s a nice reminder, though, that while all rum is good, some rums are exceptional.

I know there’s like 12 posts per day about these headphones but after spending about a month with them I understand why. The openness of the sound stage and the seemingly infinitely resolving details are blowing my mind. I’m a life long Grado guy and I think the RS2x does certain things better but as an all-genre workhorse and complete package, the Organics cannot be understated.

The music sounds like it’s hung in a black expanse that becomes a room around my head with each instrument or sound or whatever hung in suspension, with noise pursuing from its fixed spot in that expanse. the sounds range from very near, like between my ears, to very distant, yet everything perfectly intelligible within the recording. More than I think any other headphone I’ve used, I am hearing things I’ve never heard in songs I’ve listened to hundreds of times.

The resolving nature of these cans is also quite remarkable. cymbals rattle and hiss for sooo long, and a nice bass kick slowly fades out like a wave, receding back into the song. You can like make out the beads underside the snare drum. It really adds to the realism of the presentation. This is how things sound, in reality, and it’s wild to hear it reproduced so accurately on my little desktop audio set up.

Basically the Organics kick ass and I’ve been delighted to listen to music on them. Don’t find them to be too bright like some posts i’ve seen but also, Grados have probably taken their toll on my ears.

Can anyone relate to this??? anyone?? on the internet????!!!!!

Edit: Listening via Schiit Modi+ and Vali 3