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Mal Valve Headphone amp III

Does anyone have any tube recommendations for this amp?

I'm running mine off of a DCS Debussy and Oppo 95 for discs.

I was getting some breakup on loud or complex passages. A slight lack of guts with the Stax 007 headphones but the break up occurs with both the LCD-3 and 007.

I replaced the 4 EF184 tubes with some generic tubes(only ones available), WOW was that awful! Huge amount of noise and ringing from the relay volume board. Replaced them back with the Mal Valve EF184's and everything was good again.

I replaced the 2 ECC81 with some gold Lion tubes and this did ramp up the resolution and transparency (we are talking MAC DADDY, best in the world transparency here!). This was definitely an improvement and the breakup issue seems to be gone now.

I replaced the 4 6V6 tubes with some JJ tubes and that does not work. the sound is OK not great but the gain is too low for the Stax 007 headphones. Turned up to -0db (the Max) the level is audible but very low. I ordered some (4) Telefunken Black Diamond 6V6 and (4) Genalex Gold Lion 6V6GT so I will get back when I get some time here to check them out.

I have several headphone set-ups, 1 with a supped up Schiit Audio Valhalla 2 with some great tubes and I love the sound of it. I could live happily ever after with this amp. The Mal Valve is obviously a step up but the Valhalla is very close and always musical and fun to listen to.

The other setup I use is with a real Krell KSA-5 that has some better caps in it. This is very dynamic and powerful and it does not care what headphones it is hooked to; it makes all headphones sound there best. The effortless power and grace is addictive. The Nichicon Muse caps were a step up and pumped up the dynamics and detail but there can be sometimes a slight harshness but I replaced the the main board caps again with Elna Silmic II caps which do not easily fit in the case but wow the resolution might even be slightly better but the sound is as transparent as can be and very powerful meaning absolutely effortless regardless of the headphone or volume and no harshness at all.

The Mal Valve is getting there now I may try some big buck tubes soon and see what is possible here? I wish to god the Krell amp was fully balanced and set up for the Stax Headphones, that combo would be incredibly transparent. Most detail I've ever heard so far? the MalValve Stax 007 combo, most musical body is a draw between the Mal Valve and Krell. Although the Mal Valve is rated at 12 watts I think and the Krell at 10 the Krell has the most overall power, like screw the headphones lets just hook up some speakers kind of power. I have always thought of selling the Krell, but then I listen to it and jeez it's good, musical nirvana, I still love it.

Funny thing is how good the Valhalla is and how close it gets to the two 45 pound amps.
 The little Valhalla is a giant killer with the right tubes. It's hard to get analytical about the Valhalla it's just so damn transparent and musical, it forces you to relax and enjoy.

Rob
rminsf
peter_s
1,088 posts
 
Interesting posts!  I'll have to check out the malvalve amplifier. Interesting that you prefer the SR007ii to the SR007i - I've read many that prefer the 007i. Have you heard anything about the new iFI iEnergizer Pro for the Stax?  I'm hoping it has more juice than the Stax 727ii amplifier.  Still looking for a budget friendly solution to power my SR007's.  
rminsf OP
47 posts
 
I have not heard the iF1 iEnergizer Pro at all(but curious). I own the SR 007II but not the SR 007I so I'm not sure about that either yet. I wish Schiit Audio made a Stax amp. I have easily modified a few of their products with huge success. I'm playing with the Valhalla II right now and love it so far.

The Mal Valve is interesting. I wish they didn't use that EF184 tube in there but OMG does this thing sound amazing then you get it set up right. Very Powerful with the best of the tube sound but very balanced and articulate like transistors. Often with transformer on the output you get a softer somewhat unbalanced sound but with transformers on both the input and output here I can't hear a thing but tight punchy powerful dynamic sound no matter what headphones you use. Cheaper headphones easily compress and you hear their limitations instantly, awkwardly. Some headphones I was eager to try sound awful lol after hearing the Stax and LCD's. without getting loud the amp pushes the cheap ones to there limits easily or so it sounds. The Krell KSA 5 just makes everything sound it's best.
rminsf OP
47 posts
 
Well after letting the tubes settle in some I accidentally damaged the left driver of the Stax 007 headphones, not sure how to get that addressed but I do want to try the 009 model.
I've tried about 10 different headphones with the Mal Valve now and a few were simply too low powered to work well with an amp that is this strong, it could do a good job but I was terrified Id hurt my ears or the phones accidentally with any real volume.

The three main phones so far are the STAX  007, LCD3 and HD800S. The HD800S has a thinner sound and different sound that the other 2. The Stax 007 is the transparency KING so far, flat as a pancake frequency response and reach out and touch, you are there, relaxed but intensely detailed environment. The LCD3 has huge punch I used the 8ohm setting and it is not as clear as the 007 but wow do they have life in them, more like the sound of a concert. The LCD3 can do huge dynamic swings and just sound fun. The HD800s sounded thin to me on the 8 ohm setting but on the 32ohm setting it sounds more flat frequency wise and more dynamic overall. It has a very tube midrange like quality, a luscious midrange, meaty and full of stunning detail and life kind of a cross between the LCD and the 007. The micro and macro dynamics are at a world class level here, I'm hearing the music differently than before, like going from MP3 to 192/24. The detail is about the same or close to the stax but with more dynamic contrast to the point it takes the performance into a different dimension. The HD800S does not have as much bottom end meat, it's midrange centric, but it's intensely addicting. I don't want to stop listening and enjoying the music it is just so damn good.The DCS Debussy is giving all it's got, that lush, vivid, saturated detail sound is a perfect match with the Mal Valve pushing the HD800S to the edge of what it's capable of. It's the best sound I've ever heard except when I briefly exchanged the Debussy for the Vivaldi which is a level I din't think was really possible until I heard it for myself. The separation of voices and instruments is absolute, in a chorus I can identify and count each performer, easily!
Rob
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