Yeah definitely. That is far more convenient than say, the Fiio X3ii or XDUOO X3. This is just a wonderful player. I am glad you gave balanced a shot, because for me, getting a balanced SurfCable for my HD650s opened up a whole new world. The X3ii sounds almost sterile compared to the Pono; it...

Great choice. And also an excellent choice on the Dragonfly as well. I love mine. Enjoy some great budget audiophile sound!

Ok they ARE open cans...but your original post was about the Q701 and HD650 which are also VERY open headphones. You could do a LOT worse than the HP50s. Also, don't discount the Sennheiser momentums...they look GREAT in public, are easy to drive, and sound *very* good. They also will isolate...

flatmap - A little off topic, but how does that Bottlehead Crack drive the AKGs? I'm finding that both my Q701s and K7xx are very power hungry, the Vali even struggles for some music, in my opinion.   OP - see if the X2s fit you. They sound like a great pairing for your needs and past...

When I was stationed in Germany I used a step down transformer to power hi-fi gear with no issues at all. The Vali requires 16 VAC from the wall wart. By stepping down your 240 VAC to 120 VAC that will allow the U.S.Vali's power supply to work just fine. Think of this way, the one you will be...

Anyone, what kind of DAC is in this? Would you sell an X5 (or X3) and keep this one?

What in the world does this have to do with the Vali? Shame on Schiit for what, exactly? For not giving you what YOU want, even though it is outside of the capability of a quality 2 channel DAC? That is the very reason most head fi-ers have shunned the A/V receivers with DTS, DSP, Dolby, DBX...

What USB static are you talking about? From the 5V power source? How would that affect a digital signal?

Sell! Bah! Think of each set or headphones like a child. : ) I think that the Vali is quite nice with the AKG Q701s and that headphone is quite a bargain at less than $200. You probably made the right call in getting the 225s because the 325 is just not a great pairing with either the Dragonfly...

Lol. 500 mA = 500 x 10^-3 amps = 5 X 10^-1 amps = 0.5 amps.   Sorry, couldn't resist. Otherwise your post is quite informative!

You can't go wrong with an Audioquest Dragonfly. VERY portable, and amplification may even be good enough so that you don't need to bring the BH2. V1 is under 100 dollars and sounds great. Don't buy the el-cheapo DACs.   ...

How DARE her for flipping off the photographer like that! Total deal breaker for me. (END SARCASM)

Just go back and read the first 10 pages of this thread. No hype. It is a fantastic amp that hits way above the $120 you paid for it.

This looks like a really nice pair...of   headphones.

It isn't elegant, because I also have my phono preamp plugged into the Sys. Both Modi's have quick disconnects (RCA->3.5mm, both ends male) that feed a 3.5mm female -> RCA on "IN 1" on the Sys.  Then Sys feeds the Magni/Vali. The reason for the quick disconnect cables is because I have very...

Got my Sys and Opti-Modi and now have a lovely five-piece "budget" Schiit stack on my desk. Looks great. I also really like the design of the Modi with the two lights (one for power and the other for optical lock). Amazingly, that stack cost just a little more than my HD650s.   Also BIG kudos...

This is definitely true. Itunes will use bits in order to attenuate the signal digitally. Keep in mind that even if your original lossless files are 24/96 the AE optical will still only output 16/44.1 Your best bet is leaving the digital volume full and using analogue to control the volume.

Thank you for that information! It is ok because I mostly only have redbook anyway...thousands of them. I do have an HDMI de-embedder as well, but that is useless for me as my Onkyo doesn't have HDMI. What I definitely can use it for is the Airport Express and Squeezebox...and I can retire the...

Great! Just ordered both the optical Modi and Sys. I've been looking forward to listening to my SACD through the Modi/Vali. 

I think this is a unit that really needs to be replaced. a "constant" ringing is not a good thing, and previous thread participants have gotten replacements from Schiit. Make the call and get back in the saddle!

You will probably have better luck asking that question on a Vahalla thread. Sorry I can't help.

Great tip!!! Just bought one. Will be interested to compare to Modi and the D1.

The noise floor is not as bad as I expected it to be. I haven't listened to any classical yet, though. I would think that is where it would be most evident. Even with the noise it is still a better pairing than the Magni and Grados because that is a little too bright for me. However, I have a...