SCHIIT Valhalla 2 Headphone Amplifier and Preamp Owner’s Manual
- June 5, 2024
- SCHIIT
Table of Contents
SCHIIT Valhalla 2 Headphone Amplifier and Preamp
INTRODUCTION
Valhalla 2 is the next generation of Valhalla, one of the world’s most popular pure-tube headphone amps. It keeps all the triode goodness of Valhal-la, and adds additional versatility with adjustable gain and preamp outputs. Use it with harder-to-drive headphones, IEMs, and as a tube preamp for your main system or powered monitors!
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
- Valhalla 2
- Power cord
- Stick-on feet
The following is required by the roughly 9,542 government agencies and regulations we have to comply with. If you have some common sense, they should seem pretty straightforward. In any case, read these instructions before proceeding farther, follow all instructions, and heed all warnings. Or else!
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If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualified professional to help.
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Never use this device near water, and clean only with a
dry cloth. -
Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings, or place near heat sources.
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Use only the supplied power cord or suitable replacement. Route cords away from traffic areas and protect them from being pinched. Unplug the cord from the outlet if the apparatus is unused for a long period of time.
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To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
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Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Service is required when the device has been damaged, including cord or plug damage, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the device, the device has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
GETTING STARTED
CAUTION! Dangerous voltages inside. Follow all instructions carefully.
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Before plugging in the amplifier, insert the tubes. Short tubes in the front, long tubes in the back —closest to the RCA jack.
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Ensure tubes are well-seated. Align carefully and push down gently until seated.
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Plug in your amplifier and turn it on. The tubes will glow after a few seconds.
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Connect your source. And enjoy your music!
TUBE REPLACEMENT
When it’s time to replace the tubes, or when you want to “roll” tubes for different sound, follow this procedure carefully:
- Turn off and unplug the amplifier. Wait a while until the white LED on the front is completely off.
- Carefully extract tubes by gently rocking them back and forth and pulling upwards. Yes, the short tubes are tough to get out. Have patience, or ask a friend with smaller hands to help you.
- Carefully insert the replacement tubes: replace tubes with the same types (short = 6N1P, tall = 6N6P.) Align the pins to the sockets and press down gently until the tubes are seated. You may also “roll” the 6N1Ps for 6DJ8, 6BZ7, 6922, ECC88, or similar tubes.
- Plug the amplifier back in and turn it on. After the tubes warm up, you should hear music.
CONTROLS
- Volume Knob. Turn it to the right to make the music louder. Stop before the pain starts.
- Power On LED. When this is lit, the power is on. It’ll take a LONG time for it to go out.
- Headphone Jack. This is where you plug your headphones in. Unlike most Schiit amps, Valhalla’s slow turn-on means we don’t need a muting relay. In the case of sensitive headphones and IEMs, though, you may want to wait a minute for the amp to stabilize before plugging in.
- Tubes. These guys get hot when in use, so this doesn’t make a good cat bed. Nor a tortoise hibernation. Let tubes cool down before extracting them from the amp, unless you need to eliminate your fingerprints for your next, uh, “job.”
- Top Surface. And yes, we know Valhalla 2 runs plenty hot. That’s typical for tube amps. However, that does not mean it’s a great burger cozy or coffee warmer.
CONNECTIONS
- RCA Inputs. Connect to your music source here. You can even use fancy cables if you like.
- Preamp Outputs. Connect to powered monitors or a speaker amp. CAUTION: Switch Valhalla 2 on and wait at least 30 seconds before turning on a powered monitor or amp, and turn off the powered monitor or amp before turning Valhalla 2 off. Preamp outs are muted when headphones are plugged in.
- Gain Switch. Up is high gain, for high impedance headphones. Low gain provides additional capability for low-impedance headphones.
- On-Off Switch. Up is on. Down is off. For best tube life, turn it off when not in use.
- AC Input. Plug the power cord in here. Plug the other end into an outlet of the correct voltage.
- Disclaimer. No, seriously. Don’t take this apart. There are seriously dangerous voltages inside.
FAQ
I hear hum through the headphones, what do I do to fix it?
You may have a ground loop. To fix a ground loop, try a ground loop isolator
or an EbTech HumX. If it’s low-level hum and noise, you can use Lo gain to
reduce it.
How does Valhalla work with (insert tube type here)?
The short answer is, if it’s in the list in the front of the manual, it’ll
probably work fine. Beyond that, you’re on your own. If the tube has a
different pinout, very bad things can happen. Best to stick to the approved
tube types. But I don’t want to buy matched tube sets from you! That’s cool,
you can buy them from anyone. The 6N1P and 6N6P are common tubes. Hey, I
plugged Valhalla 2 into my (preamp, amp, active speaker) and it makes popping
noises/ turns off when I turn the Valhalla on or off. Yes. Yes it does. Did
you see the warning up front, in the Operation section? You need to turn
Valhalla on and let its output stabilize before you turn on your amp or
powered monitors, and you need to turn off the amp or powered monitors BEFORE
you turn off Valhalla.
Can I leave Valhalla 2 on all the time?
You can, but it will significantly shorten your tubes’ effective lifespan
(5,000 hours is about 200 days). For best life, we recommend you turn the
amplifier off when you’re not going to use it for more than an hour.
It doesn’t turn on, what do I do?
Plug it in to a different AC socket. Ensure you are not currently in a
blackout. Then call us if it still doesn’t turn on.
5-year limited WARRANTY
Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be
free from defects in material and workmanship for five (5) years from the date
of purchase. If a defect covered by this warranty occurs during this period,
Schiit Audio will repair the defective product, free of charge. Date of
purchase will be based on customer receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing
will be used.
If you believe you need warranty service, contact us first. Schiit Audio
products sent back to us without a Return Authorization (RA) will be returned
to the sender without repair. To contact us and obtain an RA, email
[email protected].
Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is
modified or tampered with; (b) is damaged by negligence, accident,
unreasonably use, or other causes unrelated to defective materials or
workmanship, or (c) has had the serial number altered or removed. Any implied
warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose, are hereby limited in duration to the warranty period of 2
years. In no event shall Schiit Audio be liable for consequential or
incidental damages resulting from the breach of any implied or expressed
warranties. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply
to you. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or
province to province.