Short answer
Both are desktop amplifiers, $699 against $499.
On raw power they are level: each reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 non-electrostatic models here.
| Specification | Rupert Neve RNHP | Schiit Valhalla 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 262 mW | 750 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 175 mW | 286 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 88 mW | 250 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 44 mW | 125 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.08 Ω | 25 Ω |
| Output noise | 8.03 µV | 6.32 µV |
| Price | $699 | $499 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 566 |
| Load | Rupert Neve RNHP | Schiit Valhalla 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 150 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. Rupert Neve RNHP publishes at 150 Ω; Schiit Valhalla 3 at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 150 Ω only the Rupert Neve RNHP figure is the maker’s own and at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω only the Schiit Valhalla 3 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
On power they are interchangeable across this whole database: there is no headphone here that one reaches 100 dB on and the other does not.
535 headphones are left alone by the Rupert Neve RNHP under the one-eighth rule but coloured by the Schiit Valhalla 3 (64 Audio Aspire 1, 64 Audio Fourte, 64 Audio Nio, 532 more).
47 headphones stay below the audible-hiss threshold on the Schiit Valhalla 3 but cross it on the Rupert Neve RNHP (64 Audio Aspire 1, 64 Audio Ocean, 7Hz Timeless AE, 44 more).
566 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Sennheiser HD 600: Schiit Valhalla 3 has +16 dB of headroom there against +11 dB. 5 dB is about 2.9 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
Hiss below about 20 dB SPL is inaudible in a quiet room.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Rupert Neve RNHP headroom | Schiit Valhalla 3 headroom | Rupert Neve RNHP hiss | Schiit Valhalla 3 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +35 dB | +37 dB damping | 33 dB | 30 dB |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | +17 dB damping | 13 dB | 10 dB |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +25 dB | +27 dB damping | 11 dB | 9 dB |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +22 dB | +26 dB | 6 dB | 4 dB |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +15 dB | +19 dB damping | 5 dB | 3 dB |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +15 dB | +20 dB | -1 dB | -3 dB |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +11 dB | +16 dB | -5 dB | -7 dB |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +7 dB | +10 dB damping | -7 dB | -9 dB |
The Rupert Neve RNHP costs $200 more than the Schiit Valhalla 3. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 535 more models left alone under the one-eighth rule.
It does not run one way only: the cheaper Schiit Valhalla 3 keeps 47 models below the audible-hiss threshold that the Rupert Neve RNHP does not, which is the part worth checking against your own headphones before paying the difference.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Rupert Neve RNHP and Schiit Valhalla 3.