Violectric HPA V200 Why not sufficiently appreciated?? - Page 12

By the way Jian, since you seem to have it, would you like to share with us your experience with V800? In what way you feel it's better than DA11?

Quote:

Originally Posted by revenge 

Exactly. Great reviews for the amp but that single poor review for the DAC. Although there's no real argument against it, it made no obvious improvement for that user. And that should tell you something.

 

 

I am sorry but I have to disagree with this. The latest generation Benchmark (Pre & HDR) might not be the ultimate word in musicality but straight out of the box, using the USB input, with no tweaking, outshines any 1500$ cd player I've heard in terms of resolution. And it happens that the lean character of a Benchmark is complimented quite nicely by the "retro" sound of the V200. 

When I think more about it, agreed... But still it´s far too early to slam the product based on that one comment. Would be nice to see some professionally done reviews of it. That said, personally (yes I know one should consider the whole package etc etc) I would not pay close to 1000 euros in 2010 (almost 2011) for a Delta-Sigma DAC that isn´t the Sabre32 reference model.

EDIT: and how little did I know of DACs when this was written... I definately take back the Sabre32 comment. This could be a great DAC, no idea! (2011 edit)

Have my review up. http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/509746/review-violectric-v200#post_6889632

Nice review. Just change the last sentence to high impedance :).

I have just ordered a HD-800 and a T1. Briefly listened once or twice on unknown gear with unknown music so completely irrelevant. I want to give both a fair chance to impress me. I'll probably get them in the next 2 weeks so stay tuned. At least one will go on sale afterwards. I am also on the Audeze pre-order list.

Unfortunately most posts on this forum are contradicting and confusing. The main problem is, as far as I can tell, the huge difference in budget, experience, musical education etc. Very few users have relevant sources, decent amplifiers, several pairs of loudspeakers and, last but not least, enough time spent in the concert hall. One is reviewing hifi equipment using mp3's, another is trashing a 1000$ headphone because it doesn't perform well on an entry level soundcard, a third knows everything about acoustics although he has never been in a concert hall and his only reference is a pair of entry level monitors.

Let me tell you my experience. At one point I was, like most of you, a pursuer of technical perfection, I was after resolution, air, depth, PRAT etc. And then, one day, I've done something which, shamefully, I haven't done in years. I went to a true life performance of a great symphonic orchestra. It was one of my favourite pieces, a Ravel piano concerto so I thought why not (I tell you why not, because most of the time I find the real performance distracting but that's a different topic). So here I was, in the 5th row, utterly disappointed by such an entry level sound so to speak - such weak bass, poor treble resolution, mediocre soundstage - gosh, my Naim system was so much better than this! And then it struck me - that was the musical truth, that was the true acoustics, no tricks, no gimmicks, no cables, no power conditioners, no upgraded power supplies, no high end caps - that fable and yet so sweet, so fluid, so musical sound was the TRUTH. Music is first and foremost music. You don't hear the vibration of a violin chord in a true performance or the sound of the piano hammers striking the chords unless you're a freak. In turn, you can never capture that live sound sweetness on a hifi system, no matter the price. But one can always try. To find a balance between technical performance and musicality (by musicality understanding conditioning the sound to simulate as much as possible the warmth of the true sound, I am not talking about concert amplifiers and monitors here) - that is the true difficult task. Because if it's pure resolution, air and soundstage, the ear gets tired, the brain gets tired and the rig goes on sale in the respective section of the forum. Resolution, air, soundstage and musicality, warmth, life so to speak, that's the key to a good system. Without being perfect or high end (high end for me meaning five zero figures, as I've been fortunate enough to listen to seriously expensive setups on several occasions), I think V200 is a nicely rounded amplifier, offering enough of both, fidelity and musicality for a fairly critical and at the same time enjoyable audition. And it's a pretty good match for a lot of headphones. Again, it's no perfect amp (and unfortunately there's no such a thing) but it's a solid proposition for the price and if you are considering spending that amount on a new amplifier, it should definitely be on your list.

Where is this V800 review people are referring to? I checked the link mentioned previously and all I got was a page in German. I tried to translate it with babelfish, but it wasn't very clear.

Anyways, I now own the V800 after getting a unit for review from Robert at AphorditeCu29. I liked the unit so much that I immediately purchased it. For me, the V800 competes with anything I've heard/owned under 2k. I really think it's a great sounding DAC. In fact, it's hard to review it because I don't find any glaring problems. Top to bottom it just sounds right to my ears. Unlike the reviewer previously mentioned, I find the upsampling options to make a big difference. Most of the time I prefer the upsampling off, but it definitely make a difference.

If anyone wants to discuss this further, let's keep it on the V800 thread under sources, so that this thread doesn't get any further de-railed.

I have the V200, Zana Duex and xcan V3 as well as the Lisa lll.  All of these amplifiers have different strengths.  If i had to have one for all my phones it would be the V200.  It is musical and warm and drives all the phones well.  For the HD800s the Zana Duex is amazing though and is more...high end.  The Zana Duex is stark and is a class A amp with very dark background/noise level.  I have to pinch myself sometimes.  That said, it can sometimes be fatiguing when listening routinely while reading, it really takes concentration and is very intense for me.  It also costs 2 1/2 times as much as the V200.   Although the V200 is not on it's level, it gives a nice presentation and will work with my lower impedance phones much better.  The xcan v3 and Lisa are both a step down, the Lisa lll being transportable and mainly battery powered doesn't have the same umph.  

If i had to do it over I would strongly consider only having the V200, it works.

Agree it definiatly works. It´s a nice amp but it´s a bit expensive for what it´s IMO. My Trafomatic Head One tube amp have dual rca inputs, pre out and subwoofer outputs apart from the expensive tubes. A lot more iron and much bigger casing and it´s the same price as the V200?. The V200 is more powerful but I doubt it´s transformer costs more then the beasts that are in the tube amp?

The V200 I got offer a DAC for it´s price at 799Euro. New customers may need to pay the same price but without the DAC. I Like the idea of dual outputs until I realized you can´t switch between them and one is supposedly better then the other.

The GHP is 550$ and offer nothing more then rca input and headphone out and no internal transformer just power conditioning. It does have a higher quality volume pot though. While I do preferr the V200 for the 600 ohm T1 and it´s more synergy than anything I can´t help feeling my headhpones sound more true to life then the V200 for as wildly different headphones as the DX 1000, ED 8 and LCD-2. 

SPL Auditor is limited with low impedance headphones it feels like or I am ust having really bad luck regarding synergy with the ED 8 and DX 1000 in particular. It does have some beefier transformers and a bigger aluminium casing.

But before you hang me the V200 is a good amp. I could live happy with it as my only amp for the LCD-2 at least which is where my main focus has been so far. The ED 8 hasn´t sounded that good from what I tested with it yet. Been suggested the V200 is supposed to be tubey sounding and that is maybe why I find the GHP slightly preferrable. I dont think you can beat real life. But it´s always hard to know what people mean when they say tubey. I am sure there is as big difference between different tube amps as there is between solid states. If solid states is harsh I don´t own any such in the GHP and V200. The Head One is even softer though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist 

Agree it definiatly works. It´s a nice amp but it´s a bit expensive for what it´s IMO. My Trafomatic Head One tube amp have dual rca inputs, pre out and subwoofer outputs apart from the expensive tubes. A lot more iron and much bigger casing and it´s the same price as the V200?. The V200 is more powerful but I doubt it´s transformer costs more then the beasts that are in the tube amp?

 

The V200 I got offer a DAC for it´s price at 799Euro. New customers may need to pay the same price but without the DAC. I Like the idea of dual outputs until I realized you can´t switch between them and one is supposedly better then the other.

 

The GHP is 550$ and offer nothing more then rca input and headphone out and no internal transformer just power conditioning. It does have a higher quality volume pot though. While I do preferr the V200 for the 600 ohm T1 and it´s more synergy than anything I can´t help feeling my headhpones sound more true to life then the V200 for as wildly different headphones as the DX 1000, ED 8 and LCD-2. 

 

SPL Auditor is limited with low impedance headphones it feels like or I am ust having really bad luck regarding synergy with the ED 8 and DX 1000 in particular. It does have some beefier transformers and a bigger aluminium casing.

 

But before you hang me the V200 is a good amp. I could live happy with it as my only amp for the LCD-2 at least which is where my main focus has been so far. The ED 8 hasn´t sounded that good from what I tested with it yet. Been suggested the V200 is supposed to be tubey sounding and that is maybe why I find the GHP slightly preferrable. I dont think you can beat real life. But it´s always hard to know what people mean when they say tubey. I am sure there is as big difference between different tube amps as there is between solid states. If solid states is harsh I don´t own any such in the GHP and V200. The Head One is even softer though.

We must have similar taste if you look at my equipments. I held a Pro 900 for almost two years just recently sold it to up grade my power source.
 

Looks like so :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by santacore 

Where is this V800 review people are referring to? I checked the link mentioned previously and all I got was a page in German. I tried to translate it with babelfish, but it wasn't very clear.

 

Anyways, I now own the V800 after getting a unit for review from Robert at AphorditeCu29. I liked the unit so much that I immediately purchased it. For me, the V800 competes with anything I've heard/owned under 2k. I really think it's a great sounding DAC. In fact, it's hard to review it because I don't find any glaring problems. Top to bottom it just sounds right to my ears. Unlike the reviewer previously mentioned, I find the upsampling options to make a big difference. Most of the time I prefer the upsampling off, but it definitely make a difference.

 

If anyone wants to discuss this further, let's keep it on the V800 thread under sources, so that this thread doesn't get any further de-railed.

Have you tried out meier's newest offering?  I'm debating going concerto + stagedac vs v800 + v200.  I'd be interested if anyone else has heard the two and ab'ed.  Also, do you know if Robert from aphrodite offers a deal on buying the two together (like meiers deal on the combo?)  

I have not heard Meier's latest offering. 

Talk to Robert about a package deal, he's the only one that can make that call.

Until now there is only 1 review concerning DAC V800 in a German HiFi magazin.
 

Write me a PM to have it.

DAC V800 was tested for the first time in a german journal.
The man who was in charge for testing was so impressed about DAC V800 that he ordered one piece
to serve as his personal DAC afterwards.

The conclusion:

Inside the review there was a remark from the measuring departement saying:
The measured specs are top class !

The conclusion is:
Put V800 together with some not necessarily expensive CD-transport and you will achieve a system that will
beat most of the expensive chromed and polished exclusive gear.

This is similar to my experience. I was invited to review the first V800 that came into the states. After 1 day of listening I decided to buy the unit. Sadly, I've been so bus with work/life that I haven't reviewed the piece. Let's just say that I'm really enjoying it, and find no faults to note. 

What chip does the v800 use?  Sorry if it has been posted already, could not find it.