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Review: Violectric HPA V200 amp
Jun 1, 2012 at 12:54 AM Post #1,411 of 3,062
Quote:
spkrs01 said:
 
Great looking cable......unlike Zombie_X, I find the V200 really revels in having a good power cable. I am using a silver/gold power cord and immediately noticeable is the airier and larger soundstage along with a more textured bass. Mids are pushed forwards slightly.
 
All in all, I have found it a good improvement on the V200 adding a little more liveliness to the sound signature.
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IMO the best improvement can be achieved  connecting the equipment using simple cables   with an electronic inverter that supplies ultra stable/clean/noiseless  sine wave
it cost money but it worth it 
like having a private power station in your home
 
Jun 1, 2012 at 2:22 AM Post #1,412 of 3,062
zombie_x said:
To those wondering about Robert:

I just spoke with Robert and he's doing alright. He told me he had just got over a little bout of depression and has had some family issues lately so hopefully you guys can understand. He's trying to work his way through his e-mails as we speak and will answer everyone's ASAP. So he's on it guys, he's just a little behind.

Also I got some nice news from him. Can you say STAX DEALER? You heard me, he now deals STAX gear and I was told that the gear will be on his site soon. Maybe I'll try to demo something :wink:
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Although we may have differing opinions on cables and the such, but I am sure all of us here have the same opinion of Robert being an excellent dealer. I'm sad to hear that Robert has some personal issues affecting his life, but glad that he is overcoming them.

Do give him some leeway ya, guys. :)
 
Jun 1, 2012 at 2:59 AM Post #1,413 of 3,062
Quote:
zombie_x said:
To those wondering about Robert:
 
I just spoke with Robert and he's doing alright. He told me he had just got over a little bout of depression and has had some family issues lately so hopefully you guys can understand. He's trying to work his way through his e-mails as we speak and will answer everyone's ASAP. So he's on it guys, he's just a little behind.
 
Also I got some nice news from him. Can you say STAX DEALER? You heard me, he now deals STAX gear and I was told that the gear will be on his site soon. Maybe I'll try to demo something :wink:
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Nice to know he's fine. And I just got my reply email :)
 
If I hadn't already bought my stax set I would surely do business with him.
 
Jun 1, 2012 at 7:06 AM Post #1,414 of 3,062
Quote:
spkrs01 said:
 
Personally, I will stretch out to the V200 if funds allow! I have both the HE500 and LCD-2 Bamboo. Both headphones have excellent synergy with the V200. I have a silver/gold cable on the HE500 and that is where my preference lies at the moment until I get the same cable for the LCD-2
wink_face.gif
. 
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thanks for the help, i'll go with the V200 then.
 
also, the Talisman T33H is highly recommended  on another forum, anyone compared it to the V200?
 
Jun 1, 2012 at 7:34 AM Post #1,415 of 3,062
I've pulled the trigger on a V200 from Thomann in Germany, on the theory I wanted to trial it under their 30 day return policy, though now I see the prices for shipping it back ... ouch 
basshead.gif

 
But from what I've read on this thread and the reviews I am pretty excited. I've gone a roundabout way over the last weeks reconfiguring my system from an IBasso D10, starting with an Audiolab MDAC and then finding I needed a warmer, less treble-edgy presentation, and more authority, than the MDAC's amp section gave me.
 
I'm sitting with it hooked up to a Lyr at the moment (thanks Zombie_X for replying to my other thread asking for comparisons between the Lyr and V200), which I do like but I'm not sure I'm a tube rolling kinda guy (all that faff!), and I need to be able to use a range of cans, even IEMs as I share a small home office so at times I need no sound leakage at all.  
 
I also heard the Burson HA 160D which had great bass presence and PRaT, though I found the extension/detail at the top end to be a little lacking, hence ending up with the MDAC. Had I been reading this forum as much as I am now , maybe I would have gone about things totally differently, but here I am.
 
*drums fingers* *waits anxiously for shipping notification*
wink_face.gif

 
Jun 2, 2012 at 7:49 PM Post #1,416 of 3,062
 *Quick V200 + Nordost Heimdall Revision #2 Power Cord Impressions*
 
  Ok, guys - first of all this cord is not for those seeking a big sound stage improvement on the V200 amp, not sure
  if others are achieving any great benefits or perhaps it is simply signature from the Nordost Norse series of interconnects
  and power cords - for your reference I decided to do a bit of blind testing using the one track that I know very well :-
 
  Frank Sinatra - One more for my Baby (One for the Road) 
 
  Luckily, my sister came around and played devil's advocate - randomly replacing the power cord out of the V200
  between the standard IEC and Nordost Heimdall revision #2 - 100% results all round, picking the differences
  between the two - she finally revealed that the test went as follows - IEC, Nordost, IEC, Nordost, Nordost.
 
  Any benefits? Initially I thought that like the Nordost Blue Heaven I'd just made my rig less dynamic all round,
  but then the details became apparent - more texture, nuance, there is more air between the notes but lastly
  the dead giveaway - the clapping at the end of the track always had me reaching for the volume dial - brittle,
  glassy smacking of the hands that always proved to be too much - not so - with the Nordost Heimdall now
  though.
 
  Worth it? It is for me - I'll pick up another unit with the Pangea adapter for the Rega DAC and go from there, real
  limitation now is my interconnect - I'll run the gauntlet between either the Nordost Frey RCA or this little known
 piece of goodness - the Stealth Audio PGS-01 - quite a few opinions out that this is most likely the most sweet
 and detailed RCA out there for under $1000.
 
 
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 12:36 AM Post #1,417 of 3,062
Quote:
 
  Worth it? It is for me - I'll pick up another unit with the Pangea adapter for the Rega DAC and go from there, real
  limitation now is my interconnect - I'll run the gauntlet between either the Nordost Frey RCA or this little known
 piece of goodness - the Stealth Audio PGS-01 - quite a few opinions out that this is most likely the most sweet
 and detailed RCA out there for under $1000.
 
 
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I love Stealth cables especially the Sakra, imho, probably the best available cables with perhaps the exception of Argento Flow Master Reference for speaker rig systems!!!
 
Happy listening............................
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 1:01 AM Post #1,418 of 3,062
Quote:
spkrs01 said:
 
I love Stealth cables especially the Sakra, imho, probably the best available cables with perhaps the exception of Argento Flow Master Reference for speaker rig systems!!!
 
Happy listening............................
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 Wow - you've heard a Sakra in either RCA or XLR? Lucky Lucky 
smile.gif

 
 I've been tainted and taunted ever since a mate let me hear his pair of Stealth Audio Meta Carbons on my V200 - totally ruined me - this was with a HD800 
 lying around, the clarity and sound stage was simply to die for - those cables would pass any blind test even at a school for the deaf.
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 1:13 AM Post #1,419 of 3,062
Quote:
gwarmi said:
 
 Wow - you've heard a Sakra in either RCA or XLR? Lucky Lucky 
smile.gif

 
 I've been tainted and taunted ever since a mate let me hear his pair of Stealth Audio Meta Carbons on my V200 - totally ruined me - this was with a HD800 
 lying around, the clarity and sound stage was simply to die for - those cables would pass any blind test even at a school for the deaf.
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XLR.....with the Dream V10 speaker cables and power conditioning/ground management from Tripoint Audio.
 
Stealth has been my favorite since the Indra
wink_face.gif
.
 
Back to the V200, with cable changes especially the power, has really lifted it's performance by quite a fair margin! Surprisingly for me, it is an extremely resolving amp scaling up or down depending what camp one is in....loving it at the moment
bigsmile_face.gif
. I have managed in getting mine to sound pretty lively and extremely detailed compared to the smooth out of the box, sound signature. Bass is pretty incredible on the V200.................
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 5:17 AM Post #1,420 of 3,062
Quote:
tokengesture said:
 
Hey there - I was thinking about this as a combo. Finding the MDAC a little too bright after burn in with my TI and 325s.  Any further impressions you can share? 
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I bought the V200 to tame the brightness of my HD800 not the MDAC.  It does tame the brightness enough that I no longer get listener fatigue after a couple of hour of listening.  I like how it brings out the mids a bit more as well.  YMMV.  This is compared to my audio-gd c2.1.
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 1:12 PM Post #1,421 of 3,062
I'm using temporary XLR cable on my V200 right not, I got them from Monoprice and they are really nice fore sure. I haven't had the time to make my own... As for the power cable, I am using a hospital grade cord in a 6' length and had to chop it down from 12'. For the surge protector I am using a Monster HTS 950. I had hiss on my X-CANV8P for the longest time and thought it was the amp, using the new conditioner all that hiss has gone.
 
As for cables I am a believer that there is a point when no upgrades can would be significant. I use a combination of Belkin Pure AV cables as well as my own DIY ones. The Belkin cables a as good if not as good as $200 Audioquest cables. My DIY cables are at least as good as the Audioquest King Cobra's. No BS, this is what I hear. I believe that in this world of $1,000 cables that $500 should be the limit. I've heard some Kimber Kable, Nordost, Mapleshade, and many Audioquest cables and believe that money is wasted after a certain point. I fell $1,000 IC's are a total waste of money. You may laugh at me for using cheap cables but they are that good.
 
 
X-CANV8P VS V200:
Since I got my V8P unpacked I wanted to get a nice comparison to them done. I figure the V200 is supposed to be a very warm amp, like a tube amp. I wanted to compare it to my V8P which is a hybrid design. I wanted to keep the solid state element in and not go full tubes so that's why the V8P is used. 
 
Surprisingly the V200 is much warmer sounding with more focus on the midrange and bass. The V8P is brighter in comparison with a warm tone but not as much mids or bass. The V200 sounds a lot like an OTL tube design to my ears with it's rich and full sound with the rolled treble. One area that it bests the V8P in is detail and resolving power. It's a lot more detailed and resolving, but it seems the V8P maybe more transparent. The V8P give the illusion of more detail because it is brighter, but not so.
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 3:08 PM Post #1,422 of 3,062
Quote:
tokengesture said:
I've pulled the trigger on a V200 from Thomann in Germany, on the theory I wanted to trial it under their 30 day return policy, though now I see the prices for shipping it back ... ouch 
basshead.gif
Click to expand...

 
Atleast here in Finland they just send you a pre-paid shipping label. No return costs. I've already shipped tons of stuff back and forth.. I'd still like to try out Signature Pros and Lake People G109..
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 5:02 PM Post #1,423 of 3,062
Quote:
zombie_x said:
I'm using temporary XLR cable on my V200 right not, I got them from Monoprice and they are really nice fore sure. I haven't had the time to make my own... As for the power cable, I am using a hospital grade cord in a 6' length and had to chop it down from 12'. For the surge protector I am using a Monster HTS 950. I had hiss on my X-CANV8P for the longest time and thought it was the amp, using the new conditioner all that hiss has gone.
 
As for cables I am a believer that there is a point when no upgrades can would be significant. I use a combination of Belkin Pure AV cables as well as my own DIY ones. The Belkin cables a as good if not as good as $200 Audioquest cables. My DIY cables are at least as good as the Audioquest King Cobra's. No BS, this is what I hear. I believe that in this world of $1,000 cables that $500 should be the limit. I've heard some Kimber Kable, Nordost, Mapleshade, and many Audioquest cables and believe that money is wasted after a certain point. I fell $1,000 IC's are a total waste of money. You may laugh at me for using cheap cables but they are that good.
 
 
X-CANV8P VS V200:
Since I got my V8P unpacked I wanted to get a nice comparison to them done. I figure the V200 is supposed to be a very warm amp, like a tube amp. I wanted to compare it to my V8P which is a hybrid design. I wanted to keep the solid state element in and not go full tubes so that's why the V8P is used. 
 
Surprisingly the V200 is much warmer sounding with more focus on the midrange and bass. The V8P is brighter in comparison with a warm tone but not as much mids or bass. The V200 sounds a lot like an OTL tube design to my ears with it's rich and full sound with the rolled treble. One area that it bests the V8P in is detail and resolving power. It's a lot more detailed and resolving, but it seems the V8P maybe more transparent. The V8P give the illusion of more detail because it is brighter, but not so.
Click to expand...

 
 
 I think the problem lies in that many manufacturers - and I won't name them here - produce cables of $1000+ value and there is nothing of a great value to be heard.
 
 Having said that - some do - make substantial gains that are still ridiculously pricey - guarantee that you'd be binning your home made cables and the Belkins
 if given a weekend with a pair of Sakra or Indra from Stealth - you'd be a convert in about 20 seconds.
 
Jun 3, 2012 at 5:27 PM Post #1,424 of 3,062
I highly doubt that my friend. I heard the Nordost Tyr and they didn't sound that much better than my DIY ones at all. $2,000 cables for what... I haven't heard the Sakra but did get a chance to test out the Indra which sounded subpar IMO. Maybe worth a $200-$300 cable from what I heard. But still vastly overpriced. I wonder how the Sakra performs though, but still it's going to be extremely overpriced, I can guarantee that.
 
Quote:
gwarmi said:
 
 
 I think the problem lies in that many manufacturers - and I won't name them here - produce cables of $1000+ value and there is nothing of a great value to be heard.
 
 Having said that - some do - make substantial gains that are still ridiculously pricey - guarantee that you'd be binning your home made cables and the Belkins
 if given a weekend with a pair of Sakra or Indra from Stealth - you'd be a convert in about 20 seconds.
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