Review: Violectric V800 DAC - Page 8

Hi Project86,

I knew about the USB to SPDIF, but I missed the SPDIF to USB functionality apparently :)

Thanks for the the info!

Btw, I posted a few posts back about a case of mild distortion at times when using both the XLR and RCA outputs at the same time.

I've found the source of the problem. I had just received a pair of second hand Klein+Hummel O92 main studio monitors (old, mine are from 1979)

With the speakers came RCA to 3-pin DIN connector cables which I used to hook them up.

At the same time I was also using an XLR to RCA cable for small old Apple computer speakers also hooked up to the V800.

Just yesterday I was making a balanced XLR to 3-pin DIN cable for the O92 and checked the older RCA to DIN wire that came with the speakers, and noticed the RCA to DIN cable was wired wrong. They had wired the shield to the negative polarity signal pin (this would have been shield for XLR, but DIN spec is different).

So there was a serious ground problem with wiring.

This must have caused the distortion (which was there in both speaker pairs strange enough).

Now with correct wiring I can't reproduce it, so there's no problem using both the RCA and XLR outs of the V800 at the same time.

I just got my V800 from Robert yesterday.  Unfortunately it is not working.  Only LED that lights is the power indicator.  Tried USB and Toslink with no results.  It also never shows up on my mac as a valid output.  Does anyone have any ideas?  Is there something I need to do to get it going?

I tried emailing Robert but my email bounced with a "Sender Not Allowed" error.  This is from a gmail account and he and I have traded emails in the past so it doesn't make sense.  In any case, is there another way of getting a hold of him?  The website only lists his email address so I am at a loss.

Good idea.  Thanks.

Hi,

I've recently purchased a Violectric V800 which I'm now using with both a Phonitor / HD800 and a Stax SR507 / SRM 323S.

This afternoon I suddenly heard a faint crackling noise. I instantly thought the Stax setup was doing something wrong (crackling noises may happen with electrostatic under certain circumstances), but to my surprise it turned out to be the V800's fault, the last piece of equipment I was suspecting. I checked it using the Phonitor / HD800 combo. Even more surprising it seems it mostly happens when adjusting volume on the V800 or shortly afterwards, and then die away (or at least diminishes to a point I can't hear it).

It happened under the following conditions :

- all ground / lift jumpers set to "ground"

- voltage jumpers set to the minimum setting

- both the XLR and RCA connexions were in use, both connected to my two powered on amps.

- all powered devices on the same multi plug extension.

It's funny that in the user guide they say the digital volume control avoids any crackling noises - that's exactly what I'm hearing.

Do you have any idea why this happened ? Could it be some sort of DC offset (that seems weird to me that it would make a succession of crackling noises instead of a simple click, but who knows), or any other reason ?

Meanwhile I've switched everything off and I'll let the equipment cool off for a while before turning it back on.

I've managed to reproduce the problem today, using only one amp at a time. I've made a few tests to better understand what's going on. Here's what I found out :

- when using Amarra 2.4, I can hear faint cracks when adjusting the volume knob of the V800, and it gets weirder, the main sound of the Mac. But not when adjusting the volume within Amarra itself (which is a different control than the mac's volume control). The nature of the cracks is slightly different for some unknown reason. 

- when using Decibel, I can hear faint cracks of a slightly different nature when adjusting either the two volume controls within Decibel, or the V800 volume control. 

So I'm not quite sure the V800 is at fault here, my Mac may have a part in it. I'll try now different power situations (battery or plugged in, ground vs lift, different plug outlets, etc.).

EDIT : now this is getting straight to the top of my weirdest problems with audio gear.

1) So I've established the amp + headphones aren't the direct source of the problem, by using at different times the Stax and the Sennheiser systems.

2) I've tried changing all jumpers inside the V800, it did nothing.

3) I've tried to change from a power outlet to another, it did nothing. I'll try in another room and even on different plugs.

4) I've confirmed that it happens when using either Amarra or Decibels. In Amarra, it happens if either a) I change the V800's volume, or the main computer volume (which is still usable). There is no crackling that I can hear with Amarra's volume control. With Decibels, it happens with all its volume settings (the two of them), and the V800's volume control.

5) Weirdly, it only happens when changing volume, but even weirder if there is a substantial amount of bass on a track. As an example, nothing happens when there is no music playing, or if i'm playing the beginning of Kenji Kawai's Ghost In The Shell soundtrack. Crackling occurs when changing volume if I'm playing Zion from Fluke (Matrix soundtrack), or the well-known Angel from Massive Attack. The crackling noise starts to become indiscernible when the tracks gets busier, but I assume it's still there. That's very confusing, as crackling only with bass frequencies is something that's baffling me since it seems the issue comes from the digital domain.

6) I haven't noticed any drop in SQ once the volume is set.

7) Wether the mac is charging, charged, or using the battery has no influence at all.

8) Both USB ports produce the same result.

9) I can't remember it happening straight since I got the V800, I believe it only started 2 days ago.

10) It happened before I upgraded to Amarra 2.4, so upgrading the software did not mess anything up on the computer.

11) Restarting the computer did nothing.

Recently i had the chance to purchase an almost new v800 from a friend for half the price(he then bought a msb power dac).

I come from the pro audio world and often i do audio mastering.My previous dac was the Mytek Stereo 96 dac.

The v800 is an excellent dac!!! My headphone setup is pretty high-end.I have an hd 800 with a custom made balanced cable(made with jenalabs 18 awg the same one used by alo audio) and my headphone amp is the hpba2 by qes labs.

Both the hpba2 and the v800 have custom made power cables made with miltary spec silver plated copper.Both new power cables helped upgrading sonically all my chain.

But the game changer has been the violectric v800.An excellent product that is becoming popular even in some mastering studios.

The dac sounds absolutely much better than my mytek stereo96 dac.
Plenty of power,very neutral,bass is so authoritative but thight and controlled.Mids and highs are just there in the right place.Smooth and detailed.
The v800 got speed! Material with plenty of fast transients are really really well reproduced.
This dac also shows flaws in the recordings much better than my previous dac.
For what it's priced it's really a steal!!! its own analog section is really really good.I prefer to keep upsampling off.
I get a more precise sonic picture of the source.
Violectric has really put out a stunning product that deserves attention also in the audio mastering field.
I've read a review from a guy who has a blog in australia.He does a lot of dac reviews and placed the v800 among average products saying :

"Whichever way you string it, there's a slightly superior option elsewhere, sometimes for a diminished wallet hit. In short, the Violectric V800's rivals are either cheaper or better specified. In a few select cases, said competition's sound possesses greater resolution and superior musical poise. However, if you're looking for a sound that's unashamedly unromantic, of dry humour, straight spoken and tight - where bass tightness translates to bass leanness - then you might just find the Violectric V800 ticks your boxes. Das ist ein groovy beat, ja?"

i totally disagree with him.That's why i almost never read reviews by audiophile guys who don't have trained ears or do comparison tests in average listening enviroments.

I tested the v800 with plenty of reference material and all my impressions are really positive.Let's say it has upgraded my whole listening chain.

recommended!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by project86 

MayaTlab: the next thing I would try is to find another computer to use. Maybe bring the V800 to a friend and use their computer, or have them bring a laptop over to your place. That will help narrow it down even further - V800 or your computer. From there you can decide what if anything needs to be done.

I'll try to do so, although I might do it the other way round when the DA11 comes.

quick update :

my headphone amp has a stepped volume attenuator so i can listen at different volume levels calculating the difference in db.If i set the oputput of the dac at + 18dBu and i start listen to some very well known reference material

(keeping the volume at -32) i have a certain kind of perfomance on bass and on dynamics,transients etc.If i set the output of the dac at +24dBu (the maximum value you can get) and set the volume on the amp at -38

to have the same volume in my headphones as i have at +18dBu i get sonically a slightly better overall performance in bass and dynamics.

It's not subtle.My amp is very picky and works in constant current drive.Quite strange but at +24dBu the dac sounds even better!!!

Bass is a little bit more pronounced(this helps a little with hd800) and a little bit more deeper.I have done some test with 2 different output settings

before closing the upper side of the dac and putting back the torx screws.

At +24dBU the dac sounds amazing with really well recorded material.Once more Violectric shows the really high sonic value of v800!!!

If you have the chance just buy it!!! you won't regret it

Spoonfeed me: Does the V800 support 16-bit and 24 bit @ 88.2kHz input on TOS-link and Coax? Hope yes; since the Tenor USB chip is out of the question for that.