[project86]

It's easily in the same league as Taurus mkII and CMA800R. That's about as far as I'm comfortable going at this early stage. More when I've put a liberal amount of hours on it. 

 

[Icosaeder]

@project86: I am super excited about the v281. Please, give us some updates on your opinion about the amp and especially on the pairing HD800 and v281. I am considering the v281, the Bryston bha-1 and the Auralic Taurus as companions for my HD800 (via balanced connection). Any recommendation on that?
 
Best,
Matt

 

[Megalomaniak]

 
 
Another impression!
 
Ive been listening the V281 amp via single-ended mode, my Balanced cable will arrive soon and the amp works beautiful with all of my headphones, but, the big surprise is the K701!
 
Yes! LCD-2 sound awesome out of it, also the Denon AH-D7000, but thats something I expected, what I did not expect at all was the big improvement in the AKG K701s.
 
The AKG K701 is a headphones that either you love it or hate it, I was in the "love it" side, but there was something I didnt like about the K701, the mid-treble transition. The K701s have a strange, harshy peak around 5-6khz that harsh a little bit, more if the recording isnt a quality one. Also, the bass department, unless you use tubes, always has been a bit thin, I liked it in this way tho, for classical music and OSTs, but for other styles it laked punch and body.
 
Well, I decided that the time had come to test the K701 with my new amp, and WOW, the K701 just evolved into a new level!!
 
That harsh area near the treble almost dissapeared, and this is not burn-in related at all, the headphones has up to 2000 hours of use and I know it very very well. But the treble just calmed down a bit in that side, having all the extension the K701 always had, just add the plus of smoothness and a controlled situation and you got it!! Awesome.
 
Also the mids part has been increased in resolution, clarity and a bit of body, which makes the headphones more fun to listen with rock/blues styles.
 
The bass department boosted up, the sub-bass area goes very deep and this is easily noticeable, electronic music and the punch of drums sound much better. Also the overall bass has a tighter and punchier feeling, giving drums and percusion instruments more presence.
 
As I say, this was a total surprise. I tried the K701s with many headphone and integrated amps, and Ive never heard it like this. Not even from tubes (marantz and McIntosh amps). Tubes gave it a smoother sound, but just smoother at all, a bit bassier, but the bass wasnt controlled at all, it was muddy, but the V281 gives very well controlled tight bass while smoothing the treble and increasing transparency and body of mids, and all this with the typical Violectric black background.
 
Also the soundstage imaging got to another level, now sounds more realism.

 

[roskodan]

did you get the balanced cable for the lcd?
 
Violectric is back!

 

[Megalomaniak]

  did you get the balanced cable for the lcd?
 
Violectric is back!

 
Is "in the making", a good hand-crafter here has a long queue, but I will have it soon. It will have silver and Neutrik connectors, just as my SE cable for the LCDs.

 

[Armaegis]

  The AKG K701 is a headphones that either you love it or hate it, I was in the "love it" side, but there was something I didnt like about the K701, the mid-treble transition. The K701s have a strange, harshy peak around 5-6khz that harsh a little bit, more if the recording isnt a quality one. Also, the bass department, unless you use tubes, always has been a bit thin, I liked it in this way tho, for classical music and OSTs, but for other styles it laked punch and body.

 
Have you ever tried the K612? I've owned or heard several iterations of the K701/702/etc and felt much the same about them. Then I tried the K612 and found it eliminated most of the gripes I had about the k701 but had the same technical prowess.

 

[Megalomaniak]

   
Have you ever tried the K612? I've owned or heard several iterations of the K701/702/etc and felt much the same about them. Then I tried the K612 and found it eliminated most of the gripes I had about the k701 but had the same technical prowess.

 
No, but I would love to! Im going to try the K712 Pros soon tho

 

[Xenophon]

@Megalomaniac:  When you say 'smoothing' the treble, do you mean -to use a pejorative- 'smearing' the sound?  What I'd like to know is, if you compare it to say, the V200, how is the 'delineation' of the sound:  distinctly separate notes or does it present more 'overflow' so to speak?  With classical I've always found this to be one of the few areas where the V200 performs less good than an amp like for instance the Burson conductor (which comes with its own weaknesses).

 

[saxelrod92]

I have a question about the pre-order status shown on the Violectric USA store. If I were to buy lets say the V281 right now off that online store, does that get counted towards that current list of pre-orders that are seemingly getting shipped out right away? or is it going to put me onto another list that will ship out units after this current list? Just wondering how soon I could expect to have one of these great amps waiting at my door for me lol, if I were to place an order on the online USA store, since it still says pre-order.

 

[roskodan]

@fdg was thinking about pro reviewers like project86, and other, which are mostly (read 'all') from the states, and are featured on many popular hi-fi sites, but also about their European counterparts, and especially hobbyist / community / reviewers which i see are getting quite some audience, like Dan Gheorghe, who is doing a terrific effort as a hobbyist on his http://headmania.org blog site, and facebook page, so perhaps violectric/lakepeople demo/review units touring Europe can make a stop there too, which will be of interest for both us consumers and businesses here on the other side of the pond
 
 

  @Megalomaniac:  When you say 'smoothing' the treble, do you mean -to use a pejorative- 'smearing' the sound?  What I'd like to know is, if you compare it to say, the V200, how is the 'delineation' of the sound:  distinctly separate notes or does it present more 'overflow' so to speak?  With classical I've always found this to be one of the few areas where the V200 performs less good than an amp like for instance the Burson conductor (which comes with its own weaknesses).

 
i don't think there was any pejorative sense even remotely, it's about giving control and body up on top

 

[project86]

I have a question about the pre-order status shown on the Violectric USA store. If I were to buy lets say the V281 right now off that online store, does that get counted towards that current list of pre-orders that are seemingly getting shipped out right away? or is it going to put me onto another list that will ship out units after this current list? Just wondering how soon I could expect to have one of these great amps waiting at my door for me lol, if I were to place an order on the online USA store, since it still says pre-order.

I'd just shoot them an email. Arthur usually responds very quickly.

 

[Megalomaniak]

  @Megalomaniac:  When you say 'smoothing' the treble, do you mean -to use a pejorative- 'smearing' the sound?  What I'd like to know is, if you compare it to say, the V200, how is the 'delineation' of the sound:  distinctly separate notes or does it present more 'overflow' so to speak?  With classical I've always found this to be one of the few areas where the V200 performs less good than an amp like for instance the Burson conductor (which comes with its own weaknesses).

 
I dont feel it lacks any air, extension or anything, K701s sound all they good can sound, nothing more nothing less. When I say smooth, I mean its a "easy listening trebble", like, if you hook up a Grado 325is, the trebble part is not as harsh as in other amps, but well extended.

 

[saxelrod92]

I'd just shoot them an email. Arthur usually responds very quickly.

Alright, I'll give them a try.

 

[GourouLubrik]

 
Alright, I'll give them a try.

And please report back if you get an Estimated Time of Arrival

 

[saxelrod92]

  And please report back if you get an Estimated Time of Arrival

Well Arthur PM'd me, but idk if that means he doesn't want it public wide knowledge yet. but I do have a time frame according to him, he only just found out recently. I'll just PM you.