[senator52]

I picked up the v281/v850 for just under 3.5 about this time last year, so ironically from everything I've seen about Violectric being expensive, in Australia they were actually quite at the affordable end of the high end(ish) audio market.

 

[UntilThen]

I believe you about the price. I would have been given a good discount if I wanted to go for the v281. Some gear prices are the reversed here. Ragnarok is selling at Schiit Audio USA for $1699. Violectric v281 price overseas is $2299. US dollars here.

However here at A2A, Rag is $2950 and v281 is $2699. Aussie dollars here. So in Australia, prices for these 2 items are the opposite.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

I believe you about the price. I would have been given a good discount if I wanted to go for the v281. Some gear prices are the reversed here. Ragnarok is selling at Schiit Audio USA for $1699. Violectric v281 price overseas is $2299. US dollars here.

However here at A2A, Rag is $2950 and v281 is $2699. Aussie dollars here. So in Australia, prices for these 2 items are the opposite.

That's too much for a Rag. One of its appeals is its competitive price. The Vio is overpriced in US as well, but if it's less than the Rag there, you have less of an incentive to go with the Rag.

Honestly, if I were you I'd also look into the Audio-GD Master 9 as a serious competitor to both. It can be shipped to your side of the world for a reasonable price, and if you look back at Tony Newman's posts here, also an Australian, he jumped from the v281 to the M9, and while he really liked the former, he ended up preferring the latter.

This is not to slander against the Rag or the v281 at all but just to give you another option beyond the two. The Schiit amp loses a lot of its appeal when it's priced like that because dealers mark it up. Relative to it, the pricing of the v281 becomes less of an issue. The M9, however, can still be purchased directly just as Schiit can be in the US.

 

[UntilThen]

That's too much for a Rag. One of its appeals is its competitive price. The Vio is overpriced in US as well, but if it's less than the Rag there, you have less of an incentive to go with the Rag.

Honestly, if I were you I'd also look into the Audio-GD Master 9 as a serious competitor to both. It can be shipped to your side of the world for a reasonable price, and if you look back at Tony Newman's posts here, also an Australian, he jumped from the v281 to the M9, and while he really liked the former, he ended up preferring the latter.

This is not to slander against the Rag or the v281 at all but just to give you another option beyond the two. The Schiit amp loses a lot of its appeal when it's priced like that because dealers mark it up. Relative to it, the pricing of the v281 becomes less of an issue. The M9, however, can still be purchased directly just as Schiit can be in the US.

Interesting. Not wanting to hijack this thread with another amp discussion but I appreciate your suggestion. I did a quick read of the Audio Gd 9 and I get the impression it's very revealing, very hot and neutral bright. v281 on the other hand is neutral warm.

I think one's setup is an important consideration and also one's preference for sound signature. Personal preference is a big factor.

I'll never be able to roll gear like Tony does. I don't intend to get any deeper. I noticed that he's using Metrum Pavane > Audio Gd 9 > He-6. That might explain his preference.

However when I heard v281 with Yggdrasil and HD800 in balanced mode, I thought that it had great synergy. Really good here.

It's true that Audio Gd 9 is cheaper for me but that's a 16kgs beast and shipping by DHL is a whopping $200. However when shopping for an ss amp, slight price variation isn't going to influence my decision. I have to like what I hear. I will have a listen to Ragnarok again on Sunday but my memory of it with Yggy and HD800 is one of neutral. I don't know if I will like that in the long term.

Personally I like what I hear with Yggy > v281 > HD800 and have intention to purchase a LCD2.2 or 3 in future. I think I have a preference for neutral warm especially partnering gear like Yggy and HD800.

I won't close my mind though. In the next few days, I'll do a lot more reading. Who knows what amp I will eventually be getting but as of now, v281 seems to be the front runner.

Oh another consideration is heat. I will be using the amp with Yggy on my big L-shaped office desk. Does the v281 feel hot after several hours of usage? I believe it will be cooler than Rag and Audio Gd 9.

 

[project86]

Mine was in use for hours yesterday, and it got only moderately warm to the touch, at worst. Nowhere near as warm as some of my other amps, or even some DACs for that matter.

 

[UntilThen]

Mine was in use for hours yesterday, and it got only moderately warm to the touch, at worst. Nowhere near as warm as some of my other amps, or even some DACs for that matter.

Thanks. That's good to know. That's my experience too at A2A. in the 2 hours session, the v281 was barely warm. The built is solidly constructed for such a small foot print shoe box shape amp. I like the volume control. It felt very smooth to turn and was very precise.

 

[Badas]

@Badas how do you like all your gear together at Addicted To Audio?



A better picture of the black Yggdrasil with the silver v281.

Black Yggy looks great. I want.

 

[Asteron70]

I've truly enjoyed my last 12 months with the v281 - definitely the best SS amp I've heard, and I've tried the GSX Mk2 and 430HA. But it HAS to be heard in XLR balanced mode (and via the 4pin out); the single ended mode is not as good.

I happen to be selling my fully upgraded v281, so let me know if interested (can ship to anywhere, the unit is in perfect condition, 4 years warranty left) - detailed ad is here:
http://www.aussieaudiomart.com/deta...violectric-v281-dac-preamp-hp-amp-rrp-us3290/

 

[UntilThen]

I've truly enjoyed my last 12 months with the v281 - definitely the best SS amp I've heard, and I've tried the GSX Mk2 and 430HA. But it HAS to be heard in XLR balanced mode (and via the 4pin out); the single ended mode is not as good.

I happen to be selling my fully upgraded v281, so let me know if interested (can ship to anywhere, the unit is in perfect condition, 4 years warranty left) - detailed ad is here:
http://www.aussieaudiomart.com/deta...violectric-v281-dac-preamp-hp-amp-rrp-us3290/

Unfortunately I cannot justify a fully upgrade model. Standard is more than sufficient for me.

Agree that it's best in balanced mode. I will get the Cardas 4pin xlr cable for my hd800. Sounds absolutely awesome.

 

[senator52]

Standard is more than sufficient for me.

I have the 'base' version, I've heard lots of people talking about the sonic upgrades of the different volume pots but I certainly have no issue with the base volume pot. I actually struggle to understand why a volume pot impacts the sound quality but I digress.

 

[project86]

I heard an older clone of a V200 back in the day. It was terrible. Not sure what they did wrong, but it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I wouldn't trust a clone manufacturer to get quality control right, nor to accurately reproduce the design with the same quality. Especially not for $999 which still ain't cheap.

 

[project86]

Interesting. I guess I've never seen the insides of a V281 with regular volume option. Mine (relay version) looks like this:

 

[fixated]

I'm a bit in a panic as my V281 went to an "Overloading" error where the MUTE and LINE are just blinking and I'm not sure what to do. I've tried turning it off and leaving it off for a couple of minutes but it does not seem to work. I've also had the hugo TT's volume lower than the line out mode so it won't output 3V, but that doesn't seem to work. Strangely enough I didn't have this issue previously when I had it setup the way it is right now. Anyone had this problem before?

 

[fixated]

I'm a bit in a panic as my V281 went to an "Overloading" error where the MUTE and LINE are just blinking and I'm not sure what to do. I've tried turning it off and leaving it off for a couple of minutes but it does not seem to work. I've also had the hugo TT's volume lower than the line out mode so it won't output 3V, but that doesn't seem to work. Strangely enough I didn't have this issue previously when I had it setup the way it is right now. Anyone had this problem before?

Ok, false alarm. But still curious as to what might have caused it, it seemed to went back to normal after keeping it on without anything plugged for 10 mins.

 

[project86]

What were you doing prior to the error activation?