Hmm, i feel like the attenuator adds a bit of nuance/flexibility. I crank up anywhere from 11oclock to noon to power by Abyss Phi. I'd imagine it would be closer to 9oclock without the attenuator, which presumably drops even further for more sensitive cans. The stepped volume dial from the...

Yes only briefly heard the Six a long time ago - before the Utopia was released. The Six and Prautes in my brief experience are very similar (my guess is that Pratues was modelled after the Six, but could be wrong). And as I said, I haven't heard anything that comes close to the synergy of the...

but for some reason the 8ohm setting is definitely inferior to the 32ohm setting out of my amp. The Utopia sounds way too thin on the 8ohm setting.

Hmm, I wonder what impedance setting you use with the Teton? My lesser known Prautes has the following settings: 8Ω, 32Ω, 100Ω, 300Ω The Utopia sounds too anaemic on the 8Ω, but too bloomy on the 100Ω & 300Ω. It's strange because the Utopia is rated at 85Ω, so I assumed the 100Ω setting would...

I own the AK320 (same as AK380 ex. DSD) with the AK amp, and I also own the Hugo2. The Hugo2/Utopia experience is easily better than with the AK320+amp. Specifically, I find the Hugo2 DAC is quite a bit better. It's not easy to compare the AK320's amp with the Hugo2's amp - as neither has...

Yep Prautes has an impedance selector. I found the 32ohm setting is great. Higher impedance settings (eg 300 ohm) are great for less efficient hp.

I used to own the Violectric V281 and used it to power my Utopia. Then I got my Cypher Labs Prautes (disclaimer: currently on sale to fund 2 channel setup). It BLOWS the V281 out of the park: same transparency/clarity but much fuller/deeper bass and MUCH larger sound stage. So naturally I then...

I had the HD800S/V281 setup for a long time, and it was just amazing. I suspect though the V281 is a better match for the LCD3 than it is for the HD800S. In hindsight, I would recommend a tube amp (such as the WA22) for the HD800S. The one major gripe I have with the V281 is that the MAGIC out...

I think Stax for most people means a "no" to non electrostatic setups. The utopia are very hard hitting and dynamic and therefore not really the same sound signature as Stax. You probably do get even more detail retrieval with a high end Stax but not sure that's a good thing. Utopia is already...

I have driven the Utopia with 3 combinations [note I don't listen to DSD]: 1. The AK320 (same as AK380 for PCM) - using balanced 2.5 AND the AK amp 2. The Pavane DAC plugged into the V281 amp 3. The Pavane DAC plugged into the Cypher Labs Prautes amp Each iteration resulted in a very material...

If you think a higher quality DAC doesn't improve sound quality, then you aren't listening closely enough or you have a hearing problem... OR the rest of your set up (source files, source component, amp, speakers/headphones, cables) isn't up to scratch. A higher quality DAC (yggy, metrum...

I agree. I owned the HD800S for a year and sold to upgrade to the Focal Utopia. I think the HD800S like its predecessor is somewhat picky with source to get it sounding "right". I have a warm leaning (as far as SS amps go) Violectric V281, which was a great pairing with the HD800S, and now...

At the risk of reviving an old, dead thread... I stumbled into this forum as I am trying to sell my v281 and seeing what people thought of the amp. I don't think it's possible to beat the v281 if you're after a solid state headphone amp. In my experience of owning it for 12 months, I found...

Has anyone actually heard this amp? I have - and am in talks to buy one soon. I think it's extraordinary - supreme detail, depth/warmth you want in a tube amp and sheer power that feeds scalable headphones (such as the Focal Utopia) to their full potential. Surprising there aren't more...

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...

This is a rather long thread! I tried my best to search & find comparisons... but have yet to find impressions that directly compares the v281 against the Headamp GSX MkII and the SimAudio Moon 430HA (though I note one poster who traded away a 430HA for a v281 is staunchly defensive of that...

The two main headphones in my setup are the HD800S and the Utopia. I power both with the Metrum Pavane + V281. The Utopia beats the HD800S hands down. It is simply a better headphone - better resolution, better/punchier dynamics, more balanced (given MUCH better bass), and also has a very...

Just concurring that my metrum acoustics pavane + V281 + Utopia combo is just excellent at the 8'oclock to 9'oclock setting, with default gain jumpers. I will check out what changing the gain jumpers may do and report back :)

Hi all, Long time reader, first time poster. I've thoroughly enjoyed my step into the world of higher end head-fi over the last 12 months - informed largely by the excellent forums on this website. I am only just starting to feel sufficiently qualified to potentially comment on products and also...