[Audiogalore]

Solid state or tubes?

 

[Equus]

Quote:

Solid state or tubes!

Is that a statement or a question? 

 

[kwkarth]

Besides having been addressed many times in this thread, your question, as you posed it, is simply too broad to answer.  Either technology will work fine as long as all the other conditions are met properly.

 

[gogogasgas]

Quote:

Yes, I think it drives them pretty effortlessly. The amp has good dynamics and punch. I wouldn't say it sounds particularly hard or soft. It's fairly neutral with a very musical sound. Yes, I definitely feel detail retrieval is good without being analytical. Fit and finish are nice in a industrial sort of way. The soldering seemed a tad bit sloppy, but otherwise I think it's a very nice little package.

 
Thanks Santacore! Well wrought response. The V200 does seem to offer very good value, all things considered.
 

More information on the VIOLECTRIC V200.​

 

[dallan]

I have had the V200 for a couple of days now and i am very impressed.  It just sounds right.  Nice and warm with good midrange.  Can't wait for the LCD-2 to come and plug them in, right now I am using it mainly with the HD800s and occasionally the DX1000s.  Drives both of those remarkably well, i was worried about the 800s but they sound very nice with the V200.

 

[oqvist]

How about the DX 1000 on the V200?. That is a finicky headphone surely. Also curious what other amps you have as reference points? The V200 is high on my list to try if I am not totally sold on either the GHP or Traformatic. Not that I expect otherwise

 

[dallan]

My other amps as reference points are: Eddie Current Zana Duex, Musical Fidelity XCAN V3 with XPSU, and Triad Audio Lisa lll.
 
V200 was much fuller sounding and drove both phones much better than the Lisa lll.  V200 had a much better midrange than the xcan and had less boomy/flubby bass as well.  So the bass really cleaned up and the midrange sang.
 
As far as the Zana, the Zana was quieter, which it is known for and had a different presentation.  The 800s really sing with the Zana Duex, that's for sure, sometimes i just shake my head in amazement.  That said the V200 sounded wonderful with the 800s in its own way.  
With the DX1000s I found that the V200 sounded to drive them better than the Zana Duex, which is only rated at 200 mw at 32 ohm and the DX1000 is 50 ohm.  But that said the Zana Duex still exhibited a very quiet background and an intense sound stage.  The difference was that the sound of the Zana was slightly thin in comparison to the V200 at that 50 ohm level.  Remember the V200 has something like 2700mw there vs, the Zana Duex ......maybe something just over 200mw.
 
I really did just some preliminary a/b with it when it arrived and then decided to kind of sit with the V200 and see how i liked it listening to it primarily over several days.  Also I don't like turning the tubes on and off constantly over the day but don't want to leave them on so the Zana I want to listen when i have a solid timeframe anyway.
 
When the LCD2 comes i will go to all of the amps and compare.
 

 

[gknix]

Since the Protector can somewhat drive the HE-5LEs as a portable, has anyone tried it with the LCD-2? 

 

[oqvist]

Oh is there hiss issues with the V200? Surprised me a bit since I never had that problem with the solid state amps I have used. How bad is it?

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Since the Protector can somewhat drive the HE-5LEs as a portable, has anyone tried it with the LCD-2? 

Anything that will properly drive the HE-5LEs, will drive the LCD-2 even better as they're at least 6dB more sensitive than the 5LE's.  My Meier Aria does a passable job driving the LCD-2s and sounds awful, anemic, and gutless with the 5LEs.

 

[Equus]

Quote:

Since the Protector can somewhat drive the HE-5LEs as a portable, has anyone tried it with the LCD-2? 

A few of us heard the LCD-2 on the Protector at the recent Seattle meet.  I didn't get enough time to say for certain, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sound out of something with such a small form factor.  My initial thoughts were that there weren't any glaring problems or congestion, but seeing as the environment wasn't really ideal, that should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[Solude]

Quote:

My Meier Aria does a passable job driving the LCD-2s and sounds awful, anemic, and gutless with the 5LEs.

Moderately off topic but since I don't have my LCD-2 yet I snagged some HE-5LE and the Meier Concerto drives the HE well even without going to high gain.  Listening right now on low gain, 11 o'clock.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Moderately off topic but since I don't have my LCD-2 yet I snagged some HE-5LE and the Meier Concerto drives the HE well even without going to high gain.  Listening right now on low gain, 11 o'clock.

Makes sense.  The Concerto has twice the power of the Aria.

 

[santacore]

Quote:

Oh is there hiss issues with the V200? Surprised me a bit since I never had that problem with the solid state amps I have used. How bad is it?

I have noticed no hiss issues with the V200 and either the LCD-2 or HD-800's.

 

[dallan]

 

Oh is there hiss issues with the V200? Surprised me a bit since I never had that problem with the solid state amps I have used. How bad is it?

 

Quote:

I have noticed no hiss issues with the V200 and either the LCD-2 or HD-800's.

I have no hiss issues with the V200 and the HD800s or the DX1000 and I have heard Santicore's and didn't hear hiss with the LCD2's either.  Who mentioned hiss?