Violectric V281 review
(Apologies, not my photo, I will take some in a day or so.)
This amp landed today. I was using the little Metrum Aurix to this point on both my LCD2-C and LCD4s. On the LCD2-C I had the Aurix set to no gain (unity) to more or less it should be straight through albeit with an impedance 'fixer' down to 2 ohms via the Lundhai transformer it uses for that. So dead simple signal path.
No test with the LCD4 yet, as I am on my second system without them at the moment. Also using the standard LCD2 cable which is SE 6.3mm plug.
Right away I can hear more detail and transparency. The soundstage has also expanded, much more 3D and wider, higher and deeper. The instruments are more separated v the Aurix, it is less confused when things get busy. The bass has more authority, is more tuneful and textured. Vocals are smooth and realistic, very detailed, on female vocals never sharp or thin / edgy especially.
Mids are still classic Audeze, but this time more detail and the layering is superb, placement is very easy to work out in the head stage. It is so unfettled, so on the job, seems to be coasting along. Things are not slow or muddy, lack of textures or details, the amount of information is incredible, and I can pick things out that were lost before, masked by other instruments. The best way to describe the mids is to view an old painting, and try to see what is going on, then to see it cleaned and there, it is all there to see. But it is all there without a penalty, harshness or lack of realism in doing it.
The control over the drivers is one olf the most remarkable aspects to this amp, it feels like they are hard wired to the output, really kicking their butt here. The LCD2-C is no slough, but it does sound like it has woken up from it's slumber, like the drivers are going to fly out the frames. In fact it feels like the LCD2-C has just caught up my my LCD4 out of the Aurix, maybe surpassed it. The other odd thing is the transparency has increased, but the treble level seems only marginally higher than the Aurix. It is as though the detail level of what is going on is greater, without an attention of it. Hard to describe.
Track swopping, I notice a bigger difference between music styles and the quality of the recording, acoustics of the venue / studio ect. I leads me to believe the V281 is not colouring or 'beautifying' the incoming signal, really only supercharging it and flinging it out at the headphone, take that you sucker! Ha Ha. This is all good stuff.
Wow, I like this thing A LOT.
The little Metrum Aurix is still a great little amp and bear in mind it's then price at about 650 euros. It's soundstage is more intimate, everything is closer together, and it may be struggling a bit to drive my LCD2 and the LCD4s. On the LCD4 in my other system, I have a 10v line out from my DAC, which does wake up the Aurix a bit more to then drive the LCD4s, but.....
It is only the first few hours, and already the sound is changing, the amp heating up. It sounds better even after 3 hours switch on than cold. I think it will have some burn in, this stuff nearly always does, all those capacitors. My DAC took a month of being on 24/7.
Kassandra DAC with my LCD4s.
Well, I learnt over the last few years a better DAC makes a HUGE difference to the final sound, both on my speaker rig and HPs. Bits are
not bits. Now I can hear how a better HP amp in the chain has an impact too. I still put the source as tantamount, first to building a good system, the first thing to resolve.
Once the source is correct, great balance has been achieved, then the HP and amp choice follows IMO. I used to have various artificial or brittle sounding DACs that then had to be 'controlled' up stream. That meant favouring a coloured sounding HP or amp. So maybe by chance I end up getting a decent HP amp last, who knows. It seems to be the icing on the cake, completing a nicely balanced system.
Anyway, my thoughts, will shut up now and listen to more music.
Very very very happy with this V281. If you are after a different amp I would look at this for sure. Especially on the LCD HPs which are already warm and fairly forgiving. I considered a tube amp around the same budget, but was not sure it would add too much to the sound, get too coloured? I wanted to wake things up in the dynamics, really control the LCD4 - Max it Out.
My DAC is a tube based unit already. I do think it is good to have tubes somewhere in the chain, either in the DAC or the amp, and have used that method for 20 years or more.
So more to come I think. And running it balanced next week when the Draug silver cable lands - to be continued..... big smile on my face.
