[pippen99]

Zmf and Dekoni have pads for Audeze. I recently replaced the pads on my LCD-4 with the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads. Love them.

 

[koven]

Zmf and Dekoni have pads for Audeze. I recently replaced the pads on my LCD-4 with the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads. Love them.

Sheepskin or which one? Does it come w/ the tape to install?

 

[pippen99]

Comes with ring already installed. You only have to peel one side and install. I got mine during the Massdrop introduction. https://dekoniaudio.com/product/dekoni-audio-ear-pads-fit-audeze-lcd-series-headphones-hybrid/

 

[johnzz4]

Comes with ring already installed. You only have to peel one side and install. I got mine during the Massdrop introduction. https://dekoniaudio.com/product/dekoni-audio-ear-pads-fit-audeze-lcd-series-headphones-hybrid/

Do the Dekoni pads create a seal between your ears and driver? My LCD-X with lambskin pads used to create a suction cup feeling on my ears and I would have to break the seal periodically. With the porous layer on the LCD-4s, this isn't an issue anymore.

 

[JLoud]

Talking about creating a seal, I had a driver failure on my LCD3 due to excessive pressure inside the cup. I was putting them on and one side slipped out of my hand and snapped down. The trapped air damaged the driver. At least according to Adauze. They repaired it for free. Also told me the LCD4 has a release in the form of the porous layer. Just a thought to consider.

 

[pippen99]

With the Hybrid pads the part of the pad against your skin is velour so no seal.

 

[astrostar59]

Violectric V281 amplifer - WOW

I will post again in 6 weeks, when I get back to my main system and my LCD4s and Kassandra DAC. But I recently bought the V281 amplifier and driving the humble LCD2 Classic, I am amazed how good it sounds. Also added the Norne Audio Draug All Silver balanced cable with Audeze and plugs.

Bear in mind I came from my Stax 009 and Carbon amplifier, I find this combination fantastic. Listening to some well known track today, there are parts where i nearly fall of the chair, the dynamics are so good. The bass is unbelievable, best I have ever heard in any HP so far. Layering has also shot up, even when things get really busy, I can pick out everything going on, the whole systems feels like it is on tick-over, bags of headroom.

I'll report back when I get the amp and cable hooked up to my LCD4s (200 ohm) and Kassandra DAC, I can't imagine it gets better than this, but never say never.....

BTW the LCD2-C is the bargain of the year, I only paid 700 USD, it has no right to be in this kind of territory.... zero fatigue as well.

The V281 is a superb amp IMO, very slightly warm, enough to calm typical digital. It is a superb balance. I still need to test it can take the 10v output from my Kassandra. I asked the designer and he thought it would.

 

[Roybenz]

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/big-sound-2015-wrap-my-take-headphone-amps

 

[Rhamnetin]

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/big-sound-2015-wrap-my-take-headphone-amps

Those are brief impressions, but definitely worth a read considering who wrote it. To me it is no surprise that the GS-X Mk2 and Apex Teton are some of the most impressive, considering the engineers who designed them and the people who built them. Of all the amps there, these two encapsulate a no compromise build quality better than perhaps all the others, and have the least critiqued design by engineers at least on forums.

It always made me scratch my head how the V281 in particular, at that price, uses such a small generic looking power transformer (such a critical component) and Alps RK27 volume pot and doesn't even have a fully discrete design.

 

[astrostar59]

Nothing particularly special about the GSX from my view. Nice design, KG obviously top of his game. But it is more money than the V281, is too bright IMO, cold signature. There are some guys on here that have had both and prefer the V281, others the other way. I have heard the GSX MK2 and it is good, but not the sound I wanted.

Also the V281 has very good pre-attenuation. My DAC would overload the GSX for example, I asked Head-ap direct and they told me it would. The gain stages i the V281 are very good. Ramnetin, have you actually heard it?

 

[koven]

Nothing particularly special about the GSX from my view. Nice design, KG obviously top of his game. But it is more money than the V281, is too bright IMO, cold signature. There are some guys on here that have had both and prefer the V281, others the other way. I have heard the GSX MK2 and it is good, but not the sound I wanted.

I too prefer V281 over GSX mk2 with Utopia/LCD4. It was a touch bright and clinical for me as well, more transparent but also more digital. It reminded me of Rag signature, albeit better across the board. I found the V281 quite analog/organic and almost tubey for an SS amp, without sacrifice to resolution. Ultimately I enjoy Liquid Gold over both but the V281 was a close runner-up at half the cost, impressive.

 

[Trance_Gott]

V850 + V280 I have never heared everything better with LCD4. V280 is almost same topology as V281 without the balance function and pre amp function.

 

[Rhamnetin]

Nothing particularly special about the GSX from my view. Nice design, KG obviously top of his game. But it is more money than the V281, is too bright IMO, cold signature. There are some guys on here that have had both and prefer the V281, others the other way. I have heard the GSX MK2 and it is good, but not the sound I wanted.

Also the V281 has very good pre-attenuation. My DAC would overload the GSX for example, I asked Head-ap direct and they told me it would. The gain stages i the V281 are very good. Ramnetin, have you actually heard it?

I have no experience with the V281 (actually I probably do but it's so minimal that I'll just say none), I was just questioning internal design and component choices (whereas GS-X Mk2 is 100% no compromise) but I can't comment on sound. Though I do seem to have a tendency to favor better measuring gear, and often have issues with things tuned to sound more warm and laid back; this extends not just to amps, but DACs as well. Never found a class AB headphone amp that sounded in the same league as an excellent class A one.

Less of an issue with actual headphones and speakers though (e.g. the ZMF "house sound" is my favorite of all non-electrostatic headphones).

Also that photo demonstrates how to ideally build/assemble a headphone amp. Super easy to take apart and troubleshoot and upgrade if upgrades were to ever come out for it. Such a clean perfectionist design. That also shows an older model with an Alpha volume pot, now he only uses a DACT balanced stereo CT2.

 

[jlbrach]

I used to own the moon 430 which I loved,sold it and now primarily using the 281 which to me is as good as it gets for the price...I especially like the pre gain adjustments and the more than ample power with a black background...there is no HP that the 281 will not drive with complete ease...I use it presently with the susvara with not slightest bit of trouble driving it

 

[tgipier]

Really been enjoying the LCD-4s my friend convinced me to get. First entry into hifi and really not regretting it. Next step will likely to be upgrading my DAC/Amp as I have a very basic setup on that front right now.....