Is it a significant step up from violectric v281? Is it worth the $2K spent? Thanks!
The V281 is a great amp. It's very powerful and can drive pretty much any headphone you can think of. The sound it produces is bold and far from neutral, certainly leaning toward the warm side. Certainly not analytical or rich in micro detail. It doesn't blow you away with the soundstage it produces.
On the contrary, the Formula S is, to my ear, almost the opposite of the V281, from pretty much any point of view (as such, I personally find difficult to determine if one is better than the other, or whether or not one is worth the difference in price, without knowing anything about the type of sound you like best).
While the Formula S is also a very capable amp which can drive pretty much anything, it is certainly more on the lean and neutral side. It very fast and has very impactful low frequencies, still producing beautiful and very reach highs. Which contribute to its more dry and analytical sound. Which is what I personally like best and prefer, these days, to the V281.
So, going back to your question: is it worth the 2K difference (I actually believe that, if you include the Powerman, the difference is significantly more substantial)? Yes, if you like the type of sound of the Formula S. Absolutely not, if you are after a warmer, less analytical type of sound. The Formula S might also not be worth it, if the rest of the chain is not particularly resolving (in that case, I believe that most of the difference that the Formula S is capable of producing, would go somehow "lost in transit"...).
ps: I own both the V281 and the Formula S, as well as a number of other amps so, feel free to ask, should you be interested in more comparisons
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