[Badas]

 
Yeah, this looks like the difference in personal preferences.
 
I use LCD-3F and Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250.
This headphones are from different price points, but I cannot actually tell if one is better than other.
They both have the strengths and weaknesses, and have different tonal balance.
Anyway, I have the same impressions from both about the pregain settings.
 
The sound @ -12 dB seems to be more precise or accurate.
@ 0 dB it seems to have more so-called fullness (I think this is that some people talked about V281 in the reviews, and probably you talk about the same thing).
@ 0 dB the sound is concentrated more on each instrument and its environment, @ -12 dB it is more about the global scene.
That difference is not like day and night. It may be described like fine tuning of the sound.
 
I used this setup with LCD-3 in relatively noisy environment, and I preferred -12 dB.
Now I have quiet environment, and this changed my preference to 0 dB (maybe temporarily).
0 dB seems to be more about music =)
 
I use Violectric V800 with 24 dBu outputs, so, I don't turn the volume higher than 12 o'clock.
I don't see the problem here, because the sound remains the same at the different positions of the volume knob.

 
Yes. That is what my ears are hearing also. Well explained.
 
I will experiment with this over the next few weeks.
My environment is 100% quiet. Gear is located in a soundproof purpose built home theater. So no ambient noise.

 

[Badas]

I also have to do a very big shout out to Violectric and especially Fried.
 
Their help, advise, attitude and eventual repair was world class. Top of the game. 10/10.
 
Anyone considering Violectric gear keep this in mind.

 

[socks mk2]

[redacted]

 

[thomascrown]

  I also have to do a very big shout out to Violectric and especially Fried.
 
Their help, advise, attitude and eventual repair was world class. Top of the game. 10/10.
 
Anyone considering Violectric gear keep this in mind.

Absolutely

 

[phase0]

  I also have to do a very big shout out to Violectric and especially Fried.
 
Their help, advise, attitude and eventual repair was world class. Top of the game. 10/10.
 
Anyone considering Violectric gear keep this in mind.

 
Stateside +1 for Arthur and all that.

 

[novicez1]

Just splurged and bought an HD800S and the V281. All the impressions in this thread are spot on. Really enjoying it! 

 

[project86]

  Just splurged and bought an HD800S and the V281. All the impressions in this thread are spot on. Really enjoying it! 

 
 
Nice! Congrats.

 

[Fegefeuer]

What DAC are you using with it, what did you have before and what improved especially?

 

[13713]

Just splurged and bought an HD800S and the V281. All the impressions in this thread are spot on. Really enjoying it! 

Welcome to the club. I absolutely love mine.

 

[Badas]

  Just splurged and bought an HD800S and the V281. All the impressions in this thread are spot on. Really enjoying it! 

Nice combo. Congrats.
 
Fairly new to the V281 myself. I'm still trying to get to grips with it. Coming from tubes I'm puzzled how a SS amp can compete. I've had a few SS amps and they have always been behind tube amps.
 
Not anymore.
 
I keep looking at my tube amp and think with the V281 being this good do I need tubes? Not sure of that answer yet. However the tube amp has not been turned on for two weeks.

 

[novicez1]

@Fegefeuer
 
I'm using the Lake People RS06 as my DAC paired with the Lake People G109A, still using the unbalanced outs since I'm waiting for my DIY 3 pins to come out.
 
 
As far as improvements go, I've only tested my 600's with the 1/4 inch, I'm enjoying the HD800S on balanced too much that I can't be bothered to A/B them vs the G109A yet.
 
on HD600's 1/4 jack output:
 
1.) Bass Dynamics and Speed - Definitely better compared to the G109A, added bass quantity might give off an impression that the bass is somewhat loose on the V281, but is not the case.
 
2.) Decay Image - Much resolving than the G109A, decay notes don't just fizzle out like how it is in the G109A
 
3.) Resolution - V281 hands down, there are micro-details in some of my tracks that I never noticed before that popped out. 
 
4.) Soundstage - Considerable increase in layering and depth, width increase is also there, but not that much. (HD600's don't really have that good width to begin with)
 
 5.) Tonal Balance - I personally prefer my music to have a touch of sparkle, and since the V281 is considered a warm amp, it kinda rolled off some of the top end. I have yet to test the 600's on balanced so I will reserve my judgement here on whether the G109A is superior tonally than the V281, but as far as 1/4" outputs are concerned, I prefer the tonality of the G109A vs the V281.
 
Settings:
G109A - 0db Gain (default)
V281 - 0db Gain (default)
RS06 - +9db, Sharp Roll-off, Re-sampling On, USB-XMOS on Foobar WASAPI.
 
Balanced cables for my HD600's are also on the way, I'll post my findings as soon as I can get a considerable head time with them. 
 
As for the HD800S...... I still can't wipe off that grin whenever I'm listening on it.
 
UPDATE:
 
Anyone noticed the change in tonality as you change gain settings? I find lowering the gain gives it more brilliance. (Might be just placebo, but I will continue observing/listening)
 
EDIT:
 
Seems like some of the owners in this thread are also experiencing the same thing... If that's the case, paired with a DAC that has adjustable volume and/or gain, one can customize the final sound this amp is outputting without worrying about lack of volume control.

 

[Badas]

UPDATE:

Anyone noticed the change in tonality as you change gain settings? I find lowering the gain gives it more brilliance. (Might be just placebo, but I will continue observing/listening)

EDIT:

Seems like some of the owners in this thread are also experiencing the same thing... If that's the case, paired with a DAC that has adjustable volume and/or gain, one can customize the final sound this amp is outputting without worrying about lack of volume control.

What do you mean about brilliance when lowering the gain? I found it was leaner. On 0db it was fuller. More midrange. I felt lowering the gain added a little more dynamics. I leave mine on 0db as I like fuller more.

 

[Badas]

I'm finding it difficult to find a reason to keep my tube amp. I'm rolling lots of tube to give the amp a point of difference to the V281. I think I've got a reason to like and keep the tube amp then I go and listen to the V281 again and it shatters the tube amp.

I have been a tube guy for a long while and the V281 is the first SS amp I've heard that makes me think I don't need or could live without a tube amp.

Incredible amp.

 

[novicez1]

What do you mean about brilliance when lowering the gain? I found it was leaner. On 0db it was fuller.

 
Exactly, Leaner = Less Dark and more Bright. I feel that -6db on V281 matches the tonality of the G109A(0db) while keeping all the improvements. Then again, still needs further listening and observation.
 

I felt lowering the gain added a little more dynamics. I leave mine on 0db as I like fuller more.

 
On some tracks I prefer the gain to be at -6db as it gives the sparkly trebles more breathing room. On cold tracks, 0db definitely to smooth out those rough edges.

 

[zhgutov]

Originally Posted by novicez1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Anyone noticed the change in tonality as you change gain settings? I find lowering the gain gives it more brilliance. (Might be just placebo, but I will continue observing/listening)
 
On some tracks I prefer the gain to be at -6db as it gives the sparkly trebles more breathing room. On cold tracks, 0db definitely to smooth out those rough edges.

 
I think you need to be sure that you make the comparison at the equal loudness.
 
Anyway you can look at this in the different way.
Lowering the gain leads to slightly less resolution - that's because you hear more sparkles, and less colors.
Setting gain to 0 dB gives you that colors, which make the music lifelike.
 
You can find more different points of view, but I think what the equal loudness is the key to be less subjective.
The results of such comparison may surprise you