[fixated]

What were you doing prior to the error activation?

Just listening through the one of the SE outs and then it went quite and when I checked it was in that state already.

I think I first waited for maybe a minute or two just to see it I had the volume on the hugo TT too high but didn't seem to fix it. So I tried turning it off, unplugging it and then turning it on and then waiting for another minute or so. After that I tried checking the manual and decided to try turning it on without the XLR inputs and waited for a few minutes and that seems to have fixed it. What stumps me is that the volume on the hugo TT was set to a lower volume (at around green or the next shade of green after that) which is a suggestion from a previous post in this thread I think.

Although how I set the hugo TT's volume is that I start out at Line Level and then lower the volume that way, which I believe should still work fine.

 

[project86]

Weird. I'm at a loss as to what may have caused it. Were you listening at extreme volumes, or was your room particularly hot at the time? Do you have a power conditioner of any type, and if not have you ever had trouble with brownouts or other gremlins? Just grasping at straws here....

 

[fixated]

Weird. I'm at a loss as to what may have caused it. Were you listening at extreme volumes, or was your room particularly hot at the time? Do you have a power conditioner of any type, and if not have you ever had trouble with brownouts or other gremlins? Just grasping at straws here....

No worries, It's the first time that's actually happened ever since I've gotten my v281 so I'm also at a loss as well as to what might have caused it. I'll probably keep it under observation and check to see if it happens again and try to pin point what might be causing it by then. Better to try to see where the problem might be if it happens for a second time. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[PleasantSounds]

If it happened to me, I would thoroughly examine the headphone cable that was plugged in at the time.
Don't look at the input overload i.e. Hugo, but the output. Most likely you had an intermittent short there.

 

[AppleheadMay]

I am selling my V281 here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/violectric-v281-black-mint-eu-uk-sale-trade.856567/#post-13629548

 

[LCMusicLover]

Well, I ended up finding a lightly used v280 for a reasonable price on eBay. Looking forward to enjoying an upgrade from my Matrix. Of course, if it's not a notable upgrade ...

 

[Audio-Mark]

For seemingly power hungry TOTL headphones such as the Hifiman 1000 V2 that may need more than the CHORD Hugo 2 can supply for larger sound stage, dynamics, improved bass impact/slam, I have come across several reasonably priced amps that others have reported good synergy with the HEK V2 in this regard including the MicroZOTL2 tube amp, the Violectric HPA V281, the Trilogy 931 (special order from England), the very inexpensive Schiit Jotunheim, and finally the Wells Audio Milo. Has anyone heard any of these with the HEK V2 and also with the Focal Utopias?? At the moment I am mostly considering the Vioelectric vs Milo.

I use a Violectric V280, Chord 2Qute and a HEK V2 and I'm totally happy with the music my set makes.

 

[AppleheadMay]

Well, I ended up finding a lightly used v280 for a reasonable price on eBay. Looking forward to enjoying an upgrade from my Matrix. Of course, if it's not a notable upgrade ...

If the V280 sounds anything like the V281 it will definitely be a big upgrade.
Mine is sold by the way.

I see you have the HD6XX coming, same here.
I do have a HD600 and HD650 already but can't get enough of them.
And for $199 for a spare 650 it won't hurt my wallet that bad.
These phones are such great value and beat many phones sold at multiples of their price.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Well, I ended up finding a lightly used v280 for a reasonable price on eBay. Looking forward to enjoying an upgrade from my Matrix. Of course, if it's not a notable upgrade ...

I have a Matrix M Stage HPA-1 (w/o DAC). The Matrix is a real overachiever (warm, expansive sound, but not a ton of resolution); I upgraded the opamp and it got better in terms of pinpoint soundstaging and more resolution, but I'm not sure it's as much fun as before.

Anyway, the V281, particularly in balanced mode, walks all over the Matrix. The V280 is a non-preamp version of the V281; it can output either SE or balanced and should sound the same as the V281. I haven't hard the 3rd iteration of the Matrix (it's said to sound more neutral than mine), but I suspect the V280 will walk all over it, anyway.

In fact, I predict the V280 will really blow your mind. This design is VERY powerful, emphatic: the best bass I've ever heard through headphones + amazing soundstaging via balanced (and not bad at all via SE). The dynamics are nuts, truly state-of-the art. Some say the V281/280 is slightly warm; I hear it as pretty much dead-nuts neutral, no elevated treble or upper midrange. It has so much impact in the lower frequencies + those great dynamics, top to bottom, that it sounds the polar opposite of "thin" or "threadbare," as neutral amps sometimes can sound.

I often "change up" by listening to HPs through my Liquid Carbon, which has a beautiful, warm sound, also strong bass & soundstaging, but quite different...somewhat less dynamic than the V281 (everything is less dynamic than the V281), but very satisfying in other ways.

I have 3 other amps, but between these 2, I'm a happy camper.

 

[tunes]

I have a Matrix M Stage HPA-1 (w/o DAC). The Matrix is a real overachiever (warm, expansive sound, but not a ton of resolution); I upgraded the opamp and it got better in terms of pinpoint soundstaging and more resolution, but I'm not sure it's as much fun as before.

Anyway, the V281, particularly in balanced mode, walks all over the Matrix. The V280 is a non-preamp version of the V281; it can output either SE or balanced and should sound the same as the V281. I haven't hard the 3rd iteration of the Matrix (it's said to sound more neutral than mine), but I suspect the V280 will walk all over it, anyway.

In fact, I predict the V280 will really blow your mind. This design is VERY powerful, emphatic: the best bass I've ever heard through headphones + amazing soundstaging via balanced (and not bad at all via SE). The dynamics are nuts, truly state-of-the art. Some say the V281/280 is slightly warm; I hear it as pretty much dead-nuts neutral, no elevated treble or upper midrange. It has so much impact in the lower frequencies + those great dynamics, top to bottom, that it sounds the polar opposite of "thin" or "threadbare," as neutral amps sometimes can sound.

I often "change up" by listening to HPs through my Liquid Carbon, which has a beautiful, warm sound, also strong bass & soundstaging, but quite different...somewhat less dynamic than the V281 (everything is less dynamic than the V281), but very satisfying in other ways.

I have 3 other amps, but between these 2, I'm a happy camper.

Not questioning the benefit of amp but in general Rob at CHORD is more against than for using one with the DAVE or HUGO2 because it adds distortion and coloration to the signal. The HUGO2 and DAVE have ample power to drive the majority of TOTL cans.

 

[fixated]

Not questioning the benefit of amp but in general Rob at CHORD is more against than for using one with the DAVE or HUGO2 because it adds distortion and coloration to the signal. The HUGO2 and DAVE have ample power to drive the majority of TOTL cans.

Having tried the both the DAVE and the Hugo TT by themselves and with a dedicated amp, I would say that yes they did drive the headphones I was using just fine, I still found the usage of an external amp to be necessary as it made the listening experience much more enjoyable.

Although that being said, I have no idea why people keep having this debate whether or not the DAVE, Hugo TT, etc. need an external amp when its all up to the listener to discern whether they actually like the sound more with or without one.

 

[project86]

Agreed that Hugo etc can drive most cans well on their own. You might not always love the results (I don't) but it's not really a question of whether or not it can drive them well - more like will you enjoy the presentation it gives.

I guess it's a petty distinction if you really think about it.... but Rob Watts and others have claimed their presentation is sort of the default, and any other sound you might get with a different amp is colored. I'm not sure I agree but it doesn't matter. Certainly TRY the integrated headphone amp if you intend to use a Chord device. You might love it.

 

[Pharmaboy]

(watching this Hugo sub-thread w/interest)

I have owned 2 amp/DAC units:

• the FiiO E10K, which I use strictly for travel and/or burn-in these days (so it's not a factor, day-to-day)
• and the Audio GD NFB 15.32 (since sold). It had a strong amp section (surprising power), but also a bit of typical delta-sigma glare in the upper midrange and treble. I would've loved to take the signal out of its DAC and run it to an external amp (or 2, or 3)--or input signal from a separate DAC to its amp (the only ways I know to isolate sonic signatures w/a combined unit). But no such RCA I/O were available on rear panel.

These days I run a separate DAC (usually Audio GD NOS 19; sometimes the DAC-19) + 2 amps at any given time, courtesy of 2 X RCA outputs on each DAC. Usually it's the V281 + the LC, but sometimes it's the Audio GD SA-31SE + LC, or Lake People G109-A (ie, many flavors & combinations).

I find it kind of hard to imagine going backwards to a locked-in DAC+Amp combo. As for mfrs deciding not to put convenience RCA I/O on combined units, I totally get it if the unit is compact (like the Hugo). But if the combo unit is large enough to accomodate RCA in's & out's, but does not--I tend to think they're letting their users down in the belief their unit is better than any other possible combinations (it may well be, but I'd like to find that out for myself).

Especially when the combo unit in question costs multiple-$1000s, IMO there's no reason not to let users use the DAC by itself, driving another amp; or the amp by itself driving another DAC.

An example of 1 pricey combo unit that does offer I/O flexibility is the Mytek Brooklyn (I respect the designer for that).

 

[project86]

I think the reason for at least some of the limitations - many of these designers think of their unit as a DAC first, with headphone amp functionality being treated as an add-on. So you'll typically get RCA outputs and maybe XLR outs, and then the headphone out. Some devices are even available with or without the headphone section (see NuPrime DAC10/DAC10H or the Vinnie Rossi LIO.

This reflects their attitude that you might use the device as a DAC only, or might use the headphone amp sometimes, or maybe both. They don't really consider the headphone stage as being on the same level as the DAC, so they don't anticipate anyone keeping it around after they upgrade to a better DAC. In my experience this is almost universally true. Some DACs have a good or even great amp stage on board, but it's rarely on the same level as their DAC (synergistic matches aside).

 

[ostewart]

Mmmmm this loaner just landed for review, and to use in my Susvara review too.