[Pharmaboy]

Pairing the V281 with the Utopia does indeed produce a powerful and warm sound. So much so that I've been investigating aftermarket silver cables with the intent of introducing a bit of "SS edginess" into mix. Rather than "harshness," I associate good solid-state amps - such as the V281 - with resolution and articulation, as opposed to tube-induced euphonic distortion anywhere in the audio chain.

I wouldn't guess the Utopia + V281 would be a great match (never heard Utopia...only Focal & Clear).

Then again, the V281 would certainly pound the Utopia's entire frequency range below, say, upper midrange, with lots of impact & dynamics. If the result was slightly bringing all that up vs treble, it might = warmth.

This thing called "warmth," at least in SS amps, is pretty complicated, covering synergies/interactions of all kinds. It need not be a simple "warm amp colors ever signal put through it" thing at all. In fact, sometimes quite the opposite.

• Even my warmest SS amp, the Liquid Carbon, sometimes breaks rank w/its own coloration and drives this or that HP spectacularly well--not causing it be even more warm, but instead giving it better bass, or dynamics, or soundstage, or some combination.

 

[Arnaldo]

I wouldn't guess the Utopia + V281 would be a great match (never heard Utopia...only Focal & Clear).

Then again, the V281 would certainly pound the Utopia's entire frequency range below, say, upper midrange, with lots of impact & dynamics. If the result was slightly bringing all that up vs treble, it might = warmth.

This thing called "warmth," at least in SS amps, is pretty complicated, covering synergies/interactions of all kinds. It need not be a simple "warm amp colors ever signal put through it" thing at all. In fact, sometimes quite the opposite.

• Even my warmest SS amp, the Liquid Carbon, sometimes breaks rank w/its own coloration and drives this or that HP spectacularly well--not causing it be even more warm, but instead giving it better bass, or dynamics, or soundstage, or some combination.

In comparison to my old Staxes' silvery tone, I'd define the V281/Utopia's warmth as a golden hue, aided by (1) foreground precision, (2) background presence, and (3) control throughout the audio spectrum. And while both soundstage about the same in terms of width, the dynamic-duo's definitely expands it deeper than the stats. I do miss the electrostatic's delicacy though...

 

[Fegefeuer]

I have a LCD-2C in the house and currently listening in SE Mode. While the Audeze bass quality is clearly to be heard the headphone overall isn't exciting or let's say wowing me, it has its own attractive characteristics though. Kinda expected it. The HD800 Superdupont modded running balanced on the V281 clearly spoilt me. HD 800 technicalites are unmatched for the Audeze except in a few areas. Subbass quality (it doesn't roll off like the HD 800 and remains extremely low in distortion) for instance and the fact that the SDR improves the 6khz problem but doesn't eliminate it as much as the HD800S. I don't EQ at all and don't want to outside of the PC.

However the Audeze has its own strengths. Less fatiguing overall when unEQed and in comparison a more relaxing sound, though being that dark as its father.
Kinda surprised how open they sound, definitely didn't sound that open years ago, though those were the LCD-2 pre fazor. Still I don't believe in such a drastic change between the original and this derivate. My gear changed tremendously though over the years. That's the deciding factor.

Now I'll be listening in SE mode until I get a XLR cable to make the V281 run in Be(a)st Mode and judge that headphone properly.

I built myself a transport btw to get away from my PC when I'm not watching a movie at night or playing games and it was worth it. No more fan noise, cleaner overall.

RBPI3+ALLO DigiOne + iPower LPS -> BNC -> DAC and SPDIF into my Denon AVR.

 

[LCMusicLover]

I have a LCD-2C in the house and currently listening in SE Mode. While the Audeze bass quality is clearly to be heard the headphone overall isn't exciting or let's say wowing me, it has its own attractive characteristics though. Kinda expected it. The HD800 Superdupont modded running balanced on the V281 clearly spoilt me. HD 800 technicalites are unmatched for the Audeze except in a few areas. Subbass quality (it doesn't roll off like the HD 800 and remains extremely low in distortion) for instance and the fact that the SDR improves the 6khz problem but doesn't eliminate it as much as the HD800S. I don't EQ at all and don't want to outside of the PC.

However the Audeze has its own strengths. Less fatiguing overall when unEQed and in comparison a more relaxing sound, though being that dark as its father.
Kinda surprised how open they sound, definitely didn't sound that open years ago, though those were the LCD-2 pre fazor. Still I don't believe in such a drastic change between the original and this derivate. My gear changed tremendously though over the years. That's the deciding factor.

Now I'll be listening in SE mode until I get a XLR cable to make the V281 run in Be(a)st Mode and judge that headphone properly.

I built myself a transport btw to get away from my PC when I'm not watching a movie at night or playing games and it was worth it. No more fan noise, cleaner overall.

RBPI3+ALLO DigiOne + iPower LPS -> BNC -> DAC and SPDIF into my Denon AVR.

Recommend that you withhold judgement on your LCDs until you can listen balanced. There have been several posts here suggesting that the v281 (and 280 of course) are 'designed for balanced operation' and that SE performance is not up to the same standard.

Note I'm not suggesting that 'balanced is better', only that the v281 design favors balanced performance over SE performance.

 

[Fegefeuer]

That's what I was saying though.

Now I'll be listening in SE mode until I get a XLR cable to make the V281 run in Be(a)st Mode and judge that headphone properly.

V281 is always best when balanced.

 

[armymanhaha]

I've had the stock V281 for a while now. I was recently able to borrow a stepped relay v281 and this is the first time I am able to use a device with stepped relay.

I know about the pops the switches make inside the chassis when turning the knob. However I don't know if that pop is supposed to be okay to be heard inside the headphones, or in my case since I also use it as a preamp to my dual mono blocks, I hear the pops on the speakers too when changing levels. So is this normal?

 

[Pharmaboy]

I've had the stock V281 for a while now. I was recently able to borrow a stepped relay v281 and this is the first time I am able to use a device with stepped relay.

I know about the pops the switches make inside the chassis when turning the knob. However I don't know if that pop is supposed to be okay to be heard inside the headphones, or in my case since I also use it as a preamp to my dual mono blocks, I hear the pops on the speakers too when changing levels. So is this normal?

yup

maybe it's just my stepped V281 (which may need service), but I get all kinds of bizarre things happening in lower 1/4 of the dial's range. I press the remote once/quickly, and get a huge volume jump (up or down, depending on what I'm trying to do). Press it again, no change in volume.

However, on those occasions where I can get volume up into the middle 1/3 of the pot's range (this is w/both HP & line dip switches set to -14 dB), it seems to smooth out a lot.

 

[Justin_Time]

I've had the stock V281 for a while now. I was recently able to borrow a stepped relay v281 and this is the first time I am able to use a device with stepped relay.

I know about the pops the switches make inside the chassis when turning the knob. However I don't know if that pop is supposed to be okay to be heard inside the headphones, or in my case since I also use it as a preamp to my dual mono blocks, I hear the pops on the speakers too when changing levels. So is this normal?

Yes. To get perfect balance when the volume is changed, they selected a specific design that makes the noise when the volume is changed.

To get more information, read the write-up about the V281 and that particular volume pot in their website (Lake People).

 

[musicmaker]

My headamp GS-X and Moon 430HA also give me perfectly balanced LR channels but are completely noiseless from the headphone while adjusting.

 

[zhgutov]

My headamp GS-X and Moon 430HA also give me perfectly balanced LR channels but are completely noiseless from the headphone while adjusting.

You have 24 steps only with the DACT attenuator, right?

 

[musicmaker]

Yes correct.
The moon 430ha’s evol2 control has 530 steps i believe.
No cracks and pops turning either

 

[zhgutov]

The moon 430ha’s evol2 control has 530 steps i believe.

Oh, I missed 430ha. evol2 - is it electronic volume control? As I know, they don't like such solution.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/705318/violectric-hpa-v281-vorsprung-durch-balanced/315#post_10807716
"The next idea is the electronical attenuation.
There are some older approaches like the VCA (voltage controlled attenuator) which work quite fine as an attenuator but have high amounts of distortion.
The better approach is the DCA (digital controlled attenuator), offering 128 or 256 steps of very exact attenuation with good crosstalk. But unfortunately there is still some negative influence on the signal …"

This may be interesting to measure such things. Personally I don't have any kind of stepped volume control.
Just simple ALPS RK27 with impedance matching after it. It has 0.5 dB tolerance from 10-11 o'clock and up.
And it has ~1 dB tolerance from 9 o'clock.
IMO, this is enough for listening when we are talking about the whole spectrum imbalance.
I cannot hear negative effect of that channel mismatch.
I think they have some thoughts about the sound quality, that's why they use resistors with relay control.
Channel imbalance is easily measurable thing, but has minor effect.
Most headphones have greater channel imbalance (and it affects the spectrum partially!), and the music itself is often mixed/recorded with imbalance too.
This channel imbalance does not affect the relative imbalance inside the mix/recording (which is more important thing).
So, "cracks and pops" while changing the volume level is the cost of (probably) better sound quality.

 

[Pharmaboy]

"So, "cracks and pops" while changing the volume level is the cost of (probably) better sound quality."

That pretty well sums up the V281+stepped pot experience...

A couple years ago I owned the big Burson Soloist--the amp/preamp version w/4wpc power. It has a miserable 21 step pot...impossible to find the right volume during low- to medium-volume listening. After a lot of back & forth, I obtained a specially configured Alps RC27 from Burson (configured to fit the weird wiring layout of this device). I found it immediately better than the old stepped pot. That is to say, the sound was no better or worse (hard to be sure given vagaries of sonic memory)--but the useability of the amp was greatly improved (ended up selling it, regardless).

The V281 is a very different animal, though. I'm not about to "go backwards" by downgrading to a non-stepped pot. Even w/the PITA popping & volume issues, this amp sounds so good that I'm not tempted to mess with it...

 

[musicmaker]

So, "cracks and pops" while changing the volume level is the cost of (probably) better sound quality.

Probably, being the keyword there. I'm not comparing this with a simple alps pot. Instead I am comparing it with the stepped attenuator of the GS-X and the unique volume control of the Moon 430HA. If there are advantages to the v281's volume control compared to these, it probably exists only on paper and I cannot hear it. All these amps are TOTL with precise channel balancing. But the cracks and pops is an annoyance to me. Especially with a premium amp in this price bracket.

 

[zhgutov]

it probably exists only on paper and I cannot hear it

Yes, this thing is hard to check. Especially taking in account the people "subjectivity" in audiophile world (maybe even just subjectivity, because we are not a measurement instruments).
And taking in account probably more difference between these amps because of other factors.
Personally, I cannot hear the difference between digital attenuation (which is perfect if the DAC has good linearity) and ALPS pot.
But maybe the ALPS pot is the bottleneck itself (it cannot be bypassed for the headphones), and I can get something (slightly?) better with the relay control. Fortunately, there is US4+ on horizon.

What volume pot range do you use? If I understand this correctly, it should produce louder cracks and pops when you use it in "low" range (9 o'clock of less, or something like that).