[RobertSM]

Agreed, V281 may measure flat, but we dont only use V281 by itself. We have things like laptops,computers,music streamers,turntables DACs, EQs, interconnect cables made of copper, silver clad copper, 100% silver cables, headphones that have every frequency curve that can be made. We also have headphone cables.

In my case I run a two channel system, so I have more issues, speaker fire time, delay, reflections and reverb and the list goes on and on... all of these factors account for how we perceive the music before it hits our ears and allows us to interpret it.

Just for fun, I'm adding a picture of the measurements of my room, using V281 as a preamp before and after room correction.

Note: The red line is how the room measures.

The blue line is frequency spectrum correction applied.

The green line is how the room measures after correction.

One final thought. I'm just a casual listener. I'm not formally trained and I spend my time here on this Head-Fi community board to learn and be apart of people that share my interests. To me all of this gear is only just a vehicle that allows me to enjoy the music. It's all about the music.

@tholt, Phonitor X does have amazing speed! If you listen to alot of electronic music then this would work very well for you. Very linear. To my ears moreso than V281. I value and have a place for both.

 

[tholt]

All this is subjective, bc in the end (despite what measurements say) our ears are the final arbiters. I've owned the V200 and the V281, and while the former is definitely on the warmer side of neutral (and a fantastic amp in its own right if someone is looking for something like that w/o getting into tubes) the V281 has the same house sound. Someone else mentioned that a lot has to do with other components up the chain. Of course, that's true as well. I really enjoyed the V281, but compared to other amps I had previously and currently a Cayin iHA-6 for direct comparison, the 281 was certainly the warmer of them to my ears. Another word that I would use is 'smooth'. The V281 is quite smooth, which is to say that while it's highs may not be rolled off, they are not the most incisive to my ears. Someone else mentioned 'honeyed' mids. I would concur with that as well.

By 'slow', I didn't mean to imply the V281 is slow, but comparatively slower again to the Cayin. Electronic music is all about drive and PRaT. The Cayin had more of both, IMO. I'd switch from the V281 to the Cayin and immediately start tapping my feet and bouncing my head. To each his own. I use the Abyss 1266 Phi, so it's not the headphones giving me these impressions.

 

[Ichos]

I was given the chance to have at home the Cayin before i bought the V280.
Cayin was an excellent amp in it's own right but finally i rejected it and returned the demo unit
because sometimes the treble was definitely north of neutral not necessarily exhibiting frequency bumps
but definitely ringing / sounding harsh at certain frequencies with some material.
This never happens with V280.
I found both amps equally fast though the V280 from the balanced out as the single ended is a bit more slow.
Both amps are equally resolving with the same amount of detail rendering.
My cans are HD800s and i listened only to classical.

 

[RobertSM]

@Ichos, I agree, I was listening to Stravinsky Agon preformed by the Berlin Philharmonic, 2010 earlier this week and I was having one of those moments. You know, the moments you have when the music transports you and in this case, gave me goose bumps on my arms. It's these moments in time with music that I cherish. V281 can do it all!!

 

[Ichos]

Agon is a great ballet although over shadowed by it's brothers.
Which exact recording have been listening to?

 

[RobertSM]

@Ichos, I heard this played as a web stream from a radio station in Limerick, Ireland. The station is called RTE Lyric FM and this was on a radio show called 'The blue of the night" hosted by Bernard Clarke. So I dont know the exact recording. But it was special, no doubt.

 

[Ichos]

This is a kind of trilogy with Greek based themes ballets.
You should also search for Apollo and Orpheus!

 

[tholt]

I was given the chance to have at home the Cayin before i bought the V280.
Cayin was an excellent amp in it's own right but finally i rejected it and returned the demo unit
because sometimes the treble was definitely north of neutral not necessarily exhibiting frequency bumps
but definitely ringing / sounding harsh at certain frequencies with some material.
This never happens with V280.
I found both amps equally fast though the V280 from the balanced out as the single ended is a bit more slow.
Both amps are equally resolving with the same amount of detail rendering.
My cans are HD800s and i listened only to classical.

I admit, the Cayin can be a bit 'hot' on certain recordings/passages. Esp so for electronica, when that programmed hi-hat sound is super bright! SQ depends largely on the recording. Equipment can either balance out or exacerbate any given trait. The Abyss don't do bright tendencies any favors -- they can tend toward bright as well. Perhaps I find the Cayin more engaging because it isn't as smooth as the V281. It's a bit sharper. Personal tastes for sure; I get why people like the full-bodied smoothness of the V281.

I don't own the 800s but I've heard them and of course read much more about them. From what I understand, the V280/281 would be a much more synergistic amplifier vs the Cayin for those headphones.

 

[Ichos]

Of course at the end all comes down to personal preferences.
We all hear differently and like different gear.
Both amps are good with different sound signatures and the V280 is a far better match for the HD800s.

 

[RobertSM]

Finally got a balanced pure copper(Moon Audio black dragon) headphone cable for my Sennheiser HD-6XX for V281. Sublime! As has been stated, even deeper than SE. Loving this amp more than ever!

 

[JPlaquia]

Hello, I am using RS06 but with no USB INPUT, and I am currently looking at the USB TO SPDIF converter and so far, I've come up with 2 choices

1) Schiit Eitr - 179 USD
2) Topping D10 - 65 USD

I was actually leaning towards the Schiit one, due to feedbacks and reviews, but would it really matter on what USB to SPDIF converter I choose? given that the RS06 has a separate oscillator or clock that works when the RESAMPLE is ON?

Any opinion is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Pharmaboy]

Hello, I am using RS06 but with no USB INPUT, and I am currently looking at the USB TO SPDIF converter and so far, I've come up with 2 choices

1) Schiit Eitr - 179 USD
2) Topping D10 - 65 USD

I was actually leaning towards the Schiit one, due to feedbacks and reviews, but would it really matter on what USB to SPDIF converter I choose? given that the RS06 has a separate oscillator or clock that works when the RESAMPLE is ON?

Any opinion is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I've used a S/PDIF converter for years. Currently it's the Musical Fidelity V-Link 192/24. This allows me to avoid the USB board of whatever DAC I use; and I can use my extremely good/musical sounding coax cable (Oyaide R-510, a silver cable that was totally worth the money). I tried a converter said to sound even better (Ideon USB Reclocker). But unfortunately I have a ground loop in my system, and I had to return the unit. Still working on eliminating the ground loop. When I do, I'll get an Eitr to hear if what everyone says is true.

To answer your question: if the RS06's separate clock for resampling is switchable ON/OFF; and if that resampler works w/inputs other than just USB: then IMHO you should get the best, easily obtained S/PDIF converter out there (the Eitr) and try it connected to the RS06 w/a coax cable. Try it resampling ON and OFF. See which sounds better. You may end up liking both.

Assuming that all works, you have a highly flexible digital system that will suit pretty much any DAC (many of which sound better via coax than USB input). And you have an upgrade path to a really good coax cable, representing another chance at sonic goodness.

In my experience, the more chances for sonic goodness built into the system, the more options I have to tailor the sound to my tastes. It's even true for digital...

 

[jerick70]

Hello, I am using RS06 but with no USB INPUT, and I am currently looking at the USB TO SPDIF converter and so far, I've come up with 2 choices

1) Schiit Eitr - 179 USD
2) Topping D10 - 65 USD

I was actually leaning towards the Schiit one, due to feedbacks and reviews, but would it really matter on what USB to SPDIF converter I choose? given that the RS06 has a separate oscillator or clock that works when the RESAMPLE is ON?

Any opinion is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

There are big differences in converters. I've tried quite a few. I haven't tried either of these though. My favorite so far is the Matrix SPDIF 2. It's the most refined of the converts I've used. There are more expressive ones too but not tried these.

 

[Pharmaboy]

There are big differences in converters. I've tried quite a few. I haven't tried either of these though. My favorite so far is the Matrix SPDIF 2. It's the most refined of the converts I've used. There are more expressive ones too but not tried these.

Very interesting. Never heard of this one. Can it be used w/o the external power supply (ie, using USB bus power only)?

How is it better than other converters? And do you mean "expensive," not "expressive"?

(thanks)

 

[Ichos]

I am successfully using a Fiio K3 as a usb to coax converter with an Atlas cable and it sounds very good.
My unit is a CD player + Dac and i get exactly the same sonic quality with both inputs (CD & Coax) so
i suppose that the Fiio is getting the job done right.
(PS - The dac is upsampling everything it is fed)