[JeffMann]

I think question #1 has already been addressed.

As for #2, how does it sound unbalanced on the same recording?
I enjoy Classical and listen to live concerts frequently. To be honest, and without further feedback, I think you may actually have a wonderful problem which is increased dynamic range into the HD800 that V200 was unable to reach previously.
In a large concert hall a single instrument can sound a bit faint and distant. A fortissimo isn't called a fortissimo by random chance.

I'd rather not get into the burn in thing a lot. From personal perception, all new electronics need to "settle down" and it takes a few hours of play. Leave it on a couple days and see if the sound changes a bit.

Congrats on the "problem" and welcome to HeadFi   

Consider this recording of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring - http://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Rite-Spring-Pulcinella-Suite/dp/B000003CXF/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1414448807&sr=1-1&keywords=rite+of+spring+levi

It has a very large dynamic range, which my V200 can cope with in the sense that when I set the soft passages (usually an individual instrument playing softly, but distinctly and not faintly) to suit my personal hearing as I recall the same instrument sounding during a "live" performance from a good concert auditorium seat, then the loud passages are very loud but still controlled and undistorted/smeared/congested. The loud passages also sound consistent with what I would likely hear when listening to a "live" performance (presuming a seat that is not too close to the orchestra). When I set the soft passages to the same auditory level using the V281 (rather than the V200) then the loud passages are unnaturally loud, and also slightly distorted. I was wondering whether this problem could disappear when the amp finally complets its "burn in" process. By the way, I define "burn in" as the length of the time period for sound reproduction faults (that are not inherent to a particular piece of audio equipment) to finally disappear. Examples of those "burn-in" faults may be i) a woofy/non-taut bass-end, ii) an exaggerated treble end, and iii) imperfect soundstaging. For example, my AKG710 headphones took between 200-300 hours to "burn-in" while my Sony EA5400ES CD-player took as much as 500 hours to "burn-in" in terms of frequency response faults and non-optimum imaging/sounstaging behavior.

Jeff.

 

[Viper2005]

Thank you for expressing an informed personal opinion regarding my first question. Do you have an opinion as to whether an exaggerated, and uneven, transition from the production of soft musical passages to the production of very loud musical passages could be due a "burn-in" phenomenon. Also, how long does it take for the amp to "burn-in"?

Jeff.

 
I have the v281 amp which I have been using for several weeks now.  Don't expect any changes from burn-in.  I certainly did not notice any change from day one.
Also, as Xaval said, that increased dynamic range you hear is a good thing.  Symphonies should range from faint solo to deafening loud during a fortissimo.
Have you tried using your single ended cable with the v281?

 

[macdevign]

Thank you for expressing an informed personal opinion regarding my first question. Do you have an opinion as to whether an exaggerated, and uneven, transition from the production of soft musical passages to the production of very loud musical passages could be due a "burn-in" phenomenon. Also, how long does it take for the amp to "burn-in"?

Jeff.

 
Could it be due to the power cord you are using or maybe you can improve it by using a better power cord ? 
 
In the past when I have a eximus dac running on chord superscreen power cord, the overall sound is soft and bit flat sounding however after switching to Nordost blue heaven power cord, the soundstage becomes larger and holographic,  and the sound is  noticeably louder. So could it be that your power cord is the bottleneck ? And if you could borrow a Nordost power cord to see if that really helps if "burn-in" fails.  

 

[Viper2005]

   
Could it be due to the power cord you are using or maybe you can improve it by using a better power cord ? 
 
In the past when I have a eximus dac running on chord superscreen power cord, the overall sound is soft and bit flat sounding however after switching to Nordost blue heaven power cord, the soundstage becomes larger and holographic,  and the sound is  noticeably louder. So could it be that your power cord is the bottleneck ? And if you could borrow a Nordost power cord to see if that really helps if "burn-in" fails.  

 
I bought a Monoprice 14AWG power cord for my v281.  No one needs a thicker cord than that, as regular house wiring doesn't exceed 14awg..  But this will surely eliminate any bottleneck you may have.

 

[JeffMann]

I now think that Xaval and Viper2005 are correct and that I need to adjust to the "fact" that the V281 (with its increased power capability) is significantly increasing the dynamic range of my symphonic recordings and that I need to adjust my volume control setting to accommodate to that "fact". In the past (when using my V200 amp), I first adjusted the volume control to make the softer passages loud (as if I was sitting in the front row of the orchestra hall). I then only lowered the volume setting if the loudest passages were far too loud, and  I didn't need to make a large adjustment very often. When I tried this mental approach with the V281 amp, the loudest passages were far too loud (and I incorrectly blamed the amp for the problem).
 
I have now tried a different mental approach when listening to symphonic recordings (eg. Mahler's 2nd symphony recorded by Solti or Shostakovich's 4th symphony recorded by Haitink). I have now adjusted the V281's volume control to make the loudest musical passages loud (but not unnaturally loud) and I have discovered that the softest passages are significantly softer than my previous listening experience. The aural sensation is equivalent to moving further back into the concert hall - as if I were moving from a front row seat to a seat in the mid-section of the orchestral hall. That allows me to accommodate to the wider dynamic range without experiencing any sensation of "loud-passage" distortion. This is a "new" aural experience for me and I am now increasingly realizing that the V281 is a wonderfully capable amp that is taking my headphone-based audio system to a higher level of musical fidelity. It is easy to listen to soft musical passages with the Violectric headphone amps (V200 or V281) because they have a very silent (black) background.
 
Viper255,
 
You wrote-: "Also, as Xaval said, that increased dynamic range you hear is a good thing.  Symphonies should range from faint solo to deafening loud during a fortissimo. Have you tried using your single ended cable with the v281?"
 
I have not tried using my single-ended Sennheiser headphone cable with the V281 because that would defeat my underlying purpose for buying the V281 amp. I didn't choose to buy the V281 amp because I perceived that the V200 lacked enough power to drive my HD800 headphones. I bought the V281 because it would allow me to drive my HD800 headphones using a balanced cable, and I was anticipating that the balanced mode would improve the sound quality of my system. 
 
Macdevign,
 
You wrote-: "Could it be due to the power cord you are using or maybe you can improve it by using a better power cord ? 
 
In the past when I have a eximus dac running on chord superscreen power cord, the overall sound is soft and bit flat sounding however after switching to Nordost blue heaven power cord, the soundstage becomes larger and holographic,  and the sound is  noticeably louder. So could it be that your power cord is the bottleneck ? And if you could borrow a Nordost power cord to see if that really helps if "burn-in" fails."
 
I suspect that you are mischaracterizing my problem.  My problem is not a "bottleneck problem", but the opposite - the sound was perceived to be too loud (too dynamic). 
 
I am happy with using Vioelectric's power cable, and I have no incentive to upgrade to audiophile power cords. I also own a Monoprice 14g power cord that I could theoretically use - but I suspect that it will not affect the sound.
 
Jeff.

 

[xaval]

@JeffMann : Regarding the apparent increased dynamic range that you're experiencing with V281 vs V200, I think it would be interesting if you played a bit applying some filters on the transport side.
 
If you're using a computer as source, playing with a compressor type plugin you can apply a sort of "loudness" control on some recordings. A slight adjustment is sometimes all you need. Some plugins are free so nothing to lose here. I prefer Ozone 5 for everything, but let's not digress.
If you're using a CD transport, something like a DEQ2496 could also do this (and much more) for a small budget. This equipment is the swiss knife of digital mastering.
If you're using vynil, you'd need an analog compressor. A nice Rane DEQ 60 would be perfect (but expensive) and a perfect EQ to boot.
 
I know some people are adverse to this kind of tweakings, but as I'm not one of those purist audiophiles, I care mostly to sound enjoyment and I can perfectly understand how "scary" some dynamic ranges can get. 
For example, on this recording http://www.allmusic.com/album/igor-stravinsky-the-firebird-suite-nightingale-rite-of-spring-mw0001805307 when you get up to about halfway into the Firebird Suite... if you're not ready for what's coming you WILL jump. On my loudspeakers I spilled my tea the first time I listened to this. No way you can listen to this recording at night with nearby neighbours.
 
I was debating on getting a new head amp as I has evaluating a few of the usual suspects in this price/performance range and your post (as well as others) made it to me. I ordered a full silver v220 (my headphones are all SE) panzer last night. I think I'm the first with this amp here!

 

[Xenophon]

I'm not a sound tech and stand ready to be corrected, but afaik the dynamic range of a recording won't change if you play it with different amps; it's intrinsic in the way the music was mastered (provided no clipping occurs of course).  I also listen to classical and .although some labels use some compression, some (like BIS) don't and you get the 17-18 dB swings with performances like the Firebird suite.  Being distracted and adjusting volume based on a pianissimo beginning can have disconcerting consequences.
 
I wonder if what you're experiencing is not rather related to a higher absolute volume with the 281 vs the 200.
 
Anyway, as I'm also a big fan of classical music and an owner of a V200 I'm following this with a lot of interest and I'll be curious to read about Xaval's experience with the 220.  I'm not getting into the boat as one more amp would make my wife pack her bags and also because -strictly a matter of taste- I prefer a 'lighter' and more detailed touch than the Violectric family seems to offer.

 

[xaval]

You are correct when you state the DR of a recording won't change when playing with different amps. However, the way the system as a whole reproduces that dynamic range can change - for better or worse. Clipping is another matter as the amp cannot provide enough juice and simply starts distorting at certain frequencies/SPL range. The perceived quality of the audio system deteriorates. A better dynamic range reproduction allows you to discern with improved easiness the differences between loud and less louder passages.
 
The same way the detail in a recording won't improve when you change a component in an audio system. A better component just might retrieve/extract more details out of the recording. 

 

[project86]

Jeff,
 
Quick question - are you connecting the XA5400ES via RCA cables or XLR? 

 

[JeffMann]

I'm not a sound tech and stand ready to be corrected, but afaik the dynamic range of a recording won't change if you play it with different amps; it's intrinsic in the way the music was mastered (provided no clipping occurs of course).  I also listen to classical and .although some labels use some compression, some (like BIS) don't and you get the 17-18 dB swings with performances like the Firebird suite.  Being distracted and adjusting volume based on a pianissimo beginning can have disconcerting consequences.

I wonder if what you're experiencing is not rather related to a higher absolute volume with the 281 vs the 200.

Anyway, as I'm also a big fan of classical music and an owner of a V200 I'm following this with a lot of interest and I'll be curious to read about Xaval's experience with the 220.  I'm not getting into the boat as one more amp would make my wife pack her bags and also because -strictly a matter of taste- I prefer a 'lighter' and more detailed touch than the Violectric family seems to offer.

I agree with your opinion that the dynamic range of a recording is inbuilt into the recording by the recording team, and that it cannot be altered. However, the recording has to be amplified to produce sound from one's headphones, and different amps are obviously reproducing that amplification very differently. My new V281 (in balanced mode) sounds very different to my V200 amp (when driving my HD800 headphones in a single-ended manner), and the differences don't only relate to one's mental perception of the "perceived" dynamic range, but there is also a major change in my HD800's soundstaging ability and frequency balance.

A number of forum members have commented that the V281, when used in balance mode, significantly widens the soundstage. I can now understand why they harbor that belief. I experienced a revelatory experience last night when I listened to a particular recording of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" - EMIs recording by the conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos (a CD can be purchased for <$10 from Amazon's second-hand dealers). The V281 (in balanced mode) produces a cavernous-sized soundstage (especially from front-to-back) that my V200 cannot reproduce. Feied (of Lake People) should use this particular CD-recording to highlight the ability of the V281 (in balanced mode) to produce a gigantic soundstage (using a CD player that features balanced outputs and also using the HD800 headphones, which are well-known to have an outstanding soundstaging capability).

Jeff.

 

[JeffMann]

Jeff,

Quick question - are you connecting the XA5400ES via RCA cables or XLR? 

I am using XLR.

Jeff.

 

[project86]

I am using XLR.

Jeff.

 
 
Thank you. I ask because I recall that particular player having some odd behavior in terms of output stage. The RCA output is a typical 2 Volts, but the XLR is also 2V rather than the customary 4V (or double whatever the single-ended RCA outs are). This tells me Sony did something weird there and it is not a "true" balanced output stage. I seem to recall they took the balanced signal, converted to single-ended, added some buffer stage, then converted back to balanced for XLR output. Also the output impedance is very different from RCA to XLR.
 
Again, this is several year old information rattling around in my head, so I could be mistaken. But if true, you could be suffering from a bad match - the V281 is listed as having a 10kOhm input impedance, which is not all that high. Bottom line, I'd try the RCA outputs as well, and just see if it changes the performance for the better. Sounds like you are now coming to terms with the dynamic aspect but you did at one point mention "distortion" on the loud passages and that sounds wrong to me. 
 
I could be totally confused (it happens) and maybe RCA will sound identical or even inferior. But it's worth the minimal effort to explore. 

 

[JeffMann]

Thank you. I ask because I recall that particular player having some odd behavior in terms of output stage. The RCA output is a typical 2 Volts, but the XLR is also 2V rather than the customary 4V (or double whatever the single-ended RCA outs are). This tells me Sony did something weird there and it is not a "true" balanced output stage. I seem to recall they took the balanced signal, converted to single-ended, added some buffer stage, then converted back to balanced for XLR output. Also the output impedance is very different from RCA to XLR.

Again, this is several year old information rattling around in my head, so I could be mistaken. But if true, you could be suffering from a bad match - the V281 is listed as having a 10kOhm input impedance, which is not all that high. Bottom line, I'd try the RCA outputs as well, and just see if it changes the performance for the better. Sounds like you are now coming to terms with the dynamic aspect but you did at one point mention "distortion" on the loud passages and that sounds wrong to me. 

I could be totally confused (it happens) and maybe RCA will sound identical or even inferior. But it's worth the minimal effort to explore. 

I have no insight into the Sony CD-player's internal electronic arrangements. I simply purchased the unit because it got such a favorable review from many reputable sources. I originally used the RCA outlets to connect to the V200. Then one day, I simply decided to use the XLR outputs to see if I could detect a difference, and I found that I much preferred the XLR outputs (even if they are not truly balanced). When I purchased the V281, I had no reason to go back to using the RCA outlets - especially considering the fact that I was enamored of the idea of driving my headphones using a balanced mode.

I made a mistake to use the word "distortion" because I have experienced no evidence of electronically-induced sound distortion when using the V281. In the first few hours of use, I was driving the headphones to a very loud level and when I used the term "distortion" I really mean that the sound of the reproduced musical instruments was unaturally loud and unrealistic (distorting/altering the expected sound of the instrument). I am now using the V281-HD800 combo at a more realistic volume level and the sound coming from my headphones is definitely distortion-free. In fact, I am starting to detect more-and-more evidence of many refined musical microdetails that I have never heard before when previously playing some of my best recorded CDs using the V200 amp. I will continue to assess this V281 amp over the next few weeks before I try to summarize my personal impressions of its strengths/weaknesses - although my affection for the amp is growing exponentially with each passing hour of listening.

Jeff.

 

[xaval]

Thanks for the feedback JeffMann. Your feedback is a great testament to improvements over V200, as well as the scaling capability of the Sennies. Keep the feedback coming as you gather further findings.

 

[Tony1110]

Just picked my V281 up from the post office. Installing the USB drivers now. Will there be be any benefit to opening it up and altering the ground lift if I'm using a SE cable and the built in USB DAC?