[gipsy]

If you contact Violectric they may be willing to send you V281 to try before buy...give it try and then decide. Only thing , you have to send them the money and than you got it back if you decide to send the unit back.
Another thing to consider is to take DAC with swappable opamps like ASUS Essence One or Conductor SL and than suit the sound by changing opamps to your liking.
I think Asus is to that task...it has separate volume control and balanced output and you can play with opamps on every stage of circuit and even send week signal to Bryston if you plan to use it with IEM-s.
 
Just idea!
 
Gipsy

 

[gipsy]

Another thing, as owner of LCD-X I am in same position as you are at the moment;
I am looking to buy top end Amp for top end headphones and will do it as soon as I decide where to go and collect the money, but at the moment I did try them with:
 
Fiio X5---------------sounding perfect right out of box, loud enough even with gain on LOW, beautiful sound, portable, big fun.
 
Asus Essence One original opamps---------sound nice, warm, beautiful heavy bass, can listen as long as my neck can support weight!
 
Asus Essence One Muses 1 and 2 combo I/V filter...tight, strong precise bass, light blue highs very precise. Can listen for 2 hours in row.
 
Meier Corda Mk2 from 2003, small amp fed from analog out from Asus, powerful enough, beautiful sound, same as ASUS amp, just little bit more accent on mids, little narrower stage, but not sure if it will be able to distinguish between two on blind. All that without Meier Cross feed.
 
So I am really having the fun with this 2 cheap dac/amp (Asus got new for 260€, Meier Corda for 100) and I know there is no chance on earth that spending another 1500-2000€ on better/stronger amp will bring any more fun or biger smile on my face while listening my favorite music but real pleasure is in process of reading reviews, imagining those shiny or matte metal boxes on my desktop and slight feeling of guilt all along the process.
 
After reading a ton of opinions/reviews my logic say to me: buy either Violectic or Bryston, technically superb amps with excellent factory support (5 and 20 years warranty) and one day I should be able to sell it with minimum loss.
 
My 2 cents
Gipsy

 

[plakat]

  For headphones as easy to drive as a pair of LCD-Xs, I would also definitely not exclude a Benchmark DAC 2 DX or an Anedio D2, which both also feature some of the very best headamps out there, yet not with the same output power and voltage, nor with balanced outputs. They are also at the same time state of the art D/A converters and for a fantastic price.

 
I can only second the suggestion of a Benchmark DAC2. I love the DAC and I think its headphone amp is one of the most overlooked features... While I would maybe not pair it with really bright headphones I use it frequently with the K812, K7XX, Custom Studio etc. Setting the internal output damping to 0dB gives me enough juice to even drive the Abyss to levels I'm not comfortable with.

 

[roskodan]

 

  Lol, with any luck, maybe the term vaginal will catch on around here.  

 

Let's add it to the dictionary!

 
hmmmm... i doubt so... http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141014-monster-leech-swallows-giant-worm

 

[gipsy]

Trigger pulled, HPA V281, standard version, should be in Croatia mid next week.
Will try to make some unboxing photos with scope of delivery as I could not find any anywhere!
 
Regards

 

[plakat]

Congratulation @gipsy -- but don't expect too much with regard to packaging... Lake People keep that to a functional level

 

[gipsy]

What is included?? Power cord and amp I suppose?

 

[plakat]

I think the basic package is amp+cord, yes. A printed manual is also included, as well as a tool to tighten the screw of the volume control knob plus an explanation that it might in some cases get loose when shipped via air transport due to temperature.
Obviously the variants with a remote include the remote control as well as its manual (its a generic remote with unfortunately many unused buttons).

 

[project86]

Let's not forget the rather nice looking USB cable that comes bundled if you buy the USB DAC add-on. Not that it applies to you, but still.
 
I do think Lake People does a better job than most as far as their packaging materials. I get a lot of stuff coming in each week - most is packed decently well, some is inadequate, and some is really good. Lake People stuff is always the latter. 

 

[gipsy]

Remote was tempting but I could not justify 200 extra for remote, where I am anyway tied with headphone cable few feet from amp.
 
Loose bolts due the differential thermal expansion is unlikely in this case..
If there was temperature rise it will be more likely than with temp drop..all that in case where bolt inside aluminum knob is steel and pot shaft is aluminum.
 
Can't wait to get it here!!
 
Regards

 

[plakat]

  Let's not forget the rather nice looking USB cable that comes bundled if you buy the USB DAC add-on. Not that it applies to you, but still.
 
I do think Lake People does a better job than most as far as their packaging materials. I get a lot of stuff coming in each week - most is packed decently well, some is inadequate, and some is really good. Lake People stuff is always the latter. 

 
Thats right. Actually I use that USB cable with my DAC2
The packaging is functional and well done, but nothing fancy. Which is fine with me, but it was not worth taking photos while unpacking.
 

  Remote was tempting but I could not justify 200 extra for remote, where I am anyway tied with headphone cable few feet from amp.
 
Loose bolts due the differential thermal expansion is unlikely in this case..
If there was temperature rise it will be more likely than with temp drop..all that in case where bolt inside aluminum knob is steel and pot shaft is aluminum.
 
Can't wait to get it here!!
 
Regards

 
I don't use the remote either. I just got the relay-based volume control because I love the concept... I don't use the V281 as a preamp, therefore its always within reach.
 
They mentioned that said problems with pot knobs becoming loose is on long haul air freight which can get quite cold while in transit. Don't think this applies within EU.
 
Hope its with you soon. The wait while in transit is always killing me... on the other hand I can take my time contemplating wether to buy something. But once decided it has to get to me fast
 
Which headphones are you going to drive with the V281? With which source?

 

[gipsy]

Hi Plakat, hi All
 
My V281 has left warehouse today....it will spend weekend somewhere with UPS and should be with me mid next week.
With it, in same package, will be lot of Switchcraft and Neutrik connectors and some quad star cable to play with DIY cables
 
As I am experienced, read old, gadget lower, so, I bought Tannoy Reveal 402 to replace my old crappy yogurt can like computer speaker to have busy weekend...
Now I am rearranging cables around desktop....Tannoy connected to balanced out on my ASUS E1 with bunch of MUSES01 and 02 in it.
When Fried's little power-plant comes, it will get the signal from balanced OUT on ASUS E1 and Tannoy will get it from balanced out on V281.
 
For volume control on Tannoy I got bundled controller with Tannoy.
It will be connected between V281 bal out and Tannoy bal in.
Short first impression with Tannoy...too much bass...very nice, warm mids and higs. I have even dump the bass ports to lower basses.
Very good monitors, nice sound, not up to Sonus Faber Concertino, my main stereo rig, but close enough for everyday listening.
 
Now, for headphones, I have 4 to play with.
 
My more than 10 years old AKG 240 Studio
Old good,...... super good, K702.bass mode done.(will try to re-cable it for balanced use at some point in next 2-3 weeks
Beyer T51P, my outdoor cans, hard to belive, but very close pair to my last and best headphones...
LCD-X, 1 month old, which are main reason I ordered this mighty amp.
 
Source is my super silent, almost passively cooled computer with de-lided processor for better thermal transfer  and Foobar.
Source for testing CD-s is  Marantz 4200.
Fiio X5 for test is ready as well.
 
So far, testing LCD-X with Asus E1 and Meier Corda, they shine with both amps so good that I can not belive anything can make them shine even more.
Will see. Will hear actually.
 
As for Mr. Fried Reim I can say only superlatives. He did answer all my questions and fast!!
 
I can point one, very important fact, where he said that this amp, Violectric V281, is covered with 5 years warranty transferable to following user!!
 
This is very logical, but  nowadays very gentleman move as you will hardly find any company to offer transferable warranty in electronic business.
 
Hat down Fried.
 
 
 
Regards
 
Gipsy

 

[Ultrainferno]

I have a problem and I hope you can help:
 
I'm using the XLR IN and XLR out to my Tube amp. However I only get very little and very distorted sound on my headphone amp.
The internal amp on the V281 is doing just fine, but it seems the Line out just isn't working.
 
What am I doing wrong here?

 

[plakat]

  I have a problem and I hope you can help:
 
I'm using the XLR IN and XLR out to my Tube amp. However I only get very little and very distorted sound on my headphone amp.
The internal amp on the V281 is doing just fine, but it seems the Line out just isn't working.
 
What am I doing wrong here?

Just to clarify: did you set XLR out to line-out level? Per default its configured to follow the volume control. The manual has instructions on reconfiguring that.
 
Do you have any other equipment to check the XLR out? active speakers etc (don't set XLR to line-out in that case).
Is that both channels? If not: Are your XLR cables OK?
Did you try the RCA out?

 

[Ultrainferno]

 
Just to clarify: did you set XLR out to line-out level? Per default its configured to follow the volume control. The manual has instructions on reconfiguring that.
 
Do you have any other equipment to check the XLR out? active speakers etc (don't set XLR to line-out in that case).
Is that both channels? If not: Are your XLR cables OK?
Did you try the RCA out?

 
I did try XLR and RCA. I also tried both out settings (fixed volume and variable)
I connected several amps to it, I don't have any speakers I can try though. Yes both channels. Yes I tried other cables
 
So yeah, I'm pretty clueless for now.