[rx79ez08]

  Again,
 
the problems we had to face had been the drivers for 24/192 USB (Tenor 8802).
By now everything is working fine with Linux, all Mac OS and Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 - except Windows 8.1 - here we don´t have any solution.
Also I fear that there will be no solution for the upcoming Windows 10.
 
Concerning USB 24/96 (Tenor 7022) we haven´t heard of any issues.
 
So, when you don´t want to listen to 192k files there is definetely no need for the 192k USB inside V800.
Due to the resampling feature of DAC V800 the quality of the 96k USB is the same up to 96 kHz.

Concerning our headphone amps the USB DAC soundcard also carries the D/A converters.
And the converters from the 192k USB solution are better than the ones from the 96k USB.
For trouble free operation and no hassle with any drivers I would recommend the 192k soundcard with coaxial input (COAX 24/192).

Thank you
 
Fried

Hi Fried,
 
Can you comment on what should people who have the USB DAC installed in their amp do? Should they buy a new DAC if they want to use it with a newer operating system?

 

[lunz]

To Fried and others,
 
Could you help me find the drivers for Mac OSX ?
They were previously on this page: http://www.lake-people.de/violectric-others.html , but now I only find the drivers for Windows.
 
 
I found it on Violectric USA: http://violectric-usa.com/downloads, but not on the main .de site.

 

[fdg]

@ lunz

Sorry!
 
Now the new Mac OS-X download is also available on the Voiectric.de web site.

To all those who feel uncomfortable with the current situation with the Tenor 8022 chip set (like we do):
There will be new 192k USB interfaces based on X-Mos technology for the DAC converter(s) and the headphone amps coming soon.
These will be interchangeable with the current makes.
 
Fried Reim

 

[FredrikT92]

So the Mjolnir is indeed too bright with my LCD-X, I get tired kinda quickly, it actually sort of like listening to HD800 from a SS amp. 
Will the V281 give me that more warmer sound or? 

 

[project86]

  So the Mjolnir is indeed too bright with my LCD-X, I get tired kinda quickly, it actually sort of like listening to HD800 from a SS amp. 
Will the V281 give me that more warmer sound or? 

 
 
That's my complaint about the Mjolnir as well - an otherwise enjoyable amp. V281 is far less fatiguing imho. It's not dark, rolled off, etc, but just smoother in its presentation. 

 

[ghostchili]

So the Mjolnir is indeed too bright with my LCD-X, I get tired kinda quickly, it actually sort of like listening to HD800 from a SS amp. 
Will the V281 give me that more warmer sound or? 

I have the LCD-X and I am not a fan of brightness. The LCD-X is defiantly not too bright on the V281, my HiFiman HE-560s are brighter headphones that the LCD-X and I enjoy those on the V281 as well. I will have the HD800s back in a few weeks, it will be interesting to hear them an the V281. I can't handle the HD800s for long periods and usually only use them for A B comparisons on different gear. I find the V281 pretty transparent so your source and DAC will play a bigger role in the sound your hearing. The V281 won't add brightness, a touch of warmth, maybe.

 

[FredrikT92]

But is it worth almost double the price of a V200?

 

[project86]

I have the LCD-X and I am not a fan of brightness. The LCD-X is defiantly not too bright on the V281, my HiFiman HE-560s are brighter headphones that the LCD-X and I enjoy those on the V281 as well. I will have the HD800s back in a few weeks, it will be interesting to hear them an the V281. I can't handle the HD800s for long periods and usually only use them for A B comparisons on different gear. I find the V281 pretty transparent so your source and DAC will play a bigger role in the sound your hearing. The V281 won't add brightness, a touch of warmth, maybe.

 
To my ears, even HD800 is tolerable for long term listening, when driven by V281. It's a great combo. 
 

  But is it worth almost double the price of a V200?

 
"Worth it" is always difficult to quantify. It's definitely not twice as good as V200. And the V200 isn't twice as good as the Lake People G109S which is roughly half the price. And the G109 isn't twice as good as the Matrix M-Stage which, again, is roughly half the price.....
 
So it seems that whenever we double the price we get less bang for the buck, in a manner of speaking. And yet, I suspect most people would enjoy the G109 more than the M-Stage, and the V200 even more, and the V281 even more.
 
Is it "worth it"? That depends on your financial situation, your associated equipment, the music being played, your listening style, and the headphones you might use. For me the answer is YES! 

 

[FredrikT92]

I'm pretty stingy, cause I have alot of hobbies... Motocross, skateboarding, snowboarding... So if there isent easly noticeable difference, I will not bother. 
LCD-X is my only cans, and most likly it will be my only cans too (I dont like having many options ), so the only reason to get the V281 is because of the balanced mode, and ofc, if the sound is that noticeable more excellent. 
 
I dont have the "best" DAC, an Arcam irDAC, but then I havent heard a DAC which was worth many times the price. Heck I owned a Audio GD M7 for some months, but sold it cause it simply wasent much difference at all, in fact, the irDAC was better at certain things, like imaging for example.
And yes I bought the M7 used!  
 
So if V281 is 100%, V200 is like 90%? 
Help me out! 

 

[project86]

Sorry, still very difficult to answer. It's kinda like asking how much better your LCD-X is compared to an LCD-2..... ask ten people, you'll probably get ten different answers. 
 
For me, the V200 is maybe 85% of the V200. Sometimes maybe even 90% (with certain easy to drive headphones), but other times dropping a lot lower to below 50% (like driving HE-6). So..... it's really hard to say. 

 

[mulder01]

I always thought the LCD-X was a pretty easy can to drive so you may not need a monster amp at all...  If that is your only headphone, they are pretty much Audeze's portable LCD because of their great efficiency.  If money is a major concern, I think you could get away with a lesser amp.  I ended up buying a v281 because I have a power hungry abyss (and it performs brilliantly), but very nearly bought the LCD-X instead so I could comfortably power them off a portable and wouldn't need a big desktop amp.  Just my opinion though - it is a great amp, but maybe not necessary for you?

 

[FredrikT92]

Doesn't Audeze sound better with much power tho? They get more omph down low and dynamics. Atleast that was my impressions from the lcd 2.
Obviously, I'd like to get the most out of lcd x as cheap as possible

 

[mulder01]

I know the LCD-3 scales a bit more with a better amp but I think the LCD-X is to a lesser extent.  When I auditioned the X, I listened to it on an ALO portable rx mk3.  The salesman told me to put it on high gain and with the volume knob at only about 10:00, I pressed play and it nearly blew my head off.  I found myself using the volume knob well under half way even on medium gain.  And that's off a portable.  
 
Don't get me wrong, I really like this amp, and I've read a bunch of other people use it with their LCD-X.  It's a great sounding amp, and a great looking amp, and if you ever changed your headphones, you could just keep using the v281 because it's nice and transparent, and can handle pretty much anything you plug into it.  But if you have an LCD-X ONLY and price is a fairly big concern, maybe it's overkill??  I would have bought a lesser amp if I ended up buying the X.  But hey, just my opinion - I am more of a headphone man than an amp man too, so don't necessarily listen to me  (I'm assuming you've already asked the question in the LCD-X thread?)

 

[Zkadoush]

  I'm pretty stingy, cause I have alot of hobbies... Motocross, skateboarding, snowboarding... So if there isent easly noticeable difference, I will not bother. 
LCD-X is my only cans, and most likly it will be my only cans too (I dont like having many options ), so the only reason to get the V281 is because of the balanced mode, and ofc, if the sound is that noticeable more excellent. 
 
I dont have the "best" DAC, an Arcam irDAC, but then I havent heard a DAC which was worth many times the price. Heck I owned a Audio GD M7 for some months, but sold it cause it simply wasent much difference at all, in fact, the irDAC was better at certain things, like imaging for example.
And yes I bought the M7 used!  
 
So if V281 is 100%, V200 is like 90%? 
Help me out! 

Hi FredrikT92,

As mulder01 correctly pointed out, the LCD-X is "a pretty easy can to drive so you may not need a monster amp at all." I would tell you exactly the same. I have a pair of LCD-Xs and a V281, and you definitely don't need a V281 to drive a pair of LCD-X, let alone a V200. I still have my V100, which is more than enough to drive my LCD-X; even my Laptop and iPod can drive them to very uncomfortable levels.

If you want a balanced output you could also consider the V181. I'd say the difference between single ended and balanced with the V281 is there, but it's subtle and I don't know if it's worth the extra money for a pair of LCD-Xs. If you had a HE-6 I'd say go for it, but not with a LCD-X that is so easy to drive.

You mentioned that the Mjolnir is too bright for your taste, so I'm not so sure I would recommend you something like my Benchmark DAC2 DX - that many complain is too bright - or an Anedio D2. But for the money, the Benchmark and the Anedio D2 give you a state of the art DAC and Headphone Amp, and the Anedio is less than $200 USD more than a V200 without DAC module (unless you get a refurbished one for $990 USD). Also I would wait until Violectric replaces the current Tenor DAC chips until I considered a V200 with a DAC module as an option.

I do find both my V100 and V281 slightly warmer than my DAC2, but from a volume perspective, the DAC2 is more than enough, and both the Benchmark and the Anedio offer internal jumpers that allow you to set a higher gain in the very unlikely case that you felt they aren't getting loud enough. Nevertheless, I love my LCD-X right out of my DAC2, and just for convenience I sometimes just use my DAC2 to drive them without finding it to be too bright or having any quibbles in that direction. What I feel the Benchmark can't do is the bass that both my Violectrics do, but aside from that, I could totally live with a DAC2 + LCD-X combo if I had no intentions of getting another pair of headphones.

Depending on where you live, I would recommend you to audition a Benchmark DAC2. Anedio offers a 14 day risk free evaluation if you're in the US. It's hard to get anything better for the money than the Benchmark DAC2 or the Anedio D2. Going for a V200 or V100 + a DAC would set you back a lot more. But if money isn't an issue, I would go for the V200 and a Anedio D2 or Benchmark DAC2 L (withouh headphone Amp) or wait for the upgrade of the V800 DAC.

Hope to have been of some help.

Cheers!

 

 

[FredrikT92]

I dont want to loose the great qualities the Mjolnir give, like dynamics and fun.
So I dont want to downgrade obviously, I just want less brightness.  But I guess to get such,  V281 and Ragnarok is the only solid options?