[jark]

When not using it as a pre amp, does the Line out (both either XLR or rca) works even when the V281 is turned off?

 

[plakat]

When not using it as a pre amp, does the Line out (both either XLR or rca) works even when the V281 is turned off?

I don't think so... its not hardwired, so the unit must be switched on I guess.

 

[jark]

I don't think so... its not hardwired, so the unit must be switched on I guess.

Bummer! not good.... I've just received my new Luxman L-550AX integrated amp which like the V281 requires to be On in order for the "rec out" to works. So let's say I want to listen to my turntable on headphones through the V281, my option are either switch on the L-550AX to use the rec out circuit which is then connected to the V281 input or unplugged from one to connect to the other...both options been very bad... With my old Rotel amp the rec out worked even when the unit was turned off...

Is there other option I've been missing in order to have both units connected but without having to be turned on at the same time?

Cheers

 

[plakat]

Is there other option I've been missing in order to have both units connected but without having to be turned on at the same time?

 
You could use some kind of split cable, but keep in mind that XLR and RCA levels differ. Plus a turntable will not work with the V281 without a phono preamp (except for the few turntables that offer line-level output)

 

[jark]

Plus a turntable will not work with the V281 without a phono preamp (except for the few turntables that offer line-level output)

Of course...I didn't mentioned that in between I'm using a Luxman E-200 phono...

 

[plakat]

Of course...I didn't mentioned that in between I'm using a Luxman E-200 phono...

In that case I'd try a split cable from your phono preamp to both your amps, something like this one:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/pro_snake_tpy_2003_rcc.htm

 

[jark]

In that case I'd try a split cable from your phono preamp to both your amps, something like this one:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/pro_snake_tpy_2003_rcc.htm

Interesting! Never seen one of those...thanks for tip. I won't be losing any sound quality though?

Cheers mate

 

[rx79ez08]

Something like this:
 
http://www.altronics.com.au/p/p0357-dynalink-rca-male-to-2-rca-female-right-angle-adapter/
 
Should also work.

 

[plakat]

Interesting! Never seen one of those...thanks for tip. I won't be losing any sound quality though?

Cheers mate

Should be no problem. An output socket that works when the amp is switched off (the Beyerdynamic A2 has that e.g.) is essentially the same: just a direct wire from input to output.
 
I prefer adapters with some cable in between instead of those longer 1-piece adapters as it takes strain off the sockets on the device.

 

[Gibsonmac]

Is the only way to get the V281 in the states, to go factory direct? I've been going back and forth between the Ragnarok, Taurus mkII, and EF6 for a few weeks now, and after seeing the violelectric on innerfidelity, and a few other reviews, I think I'm sold. Sounds like exactly what I've been searching for. I would have gone with the Rag, because Schiit has STELLAR customer service, but the whole not knowing what outputs are hot at any given time and the actual running temp of the amp were turn offs.

 

[roskodan]

http://www.violectric-usa.com/
 
http://aphroditecu29.com/
 
it's a difficult decision, at http://www.innerfidelity.com/ , there will be a big shootout with all of em and more, tho it may take some time till it's out...
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/big-sound-2015-and-so-it-begins#oCdsKv0brWSIXldR.97
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/big-sound-2015-lets-light-bird#duvZo4xLmcpBY1Cv.97

 

[ellevoid]

Is the only way to get the V281 in the states, to go factory direct? I've been going back and forth between the Ragnarok, Taurus mkII, and EF6 for a few weeks now, and after seeing the violelectric on innerfidelity, and a few other reviews, I think I'm sold. Sounds like exactly what I've been searching for. I would have gone with the Rag, because Schiit has STELLAR customer service, but the whole not knowing what outputs are hot at any given time and the actual running temp of the amp were turn offs.

Between those choices, I would definitely choose V281. I owned Taurus MK2 and V281 using them with my HD800, LCD3F and HE6. V281 is a winner.
I also tried Ragnarok with HD800 and LCD3 at the local shop here, it sounds very good but V281 is better in both sound and build quality.

 

[MP1968]

Is the only way to get the V281 in the states, to go factory direct? I've been going back and forth between the Ragnarok, Taurus mkII, and EF6 for a few weeks now, and after seeing the violelectric on innerfidelity, and a few other reviews, I think I'm sold. Sounds like exactly what I've been searching for. I would have gone with the Rag, because Schiit has STELLAR customer service, but the whole not knowing what outputs are hot at any given time and the actual running temp of the amp were turn offs.

 
 
Unless you're in a hurry to splash your cash on an amp now, you might want to wait for the Inner Fidelity review.  Though as Roskodan says, it may not be out for a while.
 
FWIW, I've recently had the chance to compare side-by-side the EF6 and V281, for a good couple of hours.  I swapped back and forth using the standard music tracks I use for assessing 'phones etc. (so I'm very familiar indeed with them).  Upstream DAC was a Naim DAC V1.  My 'phones are LCD3Fs.  
 
I already own the EF6 as I previously had HE6s.  The EF6 pairs with the LCD3s very well in my view, and I was simply trying to establish whether the V281 offers a significant change.  The conclusion: to my ears I could detect very little difference indeed between the two amps, and in fact I very much doubt whether I could have picked each one out reliably in a blind test.  
 
Everyone hears these things differently, of course, and the time I had was relatively limited.  Nonetheless it convinced me that there would be no point at all in losing money by selling the EF6, and then investing around £1300 on the V281.
 
Just my 2 cents. 

 

[ab_ba]

I received my V281 and V800 last week from Arthur at violectric-usa.com. After listening long into the night for several nights now, I feel ready to share some impressions. 
 
Here is the upshot: the balanced output of the V281 is utterly tremendous. 
 
Some background - Last month I bought a pair of LCD-3F’s. At home, I didn’t quite hear the magic I had heard at the store. Was it psychological? At the store I had been auditioning them with an Audeze Deckard amp. At home, I was using my Schiit stack - Bifrost and Lyr 1. Was that the difference? I decided it was time to try an amp upgrade. I decided to go several rungs up the ladder. That’s right when John Grandberg’s review came out on Innerfidelity. I found this thread, I found the review on headphone.guru, and I found the trash talk. All of it led me to decide the V281 was the way I wanted to go. Yggy/Ragna, Simaudio Moon, GSX, having read about all those, the Violectric just seemed like the right amp for me. 
 
I placed the order, held my breath for two long days, worked from home the morning it was scheduled to arrive so I could sign for the delivery, plugged everything in, hit “play”, and said, “yup, that’s my music.” I was impressed with the sound of the V281, but it seemed to me like a nice step up from my Lyr. As I listened, I could hear a forward emphasis in the midrange - hi-hat brushwork and strings seemed to emerge from a darker background on the Vio than on the Lyr. Things sounded more dimensional than with the Lyr. I didn’t really know what a high-end amp should sound like, so I figured I was just facing the law of diminishing returns.
 
After an hour or so, I switched the cables on my LCD-3s to balanced, and gave that a go. My experience was dramatically different. The sound was rich, full, and deep. Details popped out. There was dimensionality to the music. In a song I know well, I could hear differences in fingering on a guitar that I hadn’t heard before. In a live recording I’ve been listening to for twenty years I heard reverbs I had never heard before. The positions of the musicians was more tangible. Now, this was a completely different experience. Airy and dense at the same time, and quite wonderful. I was completely smitten with this amp. 
 
The next night, I plugged in my HD800s (single-ended), and I went back to feeling a tad underwhelmed. I have yet to be fully impressed with the HD800, on any amp. I mean, I see what they can do, and sometimes it’s fun to hear all the high-frequency information they present so well, but they are not visceral and engrossing the way the LCD-3’s are, and that open-ness they have makes the music feel like it is just out of my reach. Last night I ordered a balanced cable for the 800’s - I’m excited to see if that will make the difference. 
 
I didn’t really believe in balancing till this experience. One way to do a “balanced” amp is to simply separate the grounds for both drivers. I don’t see this making much difference. I put it up there with bi-amping speakers: it seems like it might make a difference, till you think about what’s happening. The proper way to make a balanced amp is to have separate amps for each driver, and that’s the way the V281 works.  The effect of balancing - done properly, at least - is really remarkable. 
 
For me, the clearest indication of quality audio gear is when listening is effortless. Once you know a particular detail is there, you can usually go back and hear it on slightly inferior gear. The point is, you didn’t notice it till the better equipment served it up on a platter. That keeps happening with the V281 - listening is an immersive, engrossing experience. It’s hard to multitask - the music draws me back in. The Lyr is a good amp, especially for its price, but music was never as involving with it as the V281 is. A second great test of audio gear for me is how much enjoyment I can get from music I’ve never heard before. Often, it takes me many listens to really fall in love with something, and then you wonder how you could have missed all that your first time through. When I play songs I’m not familiar with on the V281, I find them interesting and compelling right away. For sure, plenty of times I don’t like them, but they always hold my attention. The third thing I notice on good gear is that I can make out the words more clearly. I love it when I realize, "oh is that what's he's singing!" On the Vio, vocals sound closer and more nuanced. I can make out words more distinctly than with other amps.
 
I purchased mine with the level 2 upgraded volume knob. I did this because I wanted to be able to keep it at a low power for my JH-13fp’s. I can’t tell how much of my enjoyment of the V281 is due to the volume knob, or to the V800 for that matter, but the whole package is simply fantastic.
 
I find the JH-13’s to be a bit boomy on the V281 (single-ended), so if I have a positive experience with balancing the HD800s next I’ll balance the JH-13’s. In contrast, the HE-500 single-ended is lovely on the Vio. I’ve never really warmed to the HE-500: I appreciate how linear they sound, but it seemed less dynamic and engrossing to me than my LFF Paradox or my HD650’s. On the V281, though, they sound much better. I think there’s a nice pairing between the slightly-warm single-ended output of the V281 and the HE-500. I bought the LCD-3's to replace the HE-500s, but I may keep them after all. 
 
Till now, I’ve usually been able to picture some way in which my audio experience could be improved. That’s been the biggest source of my upgrade-itis. In this case, though, there’s nothing I feel is lacking, nothing that I’ve heard in other headphone setups that I think I should be hearing here. For me, the V281 is a completely satisfying experience.
 
Sometimes I give the V281 a volume workout. As I raise the volume, the sound scales uniformly. It is a pleasure to listen at a loud volume briefly - kind of like taking up your car’s speed for a few minutes on an open road. I can’t really do this with my Lyr - the sound gets wincy when things get loud - a harshness (maybe tube distortion) sets in, and I want to back the volume down pretty soon. The Vio hangs together, allowing me to bring up the volume to quite a loud level and still be comfortable - things stay even and under control. It is loud, but it does not develop any harshness anywhere. And yet at normal listening volumes, resolution and detail are there in full force. 
 
I want to end by reiterating: the balanced output is a very different beast from the single-ended output. The single-ended output is a solid improvement over the Lyr. I find it a tad warm, but still with a lot of detail and resolution. The V281’s balanced output is an utterly phenomenal amp. It sounds powerful, neutral, and resolving. The sound it delivers through my LCD-3F’s is everything I want.
 

 

[Gibsonmac]

Some background - Last month I bought a pair of LCD-3F’s. At home, I didn’t quite hear the magic I had heard at the store. Was it psychological? At the store I had been auditioning them with an Audeze Deckard amp. At home, I was using my Schiit stack - Bifrost and Lyr 1. Was that the difference? I decided it was time to try an amp upgrade. I decided to go several rungs up the ladder. That’s right when John Grandberg’s review came out on Innerfidelity. I found this thread, I found the review on headphone.guru, and I found the trash talk. All of it led me to decide the V281 was the way I wanted to go. Yggy/Ragna, Simaudio Moon, GSX, having read about all those, the Violectric just seemed like the right amp for me. 

Pretty much describes my situation exactly, I think this is the final nail, time to bite the bullet.