[jjthorn]

fdg
 
Thanks for the advice Fried.
 
You mentioned using balanced and unbalanced outputs simultaneously.
 
I do not want to use balanced and unbalanced outlet simultaneously.
 
Although the balanced cable (to V281) and unbalanced cable (to preamp) would be permanently connected to the DAC, only one of these would be operating at one time: -
 

• V281 switched on operating and preamp switched off not operating.
   
• Preamp switched on operating and V281 switched off not operating.

 
If the above is not possible I can try each option in my previous posting to see which provides the best outcome. 

 

[FumblingFoo]

   
Welcome to the world of hype and individual preferences that is HeadFi. About the only audio review or impression you can really trust is your own ears, listening to gear in your rig, in your environment, with your music. Unless you can get loaner equipment it is often not possible to do that without committing to a purchase, so we have to rely on the views of others quite often. That has been hit and miss for me, to say the least.
 
I have found many of the Violectric haters out there, and they do exist, have heard the V281 using the cheapo DAC option that can be built into the unit. That isn't doing justice to the V281 amp. The amp section is very much a high end device and deserves pairing with a much better DAC unit. I haven't heard the V281 paired with the V850, but I have paired the V281 with the Auralic Vega / Hegel HD30 / Bricasti M1. Each time as I have stepped up my DAC that V281 has also lifted along with it.
 
I have compared the V281 with the Auralic Taurus Mk2 and Simaudio 430HA (owned both) and I prefer the V281 by quite a margin. Is the V281 perfect? No - it can get slightly loose in the bass and a touch hard in the treble - not quite as smooth up top as I would prefer - but it sure as heck beats the pants off everything else I have tried. Taurus is technically great, but the sound signature is bright and thin - not so bad with Audeze type cans, but pretty awful with the HD800, for example. The 430HA has warmth and musicality, but sacrifices bags of detail, speed and punch to do it, leaving it with an overly polite and boring sound.
 
V281 is also one of the few headamps around that can drive the HE6 with authority. 430HA can too. The Taurus cannot.
 
You wouldn't have to search too hard to find a bunch of folks that disagree strongly with my impressions above, and that's OK. It all comes back to individual preferences and setups. Pair the Taurus with an Audeze headphone and a warmish DAC (V850?) and it might be a winner. "YMMV" rules.
 
"End Game" gets thrown around quite a lot. A very subjective term. Only you can figure out what it means to you, and the biggest limiting factor is usually your budget. The Bricasti M1 is absolutely my "end game" DAC because to go further would involve spending crazy dollars that I don't have. My goal is to hook up the Ether Flow and Focal Utopia direct to the DAC XLR outputs and bypass a headamp altogether. That is "End Game" for me (if I can get it to work).
 
Trust your ears and take the views of others (including me) with a large sack of salt.

 
Well, at the very least it sounds great to my ears, thx for the reply Tony 

, I feel very happy now to have chosen the V281. To my embarrassment and frustration, its unfortunate that either because of my "newbieness" or cheap testing setup (I have a rather poorly implemented AB switch with a lot of background hiss, I couldn't find anything bettter), I can't hear barely any difference in sonic quality between either of my amps and even the on-board audio of my computer. My ears just aren't trained, and all I end up noticing myself is that everything sounds good enough to my ears that I enjoy all the same the music playing through my headphones :/. So, I reckon that at least for me the V281 is an end-game solution because it has all the features I need and I doubt that even if i bought a $20,000 amp I'd hear a difference.

 

[Fegefeuer]

 

[mulder01]

   
I can't hear barely any difference in sonic quality between either of my amps and even the on-board audio of my computer. My ears just aren't trained, and all I end up noticing myself is that everything sounds good enough to my ears that I enjoy all the same the music playing through my headphones :/. So, I reckon that at least for me the V281 is an end-game solution because it has all the features I need and I doubt that even if i bought a $20,000 amp I'd hear a difference.

 
Sometimes I feel the same way - where I wonder if even the v281 was an overkill - even more than is needed for an end game setup, but I still like it for other reasons like the fact that I can drive studio monitors off it if I choose, it's a fairly neutral sound so it should pair well with just about any headphone, it's got more than enough power to plug in anything I have, or anything I choose to buy in the future, it has a nice small footprint, not too many bells and whistles and things to go wrong, it looks extremely well made if you take off the cover (like all Violectric stuff), Fried offers really good after sales support, I'm sure there are other reasons I can't think of at the moment, but I look at amps costing double the price or more and just don't see any reason to "upgrade".   The only reason I can think of to buy another amp would be if you specifically wanted a tube amp, but as far as solid state goes, I can't see me ever wanting anything more.

 

[TonyNewman]

Overkill is good kill.
 
V281 is one of the few headamps that can drive the HE6 with real authority. Not many can do that.

 

[project86]

  Hi everybody, new V281 / V850 combo owner here

. I wish I could offer some detailed impressions upgrading from the Schiit Bifrost Uber / Lyr 2, but I'm both a newbie when it comes to impressions and don't have my AB switch in yet. I might better yet leave the impressions in the Lyr 2 thread because they'd be more useful there.
 
Just a question: Would you guys consider the V281 / V850 an end-game setup? I was kinda disappointed that the V281 wasn't ranked more highly by others at the Big Sound 2015 event on Inner Fidelity.

 
As was already eloquently mentioned by TonyNewman above - it's all subjective. You can read reviews and forum discussion until your eyeballs melt and still not come any closer to some objective truth. That said, I do recommend finding some reviewers and forum folks who seem to hear similarly to you, and then following them more closely than others.
 
As one example: Many people love the 430HA. Personally I do not... the V281 is far better imho. If you read the Big Sound 2015 you'll see that some very much enjoy the V281, and others don't have much to say about it. I suspect some were just overwhelmed by the amount of gear and only had time to focus on the stuff they found most interesting. But I'm sure there were some who did try it and felt underwhelmed. That's just how things go.

 

[fdg]

@ jjthorn
 
Passive electronic circuitry will still be present, independent if you gear is switched on or off.
This will be no safe solution to your problem.

 

[scottcocoabeach]

[COLOR=000000]fdg[/COLOR]


 


[COLOR=000000]Thanks for the advice Fried.[/COLOR]


 


[COLOR=000000]You mentioned using balanced and unbalanced outputs simultaneously.[/COLOR]


 


[COLOR=000000]I do not want to use balanced and unbalanced outlet simultaneously.[/COLOR]


 


[COLOR=000000]Although the balanced cable (to V281) and unbalanced cable (to preamp) would be permanently connected to the DAC, only one of these would be operating at one time: -[/COLOR]


 

1. 
   [COLOR=000000]V281 switched on operating and preamp switched off not operating.[/COLOR]
   
   
    
   
   
   
2. 
   [COLOR=000000]Preamp switched on operating and V281 switched off not operating.[/COLOR]
   
   
   

If the above is not possible I can try each option in my previous posting to see which provides the best outcome. 

I split my DAC output to my V281 and Schiit Jotenheim and I have to have both AMPs on simultaneously or I get distortion on the Jotenheim. I believe the reasons for it are explained earlier in this thread. I'm in the habit of always turning them both on most of the time. I can have the Jotenheim off and just the V281 on and I don't get any distortion.

 

[sandalaudio]

 
Just a question: Would you guys consider the V281 / V850 an end-game setup? I was kinda disappointed that the V281 wasn't ranked more highly by others at the Big Sound 2015 event on Inner Fidelity.

 

 
Trust your ears and take the views of others (including me) with a large sack of salt.

 
Yes. Don't trust the reviews. Just listen to the V281 and trust your ears. Then write a review. Then tell people not to trust the reviews! 

 
Seriously, I ended up buying my V281 after listening to so many headphone amps over and over.
I am a totally happy owner, but at the same time, I can't say anything flamboyant about the V281, because it just sounds so "right" and "normal".
 
I guess a good amp is something that sounds so normal that I don't get annoyed or fed up with it after countless hours of use.
Some other fancy amps have their own strong character that can turn lame music sound exciting, but it ends up being a one-trick-pony after a while.
 
By the way I also really liked the Moon 430HAD  (nice package with a capable onboard DAC). I would have struggled to pick a preference if it was available back when I bought the V281, though V281 is a lot cheaper so that makes it a winner.
 
The new V280 looks great too, if you don't need the extra input/output and remote control volume option.

 

[zappazappazappa]

New to this thread. Considering the V281  as a replacement amp for Sennheiser HDVD amp for use with Chord Hugo TT as dac (much prefer balanced headphone use to single ended). Will be used with Sennheiser HD800/Oppo PM-1 and Ether Flow's (when they arrive). Any opinions V281 vs Sennheiser HDVD amp. Anyone used V281 with Chord Hugo or Hugo TT? Impressions?
One slight concern. The Inner Fidelity review which sparked my interest mentioned that it was sensitive to ground loop issues, and I noticed in the manual that it is possible to alter the earthing arrangements. Anyone have any hum issues with this amp?

 

[jjthorn]

fdg
Scottcocoabeach
 
 
Shows my limited knowledge, I assumed the problem was caused when one unit was operating and other one was turned off.
 
As I do not want to damage my DAC, headphone amp or preamp I will take a safe option either using the headphone amp to supply headphones and speakers or connecting headphone amp from preamp.
 
Thanks to you both for the advice.

 

[Badas]

Thanks to my mate Tony (a valued member on this forum) I'm now the proud owner of a V281.

What a stunning amp.

 

[mulder01]

^Nice setup!  
How do tubes go as a fertilizer?

 

[zhgutov]

Thanks to my mate Tony (a valued member on this forum) I'm now the proud owner of a V281.

What a stunning amp.

 
How this headphones sound?)

 

[NZheadcase]

Thanks to my mate Tony (a valued member on this forum) I'm now the proud owner of a V281.

What a stunning amp.

 
Indeed it is. Does this mean your Oppo HA-1 has gone bye-bye?