[freedom04]

Thank you for all of you inputs! My budget would most probably lie between $500 to $1500. Currently checking the Lake People DAC RS06, a used V850, and hopefully a used Mytek Brooklyn. I live in the Philippines so I do have a limited number of options here..

 

[fixated]

I have my V281 paired with the RS06 and it sounds great. I can't really compare it to the V850 but based from the reviews it seems that the RS06 isn't too far off from the V850 just less features and just below in the V850 in terms of sound quality but having only read about it I don't know how much of a difference there might be. But the RS06 is way cheaper compared to the V850 and is great for its price.

 

[Fegefeuer]

  Thank you for all of you inputs! My budget would most probably lie between $500 to $1500. Currently checking the Lake People DAC RS06, a used V850, and hopefully a used Mytek Brooklyn. I live in the Philippines so I do have a limited number of options here..

 
Definitely consider the Gungnir Multibit

 

[Yoga]

Hmm. That new Metrum has piques my interest.

 

[freedom04]

I forgot to include that as much as possible, I would like a balanced DAC. Would an Emotiva DC-1 suffice as well?

 

[jmac1516]

V281 paired with V850 is incredible!!  Can it get better?  Maybe, but you would really be splitting hairs.  I'm also confident that you can spend much less on a dac and the pairing would still sound amazing.  The v281 is a beast!!
 

 

[Audio-Mark]

V281 paired with V850 is incredible!!  Can it get better?  Maybe, but you would really be splitting hairs.  I'm also confident that you can spend much less on a dac and the pairing would still sound amazing.  The v281 is a beast!!

Very nice set-up. Have you tried other DAC's? I'm thinking about the V850 as well, in combination with the V280. But I'm also looking into the Chord 2Qute.

 

[jmac1516]

Very nice set-up. Have you tried other DAC's? I'm thinking about the V850 as well, in combination with the V280. But I'm also looking into the Chord 2Qute.

I acquired the two together (V281+V850) and have not messed with or tested other dacs.  After spending time with this set-up, I have not had any need or urge to test other dacs.  Like I stated previously, I'm sure their are dacs that may improve it a small amount and also cheaper dacs that perform nearly as well or better.  But I am very content.
 
Pic of the rear (sorry--I posted these previously):
 

 

[boomtube]

Curious if anyone here has paired the Chord 2Qute with the v281? If so, what are your thoughts about synergy?

 

[Audio-Mark]

Curious if anyone here has paired the Chord 2Qute with the v281? If so, what are your thoughts about synergy?

I've been testing the V280 (which should sound the same as the V281) with the 2Qute for a few days. It sounds better than the Mojo, but I haven't compared it with other DAC's yet. I hope to test the V850 in the next weeks.

I could be happy with the 2Qute for the rest of my life, and maybe that will be my conclusion.

 

[AppleheadMay]

If anyone wants to part with their V280 in Europe, gimme a yell!

 

[13713]

I've been testing the V280 (which should sound the same as the V281) with the 2Qute for a few days. It sounds better than the Mojo, but I haven't compared it with other DAC's yet. I hope to test the V850 in the next weeks.

I could be happy with the 2Qute for the rest of my life, and maybe that will be my conclusion.

Let me know how you feel about the V850. I am curious as to other peoples impressions.

 

[AppleheadMay]

Does it actually matter if you use the xlr or rca inputs when you want to connect a balanced pair of phones?

 

[novicez1]

To a certain extent, as the higher gain offerred by the balanced DAC allows you to set the pregain on your amplifier to a lower level, hence possibly avoiding distortion from higher amplifier gain.

 

[shea]

Let me know how you feel about the V850. I am curious as to other peoples impressions.

I have the v281 with the lake people rs06. My understanding is the latter is the same internal components as the v850 but without line out volume control or manual selection of up-sampling multipliers, neither of which I'd want, anyway. You save about us$500 by foregoing those options. The combo is amazing to my ears. That said, the only other dac I've tried with the v281 is one of the little portable Fostex things, and you'd expect the rs06 to sound significantly better at ~2x the price and power from the mains. The v281/rs06 combo takes a lot of the edge off even the hd700's considering the v281 is a solid state amp. For me, the hd700's become usable for just about everything except for tambourine heavy tracks. That's unbalanced, too, by the way. I'm waiting on a balanced cable to compare with the hd800's.