[Fegefeuer]

Beautiful.

What does it cost and when will it arrive? I've seen a "Violectric" silver cable for the LCD series and it was much better than any stock including the official expensive option. Very thick wires as well.

 

[astrostar59]

The Norne Draug all silver is a special order. Trevor makes quite a few very high standard cables. There is a dedicated thread on here for those interested, plenty of glowing reports on them. For the all silver balanced 2m with LCD4 plugs it is about 700 USD depending on the choice of plugs both ends. I believe it is a very good price for a silver cable. Will report back on how it sounds.

More models here:

 

[astrostar59]

Sound level on SE v Balanced output to the headphone
I am curious, what sound level change is there (if any) from using the SE 6.3mm output v the single 4 pin XLR output? If the V281 uses both amplifiers, not just one, does that mean you need to reduce the volume pot for the same music level? I am looking forward to trying my LCD2-C and LCD4 on balanced, it has always been on SE only.

 

[jlbrach]

yes,using balanced you will need a lower volume level

 

[astrostar59]

Ok thanks for that.

 

[lithiumnk]

Hello
After almost reading the entire v281 thread. (250 pages)
I have learnt a lot.
I would like to share my journey in acquiring my first desktop grade amp briefly.
I am cross posting from audeze lcd i4 thread.
I have seen many people (including me) seeking for iem and hugo2 pairing with v281.

Let's begin.
My lcd i4 is almost a year old and still they never cease to amaze me.
They scale very well with desktop grade dac/amps due to their maximum power handling up to 3 watts as well as a low sensitivity of 100 dB/1mw at 30 ohms as compared to other high end iems.

I am into portable audio gear and slowly trying to build a good desktop setup .
I was searching for good desktop grade amp which pairs with my hugo2 and lcd i4.
My main aim was to find such an amp that did not affected the transparency, imaging, airiness,black background or induce any type of coloration etc. of my small yet powerful ch2 /lcdi4 setup.
After a lot of search and suggestions by fellow headfiers including @EagleWings , I decided to take a dive in an ever expanding ocean of desktop amps.
(FYI I am planning to buy a headphone in near future.)
My sound preference is neutral with hint of warmth, good bass quantity/ quality and well extended non sibilant trebles and forward, lush midrange , 3D soundstage,black background, full and non fatiguing sound.
There are few amps in the range of usd2k - 3k which met my criteria .( which I know of)

They are as follows (random list)(SS amps)

1. Head amp gsxmk2
2. Violectric v281
3. Bryston bha-1
4. Taurus mk2

Btw none of the amps are available in my country.

So no chance of any audition. It was going to be a sort of blind purchase. But there is lot to read about the above mentioned amps on headfi.

After reading about them and their comparison I went ahead and bought violectric v281 silver faceplate/feet basic model with no dac / relay option.

I like the flexibility of v281 and the sound signature which matched my preference.
They pair with iems to low sensitivity headphones very well and can act as preamp to my speakers.



Double helix ultrashort adapter 4 pin xlr to 2.5 mm balanced with eidolic parts








Hugo 2 rca out connected to v281 via audio quest water rca cables.( I believe in cables )



V281 balanced out to 2.5mm EA Horus + lcd i4.

I will be describing the impressions in detail after few weeks (complete burn in).

I can say one thing for sure that there is no hiss .
The dynamics ,bass slam, imaging and transparency are very good . No coloration.
Most important a black background .

I urge lcd i4 owners to try a desktop grade amp.
You will be amazed to know the limits of a 12 gm in ear headphone and how it can compete with the best open back headphones .

Thanks

EDIT : I am at 0 gain. No hum/noise. I will try other pregain settings.

 

[astrostar59]

My Norne Druag all Silver balanced cable for my LCD4s arrives tomorrow, so will post impressions of finally trying the V281 on both amps (dual amp output).

Sounds damb good already on SE 6.3mm plug.

 

[astrostar59]

Norne Draug All Silver Balanced headphone cable & the V281

My cable arrived today. 2 days from USA to UK, incredible. Anyway, much more incredible is the way it sounds. In my second system at the moment, with my Audio Note DAC and the Audeze LCD2-C 2018 model.

Over stock cable which is SE and 6.3mm plug and using the balanced out of the V281

1. First thing you notice is the dynamics.
Much bigger, faster, more direct, as though the planers are now hard wired to the source. More horsepower going on here. The LCD2-C are really moving up a notch, coming alive from a slumber on SE connection and with stock cable. It takes you by surprise when the music has a big dynamic swing, it certainly is very realistic.

2. Transparency.
Oh my, this is much more transparent, a veil has been pealed away here. So much so I defeated the 2dB 6kz-12khz lift I had set in Roon. Don't need that now. Not only that, tiny details and multiple detail is coming through at once, that was slightly masked or confused before. This is all good, still super smooth and zero fatigue as you would expect from the Audeze and this amp. This is a really good setup. I can't believe I paid 700 USD for the LCD2-C on the sale at Audeze earlier his year, this level of sound has no place in a sub 2K headphone, never mind 1K IMO. The decay and detail reminds me of my Stax 009, though in this case it feels more in place and planted in the whole image as opposed to floating over the top of everything.

3. Midrange
This has increased in 3 dimensions, depth, width and height. And very complex passages re easy to understand, pick out separate instruments, understand the way it was recorded more than before. No hint of edge to female vocals, and Rammstein's screaming guitars sound spot on to my ears, enough bite without shutting my ears down.

4. Bass
The bass is a bit more tuneful and as the detail has gone up in the treble and mids, it also has more texture here. It goes just as deep as the stock cable, can't hear a change there yet, but I can pick out more detail here.

5. Construction
I am not a fanboy for the looks of any audio gear. But it is nice when it sounds better than your previous gear AND looks better as well. The build quality trevor is getting here is fantastic, a work of art. The cable looks thick in the photos, but it is very light and super flexible. Think grass snake, light, bendy and no wire memory. It also came with a nice slip bag, useful if you are into portable solutions.

This is marvellous, the sound signature has shifted slightly up into more detail, but there is no price to pay that I can hear. In other words have your cake and eat it too. I think this cable will upgrade any amp and HP combination TBH, it seems to get right down to what is going on, removed the distance between you and the source if you like. Unless you are after specific tone control effect (some form of masking) I would say it is a win win here.

Note, some of my gains may be also down to the V281 now firing on both amps via the balanced output. Note I am feeding it Single Ended from my DAC, which I was told is fine to still get the benefit of both of the V200 amps working in the V281. Now I am wondering what my main DAC and my LCD4s will sound like. Later......

 

[lithiumnk]

Norne Draug All Silver Balanced headphone cable & the V281




My cable arrived today. 2 days from USA to UK, incredible. Anyway, much more incredible is the way it sounds. In my second system at the moment, with my Audio Note DAC and the Audeze LCD2-C 2018 model.

Over stock cable which is SE and 6.3mm plug and using the balanced out of the V281

1. First thing you notice is the dynamics.
Much bigger, faster, more direct, as though the planers are now hard wired to the source. More horsepower going on here. The LCD2-C are really moving up a notch, coming alive from a slumber on SE connection and with stock cable. It takes you by surprise when the music has a big dynamic swing, it certainly is very realistic.

2. Transparency.
Oh my, this is much more transparent, a veil has been pealed away here. So much so I defeated the 2dB 6kz-12khz lift I had set in Roon. Don't need that now. Not only that, tiny details and multiple detail is coming through at once, that was slightly masked or confused before. This is all good, still super smooth and zero fatigue as you would expect from the Audeze and this amp. This is a really good setup. I can't believe I paid 700 USD for the LCD2-C on the sale at Audeze earlier his year, this level of sound has no place in a sub 2K headphone, never mind 1K IMO. The decay and detail reminds me of my Stax 009, though in this case it feels more in place and planted in the whole image as opposed to floating over the top of everything.

3. Midrange
This has increased in 3 dimensions, depth, width and height. And very complex passages re easy to understand, pick out separate instruments, understand the way it was recorded more than before. No hint of edge to female vocals, and Rammstein's screaming guitars sound spot on to my ears, enough bite without shutting my ears down.

4. Bass
The bass is a bit more tuneful and as the detail has gone up in the treble and mids, it also has more texture here. It goes just as deep as the stock cable, can't hear a change there yet, but I can pick out more detail here.

5. Construction
I am not a fanboy for the looks of any audio gear. But it is nice when it sounds better than your previous gear AND looks better as well. The build quality trevor is getting here is fantastic, a work of art. The cable looks thick in the photos, but it is very light and super flexible. Think grass snake, light, bendy and no wire memory. It also came with a nice slip bag, useful if you are into portable solutions.

This is marvellous, the sound signature has shifted slightly up into more detail, but there is no price to pay that I can hear. In other words have your cake and eat it too. I think this cable will upgrade any amp and HP combination TBH, it seems to get right down to what is going on, removed the distance between you and the source if you like. Unless you are after specific tone control effect (some form of masking) I would say it is a win win here.

Note, some of my gains may be also down to the V281 now firing on both amps via the balanced output. Note I am feeding it Single Ended from my DAC, which I was told is fine to still get the benefit of both of the V200 amps working in the V281. Now I am wondering what my main DAC and my LCD4s will sound like. Later......

Very nice pics.
The cable looks like a gem in itself.
Silver really shines with warm planar headphones especially audeze lcd2.
Waiting for your lcd 4 impression.
Btw I am surprised to see v281 still going strong even after 4 years. Stellar SS amp.
Cheers

 

[FumblingFoo]

Btw I am surprised to see v281 still going strong even after 4 years. Stellar SS amp.

Yes, I've noticed a recent surge in interest. Perhaps Niimbus won't market cannibalize the Violectric brand like a v282 or 284 would the v281 .

 

[bluenight]

.
Btw I am surprised to see v281 still going strong even after 4 years. Stellar SS amp.
Cheers

Isnt the most advancement in audio coming from dacs? As number cruncing computing always goes forward fast.

Is there much new to innovate in analog amps?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Isnt the most advancement in audio coming from dacs? As number cruncing computing always goes forward fast.

Is there much new to innovate in analog amps?

Don't forget/leave out class D amplifiers, which from what I can tell have yet to make inroads into high end headphone audio. Their advantage would be miniaturization of headphone amplifiers--and/or the provision of greater power output per component size than would otherwise be available.

I recently purchased a high quality used stereo class D amp (Wyred4Sound ST500) which I used to power my equally high quality passive monitors (ATC SCM12 Pro's). Before making this purchase I read for quite awhile on class D amps and their gradual development, refinement/improvement, and increasing acceptance in high-end 2-channel audio.

Imagine a DAC/amp with great power output that's no bigger than a pack of cigarettes--that isn't a Hugo and doesn't cost that much.

 

[Luke Thomas]

Will my Violectric amp benefit from a better dac than the dragonfly red. If so what would the cost be?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Will my Violectric amp benefit from a better dac than the dragonfly red. If so what would the cost be?

Probably yes--but the answer depends at least in part on your headphones and genres of music you listen to.

If you look for high resolution and natural tonal representation of music that shows those things off, then you can spend as much on a DAC as on the Violectric (so many possibilities for DAC).

 

[FumblingFoo]

Will my Violectric amp benefit from a better dac than the dragonfly red. If so what would the cost be?

Probably yes--but the answer depends at least in part on your headphones and genres of music you listen to.

If you look for high resolution and natural tonal representation of music that shows those things off, then you can spend as much on a DAC as on the Violectric (so many possibilities for DAC).

Speaking of which, I've only come across a couple of in-depth reviews about the v850. It sounds even better with the DAT RS 05 IMO, but does anyone have an opinion on how the v850 itself performs? Does it perform at its price range? Above? What does it compete with now? The v850 topic here is a lot shorter and seems to draw a lot less interest than the v281. A disappointment, I'm a happy customer at least.