[BeyerMonster]

  I have long been looking for an amplifier for my Sennheiser HD 800,

Have you listened to the V200s long enough to offer a comparison?

 

[mordim]

I listened V200 -15 minutes and V281 - 30 minutes in the same place in Munich,
before Violectric never heard,
there were SPL Phonitor and other.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m0un88Ar5uI/U4TsdCf5jHI/AAAAAAAAAIo/6sWlm-r54NM/w346-h195/20140517_131252.jpg

 

[Pete4412]

Looks fantastic!
 
 

 

[Xenophon]

  Hi,
Xenophon,
 
I have long been looking for an amplifier for my Sennheiser HD 800,
 
I had Eximus DP1, LUXMAN P-1u,
listening to headphones with several tube amplifiers (Leben CS-600),
but the sound v281 liked more than others.
But this is only my personal opinion.

Yeah, at the end of the day it's always personal taste that determines most if not everything.  If I've learned anything in audio then it is that enjoyment is not a science thing.  But thanks for your impressions.  Interesting that you have the big Leben, no issues with hiss with the HD-800?
 
I'm on the fence and have a love/not so perfect thing with the V200.  Depending on my mood and the type of classical music I listen to I prefer a slightly warm-neutral sound or something dead neutral/crisp and airy sounding such as the Antelope Audio.  For the first sound sig. I reach to my tube amp which is a type that sounds very ss-like or for the V200 which is also a little bit warm.  If I like things detailed and a bit more aloof then neither the tube amp nor the V200 will do but my F5 works nicely.  
 
Fwiw I think there's a very good chance the V281 will better the EF-6 with the HE-6 headphones.  Design and soundwise I've never been extremely impressed with the EF-6, feel it's massively overpriced.  Its one quality is power but the V281 should come close.

 

[mordim]

  Yeah, at the end of the day it's always personal taste that determines most if not everything.  If I've learned anything in audio then it is that enjoyment is not a science thing.  But thanks for your impressions.  Interesting that you have the big Leben, no issues with hiss with the HD-800?



 
I'm on the fence and have a love/not so perfect thing with the V200.  Depending on my mood and the type of classical music I listen to I prefer a slightly warm-neutral sound or something dead neutral/crisp and airy sounding such as the Antelope Audio.  For the first sound sig. I reach to my tube amp which is a type that sounds very ss-like or for the V200 which is also a little bit warm.  If I like things detailed and a bit more aloof then neither the tube amp nor the V200 will do but my F5 works nicely.



 
Fwiw I think there's a very good chance the V281 will better the EF-6 with the HE-6 headphones.  Design and soundwise I've never been extremely impressed with the EF-6, feel it's massively overpriced.  Its one quality is power but the V281 should come close.

Yes, you are absolutely right, all a matter of taste,
but for myself, I have chosen  amplifier to my headphones.

 

[project86]

More pics - I'm too lazy to copy/paste so I'll just LINK. 

 

[daerron]

I have to say I really like that silver front panel!

 

[Megalomaniak]

I hope we dont have to wait much longer to have our amps.

 

[project86]

They should be coming really soon. I'll ask Fried about it though. 

 

[madbull]

Almost pulling the trigger on the V281... oh God

 

[Fegefeuer]

Which version are you guys getting? Did anyone already pull the trigger on the 128 stepped attenuator edition? 

 

[Megalomaniak]

  Which version are you guys getting? Did anyone already pull the trigger on the 128 stepped attenuator edition? 

 
Silver front / black feet V281 standard volume control.

 

[madbull]

Which version are you guys getting? Did anyone already pull the trigger on the 128 stepped attenuator edition? 

 


I just did it. V281, silver plates, USB 24/192, volume control level 2.

My poor wallet...

 

[Armaegis]

 
 

 
I realize it's the perspective playing tricks, but geez the amps look huge in that picture.

 

[fdg]

Finally we managed to measure V220 and V281.
For a better comparison we added the data from V200.
 
 

Technical Data	HPA V200	HPA V220	HPA V281
Input impedance	10 kOhm	10 kOhm	10 kOhm
Amp Gain	+8 dB	+8 dB	+14 dB
Pre-Gain	-12 / -6 / 0 / +6 / +12 dB	-12 / -6 / 0 / +6 / +12 dB	-12 / -6 / 0 / +6 / +12 dB
Amp Gain + Pre-Gain	-4 / +2 / +8 / +14 / +20 dB	-4 / +2 / +8 / +14 / +20 dB	+2 / +8 / +14 / +20 / +26 dB
Frequency Range	5Hz … 70 kHz (-0,5 dB)	5Hz … 70 kHz (-0,5 dB)	5Hz … 70 kHz (-0,5 dB)
Noise unwtd.	-98 dB	-98 dBu	-92 dBu
Noise A-wtd.	-101 dB	-101 dBu	-95 dBu
Dynamic Range	129 dB	129 dB	129 dB
Output impedance	< 0,083 Ohm	< 0,1 Ohm	< 0,2 Ohm
Damping Factor                 ( 50 Ohm Load)	> 600	> 500	> 250
Crosstalk @ 1 kHz	-122 dB	-120 dB	-105 dB
Crosstalk @ 15 kHz	-113 dB	-113 dB	-103 dB
THD+N @ 1kHz / 1W	-100 dB	-102 dB	-102 dB
THD+N @ 1 kHz / 0,5 W	-103 dB	-100 dB	-100 dB

... and here is the output power (always all channels driven !)
Please take a closer look to the V281 data @ 600 Ohm.
40,2 Vrms looks like world record )
 

Pout max.         V / mW / dB                    @ THD < 0,1 %		HPA V200	HPA V220	HPA V281
RL/Ohm	Ua/V	P/mW	dBu	Ua/V	P/mW	dBu	Ua/V	P/mW	dBu
600	19,0	600	27,8	20,0	670	28,2	40,2	2700	34,3
100	15,3	2330	25,9	17,5	3050	27,0	23,7	5600	29,7
50	11,5	2630	23,4	11,6	2700	23,5	14,5	4200	25,4
32	7,9	1970	20,2	9,5	2800	21,8	9,5	2800	21,8
16	4,2	1120	14,7	4,9	1500	16,0	4,9	1500	16,0

 
Best Regards
 
Fried Reim