[3083joe]

Merry Christmas Everyone.
Been a while.
Still rocking the HD800S with V281

Happy

 

[JeffMann]

I would think twice of going with the Wells Milo if I were you(at least do some research), it seems like a "you get it or you don't" kinda amp, I've seen people praising these amp but also seen people say that they don't like it, especially for the price.
The v281, Ican Pro and the woo has excellent reputation here in headfi.

I was actually thinking of getting either the v281/v280 or the Ican pro, but from what people say Ican Pro is a good option if you like to taylor the sound a lot, while overall performance is slightly behind the v281, but if you value flexibility, you may like the iCan pro.

I own the iCanPro and also a V281 and V280, which I use to drive my HD800/HE1000/Susvara headphones. The two Vioelectric headphone amplifiers are identical in terms of sound quality, and they are much better than the iCanPro by a wide margin in terms of soundstaging and tonal balance. I personally cannot tolerate the sound of the iCanPro amp, so I loaned them to a friend to use with my HD800 headphones (which I also no longer use).

Jeff.

 

[ajreynol]

Thanks for the insights on the v281 vs the iCAN, guys. Getting close to scratching the iCAN off my list. I'll just need to decide how much the flexibility it offers is worth to me (admittedly, the potential option to use it in a tube mode or solid state is intriguing).

I'm also replacing the WA6-SE on my list with a WA22, which offers more power and was recommended on a recent blog post from Audeze.

 

[zmhaha]

As for SS head amp goes, I guess V281 is pretty much end game for me and many others.

For tube amps, I really like the idea and think they are fun to play around with. However I know myself well enough that if I go that route, it will quickly become an endless quest of seeking for perfection that I would not even know what it is.
plus constantly keeping a bunch of spare tubes, warming up before listening, and remembering turning it off are also a bit of annoying to me...
If I were to get a tube amp, I'd just skip all the entry to lower middle levels, and get a WA22 as start.

 

[3083joe]

As for SS head amp goes, I guess V281 is pretty much end game for me and many others.

For tube amps, I really like the idea and think they are fun to play around with. However I know myself well enough that if I go that route, it will quickly become an endless quest of seeking for perfection that I would not even know what it is.
plus constantly keeping a bunch of spare tubes, warming up before listening, and remembering turning it off are also a bit of annoying to me...
If I were to get a tube amp, I'd just skip all the entry to lower middle levels, and get a WA22 as start.

I started with wa6 then wa22. Both lovely amps but as you said endless game of tube rolling. Spent $5000+ on getting the best tubes and always looked for me.
This is the reason I went with the v281. Best sound out there without all the continuous searching.

 

[project86]

Hi Guys,

I was thinking of purchasing one with sales and all, i was thinking of going stock without the options, but i thought it's best if i ask around a bit.

I saw options such as vc1, vc2 which i think means volume control, how useful is it and do i really need it?

It will be paired with Schiit Gungnir Multibit and Focal Utopia, and I listen in medium to high volume.

Other than that, this amp is has been in the market for a while, is it a good idea to wait for the successor? but I guess it will be more expensive when it comes out..

thx.

I've had a pair of V281's here in the past - one with the standard volume pot, and one with the maxxed out relay/remote. I listened back and forth quite a bit. I would explain it like so:

The remote may be useful depending on your needs. But you can get that without the relay-based volume control if that part is all you need. So don't upgrade all the way just because you want a remote.

The relay-based option is very subtly better sounding than the regular version. It's something I didn't really notice until I used my best DACs, excellent source material, etc. There's certainly something to be said for getting the best possible (no regrets, YOLO, whatever) and being done with it. However, if I'm honest, the improvement is very small in the grand scheme of things.

To put it another way - it's a $600 upgrade over stock, or $300 if you were going to get the remote anyway. I can think of more rewarding ways to spend $600... tube rolling (assuming you have a tube-based device), Wyred 4 Sound Recovery, lifetime subscription to Roon, SD mods for an HD800, even <gasp!> cable upgrades in some instances. So while I don't discourage it, I also want people to feel comfortable buying the "base" model and not feeling like they are missing out.


As for new models, Violectric is not what I'd call a "trendy" company. I've spoken to Fried in the past about potential new designs and for sure he has some ideas kicking around in his head. But he's not the type to drop a new design every year just to keep the market buzzing. When you make stuff as good as V281, you really shouldn't have to go that route anyway...

Hello folks and happy holidays.

I sort of forgot this amp existed, so I thought I'd ask for thoughts. I'm considering a few amps to pair with my Chord 2Qute DAC and Audeze LCD-4's:

iCAN Pro
Wells Milo
Woo WA6-SE

I listen to a lot of Jazz, pop, hip-hop, electronic, etc. so low end performance is as important to me as detail and clarity. My budget is around $2k.

Am I in the right place? Or are the others better options? (Hoping someone has experience with any of the above along with this V281).

Thanks!

I have heard all of those amps. I liked the iCAN Pro (though some people can't stand it, perhaps quality control issues? Mine sounded great) and it has tons of fun controls if that would be useful to you. The amp, by itself, is not in the same league as V281 though.

Wells Milo? No thanks. I'll just leave it at that.

WA6 (standard) is actually better than the SE version imho. Can be had used for a great price. But it's not a good match with planars for the most part. I wouldn't bother.

 

[project86]

Btw, I keep meaning to post this but always forget.

Please DO NOT use an adapter to run single-ended headphones from the balanced output of a V281. Or any Violectric headphone amplifier. Or any other brand of headphone amp, for that matter. Those adapters can DESTROY your amplifier. This is not a theoretical "maybe it's a bad idea...." type of thing. This is a DANGEROUS and very real way to kill your amp, and it's happened before on several occasions that I know of. Don't be tempted!

Balanced headphones can use an adapter to run from a 1/4" jack. That's fine. But the other way around is a big problem!

 

[Pharmaboy]

Btw, I keep meaning to post this but always forget.

Please DO NOT use an adapter to run single-ended headphones from the balanced output of a V281. Or any Violectric headphone amplifier. Or any other brand of headphone amp, for that matter. Those adapters can DESTROY your amplifier. This is not a theoretical "maybe it's a bad idea...." type of thing. This is a DANGEROUS and very real way to kill your amp, and it's happened before on several occasions that I know of. Don't be tempted!

Balanced headphones can use an adapter to run from a 1/4" jack. That's fine. But the other way around is a big problem!

(rueful laughter) You are so right!

Before I wised up & realized "Balanced headphones can use an adapter to run from a 1/4" jack" -- but SE headphones CANNOT use an adapter to run from 4-pin XLR output -- I searched high & low for just such an adapter to let me do this dangerous thing (ie, create short-circuit, blow up amp).

I was saved from my own ignorance by "the marketplace" ... I could only find one such "adapter," a dinky thing w/stringy wire linking a male 4-pin connector to female 1/4" connector. Underneath, prominently displayed in "Reviews," were user comments to the effect that, "If you want to blow up the amp & set your hair on fire, this adapter is for you!"

(I got the message)

 

[3083joe]

Btw, I keep meaning to post this but always forget.

Please DO NOT use an adapter to run single-ended headphones from the balanced output of a V281. Or any Violectric headphone amplifier. Or any other brand of headphone amp, for that matter. Those adapters can DESTROY your amplifier. This is not a theoretical "maybe it's a bad idea...." type of thing. This is a DANGEROUS and very real way to kill your amp, and it's happened before on several occasions that I know of. Don't be tempted!

Balanced headphones can use an adapter to run from a 1/4" jack. That's fine. But the other way around is a big problem!

Thanks.

 

[fdg]

Just for illustration, picture taken from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/SX-T-3-Balanced-Headphone-Cable-Adapter/dp/B01MYS8DG8

The above adapter is the best way to cook ANY balanced headphone amp.

What happens:
A true balanced amp has 4 amp sections, left inphase, left out of phase, right in phase, right out of phase.
Using this adapter will shorten the left and right out phase amps in a way that they will act against each other.
They will get hot because of overload.
With some luck only fuses will blow.
With less luck the transformer and/or both amps will be blown.
Further damages may also ruin the remaning amps.
Please note that all this is not a design issue.
You will also have no garantee repairs when filling diesel in your car instead of gas.
Cheers, Fried

 

[jmac1516]

Just for illustration, picture taken from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/SX-T-3-Balanced-Headphone-Cable-Adapter/dp/B01MYS8DG8

The above adapter is the best way to cook ANY balanced headphone amp.

What happens:
A true balanced amp has 4 amp sections, left inphase, left out of phase, right in phase, right out of phase.
Using this adapter will shorten the left and right out phase amps in a way that they will act against each other.
They will get hot because of overload.
With some luck only fuses will blow.
With less luck the transformer and/or both amps will be blown.
Further damages may also ruin the remaning amps.
Please note that all this is not a design issue.
You will also have no garantee repairs when filling diesel in your car instead of gas.
Cheers, Fried

Hi Fried, what if the female was a 2.5mm TRRS. So balanced to balanced. I assume there are no inherent risks here?

 

[LCMusicLover]

Hi Fried, what if the female was a 2.5mm TRRS. So balanced to balanced. I assume there are no inherent risks here?

I'll let Fried answer for himself, but I have been using such an adapter for years with a couple different balanced amps (including my v280) without any issues. As you message implies, the 2.5mm TRRS does not short two channels together.

All of my headphone cables are short with male 2.5mm TRRS termination for portable use with my balanced DAPs. I use the adapter (which is 6' long) to listen to my desktop system.

 

[jmac1516]

I'll let Fried answer for himself, but I have been using such an adapter for years with a couple different balanced amps (including my v280) without any issues. As you message implies, the 2.5mm TRRS does not short two channels together.

All of my headphone cables are short with male 2.5mm TRRS termination for portable use with my balanced DAPs. I use the adapter (which is 6' long) to listen to my desktop system.

Thanks. That's what I assumed but wanted to confirm with some people much more expert than myself!

 

[zhgutov]

I'll let Fried answer for himself, but I have been using such an adapter for years with a couple different balanced amps (including my v280) without any issues. As you message implies, the 2.5mm TRRS does not short two channels together.

All of my headphone cables are short with male 2.5mm TRRS termination for portable use with my balanced DAPs. I use the adapter (which is 6' long) to listen to my desktop system.

TRRS may be okay if you connect it by 4 cables to the headphones correctly. But TRS is not.
And you should know exactly what you do, because it is easy to put TRS into TRRS socket, which will connect two pins.
Actually, I don't understand the reason to connect TRS to 4-pin XLR at all. This can not make the connection balanced.

 

[LCMusicLover]

TRRS may be okay if you connect it by 4 cables to the headphones correctly. But TRS is not.
And you should know exactly what you do, because it is easy to put TRS into TRRS socket, which will connect two pins.
Actually, I don't understand the reason to connect TRS to 4-pin XLR at all. This can not make the connection balanced.

That's the beauty of my system -- I don't have any 2.5mm male TRS terminated ... anything. And it's physically impossible to plug a 3.5mm male TRS plug into the 2.5mm female TRRS socket.

As far as someone trying to use such an adapter to make headphones balanced, I can only assume a lack of understanding of the difference between balanced and single-ended amplifiers and circuits.

I do own one of these to allow me to use my balanced IEMs with my Cowon Plenue D, which is only single-ended.