[rmsanger]

Does anybody have experience with:

Rupert Neve RNHP (~$500 new)
Phonitor 2 ($1k Used)
Violectric HPA V281 ($1k Used)

I have LCD3, LCDX, and HP3s... Looking to add a solid state amp to the mix and wondering which offers the best performance at their respective price levels.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Does anybody have experience with:

Rupert Neve RNHP (~$500 new)
Phonitor 2 ($1k Used)
Violectric HPA V281 ($1k Used)

I have LCD3, LCDX, and HP3s... Looking to add a solid state amp to the mix and wondering which offers the best performance at their respective price levels.

I have a V281 w/full remote & 128-step pot (no experience w/the other amps you mention). I had a pre-fazor LCD-3 (since sold). Still have an LCD-2.1/pre-fazor; ZMF Ori, Eikon, Aeolus; heavily modded HD650, the Jupiter Audio JAR650; and a Hifiman Edition X v2.

All these headphones sound at least very good on the V281. Some sound spectacular. I've had & sold other headphones, also had a number on loan--none sounded even just "average" on the V281.

BTW, I use the V281 as my daily system preamp, as well as #1 HP amp...a task it is extremely well suited for due to extremely flexible I/O layout & separate gain settings for HP vs preamp path.

 

[musicmaker]

I've been through several amps - including a GS-X mk2, Moon 430HA and a few others. Listening to a v281 with the 128 step and remote now and I consider it to be one of the best ss amps I've heard. There's isnt a headphone i've owned that doesn't sound good with the v281. Its got a touch of warmth and an awesome bottom end. I've heard good things about the Phonitor 2/xe/x as well. Haven't listened to one but have read its extremely neutral with a very low noise floor. I dont think you can go wrong with either of these german amps.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I've been through several amps - including a GS-X mk2, Moon 430HA and a few others. Listening to a v281 with the 128 step and remote now and I consider it to be one of the best ss amps I've heard. There's isnt a headphone i've owned that doesn't sound good with the v281. Its got a touch of warmth and an awesome bottom end. I've heard good things about the Phonitor 2/xe/x as well. Haven't listened to one but have read its extremely neutral with a very low noise floor. I dont think you can go wrong with either of these german amps.

I have 7 amps currently (V281 being one of them): 6 are SS (1 has a tube buffer on the output); and 1 is an OTL tube amp. I owned 4-5 other amps over the years, including a powerful Burson amp/preamp & a big, excellent tube amp, the Woo WA22.

I like all the amps I have. There's no question certain amps can do certain things a little better, or at least a little differently, than the V281. But the V281 has been top of the heap since the day I installed it IMS. It does everything at least very well, and a couple things (bass & dynamics) spectacularly well.

People often call SS amps that aren't etched, bright, or harmonically parched "tube-like." I don't hear it that way. I just hear a SS amp being musical--in other words, faithful to the ebb & flow of music, with a natural weight in the lower registers, full rendition of the timbre of instruments, and space around the notes.

 

[rmsanger]

I have a V281 w/full remote & 128-step pot (no experience w/the other amps you mention). I had a pre-fazor LCD-3 (since sold). Still have an LCD-2.1/pre-fazor; ZMF Ori, Eikon, Aeolus; heavily modded HD650, the Jupiter Audio JAR650; and a Hifiman Edition X v2.

All these headphones sound at least very good on the V281. Some sound spectacular. I've had & sold other headphones, also had a number on loan--none sounded even just "average" on the V281.

BTW, I use the V281 as my daily system preamp, as well as #1 HP amp...a task it is extremely well suited for due to extremely flexible I/O layout & separate gain settings for HP vs preamp path.

Thanks this is very helpful! I'm looking at a V281 base so no remote and 128-step pot. Would you consider it a deal breaker to only having the base version?

 

[Pharmaboy]

No remote would be a deal breaker for me, but that's just the way my system is configured--also my habit of using the remote.

The stepped pot is a more subtle thing. Some reviewers said they could hear a small difference between standard/non-stepped pot & stepped pot. That does make sense considering the different design/parts/construction of each.

I've only heard this unit w/the stepped pot. I have another Violectric product--actually a Lake People product, the G109-A single ended HP amp. It has a standard analog pot & sounds terrific.

Even w/o the remote & stepped pot, you would get all the same extremely flexible input/output features, separately adjustable headphone gain vs preamp output gain, etc.

I guess if remote doesn't matter much, you'd still be getting one hell of a base amp/preamp...

 

[Ichos]

People often call SS amps that aren't etched, bright, or harmonically parched "tube-like." I don't hear it that way. I just hear a SS amp being musical--in other words, faithful to the ebb & flow of music, with a natural weight in the lower registers, full rendition of the timbre of instruments, and space around the notes.

Can't agree more with this sentence.

 

[Fegefeuer]

Thanks this is very helpful! I'm looking at a V281 base so no remote and 128-step pot. Would you consider it a deal breaker to only having the base version?

No, but I recommend upgrading to the Bifrost 2 for this amp. The jump from the Bifrost 1 to the Bifrost 2 is huge and the V281 rewards it very much.

 

[project86]

Just started a thread over in the "source" section but I wanted to cross post it here for relevance. It's the new Violectric V590 all-in-one unit. Supposedly a tweaked/improved V281 plus a new AKM-based DAC in one chassis. Comes with remote and relay-based volume, no other options. Should be shipping around June and priced well under $4k US, which seems like a good value to me.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-violectric-all-in-one-v590.930529/

There may, down the road, be a spin-off version without the digital section. But that's all conceptual at this point.

 

[Kozwoz]

deleted

 

[Kozwoz]

I heard the V200 has more bass body and punch compared to the V281 and with a more rolled off treble response. Is this accurate?

 

[Ichos]

Inside the V281 / V280 you find two V200 amps working together for the balanced out.
So the single ended out of V281 is exactly a V200 amp.
And yes the V200 sound is a little more , warm with less clarity , less stage and separation.
So you may perceive this as more body.
It is more thick , tubey sounding.
Punch of the V281as bass performance is at least two times better than the V200.

 

[AudioPowerHead]

Inside the V281 / V280 you find two V200 amps working together for the balanced out.
So the single ended out of V281 is exactly a V200 amp.
And yes the V200 sound is a little more , warm with less clarity , less stage and separation.
So you may perceive this as more body.
It is more thick , tubey sounding.
Punch of the V281as bass performance is at least two times better than the V200.

Am glad that I bought the V280 last year and not the V200 AE instead

And for me, balanced is better than SE. I have since re-terminated my HP cables to balanced.

 

[Ichos]

Balanced is way better than single ended.
To tell you the truth I don't find the V200 much to my liking.
I would prefer an RS 02 for single ended use.

 

[Kozwoz]

Inside the V281 / V280 you find two V200 amps working together for the balanced out.
So the single ended out of V281 is exactly a V200 amp.
And yes the V200 sound is a little more , warm with less clarity , less stage and separation.
So you may perceive this as more body.
It is more thick , tubey sounding.
Punch of the V281as bass performance is at least two times better than the V200.

So single ended the V281 / V280 and the V200 are similar? I don't intend to re-terminate my headphones so V200 would be a good option I guess. Unless single ended on V281 / V280 provides a leap in sound quality?