Violectric HPA V550 - Blue's Brother and the successor to the V281
- Thread starter Fegefeuer
- Start date
I have noticed this issue with my V550 pro in the past week or so as well (the newer revision with the 4.4mm jack). Even when adjusting the volume down slightly, the volume will jump a touch louder briefly. I thought I was going crazy for a moment. Granted the amp sounds incredible, so long as I don't touch the volume.
Heh y'all, if you're like me new to the higher end Vio's (previously had a V222) you're probably trying to make heads or tails of the info on the threads concerning the noise from the potentiometers. I have a V281 on order and saw it uses the same reed relays so I reached out to Aurtur at PowerHolding to get a better understanding of this. His response is below verbatim in bold, wanted to share in case its helpful to those interested and new to this amp and the other Reed Relay pot Vio's.
"All relay volume controls regardless of the company that makes them have some small clicks and pops on occasion heard when adjusting the volume. This is just an idiosyncrasy of this type of volume control. This is only a slightly heard sound for a moment when turning the knob. Many relays are opening and closing at the same time which control individual resistors. The faster you turn the volume knob the greater chance there is for an audible click or pop. Some customers just don't understand this and are very bothered by this minor issue. To them it is seen as a defect and that a product this expensive should not have this kind of 'issue'. It's only an issue for customers who don't understand how it works and believe that this is a defect.
Note in the winter when it is very dry and there's more static electricity, the chances for clicks and pops are greater just like when playing vinyl on a record player. No one considers minor clicks and pops when playing a record as a defective turntable. And yet this occurs as the music is playing continuously. A relay volume may have minor clicks or pops, but only when you're turning the knob to adjust the level for that split second, it does not continue!
The advantages of a relay volume are channel balance and precise volume adjustment accompanied by better detail and imaging. A very small percentage of units might develop a bad relay however and in that case we will repair or replace the relay volume board if needed. A bad relay will cause a dead spot where the volume cuts out at an exact position. This indeed is a defect and requires replacement. There's no soldering needed and anyone who's handy is able to replace these boards themselves or they can send their unit to us or Violectric in Germany for servicing. Again, this is very rare, maybe one in 500 units might develop a bad relay. Unfortunately all it takes is a few cases reported online and everybody thinks that there is some major defect with these products. If you check other brands who use a similar type relay volume, you will find they also exhibit the same type of mild low volume clicks and pops for just a moment on occasion when adjusting the volume knob.
So small clicks or pops are normal, if there's a dead spot at a specific location on the volume control, then that would indicate one defective relay. People unfortunately confuse these two things together when reading posts online and if they hear clicks and pops especially in the winter when adjusting the volume, they immediately think that their unit is defective.
I hope this helps clear up how a relay volume works and what you can expect. Of course if there is any real issue or problem these units include a 5-year warranty which is transferable and we will take care of it.
Feel free to share this information with anyone so we can help customers understand how a relay volume works. We don't want anyone to be disappointed!"
I still have my unit on order, Arthur seems like a great guy to work with so I'll just wait and see
"All relay volume controls regardless of the company that makes them have some small clicks and pops on occasion heard when adjusting the volume. This is just an idiosyncrasy of this type of volume control. This is only a slightly heard sound for a moment when turning the knob. Many relays are opening and closing at the same time which control individual resistors. The faster you turn the volume knob the greater chance there is for an audible click or pop. Some customers just don't understand this and are very bothered by this minor issue. To them it is seen as a defect and that a product this expensive should not have this kind of 'issue'. It's only an issue for customers who don't understand how it works and believe that this is a defect.
Note in the winter when it is very dry and there's more static electricity, the chances for clicks and pops are greater just like when playing vinyl on a record player. No one considers minor clicks and pops when playing a record as a defective turntable. And yet this occurs as the music is playing continuously. A relay volume may have minor clicks or pops, but only when you're turning the knob to adjust the level for that split second, it does not continue!
The advantages of a relay volume are channel balance and precise volume adjustment accompanied by better detail and imaging. A very small percentage of units might develop a bad relay however and in that case we will repair or replace the relay volume board if needed. A bad relay will cause a dead spot where the volume cuts out at an exact position. This indeed is a defect and requires replacement. There's no soldering needed and anyone who's handy is able to replace these boards themselves or they can send their unit to us or Violectric in Germany for servicing. Again, this is very rare, maybe one in 500 units might develop a bad relay. Unfortunately all it takes is a few cases reported online and everybody thinks that there is some major defect with these products. If you check other brands who use a similar type relay volume, you will find they also exhibit the same type of mild low volume clicks and pops for just a moment on occasion when adjusting the volume knob.
So small clicks or pops are normal, if there's a dead spot at a specific location on the volume control, then that would indicate one defective relay. People unfortunately confuse these two things together when reading posts online and if they hear clicks and pops especially in the winter when adjusting the volume, they immediately think that their unit is defective.
I hope this helps clear up how a relay volume works and what you can expect. Of course if there is any real issue or problem these units include a 5-year warranty which is transferable and we will take care of it.
Feel free to share this information with anyone so we can help customers understand how a relay volume works. We don't want anyone to be disappointed!"
I still have my unit on order, Arthur seems like a great guy to work with so I'll just wait and see
Melting735
100+ Head-Fier
Would this noise become very loud on speakers? If I get a pro version, I also plan to use it as a preamp to speaker amp. These comments are quite discouraging. Maybe I should make my life easier and just stay on my bha-1. I am not sure about sound quality, but at least the build quality and 20 year warranty are unbeatable
Fegefeuer
Headphoneus Supremus
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Do folks with issues have a problem with overshoot of the volume when turning the knob? For instance turning the volume down but experiencing a sudden short rise before the drop and in the same way when turning it up.
That should be the only real issue by now and it warrants servicing. Audible clicks while turning not.
That should be the only real issue by now and it warrants servicing. Audible clicks while turning not.
I have written the same issue in Niimbus thread.
Yeah my volume does what you're describing, and FWIW, my amp does not make a "click". It is a very loud static that has, as I said, gotten progressively worse. It made no sound at all the first few months, and then a little static which I thought was the worst of it, but now it is quite bad.
Everyone is free to decide for themselves whether or not to spend the extra $500.00 for the Pro model or not. I can only speak for myself when I say that if I had the chance to hear the pro version and this static issue prior to buying, I would not have purchased it.
Just my .02
borkenarrou
500+ Head-Fier
Yes I have the same issue, in my case the workaround to quickly turn the volume knob back and forth couple of times (with headphones detached) solves this and the noise issue temporarily.
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borkenarrou
500+ Head-Fier
I think Violectric should also provide the new Alps RK50 potentiometer used by Woo WA23 as an option for the pro models, it also cost $500 same as the reed relay.
Where you read that? This will be great.
ROMEROTECH
Head-Fier
I had to return my first amp it was so bad, the sound distortions as you turned the volume control obliterated the music but was fine as soon as you stopped turning. The replacement amp does the same thing but not as bad as my first amp so it's staying put, for now.
I strongly believe Lake People know these reed relay volume pots have issues however, this is something they will neither admit nor do anything about, and the kicker is they use exactly the same pot in the Nimbus range.
Lucky there is a 5yr warranty on this amp and the audio dealer is extremely good.
I strongly believe Lake People know these reed relay volume pots have issues however, this is something they will neither admit nor do anything about, and the kicker is they use exactly the same pot in the Nimbus range.
Lucky there is a 5yr warranty on this amp and the audio dealer is extremely good.
borkenarrou
500+ Head-Fier
I was just wishing Violectric should, it doesn't have the noise issue and will be an upgrade over the regular pot.
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I’m reading the last pages of this topic, I’m surprised at how many “faulty copies” there are. I previously wrote that I listened to about 5 different copies of Vio and Niimbus and did not hear any problems with the regulator. It seems that it’s easier for me to meet a Yeti on the streets of the city than to stumble upon a copy with a noisy regulator.
It is important to understand that the higher the gain is set and the more efficient headphones you use, the more you will hear the volume control. To get the most out of your amplifier, you need to adjust the gain so that you can listen to music with the volume control almost at its maximum position. With this setting, the Vio/Niimbus relay volume control is the quietest of all the amplifiers I have ever heard.
It is important to understand that the higher the gain is set and the more efficient headphones you use, the more you will hear the volume control. To get the most out of your amplifier, you need to adjust the gain so that you can listen to music with the volume control almost at its maximum position. With this setting, the Vio/Niimbus relay volume control is the quietest of all the amplifiers I have ever heard.
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