Share your impressions, Ask questions and General discussion around the current production series of Violectric headphone amplifiers.
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Overall very solid amps, from the time I had demoed a V590 I was pretty impressed overall, it brought the technical leap forward from the niimbus but added a bit more life and also reduced the clinicalness that amp could sometimes have. Overall a step up from the 281 in terms of technical ability while still sounding natural. I do admit I miss the warmer, wider, and more chill and relaxed nature of the 281, but the technical benefits the new series brings to the table are well worth the trade off imo. Honestly I’d skip the niimbus for a 590/550, it just brings more for less money imo (only a tad slight bit behind technicality wise, with a more refined voicing and more features imo)
You got one in right @Delta9K? How has that been so far for you, and how do you feel compared to your 281?
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I am really enjoying the V550 it is a fantastic amplifier and is a keeper. I really want to say one is not better than the other, but rather that they are just different. Though, deep down (I haven’t been able to admit it out loud until now) I think the V550 may be better for me because of its improved technical abilities. What I’ve noticed with the 550 is:
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Blacker background than the v281, which I considered already as having very a black background, one of the things that blew me away when I first heard the v281 compared to other amps I had heard.
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More transparent; This for me is related to the Blacker background highlighted above and was another aspect which knocked my socks off when hearing the V281 for the first time, but the V550 is even cleaner, clearer allowing me to hear more individual components and detail in the music.
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Texture; I’m hearing more texture, and across the entire range, top to bottom, where with the v281 it was more perception of textures, less definitive.
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Better with Macro/Micro dynamics. Instruments, vocals, ambient, all sounds in the recording space appear more apparent and recognizable, no matter their stage position.
For the bullets above alone, after hearing both, if I was forced to pick only one - I would personally choose V550. However, If I did not have either amp, and was looking for a new amp and considered myself more in the “musical” camp than “analytical”, I don’t think there is a “wrong” choice with selecting either one.
That is what I’ve heard as well and was expecting to be disappointed to a degree TBH.
I can confirm that the V550 does not appear to tilt as warm as V281. Does it lean more that direction than the V281, yes but there is still a warmth and smoothness to it that for myself, I find very appealing. In no way would I describe the V550 as being dry, thin or peaky.
I did not get to add the disclaimer I had prepared - so adding it now:
I’m only an enthusiast. I have not had a lot of gear to do comparisons, I do not have a vast treasure chest of experience, and even though I am working on really understanding terminology I get it wrong still.
For myself, moving from the V281 to the V550 hasn’t resulted in any thinness there is no lack of reproduction in the lower frequencies or any weakness in harmonics or less of a full sound, which honestly, I was expecting based from my interpretations of the terminology used to describe signature differences between these two amplifiers. What I detect is that the v550 is even cleaner and more transparent than the v281. I used the descriptor “transparent”, because now when connecting different DACs. I’m better able to hear the differences in the DACs as individual pieces of kit vs. as part of a chain, more so than with the 281. My feeling is that the additional transparency, blacker background and overall enhanced technical abilities are what makes the V550 appear more neutral at first listen, especially if coming directly from an amp like the V281.
My preferences are a warmer organic sound and I don’t feel I am missing any of that which I had in the V281 with the V550, even when using a cooler leaning DAC as the Soekris dac1541, the V550 still delivers all you’d expect from the V281, just that V550 is better at delivering a truer representation of the upstream sources feeding it, good or bad. Those are the differences between the two amps - as best as I can describe.
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Well put, admittedly if I also had the 2 in front of me, I’d go for the new vio, it’s just more technically capable than old lol
I think I’m just kinda mad that they axed the 281 for the new vio, because I think they should still sell both. But to me the 590/550 is just a better amp so it makes sense. The niimbus I would describe as being very dry, not thin, but just pretty lifeless sounding, lacking emotion that lead to it sounding sterile and inorganic imo (although strangely smooth and relaxed in the treble, but no warmth either). They really hit the nail better with the new series vio imo
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How’s the DAC in the 590? I demo’d the V380 and found the DAC serviceable but not standout, overall kinda boring. But the V590 adds a better clock and upsampling….
I listened more to the amp with external dacs, but when I did try the internal (I had tried an AKM version, I hear the ESS version is less impressive, likely because they aren’t as experienced with implementing those), it sounded good, I’d put it at below the technical ability of a bf2 in some aspects, but comparing in others. I don’t think it was the caliber of dac I’d want for that amp, so it was limiting. I’d personally get it without if that ends up being cheaper, because I don’t know if I’d say I like it in terms of an all in one.
I thought it resolved well, was decently clean, pretty sharp placement, and fairly impactful and controlled too. But I thought it lacked some spatial recreation capability, was dynamically meh, and timbre was only ok. So serviceable but not desirable given what the amp can do in comparison imo
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That’s good to know. I do like how the AKM version pairs up with the V590 amp, I’ve liked the DAC more when using an interface via XLR and marginally better with DSD with an active USB device.
Anyone knows how different the V3X0 is from the V5X0? Or put it differently, is the V3X0 still a step up from the V280/V281?
I wasn’t able to try it being fed with a nicer digital signal, only off of usb, so I would be curious to see how it improves when fed with a nice streamer or ddc. But yes from person I know they found the ESS a bit edgy and less refined overall. Also the stock dac had a slightly warmer lean imo, the ESS does not from what I hear, which I bet kinda makes it a more analytical experience
I’ve not heard anything definite from Vio, but the differences I know are
-SE Vs Balanced
-DACs is better in 590
-Balance control
-Nicer face plate
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Ah ok thanks, so a bit like V220 vs V280/281 then
According to conversation with Arthur @ Powerholdings Inc. and also looking at the Technical Data sheets, the V550 is the direct upgrade from V281 (I guess the V590/V550 as the amplifier is the same in each, but instead of being able to add a module for digital input as an option like in the V281, you now choose a model with or without the DAC.)
EDIT: Forgot to mention
V380 (2x SE inputs has DAC) & V340 (1x SE input w/o DAC) Both state balanced amps - but only have SE inputs. I did not ask if there was a conversion like in the Liquid Platinum that would take SE input but output fully balanced, or if the balanced output socket was just a convenience.
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Cheers, thanks for the info.
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And I didn’t listen side by side to see if the balanced had more power than the SE.
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What wait - you did not keep the amp? I’m guessing now it was moved along to help the Susvara project - phones and amping?
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I didn’t. I liked it, but I ended up with a XI Formula S.
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And that’s exactly right. The Susvara changed my approach to everything. That’s why ive been selling so much stuff lately, lol. Lots of changes, all centered around the Susvara.
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I’ve been working the v550 with the input gain at -6dB. Doing this mostly for the Fostex HPs I have so that I have some volume range control on the pot.
Thinking on it a month later I wonder if I may be “throttling” the amp and that perhaps I should go ahead and set the gain back -0dB. I wonder if that played a part in my Diana V2 experience not matching what others generally report (Could be true that it’s just not the phone for me, also).
There is a D8000pro set to land this week for a loan/trial and I want to set my source up so that I am not building in any disadvantages blindly.
I know easy to flip the switches jeff so just try it and see - but, I’d like to know, for myself, if my thinking is founded, or just putting too much thought into it.
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It likely will make no difference other than having less play on the volume knob. I don’t have any experience with the v550 but when i had my v281 changing gain had no difference in sound quality and i kept it on -12db almost exclusively since that amp was such a monster in power… plus it allowed me to put my amber 3 into high gain which actually did have a bump in sound quality in some instances. I used Dv2 with this setup and enjoyed it quite a bit, not as much as the gsx mk2 combo but still fairly good, so it might just not be for you
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Hello,
Not is the right Topic for this i have sse is Lake People,
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Here a new Dac/amp from Violectric :
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