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luvmusik
120
Feb 23, 2016
Probably only for the reason that folks in the states are unaware of Violectric & Lake People. These amps deserve far greater recognition - they are superb. They are very well liked in Europe & should catch hold in USA with some advertising. Most pro reviews are from Europe & may need translating. The V90, V100 and L.P. G109A perform at the $1000 amp level, IMO, and I am not affiliated with either brand or MD. I would only consider the Cavalli Liquid Carbon along with these, and that one is very limited production (off now). If none of these existed I would drop back to a Meier Corda Classic/ff in this same general price range for these 5 amps. All of those cost more than the V90 & G109A. The L.P. drops occasionally as does this model here. Even some ardent enthusiasts are not familiar with the Violectric/Lake People brand, but they are really missing out until they have one.
elau
81
Oct 16, 2016
luvmusikHow about compared to Schiit amps, like that new jotunheim that's in this range and balanced?
Ancipital
23
Oct 16, 2016
elauMost Violectric amps are pretty mediocre, other than the V821 and the HPA V200 (which is looking rather dated in price/performance terms). The Jotenheim will leave this in the dust, single-ended or balanced- there's so little contest that it's not funny- go look at its noise floor and distortion measurements, even before you consider how terrifyingly fast and detailed it is. It actually outperforms quite a few of Schiit's own more pricey amps.
Violectric stuff tends to appeal to the same sort of people who buy Burson amps- based on brag factor and price, rather than actual performance/sound (see also Cavalli Liquid Carbon, a huge hit with more excitable Head-Fiers).
luvmusik
120
Oct 17, 2016
elauThe brand new Schiit Jotunheim is now a contender as a good amp at a good price with capability to even power up HE-6 as a start-up. I have not heard it yet.
About a year ago I bought both the Violectric V100 and Lake People G109A, and they are exceptional amps, far beyond mediocre; mediocre as was commented in a post is a ludicrous description for these brands. Lots of notable people really like this company's products - renowned Sennheiser engineers, Tyll at InnerFidelity (and thus a G109P on Wall of Fame, also a Meier, yet no Schiit models), even folks at Massdrop use different Violectric models.
At the time I bought the 2 amps (and will keep forever), I checked into every model Schiit made at that time for the same price level - $440 shipped for my G109A brand new and $366 shipped for my V100 mint used models. Schiit at that time had nothing as good as these where power is demanded for this money & could not touch these 2 amps, but now the Jotunheim is a great contender.
The Cavalli Liquid Carbon is rarely dissed, surprised by a comment posted here, but Schiit fans are steadfast, just like stronghold Sennheiser fans, without disrespect, and enjoying Sennie here too; for what that's worth, I appreciate the dedication to a brand. Only this Liquid Carbon & Meier Corda Classic/ff were comparable to the L.P. & Violectric a year ago in this price level for smooth, powerful amps.
As to powering up HE-6, that headphone scales highly with more upward amps which get costly and all of which need to be powerful. Still these other amps as said may be an start-up entry step to drive them, but not maximize the potential of HE-6 to achieve its best.
Folks are getting great results using HD800 with V100 and G109A, also G103. The comment posted about Burson & Cavalli/bragging/price is absolutely absurd. Violectric is highly respected all across Europe and is strongly held in wide regard in many great European studios. With V100 and G109 upward, there basically is no "house sound"...the amps deliver smooth, crystal clear music on a black background with great power. Dynamics, timbre, tonality is exceptional, spot on, with super extension on both ends. Midrange is refined, the full FR range well balanced. If the source is detailed, fast and even with very complex electric bass or fast complicated bass synth in composition - these amps deliver. They can power just about any headphone and match so well with so many headphones, versatile and very well built. So many amps are so specific only to certain cans, but the Violectric/Lake People match easily with many headphones - a great bonus. Plus, the mfr really stands behind their product admirably for support & questions if ever needed.
The Jotunheim is new and deserves audition; it is the only other model I would have considered if it was made a year ago; as said...I have no reason to switch with what I have now, very pleased & happy and these amps easily fulfill my dynamic-headphone amp needs. Am a Stax guy, so owning a couple of Stax amps and a dozen Stax headphones are my baseline reference. Also, I never buy into "hype" on any brands or models, so try to remain neutral & let the listening speak.
elau, hope this helps.
Ancipital
23
Oct 17, 2016
luvmusikWalls of fanciful blather won't turn mediocre badge-fi into a BW2, GS-X MK2 or even a Jot. Most solid state amps are sadly overpriced for a modest BOM, and attempting sly digs about "Schitt fans" while bragging about "dozens of Stax headphones" won't change this.
This is a fairly unexceptional budget amp for a non-budget price. While it doesn't do much actually wrong (unlike the Liquid Carbon), there are better options available.
luvmusik
120
Oct 17, 2016
luvmusikNo use carrying on this conversation, as we tend to disagree on some points, yet not all, and am only trying to help elau here.
"Blather" (and non-fanciful, but factual yes) does read that I do suggest auditioning Jot, saying it is a worthy contender at this price. However reply to listing EC-BW ($1300) and GSX-MK2 ($3000) is superfluous in comparison; topic for a different conversation.
Misreading of my non-dig of Schiit fans... admitted I defend certain brands myself for what it's worth; example though is Schiit, Sennheiser (myself) fans are a dedicated bunch.
Reread "no disrespect".
Highly disagree about Liquid Carbon - but we all do hear differently.
Stax mentioned only as a reference baseline (not dozens plural), not braggadocious...but listing my very extensive HP collection would be if so, and am not.
Post meant for elau to suggest looking at entire line of the 2 brands - Violectric & Lake People from this mfr in his decision as well as Schiit Jotunheim.
Maybe parts of my post were mis-read, we agree on some things, yet not others (price points, LC, level of Violectric & Lake People models), but please don't mis-quote or imply other wording into my post. We can't agree on everything, yet have some common ground, and again trying to help a member here.
I stand by that both Violectric and Lake People are exquisite amps at their price points (noting V100 & G109), and at this point in price with high power demands, very few smooth amps (handful) are available.
blunt0id
49
Oct 19, 2016
AncipitalDid you even hear it? Specs are specs ... but ears are not ears - *hint*hint* ;)
socks_OCD
228
Oct 21, 2016
AncipitalYou messed up the model number, V281*. Have you ever auditioned any Violectric, Burson, Cavalli or Schiit amps? Are you talking out your ass? Jotunheim* is currently the flavor of the month just like the Focal Utopia. I've heard neither, so I won't comment on how either sound or perform.
I have owned 3 Schiit products and they live up to their name as compost. Modi RevA, Magni RevA, and Asgard 2 suck. I didn't like their offerings then, so I wouldn't pursue any future offerings either. What I've owned from Matrix Audio and Violectric have been much more agreeable to my ears.
I don't suppose that I'll venture toward another manufacturer. I do the same for clothes. Once you find something that works for you, stick with it. Sure, you can try something different, but I'm typically burned on those investments; I avoid repeating the same mistake.
I'm still sporting a Violectric DAC V850 and HPA V181 months later. I've swapped headphones multiple times, but my source dac/amp is all I could ever want [for now]. Only reason I'd replace my V181 with a V280 or V281 would be if I picked up an HE-6, Abyss AB-1266 or LCD-4. Odds of that happening are slim to none. :P
Ancipital
23
Oct 21, 2016
socks_OCDYes, thanks, angry incoherent fanboy.
BTW, don't mix your FOTMs should you get the chance, the Utopia isn't so great out of the Jot, poor synergy :)
socks_OCD
228
Oct 21, 2016
AncipitalI'm angry? You sound like a salty, smug e-thug. Crawl back into your cave, troglodyte.
I think I found you: http://www.head-fi.org/users/users/question/user_id/456266 It looks as if you're talking out of your ass indeed as none of those amps you've mentioned are listed in your profile.
Edit: You're so full of shit. Proof below with links. "I can't explain what's going on, because analogue electronics isn't my thang, but still have my reservations." "A shallow part of me loves the retro-brutalist look of those Violectric amps, I'd happily swap you a Schiit solid state amp for it *duck*" http://www.head-fi.org/t/818140/looking-for-a-new-amp-dac-for-my-hd650s-to-replace-fiio-e7-e9-on-a-budget#post_12814754 and http://www.head-fi.org/t/769647/objectivists-board-room/1860#post_12811339
fasc
28
Oct 22, 2016
socks_OCDNice burn! Loved it!
Ancipital
23
Oct 22, 2016
socks_OCDOh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you were supposed to list everything you've ever owned or heard in the list of gear you own, on HF. Clearly only very special people know that rule :)
I totally would have swapped the little Magni I had kicking around at the time for that Violectric, btw. The design aesthetic was more interesting, and once tired of it, the resale to rabid fanboys would have been wild. Not everyone marries their equipment, or has an emotional/ego investment in it.
socks_OCD
228
Oct 22, 2016
AncipitalI didn't see a CanJam London badge (since it seems you're a Londoner) or your impressions on/for/about any gear you mentioned in earlier posts here (MassDrop) either for a reference point in my brief search. You don't have to have any details on your profile. I mean, I cannot count how many times I've seen someone bash a product or praise another simply all off of word of mouth without any first hand experience themselves which is very misleading. Not finding those details in your profile or posts, it seemed likely that you may very well fall into that category. If I have falsely accused you of such, my apologies. You didn't make it easy to find any frame of reference as I just mentioned.
If you do the math, I've owned 4 Schiit products (Modi, Magni, SYS, and Asgard 2), 3 Violectric products (V100, V181, V850), and 2 FiiO products (E11 and E18). To go with that, I had owned a junk ASUS Xonar Essence STX before the Schiit/FiiO gear. Had a Matrix Mini-i Pro + (2015) which I used exclusively as a DAC to pair with my V100. I've owned more Schiit products than any other manufacturer. I think the Schiit offerings that I've heard/owned suck compared to the competition.
I'd not consider myself emotionally invested or married to [comparatively] "lesser" equipment/components with a matching lower price point. Price doesn't always indicate quality either. Dedicated AC power on the Mini-i Pro, V100, V181, and V850 give them an unfair edge over USB or wall-wart powered dacs/amps that I've previously owned. No question. The Asgard 2's power rating sucks though even with AC power.
As for headphones, I'm definitely not attached to many or I wouldn't have owned/tried so many. See below.
Headphone Inventory Currently: HE500/560 Hybrid (HE500 drivers in HE560 housing) T1 Gen. 1 (Hardwired Moon Audio Black Dragon to XLR4M)
Previously: ATH-M50 & M50s SE-A1000 DT770/250 Pro DT990/600 Ed. Q701 HD600 K7XX Momentum On-Ear Fidelio X2 W40 HE-400 LCD-2.2 (Pre-Fazor) *very briefly* Ultrasone Signature Pro (w/ ZMF Cowhide Pads) HD800 (Anax Modded) Balanced DT990/600 (Detachable 4 Pin Mini XLR) AQ NightHawk MrSpeakers Ether Open 1.1 TH900 (Hardwired Silver Dragon v3 to XLR4) HD700 *very briefly*
So... realistically I have no reason to buy another dac or amp ever again unless I buy a pair of headphones that are known to need more current/voltage than what I have now provides. Otherwise I'm just throwing away money. I'd rather keep swapping headphones.....
blunt0id
49
Oct 23, 2016
socks_OCD<OffTopic> I wouldnt even respond to trolls and attention w**res. Clearly this guy is only searching for that kind of emotion - world is full of hungry and frustrated people ... </OffTopic> @socks_OCD did you try the Ethers with the 181 balanced mode? I started saving moooney for the closed flows - however I really need to listen to them first. They are so fkn expensive :D
Ancipital
23
Oct 23, 2016
socks_OCDNo apologies needed, don't worry.
No Canjam badge, no Canjam. Family stuff to do that weekend, but also not a fan of large noisy shows; hard to hear stuff properly.
In any case, the world of audio doesn't start and finish with HF. There's plenty of places, both physical and interwebular, where people are kinder, more friendly and better-informed than HF, and where comments less effusive than sales patter don't get deleted by the moderators. A lot of very occasional HF posters have graduated to those places, as the SNR is far better, and the levels of assholery far lower. Sadly, if you link to many of those places from HF itself, you also face a ban- it's like a cross between a sales conference and North Korea in some respects.
There are good people on HF, but they're not the wilfully ignorant ones dog-piling on people who stray from the sales pitch narrative, and they're usually mostly active in private messages. Empty vessels and all that. People do often leave HF in search of more signal and less noise- the ones who haven't fully internalised the idea that life is all about tribalism and dick-size competitions often find a better home.
I'm glad you're happy with your amps and headphones, even if a lot of them aren't something I'd personally enjoy (endless AKG/Beyer thingies - esp the T1, which I found a disappointment). I totally agree that different transducers make the biggest difference to your sound, though amp pairing is also an issue.
That said, when your transducers aren't the bottleneck any more, you have to start looking harder at the rest of your chain to secure improvements, should you understand and recognise its limitations. There does come a point where you're into diminishing returns- but it's long past an entry-level Violetctric SS amp- which in itself probably represents a poor allocation of resource compared so some of the alternatives- some of which may even be made by (gasp) Schiit.
That, of course, is my opinion. If people would like to run around looking shocked, and behaving like the Trump campaign, that's up to them. Personally, I'd rather keep my blood pressure a little lower :)
socks_OCD
228
Oct 23, 2016
blunt0idI did indeed run my Ether 1.1 balanced off my Vio stack. Even had a Draug V2 cable to use with it. Got a great deal on a second hand pair. I liked it a lot. Sold it more for monetary reasons than anything else. They're very comfortable.
socks_OCD
228
Oct 23, 2016
AncipitalI'm 50-50 with what you're saying. I agree with a couple points. I'm not part of any mob mentality or group think. Ex. I disagree with a lot of what Tyll at innerfidelity is doing these days; especially his Wall of Fame decimating resale values every time something is stripped from it. I can come to my own conclusion and form my own opinions. Heh. I've also had a few of my comments and threads removed on head-fi as they were "jokes in poor taste." Some didn't find the humor in it; that's fine. Life goes on.
To clarify, I sell my current/old gear to assist paying for the next new toy. I don't have anything lying around other than my V850, V181, T1.1, HE-500, Violectric XLR IC's, AudioQuest AC Power Cables, AudioQuest USB A-B cable, and PS Audio Decter Power Center. All others have been sold. Some a couple of years ago now.
Out of all of those headphones, the only pairs that I'd consider buying again would be the HE-500, Ether 1.1, TH900. and T1.1. HE-500 and Ether 1.1 for music across the board. TH900 for EDM. T1.1 for gaming specifically. I usually only listen to music on my HE-500 atm and think they're incredible value these days. They suck for positional accuracy on games that I play though, so I swap to the T1.1 for that.
I'm also 25 years old. Plenty of time to get around to trying everything that's out there. Only a matter of time before the next toy rolls out and ruins resale values for the umpteenth time. I'm content to hold onto my "outdated" HE-500/T1.1 as their value can't drop any further even if it tried to. That sounds like a fair assessment to me. Maybe "better" things are out there, but I don't want to lose >$1000 each on them after 6-12 months of ownership.
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