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Violectric HPA V181 Balanced Headphone Amplifier

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Violectric HPA V181 Balanced Headphone Amplifier

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Product Description

A balanced amp with excellent German build quality, the Violectric V181 has what it takes to drive everything from IEMs to HD800s to big orthodynamics with ease. Its low-noise, low-distortion circuit delivers clarity and detail through the whole spectrum, in a sleek gray aluminum body with statement gold feet and Violectric’s signature infinity sign on the front panel Read More

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Dec 18, 2015

Finally have all the pieces, but no space right now to put it all together... Guess that's my project for tomorrow!

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ArthurM

2684

Dec 12, 2015

Exciting news group! We’re happy to report that all of the orders have been shipped out and are now on the way to you! Please allow 24-48 hours for tracking to get into the shipper's system and start updating.
If there’s anything else we can do to make your Massdrop experience better, feel free to contact us via “Contact Support” button in your transaction page: https://www.massdrop.com/transactions

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ArthurM

2684

Dec 7, 2015

Great news group! We placed the order for the Violectric HPA V181 Balanced Headphone Amplifier shortly after the drop ended.
Our vendor will be preparing it for shipment.
The moment we receive confirmation regarding the shipping schedule from the vendor, we will provide you all with updated information.
Expect an update from us by the end of the day Pacific Time on 12/14 or sooner if something comes up.

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socks_OCD

228

Dec 3, 2015

no text required

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wild_one

236

Dec 4, 2015

Luckily I'm in no big rush, I don't even have enough power outlets to set this up right now. Just need to see about going from 2 3-pin XLR to 1 4-pin XLR just to use the CMA800R at some point with all my other custom cables.

hieple193

Oct 14, 2022

socks_OCDHi. Do you hear any benefit from XLR out compared to 6.35mm? I'm considering a balanced cable for my TH610.

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Jazz1

Dec 1, 2015

Can these work well with my Hifiman HE-560's?

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socks_OCD

228

Dec 2, 2015

Jazz1Short answer: yes. The V181 is rated at 10.2 V and 2100 mW into 50 ohm loads. HE-560 is 45 ohms iirc. They shouldn't be underamped or short on power. Synergy of the pairing is subjective of course. There are of course those chosen consumers that pair planars with speaker amps. I haven't personally paired the HE-560 with the V181. Page 30 of the manual has some power ratingsas well as other specs. http://violectric-usa.com/download/Violectric%20V181%20Manual.pdf

BobJS1

Nov 30, 2015

I see the description says "optional USB inputs". Does that mean these units have no USB? Is USB input available on the units in this drop?

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nicpope

448

Nov 30, 2015

BobJS1USB is available as an upgrade from Violectric. It does not come stock on the v181 as it is a standalone headphone amp, but I think you're better off with a standalone DAC here rather than the add on card.

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UNKNOWN_OPERATOR

Nov 26, 2015

I have the V100. Preferred it to the V200. I'm in for the V181. Need 1 more to join...

zeeman

Nov 25, 2015

why not offer this amp and the DAC on this drop at 50% off MSRP if you buy the combo? That would make sense and be a truly good drop. For that deal, I would be in, in a heartbeat. any thoughts????

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wild_one

236

Nov 29, 2015

Outside of an O2, I don't have any amp only units that are in use. Everything else is basically a DAC/Amp combo, so for now I guess I'm building out with a few discrete models that I can run in balanced mode.

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socks_OCD

228

Nov 30, 2015

wild_oneCool, cool. I could recommend the Matrix Mini-i Pro as a dedicated dac for your HPA V181 purchase. It performs on a quite high level considering the price. It's a sabre dac. A well made sabre dac imo. There will always be something better of course; decide with your research, ears and wallet. ;)
I really like the pairing. The soundstage and spatial image is much larger ime running my Mini-i Pro + HPA V181 + DT990/600 balanced [see my OP photo]. X, Y and Z axis gains! I'm not sure the experience will be the same with different dacs and headphones though to be fair.

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needhelp

331

Nov 23, 2015

Will. Your article talked about hd800. So......

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socks_OCD

228

Nov 23, 2015

I just upgraded from my Violectric HPA V100 to the V181 last week. If you're looking for an excellent fully balanced amplifier, look no further. Their V281 is simply beyond my means. I wish I would've just bought the V181 for the extra $250 or so over the V100 initially and saved some cash. $750 is what I paid for my V100 earlier this year!* Anyone jumping in on this is lucky. Maybe I can get a price match? ;') It was worth the extra expense in my book. Idk how I'll be able to go back to Single Ended use. If you're only going to use it single ended, I'm sure it's worth it depending on our personal preferences. Owning the V181 allows you to pursue venturing into fully balanced audio later without having to replace the amp; a 'free upgrade' as I like to call it. I added an imgur album of my own unboxing I posted in the headphones for metal thread on head-fi. I ended up returning the headphone, but kept the amp. :D
Here's a review:http://www.head-fi.org/t/548608/review-violectric-v181-balanced-headphone-amp

http://imgur.com/a/8k9c4

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Kenzo

Nov 25, 2015

socks_OCDyou change your dt990's cable???

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socks_OCD

228

Nov 25, 2015

KenzoSorry to go off-topic from the V181. Seeing as I'm pairing this headphone with it at the moment... fair game. Lol. Someone recently asked me about the recable in the DT990 drop discussion. I'm sure there may be some resources on/in diy (sections of) various forums and/or maybe even a youtube tutorial. See the following resources. I'll include the exact listing for the pair I purchased as well. There are a few individuals that offer services like this. http://www.diyaudioblog.com/2011/12/recabling-pair-of-beyerdynamic-dt880.html http://www.diyaudioblog.com/2015/05/beyerdynamic-balanced-removable-4-pin.html http://www.head-fi.org/t/780083/barely-used-beyerdynamic-dt990-600-ohm-balanced-with-removable-up-occ-cable-and-adapter

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Recent Activity

hieple193

Hi. Do you hear any benefit from XLR out compared to 6.35mm? I'm considering a balanced cable for my TH610.

wild_one

Finally have all the pieces, but no space right now to put it all together... Guess that's my project for tomorrow!

ArthurM

Exciting news group! We’re happy to report that all of the orders have been shipped out and are now on the way to you! Please allow 24-48 hours for tracking to get into the shipper's system and start updating. If there’s anything else we can do to make your Massdrop experience better, feel free to contact us via “Contact Support” button in your transaction page: https://www.massdrop.com/transactions