[roskodan]

Okay I just did a test I think I still like tube sound better. Again as I said try attenuation off on Project Polaris first. Otherwise V200 is good.

But if you have HD800 my friend highly recommend an OTL amp such as Dark Voice or something.

Although if you don't want to deal with the inconvenience of OTL amp then Lyr 3 or Lyr+ (hybrid tube) is a good option. It drive the tube conservatively so it last a long time and also doesn't have background noise on low gain, high gain you might get noise depending on tube.

Indeed, an OTL or OTC is another league altogether (for better or for worse depending on taste and preferences). I had an Icon Audio HP8 Mk2 (OTC) beside my V200 for some time, now replaced by a Woo Audio WA2 (OTL). The only issue is the sound is heavily dependent on the tubes used. Once dealt with the tube selection, it's a game changer, an expensive one, that requires time, patience and commitment but it is rewarding in both journey and results.

One thing to keep in mind, from my experience at least, is that the expensive side of tubes is more the rolling part than the limited life time of tubes.

Tube sound exists and I love it. However it will never replace solid state and vice versa. It was never tubes vs solid state for me. Imo, it never should be.

So, right now, amps wise, I'm rotating between a bunch of Schiit amps, WA2, V200, some Audio-gd stuff and another reference of mine (V200 being the other), the classic Chord Hugo Mk1. Hybrid wise, I can recommend Schiit Lyr 2 the most, then Lyr 3, as well as the Mjolnir 2 (even the Mjolnir 1 solid state wise, with fingers crossed for the upcoming Mjolnir 3 which will also be solid state it seems).

The V200 and the Hugo Mk1 are not going anywhere... ... ...

 

[matts19]

All this time I thought LP/Violectric amps had discrete output stage. It was kind of interesting to learn that V200 employed a couple of cheap chip op-amps. The retail price of this thing is like $1200 and it comes with a few dollars worth of op-amps ? Would it be worthwhile to replace them with discrete op-amps ?

 

[roskodan]

All this time I thought LP/Violectric amps had discrete output stage. It was kind of interesting to learn that V200 employed a couple of cheap chip op-amps. The retail price of this thing is like $1200 and it comes with a few dollars worth of op-amps ? Would it be worthwhile to replace them with discrete op-amps ?

V200 went for $650 from selected Violectric partners. MSRP was a different story I know, overpriced imo too. Although Violectric states that the op-amps are for impedance matching the amp stages (of which the output stage is discrete), many have reported good results with rolling op-amps, both chips and discrete. I plan on trying that too. I own the V200 since 2013, time to spice things up.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

This would be interesting to learn more about. Is there a site that shows the internals of the V200 and how to replace the op-amps? And for that matter, where does one begin research into what would be good, improved op-amp replacements?

 

[Kimmeri]

Okay I just did a test I think I still like tube sound better. Again as I said try attenuation off on Project Polaris first. Otherwise V200 is good.

But if you have HD800 my friend highly recommend an OTL amp such as Dark Voice or something.

Although if you don't want to deal with the inconvenience of OTL amp then Lyr 3 or Lyr+ (hybrid tube) is a good option. It drive the tube conservatively so it last a long time and also doesn't have background noise on low gain, high gain you might get noise depending on tube.

Hey dude. Sorry forgot to answer. I ended up buying the v200. 260 eur, fair price I think. For hd800 it is good, cannot complain one bit. Other headphones its nothing special but not bad either. Definitely gonna keep Polaris in the house too. Have you played with the jumpers inside v200?

 

[Hyde00]

Hey dude. Sorry forgot to answer. I ended up buying the v200. 260 eur, fair price I think. For hd800 it is good, cannot complain one bit. Other headphones its nothing special but not bad either. Definitely gonna keep Polaris in the house too. Have you played with the jumpers inside v200?

I've never touched anything on the inside yet but I did play around with the pre-amp at the back and it DOES change sound signature.

Like the more +db you put on the more treble it gets. The more -db the darker it gets. Usually I like using +6 db for RCA input, XLR seems to sound right with 0 db. You could play around with it and see if you can find something that matches your taste lol.

 

[spookanide]

I now have Ifi Zen Can and Project Polaris. My HPs are HD800, Elear and dt1990 pro.

Im seeing a very good deal on V200. My question is would V200 be a considerable improvement compared to my current amps used with those headphones?
I dont really *need* v200 but if it would make a huge difference I want to buy it.
Thank you!

I own both an ican SE and the Violectric V200. I bought the V200 as an upgrade from the ican. They're both really awesome, and the CAN series will give you a bit more bass but I am not really wanting more out of the V200 while I do want more bass for the audeze LCD2f out of any other amp. The v200 gives you detail and lovely lows, like a well tuned cinema experience. It's more "holographic" than the ican SE.

If you can find a V200 for around €400 def do it, because I did the same without regret! My model seems to be an early make from maybe 2011. I demo'd a new one in a store once and I don't think anything has changed.

Owner's context:
I only use an audeze LCD2f for very varied all-round listening. I also own a littledot mk2, collecting dust. I used to have a THX789 and sold it (good but stifles dynamics just a bit) and also used to have a questyle dac-amp 400i (quick sounding but a bit sharp and not enough warmth/bass).

*EDIT* just saw the rest of the thread, oh well. You got an amazing deal!

 

[Kimmeri]

Are amps like this supposed to be kept on whole day from morning to night or on/off/on/off during the day multiple times depending how you listen? Goal is to make amp last as long as possible...

 

[Hyde00]

Are amps like this supposed to be kept on whole day from morning to night or on/off/on/off during the day multiple times depending how you listen? Goal is to make amp last as long as possible...

I usually turn my computer and amp on in the morning and turn it off at night time before I sleep.

Only my R2R dac I leave it on 24/7.

I suspect this might be better than turning it on/off multiple times a day but I could be wrong. Maybe it's like light bulb where if it's shorter than this interval better to do this and longer than this interval better to do this LOL.

 

[jonathan c]

V200 went for $650 from selected Violectric partners. MSRP was a different story I know, overpriced imo too. Although Violectric states that the op-amps are for impedance matching the amp stages (of which the output stage is discrete), many have reported good results with rolling op-amps, both chips and discrete. I plan on trying that too. I own the V200 since 2013, time to spice things up.

Interesting….in the meantime ….

 

[roskodan]

Interesting….in the meantime ….

Interesting. In the mean time I got a V340. I will have to email @fdg for coupling caps bypass, DC mod instructions.

 

[roskodan]

It's most interesting Violectric went for capacitor coupling, for later models, instead of keeping the option to switch between DC and AC coupling via jumper or whatever. At least for some models, since Violectric is a consumer brand, who cares if it measures worse, has more noise, or whatever it was about safety. Make it more euphonic for once.

 

[spookanide]

Are amps like this supposed to be kept on whole day from morning to night or on/off/on/off during the day multiple times depending how you listen? Goal is to make amp last as long as possible...

Most electronics have some time-to-failure driven by temperature, but your main concern should be tubes in tube amps and not solid state amps. As long as temperature is steady you're good in terms of tiny variables. I don't leave things running unattended either way. If you really want to run it temperature settled then leave it on for an hour?

 

[matts19]

I have owned an Rupert Neve RNHP and an HD 800S paired together and looking back at it, imo the RNHP was a little too cold and sterile for the 800S. It is a great amp but not a perfect pairing, again imo.

The V200 is a great amp, especially if you can find one on the used market. I have owned a V100 and a V200. I rolled Sparkos dual op amps in both of their signal paths. imo they made a good thing even better.

How many op-amps did you have to buy ? As far as I can see from my unit there seem to be 5 of them.... (2 under the rainbow cable, 2 near the RCA out, and 1 near headphone out). Did you replace all 5, or just the one(s) responsible for headphone out ? And where can I find one(s) that are for headphone out (cuz I don't care about RCA out) ? Thanks.

 

[LostnAmerica]

I own both an ican SE and the Violectric V200. I bought the V200 as an upgrade from the ican. They're both really awesome, and the CAN series will give you a bit more bass but I am not really wanting more out of the V200 while I do want more bass for the audeze LCD2f out of any other amp. The v200 gives you detail and lovely lows, like a well tuned cinema experience. It's more "holographic" than the ican SE.

If you can find a V200 for around €400 def do it, because I did the same without regret! My model seems to be an early make from maybe 2011. I demo'd a new one in a store once and I don't think anything has changed.

Owner's context:
I only use an audeze LCD2f for very varied all-round listening. I also own a littledot mk2, collecting dust. I used to have a THX789 and sold it (good but stifles dynamics just a bit) and also used to have a questyle dac-amp 400i (quick sounding but a bit sharp and not enough warmth/bass).

*EDIT* just saw the rest of the thread, oh well. You got an amazing

Hey dude. Sorry forgot to answer. I ended up buying the v200. 260 eur, fair price I think. For hd800 it is good, cannot complain one bit. Other headphones its nothing special but not bad either. Definitely gonna keep Polaris in the house too. Have you played with the jumpers inside v200?

Wow & greetings, where did you find the v200 for 260 euros?