I recently picked up an Violectric HPA V550 for myself, literally 4 days ago at the time of this post. First impressions are that this is a fantastic amplifier, but until I get some more time with it, Iām going to refrain from elaborating further. More to come soonā¦
jesus christ thatās a lot of power
That is a shit ton of power at 50 Ohms! Usually those kind of numbers, if found, are at 16 Ohms.
I am guessing that puppy could drive just about anything.
I apologize for any confusion. I made a correction to the Max power output after clarifying with Arthur at Powerholdings Inc.
The total is 12.8W but to not be misleading it should be stated as:
Maximum power (balanced output, both channels driven): 6.4 Watt @ 50 Ohm
From the manual:
Max output voltage (balanced output, both channels driven): 32 Volt = 1.8 Watts @ 600 Ohm
Maximum power (balanced output, both channels driven): 6.4 Watt @ 50 Ohm
Noise -100 dB / THD+N ā 102 dB
Output impedance < 0,2 Ohm
Damping factor > 250
ok that seems more in the realms of possible lol. i was like referencing other amps to see if anything else in the headphone world came even close to 12.8w@50ohm and was coming up really really really short lol.
Will be interested in your feedback once youāve settled inā¦ M0N wasnāt too excited about the Vio changes in the new model at least based upon the sound profile that the V281 had. Iām paraphrasing but I believe much of the warmth was gone and it sounded much cleaner and perhaps closer to the Niimbus than the V281.
My friend bought a Niimbus US5 and a Pathos inpol earā¦ He far prefers the Pathos to US5 so Iāll have a shot at the US5 used or perhaps a V550/pro later this summer.
I know that I said I would give some impressions soon. Iām sorry that I have not come through yet. Iām very familiar with the V281 matched with the Soekris dac1541 and also with the Spring 3 KTE - but putting the V550 with the dac1541 hasnāt happenedā¦ Honestly, I have not been able to make myself break the signal chain to swap in the 1541. I imagine that has to say somethingā¦
I still intend to do a āMy Impressionsā of the Violectric V550. Why a āMy Impressionsā? Well, I am not a reviewer, only an enthusiast. I do not have a lot of gear to do comparisons, Iām not an eloquent writer, and I do not have a vast treasure chest of experience. What I do have is a passion for music, gear that reproduces music, and a willingness to share what I can in hopes that others may find some value.
With the disclaimer out of the way, lets continueā¦
While I have been working on assembling my thoughts and taking notes etc., for āMy Impressionsā, there have been 2 questions repeatedly asked in comments and DMās. Both questions are more asks for comparisons between the Violectric V281 and V550. So, I decided to take this opportunity to attempt to answer those questions and also, include some first impressions while still working on my original Impressions dedicated more to the V550, and call this a āFirst Impressionsā. Here Goesā¦
Number One Question: How you are liking the V550 compared to the V281?
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 havenāt 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 Iāve noticed with the 550 is:
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.
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.
Texture; Iām hearing more texture, and across the entire range, top to bottom, where with the v281 it was more perception of textures, less definitive.
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 āmusicalā camp than āanalyticalā, I donāt think there is a āwrongā choice with selecting either one.
Number Two Question: Iāve heard that the V550 is more neutral and the V281 is smoother and warmer.
Yes, that is what Iāve 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.
Moving from the V281 to the V550 hasnāt resulted in any thinness there is no lack of reproduction in the lower frequencies or any weakness in harmonics or less full sounding, 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 ātransparentā, because now when connecting different DACs. Iām 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 donāt 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 youād expect from the V281, just that V550 is better at delivering a truer representation of the upstream sources feeding it, good or bad. That is the difference IMO.
More to comeā¦
Both out of my price range for quite some time, but I always appreciate when people on here take the time to do this stuff. Super helpful to read these and try to look for minor hints of these qualities even when listening with low to mid tier gear. It always peaks my interest to move up and up, all the while still appreciating what I have and keeping me level headed in my journey upwards.
Just got myself a V550 pro and so far I am really not that impressed. I am not displeased with the unit, it does NOT sound bad, donāt get me wrong, but it didnāt āwowā me specially since it is my first 3000ā¬ headphone amp. In fact I prefer the sound of it as a pre-amp for my 1500ā¬ WA-6SE. I found V550 loses quite a few details, specially for the price, details present in the 50% cheaper WA-6SE. Sure a 250h burn in could make things better but everyone describes the sound just the way it sounds out of the box, so I donāt have very hi hope in burn-in effect on this device.
Ps.
Unlike the photon in the first post, my unit has a 4.4mm out, not 2x6.3mm I am not sure if it is a feature of PRO vs standard version or if Violectric silently updated V550
How long have you had it?
You know the usual, use it for a couple of days and then go back to the WA-6se to compare.
The 4.4mm is a silent update.
It is quite new, it has around 5h of use. Unfortunately this is not a unit that you can leave it running for a week. After 3h it got quite hot. It surprised me since I had the classA rebel amp always running. It wonāt get hot fast, 1 h session will just make it warm but after 3h it will get hot, so the burn in will take a while.
I will check on that. Most gear sounds better if they are on for longer periods of time. I leave mine 24h on.
Mine is relatively new, I got it last week.
Mine sounded like that the first day. The next day, the most resolving amp I ever had (Soloist 3xp, V281, and V222).
Ok I finaly sort it out, an I can give my opinion about the experience of getting a V550.
1st. Quality control and warranty.
In my personal opinion quality control of Lake People is spotty at best. If you decide to buy one of their product, you need to start with the mind set that you will return it for a replacement. If you donāt need a replacement, it is fine, but problems are more common then it should.
I got mine from Thomann DE website and I am happy to report they were really helpful. I contact them via e-mail, they asked for pictures of packaging including the outer box, and a video with the reported issue. It took about 3 days and they created and e-mail me the sticker for courier, I sent the unit back, and they shipped the new unit the very next they after they received the old one. I got nothing but good things to say about the shop, and I can recommend it without hesitation.
2nd. V550 PRO
The sound of the unit is fine. It sounds disappointing but only at first. The amp does nothing at all to wow you, but does everything right. Sound stage is wide and tall with reasonable depth. It is more wide then deep exactly like a real performing stage is. Sound has the slightest warm possible, so everything sounds both natural and pleasing, Every detail is present but put in itās proper place, nothing stands out more then it should. The entire presentation is just right and invites you to pay attention to details if you choose to, or just enjoy the entire song.
Is it the only thing you will ever want? No, but paired with a tube amp, it can have a place in an end-game system, and it provides enough power to properly drive any headphone we have on the market today.
It is worth buying keeping in mind the spotty quality control? For most people I would say yes. It all comes down to how long do you plan to keep it. If it is a long term item, maybe for your entire life then yes, buy one from a good store, worse case scenario you will get to wait 2-3 more weeks to get a good unit and you eventually have a very good, very cool unit. If however, you plan to a upgrade a 3000 Euro amp in 1-2 years, I would say you may want to skip it.
Why is it V550 Pro so much more expensive ?
Volume pot. In V550 you got the volume pot that controls the volume (I know, shocking). In V550 Pro you got the same exact volume pot because they wanted the same feel, the output of the volume pot is converted in to digital signal, then the digital signal is used control a 256 step relay mounted vacuum chamber according to the manual, but on the box is listed just the volume pot. If this is not a typical German over-engineering of a product I donāt know what it is.
Burn in has a marginal effect, so I donāt necessarily recommend killing the amp trying a fast burn in. Just use it as usual.
Iām torn between v281 and v550.
Iām currently using soekris 2541 > v280 > HD800s and am thinking of upgrading from there. Iām very interested in relay volume, so no matter which option I choose, Iām planning to purchase the relay volume version.
I have very large ears, so the HD800 are the only headphones I can comfortably wear for hours on end. And I like the sound of the HD800s. Therefore, the first deciding factor is pairing with HD800s.
When I think about pairing with the HD800s, Iām attracted to the vacuum tube magic of the V281, but since the V550 isnāt all that far apart in price, I canāt decide which one to choose.
I like the sound of the v280 itself, so I think the v281 would definitely be an upgrade, but I also feel that it doesnāt change much and may not be worth the investment.
Could you please help me make a decision?
I think the synergy with the soekris 2541 would be a little better with the v281. Iām basing that off my experience with the v281 and soekris 1541 balanced out the DAC and into the Amp. I preferred the 1541 with my 281 over the v550 when I had them all at the same time. Iāve never heard the 280 - so not able to advise on the differences between that and the 281 other than that of what Iāve read and sure you have too. The 281 is a magical amp and I can see it working well with your 800s giving you that richness to compliment the detail of the 800s. The soekris / v281 match up as mentioned is really something to hear, or at least it was for me. I primarily was working a HEKv2 and Th909 off that setup for context.
Thank you for your detailed experience!
Iāve read in various places that the HD800 series needs wide, detailed warmth. I also use v280 and feel that this is true.
Iāve seen some people say that the v550 isnāt as warm as the v281 and has more detail but less magic. Therefore, I suspected that v281 would be more suitable for HD800S.
Your comments reinforce this idea.
Iāve seen many people feel similar about the synergy of soekris 1541 and v281. If 2541 is no exception, this is a great reason to choose v281.
I would also like to ask about the relay volume of v550. The steps have been doubled to 256. Is it safe to assume that the convenience this brings is not that great?
I read that the v550pro has a volume change of 0.4db per step. Is the relay volume of v281 a change of 0.8db per step? Or is there 128 steps of 0.4db change?
I almost never listened to the TH909, but Hifimanās oval driver is a headphone that makes contact with my ears but can cover my ears, so I thought about purchasing them. It inevitably became uncomfortable over time, so I had to adjust the position each time, but the sound was very attractive. In particular, I listened to the Arya and HD800s for hours and compared them (and chose the one that was more comfortable and allowed me to concentrate on the sound).
Iāve heard the developers of violectric say that the v550 is āoptimized for modern low impedance headphone design.ā Should I think that v550 is better compatible with planar like the one you are using than v281?
The added steps offer more granularity when changing volume becuase you have more steps avaialble.
I donāt have any experince with the stepped attenuator. My v281 did not have the stepped volume and when I bought my v550 I opted for the standard on that unit as well. Some folks I know personally whoāve had the violectric amps with the stepped attenuator had some issues with noise, which some is normal, but their noise increaased over time and became too distracting. Iāve always been happy with the sandard versions and to be honest I like the more precise control you can get with the standard becuase with stepped volume you only have the steps there is no inbetween in case one stepp is too quiet and the other too loud, but I could be being a bit nit-picky.
I ended up selling the v281 in the long run and keeping the v550 becuase it is a more technical and mature amp and I do like itās ability to work with just about every headphone I put with it, it even did OK (not great, but OK) with my Susvara and it was excellent with 1266 phi-tc, HEKv2 and others and to this day I still am working a LCD-24 and sometimes HE6se v2 from it - so yes it does planars very well.
I sold the v281 not because I had issues with it, just the v550 was better, at least to me and with the rest of the system I have around it. If you scroll back up several posts youāll find where I wrote down at the time of how I was feeling about both amps, and as I re-read that I still pretty much agree with it today.
I knew that relay volume had noise, but I didnāt know about the problem of noise increasing over time.
Also, as I know, even with the v550pro, it can only be adjusted in 0.4db increments, which means changes in approximately 5% increments, which is certainly not a āsmooth volume change.ā
I will also add the not pro version to my options.
I carefully read your previous posts and your advice to me.
There are clear technological advances in the v550, with increased clarity and no lack of warmth.
v281 has slightly greater synergy with soekris.
No matter which one you choose, the musical enjoyment will not be diminished.
I found both to be very attractive vio amps.
I am particularly drawn to the black background of the v550 and the mention of Macro/Micro dynamics.
Iāll have to do a little more research and decide which of the two paths I should take. There are other avenues, either stick with the v280 or head towards an amp away from violectric.
Itās difficult to listen to the v281, but I found a store quite far from where I live where I can listen to the v550pro and v590 (not pro). Iāll go listen.
Thank you very much for your help, it gave me something like a cushion to calm down and make decisions.
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