Looking for some advice as I potentially transition setups.
I was planning on pulling the trigger on the Drop Violectric v280 Amp (6 days left) to ensure some future proofing down the road with higher end headphones (Focal Clear/ZMF Aeolus/HiFiman Arya/Etc.) but wanted to make sure they would power the Argon Mk3s and other high impedence headphones, ~600ohm, I currently own as I understand the T50 mods are hard to drive. I also think I would much prefer the more musical listening aspect of that amp as compared to more dry, analytical options I’ve had prior. I do listen for extremely long sessions, average 12+ hours, so that is a factor with fatigue.
I do really enjoy my Argons for specific music genres and wouldn’t want to have a different amp for that purpose.
I would plan to align my headphone tier as the next purchase along with a comparable DAC, presumably the Bifrost II. I’m thinking the shipping would be much longer on the amp than a pair of headphones so they should get delivered in time for the amp upgrade.
Also curious if anyone has any recommendations as to which headphones would be an ideal pairing for the Violectric v280 within the $500 and then the $1000 price ranges. Not sure if this amp should ideally be paired with a $500 pair of cans but its nice to hear suggestions. Side note: I do wear glasses so that has been a small issue in the past with some pads, however that is usually the case for most.
Nice picks, those work well with the amp imo, especially the clear and arya
Easily, no problem imo
I don’t think you would have any issues with the vio then, it’s neutral but with a bit of warmth and extra body, really pleasing, never really harsh but can be aggressive when it needs to be
Sounds like a solid dac choice imo, should slightly chill things out. For drop the shipping for the v280 seems pretty long lol, the bifrost 2 is only 6-9 days backordered
I mean I think you already choose some great performers with the clear and arya which can be found used for that price. Perhaps also consider a zmf eikon, that sounds up your alley. Although for more headphone recs I would want a bit more info on what you typically listen to
Thanks for the feedback! Do you know if the Drop will always stay open for the listen duration of days or if its a number of orders thing?
I tend to listen to a wide variety of music from future house/edm to 90s alternative and all the way to blues/bluegrass. I am hoping the violectric v280 can offer some flexibility in terms of electronics and I can potentially change headphones as I see fit. I think that may also be a factor on if I wanted to try to mix and match some lower cost headphones as well along with a higher end match like the focal clear.
So on the link it says it now has 6 days left, and after that they will be shipped out at July 1st, but it could be earlier or later with drop so idk, but not super quick
I would say so yes, it is a real nice all rounder and works well with most things you throw at it, and tends to pair well with most things.
It’s usually whatever comes first. If they only have 20 amps available they will end the drop if they get that many orders prior to the drop ending. It’s happened to me before
In your opinion, is it worth it to go for a cheaper option like the sundara first to feel out the amp sound signature or go for a higher end recommended match like the focal clear or ZMF aeolus right off the bat?
I mean if you wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of the amp, the clear is a headphone that scales very well and also really pairs well with the vio gear, as would the arya. You can hear the difference on something like a sundara, but it’s not as large as the clear for example
That makes sense, better to make a long term investment than short change it up front. Other than the ZMF Eikon, are there any other scaling closed backs you would recommend? Hopefully I wouldn’t need to use them but it might be an option when other are around and I wanted to listen to something
Congrats on the amp. You should be set for the long haul. I own both the Eikons and Aeon 2 C, and I’m a big fan of both, but if I had to pick one it’d be the Eikons. If I had to pick just one headphone period it may be the Eikons. Really great headphone, and I’m sure you’d enjoy it off the new amp
Yeah if you really did pull the trigger then congrats! I love my Vioelectric amp and I definitely would recommend it to anyone who is truly interested in it. I’m tentative with people who are on the fence because there is quite a bit of currency being exchanged, but I do think this is amp is worthwhile.
It is a huge leap in performance in comparison to other solid state amps that I have had (I’m not sure what you are upgrading from) but I do appreciate mine as I’ve been able to realize the increase of performance as I’ve upgraded from amp to amp.
In my opinion, planars really benefit from this amp’s power, but all of the headphones I’ve tried with my Vio has scaled well.
Or, along the lines of the Clear from Focal, if they haven’t sold out yet, you can get the Elegia for $429 on Adorama right now. Retail has normally been $900, and while I haven’t heard the Clear for comparison, this is a high performing and open sounding closed back at a steal of a price new.
Tbh if you go with a he6 it’s not going to sound it’s best on a headphone amp. You need pretty much a speaker amp to sound it’s best. Even some of my headphone amps with 10 watts at 50 ohms isn’t enough
Thanks for the heads up on the Elegia deal, I may looks at them or the Aeon 2 closed for a more portable option since I do a fair bit of traveling for work. Thinking it would be nice to get a planar mixed in if my goal will be to own the focal clears or a zmf biocellulose option down the road.
Although the deal on the focal elegia at $429 vs the aeon 2 at $765 has me tempted to get the elegia then just save up quicker for the larger purchase instead. Decisions, decisions…
Ended up going with the Aeon 2 Closed over the elegia, I had read some reviews about the elegia seal being impacted by glasses so that was a factor along with the better portability of the aeon 2. It has def been odd getting used to while wearing glasses, but the aeon 2 are extremely comfortable. The pads are plush enough to handle the glasses arm and still create a good seal around the ear.
If the cable moves at all while listening to music, it does seem to be very audible. I’m hoping an aftermarket cable will solve this smaller issue in the future.
These should fit nicely into any portable listening situations, as well as a closed back when in an office environment.
Planning to write my sound feedback after I’ve done some more listening and burned them in
