Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
acute (not cute) and just plain wrong.... if it's not a right angle, it's a wrong angle?....
Violectric V222 and V202
- Thread starter Ichos
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Just curious if you tried your Aries II with the V222? A lot of users here do suggest R2R dac to pair with V222 and same on the HE1000 stealth thread.V222 was great with everyone!!!
I confess that I spent more time listening to the HEK stealth. Wonderful!!
Full bass, but the details are all there. I didn't worry too much about the soundstage, as the style of music I listen to with the HEK stealth wouldn't require much soundstage.
I think the difference for the Lyr+ is not that noticeable in this area.
I use the HD800s more when I listen to classical music or a good acoustic. I think I'll see myself using Lyr+ more for this...
I found it a little more open to my ears. I'll keep both amps. But, I'm sure if I didn't have the HEK stealth and had to use the HD800s for other styles of music, I would definitely listen to the V222 more.
The Focal Clear I use to listen to Rock / Progressive / Hardā¦ on the V222 is exceptional!!
In short, after so much talking, sorry about thisā¦
For every type of music, the headphones I used sounded wonderful.
I'll keep the Lyr+ for classical music only on the HD800s. For everything else, the V222 is the amplifier.
Audiofilobrpt
100+ Head-Fier
Hello!!
I only tested it on the first day the V222 arrived. I did some listening tests comparing it to Qutest.
I found it a little smoother than the pairing with Qutest.
For headphones, I have a slight preference for the details that the Qutest presents compared to the smoother sound that the Ares II gives us.
I ended up deciding to stick with the Qutest + V222 synergy.
But, certainly, if I didn't have the Qutest to compare, the Ares II and the V222 make a great pair. Full bass and a very pleasant and musical sound.
And this decision was also made because I had already decided to leave the R2R DAC for my stereo system that needs a little more R2R sound.
That said, my Ares II is for sale as I plan to move up the R2R chain to upgrade my passive speaker stereo system.
When I bought the v222, my initial plan was to get the Qutest. But after reading comments from users, R2R seems to fit my needs.
Currently using a Lampizator tube dac(non-r2r) that my friend lend to me, so I'm still searching for a dac.
Would you mind telling me which R2R dac you plan to upgrade to on your two channel system? Thanks
Audiofilobrpt
100+ Head-Fier
Hello!!
No problems, buddy!!
I have an Audiolab 8300A that powers a pair of Sonus Faber Lumina II.
The most direct step after liking Ares II would be to try Pontus. I have it on my radar, but I'll want to listen to the Gustard R26 and if I could get hold of some used Holo Audio in good condition, I might try that too.
The reason for not going directly to a Pontus is that I feel like my Audiolab 8300A could have slightly better synergy with a āfasterā DAC. And from what I've read, the R26 seems to have the good characteristics of the R2R, but it wouldn't be as āsmoothā as the denafrips. If I can do some tests, I think I'll go there... but, if I can't, I think I'll ātake my chancesā on an R26.
Nice set up you got there!
R26 was also on my list, but the reviews says that it's very detailed to almost like sigma/delta. Then I'm afraid it would be a bit tiring on HE1000 stealth for long hours session.
But it maybe suitable for my Atrium closed.
Everyone says V222 is warm sounding, but pairing with HEK stealth I still need to EQ it to get a bit more bass which I enjoy.
Audiofilobrpt
100+ Head-Fier
Iāve read that the R26 would be almost in the middle between an Ares-type R2R and a delta-sigma on the smooth-to-detailed ruler. Maybe that's what my Audiolab needs to shine even more... But, I'll have to try to do tests.
And I see that you really like bassā¦ the V222 already presents the ideal amount of bass for me in the HEK stealth.
And on the Focal Clear OGā¦ the quality of the bass that the V222 delivers is crazy.
I won't be looking for amps again for a long time.
And I see that you really like bassā¦ the V222 already presents the ideal amount of bass for me in the HEK stealth.
And on the Focal Clear OGā¦ the quality of the bass that the V222 delivers is crazy.
I won't be looking for amps again for a long time.
JWahl
1000+ Head-Fier
Hi, Everyone.
This is my first time back posting on the forum again in about two and half years, and this amp managed to drag me back in (so to speak). A little background first.
Last time I was here, I was finishing up my senior year going back to college full time for engineering as a second career. At the time, my main setup was a Bifrost 2 -> Burson Soloist 3XP -> Hifiman HE-6SE v2. I ran into some financial challenges that required me to sell off most of the equipment (although I kept the BF2). Soon after, the forum start strictly enforcing a rule against non-PayPal sales in the classified section, which limited my ability to buy/sell used gear, thus any future new equipment purchases carried a lot more inherent risk. While re-building, I tried to stick to semi-affordable gear, especially things with options to tweak the sound. Aside from that, a lot of my time was focused on graduating, and then transitioning to new work after graduation, so not as much time for journalizing my headphone hobby.
Along the way, I picked up a Burson Funk amp, Chord Mojo 2, and then impulse bought an HE-1000 Stealth about six months ago after the price dropped to $1,400. I'd been content with those for awhile, until I decided finally scratch a curiosity itch with the V222 after noticing Drop still had some ready to ship units at $950.
Now, this is significant because I've held a long time bias against Violectric amps for many years because of some listening impressions I had at a meet maybe 7 or 8 years ago. My experience then (with the V200 using HD800) was that the amp was polite and inoffensive, but seemed to cover everything in this velvety softness, and it didn't seem as resolving and spacious as I hoped at it's price point.
That being said, my past experience with meet impressions has been problematic at best. Often times, gear that impressed me at meets (Beyer T1 many years ago , Focal Elear most recently) eventually soured on me when owning them over time. Conversely, some gear that I didn't find very engaging in a meet, ended up being among my favorite I've owned. (HD800 the first time, I've since bought it twice).
When I finally decided to pull the trigger on the V222, I was a little nervous, although Drop hasn't given me problems with returns in the past. I just wasn't sure if I was overhyping it in my mind based on a lot of the comparisons and impressions I've read. Thankfully, those concerns and my biases were completely unfounded. This thing rocks!
I received it earlier this week, and it's been quite an addictive listen. My experiences so far align with much I've read on the thread so far. I don't find it too warm and there's definitely nothing overly soft or wooly (at least in balanced mode). The bass.....yes, theres a perception of large and powerful bass, but what really caught me off guard was just how controlled and fast it is, while maintaining the quality and impact. I want to say this is a very rare trait in amps that aren't stratospherically priced, but there's also a lot of new amps I haven't heard and it's a more competitive market than ever.
The other thing that really surprised me is just how well it synergizes with the HD-650. I mean, I expected that based on what I read, but even that didn't prepare me. I've had my HD-650 for maybe 8 years or so, and when I got it, it was already well used. It's my long hauler that stays with me when times get tough. It's also been mutilated by modding (no rear spider, 2 adhesive sorbothane peices on each magnet. With the V222, the HD-650 takes on a strong sense control, impact, and effortlessness. Yes, it's still an HD-650, it's still warm some mid-bass congestion and no amp will change that, but I think this may be the best I've heard it on any equipment I've owned, although it's been a long time since I've owned my most expensive/high-end equipment. The HD-660S also sounds decent with it, but it doesn't seem to scale as well as the HD-650 in this case, perhaps due to the 150-ohm impedance instead of 300-ohm.
The HE-1000 Stealth also plays well with the V222, with the typical traits that have been covered: a touch of romantic harmonics in the midrange, deep and controlled bass, decent enough sense of space and soundstage (not closed in or claustrophobic by any means). As others have noted, there is a bit of extra perceived energy somewhere in the upper midrange. This is more noticeable with the HE-1000 Stealth. I think that this may be a combination of some of the tuning of the harmonics, and the powerful macrodynamic impact of this amp. I've never used software volume-leveling before, but I thought about it a few times with this. Some tracks that start with high intensity have actually startled me a bit (the dynamics, I mean). I don't find the upper-mids to be too much to be grating though.
Compared to the Burson Funk I've been using for awhile now, I expected this to maybe be a sidegrade with a different flavor, but it exceeds it in almost every way so far. I went back and forth a few times, and haven't had any desire to go back. My funk is upgraded with SparkoS op-amps and Supercharger (power supply) as well. That puts the total price close to the discounted V222. The Soloist 3XP might be a more fair comparison, but it's been over 2 years since I've owned it, and I didn't have the Supercharger with it. The Funk maybe has a little more air and sparkle in the highs, but I don't really miss it. The V222 is a more engaging listen across the board.
As far as sources, I've found that I lean more toward listening with the Mojo 2 rather than the Bifrost 2 with the V222. It was the opposite on the Funk, where I preferred the Bifrost slightly. The BF2 gives you a tiny bit more texture and sharpness on the leading edge of transients, but seems to hang onto sounds just a little bit long. The Mojo 2 seems more even handed and a little dryer, which works well with the V222s slight harmonic richness. It does make me wonder though, how the Qutest I once had would pair with it.
I also wouldn't mind trying the iFi Neo iDSD with it (or iDSD2 now I guess). I reviewed the original one awhile back, then bought it after to compare to the BF2 (using the Soloist 3XP) and then returned it. Back then, the BF2 just barely edged it out in comparison to the Neo iDSD and an RME ADI-2 (which was my current DAC at the time). I also tried an older iFi Zen DAC v2 I've had laying around for awhile, and while it didn't quite keep up with the Mojo 2 and BF2, I thought the iFi house sound was a pleasant tonal match with the V222.
Now...one minor complaint is that of the notched volume knob potentiometer, since it gives the drawbacks of a stepped attenuator without the benefits (aside from remembering a volume-level position). I think I understand the logic behind it, though. It does create the psychological effect of making it feel more premium, like you're dialing in a precision instrument. Maybe it's a German obsession with making things have satisfying tactility, like the deadened thunk of closing a luxury German car door. The other caveat is that it didn't quite have the same magic for me on the single-ended output. It's much softer and polite and a bit less macrodymamic, and lacks that iron-grip control that I find so engaging. In other words, probably closer to what my old memory of the V200 was, which makes sense.
Otherwise, Fried has nailed what I consider to be an ideal set of engineering compromises with the V222, giving us the excellent balanced output stage and high operating voltage while removing additional costs that may not deliver as much benefit relative to the added cost. Very well done.
That ended up being a little more wordy than I intended originally. Here's a photo of some of the gear to balance out the wall of text.
This is my first time back posting on the forum again in about two and half years, and this amp managed to drag me back in (so to speak). A little background first.
Last time I was here, I was finishing up my senior year going back to college full time for engineering as a second career. At the time, my main setup was a Bifrost 2 -> Burson Soloist 3XP -> Hifiman HE-6SE v2. I ran into some financial challenges that required me to sell off most of the equipment (although I kept the BF2). Soon after, the forum start strictly enforcing a rule against non-PayPal sales in the classified section, which limited my ability to buy/sell used gear, thus any future new equipment purchases carried a lot more inherent risk. While re-building, I tried to stick to semi-affordable gear, especially things with options to tweak the sound. Aside from that, a lot of my time was focused on graduating, and then transitioning to new work after graduation, so not as much time for journalizing my headphone hobby.
Along the way, I picked up a Burson Funk amp, Chord Mojo 2, and then impulse bought an HE-1000 Stealth about six months ago after the price dropped to $1,400. I'd been content with those for awhile, until I decided finally scratch a curiosity itch with the V222 after noticing Drop still had some ready to ship units at $950.
Now, this is significant because I've held a long time bias against Violectric amps for many years because of some listening impressions I had at a meet maybe 7 or 8 years ago. My experience then (with the V200 using HD800) was that the amp was polite and inoffensive, but seemed to cover everything in this velvety softness, and it didn't seem as resolving and spacious as I hoped at it's price point.
That being said, my past experience with meet impressions has been problematic at best. Often times, gear that impressed me at meets (Beyer T1 many years ago , Focal Elear most recently) eventually soured on me when owning them over time. Conversely, some gear that I didn't find very engaging in a meet, ended up being among my favorite I've owned. (HD800 the first time, I've since bought it twice).
When I finally decided to pull the trigger on the V222, I was a little nervous, although Drop hasn't given me problems with returns in the past. I just wasn't sure if I was overhyping it in my mind based on a lot of the comparisons and impressions I've read. Thankfully, those concerns and my biases were completely unfounded. This thing rocks!
I received it earlier this week, and it's been quite an addictive listen. My experiences so far align with much I've read on the thread so far. I don't find it too warm and there's definitely nothing overly soft or wooly (at least in balanced mode). The bass.....yes, theres a perception of large and powerful bass, but what really caught me off guard was just how controlled and fast it is, while maintaining the quality and impact. I want to say this is a very rare trait in amps that aren't stratospherically priced, but there's also a lot of new amps I haven't heard and it's a more competitive market than ever.
The other thing that really surprised me is just how well it synergizes with the HD-650. I mean, I expected that based on what I read, but even that didn't prepare me. I've had my HD-650 for maybe 8 years or so, and when I got it, it was already well used. It's my long hauler that stays with me when times get tough. It's also been mutilated by modding (no rear spider, 2 adhesive sorbothane peices on each magnet. With the V222, the HD-650 takes on a strong sense control, impact, and effortlessness. Yes, it's still an HD-650, it's still warm some mid-bass congestion and no amp will change that, but I think this may be the best I've heard it on any equipment I've owned, although it's been a long time since I've owned my most expensive/high-end equipment. The HD-660S also sounds decent with it, but it doesn't seem to scale as well as the HD-650 in this case, perhaps due to the 150-ohm impedance instead of 300-ohm.
The HE-1000 Stealth also plays well with the V222, with the typical traits that have been covered: a touch of romantic harmonics in the midrange, deep and controlled bass, decent enough sense of space and soundstage (not closed in or claustrophobic by any means). As others have noted, there is a bit of extra perceived energy somewhere in the upper midrange. This is more noticeable with the HE-1000 Stealth. I think that this may be a combination of some of the tuning of the harmonics, and the powerful macrodynamic impact of this amp. I've never used software volume-leveling before, but I thought about it a few times with this. Some tracks that start with high intensity have actually startled me a bit (the dynamics, I mean). I don't find the upper-mids to be too much to be grating though.
Compared to the Burson Funk I've been using for awhile now, I expected this to maybe be a sidegrade with a different flavor, but it exceeds it in almost every way so far. I went back and forth a few times, and haven't had any desire to go back. My funk is upgraded with SparkoS op-amps and Supercharger (power supply) as well. That puts the total price close to the discounted V222. The Soloist 3XP might be a more fair comparison, but it's been over 2 years since I've owned it, and I didn't have the Supercharger with it. The Funk maybe has a little more air and sparkle in the highs, but I don't really miss it. The V222 is a more engaging listen across the board.
As far as sources, I've found that I lean more toward listening with the Mojo 2 rather than the Bifrost 2 with the V222. It was the opposite on the Funk, where I preferred the Bifrost slightly. The BF2 gives you a tiny bit more texture and sharpness on the leading edge of transients, but seems to hang onto sounds just a little bit long. The Mojo 2 seems more even handed and a little dryer, which works well with the V222s slight harmonic richness. It does make me wonder though, how the Qutest I once had would pair with it.
I also wouldn't mind trying the iFi Neo iDSD with it (or iDSD2 now I guess). I reviewed the original one awhile back, then bought it after to compare to the BF2 (using the Soloist 3XP) and then returned it. Back then, the BF2 just barely edged it out in comparison to the Neo iDSD and an RME ADI-2 (which was my current DAC at the time). I also tried an older iFi Zen DAC v2 I've had laying around for awhile, and while it didn't quite keep up with the Mojo 2 and BF2, I thought the iFi house sound was a pleasant tonal match with the V222.
Now...one minor complaint is that of the notched volume knob potentiometer, since it gives the drawbacks of a stepped attenuator without the benefits (aside from remembering a volume-level position). I think I understand the logic behind it, though. It does create the psychological effect of making it feel more premium, like you're dialing in a precision instrument. Maybe it's a German obsession with making things have satisfying tactility, like the deadened thunk of closing a luxury German car door. The other caveat is that it didn't quite have the same magic for me on the single-ended output. It's much softer and polite and a bit less macrodymamic, and lacks that iron-grip control that I find so engaging. In other words, probably closer to what my old memory of the V200 was, which makes sense.
Otherwise, Fried has nailed what I consider to be an ideal set of engineering compromises with the V222, giving us the excellent balanced output stage and high operating voltage while removing additional costs that may not deliver as much benefit relative to the added cost. Very well done.
That ended up being a little more wordy than I intended originally. Here's a photo of some of the gear to balance out the wall of text.
Last edited:
oqvist
Headphoneus Supremus
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Nice writeup. Nice to see there is people as insane with their gear purchases as myself. Only bought dx 1000 twice though but it was a nice call as I bought the last or second last available. Or well I guess you can count selling a hd 800 and get a hd 800S as well. Who am I kidding :/
I donĀ“t understand what the issue is with notches for the potentiometre. IsnĀ“t it to ensure better balance between channels particularly if you preferr the feel over smooth knobs like on my audio gd c-2 what is the bad thing
Honeymoon is over but I am certainly not finding anything to hate with the V222. I do feel it sound a tad better through the balanced input but not that much into it. Listening to the Audio GD C-2 now which I havenĀ“t listened to ages and it does more of the open window thing due ot the less warmth and not as soft. A bit of yin and young. Kind of curious about the G111 but I stop now lol
lauthoerer
100+ Head-Fier
Got a V222 in today, playing the 3rd album through it now (Koufax and Billie Marten via Deezer) in comparison with my DHA V590Ā² Pro, both hooked up to a Nuprime DAC-9. So far, they sound super closeā¦ which is kind of what I was hoping forā¦
Lotsa testing still to come, of course!
Lotsa testing still to come, of course!
oqvist
Headphoneus Supremus
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Anyone got issue with noise from the amplifier from time to time? Seemingly random when playing no sound or light use I can get distortion like noises. I tried to replicate it with my audio gd c-2 but is not successful so far. V222 is fine 98% of the time though so itĀ“s not a common occurance.
Also an idea for improvement. Remove the leds for xlr or rca. They are the same colour so I donĀ“t see how they help anything? Would be fine do without to me if I get no sound I might get the idea to switch
A less bright power led would also be an improvement. I can see the sense in having that one though. You can tape it so itĀ“s the smallest of issues but feels unnecessary
Also an idea for improvement. Remove the leds for xlr or rca. They are the same colour so I donĀ“t see how they help anything? Would be fine do without to me if I get no sound I might get the idea to switch
A less bright power led would also be an improvement. I can see the sense in having that one though. You can tape it so itĀ“s the smallest of issues but feels unnecessaryJagamov
New Head-Fier
I use both XLR and RCA inputs. I've never heard any abnormal distortion or "noise".
This is a bit out of my depth, but that never seems to stop me from taking a stab at answeringā¦ I wonder if an adjustment to the grounding would make a difference. There are user adjustable jumpers inside the case (unplug before opening!!!) that are described in the manual, and some of the language around them made reference to electromagnetic interference. I may be totally off base about this, but it could be something fairly easy to try adjusting before doing any potentially destructive modā¦Anyone got issue with noise from the amplifier from time to time? Seemingly random when playing no sound or light use I can get distortion like noises. I tried to replicate it with my audio gd c-2 but is not successful so far. V222 is fine 98% of the time though so itĀ“s not a common occurance.
Also an idea for improvement. Remove the leds for xlr or rca. They are the same colour so I donĀ“t see how they help anything? Would be fine do without to me if I get no sound I might get the idea to switch
oqvist
Headphoneus Supremus
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Sure could be. I have had issues with my trafomatic audio head one at times but long time since now but never with any of the 10-15 solid state amps I tried.
But why would jumpers be set in suboptimal settings. Will sure try it out will test more in the weekend
I think itās unlikely that they are suboptimally set from the factory, but this is a case where I just donāt know what I donāt know, so it might be worth experimentingā¦
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