Mad head-fi plan

I have recently purchased the 281 and wow. Especially when running balanced into my Focal Clear’s. Being fed from a ND5XS2 and Chord Qutest. A very engaging and pleasing experience.

Will be balanced into the Meze’s when they arrive, really looking forward to it.

Hi @MaxiMe - you may have just answered a question I have been contemplating over recent weeks. For “mobile & desktop” music I treated myself to a Hugo2 and Meze Empyreans a few weeks back. I have used these two items fed both my PC (mobile and desktop use) and also the digital output of my NDX2. Both combinations sound brilliant but the NDX2 feed is better than PC source (thankfully, given the price delta!).
Now the problem you have solved for me!! My main system is NDX2/XPSDR/282/SCDR/NAP250/SF Olympica II with a HL2/NAPSC hanging on the end. The Meze Empyreans sound pretty poor through the HL2/NAPSC - not a patch on the Hugo2 fed sound. I have therefore been thinking about powering the HL2 with a SCDR. Opinion on the forum seems divided, some saying the HL2/SCDR is brilliant, others saying “chuck” the HL2. Covid 19 has prevented me so far checking out these options, but my gut feeling is telling me putting a very expensive power supply on a fairly cheap headphone amp, whilst probably yielding an improvement over the NAPSC doesnt feel right. For the cost of a SCDR - even second hand - you are well into the price range of quality dedicated head amps. Given your results with the Violectric V281 I think I will now go for a dedicated headamp…it just “feels” right. Which headamp to go for still needs to be worked thru, but I think you have done the right thing!
p.s. sorry to all those forum members dedicated to the SCDR/HL2 combo - just my humble conclusions on what feels right!!

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Glad to be useful.
I started with HL2/NAPSC and moved to HL2/Something else which was a distinct step up, I’d guess around Hi-Cap territory.
Putting the SC in didn’t yield much improvement for me, but the SC is 10 years old and in need of a service.

The V281 though is, to me, another definite step up. It’s been running for a couple of hours now and is sounding sublime, even with Joy Division.

I quite like the looks too, although my daughter has decided it is a Dr Who Cyberman heart!

How are you getting on with the Empyreans?

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Must say I like the look of the V281 - industrial and business like. Not sure if it looks like a Cybermans heart though!!
The Empyreans are just, well, BRILLIANT!! They really do deliver a beautiful sound. I have been running mine for circa 75 hours now and they have (unbelieveably) improved since first use. You have a treat coming your way!!
cheers
Neil

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The V281 is an expensive piece of kit. But, you can see where the money has gone. I’m hoping to try a pair of Hifiman He6 se’s on it. Not that they are a difficult load, but they are just very inefficient. If the 281 can make them sound load, it can pretty much drive any set of cans.
The balanced output is properly driven by 4 ( 2 per channel) mono amps inside. There is zero noise from the amp on quiet tracks, so you can turn it up until it really is uncomfortable with ease.
The service from the German agent was first class. Not turned mine off since I’ve had it. The Focal’s are really crystal clear…

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I pick my Empyreans up on Friday and I’ve got the balanced upgrade cable ready and waiting.

Will be interested to see ( hear?) How the 281 drives them.
Never got to try the Hifiman cans. The dealer in Birmingham promised to send me some to try/ get back to me/ blah, blah, blah. Hopeless.
The Audeze dealer or no dealer on the south coast slightly west of Brighton kept promising they’d have stock of Audeze 2 or 2c’s soon. Got fed up of chasing them too.
I’d have much rather be told to phone back post pendamic rather than given empty promises.
Still happy with the Focals. Just would have been nice to play with some others.



Getting there!
Empyreans sounding wonderful straight out of the box.
Love the look of the quadraspire rack.
Haven’t managed to listen to the Planar 8 with Apheta 3 properly yet. Good on the 1.5 tracks that I managed before tea!
UQ2 holding its own as the streamer, but its meant for the bedroom. Standing in until I can afford some more shelves and a final streamer purchase.
Very happy at the moment :grin:

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I would put something harder under the P8. The quadraspire looks beautiful, but is not ideal for the P8. I know because I had that rack in the past, and Rega planar 9 on it.
A granite dark 3 cm slab, or wall mount would work really better.

Thanks. I’ll look at dedicated wall shelf.
It gets better? It’s already good :blush:

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Yes, really better. There are also nice finished butcher blocks, in the same wood as the quadraspire. Some have that under their turntable, on top Fraim ( which is already better than the quadraspire).

Done (for the moment).
Vinyl - Planar 8 / Apheta 3 / Dino Mk 1
Streaming - NDS and PSU
Headphone amp - Violectric V281
Headphones - Meze Empyrean’s running balanced with the silver upgrade cable
Support - Sitting on Quadraspire SVT with black bamboo shelves.

All sounding fabulous. The NDS is cold but warming up nicely.

Future bits once funds allow are a second PSU for the NDS, a better phono stage and probably a glass shelf on ball bearings between the turntable and the SVT shelf.

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İt is super set up, 500 level, enjoy it

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Try to move the psu away from the turntable…far as poss.
That’s why Rega provide such long cables.

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