The V226 might be the first step into experiencing the famous Violectric sound but it is not an entry level
amplifier under any circumstances. It is one small step into the Violectric catalogue but one giant leap
into the high-end amplifier market at a sane price. It is not cheap but then you are buying one of the best
made and most musical headphone amplifiers with top tier technical performance, tons of power, an
internal DAC and multiple I/O options. A stairway into musical heaven, the Violectric V226 might be your
end game headphone amplifier.
As a long-time owner of the V280 I can vouch that the V226 is the real successor to it and not the
previously reviewed V550.
The sound is big, bold and lush with the famous "tubey" warmth of the V280 but this time with much
more improved technicalities.
The V226 is slightly less warm and it takes from where its predecessor has left to offer improved
transparency, greater control, better clarity and more air between the lines.
Frequency response is reference linear with deep bass, open sounding mids and well extended treble.
The warmth and the tubey character are related to the colourful harmonics and the sophisticated
overtones, that add greatly to the naturalness of the timbre and the lifelike characteristics of the sound,
and not to frequency response deviations.
It is not that it is lacking in transparency, on the contrary it is precise and accurate like a scientific
instrument but then it possesses this rare ability to reconstruct the music and add the missing life,
reinstall the timbre and rebuild the texture that were lost during the engineering process.
The bass is full and visceral while maintaining excellent control and great layering, it is tight and clear,
fast and pacey with some of the best dynamics in the industry.
Muscular and hard hitting it will ransack all your headphones to offer the most realistic impressions
during large scale symphonic works.
The mids sound open and spacious, with the most natural timbre and the finest articulation, they flow
like spring water filling your ears with playful notes.
The treble, is smooth and perfectly controlled yet fully extended, fast, agile and speedy.
No listener fatigue here, no treble harshness, no brightness but still luminous, detailed, finely nuanced
but never analytical.
The amplifier is fast and well defined with excellent staging abilities.
From the balanced output, the head stage experience is amazing with a grand and holographic
presentation, squeezing out every last drop of the headphone staging abilities.
With a top tier headphone the listener is rewarded with an out of the head experience with great
communication of the ambience especially when listening to recordings made outside the studios.
Head-Fi.org | | March 2022
Drive without end:
This was the case in the listening test with the Beyerdynamic T5 P. The headphones have a certain
voltage requirement. On the V226, it was in top form dynamically. Powerful impulses, for example when
striking piano keys, precise and pearly. The decay of the strings was also meticulously traced to silence.
The bright, clear sound was accompanied by a high transparency and dry, contoured basses. If you like
speed, resolution, and precision, you should find a lot to like in this discreet but solid black box.
Conclusion: If you have a high-quality Headphone and you work with your music from the computer or
one or two analogue sources, you can pursue your hobby at home with the DHA V 226.On top you could
connect two active speakers and use the DHA V 226 as monitor Pre-Amp.
Test Result:
Equipment: good
Operation: very good
Build quality: outstanding
Sound rating: 124 points
Price performance: Outstanding
Audio | | March 2022
The combination with a Sennheiser HD 800 S is as expected slim, analytical, and wonderfully airy in the
highs, but also a bit loud. The quality leap to the inexpensive but good AKG K702 (review) is
understandable. These headphones are at their best with +6 dB of pre-amplification. This also applies to
the Sennheiser HD 800 S when using an unbalanced cable, while the boost was not necessary when using
the Pentaconn cable. Noise, by the way, was not an issue at any point during the test. Even fully turned
up, the DHA V226 remains whisper quiet.
The U6t from 64 Audio (for review) is content with neutral amplification and delivers a wonderfully
balanced sound via its six BA drivers each. In all cases, it is amazing how unerringly the test device
reveals the tonal differences between individual music tracks but also between the reproducing
headphones.
The Violectric DHA V226 is more than a powerful, audiophile, straightforwardly designed headphone
amplifier. Depending on the application, it also functions as a D/A converter or as a preamplifier with
corresponding input selection. Violectric describes the device as a compact control centre and is quite
correct in doing so. The sonic performance is beyond reproach and should perform as desired with
virtually any wired headphone, and thus do equal justice to the price and the connected headphone.
Kopfhörer.de | | March 2022
