Violectric V226: power output and what it will drive

The Violectric V226 is a desktop DAC/amp at $1600. It delivers 2.2 W into 32Ω and 1.8 W into 300Ω, which ranks it 40 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.

Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 565 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here and enough but not generous on 2. Power is published at 16Ω, 32Ω, 50Ω, 100Ω, 300Ω, 600Ω; the rest of the table is derived from those figures.

Specifications

What it actually puts out

TypeDesktop DAC/amp

Price$1600

Power into 32 Ω2.2 W

Power into 150 Ω2.6 W

Power into 300 Ω1.8 W

Power into 600 Ω900 mW

Output impedance0.25 Ω

Output noise6.15 µV

Comfortable headroom on 565 of 567 headphones (100%)

Provenance

Where these numbers come from

The manufacturer publishes 1.5 W into 16Ω, 2.2 W into 32Ω, 2.8 W into 50Ω, 3.5 W into 100Ω, 1.8 W into 300Ω, 900 mW into 600Ω. The rest of the table is worked out from those.

The balanced output is rated separately: 2.2 W into 32Ω through the balanced jack.

Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).

Source: violectric.de, violectric.de.

Load	Power	Status	How it was arrived at
16 Ω	1.5 W	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
32 Ω	2.2 W	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
50 Ω	2.8 W	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
100 Ω	3.5 W	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
150 Ω	2.6 W	Derived	worked out between two published loads, holding output voltage linear between them
300 Ω	1.8 W	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
600 Ω	900 mW	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load

Matching

Against 40 well-known headphones

Easiest to hardest to drive, with headroom at a 100 dB SPL peak.

Headphone	Impedance	Sensitivity	Needs	Headroom	Verdict
Shure SE846	9 Ω	114.0 dB/mW	0.04 mW	+43 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
64 Audio U12t	12.6 Ω	108.0 dB/mW	0.16 mW	+39 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Shure SE215	17 Ω	107.0 dB/mW	0.20 mW	+39 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Moondrop Aria	32 Ω	107.1 dB/mW	0.19 mW	+41 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Audeze LCD-X 2021	20 Ω	103.0 dB/mW	0.50 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Truthear Hexa	20.5 Ω	103.1 dB/mW	0.49 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Sennheiser IE 200	18 Ω	101.6 dB/mW	0.69 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Sony MDR-7506	63 Ω	106.0 dB/mW	0.25 mW	+41 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Meze 99 Classics	32 Ω	103.0 dB/mW	0.50 mW	+36 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Focal Clear MG	55 Ω	104.0 dB/mW	0.40 mW	+39 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Philips SHP9500	32 Ω	101.0 dB	0.79 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Focal Utopia	80 Ω	104.0 dB/mW	0.40 mW	+39 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Meze Empyrean	32 Ω	100.0 dB	1.0 mW	+33 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020	9 Ω	94.0 dB	4.0 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
Etymotic ER2SE	15 Ω	96.0 dB/mW	2.5 mW	+27 dB	Comfortable audible hiss
AKG K371	32 Ω	99.1 dB/mW	1.2 mW	+33 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X	38 Ω	99.0 dB/mW	1.3 mW	+33 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X	48 Ω	100.0 dB/mW	1.0 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Audeze LCD-2 Classic	70 Ω	101.0 dB/mW	0.79 mW	+36 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Grado SR80x	38 Ω	98.0 dB/mW	1.6 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Sennheiser HD 560S	120 Ω	100.8 dB/mW	0.83 mW	+36 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
HiFiMAN Edition XS	18 Ω	92.0 dB	6.3 mW	+24 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
HiFiMAN Arya Stealth	32 Ω	94.0 dB	4.0 mW	+27 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed	13 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Audeze LCD-5	14 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω)	250 Ω	102.0 dB/mW	0.63 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
HiFiMAN HE400se	25 Ω	91.0 dB	7.9 mW	+24 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
HiFiMAN Sundara	32 Ω	92.0 dB	6.3 mW	+25 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Dan Clark Audio Stealth	23 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Fostex T50RP MK3	50 Ω	92.0 dB/mW	6.3 mW	+26 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
AKG K702	62 Ω	92.9 dB/mW	5.1 mW	+28 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
ZMF Verite Closed	300 Ω	99.0 dB/mW	1.3 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable faint hiss
Sennheiser HD 650	300 Ω	97.8 dB/mW	1.7 mW	+30 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 800S	300 Ω	96.8 dB/mW	2.1 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω)	250 Ω	96.0 dB	2.5 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable
Audio-Technica ATH-R70X	470 Ω	98.0 dB/mW	1.6 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable
ZMF Atrium	300 Ω	96.0 dB/mW	2.5 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable
Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC	50 Ω	88.0 dB/mW	16 mW	+22 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 600	300 Ω	91.8 dB/mW	6.6 mW	+24 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Susvara	60 Ω	83.0 dB	50 mW	+18 dB	Comfortable

Noise

Will it hiss?

At 6.15 µV of output noise, here is where that noise lands in the five most revealing in-ears in the database.

This one hisses. With the most sensitive in-ears in the database its own noise lands around 37 dB SPL, which you will hear between tracks and in quiet passages.

In-ear	Impedance	Sensitivity	Hiss level
Simgot EA500	16 Ω	141.0 dB/V	37 dB SPL
Tanchjim EA FORCE	17 Ω	137.7 dB/V	33 dB SPL
Shure SE846	9 Ω	134.5 dB/V	30 dB SPL
Campfire Audio Clara	13.3 Ω	134.1 dB/V	30 dB SPL
64 Audio Fourte	10 Ω	134.0 dB/V	30 dB SPL

Damping

Output impedance and the one-eighth rule

At 0.25Ω output impedance this source satisfies the one-eighth rule with every headphone in the database, down to the 3Ω in-ears. Nothing here will have its frequency response shaped by the source.

Check any pair.

Cheaper

The cheapest thing here that does the same job

Source	Type	Price	Into 300 Ω	Output impedance	Output noise
Schiit Magni Unity	desktop amplifier	$119	415 mW	0.1 Ω	1.59 µV
Topping L30 II	desktop amplifier	$149	560 mW	0.1 Ω	0.3 µV
SMSL HO100	desktop amplifier	$160	200 mW	<0.1 Ω	1.3 µV

Of the 280 sources here, 12 do everything the Violectric V226 does as a headphone output: reach 100 dB on every headphone it reaches, stay inside the one-eighth rule wherever it does and stay under the audible-hiss threshold wherever it does. The cheapest of them is the Schiit Magni Unity at $119, against this one’s $1600 — $1481 less, and a desktop amplifier rather than a desktop DAC/amp.

This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.

Alternatives

Compared with its closest rivals: vs FiiO K19 · vs Matrix mini-i Pro 4 · vs RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE.

Compare any two or match your own headphones. Every Violectric source here.

Violectric V226: power output and what it will drive

What it actually puts out

Where these numbers come from

Against 40 well-known headphones

Will it hiss?

Output impedance and the one-eighth rule

The cheapest thing here that does the same job

Other desktop DAC/amps at a similar price

Matrix mini-i Pro 4

FiiO K19

Questyle CMA18 Master

Ferrum ERCO

FiiO K17

Benchmark DAC3 HGC