[Rclark]

Ok, starting to get a clearer picture of how this all works. You have a dizzying array of options, which is nice, but perhaps a bit overwhelming for a noob such as myself. But I am trying!

Have yet to decide on which amp yet, I'm going to continue reading all the threads here, and probably ask about a dozen more questions before I finally purchase.

[dvenardos]

It can be hard for non-noobs to decide too, but whatever you get I am sure you will be happy with. 

Very satisfied Classic Two owner.

[Rclark]

Can you guys give me a quick overview on the sonic differences between the 4 amps? Not sure exactly which one I want yet.

I am intrigued by this idea that I don't need subs. The n3 is like running a pair of 8's? That's pretty neat.

[dvenardos]

I should have some interesting comparisons up and coming. I have the classic Virtue Two with auricaps and the Two.2 with Virtuecaps which I intend to replace with sonicaps and I signed up for the Virtue Tour with Sensation M451 with Dodd 5ah batteries. I also have a high current regulated linear supply that I prepping for use with the Two.2 and Sensation so I will be able to make a lot of comparisons. Don't know when I will get the Sensation on tour yet.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=81783.0

Can you guys give me a quick overview on the sonic differences between the 4 amps? Not sure exactly which one I want yet.

I am intrigued by this idea that I don't need subs. The n3 is like running a pair of 8's? That's pretty neat.

[Rclark]

So you've got TWO TWO's? Lol. Ok, Between those the difference should be pretty minor, huh?

Looking forward to your impressions but kinda hoping I can get someone else to respond. Who knows, maybe all I want is a One.2. Then again, maybe I want a 901. It's really impossible to tell at this stage.

Coming from the outside like I am, there really is no solid reference point to grasp as far as differences between the amps. Just price points and woodgrain. There are descriptions of each, sure, but no real One versus Two versus 451 versus 901 info, sort of, side by side comparisons. Then again, the more threads I read the clearer the distinctions become, but it's a lot of sifting.

[brother love]

Rclark,

So what is your room size, what is your listening levels, music preferences ?  Are you starting from zero, or do you have another system? (There is a Virtue Audio tour going on right now thru Mariusz/ Seth @ Cheap & Cheerful Hi Fi thread you could take advantage of). Can you/ have you listened to other audio systems to know what you want? Do you consider yourself a bass head? Listening/ auditioning audio systems is incredibly helpful to understand sounds & terminology that applies to your tastes.

All these things play a huge part in advice you will receive to aid in your  cause.

I got the N2x's from FedEx yesterday (thanks alanl).  My stands aren't due in until today. Using the boxes for makeshift stands & running full range, I was struck by how lacking the bass was (rated @ 65 Hz -3 db) when driven by the One.2 vs. the ELT525 towers (48 Hz - 3dB). I definitely need to try w/ stands & work on placement before final judgement.

N2x's sounded great, just no bottom end. I plan on using the N2x's w/ a Rythmik F12G servo sub, so I may try the One.2 80 Hz jumper this weekend. Since this is an audition unit I'm a little reluctant to open it up & tamper with.

Based on what I currently know, the Virtue Audio One.2  integrated amp is killer (I have it connected directly to my Oppo-BDP83SE). Exceptional value. Sensation choices are steps up in tweaking sound quality & eye candy  (I'm seriously considering the M451 w/ Sonicap upgrades & tube buffer  ).

Re: the N3's transmission lines w/o sub vs sealed box N3's w/ sub... well that depends on the sub & size.  If you get a high quality 12" or 15" sub, then of course you don't need the transmission line speakers since xover is likely in 80 Hz range.

If it was me, I'd get the N3 towers & the most integrated amp your budget can afford from Virtue Audio. Add the sub down the road if you so desire. Your listening source is the other important piece of the puzzle. Purchasing in stages can really help with not overly compromising. Many of us have often regretted not doing this.

But all the choices you are considering are really excellent ones.  You have hitched your wagon to some seriously good audiophile companies that offer great value & amazing  performance. 

[eclein]

The TWO.2 I recently received has tremendous soundstage, very deep and very wide, since this unit has broken in the low end has deepened and the high end has smoothed out. The unit easily drives my speakers in an 18 X 12 room, I normally run it about 25% of its volume and thats plenty clear/loud enough for me. I have opened it up to about 40% of volume with no distortion and excellent clarity.
 As brotherlove stated the Virtue Tour in "Cheap and Cheerful" has several different units going around, that thread is here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=81783.0

 These tours are an excellent way to hear the gear in your setup and your environment, if your undecided I urge you to take part in the tour, I've found these tours to be extremely beneficial being a newcomer to this hobby myself. I can only speak for the sound of TWO.2
as I haven't tried the others, but I must say the sound quality amazes me everyday! Very easy to listen to, no listener fatigue, I keep pulling CD's out and have been enjoying my unit since it arrived last Friday. As a new member of this hobby I count myself very fortunate to have found Virtue's products early on...its about enjoying the music, and the Virtue products let you do just that..ENJOY!!
 

[Rclark]

Well, listening room is about 14*16. I'll be building diy basstraps and I've got a pretty good handle on all that stuff, as well as a forum to help me out there. I've also sourced my supplies for all that and will be very inexpensive. So treated room.

N3's, yeah. Gonna do front firing tl. Just got a pm from Ruben, I believe I'll be purchasing his N3 flatpack, extremely reasonable price, and I'd trust him more than I'd trust Elemental Designs, I think I would get just that touch of love and precision in the cuts of wood since he's far more connected to this "circle".

Yeah music collection's pretty vast. Mostly rock, metal, got some jazz, some classical, a few country, a lot of hip hop. System's gonna have to do it all.

Yeah, this it totally my first real system. I'm listening to music right now on some Altec Lansing MX-5021 multimedia speakers on stands, bare, untreated room. Should be quite a leap.

[Rclark]

Other equipment will be Emotiva UMC-1 and ERC-1. The ERC is their highly regarded cd player. The UMC-1 is their ht preamp. Emotiva claims (talked on the phone about my needs) that it sounds as good in stereo as their dedicated stereo preamp. I need it because eventually I'll be adding a tv for the occasional gaming session on my PS3 and I'll need processing. Apparently the fact that Virtue Sensation has preamp already is a non issue sonically, according to Seth.

If it is a problem, maybe I could order a Sensation with the preamp soldered out, as has been suggested by some others.

Big Question! I just read about running a 10 amp, 24 volt setup, so 2 12 volt, 10AH batteries instead of the Dodd kit. Would this be something like an upgrade sonically?

And cables. That's my last great frontier for this system. Looking forward to understanding cables, and purchasing them, the least.

[dvenardos]

I will eventually be selling my Classic Two and the Two.2 hasn't arrived yet. The input caps make a pretty big difference in the sound so I expect the Two.2 with sonicaps to sound quite different to the Classic Two with auricaps. I was able to compare the Classic One with virtuecaps to the Classic Two with auricaps and to my ears the Two had a much smoother and richer sound. I haven't heard the sensation yet but I would expect the difference between the M451 and M901 to be similar to the difference between the Classic One and Classic Two. An interesting question to me is how would the M451 with sonicap upgrades compare to the M901?

The tube issue is a whole other can of worms and I will let someone else comment on that.

So you've got TWO TWO's? Lol. Ok, Between those the difference should be pretty minor, huh?

Looking forward to your impressions but kinda hoping I can get someone else to respond. Who knows, maybe all I want is a One.2. Then again, maybe I want a 901. It's really impossible to tell at this stage.

Coming from the outside like I am, there really is no solid reference point to grasp as far as differences between the amps. Just price points and woodgrain. There are descriptions of each, sure, but no real One versus Two versus 451 versus 901 info, sort of, side by side comparisons. Then again, the more threads I read the clearer the distinctions become, but it's a lot of sifting.

The amp hours on the batteries just determines how long you can run it without needing to charge. My understanding is that the charger with the Dodd kit has no sonic impact, if so then a higher amp hour battery wouldn't have much of an advantage.

Big Question! I just read about running a 10 amp, 24 volt setup, so 2 12 volt, 10AH batteries instead of the Dodd kit. Would this be something like an upgrade sonically?

[brother love]

Hey Brother Love, hit the 80hz jumper and tell me what you think then. Do it without and with your sub. You have the exact setup I will have and that info will be priceless. I'm very interested in understanding the difference in quality.

I tried the One.2 this weekend w/ the 80 Hz jumper in place & hooked-up to my Rythmik F12G servo sub (80 Hz over) & N2x's.

I would echo previous comments re: improved sound w/ 80 Hz jumper enacted. Better punch, dynamics, less strain than running the N2x's or my ELT525 towers full range (both speaker prs. have 85- 86 dB efficiency ratings).  My son came over for Father's Day & listened to this set-up w/ his much better hearing/ younger ears than his Daddy-O's.

His exact words: "It sounds like a live performance."   

But as I stated earlier in this thread (as did virtue aka Seth)... towers w/ lower frequency range (40- 48 Hz) & decent eff. sound great w/ the One. 2 sans sub.

IOW, it's all good.