LH Labs Geek Out GO2A, V2, V2+, Infinity and SE Impressions and Reviews

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by jexby, Sep 29, 2015.

  1. Manu_K

    Manu_K New

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    Thanks for your response. Was this with balanced cables? Blue gain means high gain right
     
  2. Audioviel

    Audioviel New

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    Yes, tried with balanced cables. Blue gain is low gain, the higher ones were too loud.
     
  3. Manu_K

    Manu_K New

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    Ok. So that means, with high gain (so that higher voltage as HE-560 does well with higher voltage) and low volume (doesn't the new firmware upgrade allow for a lower volume level? ), it might just work.
     
  4. Audioviel

    Audioviel New

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    My V2+'s (inf + SE) are running still with FW 1.5. I have no idea, what an update will change.
     
  5. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    really? you read earlier in this thread where the differences were explained? and google'd to see that Larry Ho also mentioned the feature changes.
     
  6. Audioviel

    Audioviel New

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    Yes, I read the earlier entries. But what I mean is: I don't have the new FW and so I don't hear the HE560 in this situation. No experience by me. (Sorry for my poor english).
     
  7. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    ah ok, that makes sense. IME, the v2.1 firmware update is not a night and day change in terms of audio sound.
    it's more about features and hardware button control for volume.
     
  8. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    OK, I tried two different PCs and a Mac via VirtualBox. Win 7 64 bit, Win 7 32 bit, XP 64bit. Through a USB hub or direct, different USB ports. No dice with changing the firmware any more.
    By the way, although I can't install it, I now have a copy of the proper v2.1 firmware for the V2+Infinity (not the GO2PRO) - if anyone wants it PM me.
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2017
  9. marflao

    marflao Acquaintance

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    Thanks for checking it out, Garns.
    Pity it didn´t work out.

    So I don´t have high expectations that it will work with the the other WIN notebook I have at hand.
    Hmm..bummer.
     
  10. cocolinho

    cocolinho Acquaintance

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    Did the firmware update for my V2A infinity. Works like a charm. I was waiting for vol control for a while! :)
     
  11. Audioviel

    Audioviel New

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    I'm interested in the v2.1 FW.
     
  12. marflao

    marflao Acquaintance

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    Tried the 1.5 downgrade on the other WIN noetebook but failed again.
    Same situation: FW upgrade process started but the green progress bar didn´t move over the (my guess 10% point).

    So I guess I gotta live with 2.1 ;-)
     
  13. lac29

    lac29 Acquaintance

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    Has anyone tried any of the LH Labs products (I'm specifically thinking about the newest Go2Pro Infinity) with android phones that use a usb-c cable? I'm rocking a Oneplus 3T and am wondering if it'll even work.
     
  14. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    I see no reason for it not to work - but I would imagine you'll still need auxiliary power. Youll need a USB-C version of this kind of gizmo:

    Edit: One of these converters plus the above should work fine. http://www.ugreen.com.cn/product-958-en.html
     
  15. Garns

    Garns Friend

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  16. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Anybody knows the ETA for the GO2Pro? I'm really tempted, but don't want to wait 6 months to get it.
     
  17. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    So I have lived with the new firmware for a while on my GO2A now. Thought hard and long before posting this:

    1. Sound improvement is there for me. Now GO2A sounds calmer and I can actually use my HD580 out of SE out. It's calmer-sounding, less bad. Still a bit sibilant in the mid treble range (8-10KHz) compared to, say, Yggdrasil, but it's a fair bit better than most Sabre DACs already. Overall very impressive for a DAC of this price range.

    2. Filters are a bit harder to change now, but nothing I'd cry about since even with the old firmware, I had to click twice to get to the green filter.

    3. What I do want to cry about now is the volume control. On Windows and perhaps universally with all GOV2+ or GO2PRO, pressing the buttons may work, but not on Mac. Mac has excellent volume control built into the keyboard by default and it was much more convenient than having to reach in and touch GO2A to click the buttons. To add insult to injury, the device defaults to low gain and there is no fast way to set gain so every single time I plug/unplug the GO2A, I now have to click the buttons 30 times or so to get to listenable volume. Not to mention GO2A actually gets dangerously hot sometimes. This is a major usability regression. Enough that it somewhat overshadows the sound improvements I mentioned above. Also low gain still won't play nice with Andromeda (still hiss like a mofo) and some of my IEMs so I don't get why the device must default to low gain. Mid gain seems like the better option.

    Considering I'm using GO2A far less now compared to my Andromeda + AK120 system, and coupled with the new usability regression, I'm highly considering selling the device now and probably just use AK120 as a DAC instead.
     
  18. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    I agree the volume control is a step back in usability. I can see that for some purposes it might be useful to have the volume controllable from the buttons, but it is not clear to me why it cannot continue to be controllable via USB as before. Even with the V2+ it is for me a backwards step. I use the V2+ as a mobile DAC with my phone. But now, rather than having the V2+ nicely protected in a case, and controlling everything including volume from my phone, which is already in my hand, I am forced to leave the V2+ uncased in my bag, and reach in and fiddle around for a few minutes looking for the volume buttons every time I want to change volume. I'm not sure it's a great design choice to split the control facilities between the hardware buttons and USB in this way.
     
  19. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    LHL need to sort out whatever issue is preventing loading the older firmware. The fact this is a one way ticket is a huge problem. Glad I saw this coming and held off.
     
  20. marflao

    marflao Acquaintance

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    Glad it's not just me who had the same feeling.
     

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