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. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Continuation of the GOV2 and upgrade discussions from our previous lives as pyrates.

    my GOV2+Inf will be taken to RMAF and matched with anything and everything possible (IEMs and full sized. but NOT LCD4) for more impressions and listening comparisons.

    hm, maybe I'll track down Gavin to see if he has the new aluminum wrapping?
     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I'm still working on this. Haven't had time to wire up the balanced TRRRRRRS connector. Maybe tonight.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  4. CaseyH

    CaseyH New

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    Boom! Love the review! Thanks Marv!
     
  5. Cos

    Cos Acquaintance

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    Received the LH Pulse Infinity today. Straightforward setup, everything working without glitches - MAC, Shiit Wyrd and Fidelia playing in the sandbox without any arm wrestling. I was worried reading reports of nightmarish technical issues requiring mailing the units back. Probably as for other products, the working units outnumber the defective ones by few orders of magnitude but the owners of defective products are more likely to post reports than others.

    The box is nicely manufactured, feels reasonably solid to hold and no major blemishes or manufacturing defects are obvious. It is not entirely Apple slick but is pretty good (far from a DYIsh look: either the people complaining expected to receive something made by the elfs or LH got their act together, one way or another, its good enough for me).

    Sound wise, solid improvement over the previous Modi (1) DAC it replaces (duh!). Settled for the FTM filter although the differences between filters were subtle to my uneducated ears. Improved details and sense of space / soundstage even using Audioengine active speakers - wondering how better speakers would sound. High frequencies were a little piercing initially but got better with changing the filter and giving it more time (to get used with it , or the unit settled to a different sound ). Bass in symphonic music hits harder than anything I heard before at home. Mids and vocals are very pleasant and natural.

    Sennheiser 650 via single ended cables jumped miles ahead of the Fidelio X2. (curiously from memory the X2 sounds worse to me than out of the iPhone but I did not investigate this; maybe it is just that Senn 650 with proper amplification is so much better). I use the medium headphone gain setting - on high, it was blasting my ears and I had to dial it down by 20-30db to make it bearable. I was also afraid that if I plugged a more sensitive headphone by mistake it would get cooked, so I take no chances, unless I ever get old school electrostats.

    EDIT: Adding more impressions. Plugging the headphones does not disconnect the speakers. Not a big deal but would have been nice not reach for the speakers volume control every time I change things.
    The alpha dial used for volume control and settings selection does feel a little wobbly when pushed even slightly out of center but has a nice feel with soft clicks when rotated and does not appear it will break anytime soon.
    Occasionally I heard random clicks while playing the same music file - not sure if the DAC gets confused on the sample rate and switches between settings.

    Random thoughts: Curious to see if the balanced mode is different - maybe will get balanced cables for Senn from ebay. Ditto for better speakers - maybe balanced studio monitors?- I know my dear AEs are decent but not the last word in anything but convenience.

    All in all, without the intention to go close to the thorny value proposition discussion (as a self conscientious and puritanical noob, I find it hard o justify anybody spending this money for moderate audio improvement - this is not 9 times better than modi! :), I like the unit and I don't feel (too) bad for "supporting" it at the crowdfunding, fraction of a kilobuck, contribution. (The long wait was annoying and I lost more time than I wanted perusing the internet forums on this topic - this adds up to the costs incurred. I should give some more money to charity - if I got this I can afford to share)
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2015
  6. kapanak

    kapanak Canucklehead - Friend

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    Can anybody who owns the v2 or v2+ post high resolution photos of the casing? Is the casing as abysmally bad build quality as some photos on head-fi indicates, or was that just the first batches? This is meant as a gift for another person.

    Also, I have one shipping to me within a few weeks, so I am wondering whether it is possible to simply take it out of its casing and re-work a new case for it.
     
  7. HitmanFluffy

    HitmanFluffy Hoping to see real genitals someday!

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    I'd love to add to this thread, but my camera sucks ass, and more importantly the shipping of my V2+ has been delayed constantly with no end or updates in sight.
     
  8. Batch2

    Batch2 New

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    How does it compare to the original Geek Out from the KS campaign? I have the Geek Out 720 and the Geek Pulse Sfi, almost don't use the Sfi, and the Out 720 has drop outs here and there. But didn't feel like the Sfi was a huge improvment over the 720.
     
  9. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    V2 is sweeter, more engaging than the V1. Also- BALANCED TRRS out of V2 into something like HD600/HD650 is a really big improvement vs. the single-ended out.
    For many people- V2 & HD600 or modded HD650 TRRS will be a blissful rig. I'll probably be walking around the house with this set-up when I get my V2+.
     
  10. antifocus

    antifocus Friend

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    Really hope to see some comparisons between Geek Out V2 and Pulse Infinity.
     
  11. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Wondering about recasing my GOV2 into an extruded aluminum enclosure. I'm not too fussed if it's bigger, like a Resonessence Concero, and you could even stuff a battery powered hub in to it at that size and make a + out of it. I'm just not sure it wouldn't get too damn hot...

    The resin case is just, well, shit to look at and I'm dubious about longevity.

    Something like this, swiss cheesed with silicon grips on the side might work: http://szomk.en.alibaba.com/product...ution_Box_DIY_for_Electronics_from_SZOMK.html

    You'd have to lose the hot pink, though :eek:
     
  12. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    a recent update on IGG showed a cleaner looking (metal) case for GOV2+ and it might have the same blasted metal finish as Vi DAC.
    my reaction:
    looks sharp! Vi DAC was the most stylish and superb sounding all-in-one unit at RMAF bar none.
    so if bullet gray makes it onto GOV2+, wow whoa wow.
     
  13. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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  14. spoony

    spoony Spooky

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    That's great news.
     
  15. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    I'm just hoping that the new case isn't ported like the current one is. Having exposed electronics in my pocket seems like a bad idea.
     
  16. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    No offense, but it still looks like a prototype. When you have the Oppo HA-2 at $299 and the Celsus Sound Companion One at $549 setting the design bar, and you're playing in the same price leagues you are leaving money on the table. SQ aside, it's a marketing faceplant to appeal primarily to mothers who want an ugly child to love.
     
  17. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    drfindley, the full name is Geek Out Vasectomy 2+.

    GoodEnoughGear- that is pretty funny. :p But: I can say that the performance of the V2 is good enough that I would take the 3D-printed chassis. The V2+ is big enough, however, that I am definitely excited to see a "mostly-metal" chassis. Should feel and look a lot better.
     
  18. Judeus

    Judeus Facebook Friend

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    how is that turd made by the same company that made the vi dac? Looks like something chord would make to be honest, I think it looks worse then the original case.

    Maybe should be renamed to the GeekOut Larry?
     
  19. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    Not sure which GO you are referring to, but LH posted a very rough photo of the V2+ to show that development is occurring. Their other metal work does give me some confidence that when it arrives, it will look like...metal where there is metal. I personally prefer seeing a bad photo of a real prototype rather than a rendering.
     
  20. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Hahahahha. I'm more worried what's getting in that what's coming out. One stray piece of lint could short the thing.
     

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