VentureCraft Go-Dap GD-04 for iPhone 4 - Page 3

I believe it's the final design physically. I'm guessing if they're sending me a survey form if there's any changes it'll most likely be firmware changes instead. The firmware is still at 1.0 only. I must say that at least with my JVC/Victor HA-FX700 I'm hard pressed to find a discernible difference. Maybe ever so slightly more revealing whereas the P1 a little more "airy". This was more apparent on classical music than say with Jazz. And with Hip-Hop, I couldn't tell a difference at all. Sorry about my terminology, I'm still trying to learn the jargon.

I may be able to provide a better review when I get my UM SE530x8 back from repair.

Huge knob!? Seen the HP-P1 knob instead!?

If my eyes are not deceiving me, the godap/iphone stack looks to be around the same thickness as the fostex alone. So you a dap, dac, and amp that's about the same size a a bigger sized portable amp? That's very encouraging. I figure the fostex probably sounds quiet a bit better, but I've been waiting on a completely portable solution for an idevice. And not something that's mere transportable. If this sounds significantly better than just an iphone or more yet, an iphone with a decent amp, then this unit with it's size could be a huge breakthrough IMO. And even if the built in amp on the godap is crap, at the very least it does provide a digital signal from idevices and the possibilities with other dac/amp combos are endless.  With the size of the godap/iphone combo, it could still be fairly portable.

this sounds good and all ... but iphone 4 has been out for a year... and the form factor is going to change with iphone 5...  which presumably will come out in a year or so (gauging from 3Gs to 4 it was a year)

and now they are still selling prototype... what happens when i upgrade iphone 5?  this thing will be useless... as far as i can tell this is for iphone 4 only and i can't even put my ipod touch on it if i want to... 

FYI iOS5 and 4S works fine in the Go-DAP. The vibrate window is just a little too high for the 4S but it's not a big deal, you still have access to the switch.

@mann, I can get my GF to talk to Venturecraft as my Japanese is cr@p however in my very loose conversation with the salesguy, I -THINK- Venturecraft can update customer's Go-DAP for changes to the iPhone (e.g. 4S, but I don't know about 5 next year). It seems that the housing is held by 4 screws anyway. I don't know if they intend for customers to do themselves or ship it back in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAPVentureCraft 

 

Go-Dap Unit4.0 Review by Stapa Saito. Only available in Japanese.

- Watch http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/docs/column/stapa/20111003_481296.html via 

Any idea where i might be able to purchase this domestically in Japan? Would appreciate an address or website if possible.

e-earphone in Akihabara. Approx Y29,800. You also have to sign a piece of paper that you're monitoring and will evaluate the device to get it at that price (RRP is Y35,000).

http://www.e-earphone.jp (don't bother trying to find the 4.0 on the web though, they don't list it there. You have to go to their Akiba store).

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnakChan 

e-earphone in Akihabara. Approx Y29,800. You also have to sign a piece of paper that you're monitoring and will evaluate the device to get it at that price (RRP is Y35,000).

 

http://www.e-earphone.jp (don't bother trying to find the 4.0 on the web though, they don't list it there. You have to go to their Akiba store).

Thanks for that mate. Just google-mapped the place. Can't wait to get a closer look at the 4.0

I have to warn you, not a place for gear-holics. "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." is never more applicable than here. I actually stayed till they kicked me out 2 weekends ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnakChan 

I have to warn you, not a place for gear-holics. "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." is never more applicable than here. I actually stayed till they kicked me out 2 weekends ago.

 Duly noted!

@crumpler, after you pick yours up, please let me know what you think about battery life. I think you & I are the only ones (in this forum) who have one. I find the battery life to be short (in terms or charging and using).

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnakChan 

@crumpler, after you pick yours up, please let me know what you think about battery life. I think you & I are the only ones (in this forum) who have one. I find the battery life to be short (in terms or charging and using).

Wow really? Is it really just you for now? I'm surprised this has taken as long as it has to be launched, i mean after all, the iPhone4 is 15months old!

I'll chime in if/when i get my hands on these.

Just to be clear, how long exactly is the charging or using cycle?

I'll give it a shot again but last Friday whilst lining up for the 4S, I think the Go-Dap charged my 4 only up to 48% and I really wasn't listening to music much. The charging takes about 5 hrs or thereabouts. As for use, not certain since it charges the phone whilst playing. I'll give it a test tomorrow.

Semi-Review Time

One gripe...why can't it charge the unit, the iPhone, & use it simultaneously!? When you have the USB plugged in it charges the Go-DAP in Amp and Amp-i mode. But enables Sync to iTunes in Sync/Off mode (charges the iPhone, but not the Go-DAP). To use the DAC/Amp, you'll need to disconnect the USB cable. Off/Sync with the USB disconnected just means off - no charging or anything. Amp mode means using the DAC/Amp and the battery is dedicated to the DAC/Amp function (no iPhone charging). And finally Amp-i mode means using DAC/Amp and the battery is used for both DAC/Amp and for iPhone charging.

Once the battery is drained, the DAC/Amp stops to function (i.e. cannot use the iPhone as a power source - just like other DAC/Amps).

Note: with the latest iPhone 4s (or iOS5 feature?) if wireless sync is enabled, you can sync to iTunes in both Sync/Off mode with the USB cable plugged in. Or with the USB cable disconnected and the Go-DAP in Amp-i mode.

Also (not that it's such a big deal) but the unit will always operate as a DAC/Amp. I don't believe there's a toggle to use it as an Amp only (and take line-out from the base). Initially I thought that was the difference between Amp & Amp-I; that Amp was using the iPhone DAC, and Amp-I was using the Go-DAP as a DAC/Amp. But it seems Amp just means you're not charging your iPhone and the battery is used exclusively for the DAC/Amp. Whereas in Amp-I, the battery is used for both DAC/Amp and for charging the iPhone.

Edit #1: I just played around with the ASR function and (as sad as it sounds for an audiophile-wannabe), I like it...seems to bring the mids more forward. To try to be smart (but could be using the wrong terminology altogether) it seems to "remove the veil" in the mids. It's meant to (in it's own words) "take a compressed audio source and reproduce it in high quality Hi-Fi sound that is close to the audio source". But in my primitive opinion it's some sort of preset equaliser setting 'cos it alters even my ALAC (though compressed shouldn't have any loss, right?).

BTW, came across this advertising site which gives more info on the Go-DAP in English, I don't recall seeing this site before.

http://go-dap.com

Edit #2: Go-DAP in Amp mode (i.e not charging the iPhone) lasts 7 hrs 40 mins of continuous use.

Further Go-DAP info can be found below note information may be in Japanese :-

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/DAPVentureCraft

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/VentureCraft/225114777548206?sk=wall

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DAPVentureCraft

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64611829@N03/sets/

e☆Earphone TV at USTREAM on Oct 27 2011

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18139580

The another model was released.

OPAMP was changed to OPA2134, I like new one.

(left:OPA2134 model, right:MUSES8820 model)

I own both the iFuzen and the GoDap 4.0..

Both have their cons and weaknesses..

The iFuzen has a few bugs where it might freeze up every once in a while or sometimes the iPhone might not detect it and you have to power cycle it. Other than that the sound quality is quite awesome. I am using this with my Ortofon e-Q5 and Audio Technica ES10.

On the e-Q5, the soundstage is emersive, bass is very well controlled. It brings the mids a little forward, but opens up the  width. Listening to a track from Olivia Ong's live concert her voice really airs out... very impresssed. the iFuzen is bested used in the right side of the headphone plug in the 1 flash setting. 

The ES10 is quite a bass heavy can, the highs can be a bit shrilling at times thus closing off the mids a bit. However with the iFuzen the bass gains a significant increase in control. Bass lines on Jesse J's Price Tag have so much speed and depth now. The slams are real slams, not woofs. 2 thumbs up in this department.  Needless to say the amp opens up the sound stage and actually tames the high shrills. I listened to some acoustic guitar tracks and  whilst it used to sound dull, the picks of each string are crisp and not fatiguing to listening to on a longer listen session.  

I am very impressed with iFuzen, It's got variable sound settings that allow you to taylor the sound to each different can or headphone. 

The GoDap 4.0 on the other hand is not as versatile or compatible with different cans.

It works well with my ES10, it controls bass very well even better than the iFuzen. The mids really open up a tad more than the iFuzen, but the real star is the highs. It brings out every minute detail there is. Suddenly my ES10 are like Stax electrostatics!  (well not really.. but imo close!)

Their is a problem with the GoDap 4.0, it's crap with my e-5Q!!!! The e-5Q are high sensitive earphones, as it is not a bassy earphone the GoDap actually reduced the bass to almost nothing. It is very thin and almost like it took the bass away. The mids were are right in your face, and the highs shrivelled badly in my ear. I can't use the GoDap with my e-5Q!  Made it sound like iphone headphones.....

Overall, my favorite pairing is:  iFuzen with e-5Q and GoDap 4.0 with ES10.

Fire any questions you might have!