[kostaszag]

 

  Looks like LH Labs is about to officially silence all free-form thought on their website. Every day they show us another way to operate in a less than reputable manner. 

Yeah, I was really surprised that they shut down the Customer Happiness forum. I think it does more harm than good.  I don't understand some of their public relations decisions. And I was about to post my (raving) impressions on that forum.  I was just waiting for my LPS4 because it should be here Monday or Tuesday.  It really seems silly to me.

I am not surprised about anything coming from this company.
 
Except the sound quality of its products.
 
It IS surprisingly good, if you consider how bad everything else is,  customer service ( to be fair, before Gina and Stephanie took over), bags and glitches, timing, all the confusion about what feature on what product costs how much and everything depending on when you backed stuff... I could go on for pages, but I lack the time and the willingness to bore everybody reading with my personal grievances over LHlabs, which after all almost everyone participating on this thread knows about. I will only add what I wrote on another forum, where people kept asking me about my impressions of the Geek Pulse Sfi.
Does it sound good? Yes, very much so, it is smooth, detailed in an non-aggresive way, very musical, with nice rhythm and PRAT.  
Was it worth the wait? Definitely not. For the money I spent on the Geek Pulse Sfi I could walk to any HiFi store and buy something by Marantz, Pioneer, TEAC, Musical Fidelity, you name it, which would sound almost as good (or just as good), look better and have no bags or glitches.  I expect next year I will buy a Geek Out V2. A used one. But no more crowdfunding for me with LHlabs. Ever.

 

[krikor]

Anyone compare coax vs usb ?

That's my next task... get my server back online and hook up the USB. Been using a Squeezebox Touch via coax thus far.


EDIT: Forgot that I've got the EDO app running on my Touch. It's hit or miss with async DACs, but I connected the Pulse via USB, rebooted the Touch, rebooted the Pulse and it worked! I'll be able to compare coax and USB outputs both from the Touch.

 

[leomitch]

 
I am not surprised about anything coming from this company.
 
Except the sound quality of its products.
 
It IS surprisingly good, if you consider how bad everything else is,  customer service ( to be fair, before Gina and Stephanie took over), bags and glitches, timing, all the confusion about what feature on what product costs how much and everything depending on when you backed stuff... I could go on for pages, but I lack the time and the willingness to bore everybody reading with my personal grievances over LHlabs, which after all almost everyone participating on this thread knows about. I will only add what I wrote on another forum, where people kept asking me about my impressions of the Geek Pulse Sfi.
Does it sound good? Yes, very much so, it is smooth, detailed in an non-aggresive way, very musical, with nice rhythm and PRAT.  
Was it worth the wait? Definitely not. For the money I spent on the Geek Pulse Sfi I could walk to any HiFi store and buy something by Marantz, Pioneer, TEAC, Musical Fidelity, you name it, which would sound almost as good (or just as good), look better and have no bags or glitches.  I expect next year I will buy a Geek Out V2. A used one. But no more crowdfunding for me with LHlabs. Ever.

Gia sou Kostas! My fellow Greek, I hate to differ with you, but I don't share your somewhat smirking opinion of the Light Harmonic guys. They have had some difficulties and yes they have made some mistakes, but their ideas are now starting to pay off and things are 'perking' up, if I may use this pun. But you are right about the sound quality of their goods.
I have lately received my Pulse xfi Infinity DAC and after many decades of critically listening to music starting with my first stereo outfit from Sears in the 1950's that cost me $99, I can tell you, I cannot take my damn Shure 1840 headphones off my head nor get the happy grin off my face! The Infinity is so good, that when I listen, the DAC disappears and I am left with just the most beautiful music reproduction these nearly 80 year old ears have ever heard. For me that disappearing act says I now own perhaps one of the best DAC's available. The Infinity opens its mouth and sings my music to me with a voice unparalleled in my experience. 
I do not regret the long wait and all the months of acrimony I had to wade through on the Geek Force Forum, the doubts in Larry, Gavin and the rest of the team. There were times when I thought we were being led somewhere over the rainbow and down the yellow brick road. I was near to just writing off my investment, when the Infinity arrived. OMG! You have to hear this sweet beast Kostas.
I began to write a review on the LHL forum, but had to stop because I was beginning to sound like a hired hand whose job it was to shill for LHL!
The truth of the matter is that Larry Ho is a freaking genius and he has designed a non plus ultra DAC with which I can lay me down to listen while waiting for the angels to come by and pick me up for the last round up. Too much metaphor Leo!! LOL! Just saying Kostas, if you got your butt over to LHL and picked up one of these babies, you would also have a stupid, happy smirk on your face. Oh no!! Wait!! You can't get one now unless you buy one from someone who was lucky enough to have one already...and no, you can't have mine, not even for 4K!! ROTFLMAO!
 
Adio mate
Leo

 

[kostaszag]

 

 
I am not surprised about anything coming from this company.
 
Except the sound quality of its products.
 
It IS surprisingly good, if you consider how bad everything else is,  customer service ( to be fair, before Gina and Stephanie took over), bags and glitches, timing, all the confusion about what feature on what product costs how much and everything depending on when you backed stuff... I could go on for pages, but I lack the time and the willingness to bore everybody reading with my personal grievances over LHlabs, which after all almost everyone participating on this thread knows about. I will only add what I wrote on another forum, where people kept asking me about my impressions of the Geek Pulse Sfi.
Does it sound good? Yes, very much so, it is smooth, detailed in an non-aggresive way, very musical, with nice rhythm and PRAT.  
Was it worth the wait? Definitely not. For the money I spent on the Geek Pulse Sfi I could walk to any HiFi store and buy something by Marantz, Pioneer, TEAC, Musical Fidelity, you name it, which would sound almost as good (or just as good), look better and have no bags or glitches.  I expect next year I will buy a Geek Out V2. A used one. But no more crowdfunding for me with LHlabs. Ever.

Gia sou Kostas! My fellow Greek, I hate to differ with you, but I don't share your somewhat smirking opinion of the Light Harmonic guys. They have had some difficulties and yes they have made some mistakes, but their ideas are now starting to pay off and things are 'perking' up, if I may use this pun. But you are right about the sound quality of their goods.
I have lately received my Pulse xfi Infinity DAC and after many decades of critically listening to music starting with my first stereo outfit from Sears in the 1950's that cost me $99, I can tell you, I cannot take my damn Shure 1840 headphones off my head nor get the happy grin off my face! The Infinity is so good, that when I listen, the DAC disappears and I am left with just the most beautiful music reproduction these nearly 80 year old ears have ever heard. For me that disappearing act says I now own perhaps one of the best DAC's available. The Infinity opens its mouth and sings my music to me with a voice unparalleled in my experience. 
I do not regret the long wait and all the months of acrimony I had to wade through on the Geek Force Forum, the doubts in Larry, Gavin and the rest of the team. There were times when I thought we were being led somewhere over the rainbow and down the yellow brick road. I was near to just writing off my investment, when the Infinity arrived. OMG! You have to hear this sweet beast Kostas.
I began to write a review on the LHL forum, but had to stop because I was beginning to sound like a hired hand whose job it was to shill for LHL!
The truth of the matter is that Larry Ho is a freaking genius and he has designed a non plus ultra DAC with which I can lay me down to listen while waiting for the angels to come by and pick me up for the last round up. Too much metaphor Leo!! LOL! Just saying Kostas, if you got your butt over to LHL and picked up one of these babies, you would also have a stupid, happy smirk on your face. Oh no!! Wait!! You can't get one now unless you buy one from someone who was lucky enough to have one already...and no, you can't have mine, not even for 4K!! ROTFLMAO!
 
Adio mate
Leo

Gia sou patrioti!
 
Well, it might be that I am sounding bitter, but it is not just because of the delay.
A few months ago, when the first Pulses started arriving and people complained about the first bags, I cracked a few jokes at LHlabs's expenses on a relevant thread at their forum. It appears it was a joke too many, because I got banned for a week by Gavin himself who also found it fit to call me a "jerk". In that same post Gavin stated that two contributors would be pushed to the end of the queue and would not receive anything until he had a talk with them. I had reason to believe that I was one of these two backers.
So, I PMd Casey, on this forum, and asked for clarification. Casey confirmed that I was one of the backers that were to be punished and asked that I apologize in public. I denied of course, but wrote nonetheless a lengthy PM to Gavin, explaining the reasons for my attitude.
 
After a week or two I had no answer from Gavin, repeated PMs to Casey proved fruitless, so I opened a trouble ticket, asking when did they expect my DAC to be shipped. It was answered by Tami Rhoades (who I believe no longer works for LHlabs). She confirmed that no, I was NOT the backer who was pushed to the end of the queue, both these persons had already received their Pulses. She apologized a number of times for the limbo I had been put through ( that is how she called it) and assured me I would receive my Sfi on schedule. 
 
Now you see why I don't like this company. I think I am justified in saying that their attitude towards their customers sucks big time.
 
A warning to all LHlabs employees monitoring this forum: Don't bother denying these things happened. I have kept copies of all the emails, PMs and so on, even a screen shot of the post of Gavin on that memorable thread at Geek Force. I can post them here if necessary.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Agree with Leo, the DAC tend to disappear and "will carry you through".
 
Last night when I hit play...the last thing I remembered I was already on my 10th song...funny huh!

 

[leomitch]

Gia sou Kostas mou!
Indeed I can see why you were/are angry!  That was a shabby thing to do and the only thing I can say is that LHL was super smarting from a load of crap a Turkish Hamali working on the docks could never lift nor carry!  I believe they lashed out without realizing your words were jocular, but to them it must have seemed, in the words of Mad Magazine, humour in the jugular vein! Whatever, they seem to have unjustly treated you and perhaps now they will see our words here and recant. I know, I know, I was brought up with too much Disney and Grimms Fairy Tales.
I hope you have recovered enough to see that in the end it doesn't really matter, but still...
I wish you well my brother and we will see each other here and there on these boards I am sure. My warm regards to you and yours mate
 
Leonidas Mihelakos aka Leo James Mitchell (long story regarding name)

 

[miceblue]

Wow, that blows...
http://lhlabs.com/downloads/updates/dianas_production_progress_chart.pdf

Pulse X Infinity (2.0 Chassis) - 2014 Pulse FF Campaign
10% to be delivered by the middle of September
40% to be delivered by October
50% to be delivered by the end of November

That's another 5 months away. Maybe I will just stick with the old chassis then. : (

 

[leomitch]

  Agree with Leo, the DAC tend to disappear and "will carry you through".
 
Last night when I hit play...the last thing I remembered I was already on my 10th song...funny huh!

Good to see you over here mate! Are your ears still working?  I have hardly taken off the bloody headphones even when falling asleep in my big leather reclining chair. Got to rest to old ears! I have the headphones on even as I write this!  

 
Leo

 

[leomitch]

Wow, that blows...
http://lhlabs.com/downloads/updates/dianas_production_progress_chart.pdf
That's another 5 months away. Maybe I will just stick with the old chassis then. : (

I have the old chassis and it really is OK! It is simple hi-fi black aluminum and is pleasing to the eye, nothing fancy. Go for it mate!
 
Leo

 

[miceblue]

I have the old chassis and it really is OK! It is simple hi-fi black aluminum and is pleasing to the eye, nothing fancy. Go for it mate!

Leo

Thanks for the feedback. I do agree that the old chassis is just fine and I actually never had any qualms about it from the get-go. Just the fact that the new chassis has some improved designs makes it more appealing to me. However, with a [probably] 5-month wait, I don't think it'll be worth the wait, and even more so if they have the chassis upgrade trade-in thing. That plus my LPS4 is still in the older chassis, and the older chassis are more desktop-space friendly.

Yeah I'll probably send them another e-mail about getting the old chassis again. I've got a beta HE1000 on hand right now too, so time is of the essence if I want to try the Pulse X Infinity with it.

 

[Lifemovingforwa]

I agree business practices and customer appreciation SUCK but the sound quality is fabulous!

 

[Maelob]

I just did that a few days ago. But I am a late contributor Nov 14 so not sure how long.  Hopefully in a few months I get it.   

 

[leomitch]

  I just did that a few days ago. But I am a late contributor Nov 14 so not sure how long.  Hopefully in a few months I get it.   

I got mine on October 30th 2014, so  you may not have to wait long! 
 
Leo

 

[wingsounds13]

It may be a five month wait, but it might be considerably less. I suspect that the new delivery estimates are very conservative following the extreme backlash that they have gotten in the past when they failed to meet their previous estimates. I hope that Larry approves the next rev of the new chassis. If so then shipping of Pulse SE and infinities in the new chassis might start in about six weeks. Okay, so I may be an optimist... Shipping will depend on the speed of chassis production, as I believe that most if not all of the infinity boards are complete and just awaiting chassis to be mounted in.

J.P.

 

[nudd]

After 3 days i would say this is a very good DAC that is still on the slightly bright side of neutral. That's not to say it does not have very good bass control. My XBA H3 iems sound fantastic on it with low gain but I am not sure i would like the infinity with bright sounding headphones. I will try these with the K701 over the long weekend if I can. My problem is that I love open headphones for full sized listening but my girlfriend/partner does not appreciate the leakage. So far what time i can afford has been spent with my balanced HE500 which to me has a less obnoxious top end and goes lower down the bass ...
 
This dac will probably go really well with a HD650 but unfortunately i don't have one so just conjecture ... I might try this amp with the Verb again too just to satisfy myself that the Verb still sounds like poo and confine the Verb to the trash can ...
 
I ordered a Jays Audio power supply to see if it can help solve my grounding issue and whether that will make a difference to the sound signature. if not i will get an Anker or similar 12 volt battery pack ... or isolation transformer ...