Content of an email posted by a fairly well-known guy with permission (with a bit of editing to make it more family-friendly and less controversial): I did block out his name to avoid any bad vibes even though he did not ask me to - the meat of this is the fact that these are his honest impressions of the prototype and he is no shill on the take. Enjoy!
"First of all, I am a nice guy but I don't spare manufactures any bs when they try to pass off a (low-quality) product as a good one. I can give you tons of examples where I have been offered a free thing-a-ma-jig for a positive review but I refuse because it sounds like total crap. Anything I have ever written is genuine. I only write or support things I actually like. The claim that "he is probably friends with LH and can get a good deal from them, so he's saying nice things" is false. I am not friends with anybody at their offices. Moreover, I don't own any of their products. That said, I wish I was because Gavin, and everyone else I have talked to at their company booths, are genuinely nice and you can tell they LOVE music. The times I have spoken with them, I don't even think they even knew I was "$$$" as I didn't introduce myself as such. I also don't have any deals...sadly.
As much as I love what they have released thus far, I don't own anything from them because money is tight. If I could afford it, I'd probably buy their products but my family has certain needs which outweigh my love of great sounding gear.
I'm actually envious that you're getting an XD. I wanted a Geek Wave XD with all the perks so bad but the money is just not there to spend.
So, what did I think?
The Geek Wave is among the best sources I have ever head...period. I have been to many shows and audio conventions and have been more disappointed than pleased when hearing dealer presentations. Imagine my surprise when I hear a PROTOTYPE geek wave and it sounds amazing. Very steady, controlled, accurate, and powerful bass. Liquid mids which were VERY accurate, and highs that were crisp and detailed and not overemphasized. These qualities can usually be found on professional equipment and that equipment is usually expensive. Yes, the Geek Wave is expensive to me BUT consider that I have heard so many other headphone rigs that did NOT sound that good and were worth 3 times the price or more! That's why I said the Geek Wave was great. I genuinely enjoyed it.
If it were (not good), you wouldn't see me posting anything on head-fi, but you would have heard about it on their geek forum....where I can post my thoughts freely among an educated crowd of enthusiasts. People can always PM and ask, like you did, and I'm always happy to share and give honest feedback. A lot of manufacturers deal with me like that and I never say a word about such involvement. In the end, if the company is providing the community with a quality product, then I'm happy to support them in any way I can. The Geek Wave is an extraordinary device. It's innovative, portable, and sounds damn good. No, I don't have one and no, I can't afford the one I want but that's no reason not to speak the truth about it.
Think about the ****. That thing is super expensive and sounds, to me, like utter (unflattering word). Consider that hefty price tag on the ****; a poor sound source with a pretty lights! The Geek Wave trounces the ****. You can take that opinion of mine to the bank.
Anyway, I've rambled on enough. I think you made a solid purchase and if you really value good sound quality, then the Geek Wave is something you will not only be proud to own, but something you'll grow to love and cherish. There is nothing I cherish more than having my music with me and experiencing that music at the best quality possible. Before, I had to be at my mastering studio for that to happen. Now, I know some people will experience that same quality on the go thanks to the Geek Wave. That's awesome.
- $$$$
