Geek Pulse: Geek desktop DAC/AMP by Light Harmonics

[eac3]

Or you can EQ it without having to spend $600?

 
Blasphemy!

 

[jexby]

   
I'll compare against the geek out, probably a little less lean. My chain is pretty lean/analytical right now so it's harder to discern what is the DAC and what isn't.
 
You would probably be a good candidate for the tube buffer, honestly. You can't get detail and resolution back, but you can warm up things after the fact.

 
nice comments!
looking forward to my Xfi feeding a Lyr 2 for some of that warm tubez into HE-560....

 

[nudd]

You can use the rca or balance line out for a direct line out I think at around 2v fixed. I believe Larry has said this is the output with the highest possible quality.
 
Having said that it is a SABRE so it will be on the lean and bright side and if badly implemented will have fatiguing glare. If you want something with more warmth then maybe a non sabre DAC would have been a better bet?
 
For me I would be happy with a neutral sound and no glare. I am for a neutral sound but would like it a touch warmer than the GO with less propensity to hiss.

 

[eliwankenobi]

The Yulong DA8 is a bit lean. Great control over music it just squashes some of the decay in the music. Im not sure if its a Sabre thing or a specific manufacturer thing. Id like more warmth too, being a tube guy. Id go with a tube preamp vs a buffer, but the Pulse is a preamp already isn't it.

The Pulse uses the volume control from the Sabre chip, but its not a preamp perse... They will release a proper analog preamp at some point, so you can add analog sources to it

 

[hoo7h]

 
Check out the specs at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AljAXIFo7qVqdFdmVUoxOXB1VzFPaGtkQXdRa01ibUE&usp=drive_web#gid=1
 
X has dual mono design, so basically 2 pulses in 1! (OK that's simplifying things a bit!)
 
I went Xfi rather than Pulse, just to future proof really and, at the time, the cost difference was not that great. Just got to decide if you're going to treat yourself for Christmas!!
 
Edit; Forgot to mention that the X has single ended RCA's as well as balanced XLR outputs.

 
So the rca is connect do duel DAC as well, interesting.
 
Anyone have any thoughts about how much it will increase the performance? I am still deciding if it worths the $280 extra.

 

[walfredo]

 

 

  holy balls detailed. background much blacker than the geek out. Bass is articulate and it's definitely not a lush sound (was worried when Gavin mentioned they were tuning it a little warmer).

 
That gets me a bit worried.  Geek out was too lean/cold/clinical for my taste.  I had hopes on Gavin comment.

 
I'll compare against the geek out, probably a little less lean. My chain is pretty lean/analytical right now so it's harder to discern what is the DAC and what isn't.
 
You would probably be a good candidate for the tube buffer, honestly. You can't get detail and resolution back, but you can warm up things after the fact.

Yeah, I have tubed pre-amp and headphone amps.

 

[labjr]

   
I'll compare against the geek out, probably a little less lean. My chain is pretty lean/analytical right now so it's harder to discern what is the DAC and what isn't.
 
You would probably be a good candidate for the tube buffer, honestly. You can't get detail and resolution back, but you can warm up things after the fact.

A little less lean than the GO with original firmware or the upgrade?  I prefer the original GO firmware which I believe uses the Sabre internal digital filtering. To me, Larry's digital filtering algorithms don't sound as good. Too warm, too much mid bass and lacking detail, less involving. I went back to the original firmware and  hear gobs more detail as did my friends who use the GO. I'd rather neutral sound. Larry seems to like added harmonic distortion which to me isn't natural. 
 
If the Pulse doesn't have the ability to switch to the original Sabre filtering and uses the same algorithms, I'll be selling it.   

 

[doctorjazz]

The change wasn't for the sound, it was for the volume problems, which blasted my ears many times. I like the choice of filters as well. Can't comment on the change in sound, I had to stop using the GO and hadn't heard it for awhile until the firmware update came.

 

[labjr]

The change wasn't for the sound, it was for the volume problems, which blasted my ears many times. I like the choice of filters as well. Can't comment on the change in sound, I had to stop using the GO and hadn't heard it for awhile until the firmware update came.

Whatever the reason for the change, the filters don't sound as good to me. Try the original firmware and hear more detail.

 

[miceblue]

It must be the filters then. I was a beta tester for the firmware and the beta firmware didn't have the different filter settings.

I've been comparing the original firmware to the beta firmware for sound quality instead of volume control like I was earlier and I'm pleasantly surprised! Music seems to be more spacious to me and the instrument separation is better (so instruments are better-defined within the soundstage). It's like the difference between listening to music in a narrow corridor and listening to music in a large room (I always found the Geek Out to sound narrow-sounding, this effect is removed with the beta firmware). Also, a kind of harsh sound that I'm used to hearing with the original firmware is now removed, which is really great news!

Other beta testers have said similar things in the LH forums.

 

[doctorjazz]

That implies that you liked the newer firmware better for sound. I obviously don't know how it was implemented in the Pulse/Soul, but, since it has its own volume comtrol, the issues with volume blasts the Geek Out had should not be an issue with these units. So, they could use the original firmware. But, as with all things Geek, it's basically wait and see.....

 

[b0bb]

The Yulong DA8 is a bit lean. Great control over music it just squashes some of the decay in the music. Im not sure if its a Sabre thing or a specific manufacturer thing. Id like more warmth too, being a tube guy.

I made a mod to the Yulong master clock to fix some of what you described. This is written up in the DA8 review thread if you are interested.

 

[nudd]

I thought the TCM filter sounder better to my ears than the original and in any case the original firmware was totally unusable for me because of the possibility of auto-resetting to 100% volume. I am sure I am still recovering from tinnitus because of that fricking unusable firmware.
 
Pulse has been confirmed to have two modes of volume control. First mode is the computer volume will always be 100% direct pass through to Pulse, which will then set the volume internally to whatever you set on the rotary volume dial using the volume control implementation on the firmware side. I understand that using this mode the windows master volume is not useable and you will need to use your playback software volume implementation for volume control. The other method is it will follow whatever the computer volume is set through the USB interface.
 
I think I will stick to the knob to avoid any risk of computer/usb funny business blowing my ears out.

 

[miceblue]

Thought this was pretty interesting. Hopefully the Pulse addresses some of the shortcomings of the FRM filter.
http://bit.ly/1s3HRgC

And yes, I think the Pulse is using the same filters as the Geek Out.

 

[labjr]

To me, the best filter would be the one that sounds most neutral and true to the original recording. Something I'll probably never get to compare.