[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrDetermination ...I am back after 5 days to say... ...money well spent. ... I'm listening to so much more music. ... I'm totally rocking out at Starbucks right now with a big grin on my face.

I'm with you, MrD. I haven't posted for even longer after my earlier VERY positive posts about the GV5. But using a pair of standard gain GV5's - one at work with my Ety ER4S (d-jays ordered, but not here yet) and the other at home used with my SR225 and KSC75 - I've been enjoying that same big silly-faced grin at work and at home ever since my last post. At work, the GV5 has replaced a Headsave (remember Headsave?) 3-Channel Classic (AD8620/10 opamps). The Classic had a VERY special synergy with the ETY ER4S, and the GV5 has taken that synergy up to a wonderful new level. Without any EQ, I did not think that it was possible to get the spectral balance, vast soundstage and texture/timbre/depth of sound across the acoustic spectrum from the ER4S (with triflanges) that I'm getting with the GV5. At home, the GV5 has replaced my PPA v1.0A with discrete buffer on my desktop. My other current desktop amp at home is a Rockhopper High-Bias M^3 with a STEPS PS and I went with the Blackgates upgrade option. With the SR225 and KSC75, I prefer, by a good margin, how the GV5 drives them to the M^3. When it comes to the HD580 with Cardas cable, I DO prefer the M^3, but I must say that I REALLY enjoy how the GV5 drives the HD580 as well. At work AND at home, the GV5 just gives me a big silly-faced grin of listening joy every day.

 

[sonicm]

To all those who ordered the GV-5, what did the amp come with?
Judging from the site, it seems like to only comes with the amp itself, which would mean the wires and chargers/batteries/dc power supply would be another 30-50$, it doesn't seem like its as cheap as it seems at first glance...

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonicm To all those who ordered the GV-5, what did the amp come with? Judging from the site, it seems like to only comes with the amp itself, which would mean the wires and chargers/batteries/dc power supply would be another 30-50$, it doesn't seem like its as cheap as it seems at first glance...

You only get the amp.

 

[Andrea]

Although I find that my modified Go-Vibe is better sounding than the standard (and with just 12V), it still fails to entirely convince my ears. But I like it.

 

[afobisme]

norm is great, he just sent me a PM and is willing to send me another amp (been about 19 days or so and it hasn't arrived). that's really great service, i'd definitely buy again.

i'm still going to impatiently wait another week or so though, i definitely don't want to take advantage of his kindness

man, there are a lot of great people on head-fi.

 

[afobisme]

package shipped: 9/16
package received: 10/10

took a while to get here, but it finally did.

i notice the improvement in soundstage almost instantly. nice amp, makes my music much more fun. i think it also fixes the rolloff/muffle on the highs. thanks a lot norm!

 

[DDF]

I've been listening to my GV5 for about 2 months now, so I thought I'd post some impressions.

I wanted to do this to clear the air about some earlier comments. When I first received the unit in August, I commented that it was light and airy (as Norm advertises) but perhaps the highs were "artificial".

Well, at this stage after extensive break in and familiarization, I think I can say that neither is truly the case.

This thing's main strength is its soundstaging, image placement and imaging detail. Wow is all I can say for $100. Its also very neutral. I hooked it up last night to my MSB Link DAC and the MSB's character came through loud and clear: pleasantly plummy bass, and a very laid back and subtler but natural top end.

The GV5 sounds completely different on my two DVD players, and of course on my discman and iriver799. It also improves the sound out of all of them. The iriver started as a good sounding portable, the GV5 increases detail, calms the mushy bass, and imaging improves quite a bit. The discman becomes listenable.

The iriver and discman are used for 4 to 6 hours a day at work, with no fatigue through the GV5.

I'm pretty sure I know the source of the "artificial" highs Andrea is reporting over and over. I'd guess its the source gear. Driven by my DVD player, the highs have this artificial and very reverberant quality to them. Pleasing but not natural. Driven by the MSB link DAC, absolutely no trace of these sonic irregularities, just believable, open, solid and balanced.

All listening with 24V elpac and DT770-600s. A new DT250-250 is on its way from BH, can't wait to try them on the amp.

This things kicks serious butt for $100.

Dave

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDF I'm pretty sure I know the source of the "artificial" highs Andrea is reporting over and over. I'd guess its the source gear.

Not my case, at all... sorry.

And, my complaints go beyond that -- a general lack of soul to the sound, an hyperdetailed midrange at the expense of that natural roundedness, and a somehow lifeless transient response (involving the treble, too). Besides, a certain lack of "background blackness", and thus, of atmosphere.

All this refers to the stock chips. My new chips, plus the Panasonic FM rail cap & the two tantalum bypass caps, all have contributed to yield a more pleasant (and in many ways, very good) sound.


^^ my definitive thoughts too

 

[DDF]

"And, my complaints go beyond that -- a general lack of soul to the sound, an hyperdetailed midrange at the expense of that natural roundedness, and a somehow lifeless transient response (involving the treble, too). Besides, a certain lack of "background blackness", and thus, of atmosphere."

I thought so too until I tried the MSB link dac with it. Very "round", very open, but perhaps less dynamic. Its stupidly dynamic and detailed with my DVD player, at the expense of open-ness and round-ness.

Seeing a trend here?

This thing's pretty neutral.

 

[Andrea]

I know soooo well by now (*) the way my (significantly tweaked, btw) CDP sounds, light-years from what you say your DVD players sound like, a lot like your MSB DAC I'll say

, and other amps are true to it. Not the Go-Vibe. Sorry!!

(*) It previously fed a couple of audiophile integrated amps & serious british monitor speakers

 

[Andrea]

Btw, the AD45048 (the AD8397's twin) and the THS4051 are not BB-like chips, no warm-rich-laidback-mellow-buttery-whathaveyou. Yet they just sound more pleasant

Last - in the past I had a costly, CS4396, 192 KHz oversampling, "NorthStar Design" (Italian made) DAC, with all-discrete analog output stage, and so on... Well, that was more like your DVD player, as well

 

[afobisme]

wow, i changed sources and now i can definitely hear the "airy" soundstage sound of the gv5

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea Btw, the AD45048 (the AD8397's twin) and the THS4051 are not BB-like chips, no warm-rich-laidback-mellow-buttery-whathaveyou. Yet they just sound more pleasant Last - in the past I had a costly, CS4396, 192 KHz oversampling, "NorthStar Design" (Italian made) DAC, with all-discrete analog output stage, and so on... Well, that was more like your DVD player, as well

i've been checking this thread off and on...as well as some other portable threads...and i finally understand (sort of) andrea's aversion to the LM6172 op-amp. i've been listening to an AD8397 PINT, AD8397 supermini IV, and another simple LM6172-based amp with a TLE rail-splitter, similar to a PINT. of these three, the PINT sounds the best with the smIV next and the LM6172 last. the PINT is fast, punchy, and "fun." but i find the LM6172 uninteresting and uninvolving. it's warmer, if not muddier, and while i do like it with some vocal-rich music, it's not my favorite to say the least. while i've not heard the GV-5, i would probably prefer norm's earlier models (i really liked the GV3) over the GV-5. just a personal preference...

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino i've been checking this thread off and on...as well as some other portable threads...and i finally understand (sort of) andrea's aversion to the LM6172 op-amp. i've been listening to an AD8397 PINT, AD8397 supermini IV, and another simple LM6172-based amp with a TLE rail-splitter, similar to a PINT. of these three, the PINT sounds the best with the smIV next and the LM6172 last. the PINT is fast, punchy, and "fun." but i find the LM6172 uninteresting and uninvolving. it's warmer, if not muddier, and while i do like it with some vocal-rich music, it's not my favorite to say the least. while i've not heard the GV-5, i would probably prefer norm's earlier models (i really liked the GV3) over the GV-5. just a personal preference...

To be honest, I think there's a tad more than mere preference involved - but that's nearly nitpicking. Other than that, thanks for fairly reporting your experiences.

One last word - yesterday I connected the customised Go-Vibe once again, and definitely liked it. But I still don't think it's on par with the customised Xenos for sheer sound quality. The customised Xenos is perceivably sweeter, richer, more refined.

 

[tigger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino i've been checking this thread off and on...as well as some other portable threads...and i finally understand (sort of) andrea's aversion to the LM6172 op-amp. i've been listening to an AD8397 PINT, AD8397 supermini IV, and another simple LM6172-based amp with a TLE rail-splitter, similar to a PINT. of these three, the PINT sounds the best with the smIV next and the LM6172 last. the PINT is fast, punchy, and "fun." but i find the LM6172 uninteresting and uninvolving. it's warmer, if not muddier, and while i do like it with some vocal-rich music, it's not my favorite to say the least. while i've not heard the GV-5, i would probably prefer norm's earlier models (i really liked the GV3) over the GV-5. just a personal preference...

A somewhat misleading conclusion. The LM6172 in a simple two channel design bares little resemblance to a properly implemented 3 channel version such as a V5 with LM6171 driving the output ground.