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

This weekend Bro. When I have the time.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Supperconductor]

So I bought a bunch of Blue Note music on HD-Tracks since they were running a special. I'm still loving this set-up. Going to pick up some DSD downloads when budget permits. I drag my headphones, the GO, and a USB3 hard drive to work and try to listen as much as possible.

 

[pearljam50000]

  So I bought a bunch of Blue Note music on HD-Tracks since they were running a special. I'm still loving this set-up. Going to pick up some DSD downloads when budget permits. I drag my headphones, the GO, and a USB3 hard drive to work and try to listen as much as possible.

You feel that the HD600 are driven OK by the Geek?

 

[Supperconductor]

  You feel that the HD600 are driven OK by the Geek?

Absolutely. My GO 1000 drives the HD600 effortlessly. Honestly, it easily bested my Peachtree Audio iNova and Marantz AV-7005. For work I use the Mad Dogs (as they are closed backs and don't disturb my co-workers), but for sheer comfort and beauty of sound (even if it may be called "euphonic"), I prefer the HD600s for home use. I'm no longer in the market for a desktop DAC/Amp for both of these cans.
 
I'm using Audirvana in integer mode, and experimenting with HQPlayer for up sampling everything to DSD 5.6. Native DSD from Audirvana is simply stunning.

 

[pearljam50000]

Does the DSD has a dedicated chip,or does the ESS chip also decodes the DSD?

 

[miceblue]

Does the DSD has a dedicated chip,or does the ESS chip also decodes the DSD?

The ESS DAC does the DSD and PCM decoding.
http://www.esstech.com/PDF/ES9018-2M%20PB%20Rev%200.8%20130619.pdf

Versatile digital input: Supports SPDIF, PCM (I2S, LJ 16-32-bit), or DSD input

 

[nehcrow]

  Absolutely. My GO 1000 drives the HD600 effortlessly. Honestly, it easily bested my Peachtree Audio iNova and Marantz AV-7005. For work I use the Mad Dogs (as they are closed backs and don't disturb my co-workers), but for sheer comfort and beauty of sound (even if it may be called "euphonic"), I prefer the HD600s for home use. I'm no longer in the market for a desktop DAC/Amp for both of these cans.
 
I'm using Audirvana in integer mode, and experimenting with HQPlayer for up sampling everything to DSD 5.6. Native DSD from Audirvana is simply stunning.

Any comparisons to desktop amps/dacs?

 

[PhilW]

 
Now here and available in the UK.

 

[zenpunk]

Good to know!

Sadly I pre-ordered mine back in January December straight from LH Labs and I am still waiting for it. 
Those LH Labs people are really hopeless, or are they just taking the piss?

 

[BaTou069]

When listening PCM to DSD (Geek720) I hear clicks every 5 seconds (more or less)...
Also when listening to a song with a lot of silence, for example Cowboy junkies - Mining for gold, then in the backgroud I hear a lot of weird noises, like someone doing weird DJ scratching with a vinyl lol...
 
btw, what benefit should one get from upsampling PCM to DSD?
 
Foobar -> geet out 720 -> shure se846
 
Asio: foo_dsd_asio
 
DoP MArker 0x05/0xFA
PCM to DSD Method: SDM Type B to DSD128
DSD/PCM Transition: 50ms
 
Buffer lenght: 5070 ms (tried to play with this, but has no effect)

 

[DrFunk001]

   
Also when listening to a song with a lot of silence, for example Cowboy junkies - Mining for gold, then in the backgroud I hear a lot of weird noises, like someone doing weird DJ scratching with a vinyl lol...
 
 

 
I don't have my geek out yet so I can't really compare, but I listen to mining for gold a lot and I have noticed additional noises on higher fidelity systems. I'm not sure exactly what you are hearing but there are definitely some vinyl scratching noises built into that track. It's almost like the producer wanted you to think you were listening to old time vinyl. Do you hear it with any other tracks?

 

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

@BaTou069

Adjust Streaming Mode and Buffer Size in LH Labs Control Panel?

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Supperconductor]

  Any comparisons to desktop amps/dacs?

No, I have not done a direct & simultaneous comparison. I did hear the Schiit Valhalla at a show and thought it had more slam overall but also not quite as neutral as the GO 1000. I've also heard the HD600s on Woo Audio's WA7 and came away disappointed. May it had been hyped so much in my mind, that it couldn't possibly live up to my preconceived expectations. But as all this relies on my auditory memory, consider it pretty unreliable and totally anecdotal. The next show I go to I will take my GO 1000 with me and make direct comparisons with my own cans and music just for curiosity's sake.

 

[atsq17]

My problem is that my desktop setup is worth 10x that of the Geek Out so I cannot give a useful comparison. My Audiophilleo 2 alone costs over twice as much as the Geek Out. Even my USB cable costs more than the Geek Out. My Bottlehead Crack has capacitors 4 times the size of the Geek Out. Obviously my desktop setup is going to be clearly superior in almost every way (paired with my re-cabled T1). 
 
Against stuff closer priced (but still more expensive) stuff like RSA Predator and the RSA Intruder  I find that the dedicated amps have their specializations.
The Predator is very good at layering but soundstage is quite enclosed. The DAC isn't anything to shout about.
The Intruder is technically very nice, probably the most technically superior of the group. Sound is very spacious and detailed (used in balanced mode). Single-ended, its improvements over the others are a bit less pronounced. The DAC is decent but a bit too flat and depending on what headphones it's paired with, a bit boring (my opinion only of course). It does tame the hard to manage TH900 quite well though. 
The Geek Out is an odd one. It doesn't seem to beat the RSAs at their specializations but it is quite resolving, detailed and reasonably spacious. It's not a world beater but it doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. One of it's biggest strengths is that regardless of which headphone I put on it, I seem to enjoy the sound signature. It's not boring sounding (don't know how to describe this in more technical terms). So while I can tell the Intruder in balanced mode is slightly more spacious and a tad more detailed, I enjoy the Geek Out at least as much (if not more sometimes). The Predator is superb at layering and may be slightly superior than the Geek Out in that sense but the Geek Out seems to have a wider sound stage and the layering isn't bad either. Both the Predator and Geek Out seem to have very enjoyable signatures that dig deep into the bass frequencies. 
Both RSA devices are considerably larger and more expensive than the Geek Out and are known to be among the top of their class. The fact that the Geek Out is competing at this level says a lot. 
 
When I let my friends try the Audioquest Dragonfly, they told me that they flat out didn't like its artificial sound and were less than impressed. When I showed them the Geek Out, they complained that it could not compete with dac/amp setups costing close to $1k. The fact that they compared it to equipment of that level speaks volumes of its abilities. 
 
In conclusion I think that it's an excellent mid-fi piece of equipment available for entry-level prices. Anyone who is after music enjoyment and not so much analysis will not be disappointed for the price they pay in my opinion. It punches well above its weight and price point. Just don't expect it to beat $1000+ setups. How many $200-ish pieces of equipment can drive virtually any headphone and do it well?

 

[mattelka]

  My problem is that my desktop setup is worth 10x that of the Geek Out so I cannot give a useful comparison. My Audiophilleo 2 alone costs over twice as much as the Geek Out. Even my USB cable costs more than the Geek Out. My Bottlehead Crack has capacitors 4 times the size of the Geek Out. Obviously my desktop setup is going to be clearly superior in almost every way (paired with my re-cabled T1). 
 
Against stuff closer priced (but still more expensive) stuff like RSA Predator and the RSA Intruder  I find that the dedicated amps have their specializations.
The Predator is very good at layering but soundstage is quite enclosed. The DAC isn't anything to shout about.
The Intruder is technically very nice, probably the most technically superior of the group. Sound is very spacious and detailed (used in balanced mode). Single-ended, its improvements over the others are a bit less pronounced. The DAC is decent but a bit too flat and depending on what headphones it's paired with, a bit boring (my opinion only of course). It does tame the hard to manage TH900 quite well though. 
The Geek Out is an odd one. It doesn't seem to beat the RSAs at their specializations but it is quite resolving, detailed and reasonably spacious. It's not a world beater but it doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. One of it's biggest strengths is that regardless of which headphone I put on it, I seem to enjoy the sound signature. It's not boring sounding (don't know how to describe this in more technical terms). So while I can tell the Intruder in balanced mode is slightly more spacious and a tad more detailed, I enjoy the Geek Out at least as much (if not more sometimes). The Predator is superb at layering and may be slightly superior than the Geek Out in that sense but the Geek Out seems to have a wider sound stage and the layering isn't bad either. Both the Predator and Geek Out seem to have very enjoyable signatures that dig deep into the bass frequencies. 
Both RSA devices are considerably larger and more expensive than the Geek Out and are known to be among the top of their class. The fact that the Geek Out is competing at this level says a lot. 
 
When I let my friends try the Audioquest Dragonfly, they told me that they flat out didn't like its artificial sound and were less than impressed. When I showed them the Geek Out, they complained that it could not compete with dac/amp setups costing close to $1k. The fact that they compared it to equipment of that level speaks volumes of its abilities. 
 
In conclusion I think that it's an excellent mid-fi piece of equipment available for entry-level prices. Anyone who is after music enjoyment and not so much analysis will not be disappointed for the price they pay in my opinion. It punches well above its weight and price point. Just don't expect it to beat $1000+ setups. How many $200-ish pieces of equipment can drive virtually any headphone and do it well?

 
atsq17. Well put. Your concluding paragraph summed it up nicely. +1