[No_One411]

I received my Geek Out 720 from the Indiegogo campaign yesterday. They told me it was shipped 3 weeks ago, near the end of June....
 
From a sound quality standpoint, the unit is petty nice. I would compare it favorably to the O2/ODAC combo. However, I'm not a big fan of the "3D Awesomfier" because it sounds really artificial to me. However, there is another reason why I probably won't touch the "3D Awesomfier" again. 
 
I was a bit paranoid about touching the volume buttons after hearing about the volume problems. Now, in order to turn on the "3D Awesomefier", you need to simultaneously press both buttons, and it will turn on an indicator LED. 
 
The first time I tried it, I think must have not completely depressed one of the buttons or something because volume suddenly turned all the way up and blasted my eardrums. I know this I has been said by lots of people already and there are "workarounds". However, I don't want to have to take a million precautions just to avoid blowing my ears due to a bad design! Judging from how slow the rest of their process has taken, I can't imagine the firmware update is coming out anytime soon. 
 
For the meantime, I have switched back to using my O2/ODAC and Anedio D2. While the Geek Out is certainly a nice sounding product, it is not very intuitive, with a couple of pretty bad risks associated with it, and the company service is very lackluster. I hope Light Harmonic does improve upon both their product and company in the future, otherwise this will likely be the only experience I will have with them...

 

[miceblue]

Yup, I'd say it's a good alternative to the ODAC/O2. It's not too surprising to me that people compare the Geek Out to higher-end stuff, or say it's "dry" sounding since the ODAC/O2 gets similar impressions.

 

[AxelCloris]

Yup, I'd say it's a good alternative to the ODAC/O2. It's not too surprising to me that people compare the Geek Out to higher-end stuff, or say it's "dry" sounding since the ODAC/O2 gets similar impressions.

 
Since you compare the Geek Out to the ODAC/O2 combo then I have some high hopes for the Pulse. I mean, if they can fit the same level of sound as the Objective equipment in a package as small as the GO then imagine what they can do with a mid-size desktop DAC/amp. I haven't had the opportunity to head the Objective stack yet but I can agree that the GO is one impressive little piece of kit.

 

[SilverEars]

  I received my Geek Out 720 from the Indiegogo campaign yesterday. They told me it was shipped 3 weeks ago, near the end of June....
 
From a sound quality standpoint, the unit is petty nice. I would compare it favorably to the O2/ODAC combo. However, I'm not a big fan of the "3D Awesomfier" because it sounds really artificial to me. However, there is another reason why I probably won't touch the "3D Awesomfier" again. 
 
I was a bit paranoid about touching the volume buttons after hearing about the volume problems. Now, in order to turn on the "3D Awesomefier", you need to simultaneously press both buttons, and it will turn on an indicator LED. 
 
The first time I tried it, I think must have not completely depressed one of the buttons or something because volume suddenly turned all the way up and blasted my eardrums. I know this I has been said by lots of people already and there are "workarounds". However, I don't want to have to take a million precautions just to avoid blowing my ears due to a bad design! Judging from how slow the rest of their process has taken, I can't imagine the firmware update is coming out anytime soon. 
 
For the meantime, I have switched back to using my O2/ODAC and Anedio D2. While the Geek Out is certainly a nice sounding product, it is not very intuitive, with a couple of pretty bad risks associated with it, and the company service is very lackluster. I hope Light Harmonic does improve upon both their product and company in the future, otherwise this will likely be the only experience I will have with them...

How is the resolvability compared to O2/ODAC?  Anedio D2?  I think the D2 is more resolving than the ODAC.  Where is the GO?

 

[M3NTAL]

Press and hold the down volume button first and while holding that position hit the volume up button to engage the 3D without  the volume going up.

 

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

If you want to engage the 3D/or touch the buttons, BRING SYSTEM/APP VOLUME DOWN FIRST. 

 

[earfonia]

Press and hold the down volume button first and while holding that position hit the volume up button to engage the 3D without  the volume going up.

If you want to engage the 3D/or touch the buttons, BRING SYSTEM/APP VOLUME DOWN FIRST. 

For windows users, I consider the risk is higher than the benefit.

 

[Matias]

If you want to engage the 3D/or touch the buttons, BRING SYSTEM/APP VOLUME DOWN FIRST. 

Or take the phones off just in case.

 

[Cosmid]

 
Here is what it looks like, a bit tidier than the battery powered set-up.
 

 
This sounds better than the battery too, suggesting that particular battery I used has a cheap/noisy 3 pin regulator, or some other very bad for audio parts.
 
I guess it could also be that the generic y-split USB cable I used for the battery arrangement sucks.

Thanks for posting. Would you think the lighting port on iPad Air/Mini Retina would have more power, so it could support GO1000 without a power hub? Thanks.

 

[No_One411]

  How is the resolvability compared to O2/ODAC?  Anedio D2?  I think the D2 is more resolving than the ODAC.  Where is the GO?

 
The Anedio D2 is the most resolving in the comparison. From my limited experience with the Geek Out 720, it is really similar in capabilities to the ODAC, perhaps slightly more resolving. 
 
Now, I haven't been very interested in DACs ever since getting the Anedio D2, but I feel like the GO will be very competitive against most DACS in the $500 price point.
 

  If you want to engage the 3D/or touch the buttons, BRING SYSTEM/APP VOLUME DOWN FIRST. 

Luckily, I usually don't have my headphones when the volume bug occurs. When it resets to the "0" setting, or "BITPERFECT" as you call it, it's not a problem for my harder to drive headphones, like Paradox Slant or Enigma, but when it happens to my more portable, easier to drive headphones like KEF M500, you can hear the driver complaining in the short few seconds before I mute the sound. 
 
I apologize if my impressions were overly harsh, or seemed like I wasn't willing to give the GO a chance. I like the device, I really do, and I'm trying to convince myself to ignore the shortcomings with the volume and service. 

 

[MikeyFresh]

  Thanks for posting. Would you think the lighting port on iPad Air/Mini Retina would have more power, so it could support GO1000 without a power hub? Thanks.

Unfortunately it won't make a difference using a Lightning port device, there is still the same Apple imposed limitation on how much of the iDevice's battery they will allow any partnered device to use. The GO1000 requires too much juice.
 
I have however resolved the issue of poor sound quality I was getting with the use of a USB battery and a y-split USB cable. The culprit was not a noisy 5 volt regulator in the battery as I had originally surmised, it was the freebie cheap quality y-split cable I had repurposed from an external hard drive.
 
This week I received an Apricorn y-split USB cable which has thicker gauge wires and is just of better quality overall than that generic freebie that came with my external HDD. All sound quality issues vanished, using the same USB battery. An added plus is the female USB-A socket on the end that connects to the GO1000, eliminating the need for a gender changer adapter.
 
So while still not the tidiest arrangement with iPad, at least it's truly portable and does not require any connection to the household AC power outlet:
 

 
The unpowered USB hub inline on the data leg of the y-split cable is needed because even though the battery provides more than sufficient voltage and current for the GO1000, the iPad still receives the power requirement indication from the initial handshake with the GO1000's USB controller chip over the data leg, and the GO1000 reports itself as needing 500mA which is (much) more than iPad is willing to provide.
 
To get around that you place an unpowered hub inline, it's own USB controller substitutes or supersedes that of the DAC, and reports it does not need any of the iPad's battery, tricking the iPad into completing the handshake and not serving up the text box message indicating an incompatible accessory (the DAC) due to excessive power requirement.

 

[Gilly87]

Could the GO720 be used with an Android? I want one source that I can use with my laptop and phone/tablet that will drive the HD700 properly. Should I be looking at this or the Meridian Explorer? Any other suggestions? Using the HRT Microstreamer at the moment, but it's bass is a little soft for my taste, and I feel like even my 32 ohm DT770s could use a bit more juice than it puts out; other than that it's awesome.

 

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

Yes! I'm using my GO1000 with my Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10. 2014 ed. tablet all on Android 4.4.2.
 
Now with the current version of UAPP, you could now play even in DSD (w/ dff files only).
 
Here Note 3 playing 2L's sample file in DSD128

 
 
Playing Yamina in DSD128 from dsdfile.com

 
But of course with the rest of Android devices, its a trial and error thing. Since USB audio is not yet officially supported. Glad we have UAPP and UARP around. 

 

[Gilly87]

Hmmmm...guess I'll have some demoing to do at the meet next Friday!!

 

[Suopermanni]

Hey Head-Fi,
 
I have just got my Silver Geek 1000 and I have a question. I'm getting occasional electrical noise/static from my Geek Out. I'm guessing this is noisy USB causing this. I would like to know how best to solve this. Using basic mobo USB port at back of comp.