[doctorjazz]

Hi-one of my problems with LH/Geek Out is the difficulty getting information, basic manual/help kind of stuff. I know it's out there, but I search their site, google,, to no avail. My issue is: I just got the Koss ESP-950 as part of my pre-holiday shopping frenzy. It comes with it's own amp, and I have the GO Special Edition connected to my PC. My recollection is to use it as line out, you have to max the volume on the LH volume control, then hook into the 47 ohm output. Well, at first I got the worst sound you have ever heard from headphones, the music played, but warbled. Then the music player crashed, the GO disconnected itself (only time I've ever felt it cool while connected, and had to reboot the computer to use JRiver again. I thought the headphones may be faulty, so I connected them to my (also new toy) Pono, and it sounded great. I've been searching for what I did wrong, would love to be able to listen to the GO/PC, can't find the information. Anyone know where to find it?

Welcome to the world of e-stat headphones. Don't mind the e-stat crinkling "fart" when you put the headphones on your head/move them on your head. lol

http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=ESP/950_Electrostatic_Stereophone
Says here that the E90 amp only has an input level of 1 VRMS, which is well below what the Geek Out outputs at maximum volume (assuming the GO SE is 450 mW like the GO 450, it outputs about 2.68 VRMS). You're probably hearing clipping.

Interesting that the input level is only 1 VRMS. The entry-level STAX amp (SRM-252S) has a maximum input of 30 V.

No idea what the Pono outputs because that player screams in agony with the lack of any specifications whatsoever.

Pardon my cluelessness...I'd think if I were clipping, turning the volume down would help. Does this mean the 950 and GO won't work together?
(As an aside, there my be no info on Pono, but it's designed by Ayre, and, my initial impression is.....sounds mighty good!)

 

[miceblue]

Pardon my cluelessness...I'd think if I were clipping, turning the volume down would help. Does this mean the 950 and GO won't work together?
(As an aside, there my be no info on Pono, but it's designed by Ayre, and, my initial impression is.....sounds mighty good!)

Yes, you would have to lower the volume on the Geek Out in this case since the max volume outputs too much voltage for the E90 amp to handle. You can still get them to work together, but unfortunately, that means you won't be getting a bit-perfect signal and you would be attenuating the music both digitally and analogally (new word? hahaha).

And yeah I have no doubt that the Pono sounds nice, but having zero information about what it can do doesn't help. e.g. if it only outputs 20 mW of power even on the balanced outputs, I probably won't get it.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Pardon my cluelessness...I'd think if I were clipping, turning the volume down would help. Does this mean the 950 and GO won't work together?

(As an aside, there my be no info on Pono, but it's designed by Ayre, and, my initial impression is.....sounds mighty good!)

Why does the Koss only have a 1V max input? Seems super low considering most line-outs are 2V and over. You'll need the IEM model to line-out properly to the energizer without any attenuation. However, since the GO has an internal 64-bit system you should be able to attenuate down to 50% volume and keep 32-bit.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Question on the GO, I have the 450 model:

1st) If I use a OTG cable to my Samsung phone and use Neutron player, does the bitrate and frequency stay the same or does it downsample to Android's 16-bit?

2nd) I don't have something with a line input to test this GO and also don't want to blow my IEMs/eardrums while listening via Foobar on my PC but if I use WASAPI to output from the player will I still be able to control the volume via Foobar volume or Windows sound volume? I don't want to test it with my IEMs to find out I've ruined them because Foobar WASAP bypasses volume control on the GO.

 

[miceblue]

2nd) I don't have something with a line input to test this GO and also don't want to blow my IEMs/eardrums while listening via Foobar on my PC but if I use WASAPI to output from the player will I still be able to control the volume via Foobar volume or Windows sound volume? I don't want to test it with my IEMs to find out I've ruined them because Foobar WASAP bypasses volume control on the GO.

Works just fine for me.

I don't understand how the volume works with the GO through Windows though. Adjusting the Windows volume causes the analogue volume slider of the LH Control Panel to move, but it does nothing for me in terms of volume. I have to manually adjust the master control slider to change the volume...

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

So the volume slider on Foobar does change volume with WASAPI on?

 

[miceblue]

So the volume slider on Foobar does change volume with WASAPI on?

That is correct.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Up next is getting it to work with my Samsung Galaxy S3 with an OTG cable. I'm wondering if it will play native formats or down sample to 16-bit Android levels.

I have purchased Neutron player but would be willing to purchase other players if Neutron doesn't work.

 

[jbr1971]

  Up next is getting it to work with my Samsung Galaxy S3 with an OTG cable. I'm wondering if it will play native formats or down sample to 16-bit Android levels.

I have purchased Neutron player but would be willing to purchase other players if Neutron doesn't work.

 
As long as the player decodes the files at their native format/sample rate, the Geek Out should play them at those formats/rates.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I bought an OTG cable from Amazon but I can't get it to work with my Galaxy. I have 4.4.2 android and trying to use Neutron as well as Spotify, no luck. I  get the blue light on the DSD led coming on as well as the 44.1k but nothing comes out of the line-out to my amp.

Is there a particular player I should be using? Or...a trick perhaps to get the phone to output OTG to it? I've used it before with FiiO e18 and that worked fine with all players but never with an OTG. I'm guessing either I have a faulty OTG or something I'm doing isn't correct.

 

[jbr1971]

  I bought an OTG cable from Amazon but I can't get it to work with my Galaxy. I have 4.4.2 android and trying to use Neutron as well as Spotify, no luck. I  get the blue light on the DSD led coming on as well as the 44.1k but nothing comes out of the line-out to my amp.

Is there a particular player I should be using? Or...a trick perhaps to get the phone to output OTG to it? I've used it before with FiiO e18 and that worked fine with all players but never with an OTG. I'm guessing either I have a faulty OTG or something I'm doing isn't correct.

 
The Geek is probably drawing too much power from the tablet.
 
Try getting a split USB cable that allows the Geek to be on the data leg, and a portable USB battery on the power side.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I suspected this but it seems others have had luck without a battery pack and just a straight otg usb cable to their GO from their Android phone (not tablet).

The Geek is probably drawing too much power from the tablet.

Try getting a split USB cable that allows the Geek to be on the data leg, and a portable USB battery on the power side.

 

[peter123]

I suspected this but it seems others have had luck without a battery pack and just a straight otg usb cable to their GO from their Android phone (not tablet).

It depends on the power output on the phone and that varies on different phone models. You could also try with the USB Audio Player Pro or Hiby Music app to see if it makes a difference.

 

[doctorjazz]

I'm listening to my Giik Out Special Edition, nice Pono store hi rez Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. I started listening to the HE-560, just doesn't have the juice to drive it. Changed to Thinksound On1, really fine sounding. My question, (applies to some other cans I use, like the Koss ESP-950): Is there a setting to use this as a real line out, so I can just use the (fine) DA converter, run it into my Ray Samuels, HR-2, and have the juice to drive the 560 (or into the Koss electrostatic amp)?
Thanks

 

[kawaivpc1]

I'm listening to my Giik Out Special Edition, nice Pono store hi rez Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. I started listening to the HE-560, just doesn't have the juice to drive it. Changed to Thinksound On1, really fine sounding. My question, (applies to some other cans I use, like the Koss ESP-950): Is there a setting to use this as a real line out, so I can just use the (fine) DA converter, run it into my Ray Samuels, HR-2, and have the juice to drive the 560 (or into the Koss electrostatic amp)?
Thanks

Hey, does your Geek Out SE sound better than iFi iDSD, AK240, Calyx M, Cowon P1??