[gtp]

Hi everyone,

Last week I ordered the new Go-Vibe V3b (at least that's what the pcb says) for $69. This is the one in the aluminum Hammond case, with no engraving. I chose the stock AD8066, red LED, and a gain of 4 for versatility. Currently my stable consists of Beyerdynamic DT250-80, Shure E2C, and Sennheiser HD201. Unamped, the DT250s sound fantastic, although they are somewhat dark and lack highs. The HD201s seem the opposite, with decent highs and mids but lacking in the low-end. My source is a 4G Ipod loaded with Lame 3.97b V0 mp3s, mp3gain'ed to 92dB so I can use the EQ. I listen to mainly rock (current and classic), but some rap, some reggae, some blues, etc. Oh yah, and a Pocketdock feeds the Go-Vibe through the stock interconnect.

The Go-Vibe arrived yesterday afternoon so this is all very preliminary. Further, this is my first experience with an external amp so take it all with a grain of salt. Going even further, I am a finance-challenged twenty-something (gotta save up for a million+ dollar tract house here in CA!), so I do not have high-end equipment at home and have never owned anything of greater reputation than the DT250s or Grado SR60s.

I installed a fresh 9V alkiline, plugged in my DT250s, and put on some Tool, which I consider the most dynamic music I have. I immediately noticed a difference. There just seemed to be more of everything and it was all enlivened. The details seemed clearer. Suddenly I was hearing the high-end from the normally dark Beyers. The overall impact was impressive. A drawback was that the relative overall bass actually seemed diminished versus the stock Ipod output. Maybe this was a result of the Go-Vibe tightening up otherwise flabby bass??? Or maybe the gain/opamp/architecture just didn't work well with the DT250s??? I enjoy bass, so I was feeling slightly disappointed, but I figured burn-in of the caps and/or rolling opamps would help in the future. Don't get me wrong, I could definately hear an improvement, but the decreased bass just put me off a little.

I next plugged in my HD201s...and my jaw dropped. I could not believe what I was hearing. In short, this was the best musical delivery system that I have ever heard. The bass was robust and impactful. Curiously, the low end was more full and impactful than the DT250s. The mids remained nice and smooth, with maybe a bit more seperation and a wider feeling. The highs also really cleaned up compared to unamped. The HD201s sounded much better than the DT250 amped. I am very surprised by these results given the mixed reviews of the HD201s (early reviews were glowing, later reviews were not). Given that quality control for a $20 headphone won't be great, maybe I got lucky and got a good pair of HD201s? Regardless, I am so happy that the DTs may be up for sale soon. My only reservations about using the HD201s daily is that my ears are fairly small, but stick out enough to be pressed down by the HD201 drivers, so after a few hours the cartledge begins to ache. If anyone can recommend another *closed* headphone with a similar sound signature but with more comfort, I am open to suggestions.

I listened to the E2Cs briefly. The highs did open up and the bass did tighten, as was expected from Kramer5150's remarks. However, the improvement was similar to the DT250s, and not as extreme as with the HD201s.

Overall, I am happy with the Go-Vibe V3b. Being initially unsure about its relative worth as an upgrade, I can now say that the improvement is significant and worth it for me.

Thanks,
George

 

[parrot5]

Great to see you write a review on the new Go-Vibe. I see so few reviews on the newer versions. I'm currently trying to decide whether to buy the Go-Vibe or the Supermini. I think Go-Vibe has a better value.

I've got a question for you. When you use the first quarter turn of the volume knob, is the sound louder on one side? That's the problem in my PA2V2 and when I upgrade I want to make sure this problem doesn't stay. (PA2V2 has a set gain at 6.1 and cannot be modified, so I heard).

 

[gtp]

Hey Parrot5,

I just did a 30 second test, and I can't perceive any imbalance at low volume settings. If I notice any imbalance in the future, I'll post it in this thread.

Thanks,
George

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by parrot5 Great to see you write a review on the new Go-Vibe. I see so few reviews on the newer versions. I'm currently trying to decide whether to buy the Go-Vibe or the Supermini. I think Go-Vibe has a better value. I've got a question for you. When you use the first quarter turn of the volume knob, is the sound louder on one side? That's the problem in my PA2V2 and when I upgrade I want to make sure this problem doesn't stay. (PA2V2 has a set gain at 6.1 and cannot be modified, so I heard).

that sounds like channel imbalance. there is no such imbalance for the full throw of my Go Vibe V3a's pot.

 

[nova_x]

Just for correction's sake... the PA2V2's gain can be changed on request from its default of 6.1 to anything. Gary (designer/maker of the PA2V2) is very accomodating and adjusts gain at no charge I believe.

 

[xluben]

Yep my PA2V2 is on my way back from Gary right now. I had him change the gain from 6.1 to 3 because my Super.fi's are way to sensative for 6.1

Also, the imbalance is due to the pot he chose to use. If you do most of your listening in the first quarter turn of the volume knob you should send it back to Gary for the change.

 

[fewtch]

The go-vibe uses an excellent pot (Panasonic EVJ) which is widely acclaimed in the DIY community... there should be no channel imbalance issues, unless you get a bad one. Mine is only unbalanced at the very lowest setting near the bottom of its range, and I'd never listen to music that quietly... it's barely audible.

 

[Fishy]

Did you notice any hissing on quieter tracks using the govibe with the Shures? I have an airhead right now, and the hissing drives me crazy if i use it with lower impedence headphones...

thanks

 

[parrot5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nova_x Just for correction's sake... the PA2V2's gain can be changed on request from its default of 6.1 to anything. Gary (designer/maker of the PA2V2) is very accomodating and adjusts gain at no charge I believe.

I asked him about the volume issue when I ordered mine (told him about using an ER-6), and he told me to keep the source volume at 20-30% and then use the PA2V2 to adjust to my desired volume....... !!!! Generally I don't believe in using any volume setting too low... I just guess the signals aren't all fed out properly. (No proof whatever, just a feeling. Correct me please.)
So looks like I can actually ask him to adjust the gain (thanks nova x and xluben). I wonder if the hiss will come up later in the turn if the gain is less?

UPDATE: Gary once again asked me to set the source volume lower. Well I guess that's it. I'll stick with it for now. Thanks everyone. Let's now return to the original topic.

 

[gtp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishy Did you notice any hissing on quieter tracks using the govibe with the Shures? I have an airhead right now, and the hissing drives me crazy if i use it with lower impedence headphones... thanks

Hi,
I tested with the Shures this morning. At very loud volume settings, there is a very, very faint hiss. It is really very minor and probably won't be an issue for normal volume levels.

George

 

[gtp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by parrot5 I've got a question for you. When you use the first quarter turn of the volume knob, is the sound louder on one side? That's the problem in my PA2V2 and when I upgrade I want to make sure this problem doesn't stay. (PA2V2 has a set gain at 6.1 and cannot be modified, so I heard).

I tested this in more detail today. For the first few degrees of rotation, when the music is just barely loud enough to hear, there is more sound on the left side than the right. By the time the knob is turned to give any reasonable volume, the imbalance is gone. So, yes, there is a little imbalance at the very bottom of the range, but it is completely gone at normal listening volumes.

George

 

[kugino]

the go-vibe isn't completely hiss-free, but it's quiet enough, even with sr60s, or er6is. i think it's a fantastic amp for that price. my ipod/go-vibe/er6i is very fun to listen to. with a good seal, the bass is nice and tight as well...i highly recommend this amp.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino the go-vibe isn't completely hiss-free, but it's quiet enough, even with sr60s, or er6is. i think it's a fantastic amp for that price. my ipod/go-vibe/er6i is very fun to listen to. with a good seal, the bass is nice and tight as well...i highly recommend this amp.

I find it almost completely hiss-free, even with high sensitivity, low impedance phones. Perhaps people are noticing hiss coming from their source and/or music.

 

[RnB180]

the go vibe is a nice entry amp, I do not recall any hissing or channel imbalance with this amp. The level of performance was very nice and would require a considerable about of more money to gain a performance level noticeably higher.

I personally would pick the go vibe over the pav2.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 the go vibe is a nice entry amp, I do not recall any hissing or channel imbalance with this amp. The level of performance was very nice and would require a considerable about of more money to gain a performance level noticeably higher.

Agreed, except maybe in bass control/refinement. A Pimeta should beat it there, because of the buffers. IMO it has more of a 'fun' bass than a tight one, altho better than a typical portable headphone jack. Using an AD8620 rather than one of the others seems to help, but doesn't completely clear it up.

Quote:

I personally would pick the go vibe over the pav2.

Ditto (and did

).