Light Harmonic Geek DAC

[Selarom]

Gavin posted more info regarding the 3D Awesomeifier

 

 

• 
  [h=3]Creator Gavin Fish 5 days ago[/h]@Nicholas - The 3DA is going through some final tweaks right now. Our new Engineer, Darren, is working on it in the lab under Larry's supervision. I've listened to his last three iterations, including one just a few minutes ago. Unlike other companies who are working on "cross feed technologies," we are doing it in both the digital and analog domains. The key is to simulate the way different frequencies interact with different surfaces in a traditional listening environment. It's quite the math exercise. I can hear Mr. Michaels now. "If 440 kHz leaves New York at 2:00AM traveling West and 32 kHz leaves California at 6:00AM traveling East, at what time will they meet, and will it be near Gavin's ears?
  
  
  

[sm31]

... It sounds like their next projects will be a continuation of Geek/Pulse line with pre-amp/streamer and possibly amplifier at low costs...

 

I think they have in mind something more modular than this. On KS, Gavin wrote (though it seems they removed posts on the Pulse since):

We have several components on the drawing board which will be

affordable to more folks and still have LH Labs performance. The next

two we'll release will probably be a bluetooth stage and an Airplay

stage (if MFI gets approved). We also have plans for a pre-amp, an

amp, a phono stage, and a linear DC power supply. Geek Pulse really

will be a family of products.

 

This sounds to me like the wireless stuff would couple with the DAC (though I'm a little unsure how; would it just be for streaming music from smartphones and such, or might it also pull files from a storage device?), and the preamp and amp would come later as more traditional independent components.

[Selarom]

I like the idea of independent components so users can mix and match according to their needs... The question is what Gavin refers as LH Labs performance as the GEEk still needs to be released. Still, it should be a million times better and more flexible than my audioengine d1 dac, considering that I paid less than $100 extra for the early bird pulse.

[happybob]

Question for Larry Ho,

 

Wow, cool products you've got coming! I have one product need that hasn't been included so far in any of these discussions: I would like to see an analog input be included as an option - for vinyl listening (headphones).

 

This does of course complicate things significantly (either requiring an internal ADC or internal analog volume control at the very least, plus the physical input connector), but allows for use with any analog source and possibly allowing for the awesomifier to be used for vinyl. Going further along these lines - and perhaps another product that would allow for listening AND digitization/storage to computer of vinyl - ideally as DSD or 384K PCM.

 

There are products that digitize vinyl of course, but it would be nice to have an all-in-one device that could allow for listening to a record without having to first digitize it, store it to a computer and then play it back.

 

Thanks, -Bob

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

I think a can answer that.

 

Geek Pulse will be a line of other products. They will be announcing some by this coming week(s).

I'll post what Gavin posted in their campaign site:

 

CreatorGavin Fish1 day ago

We have several components on the drawing board which will be affordable to more folks and still have LH Labs performance. The next two we'll release will probably be a bluetooth stage and an Airplay stage (if MFI gets approved). We also have plans for a pre-amp, an amp, a phono stage, and a linear DC power supply. Geek Pulse really will be a family of products.

[happybob]

Thanks for that info m.i.c.k.e.y. I definitely look forward to your line of products! Personally, I use mostly a MacBook Air for sourcing content and the option for truly wireless connection to high quality digital audio is very appealing (the USB DAC being a big limiter at this point). Hopefully Airplay expands to allow some of these higher datarate digital solutions. Bluetooth likely doesn't but it has other benefits.

 

As to vinyl playback - options for preamps, etc. are great although I hope the analog-input option doesn't get left out in the various headphone amp/DAC products, including the small portable products.

 

While we're at it (if you choose to address this) - is the Geek Out in any way compatible with iPhone playback? My guess is no due at least to the higher power requirements, but it does appear that iOS 7 now changed the iPhone's ability to source many USB DACs (with the aid of a lightning to USB camera adapter More info on this for the Resonessence Herus). It would be very nice if your HPA/DACs could work with computers and iPhones.

 

Thanks again, -Bob

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

Ha ha ha I'm not affiliated with LH Labs. I am just here for the music.

 

And as to your query regarding iOS 7 in iPhone. Yes, on one of their blogs they said they have problems currently with iOS 7 in iPhone, but with iPad no. Just can't locate where they placed it.

[happybob]

You seemed so knowledgeable about the products, I figured you worked for LH!!

 

As to iOS 7 and iPhones in general I sense there are a few issues... One is the slave vs master USB issue (and somehow the CCK or lightning camera adapter addresses that), but another is power demand and I think the iPad can source more power thru the CCK than can an iPhone. Certainly there's a lot of momentum driving high quality audio to be sourced from smartphones, hopefully these products support this more and more soon (Android is ahead of the game on this issue).

[Larry Ho]

Question for Larry Ho,

 

Wow, cool products you've got coming! I have one product need that hasn't been included so far in any of these discussions: I would like to see an analog input be included as an option - for vinyl listening (headphones).

 

This does of course complicate things significantly (either requiring an internal ADC or internal analog volume control at the very least, plus the physical input connector), but allows for use with any analog source and possibly allowing for the awesomifier to be used for vinyl. Going further along these lines - and perhaps another product that would allow for listening AND digitization/storage to computer of vinyl - ideally as DSD or 384K PCM.

 

There are products that digitize vinyl of course, but it would be nice to have an all-in-one device that could allow for listening to a record without having to first digitize it, store it to a computer and then play it back.

 

Thanks, -Bob

 

Good news: We will have something for turntable, analog in, analog out.

Bad news: We won't put ADC that could digitalize Vinyl in that box yet. Due to many technical reasons.

And I got your input and will have a good meeting with team quick.

 

I have to say, crowd funding campaign is the most important 'product definition' and opinions feedback channel that we have ever had. It's people's product. It's really amazing.

 

Larry

[Larry Ho]

Ha ha ha I'm not affiliated with LH Labs. I am just here for the music.

 

And as to your query regarding iOS 7 in iPhone. Yes, on one of their blogs they said they have problems currently with iOS 7 in iPhone, but with iPad no. Just can't locate where they placed it.

 

Here you go.

Must Geek Out: Geek Connected to iPad

[labjr]

Good news: We will have something for turntable, analog in, analog out.

Bad news: We won't put ADC that could digitalize Vinyl in that box yet. Due to many technical reasons.

And I got your input and will have a good meeting with team quick.

 

I have to say, crowd funding campaign is the most important 'product definition' and opinions feedback channel that we have ever had. It's people's product. It's really amazing.

 

Larry

 

I wouldn't think many would even want an analog in and out. I guess basically a pass-though.

[happybob]

Thanks for your response Larry! And thanks for you and LH being a responsive company designing great products! This is so cool that you can take user inputs and morph them into product ideas - especially useful when the inputs come from sites like computeraudiophile where we are a bit more knowledgeable than average consumers in the realm.

 

Glad to see Analog in getting attention. Turntable use is growing and many folks still have extensive record collections that we want to listen to in a high quality fashion which means either DSD or 192K or 358K digitization or direct analog playback. The closest product I've seen to doing it all is this one from PS Audio, but it has some limitations like no built in DAC. And while I'm dreaming, I can see a product that has the ADC and DAC built in that can also do room correction (DSPeaker has such a product now and a much better one coming out in 2014).

 

Good news about the iOS device working thru the CCK. Maybe on your website you can indicate some USB Batteries (or include a battery as an option in the Geek Out).

 

Thanks!

[labjr]

I still want to see a better DAC by LH that is modular and upgradable. Obviously not going to happen for 2 bills.

[Savage]

Larry Ho - Is the Lightspeed Jr. usb cable that comes with the Pulse similar at all to the regular Lightspeed cable?

 

I can see the power and data legs are combined in the Jr but, do they share any design aspects - Wire, connectors dielectric etc.

 

Not expecting a whole lot for a free cable but it's nice to be surprised

[Savage]

They have made a bluetooth stage available for the Geek Pulse. Not sure if I will hold my breath on SQ, consumer convenience may be more inline.

 

Geek Pulse: A Digital Audio Awesomifier for Your Desktop | Indiegogo

 

 

 

 

Also some changes to the Pulse from funder suggestions

 

Changes & Updates to Geek Pulse Thanks to You!

This is not a final list of changes, this is just what we can commit to right now. We'll continually take your suggestions throughout the campaign.

 

1. We're removing the decorative "V" on the front panel.

2. We're changing from a glossy acrylic front panel to a metal one.

3. We're changing the volume control buttons to a large control knob.

4. We're adding informative LED's to the front panel to display sample rates, etc.

5. We're adding a gain switch so all ya'll with IEM's won't blow your ear drums out. We're thinking three positions: 3 W, 1 W, and 100 mW.

6. The headphone output and the line output will have discrete analog circuits.

[MikeJazz]

They have made a bluetooth stage available for the Geek Pulse. Not sure if I will hold my breath on SQ, consumer convenience may be more inline.

 

Geek Pulse: A Digital Audio Awesomifier for Your Desktop | Indiegogo

 

 

Hi!.

The changes from the feedback are very nice...

 

However, concerning the Bluetooth stage, I am unimpressed, because I was expecting more like a renderer/converter of ethernet to the Pulse.

 

Anyway, it will appeal to the niche of people that use Bluetooth, so it's probably a good marketing decision..

[Savage]

Hi!.

The changes from the feedback are very nice...

 

However, concerning the Bluetooth stage, I am unimpressed, because I was expecting more like a renderer/converter of ethernet to the Pulse.

 

Anyway, it will appeal to the niche of people that use Bluetooth, so it's probably a good marketing decision..

 

I initially thought this was only a companion piece for the Pulse and would connect via SPDIF or some such...which it does but it also seems to have it's own DAC and output making it a stand-alone. In the interest of keeping things simple my "guess" is that it uses the same dac chip and specs as the pulse. Larry Ho?

[Superdad]

I initially thought this was only a companion piece for the Pulse and would connect via SPDIF or some such...which it does but it also seems to have it's own DAC and output making it a stand-alone. In the interest of keeping things simple my "guess" is that it uses the same dac chip and specs as the pulse. Larry Ho?

 

I too thought it was an add-on at first (especially since they were promoting it to Pulse backers--of which I am one). But no, I really don't see how it would be logically daisy-chained with it--at least not without some redundancy and compromise.

So it seems to be a separate product--and really a separate target audience.

[Larry Ho]

I like the idea of independent components so users can mix and match according to their needs... The question is what Gavin refers as LH Labs performance as the GEEk still needs to be released. Still, it should be a million times better and more flexible than my audioengine d1 dac, considering that I paid less than $100 extra for the early bird pulse.

 

Hi, you got it.

 

We design Geek Blue as a separated component, not a module inside the DAC due to the consideration of EMI.

 

Confirmed: Geek Blue will work with Geek Pulse DAC. Not inside it. ;-)

 

Larry

[Larry Ho]

Larry Ho - Is the Lightspeed Jr. usb cable that comes with the Pulse similar at all to the regular Lightspeed cable?

 

I can see the power and data legs are combined in the Jr but, do they share any design aspects - Wire, connectors dielectric etc.

 

Not expecting a whole lot for a free cable but it's nice to be surprised

 

I will reveal more details very soon.... But you could believe in one thing, it won't be an ordinary USB cable with some decorative stuff. I insist on higher than 480MHz bandwidth, also constant high frequency impedance with less capacitance. These are the most essential keys to get the best out of USB 2.0 Audio Class.

 

Enjoy!

 

Larry

[Selarom]

Hi, you got it.

 

We design Geek Blue as a separated component, not a module inside the DAC due to the consideration of EMI.

 

Confirmed: Geek Blue will work with Geek Pulse DAC. Not inside it. ;-)

 

Larry

 

Hey Larry

 

Have you considered also making the GEEK Blue a DLNA/UPnP media renderer over WiFi or Ethernet?

 

That would make the GB way more flexible. Including DSD network streaming would make it just amazing!!

[Selarom]

I will reveal more details very soon.... But you could believe in one thing, it won't be an ordinary USB cable with some decorative stuff. I insist on higher than 480MHz bandwidth, also constant high frequency impedance with less capacitance. These are the most essential keys to get the best out of USB 2.0 Audio Class.

 

Enjoy!

 

Larry

 

Great! Thanks for that Larry!

 

Will the Geek Pulse use USB power from the source or will it be powered by Geek power supply (isolating noisy power from computer) ???

[sm31]

Will the Geek Pulse use USB power from the source ...?

 

Project page says "Since Geek Pulse isn't USB powered ..."

[Selarom]

Thank you!

[Larry Ho]

Thanks for your response Larry! And thanks for you and LH being a responsive company designing great products! This is so cool that you can take user inputs and morph them into product ideas - especially useful when the inputs come from sites like computeraudiophile where we are a bit more knowledgeable than average consumers in the realm.

 

Glad to see Analog in getting attention. Turntable use is growing and many folks still have extensive record collections that we want to listen to in a high quality fashion which means either DSD or 192K or 358K digitization or direct analog playback. The closest product I've seen to doing it all is this one from PS Audio, but it has some limitations like no built in DAC. And while I'm dreaming, I can see a product that has the ADC and DAC built in that can also do room correction (DSPeaker has such a product now and a much better one coming out in 2014).

 

Good news about the iOS device working thru the CCK. Maybe on your website you can indicate some USB Batteries (or include a battery as an option in the Geek Out).

 

Thanks!

 

If you got the chance, welcome to LH Labs: Get Your Audio Geek On so more people could see your idea there. ADC got quite some votes there.

 

Thanks for your support.

 

Larry