Go-vibe and LDM+ Reivew

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Go-vibe and LDM+ Reivew; My first noobish attempt at reviews!
Topic Started: 25 Oct 2006, 12:12 AM (462 Views)
That dude	25 Oct 2006, 12:12 AM Post #1
50000+ Member Posts: 127 Group: Members Member #31 Joined: 15 October 2006	Equipment used: Go-vibe (2-3 weeks old) LDM+ (From 2nd MO) Super.fi 5 pro (2 months old) Cardas hp-1 interconnect (Burnt-in in 1 direction) Ipod 5.2g 30GB (EQ Off) Jaben/qsilver Ipod lineout (2-3 weeks old) Track: 世上唯一的花 by 女子十二楽坊 at 320 bitrate, mp3 format My ears (15-16 years old :P) Ok, I'll start with the LDM+. (Comparisons would be based on stock to amped difference.) Built Quality The LDM+ is shiny, small but slightly heavy due to the metal casing used. The compact design cause difficulty for modifications. It is hard and sturdy, however, some LDM+ came with defects such as bent volume knobs and such. The volume knob does not provide good grip and a large fore is needed to turn the amp on. This would be inconvenient for people who keep them in a pouch or a bag with limited space for movement. However, the audio jack(female) is quite fragile, long term of misuse could loosen it. Other stuff The LDM+ uses internal rechargeable batteries. 1 charge 150 hours! That is a lot. It also comes with the adapter. Sound Pros: Treble There is a significant increase in detail. The LDM+ brightens the sound. The Er-hu's really shone and took over the song. Lost details starts showing up. (For example, the hitting sound due to strumming of the pipa strings) Mids There is less emphasis on mids. The LDM+ amplifies the mids making it louder and more noticeable, however, it is often overshadowed by the overpowering trebles. bass The LDM+ tightens the bass and makes it more tuneful. The bass is also amplified, making it more noticeable. It is slightly stronger than the Mids. However this is not a amp for the "bass impaired" Ear/headphones. Cons: The LDM+ is extremely hissy. The hiss occurs when the music is off, or when there is soft music playing. This is quite irritating at times. The LDM+ also creates narrow soundstage. A bit larger or same as the stock amps in dap's (ipod, in this case) but nothing to be wowed about. The power provided by the amp is limited hence the volume level is quite limited compared to other amps. I.E. The volume knob may need to be at 1 o'clock to achieve other amps' 11 o'clock volume. The bright sound might cause a piercing effect, and long term listening at high levels would cause fatigue. Conclusion The LDM+ is really good for its price but do not expect it to do wonders. It’s a great amp for beginners. It would work well with bassy and muddy phones as the LDM+ would brighten up the trebles and tighten the bass providing a cleaner sound. Bright phones are not recommended to be used with the LDM+. It is best to get an interconnect that would tone down the sharpness of the amp to reduce listening fatigue. Pics: The Go-vibe V5 Built Quality The Govibes come wrapped in toilet paper dyed in blue. Really… Its casing is black plastic with the input/output words printed in white together with the words “go-vibe”. The case is slightly bigger compared the LDM+ and it is slightly lighter. The knob is big and has many grooves for better grip. However, the dull green LED is a let down compared to the LDM+ (IMO). Other stuff The huge case is to accommodate the 9-volt battery it uses. It does have a power input jack but it does not charge the battery. Instead it goes straight to powering the amp. The amp can take up the 24 volts of power. The innards of the govibe is all soldered, hence modding it would be difficult. However, the op-amp it uses is a pretty good one and nothing much can be done to it. Sound Pros: Treble As Govibe is generally a darker amp, compared to LDM+, it does not brighten the sound so much. However, there is no lack in detail. The soundstage opens up, even using an IEM, there is a huge difference. There are no piercing highs to worry about. The sound is more balanced because everything is amplified with the same levels. Thus, the er-hu is now complimented better by the other instruments without losing the role as the melody. Mids The mids are not spectacular. However, there is a significant difference in sound with/without the amp. The mids are brought out more hence, all of the instruments within the “mids” are heard more clearly. Bass The bass tightens up and gets a more main part in the music. This might be due to the dark nature of the govibes. In other words, it’s not the bass getting louder, it’s the treble less emphasized. It gets deeper extension and longer sustains. More stuff The govibe is a very strong amp. It hence could power larger headphones at higher levels. There is little or no hiss when the amp is turned on. Cons The casing might be bulky compared to the LDM+ and portability would be an issue. The grooves on the knob would sometimes get caught on the fabric in my bag and when I try to pull it out, the knob turns and I get a sudden unwanted volume increase. (I.E. the knob is too loose/easily turned) The sound signature of the earphones will not be changed much, hence it is best if the IEM/Headphone used would be one of preference and don’t expect much difference by using bassy phones or treble emphasized phones and expect a great improvement in sound signature. There is a sound of static everytime the knob is turned, it usually happens after some time of usage. Conslusion This is a great amp without doubt. At $160 - $180 it is a real bargain for the improvement in sound quality. It has most of the pros of LDM+ without the cons. Phones with narrow soundstage, like most IEMs would benefit a lot from the amp as it really opens up a lot. The sound is more separated, less “squished” together. The interconnects have quite a big influence on the sound of the amp, therefore, choosing the right one would be of great importance. If only it looked better! Pics: Bonus pics coming soon.
	Wait, What?


ahdui	25 Oct 2006, 12:15 AM Post #2
aux! Posts: 5,258 Group: Administrator Member #1 Joined: 15 October 2006	nice attempt and pls go to bed, u have sch tml. we will all read thru and give some comments to improve your review
	Transportable: iRiver h120(2300mAh)→Sysconcept Optical Cable→AOS Electornics Co. Piccolo DAC→ahdui's CryoFreeze™ TCu IC→ahdui's Enfo PA-1→Custom Shure SE530 Backup: AMB y-1 DAC (MisterX Mod) Cycling: Sansa Clip 4GB→Philips SHS3200 Earhooks Portable: Rio Karma→UltimateEars Super.Fi 5eb Backup Rig: RedWineAudio 40GB iPod Photo→ahdui's CryoFreeze™ RBT IC→iBasso P3 Heron(ahdui Mod) →Custom Shure SE530 Home: "Upgrading In Progress"→Alessandro MS Pro/JVC HP-DX1000 Desktop: PC→Belden 1505F→CityPulse DAC 7.2x II→Belden 89207→KRK Rokit Powered 5


theory_87	25 Oct 2006, 12:36 AM Post #3
I Need More Money To Spend Posts: 951 Group: Members Member #14 Joined: 15 October 2006	nice review... i will be editing my im716 say this Sat and doing up reviews or should i say 1st impression for GoVibe v5 and the Snake IC from Jaben
	Source: Sansa Clip x 2 \| iAudio U2 \| Rio Karma \| iPod Nano 4GB Gen 1 x 2 \| iMod 60GB iPod Photo \| iPod Gen 5.5 x 2 \| iRiver H140 \| HP Pavilion dv6121TX Amp: Xin SuperMicro IV \| theory_87's DPA1 \| iBasso D10 Modded \| iBasso fi.Quest \| Onkyo TX-SV919THX \| Yaqin CD1 Tube Buffer w Mullard E88CC \| AMB CK²III Heaphone/IEM/Speaker: CrossRoad MylarOne X3 \| SoundMagic PL30 \| Modded Altec Lasing im716 \| Fischer Audio Eterna w modified UM56 \| Custom Ultimate Ears® super.fi 5 Extended Bass™ \| Custom Ultimate Ears® #4/1000 triple.fi 10 Pro™ + mid driver\| ACS T1 \| JBL PS100 & Yamaha VS10M Others: xxx red series 3.5mm & RCA IC \| DIY HGA 3.5mm IC \| DIY Jena Cryo 3.5mm IC \| DIY ALO SXC 3.5mm IC \| Custom Optical IC \| Ridox contact protector/enhancer \| DeoxIT ProGOLD \| Mapleshade SilClear


ahdui	25 Oct 2006, 12:39 AM Post #4
aux! Posts: 5,258 Group: Administrator Member #1 Joined: 15 October 2006	kk, be sure you do a fine job! lol nice to have dinner with you today
	Transportable: iRiver h120(2300mAh)→Sysconcept Optical Cable→AOS Electornics Co. Piccolo DAC→ahdui's CryoFreeze™ TCu IC→ahdui's Enfo PA-1→Custom Shure SE530 Backup: AMB y-1 DAC (MisterX Mod) Cycling: Sansa Clip 4GB→Philips SHS3200 Earhooks Portable: Rio Karma→UltimateEars Super.Fi 5eb Backup Rig: RedWineAudio 40GB iPod Photo→ahdui's CryoFreeze™ RBT IC→iBasso P3 Heron(ahdui Mod) →Custom Shure SE530 Home: "Upgrading In Progress"→Alessandro MS Pro/JVC HP-DX1000 Desktop: PC→Belden 1505F→CityPulse DAC 7.2x II→Belden 89207→KRK Rokit Powered 5


theory_87	25 Oct 2006, 12:56 AM Post #5
I Need More Money To Spend Posts: 951 Group: Members Member #14 Joined: 15 October 2006	ahdui Oct 25 2006, 12:39 AM kk, be sure you do a fine job! lol nice to have dinner with you today with everyones help, i believe it can be nicely done... haha... nice to know that you love hp too...
	Source: Sansa Clip x 2 \| iAudio U2 \| Rio Karma \| iPod Nano 4GB Gen 1 x 2 \| iMod 60GB iPod Photo \| iPod Gen 5.5 x 2 \| iRiver H140 \| HP Pavilion dv6121TX Amp: Xin SuperMicro IV \| theory_87's DPA1 \| iBasso D10 Modded \| iBasso fi.Quest \| Onkyo TX-SV919THX \| Yaqin CD1 Tube Buffer w Mullard E88CC \| AMB CK²III Heaphone/IEM/Speaker: CrossRoad MylarOne X3 \| SoundMagic PL30 \| Modded Altec Lasing im716 \| Fischer Audio Eterna w modified UM56 \| Custom Ultimate Ears® super.fi 5 Extended Bass™ \| Custom Ultimate Ears® #4/1000 triple.fi 10 Pro™ + mid driver\| ACS T1 \| JBL PS100 & Yamaha VS10M Others: xxx red series 3.5mm & RCA IC \| DIY HGA 3.5mm IC \| DIY Jena Cryo 3.5mm IC \| DIY ALO SXC 3.5mm IC \| Custom Optical IC \| Ridox contact protector/enhancer \| DeoxIT ProGOLD \| Mapleshade SilClear


Klose	25 Oct 2006, 08:57 AM Post #6
Posts: 256 Group: Members Member #22 Joined: 15 October 2006	Looks like I will get the Go-Vibe after all. Great review.
	Short forms don't annoy me. BAD spelling and grammar annoy me.


Jin	25 Oct 2006, 12:00 PM Post #7
Posts: 94 Group: Members Member #88 Joined: 24 October 2006	where to get LDM in sg?
	iPod Mini First Generation \| iPod 5G Video 30GB \| iAudio X5L \| Westone UM1


Qsilver2001	25 Oct 2006, 12:45 PM Post #8
18Volt Believer Posts: 716 Group: Global Moderator Member #5 Joined: 15 October 2006	Jin Oct 25 2006, 12:00 PM where to get LDM in sg? Hi, For LDM+ its either wait for ppl to do MO for brand new set or can hunt it down at Classifieds where others will sell it there. Hope this helps.



Jin	25 Oct 2006, 04:34 PM Post #9
Posts: 94 Group: Members Member #88 Joined: 24 October 2006	Qsilver2001 Oct 25 2006, 12:45 PM Jin Oct 25 2006, 12:00 PM where to get LDM in sg? Hi, For LDM+ its either wait for ppl to do MO for brand new set or can hunt it down at Classifieds where others will sell it there. Hope this helps. oic, dont think i got that kind patience so i'll probably get the Go Vibe from uncle wilson the LDM looks cooler tho =X
	iPod Mini First Generation \| iPod 5G Video 30GB \| iAudio X5L \| Westone UM1


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