GoVibe DAC mini review

Last Sunday I received a Go Vibe DAC (thanks Wilson!) and off course immediately had to run it through its paces. First thing that stands out is how small this DAC is . It looks like a miniature version of a Xin SMIII which is to say it's built like a tank. It's made of black eloxated aluminium which makes it a bit susceptible to finger prints.

There are only two connectors, one USB mini and one headphone jack. No volume knob, no charging jack just the basics. A led indicates if the DAC is idle (green) or working (red). The device comes in a small velvet bag with a cord so you can wear it around your neck. A USB to mini USB cable is included.My plan is to use this DAC with my Kohjinsha SA1F00A, a small UMPC running Windows XP. I connected it to one of the two USB ports and plugged in my Shure E500's.

Windows XP recognised the GoVibe as "USB speakers" which is a bit strange but I haven't been able to change that. Unfortunately that's as far as I could get because the sound that came out of my IEM's was horribly distorted. I've tried disabling the internal soundcard, reinstalling drivers and installed ASIO drivers but nothing helped. For the moment the Kohjinsha is out . Good thing I still have my desktop PC although that beast is a bit less portable The connection there went a lot smoother. Vista recognised the DAC correctly as a USB Burr Brown (Onkyo) DAC. I quick test revealed that there was nothing wrong with the GoVibe, sound came though crystal clear.On with the test. Because there is no impedance switch and no volume knob all adjustments are made on the computer.

There's quite a bit of hiss when the DAC is idle which could be because my E500's are so sensitive. With a pair of cans that are less sensitive (I tried the GoVibe with iGrado's for a few minutes) there shouldn't be any problems. The most important part of course is the quality of the sound it produces and it's here that the DAC started to shine. The GoVibe DAC puts the music on a whole new level! Highs are incredible detailed, mids are well defined and lows are nice and crisp. It puts my iPod-AE2 combo to shame. All music I played through the DAC came out very clean as if I had opened a (dirty) window. Even with the high levels of hiss it was a joy to listen to the choirs in Lord of the Rings and Mozart's requiem.

The E500's are very good at reproducing percussion and the GoVibe gives them a lot of extra kick. The soundstage is huge and placement of each instrument is very precise. I'm a sucker for details and the GoVibe gives them in spades. I just might sell my Soundblaster SX although that external card is more versatile.

Conclusion: good things come in small packages, this DAC is certainly worth it's price. I hope that my Kohjinsha will be friends with the GoVibe soon, it just might be I found my next portable music solution!