If you spent any time on the GO-Vibe V5 headphone amp review, and found my pictures didn’t open, then i’m very sorry. Everything is now working fine and dandy, and to save you the hassle, here’s the link for the review;

Full, Go-Vibe V5 review

and here are my pictures. Enjoy!

You’re looking for a headphone amp are you? Preferably a portable headphone amp, am I right? Well I’m here to put forward the case for the excellent Go-vibe V5 headphones, recently acquired by yours truly.

Well not recently, it’s been a few months since I received it, and I have to say that I have been enjoying it.

The great headphone amp debate.

There seems to be a great debate among some headphone enthusiasts how effective or necessary a headphone amp really is, in today’s headphone society.

There seems to be two basic expectations that you might have when considering buying a headphone amp.

1) Some headphones have a high impedance (resistance, measured in Ohms), or in other words, headphones that are deemed “hard to drive.”

The famous Sennheiser HD650 headphones have an impedance of 300, which is very high. My Sennheiser HD25 headphones (the one I never talk about) have an impedance of 70, which doesn’t seem much, but is still a little concerning.

The Ultrasone icans have an impedance of 35 Ohms, whilst my very large Ultrasone Proline 750 headphones, have an impedance of 40 Ohms. Both are about your average impedance for headphones under £100.

2) Will it improve the sound quality and detail? And here’s where it gets confusing and here’s where the arguments often start.

It’s often considered that despite how high the quality of your components, the argument is that the headphone sockets (and relative components) are some what of an afterthought, therefore promoting the idea that some type of extra boost (headphone amp) is needed to give your headphones the best signal.

Adding an addition of a headphone amp, is adding another company’s interpretation of how the sound, ……should sound. From components to cables to headphone amps to headphones, every company has their own agenda.

Why the Go-Vibe V5?

Let me just ramp up a few considerations that you might be thinking of as well.

1) To increase the volume of the ipod / Ultrasone 750 combination, in the hope of getting some more volume, rather than sound quality.

2) I wanted to see if it would improve the sound. Are these reasons looking familiar to you so far?

3) To find out if the a headphone amp is needed for cheaper headphones like the Koss porta pro or sennheiser PX200.

4) Curiosity.

5) Budget; I didn’t want to spend too much until I was convinced.

6) The ability to change the battery easily, rather than having to unscrew the headphone amp.

7) Because I live in the UK, I know that the electric currents are different and I didn’t want to buy a power convertor yet, hence, I wanted to change the battery easily.

I read many positive reviews about them, unlike rival headphone amps at the same price.

To be fair, it’s the first headphone amp I’ve owned, but not the first I’ve tried. But, my biggest concern is that I wanted to use my Ultrasone 750 in the art studio. I think to ask a small (physically) device to power a huge pair of headphones like the Ultrasone, is silly. It’s like attaching a lawn mower engine into a hummer!

The ordering process!
I’ve put the ordering process in, with all communications I could find, because I was amazed by the whole process.

emails communications

Friday, March 02, 2007 10:01

I’m interested in your V5 amd and the Cardas 6″ mini to mini cable.
the only thing I need to know is how much the shipping
charges are.
look forward to hearing from you soon.
Matt

Look at how quickly I got my reply.

Fri, 2 Mar 2007 10:34

Matthew,

Thank you for your enquiry. The total for a Go-Vibe V5 and Cardas mini
to mini cable is $77US including shipping. I prefer to use Paypal to this
email address, but I can arrange other methods if neccessary.
Remember to specify a low gain or regular gain.
An order placed today would ship Monday.
Regards

Norman

Saturday, March 03, 2007 6:34 PM

sounds very good. I’d love to go the paypal route, but
what do I need to do from my end to get that to happen?
also what’s the expected delivery time for my order.
I really look forward to hearing from you. I’m gagging
to get hold of one of your amps.
matt

Sun, 4 Mar 2007 07:57

Matthew,

I will go ahead and send you a detailed Paypal invoice. It comes with
instructions on how to pay without actually siging up for a Paypal
account if you don’t want to.
I’m leaving on a business trip today, but I will be back tomorrow
evening.
I would be able to ship your order on Tuesday, and normally shipping
takes around 6 business days.
Regards

Norman

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 05:00

Pay Me With PayPal
Dear matthew scarlett,

James Dalgarno (jndal@rogers.com) would like to be paid through PayPal.
Pay James Dalgarno now with PayPal!

Invoice
James Dalgarno
84 Flora Street
St Thomas
Ontario
N5P 2X6
Canada
jndal@rogers.com
Qty
Description
Unit Price
Amount
1 Go-Vibe V5
55.00
55.00

1 Cardas 6″ mini to mini cable
12.00
12.00
1 Paypal fee
3.00
3.00
Subtotal:
$70.00
Postage:
7.00
Currency is in U.S. Dollars (USD)
Total:
$77.00 USD
Note:Here is the invoice you requested for a Go-Vibe V5 and Cardas cable.
Thank you very much for the order!

Mon, 5 Mar 2007 05:2

Dear Go-Vibe customer,

Thank you for your email enquiry.

I am out of town on business today Mar. 4th and tomorrow Mar. 5th. All
in-house orders have been shipped. Any new orders coming in during this
period will be shipped Tuesday Mar. 6th.
I will address all enquiries and orders when I return tomorrow evening.

Regards
Norman

Mon, 5 Mar 2007 15:40

Hi Matthew,
 I received your payment for the Go-Vibe V5 and Cardas 6″ cable. Your order will be shipped tomorrow.
 Thank you very much for the order!
 Norman

Wed, 7 Mar 2007 17:1

Hi Mathew,

I received your payment for the Go-Vibe V5 and
Cardas 6″ cable. Your order will be shipped tomorrow.
Thank you very much for the order!
Norman

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:26

just to let you know that I received the amp last
saturday. although because of personal circumstances,
I haven’t open it yet.
thank you once again
Matt Scarlett

So the order took 5 days to come, including the time Norman was away from the office. That’s five days from America to the United Kingdom, that’s not bad!

Pictures of the grand opening.

Getting started

I only had a cheap 9V battery which had to do to start with. The first headphones a plugged in were the Ultrasone 750 headphones, via my imac, and the improvements were very noticeable. The bass although not as full was better defined and more tuneful and pleasant. You can hear the bass instead of just feeling it.

Yes, I’m a great believer in feeling bass, even from headphones, but when I played Ah-Ha the living daylights, it was a pleasant, new experience. Things are getting better.

Ultrasone and ipod shuffle 1G

But, the thing I notice most especially with the Ultrasone 750 and the ipod shuffle was the sheer volume that was now available. Now all my university colleagues can hear my music in the art studio, which is nice, because when you have a naked man or woman in front of you, that you have to draw for 5 1/2 hours; you need something to take your mind of it.

http://scarlettsart.wordpress.com/

http://scarlettsart.wordpress.com/2007/04/01/life-drawing/

So how does it sound?

I’ll give you a very brief overview of some headphones and the effect the Go-Vibe V5 headphone amp has on each. As the Go-vibe is a portable amp, and the ipod was the main reason for the purchase, I’ll stick with the ipod Shuffle 1G for now.

Songs:

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake)

Erasure, Chorus

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm

Ultrasone Proline 750

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): A touch is added to the bottom end, but a slight edge is added to the top end, which is not entirely expected.

Erasure, Breath Of Life: The overall delivery is more full, although i don’t know if that benefits this song. the lower end has weight, but it’s the mids that are clean and better defined than without the Go-Vibe.

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: Clean and well defined, especial on the upper frequency’s. out of the three songs, this shows the best improvement. Brainstrom needs to be controlled, and the Go-vibes does the job well.

The tiny shuffle just can’t power these sufficiently despite the impedance figures. It’s asking too much of the ipod, and as explained this was the main reason for buying the Go-Vibe.

Sennheiser HD25

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): This is where the sheer bass weight is reeled in a touch and becomes a bit more bearable. Strange because I never felt that the HD25’s were that strong in the bass department.

The upper mid range get a bit more definition as well.

Erasure, Breath Of Life: Once again smooth but clear mids, but generally better defined.

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: Just takes enough edge off the track without spoiling it. Probably not as involving enough for some, but again it’s the upper mids that benefits.

Sennheiser PX200

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): a definite benefit to the warmth and delivery of the bass. I’m surprised at how much the V5 benefits the PX200’s, I really am.

Erasure, Breath Of Life: Wow, the Sennheiser’s really open up with the V5. If ever there was a song to show how good the V5 is, then Erasure and the PX200’s would be a cracking combination!

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: The PX200’s are taken to another level. In every way you can think of, the Go-Vibe shows it’s magic.

Sennheiser PX100

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): Surprisingly the Go-vibe needs to be pushed to get the best out of it. Not good for your ears, but at low volumes, it’s hard to make a good case for the V5 and the PX100. Remember here the Go-Vibe is nearly twice the price (depending on the deal) of the PX100.

Erasure, Breath Of Life: As above, but that’s not a bad thing on this track!

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: With this combination the Sennheiser’s benefit from a bit of taming, especially at the top end.

Sennheiser HD212

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): Bass was never lacking in the HD212’s, but here it might be a bit too overwhelming for some. I like my bass full fat, so the V5 puts a smile on my face. It’s up to you!

Erasure, Breath Of Life: the music is opened up nicely, just like on the PX200’s. The stronger (not deeper) bass is a nice bonus on this track.

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: No, is the answer. It just gives the track to much freedom. Sometimes it’s a good thing, but with I feel that this Arctic Monkeys needs a bit of taming. The Go-vibe opens it up a bit too much for my personal taste.

Koss Porta Pro

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): I’m trying to decide whether the V5 really works here I just think the Koss needs to be let loose, instead of being tamed.

Erasure, Breath Of Life:With this track the Koss really need the Go-Vibe. it opens up everything. Without the V5, this Erasure track sound very lifeless. Another surprise.

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: As long as you’ve got a good control on the volume, the Koss will benefit from the extra push.

AKG K27i

Timberland, Give It To Me (Feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake): The bass becomes more tuneful rather than out-and-out boomy. This may take some of the magic away, but the Go-Vibes make it less fatiguing.

Erasure, Breath Of Life: Oh, yes, this is a definite improvement. The Bass is stronger in-fact the whole song comes together, instead of being in three badly separated pieces of music.

Arctic Monkeys, Brainstorm: Even at low levels this improves as well. the Go-vibe once again intuitively takes enough of the edge off to start enjoying the music.

Audio Technica ATH-ON3

I always make the mistake of listening to these after wearing something like the Ultrasone 750’s, so forgive me whilst I adjust for a few moments!

The Go-Vibe curbs much of the ATH’s enthusiasm, but for these particular headphones, I’m not sure that it’s a good thing. when it comes to the these little headphones, they need all the help they can get, bless ‘em.

Yes you’ll notice the difference, but only if you turn the volume up, then you’ll feel the influence of the Go-Vibe. If your a “low level” listener, then the Audio Technica’s could go without.

Conclusion from the test.

The words to best describe the Go-Vibe is, smooth yet powerful. Sometimes this can add to hearing the bass rather than feeling the bass. instead of getting peaks and troughs, especially in the mid and highs, the sound comes together more fluidly.

Sometimes I want the Go-Vibe to define the music a little better, but on other tracks, a little edge taken off is just what’s needed.

The big surprise for the Go-Vibe was the Sennheiser PX200 and the HD25 headphones. The PX200’s especially loved being plugged into the V5. There was a real noticeable improvement, which considering that you can get the PX200 for nearly half the price of the Go-Vibe, it took me by surprise.

I thought that sonically, the lesser priced headphones would show little increase in their performance, well, not enough to justify investing in the V5. You still might need to consult your conscience. For me it would still be a yes, regardless of the price difference between the PX200 and the Go-Vibe.

Should you buy one?

Oh absolutely, and regardless of a few negative comments on the net, it’s a matter of being with it than without. But until I get hold of similarly priced rival headphone amps, I just can’t give you a full comparison as to the best value.

Again, with that said, I’d rather be with my Go-Vibe V5 than with out it, and I would whole heartedly recommend you get one. and if you have a pair of anything around the Grado SR60 price range or above, I’d say it’s a must have, regardless of whether your headphones impedance.

ipod and the rest of the mp3 world, once again if you have headphones earphones or IEM’s that are above the average price, then this should be your next purchase.

Click image to go to the Go-Vibe website

……then, i suggest you go to my fellow enthusiasts site www.headphonesrock.com because there are some great reviews on portable headphone amps.

I’m writing a full review of the Go-Vibe V5 portable headphone amp at the moment, that’ll be ready in the latter part of the week.

Although called headphonesrock, Ben concentrates a majority of his site to amplifiers, which of course includes headphone amps.

Here are two of my favourite reports;

http://www.headphonesrock.com/2007/04/18/ibasso-p1/

http://www.headphonesrock.com/2007/04/07/td-dreamwork-xtra-x-1/

I’ve literally just got back from bringing my wife back from the hospital, and now I can see her walking upstairs to bed. With three slipped disc that was a heard thing to do.

Anyway because of more than frequent trips to the hospital, I’ve fallen behind on reports for you. There’s lots I need to get stuck into, so let me give you an idea of what’s coming up.

1) Quick but a full review of the lovely Go-Vibe headphone amp.

2) Koss porta pro review, possibly against the Sennheiser PX100 and PX200 headphones.

3) Review of my revived Sennheiser HD25 headphones, thanks to Brian at www.sennheiserspares.com

4) Themes week; will concentrate on you making a decision about your headphone needs and wants. Some hard questions will be asked, because I find that people want it all, and many of their headphone requests are……. not easy to resolve.

So in the next few weeks that’s what’s coming up, and of course some more great headphone prices. Thanks for your patience, meanwhile, if I can help you in any way, contact me by leaving a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you.

Join the headphonedeals forum

Because my wife is in hospital for a few weeks, I might not have the time to update everyday. With, that in mind let me give you the best five deals that I think you should cash in on.

Now because of my inexperience with IEM’s I’m going to quickly point out my recommendations for five of the best deals on full size headphones.

Click the images for more info

1) Grado SR60

The reason for my picking the Grado SR60 is that I truly believe that when it comes to the RRP, as for clarity, nothing else will touch these under the hundred pound mark. Not the most comfortable option though.

What can they do for you?

As well as give you stunning sound, it’s the gratification that your buying into a more prestigious mark. So if you want to be heads and shoulders above the rest, for not much outlay, the Grado SR60 headphones are the ones to have.

But……

2) Sennheiser HD595

…… we never pay the full price on headphonedeals.com do we? And so for and extra few pounds, the Sennheiser HD595 would seriously be a tempting offer. Far more comfortable, smooth delivery, if not the most open. For long term listening at home, and for the huge saving, I’d say yes please.

What can they do for you?

Massage your ears with silky sound.

3) Sennheiser HD25

You have to remember, that for the most part, I’ve either brought or was going to buy these headphones at the full price, and I brought my HD25 headphones more than ten years ago for £165. You can get them for a ton you lucky people.

What can they do for you?

Well they sound sublime, and powerful. Probably not in the same detail as my (ex) Grado SR125, but they’re not as fatiguing either. But, what they do better than any other headphone I know is that you can have great headphones at home, and stunning performance on the move with your ipod.
At the end of the day we’re talking about a £160 odd pair of headphones here, but they aren’t really full size as such. So if you want to walk about town, you won’t look like a total twit.

4) Sennheiser HD650

One of the cheapest ways you can get into the audiophile world and gain the respect of many around you. Mention the fact that you have a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones, and people will look upon you as a connoisseur.

Some don’t agree with the Sennheiser thing, but under their breath they’ll probably respect you. But, don’t forget to buy a headphone amp. It’s a must have accessory with these headphones.

What can they do for you?

Open you world to new listening experience, and all for a disgustingly low price.

5) Ultrasone Proline 750

I just want to mention the love of my life, and the reason this site came to be, the Ultrasone Proline 750 headphones.

Originally, I was going to buy them at great expense from the Ultrasone UK website, when I discovered iheadphones.com and saved around fifty pounds.

The headphones themselves are brilliant. Read my quick report here.

What will they do for you?

If you’re a bass fan they are a must. Again, a headphone amp would be an advantage, but if you’re using them at home, it’s not a necessity. And you will be using them at home, because the sheer size of them, seldom means you’ll plug them into your mp3 player and go jugging.

Come and have a chat on the headphonedeals forum

One of the most acclaimed headphones the Sennheiser HD650 is now in the price band of the average headphone listener, or headphone enthusiast.

If you ever want to be a part of the audiophile group, nows your chance. However, I would strongly recommend that you partner the HD650’s with a headphone amp. Click “headphone amp” in the menu bar for more info

Go get your deal.

Disclaimer: I’ve endeavored to find the best international prices, but with an international audience the prices in each country will vary.

I’m an affiliate for some of the merchants in this article, which means if you click through to a merchant website and buy, I receive a small commission. This can be anything from a small cash reward or a gift a credited gift token.

This however has not affected my goal of trying to bring you what I feel is the best deal for you. I’d rather find you the cheapest deal, and gain your trust, than find you a more costly deal for the sake of a commission check!