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Asherjoh
12
Feb 6, 2017
Has anyone used the Apogee Groove port amp? It's supposedly designed for Sennheiser headphones.
nicdub
74
Feb 13, 2017
AsherjohThe Apogee Groove is a really excellent amp/DAC for the 650. I've tried it with the Audioquest Nighthawks, the Fostex TH-X00, and the Audeze LCD 2, and all them sounded great. In my opinion, it's one of the best options for an all-in-one amp/DAC combo, assuming you will be using mainly with a PC or Mac.
Asherjoh
12
Feb 13, 2017
nicdubApparently it feels very Solid 2
xZEROZx
23
Feb 13, 2017
nicdubI use my Groove with both iPad Pro and iPhone. Just use the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. Cheers.
nicdub
74
Feb 13, 2017
xZEROZxI hadn't tried that yet, nice to know it works!
tessierpg
Feb 15, 2017
nicdubIt doesn't work with iOS units such as iPad, iPhone... the Groove only works with computers (Macs and PCs). Go for Dragonfly Red instead if you need iOS compatibility (or Android for that matter)
xZEROZx
23
Feb 15, 2017
tessierpgThis is one of the reasons I dislike the Massdrop discussions/community. So many users spreading misinformation. The Groove does work with the iPad Pro and iPhone 6/7. I use it all the time. I also have the AudioQuest Dragonfly, which offers the advantage of not requiring the charger to be connected. I still prefer the Groove for sound quality, though. There are a couple of threads about this on HeadFi. Hope this helps!
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tessierpg
Feb 15, 2017
xZEROZxI am glad to hear this. A few weeks ago when shopping for a portable DAC/Amp for my HD6xx I has a chat with a Apogee Employee. I asked him about Groove compatibility with iOS units and he confirmed me that the Groove is not directly compatible as a DAC with iOS units. Not for DAC operations, and the Groove could not get its power directly from the USB/lightning source in the iOS unit. There may be a turnaround using adaptors and external source of power, but the Groove is not self powered like the Dragonfly Red or Black. You are saying the opposite?. Based on the comment from the Apogee representative, I then chose and bought the Dragonfly Red instead. I don't know who is misinfirming who in this case... I thought that a representative from Apogee was a reliable source of information in this case...
xZEROZx
23
Feb 15, 2017
tessierpgThis is very interesting indeed. When I contacted Apogee way back, they confirmed compatibility after a specific iOS update. There are also threads on HeadFi about using the Groove with iOS. There are also other products offering compatibility, such as the Audeze Sine with Cypher cable, etc. Wouldn't be the first time a rep from a tech company was not completely informed about one of their products. I see you had no intention to spread misinformation and apologize if I came out too strong with my comment. I'm just quite frustrated with a lot of the false information I see posted on Massdrop.
tessierpg
Feb 15, 2017
xZEROZxJust look at this, taken this morning from Apogeedigital's web site FAQ:
Q: Does Groove work with iOS devices (iPhones/iPads)? A: No. Groove is a high-performance headphone amplifier and DAC designed to power the most demanding premium headphones. iOS devices simply do not provide enough power for high quality headphone drivers.
xZEROZx
23
Feb 15, 2017
tessierpgYes, but that was before Apple launched the USB 3 Camera Adapter. The new adapter allows you to connect your Lightning charging cable and provides power to the Groove. You can see it on the picture I posted.
tessierpg
Feb 15, 2017
xZEROZxYou maybe right, but Apogee is misleading its customers both answers of their rep and their web site
xZEROZx
23
Feb 15, 2017
tessierpgMaybe they just haven't taken the time to update. A quick Google search, or a search within HeadFi.org will lead you to threads with examples of users who run the Apogee and other DAC's and AMP's with the USB 3 Camera Adapter. Hell, I'm using it right now with my iPhone 7 Plus and the Massdrop HD6XX's.
csmarin
10
Jan 13, 2019
xZEROZxIt helps, thank you!
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