While I understand why LH Labs chose to use the kind of USB connection they did, I still dislike it for several reasons. The principle reason is that it can put the Geek into awkward and possibly perilous playback positions. If I insert the V2 into one of the USB connections on the back of my MacPro titanium trashcan desktop, the V2 ends up hanging in space, just waiting for something or someone to knock into it or pull it out. And if you attach the kind of heavy headphone cable that often accompanies an audiophile headphone to the V2, the additional weight can pull the USB connection right out of the MacPro.

Hooked up directly to a MacPro portable’s USB slots the V2 ends up with its primary heat vents pointing downwards with virtually no airspace below. That makes for a hot-running unit. The obvious solution is to put some kind of USB extension cable between the Geek Out V2 and your USB outputs. Ideally, LH should have included a USB extension cable with the Geek Out V2, just as they did with the original Geek Out. If you buy a Geek Out V2 you simply must get a USB extension cable for it.

The LH Labs Geek Out V2 is an ultra-powerful portable DAC/headphone amplifier that was designed to handle the most challenging and difficult to drive headphones. If you have headphones that don’t require a lot of power, the V2’s most outstanding attribute could very well be underutilized. But if you need the power, the Geek Out V2 can deliver the goods in a clever, compact, and highly portable package.

Technical Specifications

Type: USB DAC and headphone amp

Frequency Response: 2Hz-55kHz (–0.1dB)

Max Power Output: User switchable 1,000mW @ 16Ω, 100mW € 16Ω

Max. Output Voltage: 4.0Vrms (high gain setting)

THD+N: < 0.01%

S/N: >105dB unweighted, >108dB A-weighted

Input: USB 2.0 (asynchronous)

Outputs: Dual 3.5mm analogue stereo (one TRRS balanced, one single‑ended)

Output impedance: 0.47Ω

Sample rates supported: 44.1kHz-384kHz (PCM), 2.8224MHz-6.144MHz (DSD)

Bit rates supported: 1bit-32bit

Dimensions (W×H×D): 37.5 × 13 × 78mm

Weight: 34g

Price: $299 (+shipping)

Manufactured by: LH Labs

URL: www.lhlabs.com

URL: http://marketplace.lhlabs.com/collections/portable-audio/products/geek-out-v2-usb-dac-headphone-amplifier