Apogee Groove Portable DAC & Headphone Amp

Main Features

• Studio grade digital to analogue conversion for your Mac or PC
• ESS Sabre DAC with up to 24 bit / 192kHz audio
• Enhances your iTunes, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora or other music listening experiences
• Constant Current Drive™ provides smooth frequency response with any headphones
• Quad Sum DAC™, 4 DACs per channel for highest dynamic range and lowest distortion
• Multi-colour LEDs for status and level indication
• USB 2.0 connection to Mac and PC

Apogee Groove takes the same high quality audio technology found in the world's most prestigious recording studios and delivers it to your laptop.


Connect Groove to your computer's USB port and your headphones or powered speakers to Groove's audio output. It's that easy. Groove's output provides ample power at any impedance and Apogee's Constant Current Drive™ technology makes your headphones sound their best. You'll be amazed by the difference in sound quality – the precise stereo image, punchy bass and stunningly clear high-hats.
Recorded by Apogee. Played by Groove.

For 30 years Apogee has been an innovator and industry leader in digital audio recording. From rock to classical, hip-hop to country, and reggae to jazz, the world's most successful artists, producers and audio engineers rely on Apogee gear to capture GRAMMY winning recordings.

Now, for the first time, Apogee Groove takes this same recording studio technology and makes it available in a simple take-anywhere device dedicated to delivering the ultimate listening experience.

Hear Every Detail in Stunning Clarity & Fidelity
Whether you're building your FLAC file collection or subscribing to a premium music streaming service, you are investing in a higher quality listening experience. Groove unlocks the full potential of that experience, revealing definition, clarity and details like you have never heard before.

Take the Sound of the Studio Anywhere
With professional headphones, your laptop and Groove, you can mix or make music anywhere. Groove's reference quality output insures you will hear every detail of your project as it would sound in the studio.

Groove's Unique Circuit Design

Constant Current Drive™
Make any headphones sound their best! Groove's Constant Current Drive output stage dynamically compensates for the nonlinearities – electromechanical or acoustic - of any connected headphones, resulting in lower distortion and a more linear frequency response. Whether listening through earbuds or 'Hi-Fi' headphones, you'll discover a new level of fidelity, clarity and detail.

Quad Sum DAC™
Groove also features a Quad Sum DAC™ design which employs four digital-to-analogue converters per channel to achieve the highest dynamic range and lowest distortion (THD+N) of any device in its class.

ESS Sabre DAC Technology
ESS Sabre32 32-bit Hyperstream DAC with Time Domain Jitter Eliminator offers unequalled dynamic range, ultra-low distortion, and unmatched audio clarity free from input jitter.

What Is A DAC And Why Is It Important?
If you're a music lover and you want the best listening experience, one of the key ingredients in the quality of your sound is the digital-to-analogue converter or DAC. A DAC takes the digital information on your computer and translates it into analogue sound you can hear through your headphones and speakers.

Not All DACs Are Created Equal
Your computer has a digital to analogue converter (DAC) built-in, however without a high quality DAC like Groove, you will miss out on much of the subtlety, detail and dimension of music you listen to - regardless of what headphones or speakers you use.


Apogee Groove Specifications

D/A Conversion:
THD+N: -107 dB with 600 Ohm load @ 16 dBu
THD+N: -100dB with 30 Ohm load @ 10.5 dBu
Dynamic Range: 117dB a-weighted
Frequency response: 10Hz - 20K +/- 0.2dB
Max output level: 225mW into 30 Ohm, 40mW into 600 Ohm
Eight channel ESS DAC (four DACs per channel)

In the Box:
Groove
USB cable (1ft)
Carrying pouch
Product booklet (Quick Start Guide, Warranty Information)
Instructions for download of software and complete documentation

System Requirements:

Windows OS:
Computer: Manufactured after January 2006, Intel Core 2 @ 1.6 GHz or AMD equivalent
Memory: 1 GB RAM minimum
Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit)
Windows 8 (32 and 64 bit)
Windows 8.1 (32 and 64 bit)
Connection and power: Any available USB port
Audio driver software: Register to download from Apogee's website

Mac OS:
Computer: Intel Mac 1.5GHz or faster
Memory: 2 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB recommended
OS: OSX 10.8 or greater
Connection and power: Any available USB port
Audio driver software: Mac Core Audio
No download or installation necessary