Apogee Groove for Hi-Fi Listening
Apogee Groove for Music Production
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Listen to your music with recording studio quality

Portable USB DAC and headphone amp for Mac, iOS and PC

Meet Apogee Groove™

Experience the same high quality audio technology found in the world’s most prestigious recording studios, now available for listening to music in hi-res lossless music on your Mac, iOS device or PC. By simply plugging into your device’s USB port, the Apogee Groove USB DAC and headphone amp gives you a premium digital-to-analog converter for your headphones or powered speakers. It’s that easy. Plus, Groove’s output provides ample power at any impedance, and together with Apogee Constant Current Drive™ technology,  your headphones will 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.

Highlights

  • USB 2.0 connection to Mac and PC
  • Up to 24 bit / 192kHz audio
  • ESS Sabre DAC
  • Enhances your iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal or other music listening experience
  • Constant Current Drive™ provides smooth frequency response with any headphones
  • Quad Sum DAC™, 4 DACs per channel for highest dynamic range and lowest distortion
  • Asynchronous clocking
  • Multi-color LEDs for status and level indication
  • Powered by USB
  • Top panel buttons for adjusting volume level
  • Compact and portable (95mm L x 30mm W x 16mm H)
  • Premium aluminum build quality
  • Built in the USA

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Reveal new clarity in your lossless and hi-res audio

Whether you’re streaming hi-res lossless audio or building your FLAC file collection, 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.

Work on Your Music Anywhere

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

Groove Makes all of your Favorite Music Sound Amazing

  • Apogee Groove for Music Production

Groove’s Unique Circuit Design

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 – acoustic, mechanical or electrical – 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-analog 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 unequaled dynamic range, ultra low distortion, and unmatched audio clarity free from input jitter.

  • What is a DAC and why is it important?

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-analog converter or DAC.

A DAC takes the digital information on your computer and translates it into analog sound you can hear through your headphones and speakers.

Not all DACs are created equal

Your computer has a 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.

  • Hear Every Detail

Apogee Groove 30th Anniversary Models

Apogee celebrates 30 years of digital audio excellence

To commemorate Apogee’s 30 years of digital audio excellence, the Groove 30th Anniversary Edition features performance enhancements and a custom machined aluminum body available in silver and gold.

Apogee Groove 30th Anniversary Models

Image Gallery

Videos

Making Music Sound Amazing Since 1985

WATCH NOW

Turn It Up (Featuring Andrew Gold)

Andrew Gold (AKA Team EZY) is an up-and-coming producer and DJ from Los Angeles. Drew began his career performing at local warehouse parties and events before touring for several years as a DJ tech for Skrillex, renowned artist and friend. When creating his music, Drew uses the Apogee Duet. When he wants to make or share music on the go, he takes the Apogee Groove USB headphone amp and DAC. “Apogee is one of my favorite companies around and Groove is a little treat that makes the listening experience a lot better when you are on the road and out of the studio”, Drew comments.

WATCH NOW

Hear More Goosebumps (Featuring Harrison Kipner)

We recently spent the day in Venice, California with Harrison Kipner, a fiercely independent third generation songwriter, performer and producer, and got a glimpse into his world as a young, emerging artist. Harry records with an Apogee Quartet and when he's listening to music or wants to share work in progress with his dad, he brings Apogee Groove. “When I play something to him, I need it to sound good, so I bring the Groove” Harry remarks. “I just plug it into a laptop and it feels and sounds like it was in the studio.”

WATCH NOW

Customer Reviews

Apogee Customer Spotlight – Brett Voss

Detroit-native and Foley Artist, Brett Voss talks Foley/Sound Mixing and Apogee’s Groove. Brett is best known for his work on Game of Thrones,The Darkest Hour, and Pacific Rim.

Ed Cherney – GRAMMY Winning Mix Engineer

Recent Projects: Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Elton John
"I normally just take my earbuds out of the mini jack and call it a day. But listening through the Groove stunned me. I couldn't believe there could be such a huge difference."
Don Was

Don Was – President of Blue Note® Records, Grammy® Award Winning Producer for The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson Musician, Music lover.

"Groove brings back all the fidelity, dynamics and emotion of the original recordings. I won’t listen to music without it, and neither should you."

Noticeable improvement in sound quality!

GoldStars

I just received this directly from Apogee. I’m not an audiophile, but on my Bose 20 noise canceling headphones, the sound quality is now noticeably better. As source material, I’ve listened to AccuRadio, my own iTunes collection, and ClassicsOnlineHD. I’m not sure what the AccuRadio stream is, but iTunes is 256kbs, and ClassicsOnlineHD varies from 500kbs to 2000kbs, with an average of about 1000kbs. All sources sound much, much better. I’ve listened through a 2014 high-end iMac, and a 2012 Macbook Pro–and both sound equally good. I’m so impressed that I intend to purchase a second one, so I can have a dedicated Groove on both my desktop and notebook machines.

Michael B.

From Amazon

This DAC performs just as well as the studio converters …

GoldStars

This DAC performs just as well as the studio converters from apogee (Duet, etc…). The biggest thing you’ll notice is that the bass on all of your tracks sounds big (but not muddy) and the sound is noticeably clearer than your computer headphone jack output.

Orlando M.

From Amazon

This Apogee Groove is the best sounding device ive ever heard flat out

GoldStars

So I have owned the Dragon Fly, Ifi Mini and various other DAC’s in my life. However, this Apogee Groove is the best sounding device ive ever heard. Its sleek and the build quality is top notch. As for software drivers, it works great with Windows using Foobar and sounds even better on the MAC using Audirvana! If you are on the fence just go ahead and jump over it into Apogee land. This device is flat out Amazing!

Brandon J.

From Amazon

Reviews

Ken Rockwell – Apogee Groove Review

"This is the best portable DAC and headphone amp there is, especially for higher impedance headphones which usually need an outboard amplifier."

Stereophile – Apogee Groove Review

"What I've learned: Among the five pint-size, USB-powered DAC-headphone amps I had on hand, the Apogee Groove excelled at pushing high-impedance headphones like the Sennheiser HD600s, and just sounded better with anything I hooked up to it. Dynamics opened up, and details were more clearly defined."

CNET – Maybe it’s time to upgrade your headphone’s sound with a pro-quality headphone amplifier

“If you compare the Groove with the lackluster sound you get from the headphone jack on your computer or phone, the improvements in clarity, dynamic impact, and soundstage spaciousness from a first-class digital converter/ headphone amp will be hard to miss”
See All Groove Press Reviews

Apogee Groove

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