Geshelli j2
Mar 19, 2024 at 6:43 PM Post #166 of 243
Last year... When I put the V6V in my AUNE X8 XVIII, I did notice this massive soundstage improvement. I also noticed the metallic edge in my upper mids though.. But... The real problem for me was a different piece of gear that was summing my L&R and creating a crosstalk that started a convoluted chain of troubleshooting that did not address the issue before I removed the V6V and put in an SS2590. So I never revisited the Burson. Ready to sell in fact.

V7V's are out...

Once Lachlan at P4S chimed in on the V7V easily besting the SS3602 and also solving all the previous issues, it was a no brainer. Pick them up. Give them a go... I really need both balanced and SE installed because I feed SE direct to the Archel and the balanced to my Preamp. Thus buying two sets of dual... I am. Waiting on the second set because I am not opening the J2 twice.

Patience... I could drop em in now... Yeah, I should.. 😅
Might do. The SS2590 was on another level above the SS3602. It was an radical expansive difference for me.
 
Apr 9, 2024 at 6:36 PM Post #167 of 243
Cross-post from the other J2S thread:

Comparing op-amps is difficult, since I really can't A-B test them, what with the time and hassle of swapping them out. So going by my memory and gut feel for the sound, after a few days of burn-in, I can say that I do prefer the sound of the J2S with the SS2590 (single-ended only) more than either the SS3602 or Burson V6V. There is a clarity and layering of sound that I did not find with either of the other two. The V6V had a wider and more expansive soundstage than the SS3602, but was a little woolly sounding in comparison. The SS2590 has that same spacious sound, but adds more clarity at both ends of the spectrum. Treble is more precise and bass is impactful and detailed.

It was kind of a pain in the ass, since I broke part of it trying to make it fit. But now that it's in there, the sound is well worth the effort. It even has me reconsidering my plan to try out a decent R2R dac, since I am happy with what I'm hearing. Knowing me, though, I'll keep wondering, "sure, but could it get even better?" Let's see how long I go until I get the itch :o2smile:
 
Apr 16, 2024 at 4:18 PM Post #168 of 243
Burson V7 Vivids showed up today. I just dropped them into my J2S, swapping out the XLR Sparkos SS3602. I realize there's going to be some break-in, but my first impression is positive. There seems to be more detail, and a slightly bigger stage. Basically, things sound real good. I continue to be generally impressed by the J2S + E2 combo.

The swap was utterly painless, and there's more than enough vertical clearance with the standard (i.e. not the taller Archel version) wood case, even with the "socket saver" attached. I scooted one of the SS3602's over to the RCA side, but I don't (yet) have anything hooked up to it. I'll probably end up getting an SS2590 for the RCA side at some point.

tl;dr Burson V7 Vivids work well in the Geshelli J2S. :)
 
May 4, 2024 at 12:01 AM Post #170 of 243
Hey guys - casual observer of the thread here, thinking about DAC upgrades. I've recently came from a Chord Qutest and downgraded to the Mojo 2 for extra cash although I liked it. Which version would you recommend the most to make it perform closer to what I'm familiar with? And what kinds of extras do I need in the likes of opamps, tweaks and specific DAC chip to go with? I'm assuming the AKM sounds the best or closest to it.
 
May 4, 2024 at 12:17 AM Post #171 of 243
The 4499 version is best. Most pronounced differences I've ever heard when rolling op amps.

Go that, and shell out for some premium op amps, and you'll have a smooth, detailed DAC with a voluminous stage.
 
May 4, 2024 at 1:14 AM Post #173 of 243
May 4, 2024 at 9:07 AM Post #174 of 243
Hey guys - casual observer of the thread here, thinking about DAC upgrades. I've recently came from a Chord Qutest and downgraded to the Mojo 2 for extra cash although I liked it. Which version would you recommend the most to make it perform closer to what I'm familiar with? And what kinds of extras do I need in the likes of opamps, tweaks and specific DAC chip to go with? I'm assuming the AKM sounds the best or closest to it.
If you will be using the single ended output, I can recommend the Sparkos SS2590 op-amp (two, with adaptor which Sparkos will see you directly; Geshelli does not offer it) is a step up from the SS3602. It is too large to fit the xlr outputs, which is why I asked if your intended use was single-ended. I have been reading good impressions of the Burson V7V op-amps as well. I have the AKM 4493, as I bought mine prior to the 4499’s introduction, somI cannot compare the two chips. I also added a cheap 12v linear power supply. Did it improve things? I think so, but it may be expectation bias.
 
May 6, 2024 at 5:32 PM Post #176 of 243
May 8, 2024 at 9:49 PM Post #177 of 243
If you will be using the single ended output, I can recommend the Sparkos SS2590 op-amp (two, with adaptor which Sparkos will see you directly; Geshelli does not offer it) is a step up from the SS3602. It is too large to fit the xlr outputs, which is why I asked if your intended use was single-ended. I have been reading good impressions of the Burson V7V op-amps as well. I have the AKM 4493, as I bought mine prior to the 4499’s introduction, somI cannot compare the two chips. I also added a cheap 12v linear power supply. Did it improve things? I think so, but it may be expectation bias.
Thank you so much. I'm about to order a set with adapters from the Sparkos website directly. They have an option to combine both opamps with the adapters for just a couple bucks more.

Installation process - Where can I find a manual or diagram about that process? Also I see speak here of something about the op-amps in conjunction with XLR/SE outputs. Could someone illustrate or explain how this makes sense? I was under the impression that opamp chips are on the circuit board so would affect all outputs the same.

Has anyone else an opinion on a comparison between AKM4493 and 4499 DAC chips?
 
May 8, 2024 at 10:21 PM Post #179 of 243
Also - probably a dumb question, but if I'm soon upgrading to the recommended S2590 opamps, I can just select the default TI OPA1656 x 2pcs for both SE/XLR on the Jnog2 DAC, right?

If you are going to upgrade to anything other than an SS3602, just get the default Ti op amps. The AKM 4499EX is a very different design than the 4493 and a definite step forward in performance. As for how to fit SS2590s into a Geshelli J2S, I've done that here: Geshelli J2S DAC and Sparkos SS2590 - YES! You will want to be careful if fitting a SS2590 into the RCA socket. I had no contact issues, but some did and had to gently shave the edge of the SS2590 PCB to clear the jack.
 
May 8, 2024 at 11:07 PM Post #180 of 243
Thanks guys. I ordered the "PRO to DUAL DIP8 Adapter - Adapter + Two SS2590 Fully assembled into adapter". Hopefully this is the correct one? It seems like it may be dual configuration instead of two singles.

Also I'm considering getting the DAC without any op-amps. Not sure if that's recommended? I would just throw them away anyway after upgrading. Maybe I should get it with however so I can see how they look when they are situated on the board.
 

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