[Articnoise]

 
Coax and SE I've been there and done that, why are you so stubborn about this you are are wasting a seriously great amp  with what you have, and you have no idea, but you have to defend that position no matter what, and why?

 

Hum, then did spdif coaxial out of a good transport got to be a waste?

 

[Solude]

 
So correct me if I'm wrong, but your saying that you prefer or find the GS-1 just as good (SE) and can't hear the difference with the GS-Xmk2 (balanced) and pretty much wasted $1500.00 for a pre-amp on/off switch? Also have you ever heard the HE-1000?

 
I have not heard and never will hear the HE1000.  I'm out of the full sized open headphone game.  
 
I used my GS-Xmk2 single ended even though the PWD2, GS-Xmk2 and Dynaudio are all balanced.  Didn't make a difference I could hear and made the DACT steps smaller for better control.
 
The $1500 wasn't wasted since I really need that switch and would have had to buy an external box otherwise.  Expensive but needed
 
The advantage of having access to balanced is for hard to drive headphones that can take advantage of the 4x greater power.  I don't have any so... no difference for me.  The other advantages really only exist on paper since the slew rate is already overkill, the noise is non existent and I don't live in an area when the cables pick up noise.  That said, other lesser designs, do get better as well as more powerful when run balanced.
 
Last thing.  If mine was an Alpha I would have likely just used balanced front to back because of infinite control of volume.

 

[joseph69]

  I have not heard and never will hear the HE1000.  I'm out of the full sized open headphone game.  
I used my GS-Xmk2 single ended even though the PWD2, GS-Xmk2 and Dynaudio are all balanced.  Didn't make a difference I could hear and made the DACT steps smaller for better control.
The $1500 wasn't wasted since I really need that switch and would have had to buy an external box otherwise.  Expensive but needed
The advantage of having access to balanced is for hard to drive headphones that can take advantage of the 4x greater power.  I don't have any so... no difference for me.  The other advantages really only exist on paper since the slew rate is already overkill, the noise is non existent and I don't live in an area when the cables pick up noise.  That said, other lesser designs, do get better as well as more powerful when run balanced.
Last thing.  If mine was an Alpha I would have likely just used balanced front to back because of infinite control of volume.

Thanks for all of your input, I appreciate it.
I'll give my impressions after receiving my set-up.

 

[joseph69]

I'm probably going to purchase the PS Audio NuWave DSD. Can someone with this DAC and the GS-Xmk2 please tell me what type of XLR connectors I would need to connect the two for fully balanced output?
I'm not sure, but I believe I would need 3-pin XLR male to male, correct?
This is my first go at a fully balanced system and I believe the XLR outputs from the DAC are 3-pin female and the same goes for the mk2, but I'm not sure???
Thank you.
 
EDIT:
Correction…XLR-female.

 

[Solude]

All balanced systems whether dac to amp, amp to speaker amp... is always male to female.  The balanced headphone cable is male.  The NuWave DSD is not good.  The PWD2 is really the one and only great dac PS Audio has made that competes favourably with dacs in the same street price range.

 

[joseph69]

  All balanced systems whether dac to amp, amp to speaker amp... is always male to female.  The balanced headphone cable is male.  The NuWave DSD is not good.  The PWD2 is really the one and only great dac PS Audio has made that competes favourably with dacs in the same street price range.

Thank you for correcting me about the XLR cables, I appreciate it!
I'll check out the PWD2…thanks. 

 

[Solude]

  I'll check out the PWD2…thanks. 

 
Thanks to the "new shiny" that is the DS DAC prices for used PWD2 is peanuts making it a no brainer.

 

[RUMAY408]

   

Hum, then did spdif coaxial out of a good transport got to be a waste?

I was referring to L/R RCA Coaxil inputs

 

[Solude]

  I was referring to L/R RCA Coaxil inputs

 
Which would still be wrong.  The GS-Xmk2 is not wasted on a single ended source.  It is however wasted on a poor source.

 

[RUMAY408]

   
Which would still be wrong.  The GS-Xmk2 is not wasted on a single ended source.  It is however wasted on a poor source.

Specifically
Source/DAC>RCA Coax>GS-Xmk2
Source/DAC>Balanced>GS-Xmk2 2X's power 

 

[preproman]

That 2X's power has no bearing on sound quality.

 

[Solude]

  Source/DAC>Balanced>GS-Xmk2 2X's power 

 
4x power, 2x gain.  Have to keep in mind that gain is voltage and power is that voltage times the current.  Which is utterly irrelevant if you only use 1mW

 

[RUMAY408]

  That 2X's power has no bearing on sound quality

4X's power and 2X's gain, my mistake, and sound quality was not what I was referencing to begin with

 

[joseph69]

  All balanced systems whether dac to amp, amp to speaker amp... is always male to female.  The balanced headphone cable is male.  The NuWave DSD is not good.  The PWD2 is really the one and only great dac PS Audio has made that competes favourably with dacs in the same street price range.

Just realized you own the PWD2…but you do you have it up for sale if its so good??? 

 

[Articnoise]

 
I was referring to L/R RCA Coaxil inputs

 

If you mean analog interconnects, IC they are not coaxial. Coaxial is a type of cable that are used for digital signals and antennas.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable