Geshelli J2S DAC and Sparkos SS2590 - YES!

[wkvk]

TBH, I enjoy both.

2/64 is on the warmer side of neutral
J3 is on the colder side of netural

2/64 is an r2r dac vs J3 sabre dac

So its dependent on my mood, headphone I am using, and use case.

Gaming - J3
Movies & Music - 2/64

And there is nuances there.

Thanks!

I'm really struggling to choose between those two. The Unison USB and the power supply on the Bifrost are very attractive, but I've been hearing great things about the J3 with Sparkos op-amps.

 

[s2kphile]

Thanks!

I'm really struggling to choose between those two. The Unison USB and the power supply on the Bifrost are very attractive, but I've been hearing great things about the J3 with Sparkos op-amps.

Yeah the Sparkos with dual 2590s are a huge upgrade in dynamics, staging, imaging, etc to the stock ti1656 opamps.

The reason I took a look at Geshelli Labs is because its a small USA company that has great wood work on their cases. Its unique in this space with all the metal, plastic and industrial looking equipment.

Futhermore, the size is great for desktop usage which is where I have mines along with the Schiit/Nitsch stacks.

 

[JerseyD]

Yeah the Sparkos with dual 2590s are a huge upgrade in dynamics, staging, imaging, etc to the stock ti1656 opamps.

The reason I took a look at Geshelli Labs is because its a small USA company that has great wood work on their cases. Its unique in this space with all the metal, plastic and industrial looking equipment.

Futhermore, the size is great for desktop usage which is where I have mines along with the Schiit/Nitsch stacks.

While it's not in your headphone rig currently, have you compared your Cyan2 to the J3/2590? Those are my top two contenders at the moment. Thanks.

 

[Patswalker]

Yeah the Sparkos with dual 2590s are a huge upgrade in dynamics, staging, imaging, etc to the stock ti1656 opamps.

The reason I took a look at Geshelli Labs is because its a small USA company that has great wood work on their cases. Its unique in this space with all the metal, plastic and industrial looking equipment.

Futhermore, the size is great for desktop usage which is where I have mines along with the Schiit/Nitsch stacks.

I agree 100%. I personally think the Sparkos J2 is revolutionary. Price, size, and the ability to tailor the sound is amazing. I had the Burson V7 Vivid on the XLR out connected to the solid state amps I was using and the Sparkos SS2590 on the rca out connected to my tube amp. All at my desk. It's brilliant. Two different sound signatures coming from the same dac. and the sound quality with either opamp is incredible. I have yet to hear anything at that size that does what the J3 does. I LOVE the Bifrost 2/64, don't get me wrong. It's an amazing amazing dac but like most other dacs it has its one sound. It's an amazing sound so either one you chose would be a super fun brilliant choise. The two, J3 and Bifrost 2/64 are often compared and in my eyes equally amazing for the price point uut jsut the fun aspect of the J3 opamp swapping and the ability to have two different soiund signatures coming from it always personally makes me want to use it more than any other dac. Even with the Yggi OG and Dayzee, I am uusing the Geshelli Labs way more than the Schiit. Both are mind bendingly amaizng but there's just somehting about the Geshelli that makes me lean to it more. I never really felt like I loved chip based dacs until the J2, then went to the J2s, then the J3, and now the Dayzee. Also, the Geshelli family is so hilarious and nice that I can't help but want to go to them for my music gear. That is a big seling point for me.

 

[s2kphile]

While it's not in your headphone rig currently, have you compared your Cyan2 to the J3/2590? Those are my top two contenders at the moment. Thanks.

I have not done a full comparsion due to them being in different rooms of the house and using totally different amps. But from the top of my head the Cyan 2 edges out the J3/2590.

It just does everything the J3 does but better. Microdetails, staging, dynamics, resolution, etc. And its a true R2R so it gives it the analog musicality that makes me want to make my listening sessions longer.

 

[matthia]

I never really felt like I loved chip based dacs until the J2, then went to the J2s, then the J3, and now the Dayzee.

With the same OP amps how big is the SQ difference between J3 and Dayzee?
Thanks

 

[ttys0]

With the same OP amps how big is the SQ difference between J3 and Dayzee?
Thanks

I don't have the Dayzee, but I would expect the J3 to be very similar in sound, as the core components are the same, with the Dayzee just having more of everything.

 

[TedB]

While it's not in your headphone rig currently, have you compared your Cyan2 to the J3/2590? Those are my top two contenders at the moment. Thanks.

In addition to a J2S with SS2590s, I also have a Cyan 2. The J3 is a J2S with larger PCB, updated USB, and updated SMPS. I use an LPS, which provided a nominal improvement. I used to have the J2S in my speaker system. It has been replaced by the Cyan 2 and Serene KTE. The J2S is now in my desktop headphone system, used with an xDuoo TA-26 pure tube headphone amp with NOS tubes and Drop HD 6XX cans.

The SS2590s elevate dynamics and expands the soundstage of the J2S/J3 to the next level. This configuration is free of most of the digital glare and "sharp edges" typical of delta-sigma DACs without sacrificing resolution. It will compete favorably with anything that can presently be had under $1k. It's a solid performer in the headphone setup I described, which I can enjoy for hours without fatigue.

The Cyan 2 is somewhat more neutral, refined, and fluid in its presentation as a result of its R2R architecture, with the soundstage depth being fleshier and the extreme edges of the stage being perhaps just a touch more resolved. The integration of HQ Player ($300 USD) elevates the Cyan 2 to the next level, and it is there where the distinctions between the two DACs become more vivid. Also, it is worth noting that with the same laptop as the source and same USB cable (Neo D+ Class A), the galvanic isolation of the Cyan 2's USB implementation is noticeably dead quiet.

 

[Patswalker]

I don't have the Dayzee, but I would expect the J3 to be very similar in sound, as the core components are the same, with the Dayzee just having more of everything.

That’s exactly what it sounds to me. I still have my J3 and I love it. To me the Dayzee is basically a prefected version of everything I love about the J3. The reason I switched to it is because I have multiple amps for desktop speakers and headphones in my office and the dayzee is connected to them all at the same time. The J3 is amazing and not really that far behind the Dayzee if one is only connecting one amp.

 

[JerseyD]

In addition to a J2S with SS2590s, I also have a Cyan 2. The J3 is a J2S with larger PCB, updated USB, and updated SMPS. I use an LPS, which provided a nominal improvement. I used to have the J2S in my speaker system. It has been replaced by the Cyan 2 and Serene KTE. The J2S is now in my desktop headphone system, used with an xDuoo TA-26 pure tube headphone amp with NOS tubes and Drop HD 6XX cans.

The SS2590s elevate dynamics and expands the soundstage of the J2S/J3 to the next level. This configuration is free of most of the digital glare and "sharp edges" typical of delta-sigma DACs without sacrificing resolution. It will compete favorably with anything that can presently be had under $1k. It's a solid performer in the headphone setup I described, which I can enjoy for hours without fatigue.

The Cyan 2 is somewhat more neutral, refined, and fluid in its presentation as a result of its R2R architecture, with the soundstage depth being fleshier and the extreme edges of the stage being perhaps just a touch more resolved. The integration of HQ Player ($300 USD) elevates the Cyan 2 to the next level, and it is there where the distinctions between the two DACs become more vivid. Also, it is worth noting that with the same laptop as the source and same USB cable (Neo D+ Class A), the galvanic isolation of the Cyan 2's USB implementation is noticeably dead quiet.

Thanks. Is HQ Player only an option when using a computer as source?

 

[TedB]

Thanks. Is HQ Player only an option when using a computer as source?

I believe it can be integrated into some streaming platforms, but I've not paid close enough attention to tell you which and how. I've used it with the J2S briefly at AKM's max PCM sampling rate (384kHz), which works, although I've not played with the filters enough to make a proper evaluation in how useful it is with this delta-sigma DAC. What I do know is that HQP can convert PCM to DSD, which skips the entire front end architecture of a delta-sigma DAC and goes straight to the reconstruction filter. That could be interesting. You should consider participating in this HQ Player discussion, where all your questions will be easily answered: HQ Player Settings and Discussion

With the same OP amps how big is the SQ difference between J3 and Dayzee?
Thanks

The Dayzee's dual AK 4499EX chipsets (one per channel) is a bit like going from a stereo amp to dual monoblocks, it has been reported the Dayzee is a clear uprade. I would have a difficult time justifying getting into a Dayzee without upgrading all eight op amps to single SS2590s, which raises the price by another ~$650 USD. Still, I'd bet that would be on par with Gustard's X30 ($3000 USD) with its (4) ESS9039PRO (two per channel).

 

[G8torbyte]

Yeah the Sparkos with dual 2590s are a huge upgrade in dynamics, staging, imaging, etc to the stock ti1656 opamps.

The reason I took a look at Geshelli Labs is because its a small USA company that has great wood work on their cases. Its unique in this space with all the metal, plastic and industrial looking equipment.

Futhermore, the size is great for desktop usage which is where I have mines along with the Schiit/Nitsch stacks.

I just swapped out my original J2 with the J3 Pro since I like the improvements they made with the J3 especially the input switching. I also appreciate the customizable configurations Geshelli offers and I went with Padauk and Zebrawood. I added the Sparkos SS3602 on the RCA and plan to get the 2590's later for the XLR out.

Also, the Geshelli family is so hilarious and nice that I can't help but want to go to them for my music gear. That is a big seling point for me.

Yes, they are are excellent in their customer service. Sherri was great in helping me with a shipping issue and always very responsive.

 

[Patswalker]

I believe it can be integrated into some streaming platforms, but I've not paid close enough attention to tell you which and how. I've used it with the J2S briefly at AKM's max PCM sampling rate (384kHz), which works, although I've not played with the filters enough to make a proper evaluation in how useful it is with this delta-sigma DAC. What I do know is that HQP can convert PCM to DSD, which skips the entire front end architecture of a delta-sigma DAC and goes straight to the reconstruction filter. That could be interesting. You should consider participating in this HQ Player discussion, where all your questions will be easily answered: HQ Player Settings and Discussion




The Dayzee's dual AK 4499EX chipsets (one per channel) is a bit like going from a stereo amp to dual monoblocks, it has been reported the Dayzee is a clear uprade. I would have a difficult time justifying getting into a Dayzee without upgrading all eight op amps to single SS2590s, which raises the price by another ~$650 USD. Still, I'd bet that would be on par with Gustard's X30 ($3000 USD) with its (4) ESS9039PRO (two per channel).

I can say that the Dayzee is exactly the upgrade you imagine but is particularly useful if connecting multiple amps. That’s where it really shines, that’s what it was specifically designed to represent. When they first mentioned it a while back I emailed them asking about use case and how much of an upgrade it without be. They replied that it is an upgrade on all fronts but not super useful and possibly not worth the price increase from the J3 unless it is connecting multiple amps. To my ears that is true. Even with the sparkos 2590 opamps in both J3 and Dayzee. The improvement is audible but to me and this is what they were meaning in their reply, the J3 is so SO good price/performance/size wise that getting the Dayzee to power just one amp is not worth the price jump. I agree 100 with that.

 

[andrewchoppa]

Yeah the Sparkos with dual 2590s are a huge upgrade in dynamics, staging, imaging, etc to the stock ti1656 opamps.

The reason I took a look at Geshelli Labs is because its a small USA company that has great wood work on their cases. Its unique in this space with all the metal, plastic and industrial looking equipment.

Futhermore, the size is great for desktop usage which is where I have mines along with the Schiit/Nitsch stacks.

I agree. and Sheri and Geno are great people too!!! I have a J2 (non socketed) and a J2 socketed (Sparkos 3602 - I believe). Magnificent Dacs sonically AND aesthetically!!! Don't feel the need to upgrade anytime soon.

 

[s2kphile]

I just swapped out my original J2 with the J3 Pro since I like the improvements they made with the J3 especially the input switching. I also appreciate the customizable configurations Geshelli offers and I went with Padauk and Zebrawood. I added the Sparkos SS3602 on the RCA and plan to get the 2590's later for the XLR out.



Yes, they are are excellent in their customer service. Sherri was great in helping me with a shipping issue and always very responsive.

Love the Homage and the woodwork on the chassis. Makes kinda wish I mixed the Purple Heart with Bloodwood.

I agree. and Sheri and Geno are great people too!!! I have a J2 (non socketed) and a J2 socketed (Sparkos 3602 - I believe). Magnificent Dacs sonically AND aesthetically!!! Don't feel the need to upgrade anytime soon.

Yeah, I am suprise they dont get as much as love as other companies but I understand marketing cost alot. The woodwork alone should get them more eyes and due to the size of their DACs and amps, they should be popular option.