[Cakes]

Gsx mk2 is as clean and as aggresive as most sabre dacs.
You shouldnt blame dac you should blame poor synergy between components. Warmer and softer amp or pure copper cabling could have given you better synergy.

I didn't have a Gs-X mk2 at the time, @Arniesb

I was running a 300B Woo WA-5LE setup with copper cabling on my phones when I did the DAC upgrade.

I arrived at the GS-X Mk 2 after I had moved to an R2R listening experience. Yes I know about synergy too and there's no 'blame' in my earlier statement

I also had the benefit of comparing on my 2 channel Naim, KEF setup - same experience.

 

[Arniesb]

I didn't have a Gs-X mk2 at the time, @Arniesb

I was running a 300B Woo WA-5LE setup with copper cabling on my phones when I did the DAC upgrade.

I arrived at the GS-X Mk 2 after I had moved to an R2R listening experience. Yes I know about synergy too and there's no 'blame' in my earlier statement

I also had the benefit of comparing on my 2 channel Naim, KEF setup - same experience.

Sorry then, youre correct.

 

[Cakes]

Sorry then, youre correct.

@Arniesb You are 100% on the money about that potential DAC chip and GS-X Mk2 combination...I think 'aggressive' nails it with too much leading edge HF energy. Would have made that a complete non starter for me. An R2R DAC feels like an almost mandatory recommendation to get long-term pleasing and fatigue-free listening with the mk2.

 

[Arniesb]

@Arniesb You are 100% on the money about that potential DAC chip and GS-X Mk2 combination...I think 'aggressive' nails it with too much leading edge HF energy. Would have made that a complete non starter for me. An R2R DAC feels like an almost mandatory recommendation to get long-term pleasing and fatigue-free listening with the mk2.

Yup. Gsx mk2 have insane technicalities, but we are humans, we listen and not analyse and its hard to find soft enough dac.
R2r dacs are great for music since it is not as aggresive as chip based dacs.
If we talk about Bliss i think it should pair well with every dac from what i have heard.

 

[devilboy]

I know someone gave a link earlier but I strongly recommend anyone who's interested in the Bliss to watch Convince Me Audio's amazing review. It's stellar. Anyone on the fence about getting a Bliss will probably pull the trigger after watching.

 

[SteveM324]

I know someone gave a link earlier but I strongly recommend anyone who's interested in the Bliss to watch Convince Me Audio's amazing review. It's stellar. Anyone on the fence about getting a Bliss will probably pull the trigger after watching.

Thanks for bringing up that review. I just watched it. Everything he has to say about its sound quality driving headphones also applies to it as a preamp. Like the Serene KTE, it’s an outstanding preamp.

His comparison to the HM1 makes me feel good about my decision to buy the Bliss. My SQ preference is for fullness, and density. This is the way he describes the Bliss in comparison to the HM1’s leaner sound.

 

[devilboy]

Thanks for bringing up that review. I just watched it. Everything he has to say about its sound quality driving headphones also applies to it as a preamp. Like the Serene KTE, it’s an outstanding preamp.

His comparison to the HM1 makes me feel good about my decision to buy the Bliss. My SQ preference is for fullness, and density. This is the way he describes the Bliss in comparison to the HM1’s leaner sound.

Nice! Good to hear.

 

[Roybenz]

@devilboy Just to be clear, he’s review is the bliss without the serene connected to it as a pre?

 

[chesebert]

Gsx mk2 is as clean and as aggresive as most sabre dacs.
You shouldnt blame dac you should blame poor synergy between components. Warmer and softer amp or pure copper cabling could have given you better synergy.

Looks like you didn’t have good synergy with the gear. dCS, MSB and most chi-if gear including May may not be a good fit for gsx2

PSA: You buy amp that works best with your dac and cans not the other way around.

 

[chesebert]

@chesebert that's maybe how you view things, but it's not how I do i.e. I'm not sat thinking about the shortcomings of my GS-X mk2 amp as the only possible way to think the Bliss could be of interest to me and benefit my listening journey.

Some components - and I'm interested to see if Bliss is one of these - actually alter your own parameters of what seems sonically possible.

Get a better dac. [edit: get a better dac for the next level of music reproduction. I don’t think switching from gsx2 to bliss will help you achieve that at all.]

 

[devilboy]

@devilboy Just to be clear, he’s review is the bliss without the serene connected to it as a pre?

Can't remember if he tried it with the Bliss. I THINK he did. It's like 44 minutes long so I can't remember if he did or not.

 

[NotFromMars]

Now I really want my Bliss sooner, since Envy has developed a problem, and will need service. Fortunately, I ordered extremely early in the morning on the announcement date, so I may be lucky if there are a few already in the pipeline.

Hereby begging Tim to expedite!

reading the whole thread, so pardon me if u already answered this, any comments about envy vs bliss ? with susvara ?

 

[NotFromMars]

@GoldenOne - Will you be doing a shootout between the Bliss and Zahl HM1?

yes, it would be nice to know that the amp, nobody can buy because it’s limited to 50 units per year isn’t that amazing anyway, please tell,us the Bliss is equal or better anyone

 

[NotFromMars]

Yeah I really wish there were more of these available.

I'm kind of surprised Jussi Laako hasn't done some sort of "Hqplayer in a box" product tbh. He'd likely sell tons of them

you can call it hardware, it’s still software

 

[CinnamonToastCrunch]

yes, it would be nice to know that the amp, nobody can buy because it’s limited to 50 units per year isn’t that amazing anyway, please tell,us the Bliss is equal or better anyone

Koji compares them.