The HeadAmp GS-X and GS-X MK2 Thread

[Whazzzup]

Just got an incredible offer from Cristian Anelli to trade in my La Voce S2 DAC for a La Scala Optologic. I am melting like Swiss ice cream in the sun Wont't happen tomorrow, though. I hope Cristian keeps the quote active for a while!

Imagine, the GS-X MK2 paired with La Scala, this is true Italian opera!!!

Interesting an fpga and r2r dac. Not familiar but looks nice good reviews

 

[biosailor]

Interesting an fpga and r2r dac. Not familiar but looks nice good reviews

I wish I‘d be more into electronics! So I just reflect what others have said: isn‘t an FPGA also used for correcting the resistors in the R2R ladder that can‘t be produced with precise enough tolerance? Sorry if I speak total bollocks!

 

[inthere]

Acquired Cayin’s idac6 from fellow head-fier - thank you again Llamaluv for excellent deal. Now I am “fully balanced” and finally can use all gains. Hi-gain is really too powerful but still usable. Fully satisfied with the results. IMHO Idac6 is a great pairing with GS-X mk2 for the fraction of cost of R2R DAC, so for those who are on a budget or do not want to spend multithousand dollars give it a try.

I also have the iDAC6 and while I do enjoy it with the GS-X mk2 it really IS colored in comparison with DACs like Yggy and Holo Spring, even in SS mode.

 

[adamdos]

I also have the iDAC6 and while I do enjoy it with the GS-X mk2 it really IS colored in comparison with DACs like Yggy and Holo Spring, even in SS mode.

Fully agree on the fact that iDAC6 adds “tube warmness and meatiness” to the sound and I DO like that a lot. As for SS mode, if you are using balanced outputs of IDAC6 you have only tube stage output engaged but never SS one. If you like more SS mode the only way is to engage RCA connection, but in this case GS-X has no enough juice to drive to their full potential semi-demanding HPs (aka HD800s and HEXv2) on low gain setting.

 

[HeadAmpTeam]

Fully agree on the fact that iDAC6 adds “tube warmness and meatiness” to the sound and I DO like that a lot. As for SS mode, if you are using balanced outputs of IDAC6 you have only tube stage output engaged but never SS one. If you like more SS mode the only way is to engage RCA connection, but in this case GS-X has no enough juice to drive to their full potential semi-demanding HPs (aka HD800s and HEXv2) on low gain setting.

Why limit yourself to the low gain setting? I agree that balanced is the better choice if you can use it.

 

[musicmaker]

Received my amp and just unboxed it. What a beauty ! Art. One of the most beautiful pieces of audio equipment I've seen. I got the champagne. Looks very classy.

I'm going to hold off on impressions till the GS-X 2 and Holo L3 Spring DAC clock 100-200 hours. But I really like what I'm hearing.

 

[TonyNewman]

I found mine took more than 200 hours to fully mature and smooth out. Most of the goodness happens before then, of course, but more good stuff keeps coming after 200 hours.

 

[biosailor]

Received my amp and just unboxed it. What a beauty ! Art. One of the most beautiful pieces of audio equipment I've seen. I got the champagne. Looks very classy.

I'm going to hold off on impressions till the GS-X 2 and Holo L3 Spring DAC clock 100-200 hours. But I really like what I'm hearing.

The looks of the two pieces is really classy! I never get tired of looking at them. I very much like the slim built of the two pieces: understatement and yet powerful! Enjoy the amp, it really is a great product!

 

[biosailor]

I found mine took more than 200 hours to fully mature and smooth out. Most of the goodness happens before then, of course, but more good stuff keeps coming after 200 hours.

I don't remember how long it took mine to fully burn in, but I must say I didn't quite pay so much attention to the burn in process. Now with my new power amp, the sound stage was relatively constant for the first 200 hours, but after that, there was a marked change towards more pronounced detail and instrument resolution. So 200 hours might be the minimum for settling in.

 

[T Bone]

Here's something you don't see everyday! I'm using my HeadAmp GS-X as a pre-amp today.
My Prima Luna Dialogue tube preamp went on the fritz today and my fiance wanted to listen to an album. Ever the resourceful creature; I grabbed my GS-X from my office and dragged it into the living room and plugged my phono stage and tube amplifier in.

For the curious - that's a pretty old VPI Aries 2 turntable (Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge) connected to a Graham Slee Era Gold phono stage.
Not pictured is a Cary Audio V12 tube amp. (actually it's a space heater powered by TWELVE EL-34 tubes!)

 

[biosailor]

Here's something you don't see everyday! I'm using my HeadAmp GS-X as a pre-amp today.
My Prima Luna Dialogue tube preamp went on the fritz today and my fiance wanted to listen to an album. Ever the resourceful creature; I grabbed my GS-X from my office and dragged it into the living room and plugged my phono stage and tube amplifier in.

For the curious - that's a pretty old VPI Aries 2 turntable (Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge) connected to a Graham Slee Era Gold phono stage.
Not pictured is a Cary Audio V12 tube amp. (actually it's a space heater powered by TWELVE EL-34 tubes!)

Wow!!! What a sight, beautiful! And how does the GSX pre-ampsound? I quite like mine. There are now at least two in this forum using the GSX‘s pre-amp section. Sorry to hear your Prima Luna is broken. It’s pretty new if I remember correctly?

 

[T Bone]

And how does the GSX pre-ampsound?

It doesn't sound like "anything" which is what I want from a preamp. It worked well driving my amp. I also enjoyed plugging my Audeze LCD-3 'phones into it. It is rare that I get to listen to an LP on headphones. So it was a special treat for me.

 

[Hi Rez]

There are now at least two in this forum using the GSX‘s pre-amp section.

I don't think it is quite so uncommon as you think. I'm using mine with an Ayre DAC, Classe` amps, and KEF speakers - see my profile if you want more specifics.

 

[biosailor]

I don't think it is quite so uncommon as you think. I'm using mine with an Ayre DAC, Classe` amps, and KEF speakers - see my profile if you want more specifics.

Good to know! My feeling was that there‘s very little talk about the preamp section, so I assumed no one is using it. But as T Bone just stated, there is little to be said if it acts as ‚wire with gain‘, adding nothing, taking away nothing. That‘s how a good preamp should behave.

 

[llamaluv]

I have 250 hours of burn-in on my new GS-X mk2 and am thoroughly enjoying it. Coming from an iFi Pro iCan, it's been an appreciable upgrade across the board.

Before casting off my iFi Pro iCan for good on the used market, and also as a sanity check, I did a side-by-side test on half a dozen select passages of about 8-16 measure each set to auto-repeat (using the Foobar2000 foo_seek component), and switching frequently between each.

The GS-X was more articulate, more dynamic, had greater sense of channel separation, deeper bass extension, higher treble extension, more sense of air, wider soundstage, and better imaging. I of course had my own sense of this through two weeks of exclusive listening on the GS-X, but it was fun and validating to run through a more methodical, A/B-like exercise.

I should also note that in no way have I found the GS-X more harsh in the highs. If anything, the deeper bass extension makes the tonal balance even better. This is with the Holo Spring L3 as my source, and the Utopia and LCD-MX4 as my headphones.