Geshelli Labs J2S DAC Review w/ Sparkos Op-amps, Op-amp rolling how-to, Comp with BF2/64 & More!

The J2S was a channel purchase. Geshelli Labs graciously provided extra op-amps for review. Geshelli Labs made no attempt to influence sonic or ergonomic impressions.

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**The cheaper SGC LPS can be adjusted up to 12V but you need a DMM to measure it...for advanced users only.

My Reviews of Some Mentioned Gear...

Sonore ultraRendu: Coming Soon!

Timestamps...

00:00 Intro & Acquisition
01:48 Shameless Self Promotion
02:12 Disclaimers & Video Setup
06:12 Takeaways
07:41 Options & Pricing
11:47 Features, I/O, Power Supply
13:50 Use a LPS At Your Own Risk!
15:18 How To Roll Op-Amps
24:19 Test Gear
28:40 Should You Buy The Amanero USB Module?
34:16 Sound With "Stock" TI OPA1656 Op-Amps
37:07 Problems With TI OPA1612 - Geshelli's Excellent Customer Service
39:46 Sound With Sparkos SS3602 Op-Amps
42:37 Sound With Small Green Computer LPS
45:12 Comparison with Schiit Bifrost 2/64
51:43 The J2S Can Be A Great Value
53:31 Who is the J2S for?
55:33 Final Thoughts

[wavetheorysound]

In the video I mentioned the cost of shipping...Geshelli ships for free within the US. There is a charge for international shipping.

[dangerzone]

It's much easier to roll tubes than op amps because tubes have a round shape.

[StevoJacobs]

Congrats, you are literally the first person to directly compare the J2 to a Bifrost. Only have been waiting for this video for the last 2 years. So thank you.

[peterroy]

What an amazingly detailed review. Thanks for the work. Just what I needed!

[manzanaresantonio]

This is crazy, Tube amps use "Tube rolling" and now Solid state has made up "Op-amps rolling"?!!!
This is getting out of hand and it's amazing people still believe on this bull. What abaout some blind listening test and some high resolution listening samples and not just talking as most of these Youtube so called "audio experts or Audio-Phools" do.
This is a never ending dilemma with Audio, from cables, Dacs, power amps, power supplies, pre-amps, speakers, tubes and now "Op-Amps"
🤣😂

[sendler]

Thanks for showing how easy it is to change op amps in the Geshelli J2S. I have an Aune X8, Burson conductor 3XP, and Conductor Reference SE and all have sockets. Both Bursons are shipping with 4 Vivid op amps each. So I had plenty of those to evaluate with. I also have 4 each of the Sparkos Labs 3602 and 2590Pro op amps. And I soldered up 5 OPA1656 (surface mount) onto dip adapters. The difference between the various op amps is quite easy to hear in the Aune and the Bursons using the Reference as headphone amp (single ended RCA optimized only for this version) and listening through the excellent HiFiMan Ananda Nano headphones.

The OPA1656 is the new cutting edge IC op amp that is considered one of the current best but I find that it is easily bettered by all 3 of the discrete op amps . In comparison it is not as wide and any instruments that are mixed to the far sides become harder to make out. It does have a solid center image but is slightly more veiled and flat.

Burson has been building various iterations of a vertically oriented larger discrete op amp and the Vivid is the newest which are coming standard in most of their models with sockets. They are also aggressively marketing them to op amp rollers to try at a reasonable price. But I am unfortunately not impressed after hearing the Sparkos op amps. Not being a professional reviewer I don't feel that I have to pull my punches. I appreciate what they are trying to do but the Sparkos 3602 is clearly better at a similar price. The Vivids are wider and deeper than the OPA1656 but I thought that they might have a slight glare on female vocals and are still muddier with less clearly defined separation and fleshing out of the instrument. Cardboard facsimile were the words that popped into my head.

The Sparkos Labs 3602 is a fine sounding op amp. If the OPA1656 is the latest and greatest step up from the OPA2134 which along with the OPA627 were my favorites 20 years ago. Then there must be no IC op amp that can compare. The 3602 has more extension and power in the bass and far better transparency into a detailed 3D soundstage that the other two.can't compete with. This is in a different league and anyone buying any dac that can run these op amps will want to stretch to go for them. They easily fit the Burson gear and should plug in anywhere an 8 pin DIP device was removed.

As for the Sparkos 2590 Pro, I would venture that most people have not heard them since they are a cost no object/ size no object, format that is designed to drop in to vintage studio mixing boards. But the Dual to DIP adapter kit that Sparkos uses to adapt them can be plugged right in to the Belly Hatch position of the Aune X8 with one DIP spacer so anyone can easily try them in comparison with anything else for the price of this inexpensive $300 DAC. Since they are too big to just plug in to the sockets on the Bursons, I had to wire them up to an off board fly lead connector to reposition them to fit. But it was well worth the effort The 2590 Pro is another leap ahead of the 3602 This is what musical sounds like. And they have ridiculous extension, power and control in the bass. Female vocals sound so pure and real. They have the widest stage with detail of the reverb and hall sound right out to the edges. Interestingly I did feel at times that the 3602 might sound a bit blacker between the notes. It is a fine op amp and it fits but the 2590 has just that much more of a musical ease and detail as if you have to work far less hard to imagine a coherent image. Less filling in of missing pieces. Without spending 45 minutes to report the differences section by section on various tracks, The Sparkos Labs discrete op amps are an adamant recommendation. Try them for yourself.

[Cabernetor]

Great video! Will you get the chance to try out the 4499 version? Heard amazing things on other channels

[JTB--]

Nice one man. I have a Geshelli Archel 3 Pro Amp coming soon(I hope). I'm all set with a Gustard A26 DAC. I'd be curious what you think of the Schiit SYN. Got one for Gaming/Movies and it surprised me in a good way. Surround Sound FTW

[JMAudioEditions]

I tried the SS3602 and like the SS2590 better - maybe be worth trying as well- its what I now use on by 3 amps (Burson Sololist 3XGT x6 ss2590 and my two seperate Ray Samuels Apache (4x 2590 each amp) - I tried every single op amp worthy and the 2590's was tops

[phillipmorris]

thank you awsome review
fyi there is a bit of noise @ 46:25 it might startle you if listening through sensitive gear

[willie]

Really informative my man i'm a toddler as audiophile. I needed to learn about dacs and for someone to guide my furtile mind and my brother you came to mind. I enjoyed the video and learn a few things. The way i know i enjoyed it because the time went by fast and for me, that makes you one of my go to when i want to know something. Alright then, i'm energized now and i some be thinking about bed but one more video i think. Thanks for the heads up.

[TimpTim]

Another comprehensive, well-thought-out review, thanks.

[Yogachara]

Long-winded review. The OPAMP install guide should have been its own video. We just wanna know if you like the DAC in its different configurations.

[ronenbuium]

Hi,
For testing it's full potential, you should review it with the dual AK4499EX + AK4191EQ DAC chips / Flagship DACs...
By the way, these also in the new version - "JNOG3"
Thank you

[Anh-Áo-Nâu]

If i dont use XLR, will that affect the sound via RCA if i choose free OPamp in XLR? Thanks

[d.charlesberti]

I've watched quite a bit of this video so far and it's been very good. I will be disappointed though, if the only listening that was done was through headphones. It's my understanding that it's not possible to discern everything that a DAC like this can provide through headphones. Maybe I missed something that said that this review was
only going to be using headphones and not speakers?

[Michael_mki]

I'd like to see what their take on a high-end DAC would be.

[morrisrossi]

I'm Syrry if you used only a balanced exit you need only two OpAmp correct ???

[Roni-uc]

Hi,
The "LHY Audio LPS25VA" costs less.
Thank you

[johnsoma]

Wow! ESD, anyone? Static, such as from a cloth, can damage electronic parts. Also, a ground tether (resistive) can help prevent ESD damage.