Inauguration Day 🇺🇸 Karma - Geshelli Labs DAC

Got it, Brian, and thanks again! I'll be happy to do a review, although I'm not sure about that msg guy

I received the Geshelli Labs J2 DAC (GLJ2) yesterday (thanks again, Brian!), and unpacked/installed it today. My review will be based on utilizing digital outputs from Logitech Squeezebox Touch (SBT) units going into a few different DACs. Yes, I said SBT 'units', and 'DACs', since I will be doing comparisons between a couple of other DACs in my stable, and I have multiple SBTs to utilize in the process. One caveat is that the GLJ2 unit I have does not have a USB input, so I'll have a mixed bag of testing via digital coax and USB.

My main DAC is a Benchmark DAC3/HGC, and I also have a Micromega MyDAC (purchased from ...). My preamp is a Benchmark HPA4, which comes in very handy with its multiple balanced/XLR inputs, and individually adjustable volume inputs, so that I can (hopefully) normalize, for proper comparisons. The GLJ2 has available XLR outputs, as does the Benchmark DAC3, so a convenient coincidence in that regard. The MyDAC only has RCA outputs.

Trying the GLJ2 alone (before any comparisons), I was very pleasantly surprised that a budget DAC could sound so good. Honestly, I originally thought I would just comment/review on how the GLJ2 sounded, and be done. But, after realizing it sounded so good, I figured I might as well try and do some comparisons.

So, the first comparison was to have two separate SBT powered-up, with one connected via USB to my Benchmark DAC, and the other connected via digital coax to the GLJ2. Both DACs had balanced/XLR outputs going into my preamp, which allowed me to toggle back-and-forth between inputs.

Here's a pic of that setup, with the GLJ2 DAC on the right. The Benchmark DAC is on a lower shelf - out of view.


Cutting to the chase, and after sufficiently normalizing volume levels between the DACs, I am honestly surprised to say that the Benchmark DAC3 and GLJ2 sound shockingly close. Given that the Benchmark DAC3 has the Sabre ES9028PRO chip, and the GLJ2 has the ES9026PRO chip, the similarity in sound may not be surprising. However, after some very careful listening at higher volumes, I found that the Benchmark DAC3 edges ahead of the GLJ2, in separation and imaging, but ONLY slightly. Honestly, it was very difficult to discern the sonic difference between the two DACs, but after careful listening (with headphones), I was able hear a slight difference - again, in separation and imaging.

More to come

I continued by comparing to the Micromega MyDAC that I purchased from @rooftop59 last year. These are made in France (oo-la-la), and use the Cirrus Logic CS4351 DAC chip. Unlike the Geshelli J2 DAC, though, the MyDAC does have an available USB input. When I bought the MyDAC from Paul, he included a nice Cullen Cable power cord, so no wall-wart SPS with this unit.

I continued using a couple of SBTs for the comparison, first using RCA digital coax for both, and then switching to USB with the MyDAC. The result was the same, regardless of connection type, with the Geshelli coming out ahead each time. It provided a bit more air, separation, and hints of a 3D image, compared to the MyDAC. Using the USB connection with the MyDAC, I think the gap between the two units narrowed slightly, but to me, the Geshelli was still the winner.

It was interesting and enlightening to compare three DACs, and with some careful connections into my Benchmark HPA4 preamp, I was able to have all three DACs connected at once, and do some effective A/B/C comparisons. To summarize: the MyDAC presented a very decent 2D soundstage, which would probably be perfectly acceptable to 99% of music lovers, with perhaps a warmer sound; the Geshelli added a bit more extension in the upper registers, and some tightness in the bass, hinting towards a 3D soundstage; but the Benchmark DAC3/HGC completed the playback image, with an airiness and 3D depth, really placing the instruments in more specific locations, with crystal-clear highs, and taught bass with excellent timbre, creating the most accurate musical reproduction of the three DACs.

It is undoubtedly not surprising that the Benchmark DAC surpasses the others, given that its price point is MULTIPLE times more than the others, but it was quite validating to hear the difference myself I think, depending on the overall system, the 'budget' DACs could be perfectly fine, and certainly have their place. But with a system that is transparent and revealing, the differences between the DACs is obvious.

Brian, I forgot to mention (and you may already know) that the Geshelli can use different opamps fairly easily as upgrades. The Sparkos line seems to be a popular option, and if a DIP socket is installed into the board, it becomes quite easy to swap different opamps.