Your Pro Tip about switching after you have experience and only one at a time is excellent advance. This applies to everything because if you change multiple things at the same time, you don't know what made an improvement or degradation in the system.
I waited for my op amps on Eds advice, then I added a linear power supply, next I added a level electronic Processer with noise purification. That's what they called it . But I saw it on a short video. But I had to fight my impatience 😅
Thank you, I'm still relatively new to the hobby, so 90% is still over my head... BUT I enjoyed hearing every minute of it. I say go for it. It's something you're passionate about and you're experiencing and learning first hand AND passing along valuable first hand experience to your subscribers. Just let any resulting negativity roll off like water as they say.
Believe or not power supplies SMPS type noise ripple can be when designed built correctly 1 millivolt or less that is lower than a linear which standard is 50 times higher. You are really helping so many people I've checked your impact is REAL!!! Understanding measurements is not for everyone!!! But I do multi-discipline engineering along with being an Audiophile. You can't build without electronics without measurements.. Yes there are technical reasons your upgrades improve the listening experience!!
Agreed. Measurements are useful in the design, testing and production of gear as confirmation and QC. When it comes to audio gear, I just don't think that a measurement is a reliable predictor of sonic performance. Thank you my friend for the kind words.
I'm surprised that you are ambivalent in anticipation of comments. For all those who are contrarian... I'M RIDING with YOU! Got that Geshelli J2S, it sounded great. Upgraded to Burson V7 vivid, it came alive. Got that SMSL PO100pro digital to digital...noise floor fell to the basement, transients more impactful and timbre became realistic. Now I'm ordering the Fiio PL50 linear power supply and I know it will sound great because YOU told me so. Thanks Ed, you are the best!
I am looking forward to seeing the comments. Honestly, the negative stuff is amusing to me. I am glad to have you on board and I am grateful for your participation in the channel. Thank you so much.
What an amazing looking and sounding piece of kit. Your perspectives and content are always a delight, insightful, and helpful. Your mods make it very pretty. Unfortunately I will probably never own it, but your content enables me to enjoy it vicariously. I shall have to try the DDC to see if I can hear a difference. Thank you for your time, efforts, and for sharing this with us all.
All positivity coming to you from Vegas! Both of those add on's made a wonderful difference in my Geshelli J3 Pro. Background darkness and music details were present immediately. Thanks for another fun video!!
Thanks Ed for giving upgrade options for the Dayzee. I auditioned the Dayzee with the Sparkos op amps upgrade in 2024 Florida audio expo. I ended up purchasing a Gustard a26, which also has the same chip set, and very good internal clock, and two transformers on the power supply stage. Essentially the Gustard has the same upgrades you did for the Dayzee, and added internal renderer/streamer all for $1,500. Gheshelli is a good value dac, but it's just almost impossible to beat the value of great Chifi products. Likely the upcoming additional tariffs on Chinese electronics, will make USA built items far more competitive. Good for the US economy, not so sure for the average consumer.
I love the folks at Geshelli Labs so much that they get the "tie breaker". They are an American company competing against a totalitarian economy that has stolen USA intellectual property in China. I'm sure the people of China a wonderful, but the government is an enemy of the US. I'm going out of my way to support Geshelli for my future purchases of a headphone amp and maybe a fully loaded J3S DAC.
Hi Ed great video again! Your liking the Sparkos Pro discrete opamps is what triggered my decision to upgrade to them from the stock Sparkos opamps in my Geshelli J3 Dac. Afterwards I added the Fiio linear power supply about 2 months ago. A poor man’s Dayzee? Maybe, both upgrades tremendously improved the sound. I also followed your lead to add the SMSL PO100 Pro between my Wiim Ultra and the Geshelli J3, no going back on that one either! The combination of these 3 recommendations has catapulted my system sound way above where I thought I could ever afford, music is so seductive now! What these upgrades do is real, I’ve been an audiophile for over 40 years, this is the best sound I’ve ever experienced. Thanks so much!
Ed, you’re absolutely correct. Data sheets do not describe a sound of a device. The only time the comments light up about that is over at the asr group.
Great review, thanks again Ed! I have also experienced sonic improvements in various equipment using a DDC and linear power supply (never had anything with swappable op amps). Appreciate you assessing the Dayzee fairly relative to the Laiv Harmony. If I do elect to do a DAC upgrade, I have been eyeing tha Laiv as my number one target. Here's a hot tip for another effective tweak that I have made use of recently. Stack Audio isolation products, including equipment isolators and speaker isolators. Would be great for you to get those in to review. The results are shockingly good and immediately apparent. I won't run my equipment without them anymore. Best wishes to you and the channel for 2025! Keep up the great work.
Mr. T, I use IsoAcoustics isolation gear and yes, I agree with you, that makes a big difference. Laiv is sending one of their new μDDC units as soon they are ready. Should be interesting. Thx my friend.
Excellent video on one of my fav DACs! Still running with the stock op amps and still sounds great. Been A-B-ing with the new Centaurus. Very interesting comparisons. Still working up to trying some Bursons. Will put a power supply on the wishlist. Thanks OG!
Hi Ed, Great review ! Unfortunately I don't own a Dayzee... But really would like one after your review here... You are very right, first give it time right out of the box and then decide for an upgrade. Only then you will hear the difference and if it is to your liking or not. I am still very happy with a Fio K11 R2R dac and a linear power supply upgrade.
Classic measurements do not tell how music sounds ...........you are RIGHT ! They only tell what a fixed signal does , testing or and correcting it is only valuable for that signal ,...............NOT FOR MUSIC !
Love the look of the LED strip. Congratulations on getting over 14K subscribers. Thanks for an interesting video. Now I’m going to go and enjoy some music!
You've come this far, now its time to start planning all of the DIY internal upgrades. Wires, sockets, fuses... Lets find out how much more hidden potential is waiting to be discovered!
I really like listening to some swing music, so I'm not sure i want to remove Jitterbug. All the upgrades are great, and I'm glad the Geshelli responded well to them. Thanks Ed
Just got my SMSL PO100 Pro this week. I'm not going back. The sound I had previously was enough to make me abundantly happy, and when I took the SMSL back out of my rig, it suddenly sounded thin and scratchy. Less tactile and less three-dimensional. And WAAAAAY thinner in the bottom octaves. With the PO100 Pro, it was fuller, richer, warmer, yet even more resolving and "real". I was constantly breaking out in goosebumps. For $70, it's a no-brainer. I looked up the specs on the SMSL, and the jitter is 75 picoseconds. And a picosecond is a TRILLIONTH of a second. Impressive, indeed. It just makes the sound better to my ears.
@@OldGuyHifi Yes, sir! And thank YOU for talking about it. Your willingness to ruffle a few feathers is the only way to break the status quo and bring important things to people's attention. Keep up the great work! Put it this way: I subscribed. And FWIW, I've also got a Geshelli with Sparkos op amps, so you're batting 1000 on that topic, too. What can I say? You've got GREAT taste!
I have the Bifrost and Geshelli J2S and always preferred the bifrost. I figured it was because the bifrost had an internal linear power supply. I bought an LPS for $120 $85 plus $35 shipping off of eBay for the J2S. The sound was definitely smoother, more like analog. I switched the single-ended op amp running to my midgard headphone amplifier, from the SS3602 to the SS2590, and i could now distinguish background vocals. Words i couldn't pick up, i can hear clearly. Now I like the Geshelli as much as the bifrost and even more in certain areas. And yes, the SMSL PO100 makes a noticeable improvement with both my DAC's. I have it running on my stereo system and ordered another for my headphones. The only thing now is to try and fit two more SS2590s inside the J2S with the help of adapters for the xlr outputs. 😢
@@DefawDOfile So you have the Topping 50 linear power supply? Is that unit 12 volts and works with the Geshelli Dacs? If your answer is YES, that unit is available via Amazon and is less expensive than the FIIO unit.
@@DefawDOfile But my understanding was a J2S DAC like mine requires a 12 volt 1/2 amp power supply? Are you SURE that your unit is compatible with a Geshelli DAC? I avoided that Topping unit because of that 5 volt output. I'm confused 🤔
Good advice on waiting to swap op amps. I bought the high end op amps and gone back to the originals in some devices. Sometimes, the engineers design the dac/preamp with certain specs in mind. I cant argue though about the fun of swapping op amps and listening. Makes the hobby fun...Thanks for posting!
Looks like nice upgrades. I am still not sure what the difference is in the sound. Upgrades for me usuallly make the sound stage bigger or the imaging more detailed. I personally prefer an immersive sound stage over details that are beyond what I hear in live music. I really did not get what the upgrade does to the listening expereince. Although I have finally a system that the speakers disappear so I now know I love that experience when the music comes from the air. I have an Auralic Vega S1 streaming DAC (thier entry level), a HiFi Rose RA 280 (their entry level amp), and the Traingle Magellan Duettes you reviewed. Mainly because they are forgivng of placement since I have a wife and nondedicated listening room, (which reviews do not tell me so I have bought some speakers that were not good in my room where I have to place them). Everything was Bstock or returns so for me it is a value system. I am thinking of a fuller sounding system. I use USB from my computer with a optical USB cable I had to cut down and redo the ends (what a mess). Am interested in what your USB setup is. Do you have a special USB board that is galvanically isolated from the computer with its own power supply? I used to upgrade speakers or an amp. But I found out that amps and speakers that have synergy together make a better system. So I take my wife on a road trip and listen to the combination I want and then buy them together. Too often I have bought speakers that did not match my amp. Then when upgrading amps they sounded good. Or they matched the amp and when changing amps they did not sound as good.
I should have mentioned it but yes, I have a USB isolator I use. I got it from Digikey and it seems to work well despite it being inexpensive. Here is the link: www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/olimex-ltd/USB-ISO/3471376?gQT=1
And many say this is snake oil. It is not, and when done properly with these bits and pieces the sound quality improvement can be through the roof. Thank you for the video!
So for the record, information from USB is reclocked by the DAC. Only time you use the clock signals is from I2S. And only if you set it that way. Otherwise the jitter is a function of the DAC. Now, what a DDC does do is isolate the noise. And that's the difference you are hearing. And noise can influence the clock of the DAC as well. Of course this does depend on the DAC, higher end DAC's tend to have built in isolation and then it doesn't matter. Or even better, a quiet built in streamer and then you don't have to worry about noisy USB cables at all. Like the Fiio R7. Another well regarded DAC/Amp/Streamer.
So I’m still very curious how the Dayzee compares to the Chord Qutest, especially now with the upgraded Sparkos op amps and now in the same price range. How does it compare to the Rob Watts programmed FPGA? For me, I would not be using balanced connections since my amp is a Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 and I’m using a WiiM Pro as my source. So the single ended connections on the Qutest would work well for me. My speakers are KEF Q750 towers. I’ve heard the Mojo2 and love that DAC, but seriously considering the Qutest for my home setup. Also, the footprint size of the Qutest appeals to me as it is a fraction of the size of the Dayzee. Has anyone compared the fully specked out Dayzee to the Chord Qutest since that seems a similar price range comparison?
If you like cheap "decrapifiers", the Douk U2 Pro with the Crystek 957 clocks and an Altor USB isolator (feeding the Douk U2 Pro) both being fed by a linear power supply is incredibly close in performance to my Holo Red. The Douk U2 Pro actually isolates your signal when you feed it from an LPS unlike that SMSL Po100 Pro, which doesn't actually have any way of decoupling the power from the signal and it's definitely a better DDC, though it is quite a bit more expensive if you get the option with the 957 clocks.
I'm a believer, no question a linear power supply helps . I got one for my zd3 , I also used flagship electronic Processer with noise purification, after the power supply and they brought it up another notch. My question is can I use the reclocker on my fosi zd3? I don't know what is controversial it's science in my opinion. Thanks Ed 👍
@@tmdillon1969 I am kind of their with you. Analog reviews don't get a lot of eyes but, I don't care. I will keep doing them. I just the TEAC TN5BB balanced out TT and PE 505 balanced phono pre. It sounds very good.
I love your reviews. And I believe in power supply. If you go to Andrea Ciuffoli website and see his 300B tube DIY amplifier schematic (for many DIY-ers it sounds best of the best) the amplifier itself is 1 pentode and 1 triode per channel plus some resistors and capacitors. but power supply section (split for 2 plate power, separate heater for 300B, separate heater for input/1st stage pentode, separate heater for rectifier tube) all takes 80% room of enclosure. So yes, power supply matter most. One gear producer explained this as follows: imagine that source of sound is your power supply and all gear in chain: cd/dac, amplifier, speakers only modulate electric power (constant current with DC voltage) to the sound we want. I am believer of this statement. Therefore my kind request, can you inspect in details fiio power supply - how it is build inside? what components are used, do they have integrated LDOs or it is fully discrete regulation?
I agree the Dayzee is excellent in stock form (though I started with a LPS, with the stock 1655 op-amps) - and the upgrade to the Sparkos SS2590 makes it a *stunning* sounding DAC, in my opinion. The one piece I do not have yet, is the DDC reclocker - and I will be getting one, soon!
Thanks. Nice DAC, but for me I would still go with the Pontus because it can do DoP64 on all inputs (I use a GeerFab D.BOB for my SACD collection) and it has 2 coax inputs, 2 AES inputs and of course the I2S input. I own the JNOG2 [J2S] Socketed and I use it for CD's and streaming. I believe you on the LPS improvements; you are not the only one claiming that. It is hard for me to believe it, but I will do a test soon on that when I get the HIFI Audio LPS that you reviewed and use it on my JNOG2 [J2S] Socketed. Keep up the great work! Cheers!
I would have liked to have heard the less expensive upgrades first, like the reclocker over the $500 spent on new up-amps. Makes more sense to me. Thx for the vid! B.
You have to "PAY THE COST TO BE THE BOSS". That DAYZEE DAC is going to be evaluated versus OPTIONS at or around the price bracket. Getting "close" to a Laiv Harmony for $1700 provides an interesting cost/benefit analysis. The law of diminishing returns has some relevance here. I hear that the Laiv Harmony is killer but I don't have the sheckles for that DAC. Conversely, I could build in increments towards that level of sonic performance with a Geshelli DAC. For ME... That's the essence of the hobby. Incremental improvement provides tons of enjoyment.
@@OldGuyHifi I know you did. My comments are ME and have nothing to do with your take on matters. If our opinions coincide that just suggests that WE are smart. This is your channel and it will flourish.
I run my amateur radio transceiver using a 20 amp hour 12v LiPO battery to help eliminate power supply noise getting into the front end. I'm going to try the same thing with my 12v audio gear. Nice video. Thanks and 73.
Regarding the ddc: I had a thought last night on experimenting with feeding the po100 with a linear psu -block usb power from the streamer/pc(there are dongles and cables that only allow data) > usb Y cable + feed from a 5v LPS…will it work? Better yet will it improve SQ? Seems like a fun lil project
Fantastic video and excellent advice on the tweaks!! I've been lurking your vids for a while, but now a subscriber!! A bit offended by the "old guy" moniker...only because you look similar in age to me!! Lol. Cheers!!
I had the pleasure of meetings OldGuyHifi at CAF at the Geshelli Labs rooms. Great guy. Super knowledgeable!!!!! One thing he said that makes a TON of sense. Try to keep your DAC stock for a while till you get use to the sound. Once you have a good understanding of what sound you have you will appreciate the upgrades more.
All makes total sense , all these upgrades make a difference and when combined produce huge difference and upgrade from stock . Did you try your SX25B discrete op amps ?
Excellent information, Ed. I just added a Schiit Modi + dac to my stereo system. I stream via usb from my phone and it sounds great. But I am looking forward to your reviews on DDC, though that SMSL unit sounds like it would do everything I need and at a great price point.
As someone that has always loved audio but only recently had the time and money to devote to it, I believe you just took a commercial grade backhoe to the audio rabbit hole opening. Regardless of the brand, balancing quality sound along with interconnectivity and synergy can be a very expensive game of whack a mole. My philosophy to building a system was to start at the speakers and work back. the speakers and amp was easy and the most expensive. I am happy I did that and have zero regrets. That approach has given me enough quality on the back end to notice the changes in the front/source end. This was the point this novice started to glaze over. When setting up a two channel system I believe I made an error when it comes to the processor. My ignorance had me choose an AVR not for surround but connectivity. I actually really like the unit and for now serves me well with great sound. The problem is adding equipment and duplicating things like the DAC. Is it even worth the attempt or should I start with a new processor and a DAC? If I get an external DAC and bypass the AVR I lose volume control If I place it the DAC before or after the AVR, Where would the weak link or choke hold be? I was really impressed by Geshelli labs At Axpona. Would a DAC for 1200 be worth adding to a !700 AVR. Would they help each other or would one restrict the other to completely negating the addition of equipment? If I knew the answer I could justify the expense but Im not a gambler. I could not agree with you more about measurements.They should be used as guard rails not the definition of great sound. I never understood the idea that if you didn't see the measurements you couldn't possibly know what you prefer and what's really good for your taste and this is a personal taste hobby. Where is the Ann Landers audiophile advice column when you need one? signed Clueless gear decision maker/expert sound lover
@@stijnvanderlooy5311 Thank you curious for your help here. when you say amp are you talking an external or integrated? I do have a quality Class D ice technology external amp and the AVR is being used as a preamp DAC and processor. It is a marantz with a Pure direct mode passing all the compression as far as I know.Huge sonic difference in this mode. I know Apple tv is not ideal but with their lossless going through the marantz cinema 60 its better than I ever imagined. I am not in a hurry to just spend money. I am just lost when it comes to the affect of a signal path when mixing components . thanks again.
Hello there. I would get the Geshelli Labs JNOG2 [J2S] Socketed DAC and try it out. I believe you have 30 days to return it if you are not satisfied with its performance. I believe that the Marantz preamp section of the Cinema 60 is pretty darn good. Cheers!
Great video Ed! Happy new year. Love Geshelli products. I own i2s with sparkos 3680 on balanced side. Single ended is base op amp but Geno did adjust it for me to 3 V. Great unit.
I'm currently without a system, and will have a vinyl front end when I get back in business. I know NOTHING about the world if DAC's, streamers, etc. But I watched this video, and as my eyes started to squint uncontrollably at the wealth of information being thrown at me, I said to myself, "This guy knows his....stuff"!! I just subscribed, and after reading through every comment I've seen only one negative comment made....something about spelling. But that guy may be an arsehole. I'm sorry - did I spell that right?? Anyway, I enjoyed the video, and looking forward to more. (And I'll be checking out the past posts.) Well done.
@@OldGuyHifi Ed my Dude! You are 10 years younger than me. You reside where I lived. And YOU have me re energized in my hobby. I'm what marketers consider the perfect customer. I purchase a new high end purchase every single month. I strive to be honest and informative in my posts.
I would be nice to know what you think about the Gustard X30. The AKM Chipset is in there aswell. If you use a Streamer with a build in reclocker like the Volumio Rivo it may also be interesting.. Thanks anyway to share your opinion.
I've used the SMSL PO100 PRO too and frankly it represents the best bang for the buck in upgrading any DAC. I'm not sure anyone really needs an expensive DAC with one of those things! I currently use a Schiit Modi and the PO100 PRO sure slowed me down in looking for a replacement DAC.
Ditto Bro! Next purchase was a Geshelli J3S as an upgrade from J2S 4493 chip with Burson v7 vivid upgrade. Once I got the digital to digital converter implemented properly...WHY DO I NEED A NEW DAC? Sounds so good that linear power supply is next incremental upgrade. Less expensive than projection because the UPGRADES exceed expectations.
I use a couple different ones. I purchase the Schiit Pyst USB cables a few years ago and for the money very good. I a also have some generic cables that I added Ferrite Chokes to. The trick really is to make sure that they are true USB 2.0 or better cables. I do have a couple of Audioquest Pearl USB cables as well. I also added Ferrite Chokes to those as well. I do think the cable has an impact. I now have a relationship with a high end cable company so we will see what the future holds. Thx.
Hi Ed & Happy New Year! 🥳🥳 I'm a convert when it comes to using an in-line DDC between a USB source and the DAC to further reduce jitters. Also, a good linear power supply is great for keeping noise out of your system as I recently experienced the joy of powering a Wiim Pro though a noisy 5V power supply 💩 . . . everything the WiiM Pro produced had the background hum of the power source 😵😵 regardless of input source. Once burned Lesson Learned. 😎👍🏽
That hum is not natural. It may be more than power supply and may be your wire connections. It may be advisable to buy new cables and emphasize optical and coaxial wherever possible. The key to great gear is a zero noise floor.
The future is chip sets and chip set layering by daisy chaining dacs. Nothing compares to the sound quality. I plan on getting the dayzee and the topping octo and chaining those up together to one amplifier.
Thank you for your reviews, you are fast becoming one of my favorites. One question, what switcher do you use for the AB comparison. PS I just got an email from Sherri my Dayzee is coming next week with the Sparkos opamps
Just out of curiosity, has anyone popped open the Fiio PSU and checked to see if the 220V models can be converted to a 110V with an internal switch or jumper re-assignment?
Hi Ed. Very nice and helpful review. DDC does make a difference. Have you looked into the KGUSS/Topping HS02 USB2.0 Audio Isolator? I wonder if the used along with the SMSL PO100 Pro? Streamer to KGUSS via USB and KGUSS connected to the SMSL PO100 Pro via another USB. Thoughts? Could it further reduce the noise and improve the sound quality?
Hi Ed, I looked up the SMSL PO100 PRO. I already have a SMSL SU-1 (same size & price as the PO100 Pro). I'm not sure what the differences are between the two. Does it make sense to use the PO100 Pro instead of the SU-1, or do you think I'd have a similar result using the SU-1? Thanks for your time and for your information.
The SU-1 is a DAC - digital to analog converter. The PO100 Pro is not a DAC, it's a digital re-clocker that cleans up the digital signal. Two different things. FYI, if you are interested in the PO100 Pro your streamer must have a USB output in order to use the PO100 Pro as it only has USB input (it then has I2S, optical and coaxial output).
I am curious if that clocking device would pay dividends if I were to hook it up between my shanling cr60 cd transport and my gheselli j2s, that I have connected with a usb (this is my headphone kit).
Amazing channel sir. I do have a question. Just from some quick research over the past week or so about reclocking. It some that it a benefit no the type digital signal you feed it. What is thoughts on this. As you stated in on you replies the optical intput usually have clocks built on that side. Do you that there is an improvement is you send toslink or coax out of your source to the ddc/reclocker and the the than toslink or coax into the DAC. Thanks for your reply in advance
@OldGuyHifi yes sir. Sorry I might not have asked the question correctly or clearly. Yes understand that the signal on either output of the DDC the signal has been relocked. Do you think it is as much of a benefit if the DDC is feed an optical signal instead of a USB signal.
The DDC I am referring to only takes USB input. There is a company called Wyrd for Sound that makes SPDIF reclockers. I have asked for a demo but no response. They are in the web.
I think you should find a way to test the Holo Audio Cyan2. It is already in my chain with the Starkrimson Duo and the Elac Ubr62 Reference and it is blowing away anything else.
Another enjoyable video, thank you. My only exposure to ESS DACs is a one year old AUNE X8 DAC and an SMSL SU9pro DAC. The AUNE X8 has the ESS 9038 and the SMSL has the 9039 pro 8 channel chip. They both sound really good, especially the SMSL. I never noticed any glare with either DAC. Could you tell me which ESS equipped DACs you have heard exhibited glare? Thanks again..
Scott, Honestly I hear it on all of them. I am getting an SMSL RAWPro DAC 1 in for review which has the top of the line Sabre 9039MSPRO Chip and I am hopeful that is a good one. Most ESS chips were voltage based and the new crop of "Pro" chips are current based like AKM. Fingers crossed. Review soon. Thanks.
In before the boys from the measurement cult read about this video on their message board and flock here to weigh in with the opinions they acquired on the internets.
It would be interesting to hear the Dayzee with improvements vs the Denafrips Pontus II 15th. Also, I think you should try a couple well regarded streamers to see whether they can beat the PC plus DDC... pi2AES over i2S if possible, maybe one of the volumio streamers, etc. My pi2AES was much better than my computer with audirvana, and adding the LPS to it bumped it up another couple levels.
Thank you for the suggestions. I have yet to find any streaming solution that equals Audirvana. Stream Magic from Cambridge comes close. I don't know if I will get a chance to review the Pontus 15H anytime soon. Thx for tuning in.
The ones I use, yes. There is a SPDIF reclocker available from Wyred 4 Sound called the Remedy. I think it is about $400. I have asked them for a demo but no response. I don't know it's efficacy. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi Yea, interested in spdif/toslink as no usb cable in my gear. I had a quick scan for a YT vid on other DDC connectivity but no luck. Also on point about the efficacy regarding.
Did you get a chance yet to ask Geshelli why they don’t use better power supplies, especially after you found such improvements with that one in your last video that probably runs to maybe ten bucks wholesale? Do you think it’s because they prefer to leave that to users - or because they don’t share your confidence that those gains are to be had in the first place?
They are a small family business who probably doesn't have time to design or source a power supply. You might consider that the majority of DACs from major players don't come with anything but the minimum for a PS. I know the Geshellis well and Geno is a great engineer but not an audiophile. He allows his customers to modify their units so why not let them change power supplies?
@ It literally makes no sense though. This video’s about one firm but my question could be about any equipment from any manufacturer. I just can’t fathom why any of them would risk jeopardising the sound if they knew an upgrade could be had so easily. When some power upgrades are so cheap not even the price can be used as a reason. Geshelli say they will void a warranty if they know a different power supply has been used.
😢? Geshelli is a small firm that literally launched from a garage. Since they ship units to all parts of the world, they needed to certify a power unit for all those jurisdictions. Therefore you have power that is not the best...but is allowed virtually everywhere in the world. Now when we introduce differing power sources from everywhere...some may not be compatible and therefore...your Geshelli warranty may not be honored. So entertain alternative power sources at your own risk. Personally...I'm all in on linear power and think the risk is nominal. If I blow up my DAC, I have a J3S in my future anyways.
Because they have had people try and use a power supply from let's say Schiit and it is 16 volts AC. Warranty costs can be a big expense when you are a small business. Heck they let you roll op-amps. That started an industry wide trend. Anjyway it sounds like you aren't interested in buying one anyway so what's your point?
@ I own a Geshelli dac and am curious about the newer ones & ones not yet released. Just because I like Geshelli & their products is no reason to worship everything they do or not question why they would be so reluctant to make very cheap upgrades that lots of people say are so effective - and even discourage their customers from using other products. It’s right to be curious about such an anomaly in the industry. There’s wayyyy too much brown-nosing on RUclips. Whatever happened to constructive criticism or genuine curiosity?
Ed. Great content. I’m running the Dayzee with the 2590’s and the linear power supply from Pine tree audio. I’m currently running the WIIM ultra USB to Dayzee USB. Do you think running USB to reclocker to Coax to Dayzee would be worth trying?
I have a wiim ultra > j3pro with 2590s and I did not hear a huge impact from the po100…however it certainly did not hurt the sound either. I see the po100 as a inexpensive tool to keep in your belt, try it out it could add some magic
No. It requires a USB output. The CXN100 has a really clocking and jitter reduction scheme built in. I wouldn't worry about it as it is very good sounding. I have the AXN100 on its way to me. Review soon.
I’d like to see someone experiment with Sparkos regulators…think it would take a bit of soldering/rework but it’s just 3 pins. Honestly not sure if those regulator upgrades would go in a psu or the device itself or both.
Ed, who could get upset by somebody's opinion on how something sounds? That's what makes our hobby so great.We all like something different Otherwise our systems would all be the same and that would be so boring. The only thing that pisses me off is that you're a year younger than me but you look about 7-8 years younger than me! LOL
I like the size and looks of the Dyazee and it likely is an excellent DAC, but something at that cost should not require upgrades, especially a DDC/Reclocker. Yes, upgrades are options, but a Reclocker is NOT an option, it is a mission critical piece. Lots of DACs can likely "best" the Denafrips units. Not that the Denafrips units are bad, indeed they are not, but for the money and support there are a few DACs that best them, Geshelli Labs being one of them (Even the J2, while not able to "best" it, at least keeps up with the Denafrips and with better price and support). "Besting", "sounds better", etc. is all subjective though. I've decided on the Douk Audio Q11 and will be pulling the trigger soon. It will be my first and only outboard DAC. Yes, it's chancy and there is zero support, but based on all the reviews and especially the deep dive you did, I'm sure it is a good choice. I'm just getting an outboard DAC to see if it improves anything. If not, it is only $160 and I will just have to take the loss. I was going to get the socketed J2 base model (same price as the non-socketed), but could not decide between AKM and Saber and it would cost me $250+ to find out. I'm also thinking of picking up the Douk Audio Streamer just so I can play USB sticks.
You will like the DAC Q11. I use mine frequently with the SMAL PO 100 Pro with great results. If re-clockers aren't necessary why does Denafrips, Laiv, DCS, Innuos, Mutec, RME, Wyred 4 Sound, Total DAC, Matrix and many others build them. Very few if any DACs have a built in DDC-Clock circuit. They certainly have clocks but only for SPDIF. With USB it is the sending devices clock that set the timing and they are not particularly accurate. Get the AKM 4499 chip set if you can otherwise the AK4493 is really good. Seriously good. Keep me posted. Thx.
I'm a bit confused and curious about the external clocking device. For my headphone kit, I use exclusively a shanling cr60 cd transport to a ghiselli j2s dac. I use a USB connection between the two. Would hooking up this clocking device between the cd transport and dac pay dividends?
@@OldGuyHifi If nothing else the Q11 will allow me to learn (play with DAC chips and op amps) and tailor. I'm saying re-clockers are indeed necessary and part of what a DAC is and does. Re-clockers should not be an option or add-on. If USB is the sending device that sets the timing and all for example, then CD transports are likely more inaccurate, which is they a good transport is important even within a CD player. This is part of the reason I have Marantz CD players, their transports are pretty good, but of course, not perfect either. I'm an analog guy, so I don't get very deep into digital. I'm getting whatever AKM chip comes in the Q11. I can't keep track of all these chip numbers and such. They are meaningless to me and I believe without wavering that there is absolutely no difference between the chip numbers and such, they are just industry markings for registration purposes, kind of like Pioneer or Sony speaker models, they have different numbers xx-xxx-x-xxx instead of model names. As I understand it the difference is whether the chip is voltage or current based. The real audible difference though is the output, the op amps. The reason I need USB stick playback ability is for evaluation of artists as that is how things are sent now. I can't make a lossless redbook CD out MP3s. It is easier to load up a USB flash drive. For me streaming is background noise and research, not for serious listening, that is what vinyl records and CDs are for and those two trains don't meet either. It depends.
@dan-sc7fm Thank you for asking the technical digital questions I can't. I'd be curious as well, but I would bet the farm that unless there is something obviously wrong there would be no audible dividends. Microscopic measurements can't be heard.
A good DAC will dictate his own clock in USB communication and Jitter is the result of the DAC… For me USB all day long and a good DAC with USB input should have galvanic isolation… Sorry this is no DAC for me…
My suggestion about your comment is simply Google DDC and DAC every MFG recommends adding a DDC to the device. During the Pandemic I tested various types of DDCs on equipment over 20 years old to current... Depth and Detail improved on All
Your Pro Tip about switching after you have experience and only one at a time is excellent advance. This applies to everything because if you change multiple things at the same time, you don't know what made an improvement or degradation in the system.
Thank you sir.
I waited for my op amps on Eds advice, then I added a linear power supply, next I added a level electronic Processer with noise purification. That's what they called it . But I saw it on a short video. But I had to fight my impatience 😅
It’s like dating.😊
Thank you, I'm still relatively new to the hobby, so 90% is still over my head... BUT I enjoyed hearing every minute of it. I say go for it. It's something you're passionate about and you're experiencing and learning first hand AND passing along valuable first hand experience to your subscribers. Just let any resulting negativity roll off like water as they say.
Thank you so much.
Believe or not power supplies SMPS type noise ripple can be when designed built correctly 1 millivolt or less that is lower than a linear which standard is 50 times higher.
You are really helping so many people I've checked your impact is REAL!!!
Understanding measurements is not for everyone!!! But I do multi-discipline engineering along with being an Audiophile.
You can't build without electronics without measurements.. Yes there are technical reasons your upgrades improve the listening experience!!
Agreed. Measurements are useful in the design, testing and production of gear as confirmation and QC. When it comes to audio gear, I just don't think that a measurement is a reliable predictor of sonic performance. Thank you my friend for the kind words.
I'm surprised that you are ambivalent in anticipation of comments.
For all those who are contrarian... I'M RIDING with YOU!
Got that Geshelli J2S, it sounded great. Upgraded to Burson V7 vivid, it came alive.
Got that SMSL PO100pro digital to digital...noise floor fell to the basement, transients more impactful and timbre became realistic.
Now I'm ordering the Fiio PL50 linear power supply and I know it will sound great because YOU told me so.
Thanks Ed, you are the best!
I am looking forward to seeing the comments. Honestly, the negative stuff is amusing to me. I am glad to have you on board and I am grateful for your participation in the channel. Thank you so much.
What an amazing looking and sounding piece of kit. Your perspectives and content are always a delight, insightful, and helpful. Your mods make it very pretty. Unfortunately I will probably never own it, but your content enables me to enjoy it vicariously. I shall have to try the DDC to see if I can hear a difference. Thank you for your time, efforts, and for sharing this with us all.
Thank you my friend. Let me know what you think of the DDC.
@@OldGuyHifi Will do, Sir. When I get it. February delivery! Stay well, my friend.
All positivity coming to you from Vegas! Both of those add on's made a wonderful difference in my Geshelli J3 Pro. Background darkness and music details were present immediately. Thanks for another fun video!!
Thank you, thank you.
I loved this big, long, rambling, crazy video. Thanks Ed. Very well presented.
The lunatic ravings of an old grumpy guy!
Thanks Ed for giving upgrade options for the Dayzee. I auditioned the Dayzee with the Sparkos op amps upgrade in 2024 Florida audio expo. I ended up purchasing a Gustard a26, which also has the same chip set, and very good internal clock, and two transformers on the power supply stage. Essentially the Gustard has the same upgrades you did for the Dayzee, and added internal renderer/streamer all for $1,500. Gheshelli is a good value dac, but it's just almost impossible to beat the value of great Chifi products. Likely the upcoming additional tariffs on Chinese electronics, will make USA built items far more competitive. Good for the US economy, not so sure for the average consumer.
I love the folks at Geshelli Labs so much that they get the "tie breaker". They are an American company competing against a totalitarian economy that has stolen USA intellectual property in China. I'm sure the people of China a wonderful, but the government is an enemy of the US.
I'm going out of my way to support Geshelli for my future purchases of a headphone amp and maybe a fully loaded J3S DAC.
I haven't heard the Gustard aside from shows. I am working on getting a review sample. Thx for the view and comment.
Hi Ed great video again! Your liking the Sparkos Pro discrete opamps is what triggered my decision to upgrade to them from the stock Sparkos opamps in my Geshelli J3 Dac. Afterwards I added the Fiio linear power supply about 2 months ago. A poor man’s Dayzee? Maybe, both upgrades tremendously improved the sound. I also followed your lead to add the SMSL PO100 Pro between my Wiim Ultra and the Geshelli J3, no going back on that one either! The combination of these 3 recommendations has catapulted my system sound way above where I thought I could ever afford, music is so seductive now! What these upgrades do is real, I’ve been an audiophile for over 40 years, this is the best sound I’ve ever experienced. Thanks so much!
I am so glad you are enjoying your system. Thanks so much for the kind words.
Ed, you’re absolutely correct. Data sheets do not describe a sound of a device. The only time the comments light up about that is over at the asr group.
Thank you.
😂😂😂😂😂 if you hear a difference then it can be measured, that is a fact otherwise is just your imagination.
Or the gear was designed at Hogwarts 😂
@@shaolin95 Thanks for stepping by.
Ha. Your funny. Can you measure the taste of a good steak? Believe what you will. Thanks for viewing and commenting. It really helps the channel grow.
@@BostonMike68 We don't need to call out any one person. Please? Thx buddy.
Great review, thanks again Ed! I have also experienced sonic improvements in various equipment using a DDC and linear power supply (never had anything with swappable op amps). Appreciate you assessing the Dayzee fairly relative to the Laiv Harmony. If I do elect to do a DAC upgrade, I have been eyeing tha Laiv as my number one target.
Here's a hot tip for another effective tweak that I have made use of recently. Stack Audio isolation products, including equipment isolators and speaker isolators. Would be great for you to get those in to review. The results are shockingly good and immediately apparent. I won't run my equipment without them anymore. Best wishes to you and the channel for 2025! Keep up the great work.
Mr. T, I use IsoAcoustics isolation gear and yes, I agree with you, that makes a big difference. Laiv is sending one of their new μDDC units as soon they are ready. Should be interesting. Thx my friend.
Excellent video on one of my fav DACs! Still running with the stock op amps and still sounds great. Been A-B-ing with the new Centaurus. Very interesting comparisons. Still working up to trying some Bursons. Will put a power supply on the wishlist. Thanks OG!
Hi Ed, Great review ! Unfortunately I don't own a Dayzee... But really would like one after your review here... You are very right, first give it time right out of the box and then decide for an upgrade. Only then you will hear the difference and if it is to your liking or not. I am still very happy with a Fio K11 R2R dac and a linear power supply upgrade.
I didn’t hear too many controversies in this video. 😂 I enjoyed this quite a bit. Great explanations of how things changed.
Classic measurements do not tell how music sounds ...........you are RIGHT !
They only tell what a fixed signal does , testing or and correcting it is only valuable for that signal ,...............NOT FOR MUSIC !
You are right sir!
Love the look of the LED strip. Congratulations on getting over 14K subscribers.
Thanks for an interesting video. Now I’m going to go and enjoy some music!
Thank you.
That clear/smoked Daisy looks amazing! Great video!!!! Thank you!!!!
Anytime my friend.
You've come this far, now its time to start planning all of the DIY internal upgrades. Wires, sockets, fuses... Lets find out how much more hidden potential is waiting to be discovered!
I am not really a DIY guy. I honestly don't have the time. Thanks for the suggestion.
I really like listening to some swing music, so I'm not sure i want to remove Jitterbug. All the upgrades are great, and I'm glad the Geshelli responded well to them. Thanks Ed
Thx John.
Just got my SMSL PO100 Pro this week. I'm not going back. The sound I had previously was enough to make me abundantly happy, and when I took the SMSL back out of my rig, it suddenly sounded thin and scratchy. Less tactile and less three-dimensional. And WAAAAAY thinner in the bottom octaves. With the PO100 Pro, it was fuller, richer, warmer, yet even more resolving and "real". I was constantly breaking out in goosebumps. For $70, it's a no-brainer. I looked up the specs on the SMSL, and the jitter is 75 picoseconds. And a picosecond is a TRILLIONTH of a second. Impressive, indeed. It just makes the sound better to my ears.
I am so glad you are enjoying it. Thanks for letting me know.
@@OldGuyHifi Yes, sir! And thank YOU for talking about it. Your willingness to ruffle a few feathers is the only way to break the status quo and bring important things to people's attention. Keep up the great work! Put it this way: I subscribed. And FWIW, I've also got a Geshelli with Sparkos op amps, so you're batting 1000 on that topic, too. What can I say? You've got GREAT taste!
@@theoriginalcraig Thank you so much. I appreciate the kind words.
nice review. +1 for your comments on sparkos labs and linear supplies. Both worthwhile.
I have the Bifrost and Geshelli J2S and always preferred the bifrost. I figured it was because the bifrost had an internal linear power supply. I bought an LPS for $120 $85 plus $35 shipping off of eBay for the J2S. The sound was definitely smoother, more like analog. I switched the single-ended op amp running to my midgard headphone amplifier, from the SS3602 to the SS2590, and i could now distinguish background vocals. Words i couldn't pick up, i can hear clearly. Now I like the Geshelli as much as the bifrost and even more in certain areas. And yes, the SMSL PO100 makes a noticeable improvement with both my DAC's. I have it running on my stereo system and ordered another for my headphones. The only thing now is to try and fit two more SS2590s inside the J2S with the help of adapters for the xlr outputs. 😢
Be careful. I noticed my J2S running very warm. with the 2590 on single ended. I went back to the 3602s and am just as happy.
Okay, I'll keep an eye on it.
I’m with you on this one. DDC worked on my WiiM Ultra and linear power supply worked on SMSL D50 iii. Noticeable improvement on both.
Actually it is a Topping D50 iii. Us old guys sometimes slip up.
@@DefawDOfile
So you have the Topping 50 linear power supply?
Is that unit 12 volts and works with the Geshelli Dacs?
If your answer is YES, that unit is available via Amazon and is less expensive than the FIIO unit.
@ Yes, P50
The P50 has 2 x 5v usb a outputs and one 15v barrel connector
@@DefawDOfile
But my understanding was a J2S DAC like mine requires a 12 volt 1/2 amp power supply?
Are you SURE that your unit is compatible with a Geshelli DAC?
I avoided that Topping unit because of that 5 volt output.
I'm confused 🤔
Good advice on waiting to swap op amps. I bought the high end op amps and gone back to the originals in some devices. Sometimes, the engineers design the dac/preamp with certain specs in mind. I cant argue though about the fun of swapping op amps and listening. Makes the hobby fun...Thanks for posting!
Looks like nice upgrades. I am still not sure what the difference is in the sound. Upgrades for me usuallly make the sound stage bigger or the imaging more detailed. I personally prefer an immersive sound stage over details that are beyond what I hear in live music. I really did not get what the upgrade does to the listening expereince. Although I have finally a system that the speakers disappear so I now know I love that experience when the music comes from the air. I have an Auralic Vega S1 streaming DAC (thier entry level), a HiFi Rose RA 280 (their entry level amp), and the Traingle Magellan Duettes you reviewed. Mainly because they are forgivng of placement since I have a wife and nondedicated listening room, (which reviews do not tell me so I have bought some speakers that were not good in my room where I have to place them). Everything was Bstock or returns so for me it is a value system. I am thinking of a fuller sounding system. I use USB from my computer with a optical USB cable I had to cut down and redo the ends (what a mess). Am interested in what your USB setup is. Do you have a special USB board that is galvanically isolated from the computer with its own power supply? I used to upgrade speakers or an amp. But I found out that amps and speakers that have synergy together make a better system. So I take my wife on a road trip and listen to the combination I want and then buy them together. Too often I have bought speakers that did not match my amp. Then when upgrading amps they sounded good. Or they matched the amp and when changing amps they did not sound as good.
I should have mentioned it but yes, I have a USB isolator I use. I got it from Digikey and it seems to work well despite it being inexpensive. Here is the link: www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/olimex-ltd/USB-ISO/3471376?gQT=1
@@OldGuyHifi thank you.
And many say this is snake oil. It is not, and when done properly with these bits and pieces the sound quality improvement can be through the roof. Thank you for the video!
Thank you for your view and comment.
So for the record, information from USB is reclocked by the DAC.
Only time you use the clock signals is from I2S. And only if you set it that way.
Otherwise the jitter is a function of the DAC.
Now, what a DDC does do is isolate the noise. And that's the difference you are hearing. And noise can influence the clock of the DAC as well.
Of course this does depend on the DAC, higher end DAC's tend to have built in isolation and then it doesn't matter. Or even better, a quiet built in streamer and then you don't have to worry about noisy USB cables at all. Like the Fiio R7. Another well regarded DAC/Amp/Streamer.
Thx.
So I’m still very curious how the Dayzee compares to the Chord Qutest, especially now with the upgraded Sparkos op amps and now in the same price range. How does it compare to the Rob Watts programmed FPGA?
For me, I would not be using balanced connections since my amp is a Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 and I’m using a WiiM Pro as my source. So the single ended connections on the Qutest would work well for me. My speakers are KEF Q750 towers.
I’ve heard the Mojo2 and love that DAC, but seriously considering the Qutest for my home setup. Also, the footprint size of the Qutest appeals to me as it is a fraction of the size of the Dayzee. Has anyone compared the fully specked out Dayzee to the Chord Qutest since that seems a similar price range comparison?
I liked it a bit better. The Dayzee has a much better bass response and equal detail and imaging. I would be happy with either. Thx.
Honest man.
Thank you.
Old guy is like the bob Ross of his fi reviews. Love it
Oh sure. 🙄 Yes we have happy little bits and a happy little data stream flowing through our idyllic little audio world. Lol. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi it's a compliment, like a good record, you're easy to listen to. Keep up the great work!
@@RamisDad I got it. I thought is was funny. Thx.
As always, Great video sir! Thank You!
If you like cheap "decrapifiers", the Douk U2 Pro with the Crystek 957 clocks and an Altor USB isolator (feeding the Douk U2 Pro) both being fed by a linear power supply is incredibly close in performance to my Holo Red. The Douk U2 Pro actually isolates your signal when you feed it from an LPS unlike that SMSL Po100 Pro, which doesn't actually have any way of decoupling the power from the signal and it's definitely a better DDC, though it is quite a bit more expensive if you get the option with the 957 clocks.
I have a Douk U2 Pro. Douk is revamping that unit soon I think with an updated XMOS processor. That's why I have not discussed it very much. Thx.
I'm a believer, no question a linear power supply helps . I got one for my zd3 , I also used flagship electronic Processer with noise purification, after the power supply and they brought it up another notch. My question is can I use the reclocker on my fosi zd3? I don't know what is controversial it's science in my opinion. Thanks Ed 👍
Thank you.
Love your reviews. I'll never spend this much for a DAC but it's still good information.
Maybe some day? Thanks for tuning in.
@@OldGuyHifi I'm a vinyl guy first. Streamer for convenience and discovery. CDs last.
@@tmdillon1969 I am kind of their with you. Analog reviews don't get a lot of eyes but, I don't care. I will keep doing them. I just the TEAC TN5BB balanced out TT and PE 505 balanced phono pre. It sounds very good.
That's a beautiful piece... I agree 100% about the power supplies. Every chance I have, I swap an SPS for a linear... Especially for preamps...
I love your reviews. And I believe in power supply. If you go to Andrea Ciuffoli website and see his 300B tube DIY amplifier schematic (for many DIY-ers it sounds best of the best) the amplifier itself is 1 pentode and 1 triode per channel plus some resistors and capacitors. but power supply section (split for 2 plate power, separate heater for 300B, separate heater for input/1st stage pentode, separate heater for rectifier tube) all takes 80% room of enclosure. So yes, power supply matter most. One gear producer explained this as follows: imagine that source of sound is your power supply and all gear in chain: cd/dac, amplifier, speakers only modulate electric power (constant current with DC voltage) to the sound we want. I am believer of this statement. Therefore my kind request, can you inspect in details fiio power supply - how it is build inside? what components are used, do they have integrated LDOs or it is fully discrete regulation?
You see for yourself how it is built here: www.fiio.com/pl50 Thx.
I agree the Dayzee is excellent in stock form (though I started with a LPS, with the stock 1655 op-amps) - and the upgrade to the Sparkos SS2590 makes it a *stunning* sounding DAC, in my opinion. The one piece I do not have yet, is the DDC reclocker - and I will be getting one, soon!
It made a nice difference in staging and noise floor.
Thanks. Nice DAC, but for me I would still go with the Pontus because it can do DoP64 on all inputs (I use a GeerFab D.BOB for my SACD collection) and it has 2 coax inputs, 2 AES inputs and of course the I2S input. I own the JNOG2 [J2S] Socketed and I use it for CD's and streaming. I believe you on the LPS improvements; you are not the only one claiming that. It is hard for me to believe it, but I will do a test soon on that when I get the HIFI Audio LPS that you reviewed and use it on my JNOG2 [J2S] Socketed. Keep up the great work! Cheers!
I can’t wait till you review the Pontus 15th
We shall see. I am trying. Thx.
Thanks!
That is so generous of you. Thank you for your support.
I would have liked to have heard the less expensive upgrades first, like the reclocker over the $500 spent on new up-amps. Makes more sense to me.
Thx for the vid! B.
You have to "PAY THE COST TO BE THE BOSS".
That DAYZEE DAC is going to be evaluated versus OPTIONS at or around the price bracket.
Getting "close" to a Laiv Harmony for $1700 provides an interesting cost/benefit analysis.
The law of diminishing returns has some relevance here.
I hear that the Laiv Harmony is killer but I don't have the sheckles for that DAC.
Conversely, I could build in increments towards that level of sonic performance with a Geshelli DAC.
For ME... That's the essence of the hobby.
Incremental improvement provides tons of enjoyment.
I did mention all of that in my original review of the Dayzee. You may want to check that video out. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi
I know you did. My comments are ME and have nothing to do with your take on matters.
If our opinions coincide that just suggests that WE are smart.
This is your channel and it will flourish.
I run my amateur radio transceiver using a 20 amp hour 12v LiPO battery to help eliminate power supply noise getting into the front end. I'm going to try the same thing with my 12v audio gear. Nice video. Thanks and 73.
I will be doing a quick video about battery power supplies in a day or so. Yes, they work.
Regarding the ddc: I had a thought last night on experimenting with feeding the po100 with a linear psu -block usb power from the streamer/pc(there are dongles and cables that only allow data) > usb Y cable + feed from a 5v LPS…will it work? Better yet will it improve SQ? Seems like a fun lil project
I don't think that would work. If you want to try let me know. I am a bit skeptical that it would yield any benefits. Cool idea though. Thanks.
@ I’m also skeptical but for $20 I get to feel like Doc Brown for a few minutes
Fantastic video and excellent advice on the tweaks!! I've been lurking your vids for a while, but now a subscriber!!
A bit offended by the "old guy" moniker...only because you look similar in age to me!! Lol. Cheers!!
Welcome aboard! Thanks so much.
A stack of Teac gear? Sweeeet!
Looking forward to your video on battery power!
You and me both!
I had the pleasure of meetings OldGuyHifi at CAF at the Geshelli Labs rooms. Great guy. Super knowledgeable!!!!!
One thing he said that makes a TON of sense. Try to keep your DAC stock for a while till you get use to the sound. Once you have a good understanding of what sound you have you will appreciate the upgrades more.
Mr. Morgan, I remember meeting you. Thank you for the kind words. I hope you have great New Year.
All makes total sense , all these upgrades make a difference and when combined produce huge difference and upgrade from stock .
Did you try your SX25B discrete op amps ?
Would be interesting to find out how a high quality all in one such as Teac UD-507 stacks up.
I have a Teac stack in now but no DAC. I am working on it. Thx.
Teac is amazing value for money, and great devices.
Excellent information, Ed. I just added a Schiit Modi + dac to my stereo system. I stream via usb from my phone and it sounds great. But I am looking forward to your reviews on DDC, though that SMSL unit sounds like it would do everything I need and at a great price point.
I think it would. That is one area, phone to DAC, where the improvements are very noticeable.
As someone that has always loved audio but only recently had the time and money to devote to it, I believe you just took a commercial grade backhoe to the audio rabbit hole opening. Regardless of the brand, balancing quality sound along with interconnectivity and synergy can be a very expensive game of whack a mole. My philosophy to building a system was to start at the speakers and work back. the speakers and amp was easy and the most expensive. I am happy I did that and have zero regrets. That approach has given me enough quality on the back end to notice the changes in the front/source end. This was the point this novice started to glaze over. When setting up a two channel system I believe I made an error when it comes to the processor. My ignorance had me choose an AVR not for surround but connectivity. I actually really like the unit and for now serves me well with great sound. The problem is adding equipment and duplicating things like the DAC. Is it even worth the attempt or should I start with a new processor and a DAC? If I get an external DAC and bypass the AVR I lose volume control If I place it the DAC before or after the AVR, Where would the weak link or choke hold be? I was really impressed by Geshelli labs At Axpona. Would a DAC for 1200 be worth adding to a !700 AVR. Would they help each other or would one restrict the other to completely negating the addition of equipment? If I knew the answer I could justify the expense but Im not a gambler.
I could not agree with you more about measurements.They should be used as guard rails not the definition of great sound. I never understood the idea that if you didn't see the measurements you couldn't possibly know what you prefer and what's really good for your taste and this is a personal taste hobby.
Where is the Ann Landers audiophile advice column when you need one?
signed
Clueless gear decision maker/expert sound lover
Good you put most money in the speakers!
And next step is to swap the AVR for a real 2 channel amp. You will be impressed with the difference
@@stijnvanderlooy5311 Thank you
curious for your help here. when you say amp are you talking an external or integrated? I do have a quality Class D ice technology external amp and the AVR is being used as a preamp DAC and processor. It is a marantz with a Pure direct mode passing all the compression as far as I know.Huge sonic difference in this mode. I know Apple tv is not ideal but with their lossless going through the marantz cinema 60 its better than I ever imagined. I am not in a hurry to just spend money. I am just lost when it comes to the affect of a signal path when mixing components .
thanks again.
Hello there. I would get the Geshelli Labs JNOG2 [J2S] Socketed DAC and try it out. I believe you have 30 days to return it if you are not satisfied with its performance. I believe that the Marantz preamp section of the Cinema 60 is pretty darn good. Cheers!
A column for the melancholy audiophile. Dear Ann, my spouse doesn't understand my obsession with wow & flutter. Help!
Great video Ed! Happy new year. Love Geshelli products. I own i2s with sparkos 3680 on balanced side. Single ended is base op amp but Geno did adjust it for me to 3 V. Great unit.
Happy new year! Thank you sir.
I'm currently without a system, and will have a vinyl front end when I get back in business. I know NOTHING about the world if DAC's, streamers, etc. But I watched this video, and as my eyes started to squint uncontrollably at the wealth of information being thrown at me, I said to myself, "This guy knows his....stuff"!! I just subscribed, and after reading through every comment I've seen only one negative comment made....something about spelling. But that guy may be an arsehole. I'm sorry - did I spell that right?? Anyway, I enjoyed the video, and looking forward to more. (And I'll be checking out the past posts.) Well done.
Thank you so much for subscribing. Welcome. If you have any questions please let me know. I will try and get you the right answer.
Yeah brother! This guy indeed KNOWS HIS STUFF!
If you have any dough/dinero/quid/money...this dude will enable audio nirvana at the minimum cost.
@@carloslong839 I am not sure I deserve that much credit. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi
Ed my Dude! You are 10 years younger than me. You reside where I lived. And YOU have me re energized in my hobby.
I'm what marketers consider the perfect customer. I purchase a new high end purchase every single month.
I strive to be honest and informative in my posts.
I would be nice to know what you think about the Gustard X30. The AKM Chipset is in there aswell. If you use a Streamer with a build in reclocker like the Volumio Rivo it may also be interesting.. Thanks anyway to share your opinion.
I am trying to get Gustard gear. We will see. Thx.
Doesn't matter what you use or what you do with the gear you have, as long as it sounds good to you! :)
Great observation and comment. That is absolutely all that matters. Period, end of story. Thank you so much.
I've used the SMSL PO100 PRO too and frankly it represents the best bang for the buck in upgrading any DAC. I'm not sure anyone really needs an expensive DAC with one of those things! I currently use a Schiit Modi and the PO100 PRO sure slowed me down in looking for a replacement DAC.
Ditto Bro!
Next purchase was a Geshelli J3S as an upgrade from J2S 4493 chip with Burson v7 vivid upgrade.
Once I got the digital to digital converter implemented properly...WHY DO I NEED A NEW DAC?
Sounds so good that linear power supply is next incremental upgrade.
Less expensive than projection because the UPGRADES exceed expectations.
Can you share the USB cable you use? I'm curious how important the cable is and what the crossover point is in dollars needed
I use a couple different ones. I purchase the Schiit Pyst USB cables a few years ago and for the money very good. I a also have some generic cables that I added Ferrite Chokes to. The trick really is to make sure that they are true USB 2.0 or better cables. I do have a couple of Audioquest Pearl USB cables as well. I also added Ferrite Chokes to those as well. I do think the cable has an impact. I now have a relationship with a high end cable company so we will see what the future holds. Thx.
Hi Ed & Happy New Year! 🥳🥳 I'm a convert when it comes to using an in-line DDC between a USB source and the DAC to further reduce jitters. Also, a good linear power supply is great for keeping noise out of your system as I recently experienced the joy of powering a Wiim Pro though a noisy 5V power supply 💩 . . . everything the WiiM Pro produced had the background hum of the power source 😵😵 regardless of input source. Once burned Lesson Learned. 😎👍🏽
That hum is not natural. It may be more than power supply and may be your wire connections.
It may be advisable to buy new cables and emphasize optical and coaxial wherever possible.
The key to great gear is a zero noise floor.
@@carloslong839 - The problem was discovered to be the power supply. 😵 Swapping it out with a new 5V source remediated the problem. 😎👍🏽
Okay! I'm glad you had a positive solution.
Sometimes my gear hums and tightening connections remedies the issue.
Can you share the link to the LED strip?
I just emailed it to you.
Appreciate the dishwasher analogy.
Scrubba dub dub!
The future is chip sets and chip set layering by daisy chaining dacs. Nothing compares to the sound quality. I plan on getting the dayzee and the topping octo and chaining those up together to one amplifier.
Thank you for your reviews, you are fast becoming one of my favorites. One question, what switcher do you use for the AB comparison. PS I just got an email from Sherri my Dayzee is coming next week with the Sparkos opamps
Congratulations. You will love it. I am useing the multiple inputs on the Advance Paris A7 currently.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone popped open the Fiio PSU and checked to see if the 220V models can be converted to a 110V with an internal switch or jumper re-assignment?
Hi Ed. Very nice and helpful review. DDC does make a difference. Have you looked into the KGUSS/Topping HS02 USB2.0 Audio Isolator? I wonder if the used along with the SMSL PO100 Pro? Streamer to KGUSS via USB and KGUSS connected to the SMSL PO100 Pro via another USB. Thoughts? Could it further reduce the noise and improve the sound quality?
I will check it out
I have to ask directly, which SPDIF chip is used in the DAC itself. I'd be shocked if It wasn't the best TI.
AKM4137, I think. I will check.
Hi Ed, I looked up the SMSL PO100 PRO. I already have a SMSL SU-1 (same size & price as the PO100 Pro). I'm not sure what the differences are between the two. Does it make sense to use the PO100 Pro instead of the SU-1, or do you think I'd have a similar result using the SU-1? Thanks for your time and for your information.
The SU-1 is a DAC - digital to analog converter. The PO100 Pro is not a DAC, it's a digital re-clocker that cleans up the digital signal. Two different things. FYI, if you are interested in the PO100 Pro your streamer must have a USB output in order to use the PO100 Pro as it only has USB input (it then has I2S, optical and coaxial output).
Thank you Sean. Great explanation.
@@stephenross4333 if that’s confusing at all, let us know and we can help.
I am curious if that clocking device would pay dividends if I were to hook it up between my shanling cr60 cd transport and my gheselli j2s, that I have connected with a usb (this is my headphone kit).
Yes. I use one on my Shanling ET3 with good results.
How is it on digital glare as compared to the Pontus? I find R2R DAC to have basically no glare.
I agree. That said, this AKM chip set is a hybrid, switched resistor, multi-bit Delta-Sigma design with zero glare, at least to my ear.
I thought you might compare the LPS to an external battery power supply, as well, in this video. Great job.
Maybe this week. I have been testing batteries for a while now.
Amazing channel sir. I do have a question. Just from some quick research over the past week or so about reclocking. It some that it a benefit no the type digital signal you feed it. What is thoughts on this. As you stated in on you replies the optical intput usually have clocks built on that side. Do you that there is an improvement is you send toslink or coax out of your source to the ddc/reclocker and the the than toslink or coax into the DAC.
Thanks for your reply in advance
The signal out of the DDC on either SPDIF output has been reclocked in the device.
@OldGuyHifi yes sir. Sorry I might not have asked the question correctly or clearly. Yes understand that the signal on either output of the DDC the signal has been relocked. Do you think it is as much of a benefit if the DDC is feed an optical signal instead of a USB signal.
The DDC I am referring to only takes USB input. There is a company called Wyrd for Sound that makes SPDIF reclockers. I have asked for a demo but no response. They are in the web.
I think you should find a way to test the Holo Audio Cyan2. It is already in my chain with the Starkrimson Duo and the Elac Ubr62 Reference and it is blowing away anything else.
I have a Cyan 2 here now. Keep an eye open for that review. Thx.
@OldGuyHifi wow, burning waiting
Thanks for another fine review.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks Ed. Does the reclocker play dsd through the coax or optical?
I haven't tried that. I will tonight and let you know.
Another enjoyable video, thank you. My only exposure to ESS DACs is a one year old AUNE X8 DAC and an SMSL SU9pro DAC. The AUNE X8 has the ESS 9038 and the SMSL has the 9039 pro 8 channel chip. They both sound really good, especially the SMSL. I never noticed any glare with either DAC. Could you tell me which ESS equipped DACs you have heard exhibited glare? Thanks again..
Scott, Honestly I hear it on all of them. I am getting an SMSL RAWPro DAC 1 in for review which has the top of the line Sabre 9039MSPRO Chip and I am hopeful that is a good one. Most ESS chips were voltage based and the new crop of "Pro" chips are current based like AKM. Fingers crossed. Review soon. Thanks.
Looking forward to your review!
In before the boys from the measurement cult read about this video on their message board and flock here to weigh in with the opinions they acquired on the internets.
I am wearing my tinfoil hat already.
Awesome.. thanks..
I love my smsl DDC
I use mine from my phone to my dac
That is a great application. My guess is it yielded huge improvements. Thx for letting me know.
@@OldGuyHifi absolutely...I've been looking for an inexpensive CD or DVD player with a USB or i2s out but can't. Wanna use the smsl ddc.
I can't think of an affordable one. I use the Shanling ET3 but its like $800. If I think of something I will let you know. Thx.
@OldGuyHifi thank u...I transport from a pioneer the I found at the salvation army...lol My whole system is second hand. I'm the true cheap audio man😂
Waiting on my LPS from Ali.
It would be interesting to hear the Dayzee with improvements vs the Denafrips Pontus II 15th. Also, I think you should try a couple well regarded streamers to see whether they can beat the PC plus DDC... pi2AES over i2S if possible, maybe one of the volumio streamers, etc. My pi2AES was much better than my computer with audirvana, and adding the LPS to it bumped it up another couple levels.
Thank you for the suggestions. I have yet to find any streaming solution that equals Audirvana. Stream Magic from Cambridge comes close. I don't know if I will get a chance to review the Pontus 15H anytime soon. Thx for tuning in.
Are these reclocker devices solely used for USB input?
The ones I use, yes. There is a SPDIF reclocker available from Wyred 4 Sound called the Remedy. I think it is about $400. I have asked them for a demo but no response. I don't know it's efficacy. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi Yea, interested in spdif/toslink as no usb cable in my gear. I had a quick scan for a YT vid on other DDC connectivity but no luck. Also on point about the efficacy regarding.
Did you get a chance yet to ask Geshelli why they don’t use better power supplies, especially after you found such improvements with that one in your last video that probably runs to maybe ten bucks wholesale?
Do you think it’s because they prefer to leave that to users - or because they don’t share your confidence that those gains are to be had in the first place?
They are a small family business who probably doesn't have time to design or source a power supply. You might consider that the majority of DACs from major players don't come with anything but the minimum for a PS. I know the Geshellis well and Geno is a great engineer but not an audiophile. He allows his customers to modify their units so why not let them change power supplies?
@ It literally makes no sense though. This video’s about one firm but my question could be about any equipment from any manufacturer. I just can’t fathom why any of them would risk jeopardising the sound if they knew an upgrade could be had so easily. When some power upgrades are so cheap not even the price can be used as a reason.
Geshelli say they will void a warranty if they know a different power supply has been used.
😢?
Geshelli is a small firm that literally launched from a garage.
Since they ship units to all parts of the world, they needed to certify a power unit for all those jurisdictions.
Therefore you have power that is not the best...but is allowed virtually everywhere in the world.
Now when we introduce differing power sources from everywhere...some may not be compatible and therefore...your Geshelli warranty may not be honored.
So entertain alternative power sources at your own risk.
Personally...I'm all in on linear power and think the risk is nominal. If I blow up my DAC, I have a J3S in my future anyways.
Because they have had people try and use a power supply from let's say Schiit and it is 16 volts AC. Warranty costs can be a big expense when you are a small business. Heck they let you roll op-amps. That started an industry wide trend. Anjyway it sounds like you aren't interested in buying one anyway so what's your point?
@ I own a Geshelli dac and am curious about the newer ones & ones not yet released.
Just because I like Geshelli & their products is no reason to worship everything they do or not question why they would be so reluctant to make very cheap upgrades that lots of people say are so effective - and even discourage their customers from using other products. It’s right to be curious about such an anomaly in the industry.
There’s wayyyy too much brown-nosing on RUclips. Whatever happened to constructive criticism or genuine curiosity?
Ed. Great content. I’m running the Dayzee with the 2590’s and the linear power supply from Pine tree audio. I’m currently running the WIIM ultra USB to Dayzee USB. Do you think running USB to reclocker to Coax to Dayzee would be worth trying?
I think so. I noticed a very good improvement in staging and noise floor. Let me know if you do and what you think. Thx.
I have a wiim ultra > j3pro with 2590s and I did not hear a huge impact from the po100…however it certainly did not hurt the sound either. I see the po100 as a inexpensive tool to keep in your belt, try it out it could add some magic
How can we use that reclocker in a cxn100 streamer?
No. It requires a USB output. The CXN100 has a really clocking and jitter reduction scheme built in. I wouldn't worry about it as it is very good sounding. I have the AXN100 on its way to me. Review soon.
Those enormous opamps are hilarious. I know this thing has to sound awesome.
It really does. Thanks for tuning in.
OMG anything but the external clock!
Yes, yes.
I love my Dayzee, and I love Geshelli.
Me 2!
I’d like to see someone experiment with Sparkos regulators…think it would take a bit of soldering/rework but it’s just 3 pins. Honestly not sure if those regulator upgrades would go in a psu or the device itself or both.
I was going to ask Andrew Sparks about that. Haven't had a chance yet.
I think id star upgrades with ps, reclocker, then chips
Prefer long narrow DAC'S
Fit better in the audio rack
That's what she said!
Looking forward to your DDC reviews. As always thanks for the good stuff.
Thank you.
Ed, who could get upset by somebody's opinion on how something sounds? That's what makes our hobby so great.We all like something different Otherwise our systems would all be the same and that would be so boring. The only thing that pisses me off is that you're a year younger than me but you look about 7-8 years younger than me! LOL
Oh sure. Me look young? You would be surprised by how many peoples undies got bundled with this one. The comments are really funny.
I like the size and looks of the Dyazee and it likely is an excellent DAC, but something at that cost should not require upgrades, especially a DDC/Reclocker. Yes, upgrades are options, but a Reclocker is NOT an option, it is a mission critical piece.
Lots of DACs can likely "best" the Denafrips units. Not that the Denafrips units are bad, indeed they are not, but for the money and support there are a few DACs that best them, Geshelli Labs being one of them (Even the J2, while not able to "best" it, at least keeps up with the Denafrips and with better price and support). "Besting", "sounds better", etc. is all subjective though.
I've decided on the Douk Audio Q11 and will be pulling the trigger soon. It will be my first and only outboard DAC. Yes, it's chancy and there is zero support, but based on all the reviews and especially the deep dive you did, I'm sure it is a good choice. I'm just getting an outboard DAC to see if it improves anything. If not, it is only $160 and I will just have to take the loss. I was going to get the socketed J2 base model (same price as the non-socketed), but could not decide between AKM and Saber and it would cost me $250+ to find out.
I'm also thinking of picking up the Douk Audio Streamer just so I can play USB sticks.
You will like the DAC Q11. I use mine frequently with the SMAL PO 100 Pro with great results. If re-clockers aren't necessary why does Denafrips, Laiv, DCS, Innuos, Mutec, RME, Wyred 4 Sound, Total DAC, Matrix and many others build them. Very few if any DACs have a built in DDC-Clock circuit. They certainly have clocks but only for SPDIF. With USB it is the sending devices clock that set the timing and they are not particularly accurate. Get the AKM 4499 chip set if you can otherwise the AK4493 is really good. Seriously good. Keep me posted. Thx.
I'm a bit confused and curious about the external clocking device. For my headphone kit, I use exclusively a shanling cr60 cd transport to a ghiselli j2s dac. I use a USB connection between the two. Would hooking up this clocking device between the cd transport and dac pay dividends?
@@OldGuyHifi If nothing else the Q11 will allow me to learn (play with DAC chips and op amps) and tailor. I'm saying re-clockers are indeed necessary and part of what a DAC is and does. Re-clockers should not be an option or add-on. If USB is the sending device that sets the timing and all for example, then CD transports are likely more inaccurate, which is they a good transport is important even within a CD player. This is part of the reason I have Marantz CD players, their transports are pretty good, but of course, not perfect either.
I'm an analog guy, so I don't get very deep into digital. I'm getting whatever AKM chip comes in the Q11. I can't keep track of all these chip numbers and such. They are meaningless to me and I believe without wavering that there is absolutely no difference between the chip numbers and such, they are just industry markings for registration purposes, kind of like Pioneer or Sony speaker models, they have different numbers xx-xxx-x-xxx instead of model names.
As I understand it the difference is whether the chip is voltage or current based. The real audible difference though is the output, the op amps.
The reason I need USB stick playback ability is for evaluation of artists as that is how things are sent now. I can't make a lossless redbook CD out MP3s. It is easier to load up a USB flash drive. For me streaming is background noise and research, not for serious listening, that is what vinyl records and CDs are for and those two trains don't meet either. It depends.
@dan-sc7fm Thank you for asking the technical digital questions I can't. I'd be curious as well, but I would bet the farm that unless there is something obviously wrong there would be no audible dividends. Microscopic measurements can't be heard.
Yes. I use one between my Shanling ET3 and the Laiv Harmony. Sounds great.
Nice Comments Section reference how Brett fans watching
Not sure I understand.
So speaking of specs why don't you release your next audiologist exam in the description. I'm an old guy too.
No point. I not the one being reviewed. Thx.
A good DAC will dictate his own clock in USB communication and Jitter is the result of the DAC… For me USB all day long and a good DAC with USB input should have galvanic isolation… Sorry this is no DAC for me…
Ok. Thx for the view.
My suggestion about your comment is simply Google DDC and DAC every MFG recommends adding a DDC to the device.
During the Pandemic I tested various types of DDCs on equipment over 20 years old to current... Depth and Detail improved on All
Lexan...the new BPC, just kidding.🤣
Black Ice and Gishelli should at least buy you dinner. You tipped the scale for me on the F22 and the Dayzee
They are good people and that's enough for me.
@OldGuyHifi i would agree, appreciate your channel
Nice Stero.
Nicht lieferbar in Deutschland 😢
3 - 2- 1 BOOM! 👀
It would be a great idea to get a gimbal for your camera/phone to up the game on the product shots. Great video otherwise.
It has one. I just got it for Christmas and am learning how it use it. It is a DJI OSMO.