# Gilmore Lite Amp Owners Unite!



## sampson_smith

_This thread was previously titled *"What? No Gilmore Lite Appreciation Thread?!"* Seeing as there still appears to be no such thread for the Gilmore Lite and related Kevin Gilmore DIY Dynalo board-based amps, I thought it appropriate to amend the thread title so that we can wax poetic about this potent desktop headphone amplifier. Given that the GLite DPS and, as of March 2010, the most recent reincarnation of the GLite amp are now discontinued, it's now an opportune time to show your love and discuss what this Headamp does well, and with what rig in particular. Enjoy!_







 ***

_Initial Post:_

 Upon simply searching "Gilmore Lite appreciation thread", I found nothing suggesting that there is page for collecting positive impressions of one of my (at least) favorite full-size amps. What gives? It's about time that we start one, me thinks!


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## MomijiTMO

Time to edit that title 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. Is there a dynalo appreciation thread?


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## sampson_smith

Hmmm... I suppose that that Dynalo appreciation thread would do. Do you mean to say that there is no discernible difference between the GLite (with or without DPS), and DIY Dr. Gilmore amps?


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## MomijiTMO

Dunno, never heard them. Other much more knowledgeable members would be able to say for sure.

 [You sooo need to fix the thread title 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.]


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## sampson_smith

Alright, already! Fixed.


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## MomijiTMO

No that's not what I was saying 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Quote:


 What? No appreciate thread for the Gilmore Lite? 
 

should read

  Quote:


 What? No appreciat*ion* thread for the Gilmore Lite?


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## sampson_smith

Haha. Wow. I am obviously waaaaay too tired to be on here. Hopefully I will have a few responses to look over by the time that I wake up, fully rested, tomorrow. Thanks for checking over my stuff, MTMO!


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## kool bubba ice

Add the GP amp to the list. The Rodney Dangerfield of amps. Maybe I'm on a roll, I have a headphone and amp no one gives a $$$$ about. I'd love to hear comparisons, but only 6-7 head fiers own a GP amp.


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## krmathis

Yeah, seems like you are right.
 So guess that mean that you can safely start one, fill it with your own appreciations and let others chime in


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## sampson_smith

Alright. Thanks for looking into it, guys. Look forward to a new appreciation thread covering the GLite and its earlier variants (as well as Dynalo-based brethren) in the near future. It most certainly is warranted. I love my GLite like everybody's business!


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## itsborken

True but on the other hand the Dynalo has a solid reputation sans hype threads. It doesn't need such notoriety/fanboyism.


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## sampson_smith

Can't the same be said about the WA6, for instance? And yet that happens to have an appreciation thread that is VERY active. (I suppose that some of its inherent value is related to mod's, PDPS discussion, and tube-rolling, but there is a lot of deserved praise being bestowed there too.) 

 I also agree that the GLite, etc. has a rock solid reputation, but it would be nice if there was more commentary about what cans and genres go best with it, for instance.


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## sampson_smith

Oops. Double post.


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## K_19

I have join in here as I've been loving my Gilmore Lite (bought second hand) for the past few days. Detail/clarity wise it honestly is hard to beat, and they do beat out my WA6 in this regard. It also has plenty of power to boot, since I don't recall having turned past even 11 o'clock on volume dial with this amp (even with HD650). What it does lack is the 3D soundstaging and openness that WA6 is able to provide, but besides that I really cannot pick out any flaws about it. Perhaps it can be too bass light with a wrong DAC/headphone matching but with my DA100 (warm side of neutral IMO) fed by hiface, ALL my headphones sound great with it... even including the K701's.


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## sampson_smith

Thanks for the comments, K_19. Nice trio of cans you have there. I love the GLite for the same reasons, and, as long as it is paired with 'darker' cans, they seem to get along fine. My GLite + DPS seems to be an awesome match with my MD5000's. I am thinking, contrary to previous assessments, that the Gilmore Lite is a good match for the HD600/650 (hopefully). I wasn't sure if it would be a decent match for higher-impedance cans, but what I'm reading here indicates otherwise. Looking forward to checking out that pairing with the HD600.


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## logwed

My GLite is the best audio purchase that I ever made. I really want to obtain a DPS somehow...


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## sampson_smith

I have amended the title of the initial post, so that we can now consider it the 'official' Gilmore Lite appreciation thread. Feel free to discuss what you appreciate about this effective little amp here. In particular, it is always appreciated to hear about the headphones, sources and other gear that compliment the Gilmore Lite (and optional DPS) best. Waxing poetic about Gilmore Lite kin such as the Headamp GS-1 and many permutations of the Kevin Gilmore Dynalo board-based amps is also appreciated.


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## ak622

Add me to the list! I've got one of the limited black edition Gilmore Lites! I love this little amp and I don't think I'll get rid of it even if I decide to really move up the amp ladder. I think it pairs great with the HD650s. I've had this combo for years and it still makes me happy listening to it.


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## K_19

I have trouble understanding why people would consider this as not being good match with the HD650. Not only do they have enough power, they help out where the HD650 needs it IMO, in gaining clarity, speed, and decent high end extension... without boosting the bass in the process. Perhaps the discrepancies could be all due to the source...

 What I especially love it with is my RS1 Classic with Flat pads. They bring it more attack, detail, and speed that the WA6 failed to deliver fully (in comparison, of course. WA6 is plenty good as well with it, just not as good). It pairs exclusively with GL now. With my HD650 and K701, they're swapped between the two amps depending on what type of sound I'm in the mood for (more smooth, open, organic WA6 or detail, clarity and speed of GL).


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## Mr.Sneis

I've had probably 5-6 glites over the years. It is one of the best pairs with the hd650/600 ever. I use a black LE one right now!

 Anyone know why they were disco'd?


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## K_19

I don't think Justin have given a specific reason. There's been few speculations though:

 - Justin becoming too busy with portable amp venture and GS-1
 - Necessary parts becoming increasingly difficult to acquire
 - Justin developing a new amp in its price class

 Or it could be combination of all of these factors, who knows. Either way, I believe it had a production run of around 8 years, which is great for any amp, and testament to its excellence.


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## sampson_smith

I am now in possession of a well-loved pair of Sennheiser HD650's and very much love the combination. The Gilmore Lite does appear to inject a little sparkle into the music presentation. (I should say that the last time I heard these cans - belonging to Blastvegas - we were listening using a Woo Audio WA6. Definitely a slightly darker, murkier beast.) I had long thought that the impedance rating of the HD600's and HD650's would be a 'mismatch' with the Gilmore Lite. But, it appears I was waaay off. I soon will have a pair of HD600's to try out with my rig and will certainly indicate the outcome of that particular marriage here. Much has been said about the HD600's being easier to 'power' using the GLite (vs. the HD650's, which have been said to be more amp-finicky). I can't wait to hear about that, first hand...


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## K_19

Yup, that was one of the cases where impedence mismatch thing didn't really seem to affect things overly much... at least on my end.  I had the HD650 matched with GLite for a short time, and it definitely had good synergy with each other as long as your source also matches well.  It does lack soundstaging and smoothness that an amp like WA6 would give, but I liked the GLite much better for all other sonical reasons.
   
  One theoretical problem with the combo is that if one prefers to listen to HD650 at high volume, it's much more likely to clip than then a combo with better impedence match.  However, at safe volumes I don't think this should be an issue at all.


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## sampson_smith

I am currently now using my Gilmore Lite + DPS with a pair of trusty HD600's and I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EARS. The pairing is the best (so far) that I have been able to come up with. I had previously been using HD650's with the GLite and found that they offered a better match than expected, but the ever-present veil of those particular Senn's prevented them from being 'all around' cans. With the HD600's, I am experiencing a new level of clarity - somewhat intrinsic to the HD580's/600's, I know - resolution, and utter smoothness. The soundstage is also very large compared to what I am used to.
   
  Altogether, I am in a very nice place with my rig, right now. And I don't even have a good DAC in the chain yet. I will be sure to report on the synergy of the V-DAC in my system, when it arrives, in a week or two. Also, I cannot wait to be able to again afford a pair of HF-2's which, if I recall correctly, are a near-perfect partner for the GLite. Oh, the opportunities...


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## jilgiljongiljing

I have been very happy with my Gilmore Lite and have tried it with a ton of headphones and various sources. Based on my experiences atleast, my favourites with the Gilmore Lite, they do great with Grado's upto the RS1. I didnt quite like em much with the GS1000, but to be honest I dont quite like the GS1k with anything anyway.
   
  My Ultrasone's I would say sound the best with GLite, I tried the 680's with pricier amps and really didnt find anything I was missing as such. Same story with the 780. So if you are an Ultrasone fan check out Gilmore Lite, its good. Similar story for the Audio Technica lower-mid range A700/900/AD2000's. The Gilmore Lite does a nice job with those, but can tend to sound slightly thin. But man was I surprised when they could do a good job with my Beyer 990/600. I honestly was expecting a major struggle, but it sounds pretty darn good.
   
  Really quite an all rounder ready to take on anything. A real workhorse of an amp, solid build quality and finish, and its amazing how small it is in person. There are some shortcomings, but these are obvious only when you A/B with higher end amps. Infact to be perfectly honest, I didnt feel like I needed to upgrade when I heard the SPL Auditor. Yes it was a bit fuller sounding but I didnt quite get the urge. I find the DPS to be waay overpriced at 299$ that Justin is selling em for right now, even if they are discontinued en all that, 299$ is quite a lot. At 199$ I wouldve picked one up without thinking twice. If it makes a real significant difference or not, I cant say.


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## baka1969

I've had my Gilmore Lite+DPS for a while and it is, to me, the best amp I've heard yet under $600. I haven't heard every desktop amp out there but I have owned or still own the Headroom Micro Amp, the Millet SSHT, the LD MKIII. I have spent time with the Matrix M Stage, LD MKII and Auditor. Portable amps can't compete.

 I just want to note that the DPS does make a nice difference than without it. I originally purchased my GL from Justin with the stock wall wart and later picked up the DPS from another Head-Fi'er. I can't say it's a night and day change, but I will say it's a significant improvement. Well worth the price I paid. Not as sure it's worth Justin's price but I feel it elevates the amp's performance and is worth street prices. EDIT: 7/11/10 - I have been thinking of trying the Sigma-22 with the GL to see what that will do and compare it to the DPS.

 The GL is the closest I've come to a wire with gain in this category. Even though there is no gain selection, it's an extremely versatile amp. I've had IEMs, portables, full sized, closed, open, planar, dynamic, high/low sensitivity, high/low impedance headphones, cheap, expensive. Grado, Senn, Beyer, HiFi Man, AT, Shure, Denon, AKG, SkullCandy, and others. A lot of headphones have been plugged into my little GL and it's handled them.

 No noise with high sensitivity phones. No strain with power hungry phones. It does everything with a very low sound floor that makes it a nice black background. That and the ample power makes many headphones sound effortless when played at even above moderate sound levels.

 The GL is a very balanced amp that doesn't seem to color the music that other amp's I've heard can do. The amp is nicely refined and very well controlled.

 I'll reiterate what several others have already said about the pairing with the Senn HD650, it's a great mating. Although that Senn was never to my taste, I finally thought I reached it's full potential with the 650/GL.

 I think the K-70x is spectacular with the GL. Talk about detailed! And I still enjoy the music. But, hey, I'm a detail freak. 

 The HE-5LE, which has been said to be a difficult headphone, works very well with the amp. Still the best headphone I've owned. I do have to listen to it with the dial at about 12:00-12:30 for moderate levels. Although it does start to lose some of it's composure at very high listening levels past 3:30 on the volume knob.

 The T1, on the other hand, is (one of) the best headphone(s) I've heard. I've had the good fortune (or a curse?  ) to spend some time with the T1 and my Gilmore Lite. This is a spectacular headphone/amp combination. I listened to the T1 through two other amps for comparison. I think the GL was my favorite. What, I felt, a neutral paring!

 The Denon D7000 was not my favorite headphone as it's too bass heavy for me. The GL did seem to tame and control the bass somewhat. Just not enough for me to like the headphone overall.

 I had the Grado HF-2 for a while with this amp and although I felt the two worked well together, I didn't feel that they worked that much better than with the Headroom Micro I had. But I've felt that Grados are a bit more forgiving of amps than other headphones.

 EDIT: 7/11/10 - I received the HD800 on the 9th and have spent the better part of two days listening to them. While I haven't had the opportunity yet to compare it to the T1 I can say the GL, again, works effortlessly with yet another headphone with this Senn. The GL really allows to HD800 to show off. More than just a few at the NJ meet really enjoyed the GL/HD800 pairing.

 EDIT: 7/26/10 - The GL can't drive the HE-6

 EDIT: 7/26/10 - I have now have the trio of the 840/M50/D1001 in my stable and each one of them sounds great with the GL. The thing it does best with the three is help control the bass better. This is especially important with the M50.

 EDIT: 7/26/10 - I've had the opportunity to listen to the Asgard and don't feel the amp is close enough to the GL that I would pick one up.

 So those are my musings on the GL. Is it the best amp ever? Probably not. Are there better amps? I'm sure there are at higher prices. Will I ever want to step up? Maybe. Who knows? The GL is serving me well right now. 

 Peace


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## NapalmK

Just bought a G Lite and figured you guys would know of some good dac pairings. I have a uDac at the moment so I'll probably use that for a little while until I'm able to sell off some of my gear. I'm looking for a nice stand alone dac for about $200 (maybe up to $300 if there is a substantial difference). USB would be nice but not needed. I'm planning on purchasing it sometime within the next couple of months or more. The cans I'm going to be using with it are in my sig. Thanks!


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## Asr

For under $300, you'd be better off not buying anything and just sticking with the uDac. Almost everything in that price range will net you either little or no benefit in sound quality - in my experience, "sidegrading" within a price range has usually yielded little or no benefit sonically. If you want a real improvement in sound quality you need to budget substantially more than $300 and the minimum I'd submit might be something like the Pico DAC. I used my own Gilmore Lite with a Pico DAC at one point in time and found it to sound pretty good (though it's capable of sounding much better out of other sources). The Pico DAC was even on sale for 20% off last week which put it in your price range, did you miss the announcement?
   
  You might find it worth your time to audition an Arcam rDac once they come out. Although it's outside your price range it has coaxial, optical, and USB, and because it's made by Arcam, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be able to find a local dealer - and one of the benefits of having a local dealer for anything shoud be obvious.


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## 351Cleveland

Add me to the list of happy G Lite owners.  I lucked out and was able to snag a DPS when three of them suddenly became available from HeadAmp a couple of months ago.  The G Lite & DPS, along with a DacMagic and HD650, make up my main rig, and it's about as close to perfect as I can get without going into bankruptcy.


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## NapalmK

Quote:


asr said:


> For under $300, you'd be better off not buying anything and just sticking with the uDac. Almost everything in that price range will net you either little or no benefit in sound quality - in my experience, "sidegrading" within a price range has usually yielded little or no benefit sonically. If you want a real improvement in sound quality you need to budget substantially more than $300 and the minimum I'd submit might be something like the Pico DAC. I used my own Gilmore Lite with a Pico DAC at one point in time and found it to sound pretty good (though it's capable of sounding much better out of other sources). The Pico DAC was even on sale for 20% off last week which put it in your price range, did you miss the announcement?
> 
> You might find it worth your time to audition an Arcam rDac once they come out. Although it's outside your price range it has coaxial, optical, and USB, and because it's made by Arcam, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be able to find a local dealer - and one of the benefits of having a local dealer for anything shoud be obvious.


 
   
  Thanks! That's what my wallet was hoping to hear. I guess I must've missed the sale though I wasn't in the market until a few days ago. I'll definitely give the Arcam rDac a look though the closest dealer is 4 hours away. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I swear my area is like a deadzone for audio gear.


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## daveDerek

my g-lite (no dps) is my stand by/ go to amp in the home office. it's a quite pleasant workhorse.
  akwok raved about his amp paired w/ a 650 and monarchy dac comparing it to his O2/es1 combo. i think at one point (in a different thread than the one below) he described it as a baby orpheus/aristaeus like set up (and he's owned most of the top cans/rigs at one time or another):
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/215066/wow-a-cheap-headphone-amp-that-brings-the-hd650-to-omega-ii-es-1-level


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## logwed

[size=medium]

  Quote: 





351cleveland said:


> Add me to the list of happy G Lite owners.  I lucked out and was able to snag a DPS when three of them suddenly became available from HeadAmp a couple of months ago.  The G Lite & DPS, along with a DacMagic and HD650, make up my main rig, and it's about as close to perfect as I can get without going into bankruptcy.






 Ugh, you must have been the guy that snapped one up literally the day before I submitted the order. It's ok, no hard feelings, because I've now managed to snag one used. I look forward to the improvements once it arrives (probably on Monday), and then I think that my rig is complete for a while, or maybe I'll pick up a k701...​[/size]


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## David.M

how does this amp do with the HD650's. I'm curious, has anyone paired the two?


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## baka1969

Quote:
 Originally Posted by David.M  
 " how does this amp do with the HD650's. I'm curious, has anyone paired the two?"

 I felt the GLite was finally the amp that let the HD650 realize it's full potential. I had the excellent Headroom Micro Amp just prior to the GL and the improvements were apparent. The GL, to me, gave the 650 the control it lacked with other amps I heard with it. The HD650 just wasn't my to my taste, but the GL/650 combo, I felt, was an excellent one.


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## logwed

Quote: 





david.m said:


> how does this amp do with the HD650's. I'm curious, has anyone paired the two?


 

 Well, I've never used my HD650s with anything but the Gilmore Lite, but I can say that I enjoy it tremendously. I've never felt like I was ever missing anything in the sound, all details were able to be presented.


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## Cake

I'm a very happy owner of a Gilmore Lite w/ elpac power supply.  Works great, build quality is second to none, and you really get the impression that it's not adding or subtracting anything from the music, just silently putting power behind it.  The best part is the absolute dead silent background; you can turn the volume knob all the way up and you will hear absolutely nothing, no hum, no buzz.  That alone gives me huge confidence in its fidelity to the source.  
   
  One concern I have is the gain, though.  I bought mine based on its reputation for synergy with Grados.  True enough, it's great with my SR-325i, but I have to wonder if they're not using all of what the Gilmore could be giving because of the amp's high gain.  I have never gotten past nine o'clock on the volume knob--even that far is usually extremely loud.  I've always wondered whether this is normal.  Anybody else end up topping out at around nine o'clock for comfortable listening with Grados?
   
  This doesn't seem to depend on the source; I've tried with a MHDT Dialogue II DAC, a normal headphone-out from a Mac, and now with a MF V-DAC.  The relative position of the volume knob required for equal volume always ends up being approximately the same.  
   
  I've got a pair of HD-600s that will arrive in a few days... from what I've heard about the differences in power usage between Senns and Grados, I'm expecting to use more of that volume knob.  We'll see.


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## Cake

Actually, there's one other strange thing I've noticed about my Gilmore Lite recently, in addition to not using much of the volume dial.  Mine actually seems to generate static electricity of some kind.  This is most noticeable if you pull out your headphone plug, and let it brush against the metal case of the Gilmore.  You actually get some crackling through the headphones just from contacting the case!  
   
  Once again, I have no idea whether this is normal or what.  Doesn't seem to cause any problems, and the amp still (as I keep repeating) sounds like a million dollars, but it's just kind of strange.  Anyone else have similar experiences?  I suppose I should just get in contact with Justin at HeadAmp and ask him...


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## portaprokid

Quote: 





cake said:


> I'm a very happy owner of a Gilmore Lite w/ elpac power supply.  Works great, build quality is second to none, and you really get the impression that it's not adding or subtracting anything from the music, just silently putting power behind it.  The best part is the absolute dead silent background; you can turn the volume knob all the way up and you will hear absolutely nothing, no hum, no buzz.  That alone gives me huge confidence in its fidelity to the source.
> 
> One concern I have is the gain, though.  I bought mine based on its reputation for synergy with Grados.  True enough, it's great with my SR-325i, but I have to wonder if they're not using all of what the Gilmore could be giving because of the amp's high gain.  I have never gotten past nine o'clock on the volume knob--even that far is usually extremely loud.  I've always wondered whether this is normal.  Anybody else end up topping out at around nine o'clock for comfortable listening with Grados?
> 
> ...


 
   
  I think that is normal, as my dial is usually between nine/ten o'clock between my sound card and CDP.  Grados are just easy to drive, and if anything, it just means that the Gilmore Lite has more than enough juice to drive much more demanding headphones.
   
  ============
   
  I have had the pleasure of owning a secondhand Gilmore Lite with the Elpac for over three years now, my first and only headphone amp for my HF-1.  I was skeptical about amplification because Grados seemed to work well un-amped through headphone jacks anyway.  However, this Gilmore Lite came up for sale locally, and after reading all the feedback about it here with regard to Grados, I took the plunge.  When I opened it up, I didn't realize how small it was, as I'm not good with scaling things from pictures on a screen!  The fit and finish on it was solid, the loop out a great touch when I wanted to listen on my Promedias (now iFi's) and that was all nice and dandy.  With the HF-1 plugged in, I fired it up and immediately, I understood what all the praise here was about, and I started to wonder, with each passing track, why I went so long without amplification. 
   
  Maybe the story would be the same if I started out with just about any other amp within my price range at the time and this were a different appreciation thread, but it isn't, and that's okay.  Even after trying many other higher-priced amps from other vendors, I honestly would have a tough time justifying another amp, nevermind even thinking of replacing this amp.  It is kind of a shame that it is now discontinued, but the price had gone up quite a bit from the time I had purchased mine.  In fact, just like headphones, there are so many more offerings now than ever, and if one was indecisive about an amp three years ago, you are likely more indecisive now!
   
  Thankfully, it's a decision I don't have to worry about, for now anyway.  And after reading baka1969's post on the last page, I can fret about whether I really want to save up for an HD-800 or a T1, and know that whichever cans I may decide to splurge on, the Gilmore Lite should be able to handle it just fine.


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## daveDerek

Quote: 





david.m said:


> how does this amp do with the HD650's. I'm curious, has anyone paired the two?


 

 David, did you bother to read any of this short thread before asking your question? go back one post, two posts, four posts, seven posts, (nine) ten, eleven, fourteen, and fifteen posts immediately preceding yours as they all directly address this combo - sheesh!


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## aamefford

I'll chime in. Mine is a MisterX built Dynalo. I use a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic fed by an Apple Airport Express as source. My headphones are the Denon D7000. This has been my reference rig for about 6 months now, with no plans to change it in any way (actually, I'll lower the gain when I get around to it). I find this amp to be cristal clear and virtually without a sound signature of it's own. I love it with the D7000's. I didn't like it so much with my ultrasone HFI780's. The amp seems best paired with a warmer sounding headphone. I've listened to my D7000's on some very high end tube gear, and they really sounded wonderful. That said, my rig to me is 95% or better of the high end gear at 10% of the cost. The dacmagic filter options help here, I think.


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## logwed

Which effects do you hear with the respective filters?


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## aamefford

Quote: 





logwed said:


> Which effects do you hear with the respective filters?


 

 Tough to describe.  The Ln is very spacious and open sounding, almost lush, but probably gives up detail to smoothness and lushness.  It appears to offer the largest soundstage.  It is the second most used by me.  It used to be the most used.  It almost sounds like a hint of echo.  The Min filter is similar, but less.  Slightly tighter sound stage, tighter bass control and a bit more detail.  This one is my current favorite.  The steep filter seems to truncate the high end a bit.  It seems smaller, more contained and a bit glaring and present.  It has that "hey - Listen to Me" initial presentation that quickly becomes annoying.  I'll listen to it once in a while, there are a few songs it suits, but it is my least favorite.
   
  Note these are all really subtle differences.  Hope that helps a bit.
   
  And the disclaimer - All "in my opinion."


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## logwed

Thanks! I'll have to start messing around with those, I guess.


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## aamefford

I pulled up Stereophile's review - it covers the filters pretty accurately. Worth a read:

 http://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/cambridge_audio_azur_dacmagic_da_converter/


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## logwed

I received the DPS for my Gilmore Lite today, and I must say that I am very impressed. I haven't really read many impressions of the differences between the Elpac and the DPS, but what I noticed before anything else was much more realistic imaging. Instrument placement seemed much more precise than before. All in all, the sound just felt more vivid, more robust, and more enjoyable period in ways that are more difficult to qualify. Maybe this it added a bit of warmth to the system. Take my words with a grain of salt, though, because it was more than a week since I had last listened on my GLite because I had to cross-ship the Elpac.


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## NapalmK

[size=12.0pt]Just got the amp today so I'm officially a G Lite owner! I'm currently feeding the Gilmore Lite through a uDac with monoprice rca interconnect.[/size]
   
*[size=12.0pt]First Impressions[/size]*
[size=12.0pt]Wow! I didn't realize how small this amp was. I was expecting something a bit bigger. The size is similar to the EF2 though not as wide but with more depth.[/size]
   
[size=12.0pt]My cans are mostly low impedance so the knob on the G Lite rarely goes above the 9 o'clock position and generally stays at around 7 or 8 o'clock. [/size]
   
[size=12.0pt]Build quality. This thing is built solid and in my opinion quite attractive with its brushed aluminum case.[/size]
   
[size=12.0pt]Dead silent at normal volumes. I don't hear any type of hum or static until the volume knob hits 3 o'clock. I do hear a slight static or fizz but it's not too noticeable. Seeing as how I doubt I'll ever listen to this amp at ear shattering levels I'm more than fine with that.[/size]
   
*[size=12.0pt]Sound (using D2000s)[/size]*
[size=12.0pt]I'm coming from and EF2 and uDac and this destroys them in every sense. The bass on my D2000 is the tightest I've heard it with more impact than I remember. The amp seems pretty neutral to be honest. I've noticed increased detail, soundstage, and overall a better presentation than I've heard before. The speed is possibly faster than before though I haven't compared it to my other amps. I can definitely pick up stuff I've never heard before. On one of my songs, I noticed what I'd always thought was one note was two notes very close to one another that produce a rather interesting effect. My previous amp was an EF2 which gave me this unnatural coloration in the mids which I couldn't quite place my finger on and never settled with me. Veiled may be a word for it. Also unlike the EF2, I don't sense that the amp is holding the sound quality back. Clear would be a good word for this amp. I'll have to try it out with my other cans soon. It's safe to say I'm on my honeymoon with this amp.[/size]


----------



## aamefford

I'd love to try an external power supply upgrade from the Elpac, just to see if I find any noticeable difference.  Anyone want to loan one out.


----------



## baka1969

I want to see if the Sigma22 power supply would have a dramatic difference over the DPS. If so, this might be a worthwhile upgrade.


----------



## jc9394

What do you guys do with DPS when you are away for long period of time? Do you just unplug the DPS since there is no power switch?  I usually leave it one for weekend trip but I have a 3 weeks business trip and think should I leave it on or not.


----------



## baka1969

Quote:
 Originally Posted by jc9394  
 " What do you guys do with DPS when you are away for long period of time? Do you just unplug the DPS since there is no power switch?  I usually leave it one for weekend trip but I have a 3 weeks business trip and think should I leave it on or not."


 I also leave mine on al all tines. However, I unplug my entire rig if I'm leaving for more than a day. Brown outs, power surges, power failures, t-storms, who knows what can happen? It only takes about a half hour to warm up.


----------



## logwed

Hey y'all, I have a potential problem with my Glite DPS, and I was wondering if anyone here would have any insight. This is essentially what I sent Justin in an email a couple days ago. We all know how he can be with emails, so I figured that while I wait, I'd open the issue up to the floor on head-fi.
   
  I've owned a Gilmore Lite for about 1.5 years, and this summer, I bought the DPS unit from a head-fier. When I first started using the DPS, I noticed a small intermittent crackling sound, but I wasn't sure if there was a problem and it wasn't really an issue. However, tonight the sound was more piercing and louder than I had been noticing, and I decided to inspect around.
   
  I was feeling around the amp and DPS, and when I touched the side where the back panel and case meet, I felt an electric shock. I've kind of tried to figure out why the shock is happening, and I've found that anytime that the DPS is plugged into the wall, the clicking/crackling occurs in my headphones and I can feel a shock at that seam. I'm about 80% sure that the shock is real (because I felt no strange sensation with the DPS unplugged), but there is a possibility that the shock is just in my head. Also, when I plug in my headphones when the amplifier unit is off but the DPS is on, there is a hum and some crackling. This also occurs whenever the plug comes into contact with any part of the headphone out. However, this seemed more normal to me than the clicking.
   
  Is the clicking noise normal when using the DPS unit with the Gilmore Lite? I tried it with amp on and amp off and the clicking occurs in all cases that the DPS is on. As a note, I'm pretty sure that my amplifier unit and DPS unit are from different production runs because the DPS has a slightly thicker/less well machined front panel, and the LED is a different color than the amp's. I'm also using HD650s if that is important.


----------



## daveDerek

i'm not sure why a clicking noise should all of a sudden occur just by changing the ps. i've no such problem with my g-lite with the standard ps. clearly there's a problem. i'd recommend disconnecting it asap and going back to the standard ps. hopefully Justin responds quickly. have you tried sending him a pm in addition to your email?


----------



## logwed

Quote: 





davederek said:


> i'm not sure why a clicking noise should all of a sudden occur just by changing the ps. i've no such problem with my g-lite with the standard ps. clearly there's a problem. i'd recommend disconnecting it asap and going back to the standard ps. hopefully Justin responds quickly. have you tried sending him a pm in addition to your email?


 


  Yeah, I've had it disconnected from the wall and the amp since I noticed that the noise was getting worse (when I posted this). Baka1969 gave me Justin's phone number, so I plan on calling him tomorrow when I'm done with class. Sadly I don't have the wall wart anymore so I've been rigless for a few days, but I can manage. The Portapros are just getting more love than normal 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I didn't have the problem with the wall wart, either, so I am pretty sure that the DPS is the problem child in this family.


----------



## LeChuck

I owned a Gilmore Lite and the DPS from 2005-2006 and I still consider it one of the best amplifiers ever made, and one of the best values in this often overpriced hobby.
   
  I need to buy another one to satisfy my nostalgic cravings.


----------



## jc9394

Finally got GLite with DPS again, I think this is my 4 or 5th buy and sell GLite since I joined this forum.  This time I'm not selling it anymore.
   
  Listening to it now with iPhone>GLite>JH13, it is very nice combo for work.  It have loads more power than my iPhone>Pico Slim>JH13 combo, much more transparent and details.


----------



## RTF

I just received a Gilmore Liite with the DPS that I got in the FS forum, listening to it right now. It's definitely the most detailed amp I've heard. Overall it sounds very balanced with my HD600s, I had read a few times that it could be a tad bright or fatiguing in the treble but I'm not finding that to be the case. Its revealing without being harsh in any way I'd say.  I'm pretty happy with it so far, we'll see how it handles some LCD-2s I have on the way.


----------



## justin w.

Quote: 





rtf said:


> I just received a Gilmore Liite with the DPS that I got in the FS forum, listening to it right now. It's definitely the most detailed amp I've heard. Overall it sounds very balanced with my HD600s, I had read a few times that it could be a tad bright or fatiguing in the treble but I'm not finding that to be the case. Its revealing without being harsh in any way I'd say.  I'm pretty happy with it so far, we'll see how it handles some LCD-2s I have on the way.


 

 IMO, the HD600s sound best with a detailed, transparent amp with low-Z output that can open them up.  This is actually what Sennheiser recommends.


----------



## sampson_smith

I am glad that you are digging the GLite, RTF! I too found that it was a very good match for HD600's. They were never shrill, just extremely neutral and balanced in sound signature; all made better by the GLite's knack for extreme detail. Definitely one of the best affordable 'wire with a gain' amps out there.
  
  Quote: 





rtf said:


> I just received a Gilmore Liite with the DPS that I got in the FS forum, listening to it right now. It's definitely the most detailed amp I've heard. Overall it sounds very balanced with my HD600s, I had read a few times that it could be a tad bright or fatiguing in the treble but I'm not finding that to be the case. Its revealing without being harsh in any way I'd say.  I'm pretty happy with it so far, we'll see how it handles some LCD-2s I have on the way.


----------



## RTF

Thanks ss, yeah I'm liking this amp more and more. Balanced is the best word I can think of, bass is just right and all the details are there. I've heard my HD600s through a M^3, WA3, Amphora,  and a HA-160, and I like Gilmore the best, hopefully I'll stick with this amp for awhile, unless of course I upgrade to a GS-1 heh.
  
  Quote: 





sampson_smith said:


> I am glad that you are digging the GLite, RTF! I too found that it was a very good match for HD600's. They were never shrill, just extremely neutral and balanced in sound signature; all made better by the GLite's knack for extreme detail. Definitely one of the best affordable 'wire with a gain' amps out there.
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


----------



## Tinola

Paid for my Gilmore Lite w/ DPS from another head-fier. Looking forward to receiving it next week


----------



## JamesMcProgger

wooho, I'm in.

   

  what DAC are you guys using to feed the Glite?


----------



## cifani090

Quote: 





jamesmcprogger said:


> wooho, I'm in.
> 
> 
> 
> what DAC are you guys using to feed the Glite?


 

 Probably the Acousticbuoy DAC 2488 V.3


----------



## shipsupt

jamesmcprogger said:


> wooho, I'm in.
> 
> 
> 
> what DAC are you guys using to feed the Glite?




Mostly a Cambridge Audio DacMagic.

Welcome aboard.


----------



## Uncle Erik

Does a Dynalo count? It was the first amp I built after I got here.

Though it's disembodied at the moment. Awhile back, I found someone here selling a completed Dynalo board and I grabbed it. I also have two completed STEPs. Sooner or later, I'll case those up into a Dynamid/Gilmore Reference. There are a lot of tubes around here - a good solid state amp should be on the rack, too.


----------



## shipsupt

I don't know what counts, but that's a cool DIY! I did some research on the whole Dyna-variations when you posted in another thread about them.... Looks like you can build a monster if you choose!


----------



## logwed

Quote: 





shipsupt said:


> Mostly a Cambridge Audio DacMagic.
> 
> Welcome aboard.


 


  That's what I'm using


----------



## JamesMcProgger

^ sadly a bit out of my budget, what else?


----------



## baka1969

jamesmcprogger said:


> ^ sadly a bit out of my budget, what else?




You already have the iBasso. I'd save up for a used DacMagic. It's a pretty decent budget DAC and is the one I used when I had the GLite.


----------



## jo53mo

Anyone using the Pico DAC with  the G Lite and Grado RS1


----------



## sampson_smith

I had the GLite with DPS and DacMagic at one point, paired with a Grado HF-2 and RS-1. While this was over a year and a half ago, I can safely say that I was liking what I was hearing. The GLite is a neutral but somewhat analytical amp-- reason for some to bemoan its 'lack' of bass presence in favor of the Headamp GS-1-- and was a better pairing with the HF-2's in my opinion. (Later, I found that it was a fantastic amp for an early-model set of HD600's.) Still, the RS-1's sounded very good with rock and acoustic recordings. I certainly do miss my GLite from time to time. Loved the hell out of that little amp!


----------



## mchang

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I've been away for almost three years (addict had to step away from the Head-fi crack pipe)... I'm happy to see continued love for the Glimore Lite. I ordered mine almost four years ago, and still use it just about every work day. I did have to send it in to Justin for a DPS-to-Glite cable repair, but otherwise it's been rock-solid. For the last three-plus years, it's driven my modded Denon "MD-5000" beautifully, along with my Yuin Pk1 and Freqs.
   
  The Freqs were recently stolen, and I purchased a pair of Ety hf3, and those are sounding great as well from the Glite.
   
  After a bunch of buying and selling -- and the years away -- I am so glad I ended up with Glite+DPS and Pico. Quality products that have held their value (monetarily and performance-wise). Thanks, Justin and Headamp!


----------



## shipsupt

I just leant my G-Lite out for an extended period to a friend and fellow Head-Fi'er.  He offered to buy it, but honestly I couldn't bear to part with it permanently... it's just one of those amps I'd always like to keep.


----------



## dmort

Been a long time since anyone has posted here... but I have joined the ranks of Glite+DPS owners. Very pleased with this amp and the AKG k601.


----------



## dmort

Anybody tried the glite with a maverick d2? As a less expensive alternative to the mhdt choices? 

Sent using Tapatalk 2


----------



## ALSO

I'm joining the party late, so please forgive me and ignore me if you're all elsewhere.  But Andrew sold me a mint Gilmore Lite, which I wanted for dynamic and IEM use; it runs my 334 at another level than I've experienced, so I wanted to register my deep appreciation for this diminutive and over-achieving amp.


----------



## ALSO

(Now running the TH900s through the Gilmore Lite, and it's like a personal earthquake, I get it.)


----------



## ALSO

(And after another 5-6 hours, as much as I need; feeling it all the way through--how it's supposed to work.)


----------



## Baamx2

I've been using (sparingly) a rather basic but nice little preamp I picked up last year. The last owner called it a Dynalo Gilmore Lite. I can find only a website or two regarding this information. Is there any other way I might find out a little more about this thing? It looks like it certsinly wasn't a mass production model.


----------



## justin w.

baamx2 said:


> I've been using (sparingly) a rather basic but nice little preamp I picked up last year. The last owner called it a Dynalo Gilmore Lite. I can find only a website or two regarding this information. Is there any other way I might find out a little more about this thing? It looks like it certsinly wasn't a mass production model.


 
  
 then it's not a Gilmore Lite 
  
 here is the old page for the Gilmore Lite: http://www.headamp.com/home_amps/lite/index.htm
  
 sadly, i had to stop building it. the amps are now a gold mine of expensive discontinued transistors.


----------



## Baamx2

It's most likely a clone then. The website I got to check was:
http://www.djgardner.com/headphone/gilmore/

I can't post any pics yet but it's a simple metal box with a Neutrik locking socket and a an Alps Volume pot on the front. On/off switch, left-right rcas, and power port on the back. The power supply is an Elac power systems wall wart.


----------



## dmort

Hey, ALSO, how do you like the TH900 through the GLite? I'm considering a pair of TH600s and I do want to change the amp...


----------



## ALSO

dmort, I've since traded the Foster, so I can't reproduce the pairing to refresh my memory, but at the time, I found it a good match, within the restrictions of a closed phone.  I mostly listen through electrostats, so GLite is the only dynamic amp I own, and unless I make major changes in the future, the only one I plan to own.  It fits my needs, and I use it with the HD600s, which is one of only 2 dynamics I own.  But it's such a clean amp.  For a while I had a HE-6, and for that I needed something with more power, but the TH600 should pair well, I'm guessing.  Sorry I can't be much more help.


----------



## dmort

No worries, and I meant I don't want to change the amp - I very much like my Gilmore lite.


----------



## dennis82

Bringing back this old thread so I can comment about how good this amp sounds with the Nad HP50. In a word. Fabulous.


----------



## justin w.

and we'll be bringing back the Gilmore Lite in a Limited Edition model soon! This new model features improvements to the circuit that we made for the GS-X mk2, higher quality parts throughout, more power, a much nicer volume control, 2 inputs, and an active pre-amp output that can be turned on/off. This in a classic but slightly beefier version of the original chassis which will be in all black with laser engraved panels. A custom volume knob is in progress


----------



## justin w.

maybe something different this time? anyone like this powder coat color?


----------



## DarKu

justin w. said:


> and we'll be bringing back the Gilmore Lite in a Limited Edition model soon! This new model features improvements to the circuit that we made for the GS-X mk2, higher quality parts throughout, more power, a much nicer volume control, 2 inputs, and an active pre-amp output that can be turned on/off. This in a classic but slightly beefier version of the original chassis which will be in all black with laser engraved panels. A custom volume knob is in progress



Super nice!
Any idea on the price?

Will the limited edition use the external regulated power supply (how GLite Special Edition had), or it will use the regular Elpac power supply?
Thanks.


----------



## shipsupt

justin w. said:


> maybe something different this time? anyone like this powder coat color?




Looks good, but it will depend on how you handle your knob.


----------



## Valens7 (Oct 10, 2017)

shipsupt said:


> Looks good, but it will depend on how you handle your knob.



Ah, so true. 

Majorly keen on the revamped Gilmore Lite, @justin w. Can't wait to see more details! Do you anticipate that a sub-$1k price point is in the offing?


----------



## snapple10

Looking forward to this


----------



## justin w. (Sep 25, 2017)

Ready to go! 
Laser engraving is usually just white, but i liked this bronze color so much by playing with the power levels, i went with that. Classic look for a very classic amp/circuit by Kevin Gilmore


----------



## DarKu

Looks good! But I like the old volume pot better, is the ring on the pot illuminated? If its not, the old one is sleeker looking.


----------



## justin w.

the old volume pot is a Panasonic that's far inferior to the Alps Blue in this amp. if you're referring to the knob, this was just doing something a little different, i think you'll like it a lot in person


----------



## DarKu

I meant the knob, hmm this little amp is getting more and more interesting.
Any power ratings to share?
Will it drive mid-range planars ?
Thanks


----------



## purk (Oct 5, 2017)

A lot to be excited about the new Gilmore Lite MKII. This amp is high quality through and through and should be a prime candidate for those who are looking for a high quality headphones amplifier for work or just a highly transparent solid state amplifier general.  Highly recommended.  I personally would get this over Massdrop Liquid Carbon X despite a higher asking price.  This is due to higher grade parts, build quality, and a proven highly refined discrete audio circuit.  This amp is basically a single-end GSX MKII (SuSy Dynalo MKII) with a high quality switching power supply.  I hope Justin will release a dedicated PSU to go along with it.  I hope folks understand what a great amp this is.


----------



## HeadAmpTeam

Thanks, Purk. I just got my hands on the very first unit, and it is a very classy, understated design, with Justin's usual fit, finish, and special touches. The volume knob is very large and nice for an amp in this category.  I just plugged in a set of very efficient Meze 99 Classic, and the background is very black right up to the highest possible volume, where only a tny, soft background could be perceived.  Anyone looking for a transparent headphone amp, for a more easygoing price than your flagship GS-X will not be dissppointed.

CanJam RMAF attendees, please come see the amp this weekend if you would like to give it a shot. We are in the main ballroom just across from Fostex and HIFIMAN.

https://www.headamp.com/order/headamp-gilmore-lite-mkii-class-headphone-amplifier/


----------



## episiarch

How warm does it get, compared to my vintage Gilmore Lite v2?


----------



## justin w.

episiarch said:


> How warm does it get, compared to my vintage Gilmore Lite v2?



I don't have exact temperatures but I would guess slightly less warm due to the larger enclosure


----------



## purk

This amp should be a winner for sub $500 amp.  Yes, it may only be SE but a SE done right is always better than a balanced done wrong!


----------



## DarKu

So sad I don't have the cash right now. Great amp and a great price.
Hopefully an external PSU in a matching case will be offered at a later time.


----------



## episiarch

I genuinely hope I'm the only person bothered by *PHONES* being curved while *INPUT* is straight.


----------



## Andrew Rieger

Any RMAF impressions?


----------



## purk

Andrew Rieger said:


> Any RMAF impressions?


Don't hesitate man...this is a great and very polished design couple with exceptional craftsmanship.  If I don't already have the GSX, I would totally go for it.


----------



## Valens7

episiarch said:


> I genuinely hope I'm the only person bothered by *PHONES* being curved while *INPUT* is straight.



Eh, I'm certainly not.  Think it's a nice touch, myself.

Beautiful little amp, @justin w.!  Although I also hope that a matching DPS is offered at a later date. Large external power bricks, however adequate to the task, aren't my cup of tea. While the length of outlet cord is a useful concession to flexibility, placement of the PSU is still going to be rather more awkward than a direct connection to an IEC socket. Interferes with the otherwise minimal footprint of the amplifier, at least in my view.

That significant niggle aside, this looks like a fantastic offering. Still have fond memories of my Gilmore Lite.


----------



## ctaxxxx

Are there any comparisons between this and the RNHP amp? They are both the same price and seem to be an improvement over the Jotunheim in terms of resolution? These lack a balanced input, but which has more power?


----------



## gr8soundz (Oct 16, 2017)

ctaxxxx said:


> Are there any comparisons between this and the RNHP amp? They are both the same price and seem to be an improvement over the Jotunheim in terms of resolution? These lack a balanced input, but which has more power?



+1.
I'd also like to know how the Gilmore Lite mk2 compares.


----------



## justin w.

Valens7 said:


> Eh, I'm certainly not.  Think it's a nice touch, myself.
> 
> Beautiful little amp, @justin w.!  Although I also hope that a matching DPS is offered at a later date. Large external power bricks, however adequate to the task, aren't my cup of tea. While the length of outlet cord is a useful concession to flexibility, placement of the PSU is still going to be rather more awkward than a direct connection to an IEC socket. Interferes with the otherwise minimal footprint of the amplifier, at least in my view.
> 
> That significant niggle aside, this looks like a fantastic offering. Still have fond memories of my Gilmore Lite.



We might do a GRLV (golden reference) power supply for the Gilmore Lite mk2 at some point, available separately


----------



## Rossliew

justin w. said:


> We might do a GRLV (golden reference) power supply for the Gilmore Lite mk2 at some point, available separately


How does the GRLV PS affect sonic quality?


----------



## Andrew Rieger

justin w. said:


> We might do a GRLV (golden reference) power supply for the Gilmore Lite mk2 at some point, available separately



That would be awesome. Like @Rossliew I would like to know what sonic benefits could be gained from the additional power supply.


----------



## Andrew Rieger

I would really encourage you to do an external power supply for this amp. I would certainly buy it and I think most owners of the MK2 would as well. Who wouldn't want to squeeze more performance out of their amp? I'd happily pay $150 to $200 for it. 

Can you comment briefly on the quality of the standard external unit?


----------



## justin w.

Building the first batch on election day in these patriotic colors on high quality matte blue boards


----------



## TSAVAlan

Gilmore Lite Mk2 Unboxing!

Also bonus with the GS-X Mk2 unboxed.


----------



## purk

Thanks for a nice unboxing video.


----------



## WNBC

Very cool.  A friend of mine let me borrow her GSX MK2 for a couple weeks and of course it was quite good.  Probably the best SS amp I've tried.  I have an incoming Holo Audio Cyan DAC that has an onboard balanced amp.  I will try that out but I might be thinking of throwing in a separate amp if there is a lack of synergy with my headphones.  Looking forward to hearing thoughts about the Lite MK2, especially with Sennheisers and Grados.  I never got to hear the Lite MK1.  

A lot of us do wait for reviews before purchasing, but the price point is very worthy of jumping into the waters with confidence.


----------



## DJLEC (Jan 16, 2018)

Are there recommenced DAC's to couple up with the Gilmore Lite MK2?

I am looking for a small set up for my Senn HD600's & MrSpeakers Aeon.

Music source will be mainly with my iPhone that has CD's ripped via ALAC to iTunes and or a CD Player.

I really like what I see for the Gilmore size wise and from what I have read.

I did a brief search and an older post recommended the Cambridge Audio DacMagic so does this hold true today.


----------



## Valens7 (Jan 18, 2018)

Received a GLite mk2 in the mail today, and my initial impressions have been pretty good. Near as I can recall, it sounds quite different from the original GLite and GS-1 mk1. That's for the better, I think. Despite the relatively strong performance of HeadAmp's past dynalo implementations, they've begun to show their age a bit. The GLite mk2 has a rather more natural sound than its predecessors. Compared to a GS-1 mk1 that I owned not too long ago, the staging is less hard-panned and the upper mids are better integrated. So there's less forwardness and, consequently, less fatigue with material that's a bit hotter in that region. Perhaps a bit less control in the lows than I remember with the GS-1 mk1, but the resulting tonality is more pleasing overall.

So far, I'm liking what I'm hearing.  Not a mind blowing exhibition in any specific respect, but neither am I detecting anything objectionable. Which is not a trivial achievement, as it places the GLite mk2 in competition with some more expensive amplifiers that I've heard.


----------



## brocrusher

I just got a gilmore lite mk2 and this thing is amazing. I am noticing things I have not heard in songs before due to its ability to really separate instruments and create a nice image. Things dont sound like they are blending in together and for that great transparency I think this is well worth the money. I am going to save up for the gsx mk2 now because of it.


----------



## TSAVAlan

brocrusher said:


> I just got a gilmore lite mk2 and this thing is amazing. I am noticing things I have not heard in songs before due to its ability to really separate instruments and create a nice image. Things dont sound like they are blending in together and for that great transparency I think this is well worth the money. I am going to save up for the gsx mk2 now because of it.


Nice! The Gilmore Lite Mk2 is just such a nice amp at its price and the GSX mk2 is just such a powerful unit and step up.


----------



## mtmercer

I echo @brocrusher sentiments.  I have been very impressed with the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 with my Focal Clears, Ether Flow Open, & Audeze LCD2Cs.  I plan to due further listening with my HD600s.


----------



## purk

The Dynalo MKii design is pretty awesome.  Glad Headamp decides to make a less expensive version so more people can enjoy it.


----------



## mtmercer

Question for @HeadAmpTeam or @justin w. - I do not know anything about amp design so if this question is nonsensical, go easy on me.  Could you make a amp that would essentially be a balanced version of the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 for $1,200-$1,800?  It would sit nicely between the Gilmore lite mk2 and the GS-X Mk2.  Throw in a relay based volume control in lieu of a potentiometer if possible.


----------



## justin w.

mtmercer said:


> Question for @HeadAmpTeam or @justin w. - I do not know anything about amp design so if this question is nonsensical, go easy on me.  Could you make a amp that would essentially be a balanced version of the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 for $1,200-$1,800?  It would sit nicely between the Gilmore lite mk2 and the GS-X Mk2.  Throw in a relay based volume control in lieu of a potentiometer if possible.



We've been working on something like this which will be a GS-1 mk2


----------



## DarKu

Very good news!
Will it have a modular design like GS-1 and will it have 4 amp boards like GSX MK2?
I'm curious to learn more about it (power ratings, design, balanced inputs and outputs? and of course price category)


----------



## DarKu (Mar 5, 2018)

Hey Guys,
Received a Gilmore Lite Mk2 this week-end, left it on for about 10 hours and then started listening.
Boy, this thing can drive even a pair of LCD-4, not at ear shattering levels, but still very loud, it clips just a bit from 90% volume and up, but it is normal behavior considering how much power LCD-4 needs.

Shortly after, I decided to compare it with my Audio-GD Master 9 (in SE mode) and that was the moment when my jaw hit the floor...
Believe it or not, it has a little bit better detail retrieval, it sounds more transparent than my M9!
Higher registers have a little bit more air between the notes, but just the right amount.
By comparison my M9 sounds just a bit muffled and veiled, it was a real shocker for me, since M9 is considered very transparent and revealing.

I never listened to the original Gilmore Lite, but MK2 version is far from bright, lean or uninteresting.
It is very energetic, hard to describe, it has a really good punch and very outlined textures, it's like I can feel the timbre of the instruments, I can tell that one is made of wood or from metal.
It also has an easiness and a very good flow when listening to it, it should be the class A sound that I am hearing otherwise I can't explain the feeling.
I can even describe it having a natural and life like sound, without artificial overtones or something like that.
I think this might be the best single ended headphone amp that I had pleasure of listening until this week-end.

I don't get it why people are not considering it, It has almost no flaws whatsoever, well except the fact that it can't drive at fullest potential a pair of LCD-4 or HE-6, but it didn't had that purpose from the start.

I'll do a full blown review in about a week and will post it in here and will compare it more in depth with my Master 9 (using both HD660S and LCD-4 and some IEMs for fun).
Should be a fun ride, stay tuned.


----------



## HD800NL

I received a Gilmore Lite Mk2 too and I have the same experience. Fast, fluid, open, but very musical. I bought it for my MrSpeakers AEON Flow Closed but I tried my Sennheiser HD800 and both sound magical. It's the best amp I heard with the HD800's. I had a La Figaro tube amp, but the Gilmore is so lightning fast, open and musical. No harshness, great dynamics and analog sounding amp.

Just playing from an old Apple iPod Classic 5th via an Atlas Metik interlink.


----------



## mtmercer

@DarKu Which dac are you using your Gilmore Lite Mk2 with?


----------



## DarKu

mtmercer said:


> @DarKu Which dac are you using your Gilmore Lite Mk2 with?


Could be a shocker to some: a Matrix X-Sabre Pro, based on ESS 9038 chipset, yet not a hint of harshness or thinness with Glite MK2 using my Audezes or the Senns.


----------



## mtmercer

Fo


DarKu said:


> Could be a shocker to some: a Matrix X-Sabre Pro, based on ESS 9038 chipset, yet not a hint of harshness or thinness with Glite MK2 using my Audezes or the Senns.



My Audio-GD NFB 28.38 with the ESS9038Pro chip DAC also has no harshness with the Gilmore Lite Mk 2.  ESS must have resolved the harshness issue after all the talk & debate about it from the ESS9018 & 9028 based DACs.

I think an interesting question is what is the best value R2R dac to pair with the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 to make a fantastic system?  There are multiple lower priced R2R offering now.  Audio GD R2R 11 / R2R 1 / R2R 2, Schiit Mimby / Bimby, Seokris DAC1321, Denafrips Ares.


----------



## DarKu

If you cannot test those R2R DACs before buying I'm not sure they'll sound better than your NFB 28.38, I've heard bad R2R implementations too but I would rather not mention them in here.

I listened yesterday for few hours the Glite MK2 exclusively with LCD-4 just to stress it a bit and surprise...it drove them better than expected.
Big and bold bass was felt almost instantly with a great punch to my eardrums, Infected Mushroom is really something to behold on this system.
And that lightning fast decay of the bass is rarely heard even on big boy amps..
Actually it amazes me again to think that at this size and price Glite Mk2 is such a good performer.


----------



## Rossliew

Thats some pretty special sounding little amp. Wonder how it holds up to its bigger brother, the GSX Mk II?


----------



## HD800NL

mtmercer said:


> I think an interesting question is what is the best value R2R dac to pair with the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 to make a fantastic system?


Because I am looking for a flexible desktop setup I ordered a low budget streamer/DAC: Yamaha WXAD-10. It's a small sized unit without a display. You only need a smartphone or a tablet with the Yamaha MusicCast app. I found a couple of positieve reviews. I expect the unit tomorrow.


----------



## HeadAmpTeam

Rossliew said:


> Thats some pretty special sounding little amp. Wonder how it holds up to its bigger brother, the GSX Mk II?



The sound signatures of the two are extremely similar. The audio circuit of the two is identical apart from the Lite mk2 being unbalanced and using a potentiometer rather than a stepped attenuator. The bigger power supply of the GS-X allows for twice as much output in single ended mode, and four times as much in balanced mode, which lets it handle the really hard headphone loads like the Susvara, LCD4, and AB1266 in a way that the Lite can't quite.


----------



## Rossliew

Thanks for the reply, Peter. You guys got yourself another winner there!


----------



## nocturaline

I own a Valhalla 2 (OTL) and an X-CAN V3 (hybrid) to drive my ZMF Atticus. Both do a decent job, but something is missing. The Valhalla 2 can be too 'muddy' at times, and the X-CAN a little too lean. There are days I prefer one over the other, but can never make up my mind, and it drives me crazy. To top it all, I also keep switching between the Atticus and my HD650. There's too much indecision going on here! 

I was thinking about going with a Woo WA3, as a part of me loves tube amps. But another part of me doesn't want to deal with tubes anymore and would be fine with a solid state.

Knowing that it's currently in my price range, would the Gilmore Lite MK2 be a good option?


----------



## purk

It's a great amp with excellent circuit  and Headamp utilizes high quality parts so it should produce a really good performance.


----------



## DarKu

nocturaline said:


> The Valhalla 2 can be too 'muddy' at times, and the X-CAN a little too lean. There are days I prefer one over the other, but can never make up my mind, and it drives me crazy.


Gilmore Lite Mk2 is really the opposite of muddy and lean. 
I'm listening to it for a week now and I am shocked of how good it is with my HD660s, I never thought my Senns can be so fast, airy and detailed.
Its the best SE amp I've heard with my Senns.
I will be publishing a full blown review for it in about 2 days (waiting for photos) where I will compare it to a monster balanced amp, that is 3 times more expensive and 15 times the weight of GLite. It will be a worthy read, I promise.


----------



## DarKu

As promised my review is ready, you can read it here: 
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/headamp-gilmore-lite-mk2.22920/reviews 
Original review posted Here


----------



## catalystcc

Has anyone tried AK player line-out to this amp?
Would love to hear some impressions on these pairing synergy.


----------



## CoFire

Is this the only thread discussing the Gilmore Lite Mk2? Really interested in this amp using my Grace m9XX as a source? Does anyone have this pairing? Can anyone comment? 

It seems, and it may be just my impression, but this amp is lacking excitement perhaps due to the power rating and the competition advertised power ratings. One of the reviews mentions this amp plays louder than other SS amps with higher power ratings but that's all hard to discern. Is there a published chart if power output vs headphone impedance? Any plans for a non-Lite version? Would that be a more powerful SE model?


----------



## purk (Mar 29, 2018)

CoFire said:


> Is this the only thread discussing the Gilmore Lite Mk2? Really interested in this amp using my Grace m9XX as a source? Does anyone have this pairing? Can anyone comment?
> 
> It seems, and it may be just my impression, but this amp is lacking excitement perhaps due to the power rating and the competition advertised power ratings. One of the reviews mentions this amp plays louder than other SS amps with higher power ratings but that's all hard to discern. Is there a published chart if power output vs headphone impedance? Any plans for a non-Lite version? Would that be a more powerful SE model?



This amp is a steal if you think in term of build quality, parts being utilized, and purity of all discrete design.  Other amps may play louder but they are usually less transparent.  I own various iteration of Dr. Gilmore and Justin's Designs and all have performed favorably to amplifiers at the same price point.  Some time less is more if you understand what I mean.  An ability to go very loud is meaningless if it can't drive that headphones optimally.  Just my 2 cents.


----------



## deutschemark

CoFire said:


> Is this the only thread discussing the Gilmore Lite Mk2? Really interested in this amp using my Grace m9XX as a source? Does anyone have this pairing? Can anyone comment?
> 
> It seems, and it may be just my impression, but this amp is lacking excitement perhaps due to the power rating and the competition advertised power ratings. One of the reviews mentions this amp plays louder than other SS amps with higher power ratings but that's all hard to discern. Is there a published chart if power output vs headphone impedance? Any plans for a non-Lite version? Would that be a more powerful SE model?



I just switched to the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 from Jotunheim (balanced) to power the Mrspeakers Aeon Flow Open.  There is absolutely no power issues at all for me.  I'm listening to most of my music loud at about 10 o'clock on the volume knob . On the Jotunheim balanced it was around 930 on high gain.  Not much of a difference imo. I'm chalking it up to the Gilmore being class A though I'm no engineer.  BTW sound quality of the Gilmore bests the Jotunheim in every area. The macrodynamics and slam are amazing on the Gilmore. Tons more depth and way more texture in the mids through highs.


----------



## mtmercer

deutschemark said:


> I just switched to the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 from Jotunheim (balanced) to power the Mrspeakers Aeon Flow Open.  There is absolutely no power issues at all for me.  I'm listening to most of my music loud at about 10 o'clock on the volume knob . On the Jotunheim balanced it was around 930 on high gain.  Not much of a difference imo. I'm chalking it up to the Gilmore being class A though I'm no engineer.  BTW sound quality of the Gilmore bests the Jotunheim in every area. The macrodynamics and slam are amazing on the Gilmore. Tons more depth and way more texture in the mids through highs.



I also A/B the Gilmore Lite MK2 vs the Jot and came to the same conclusion.  I sold the  Jot.


----------



## Vignelli (Apr 1, 2018)

this or Cavalli Liquid Carbon Amp....
i will pair it with AFO
i tend to purchase between these two..

but still looking for other people idea


----------



## CoFire

Those are some good comparisons on the Jotunheim. It was just a curiosity to me a seemingly very well designed amp gets so little coverage on headfi.

Does anyone have any impressions with the Audio GD R2R-11 or NFB-11.28?

I feel like these would be other perspective additions but they are dac/amps so may be tough to compare.


----------



## deutschemark (Apr 1, 2018)

I'm really not sure why it doesn't get more attention on Head-fi but one guess is that when one looks at the interior of this amp and sees how minimal it looks they get turned off. As Zeos said when he reviewed it, "There's nothing in there.". If one looks at the interior of a Lyr 3 it looks really stuffed with electronics . I'm not sure but this is just a guess.  A week into owning the Gilmore Lite Mk2 I'm still of the opinion that it is absolutely brilliant!  It's somehow so resolving yet musical.


----------



## CoFire

deutschemark said:


> I'm really not sure why it doesn't get more attention on Head-fi but one guess is that when one looks at the interior of this amp and sees how minimal it looks they get turned off. As Zeos said when he reviewed it, " There's nothing in there.". If one looks at the interior of a Lyr 3 it looks really stuffed with electronics . I'm not sure but this is just a guess.  A week into owning the Gilmore Lite Mk2 I'm still of the opinion that it is absolutely brilliant!  It's somehow so resolving yet musical.



Yep, a true wire with a gain would probably get no coverage if it existed though it's the end goal, the holy grail if you will. 

So can any of the owners compare this amp to anything they have below or above it's price to get some reads on its performance/characteristics? I find the O2 for instance, clinical and cold. I have a Massdrop Liquid Carbon (which should be on the tubey/warm side of SS) on the way but am interested in this amp for everything I don't have our want to drive balanced. The LC seems like a go balanced or go home type of amp from the reviews. 

It would be nice to see how it pairs with the Grace m9XX AND if it adds anything to the existing setup. I don't feel I'm missing too much with the Grace unless I'm driving the HD6XX, but I'm eager to hear for myself. 

I saw the Zeos review and was a little baffled, it seemed anti climatic from how excited he normally gets about gear. He spoke about the simplicity, the 2 input coupling issue which is noticed at extreme, more than likely, unlikely situations, and I believed on its type A design which I believed pushed as loud as another higher watt rated amp. I was hoping for more comparisons with all the gear he had. The takeaway I took was that it's American made, simple, more expensive likely due to it being assembled in US and using higher end components, and from his reaction not to exciting. On other threads where this amp comes up in conversation, I'd have to say is always highly regarded.  

From an engineering standpoint, a simple design is favorable because there are less tolerances one has to deal with if the design is sound. Seems like this amp is a secret around here.


----------



## deutschemark

Zeos is funny, entertaining and sometimes can be informative but subtle sonic differences between amps isn't his speciality.  He said "maybe" there was a slight difference between the Gilmore and his Aune amp. The difference between any of my amps and the Gilmore imo is pretty large.


----------



## CoFire

deutschemark said:


> Zeos is funny, entertaining and sometimes can be informative but subtle sonic differences between amps isn't his speciality.  He said "maybe" there was a slight difference between the Gilmore and his Aune amp. The difference between any of my amps and the Gilmore imo is pretty large.



Can you comment on your amps? Differences and when/where to use?


----------



## deutschemark

Sure thing. 

Jotunheim: clean and powerful but a bit cold
Vahalla 2 : hazy with mediocre separation 
Jds Dac/amp (the one with the big volume knob): fairly balanced but a bit cold)
Grace m9xx: clean but lacks macrodynamics
Mojo: warm and pleasing but for me a bit congested.
Alo Continental V 5: great for a portable but not powerful enough in the low end
If Nano BL:  great for inexpensive portable


----------



## CoFire

What specifically in macrodynamics in the case of the m9XX are you referring to? I'm trying to get a sense for what's missing. What type of music do you listen to? 

Anyone have an m9XX that they can come the onboard amp to the Gilmore Lite Mk2?


----------



## deutschemark

I listen to everything except modern country (rock, metal, jazz, classical, old time music).  I like the heft and slam of the Gilmore.  The m9xx is a bit soft in macro in comparison. I thought the m9xx is a fine amp and the build is terrific.  It just doesn't compare as favorably as the Gilmore .


----------



## mtmercer

Vignelli said:


> this or Cavalli Liquid Carbon Amp....
> i will pair it with AFO
> i tend to purchase between these two..
> 
> but still looking for other people idea



I currently own the Gilmore Lite MK2 and the Massdrop Cavalli Liquid Carbon X.  I previously owned and sold the AFO prior to owning either amp.  I also have not had much time to listen to the Massdrop liquid carbon.

I would recommend the Gilmore Lite MK2 for the AFO for the following reasons:
1) the AFO are not very difficult to drive.  Both amps will drive it easily.  The AFO may even get too loud too quickly on the Liquid Carbon.
2) The neutrality of the Gilmore Lite MK2 will not make the already very warm AFO too warm.  I personally weight this point the most in my opinion.  The AFO ultimately were too warm for my tastes with too small a soundstage.  I sold and purchased a used set of Ether Flow Opens which aligned more with my preferences.
3) the clarity and transparency of the Gilmore Lite MK2 is great.  I’m not knocking the Liquid Carbon.  It just didn’t grab my attention the 1st time I listened to it like the Gilmore Lite MK2.


----------



## deutschemark

I'm currently using the Gilmore Lite Mk2 with AFO and it's magical. My dac is the Bifrost Multibit . It's the first time I've haven't needed to EQ a headphone!


----------



## Vignelli (Apr 2, 2018)

mtmercer said:


> I currently own the Gilmore Lite MK2 and the Massdrop Cavalli Liquid Carbon X.  I previously owned and sold the AFO prior to owning either amp.  I also have not had much time to listen to the Massdrop liquid carbon.
> 
> I would recommend the Gilmore Lite MK2 for the AFO for the following reasons:
> 1) the AFO are not very difficult to drive.  Both amps will drive it easily.  The AFO may even get too loud too quickly on the Liquid Carbon.
> ...


much appreciate sir for your review..
i guess i will go for gillmore then..
a little regret, 2 days ago i came to audio event in jakarta to play with this amp in front of mr,dan.. (and asked him for sign my AFO box unit)
but i didnt ask about this amp since AFO take my attention..
the last time i bought an amp.. was portable amp from vorzuge.. pure 2+
hope this will be better than latter


----------



## mrspeakers

We have the lovely mk2 in stock again.


----------



## bassvirtuoso

@HeadAmpTeam 

Do you still have semi-possible plans for a true PSU upgrade for the mk2?


----------



## HeadAmpTeam

bassvirtuoso said:


> @HeadAmpTeam
> 
> Do you still have semi-possible plans for a true PSU upgrade for the mk2?



Yes


----------



## lentoviolento

i ordered one. hope to get some more juice for my auteur and ether c flow.


----------



## deutschemark

After some time with this amp I'm leaning toward calling it a slightly warm with excellent heft and resolution.   If anyone wants a good description I'd refer you to Dan Clark's impressions on the Mrspeakers site.


----------



## TSAVJason

purk said:


> A lot to be excited about the new Gilmore Lite MKII. This amp is high quality through and through and should be a prime candidate for those who are looking for a high quality headphones amplifier for work or just a highly transparent solid state amplifier general.  Highly recommended.  I personally would get this over Massdrop Liquid Carbon X despite a higher asking price.  This is due to higher grade parts, build quality, and a proven highly refined discrete audio circuit.  This amp is basically a single-end GSX MKII (SuSy Dynalo MKII) with a high quality switching power supply.  I hope Justin will release a dedicated PSU to go along with it.  I hope folks understand what a great amp this is.



I’m sold! Can I get one from you   Cheers buddy!   How’ve you been?


----------



## Hyp0xia

Looking forward to that dedicated PSU. I've really been enjoying my new Gilmore Lite Mk2 over the past week. Please use dimmer power indicator LEDs in the future though.


----------



## mtmercer

The discussion about the new Gilmore Lite Mk 2 power supply has me wondering a few things.  The stock power supply brick is a linear power supply.  Will the new power supply just be a similar power supply in a form factor / chassis that matches the amp? Or is the intent that it will be an improvement over the stock power supply?


----------



## purk

TSAVJason said:


> I’m sold! Can I get one from you   Cheers buddy!   How’ve you been?


Been busy with work Jason.  The Gilmore Lite really do sound great though for the price.  You should grab one!

To those who want a dedicated and regulated PSU that will work with the Gilmore Lite, you should search for a Headroom DPS unit.  I confirmed this with Justin and the DPS will work fine and provide better performances than the stock brick power supply.  Your will hear blacker background and able to hear deeper into the soundstage while the Lite will sound a little more relaxed and slightly more textured.   The supplied brick power supply is the essential same model that Headroom used with their desktop amp in the past.


----------



## lambdastorm

Been eyeing this amp for quite a while. Heard it at CanJamNYC, thought it sounds really good but haven't had a chance to compare it directly to RNHP which I own. 

It'll be an interesting comparison if anyone owns both: considering that both retails for $500, are similarly powerful and even have similar footprint.


----------



## lentoviolento

The gilmore is just arrived and it is rocking the s#it out of my auteur and ether... I'll write something in the auteur thread.


----------



## TSAVJason

purk said:


> Been busy with work Jason.  The Gilmore Lite really do sound great though for the price.  You should grab one!
> 
> To those who want a dedicated and regulated PSU that will work with the Gilmore Lite, you should search for a Headroom DPS unit.  I confirmed this with Justin and the DPS will work fine and provide better performances than the stock brick power supply.  Your will hear blacker background and able to hear deeper into the soundstage while the Lite will sound a little more relaxed and slightly more textured.   The supplied brick power supply is the essential same model that Headroom used with their desktop amp in the past.



lol I was pulling your chain. TSAV is a Dealer for HeadAmp


----------



## purk

TSAVJason said:


> lol I was pulling your chain. TSAV is a Dealer for HeadAmp



Don't you think I already know?


----------



## luckybaer

I think I'll pick one up once the dust settles and I have my main amp operating correctly with my main DAC.  This sounds like a good amp with which to test amps (sound signature being uncolored and two single-ended inputs).


----------



## alphanumerix1 (Jun 15, 2018)

sorry if that has been asked but for the gilmore lite mk2 is the 1.5w rated drive power at 16ohm or 32ohm?


----------



## Adu

Hello everyone,

Does gilmore lite mk2 match a pair of Sennheiser HD600? Thanks.


----------



## sheldaze

@Adu the Gilmore Lite works quite well with the HD600/HD650 series of headphones. Soundstage is good. Bass is deep and fast.

My concern, a personal concern, is I preferred the HD650 versus the HD580/HD600 through the Gilmore. Not to say it does not play well with all the variants - it does. But it is transparent to the source and the headphones you plan to use. And though I read I few of your posts in the Yarland P100 thread, I have not a clue what your signature preferences are. Gilmore Lite is not going to sound like a tube amplifier, but it will play through the HD600 just fine.


----------



## Adu

sheldaze said:


> @Adu the Gilmore Lite works quite well with the HD600/HD650 series of headphones. Soundstage is good. Bass is deep and fast.
> 
> My concern, a personal concern, is I preferred the HD650 versus the HD580/HD600 through the Gilmore. Not to say it does not play well with all the variants - it does. But it is transparent to the source and the headphones you plan to use. And though I read I few of your posts in the Yarland P100 thread, I have not a clue what your signature preferences are. Gilmore Lite is not going to sound like a tube amplifier, but it will play through the HD600 just fine.



Thank you for your fast answer @sheldaze , I wish a neutral sound signature and more dynamics to my HD600.


----------



## Liu Junyuan

sheldaze said:


> @Adu the Gilmore Lite works quite well with the HD600/HD650 series of headphones. Soundstage is good. Bass is deep and fast.
> 
> My concern, a personal concern, is I preferred the HD650 versus the HD580/HD600 through the Gilmore. Not to say it does not play well with all the variants - it does. But it is transparent to the source and the headphones you plan to use. And though I read I few of your posts in the Yarland P100 thread, I have not a clue what your signature preferences are. Gilmore Lite is not going to sound like a tube amplifier, but it will play through the HD600 just fine.



Thanks for this. As an owner of both HD600/HD650, I can imagine exactly what you mean regarding the HD600 not pairing well with this, without having heard the Gilmore Lite. Have you tried it with the Utopia, by chance? Is this too fatiguing or a good pairing? I am looking for a transparent alternative to the ZDS at some point in the future. Thanks!


----------



## sheldaze

Liu Junyuan said:


> Thanks for this. As an owner of both HD600/HD650, I can imagine exactly what you mean regarding the HD600 not pairing well with this, without having heard the Gilmore Lite. Have you tried it with the Utopia, by chance? Is this too fatiguing or a good pairing? I am looking for a transparent alternative to the ZDS at some point in the future. Thanks!


 I did not. It was a borrowed setup, which I probably should have tried the Utopia.

But here's what I typically do - with a new setup, I use my modified HD650 and HD580 for a short while. This kind of tells me which way the amplifier leans, if that makes sense? There's a lot of personal preference and bias (and sometimes I get it wrong). But what I heard sounded quite dynamic, fast through the HD650. I would be less concerned about fatigue from brightness (I would call the Gilmore Lite transparent but not bright) and more concerned with fatigue from the dynamic volume swing. A very snappy amplifier and a very snappy headphone...I did not think it would work, so I did not try it with the Utopia.


----------



## gken92

speaking of power supply, what about the Aune XP1?
https://www.auneaudio-europe.com/in...ck.html?___store=auneeng&___from_store=aunenl

anyway, im loving the combination of gilmore lite mk2 with audeze lcd2c  
however, there's a pop sound from the headphones whenever i switch the amp on or off. should i be concern with it or is this normal? or should i disconnect the headphone cable from the amp before switching the amp on/off?


----------



## chris.d.m. (Jun 24, 2018)

Popping in to say been checking out the Gilmore lite & dang, what a real treat / surprise in combo with my Oppo PM3's.
It seems to add a bit in the top extension and a hair in the bottom, with plenty of power to spare of course.  Along with PM3's lovely mids, pretty darn sweet.

Considering other synergetic options now.


----------



## NickedWicked

How does the Gilmore Lite MK2 compare to a RME ADI-2 DAC’s amp section?


----------



## USAFPharm86

mtmercer said:


> Fo
> 
> 
> My Audio-GD NFB 28.38 with the ESS9038Pro chip DAC also has no harshness with the Gilmore Lite Mk 2.  ESS must have resolved the harshness issue after all the talk & debate about it from the ESS9018 & 9028 based DACs.
> ...



Just ordered the Gilmore Lite Mk 2 to pair with my Audio GD R2R 11 dac. Hopefully it turns out to be a great combo and I’ll post some updates once it’s delivered. 

When using the Audio GD R2R 11 amp with my HD700, HD6XX, and HE-500, I always felt like something was missing in the sound. I was always looking for more dynamics/clarity in the music. Plus the R2R 11 amp seems to have a high noise floor, every headphone I try is either extremely loud at normal volumes or no dynamics at low volumes. Hopefully pairing the Gilmore lite will solve these issues. 

I was also looking into the Audio GD C-2 amp, but it would take up my entire desk space haha. 

I’ll post some impressions once I receive my Gilmore Lite Mk2.


----------



## Liu Junyuan

What do those who have heard it make of this review? Lacking in resolution and dynamics? It seems the latter has already been refuted by several here...

https://porta-fi.com/headamp-gilmore-lite-mk2-headphone-amplifier-review/


----------



## deutschemark

Wow. That review seems really off imo.  I switched from the Jot to the Gilmore Lite Mk2 and both transparency and dynamics improved a ton!


----------



## Liu Junyuan

deutschemark said:


> Wow. That review seems really off imo.  I switched from the Jot to the Gilmore Lite Mk2 and both transparency and dynamics improved a ton!



Thanks. What headphones are you driving?


----------



## deutschemark

I don't own them anymore but it was the Aeon Flow Open.


----------



## DarKu

Guys, I wanted you to know that after I published my review of the GLite MK2 I decided to part ways with my own balanced amplifier, the Audio GD Master 9, just because this little GLite MK2 sounded faster, kicked harder and sounded more transparent. I don't regret it a single bit. It certainly lacks a bit in the power department so I wouldn't recommend it for harder to drive headphones like Audeze LCD-4 / Abyss AB-266 for example, but apart from that I really love it and I can't wait to see that GS-1 MK2 that is cooking right now at Headamp HQ.
Cook it real good boys


----------



## lentoviolento

DarKu said:


> Guys, I wanted you to know that after I published my review of the GLite MK2 I decided to part ways with my own balanced amplifier, the Audio GD Master 9, just because this little GLite MK2 sounded faster, kicked harder and sounded more transparent. I don't regret it a single bit. It certainly lacks a bit in the power department so I wouldn't recommend it for harder to drive headphones like Audeze LCD-4 / Abyss AB-266 for example, but apart from that I really love it and I can't wait to see that GS-1 MK2 that is cooking right now at Headamp HQ.
> Cook it real good boys



Gs1mk2?? What is his price range?


----------



## justin w.

lentoviolento said:


> Gs1mk2?? What is his price range?



this is more of a GS-X mini (name pending). Price will be somewhere between the Gilmore Lite mk2 and GS-X mk2


----------



## USAFPharm86

DarKu said:


> Guys, I wanted you to know that after I published my review of the GLite MK2 I decided to part ways with my own balanced amplifier, the Audio GD Master 9, just because this little GLite MK2 sounded faster, kicked harder and sounded more transparent. I don't regret it a single bit. It certainly lacks a bit in the power department so I wouldn't recommend it for harder to drive headphones like Audeze LCD-4 / Abyss AB-266 for example, but apart from that I really love it and I can't wait to see that GS-1 MK2 that is cooking right now at Headamp HQ.
> Cook it real good boys



Great update. For a few weeks I was having a hard time trying to decide between the Audio GD C-2 amp or Glite M2. After this post and reading your review I’m glad I ordered the Glite M2.

Now just waiting on the shipping update/tracking information. Hopefully the Glite M2 will be here in the next week to test with my Audio GD R2R 11 DAC. 

From your testing do you think the Glite M2 would pair well with a brighter sounding headphone? I plan to use my HD700 with the Glite M2, they have a slightly warm sound signature, but also the added treble spikes that can be bright at times. 

Thanks again for the review.


----------



## DarKu

USAFPharm86 said:


> From your testing do you think the Glite M2 would pair well with a brighter sounding headphone? I plan to use my HD700 with the Glite M2, they have a slightly warm sound signature, but also the added treble spikes that can be bright at times.
> Thanks again for the review.


My HD660S are also a bit brighter than say a HD600 or HD650, but not as bright as how HD700 are. I have no problem pairing HD660S with GLite, synergy is there for sure.
Do note that I am using a Matrix X-Sabre Pro DAC that has an ESS 9038 inside that many believe is quite bright, but not me. I love this paring, it gives me tons of speed, kick in the nuts and all the micro-details I want to hear. 
Please keep us informed how it pairs with your R2R 11.
Glad you liked my review.


----------



## JWahl (Jul 12, 2018)

I just ordered the Gilmore Lite mk. 2 to pair with my Chord Qutest.  I've owned a fairly wide variety of equipment, but now I'm focusing on a relatively compact, reasonable value-for-money desktop setup. I'll be using it with a modded HD-650.

I had a Massdrop CTH but returned it due to scratchy volume control, and have been using an iFi iCan SE.  The iFi is decent for it's price, but I'm hoping I can eek out a bit more performance with the GLite mk. 2.


----------



## TSAVJason

JWahl said:


> I just ordered the Gilmore Lite mk. 2 to pair with my Chord Qutest.  I've owned a fairly wide variety of equipment, but now I'm focusing on a relatively compact, reasonable value-for-money desktop setup. I'll be using it with a modded HD-650.
> 
> I had a Massdrop CTH but returned it due to scratchy volume control, and have been using an iFi iCan SE.  The iFi is decent for it's price, but I'm hoping I can eek out a bit more performance with the GLite mk. 2.



Congratulations! That’s actually a pretty good combo. I’ve always thought the GLmk2 is a great analog amp for the money and the Qutest is a great DAC


----------



## JWahl (Jul 14, 2018)

Got it in today, earlier than I expected, and have been listening to it for awhile.  I have to say, this thing is the real deal.  It's been exceeding my expectations, so far.  My thoughts so far really mirror DarKu's review.

It's a noticeable step up from both the iCan SE and the Massdrop CTH to me.  Everything sounds super effortless, as if a certain listening tension has been relieved.  Some might interpret that as being a bit laid back, but I don't find it overly so.  I liken it to a similar authoritative effortlessness I heard with the HE-1000 loaner a while back, except that I'm using the HD-650.  Like other's have alluded to, it manages to pull off the rare feat of being both very detailed, yet non-fatiguing, given the aforementioned effortless nature.  It does seem to have a slight warmth to the sound.  If I had to nitpick, this can be slightly strong with the HD-650's already strong midbass.  However, the extension into the low bass helps keep the overall signature still well-balanced.  Synergy seems excellent overall between the GLite mk2, Qutest, and HD-650.  I'm feeling content with my front end for now, I think.  Next upgrade, when finances permit, will be more/other headphones. 

I haven't yet tried the Elear with it, though I intend to.  I'm planning on selling the Elear to offset this purchase, but I want to see how it sounds in the new setup, in case I want to go for the Clear in the future.

And a special thanks to Justin for taking some time out of building GS-X's and BHSE's to throw a bone to us mere mortals   I suspect this may end up a classic once out of production.


----------



## USAFPharm86 (Jul 18, 2018)

Hello Everyone.

Just received my Gilmore Lite Mk2 Saturday (7/14) and also the Topping D30 DAC for my living room setup. Paired it with my Audio GD R2R 11 DAC and A/B tested it with a Topping D30 DAC. Tested both using optical and USB with my PC/MAC and Spotify Premium. Headphones used -- Sennheiser HD700 and Audioquest Nighthawks.

After a few days of testing, I can't really tell a difference between the R2R 11 and D30 dacs added to the Gilmore Lite Mk2. The Topping D30 may be a little less dynamic sounding, a bit blurry compared to the R2R 11 DAC. Soundstage on both are the same. Sound is subjective, so it might just be my ears.

The big difference was the amp section of the Audio GD R2R 11 compared to the Gilmore Lite Mk2. The R2R 11 amp seems less resolving and has a more in your face sound, mids pushed forward. The Gilmore provided a more spacious presentation and a tad cleaner details. I also noticed a lower noise floor when using the Gilmore. Maybe after the Gilmore burns in over a 100 hours I’ll test again. The Audio GD has maybe 700 hours of burn in on it now.

My question is should I be looking at another DAC to add to the Gilmore for improved soundstage/detail/music separation, or will it be a waste of money since I already own the R2R 11 and Topping D30?

My budget is $600 or less for another DAC, the short list is a Modi Mutibit (maybe will sound the same as the R2R 11??) or Mojo for desktop and travel use. I would use the Mojo as the desktop DAC and also use it as an amp/dac for travel use. Any other recommendations on DACs to pair with the Gilmore Lite Mk2 for less that $600 would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards.


----------



## episiarch

USAFPharm86 said:


> the short list is a Modi Mutibit (maybe will sound the same as the R2R 11??) or Mojo for desktop and travel use. I would use the Mojo as the desktop DAC and also use it as an amp/dac for travel use. Any other recommendations on DACs to pair with the Gilmore Lite Mk2 for less that $600 would be greatly appreciated.



I have tried both Modi Multibit and Mojo as DACs feeding my _previous version_ Gilmore Lite. (I'm sure the your Lite is better than the earlier model I have, but I imagine there's a substantial family resemblance.)

Modi Multibit is really good! Especially considering its price. If I didn't have a Mojo I'd be very happy with it.
But I like Mojo better, mostly because I can hear deeper into the detail of busy/complex pieces than I can with Mimby. Mojo's tonality is a bit warmer than Mimby's, and I don't really like that, but over time I've become used to it and it no longer bothers me.
No experience with the other two DACs you mentioned, sorry.
Possibly importantly for your use case, though, is that I've ruined the battery on my Mojo by leaving it plugged in nearly all the time. This seems to have been a little bit of an issue early on (the enormous Mojo thread and the Mojo Issues and Solution thread show I'm certainly not the only one), and is very possibly fixed in more recent batches.

I won't try to dissuade you from getting a Mojo, but I would very much recommend you make sure yours has full warranty, and that you take advantage of that warranty if your battery starts to fade before the warranty runs out.

FWIW I now use a Shanling M3s as my travel DAP / DAC / amp, and for my travel use cases (mainly ER-4S, ER4-SR, and K550) I am completely satisfied with it. You can add M3s to the price of a Modi Multibit and I think you'd still be under the price of a Mojo, though as I said I do like the Mojo's sound somewhat more.

Anyway YMMV but I hope this is at least somewhat helpful.


----------



## hamhamhamsta

Does GLIte Mk2 work well with ciem like EE Phantom or SE 5 Ultimate or only work well with headphone

Does it work well with ER4SR and others similar iem


----------



## lentoviolento

Also consider a pro ject s2 as a dac... Probably the best in his price range. (owned the gilmore lite mk2 and used with audio gd r2r 11,chord mojo, pro ject, ifi idsd bl and denafrips ares!)


----------



## quasimofo

hamhamhamsta said:


> Does GLIte Mk2 work well with ciem like EE Phantom or SE 5 Ultimate or only work well with headphone
> 
> Does it work well with ER4SR and others similar iem



I use it with ER4S and ER4SR. Silent background with perfect channel balance.

It is probably the best I have heard these IEMs, especially the ER4S.


----------



## hamhamhamsta

quasimofo said:


> I use it with ER4S and ER4SR. Silent background with perfect channel balance.
> 
> It is probably the best I have heard these IEMs, especially the ER4S.


Thank you
Also I only see RCA connections at the back and if so how do I connect dap like Sony wm1z or ak sp1000 to GLIte Mk2


----------



## USAFPharm86

lentoviolento said:


> Also consider a pro ject s2 as a dac... Probably the best in his price range. (owned the gilmore lite mk2 and used with audio gd r2r 11,chord mojo, pro ject, ifi idsd bl and denafrips ares!)



If you don’t mind me asking, how did the project s2 DAC compare to your Mojo and r2r 11 in terms of soundstage/detail/music seperation? 

I’m in the US, so I am having trouble finding a link to the project s2, is this it: 

http://www.box-designs.com/main.php?prod=preboxs2digital&cat=default&lang=en

http://www.audioadvisor.com/mobile/prodinfo.asp?number=PRPRBS2D

Thanks again for the help.


----------



## Rhamnetin

USAFPharm86 said:


> Hello Everyone.
> 
> Just received my Gilmore Lite Mk2 Saturday (7/14) and also the Topping D30 DAC for my living room setup. Paired it with my Audio GD R2R 11 DAC and A/B tested it with a Topping D30 DAC. Tested both using optical and USB with my PC/MAC and Spotify Premium. Headphones used -- Sennheiser HD700 and Audioquest Nighthawks.
> 
> ...



I would keep the R2R-11 until I could spring for something higher end to get a bigger improvement. But your Gilmore Lite Mk2 experience is like my own Dynalo experience. The only solid state dynamic headphone amps that interest me these days are of the Dynalo family.


----------



## USAFPharm86

Rhamnetin said:


> I would keep the R2R-11 until I could spring for something higher end to get a bigger improvement. But your Gilmore Lite Mk2 experience is like my own Dynalo experience. The only solid state dynamic headphone amps that interest me these days are of the Dynalo family.



Thanks for the help. Definitely enjoy the Gilmore and I plan to build my audio setup around it. If I increase my budget, any recommendations for a better DAC to pair with the Gilmore? I could probably go up to $1000 in a few months. Maybe sell a few headphones I never use and the R2R 11. 

If nothing under the $1000 range I may still purchase the Mojo for a good travel amp/dac. 

Best Regards.


----------



## TSAVJason

USAFPharm86 said:


> Thanks for the help. Definitely enjoy the Gilmore and I plan to build my audio setup around it. If I increase my budget, any recommendations for a better DAC to pair with the Gilmore? I could probably go up to $1000 in a few months. Maybe sell a few headphones I never use and the R2R 11.
> 
> If nothing under the $1000 range I may still purchase the Mojo for a good travel amp/dac.
> 
> Best Regards.



Take a look at the used market. I’ve heard the 2Qute by Chord is in the $700/$1000 range now that the Qutest is out and delivering quickly. We have demo units with full factory warranty of the 2Qute but not quite as low as your budget allows.


----------



## JWahl (Aug 26, 2018)

I'm following up after about 6 weeks of usage with the Gilmore Lite mk2.  Normally by this time, new toy syndrome has worn off.  However, I'm still just as enthusiastic to listen as the first week, which is rare.  There are a few observations I want to add though.

1.  Although the HD-650 pairs very well with it, I didn't really like the Elear with it.  I think the combo is a little _too_ dynamic, odd as it is to say.  Perhaps the linearity of the GLite Mk2 does little to tame the upper midrange wonkyness of the Elear.  I think that the perceived peaks on either side of the large dip can become downright stabby on dynamic peaks.  I fault this more on the Elear than the Glite mk2.  I just see it as the Glite mk2 driving it "properly".  EQ also seems to lessen this effect, to an extent.

2. The switchable dual input has actually proved very useful.  Since I happened to have two nearly identical interconnects (Audioquest Evergreen RCA-RCA and RCA-3.5mm of same length) I decided to compare my  rather expensive Chord Qutest to the generic onboard audio of my workstation laptop over several listening sessions.  Long story short: Although the Qutest is almost definitively better sounding, it's really not as large as a gap as I would have thought.  If fact, I even noticed a slight midrange recession in the Qutest relative to the onboard audio that I might not have picked up on otherwise.  Now, I don't think that this means that the GLite mk2 is a poor tool for evaluating sources, quite the opposite.  I do think that it is well designed enough to be less affected by certain sources with poorer output stages.  The most noticeable negative differences with the onboard audio are a lack of overall refinement and weaker low bass.

As a result of 2, I've decided to put my Qutest up for sale and go for something much more affordable.  I found that the Glite mk2 out of the onboard audio was still reasonably enjoyable to listen to.  So now, I'm looking at something like the Pro-ject Pre-Box S2 digital, like @lentoviolento had mentioned earlier in the thread.  It's compactness will fit well in my setup and theoretically should be sufficiently satisfying so that I can save some hard earned money.


----------



## koven

justin w. said:


> this is more of a GS-X mini (name pending). Price will be somewhere between the Gilmore Lite mk2 and GS-X mk2



Any more news on this?


----------



## lentoviolento

JWahl said:


> I'm following up after about 6 weeks of usage with the Gilmore Lite mk2.  Normally by this time, new toy syndrome has worn off.  However, I'm still just as enthusiastic to listen as the first week, which is rare.  There are a few observations I want to add though.
> 
> 1.  Although the HD-650 pairs very well with it, I didn't really like the Elear with it.  I think the combo is a little _too_ dynamic, odd as it is to say.  Perhaps the linearity of the GLite Mk2 does little to tame the upper midrange wonkyness of the Elear.  I think that the perceived peaks on either side of the large dip can become downright stabby on dynamic peaks.  I fault this more on the Elear than the Glite mk2.  I just see it as the Glite mk2 driving it "properly".  EQ also seems to lessen this effect, to an extent.
> 
> ...



I have mine on sale but shipping costs to us is unforgiving.
I suggest you to give it a chance bacause it is by far the best dac i have ever had, and i had a few.  Ares, mimby, etc


----------



## Xyst

I saw a few mentions of the AFO pairing, but does anyone know how the Aeon Flow Closed (AFC) pairs with this?

I'm putting together a new office set up around the AFC and was waved off the Lyr 3 pairing I was eyeing due to QC issues.


----------



## TSAVJason

Xyst said:


> I saw a few mentions of the AFO pairing, but does anyone know how the Aeon Flow Closed (AFC) pairs with this?
> 
> I'm putting together a new office set up around the AFC and was waved off the Lyr 3 pairing I was eyeing due to QC issues.




Absolutely! They pair very well. In fact the Lite can pair well with a lot of cans. It’s a pretty impressive amp.


----------



## Soundizer

Anyone tried GILMORE lite MK2 straight out of a Turntable/Record Player, listening to Headphones?

If so can you recommend a Turntable for it under 500dollars.


----------



## TSAVJason

You’ll need a phono preamp also. The Headamp does not a have one on board. Under $500 turn table ......check out Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. It’s about $400 with cartridge if I remember right. I know we sell them and for the money they’re pretty good. Most TT’s at that price don’t have much adjustability but the Debut Carbon has some as aposed to the Rega with no adjustability. Pro-Ject also makes inexpensive phono preamps


----------



## Soundizer

TSAVJason said:


> You’ll need a phono preamp also. The Headamp does not a have one on board. Under $500 turn table ......check out Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. It’s about $400 with cartridge if I remember right. I know we sell them and for the money they’re pretty good. Most TT’s at that price don’t have much adjustability but the Debut Carbon has some as aposed to the Rega with no adjustability. Pro-Ject also makes inexpensive phono preamps



Thank you. Apologies I meant £500 which is about 600 US DOLLARS I think.


----------



## TSAVJason

Soundizer said:


> Thank you. Apologies I meant £500 which is about 600 US DOLLARS I think.



To be honest you could spend more but you’d need to spend a lot more to do better. Turntables get better after the $1200 USD price. Between the $400 - $1200 price there isn’t a lot of differences. You’d be better off getting a good phono preamp for better sound ....you can always improve your phono cartridge after you get use to using your turntable but you’ll need to spend quite a bit more to get a better table that makes a difference.


----------



## Slim1970

Joined the Gilmore Lite Mk2 club and for the price it’s a fantastic sounding amp. I’m not sure why it’s not talked about more. The Gilmore Lite Mk2 has good, clean, class A power. It pushes the limits of what a, dare I say, entry level amp can be. I say that because it performs above it’s price to my ears. I read somewhere that HeadAmp is making a separate power supply for it much like the one they made for the Mk1. Does anyone know if that is still in works?


----------



## lambdastorm (Oct 29, 2018)

Slim1970 said:


> Joined the Gilmore Lite Mk2 club and for the price it’s a fantastic sounding amp. I’m not sure why it’s not talked about more. The Gilmore Lite Mk2 has good, clean, class A power. It pushes the limits of what a, dare I say, entry level amp can be. I say that because it performs above it’s price to my ears. I read somewhere that HeadAmp is making a separate power supply for it much like the one they made for the Mk1. Does anyone know if that is still in works?


A bit off topic here, but seeing that you once owned the PS1000, how would you compare it with Abyss? Just to give some context I own the Abyss, and heard the PS1000 on a friend's system a week ago, I was seriously impressed.


----------



## Hyp0xia

Slim1970 said:


> I read somewhere that HeadAmp is making a separate power supply for it much like the one they made for the Mk1. Does anyone know if that is still in works?



All mentions of the power supply stopped right around the time we started hearing about the GS-X Mini. I've been waiting months for some kind of update, but I've basically given up hope.


----------



## Slashn77

Slim1970 said:


> Joined the Gilmore Lite Mk2 club and for the price it’s a fantastic sounding amp. I’m not sure why it’s not talked about more. The Gilmore Lite Mk2 has good, clean, class A power. It pushes the limits of what a, dare I say, entry level amp can be. I say that because it performs above it’s price to my ears. I read somewhere that HeadAmp is making a separate power supply for it much like the one they made for the Mk1. Does anyone know if that is still in works?


Jealous of that setup! Running a Mimby Vali 2 with LCD2 classics mainly right now. I am still in the market for a SS since the Jotunheim was underwhelming for me. Maybe because I only run unbalanced and the amp was designed to run balanced so I have been thinking about this amp or a massdrop THX AAA($350) when it comes back in the next couple weeks.
$500 would be the most I want to spend on an amp.

What dac are you running with the mk2 and utopias?


----------



## Slim1970

lambdastorm said:


> A bit off topic here, but seeing that you once owned the PS1000, how would you compare it with Abyss? Just to give some context I own the Abyss, and heard the PS1000 on a friend's system a week ago, I was seriously impressed.


The PS1000’s were really good sounding headphones. I had them terminated with a Moon Audio Black Dragon Cable that made them sound even better. They were very open sounding and had crispness to their sound that works great with rock and metal music. I have no doubt that they would sound great with the Gilmore Lite Mk2 since they are much easier to drive than the Abyss. The Abyss needs more power than what the Gilmore Lite Mk2 has on board. But when driven properly the Abyss is technically much better than the PS1000’s. The bass is tighter and deeper, the highs are even more extended and airy and the mids are right where they need to be. The Grado’s would be a nice alternative to the Abyss. They also can be easy driven by the Gilmore Lite Mk2.


----------



## Slim1970

Hyp0xia said:


> All mentions of the power supply stopped right around the time we started hearing about the GS-X Mini. I've been waiting months for some kind of update, but I've basically given up hope.


I hope they still have plans for it. The sonic improvements would be welcomed.


----------



## Slim1970

Slashn77 said:


> Jealous of that setup! Running a Mimby Vali 2 with LCD2 classics mainly right now. I am still in the market for a SS since the Jotunheim was underwhelming for me. Maybe because I only run unbalanced and the amp was designed to run balanced so I have been thinking about this amp or a massdrop THX AAA($350) when it comes back in the next couple weeks.
> $500 would be the most I want to spend on an amp.
> 
> What dac are you running with the mk2 and utopias?


I normally use my Hugo 2 with the GL Mk2. Yesterday I tried the CEntrance DACPortable with the GL Mk2 and it worked well. The DACPortable is slightly warmer sounding and has a musical nature to it that I actually liked.

Monoprice is also releasing a version of the THX AAA amp. It has more features than the Massdrop version if you’re going to go that route. But the Gilmore Lite Mk2 should be on your list as well.


----------



## Rhamnetin

Slim1970 said:


> Joined the Gilmore Lite Mk2 club and for the price it’s a fantastic sounding amp. I’m not sure why it’s not talked about more. The Gilmore Lite Mk2 has good, clean, class A power. It pushes the limits of what a, dare I say, entry level amp can be. I say that because it performs above it’s price to my ears. I read somewhere that HeadAmp is making a separate power supply for it much like the one they made for the Mk1. Does anyone know if that is still in works?



Good question. I'd email HeadAmp if anything, you're bound to get a truthful answer from them.


----------



## Liu Junyuan

I am guessing the new power supply is still in the works; the GSX-Mini has just taken over priority right now.


----------



## dwqdd

nice


----------



## JWahl

If Justin is still planning a power supply and still early enough in the design phase, I have a recommendation.  If it’s practical to make it dual voltage output with a 5V usb, it might extend the market of the supply to others beyond current GLite Mk. 2 owners. It might not be practical to do both in one box without significant compromises, though.  

My line of thought is for DACs and streamers that use USB power inputs, like my Chord Qutest.   I use an iFi iUSB with the Chord, but a GRLV supply could potentially be great, even if it might need to be a standalone design.   Worst case scenario though, I can just stop being lazy and go the DIY route.


----------



## Slim1970

My current nightstand setup


----------



## starence

They're working on the Power Supply. Justin mentioned it a couple months ago on another forum.



> The Gilmore Lite mk2 + a Golden Reference supply might be the closest thing to a purist's modern version of the original Gilmore Dynamic amp -- updated 20 years later with modern parts and power supply regulation, but it still uses the original Toshiba JFET input pairs. Every so often, someone contacts me and has found a stash of them so I've been able to continue building the amps. It's why there was such a long gap between the Gilmore Lite and mk2.


----------



## arakel

Slim1970 said:


> My current nightstand setup



How often do you adjust the sound with your Loki?  Also does it fit on top of the gilmore or is it a little too wide?


----------



## Slim1970

arakel said:


> How often do you adjust the sound with your Loki?  Also does it fit on top of the gilmore or is it a little too wide?


It depends on the headphones I'm using. I adjust the tone controls to what I think is missing from the sound when listening to music. But once I dial in the adjustments on the Loki for a particular headphone it seems to work for all the music I'm listening too.

The Loki sits perfectly on top of the GL Mk2. I just wish it came in black.


----------



## mrjojoe

Hi all,

I have an issue with my Gilmore Lite, I've contacted HeadAmp but had no response at all so thought someone here may be able to help me.

My old silver Gilmore Lite + Power Supply (UK Plug) unit seemed to have stopped working recently but I discovered that the power cable was disconnected from the internal terminals of the power supply part of the stack, it fell out of the back of the powwer supply with a tiny pull by myself.
The wires are red, blue, green and white, the terminals they connect to in the amp are *GND, GND, V+ *and *V-
*
Does anyone know which wire connects to which terminal?

Cheers for the help, really miss my little Gilmore Lite right now!


----------



## episiarch (Dec 2, 2018)

Here are some old posts in an old thread about the pinout from the stock, non dedicated Elpac PSU:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gilmore-lite-power-supply-questions.732579/#post_11873332

From the way it's written, though, it's possible that it's describing the voltages on the the Astradyne PSU instead. (Or maybe I'm just not fully awake yet.) Anyway, I should probably check the voltages on my stock PSU and give you the pinout from that, instead of pointing you to the article. I should be able to do that this evening.


----------



## mrjojoe (Dec 2, 2018)

episiarch said:


> Here are some old posts in an old thread about the pinout from the stock, non dedicated Elpac PSU:
> https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gilmore-lite-power-supply-questions.732579/#post_11873332
> 
> From the way it's written, though, it's possible that it's describing the voltages on the the Astradyne PSU instead. (Or maybe I'm just not fully awake yet.) Anyway, I should probably check the voltages on my stock PSU and give you the pinout from that, instead of pointing you to the article. I should be able to do that this evening.



I appreciate that, just to clarify, it's the internal cables that I'm uncertain as to where they need to connect to, You can see the connection points and disconnected cables here.


----------



## episiarch (Dec 3, 2018)

Sorry for the delay. My multimeter's charger seems to have gone missing in a recent house move, so I wasn't able to measure the outputs of my PSU.

But I did find you the datasheet for the stock (non dedicated) WM075-1950 power supply: https://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data Sheets/Elpac PDFs/WM REV A.pdf

I don't know anything about the wire colours inside the dedicated PSU, so you'll need to start by testing which wire connects to which pin on the connector. I'd use a multimeter for this, and if you don't have one, basic models are not expensive. Be sure to match the wires to the pin numbers _on the datasheet_, and not to the pin numbers you'd get by simply counting clockwise or anticlockwise, because _the pin numbers are not in sequential order_ inside the barrel.

Then, assuming the pinouts of the stock PSU and the dedicated PSU are the same (a reasonable assumption since the amp accepts either), you'll connect the wires in such a way that the two grounds go to the pins marked com on the datasheet, V+ goes to pin 3, and V- to pin 5. 

Lastly I'd power up the PSU and use the multimeter to check the live voltages on the connector's pins to be sure they match expectations, before plugging it into anything.

Good luck!


----------



## mrjojoe

episiarch said:


> Sorry for the delay. My multimeter's charger seems to have gone missing in a recent house move, so I wasn't able to measure the outputs of my PSU.
> 
> But I did find you the datasheet for the stock (non dedicated) WM075-1950 power supply: https://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data Sheets/Elpac PDFs/WM REV A.pdf
> 
> ...



Thank you very much for the help and advice, I've got a cheap and cheerful multimeter on it's way and will use your guidance on this one. Cheers again pal!


----------



## Sebastian.Athea

Hello owners of the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Mk2, I'm thinking about buying one but lack of the gain switch worries me, especially for watching blurays. I have headphones ranging from 20 Ohm to 80 ohm Focals, and 600 ohm Beyerdynamic; How would volume control scale over different headphones?


----------



## Svperstar

Sebastian.Athea said:


> Hello owners of the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Mk2, I'm thinking about buying one but lack of the gain switch worries me, especially for watching blurays. I have headphones ranging from 20 Ohm to 80 ohm Focals, and 600 ohm Beyerdynamic; How would volume control scale over different headphones?



My main two headphones are the HD6XX and Audeze LCD-2. I have to turn the knob up for the LCD-2 a bit. The Gilmore outclasses my Asgard 2 easy. Always regretted selling my Gilmore Lite back in like 2010 so its good to have one back


----------



## JWahl (Dec 28, 2018)

Slim1970 said:


> It depends on the headphones I'm using. I adjust the tone controls to what I think is missing from the sound when listening to music. But once I dial in the adjustments on the Loki for a particular headphone it seems to work for all the music I'm listening too.
> 
> The Loki sits perfectly on top of the GL Mk2. I just wish it came in black.



I'll probably be copying this stack soon.  I recently sold my Qutest to fund 1 or 2 alternative headphones to my HD-650.  I want to pick up the Loki and a cheaper DAC; considering the Modi Multibit, Modi 3, or Project Pre-box S2 digital.  One of the Modi's, Loki, and the short Schiit cables should make for a nice compact stack.  Like you, though, I wish I could get them in black to match the GL Mk2.

I'm currently without a dedicated DAC and just listening from the laptops onboard audio to the GL Mk2.  It still sounds surprisingly good, which is what prompted me to sell the Qutest and go with a cheaper DAC + EQ.  I also recently order the closed-back Pioneer SE-Monitor5 to try with it.  I kind of want to try the Audio Technica AD2000 or AD2000x again (I owned the latter before) just to see how it sounds with the GL Mk2.   I may wait, since I have a sneaking suspicion that AT is going to release a successor at CES.  It's purely speculation on my part, but they've discontinued the X and are supposed to introduce three new audiophile headphones.  The W5000 is well overdue for a refresh as well.   Not to get too off topic, I just know the original GLite was often recommended for AT headphones.


----------



## Svperstar

JWahl said:


> I'll probably be copying this stack soon.  I recently sold my Qutest to fund 1 or 2 alternative headphones to my HD-650.  I want to pick up the Loki and a cheaper DAC; considering the Modi Multibit, Modi 3, or Project Pre-box S2 digital.  One of the Modi's, Loki, and the short Schiit cables should make for a nice compact stack.  Like you, though, I wish I could get them in black to match the GL Mk2.



I realize I am in the minority but I haven't really been impressed with the Modi Multibit. I firmly believe it holds the Gilmore Lite mk2 back. To my ears the Grace Designs SDAC sounds far superior and the added bonus is its only $80. I've been considering selling my Modi Multibit but haven't got around to boxing it up and listing it.


----------



## JWahl (Dec 28, 2018)

Svperstar said:


> I realize I am in the minority but I haven't really been impressed with the Modi Multibit. I firmly believe it holds the Gilmore Lite mk2 back. To my ears the Grace Designs SDAC sounds far superior and the added bonus is its only $80. I've been considering selling my Modi Multibit but haven't got around to boxing it up and listing it.



Thanks for the advice.  I enjoyed the Yggdrasil and Gungnir Multibit, but realize they're entirely different animals.  At this point, I may even just go with the Modi 3 to save a little more money for headphones.   Any of them should be an improvement from onboard laptop sound. The SDAC is definitely a possibility as well, I totally forgot about it.  Not to mention, it comes in black.

EDIT: Now that you mention it, a used m9xx might be a good option too.  Part of the draw of the Pro-ject is the attenuation.  Sometimes the gain on the GL Mk2 can be a bit higher than needed.


----------



## Slim1970

JWahl said:


> I'll probably be copying this stack soon.  I recently sold my Qutest to fund 1 or 2 alternative headphones to my HD-650.  I want to pick up the Loki and a cheaper DAC; considering the Modi Multibit, Modi 3, or Project Pre-box S2 digital.  One of the Modi's, Loki, and the short Schiit cables should make for a nice compact stack.  Like you, though, I wish I could get them in black to match the GL Mk2.
> 
> I'm currently without a dedicated DAC and just listening from the laptops onboard audio to the GL Mk2.  It still sounds surprisingly good, which is what prompted me to sell the Qutest and go with a cheaper DAC + EQ.  I also recently order the closed-back Pioneer SE-Monitor5 to try with it.  I kind of want to try the Audio Technica AD2000 or AD2000x again (I owned the latter before) just to see how it sounds with the GL Mk2.   I may wait, since I have a sneaking suspicion that AT is going to release a successor at CES.  It's purely speculation on my part, but they've discontinued the X and are supposed to introduce three new audiophile headphones.  The W5000 is well overdue for a refresh as well.   Not to get too off topic, I just know the original GLite was often recommended for AT headphones.


The good thing I'm finding out about having the Loki in the mix with the Gilmore Lite Mk2 is that it's not DAC dependent. I've used the DAC in my Hugo 2, DACPortable, and Oppo HA-2SE and EQ the sound to my liking with all of them. I also must add that before I got the Loki I preferred the Hugo 2 and GL Mk2 over the others. Without the Loki in the mix it's very easy to hear the sound of each of the DAC's through the GL Mk2. It's just a testament as to the transparency of the GL Mk2 in my opinion. 

I have the Audio-Technica ATH-A2000z's and love them. The only thing I add is some bass and this headphone sounds damn good with the GL Mk2, Loki, and any DAC. The A2000z's are by far my favorite Audio-Technica headphone to date. If Audio-Technica is in a upgrade cycle then I'm curious to the new offerings as well.


----------



## organ_donor

Anyone has a zdt Jr to compare with this? I have HD800 and laconic night blues mini but thinking to have a solid state amp.


----------



## rq1111

How does Gilmore lite mk2 compare to mass kobo 424 or 428?


----------



## IndieGradoFan

My Gilmore Lite mk2 arrived today. Very impressed after an hour of listening. Looking forward to more later. Will primarily use this with Mojo/Poly as the source and either an LCD-X / LCD-XC / TH-900.


----------



## Slim1970

IndieGradoFan said:


> My Gilmore Lite mk2 arrived today. Very impressed after an hour of listening. Looking forward to more later. Will primarily use this with Mojo/Poly as the source and either an LCD-X / LCD-XC / TH-900.


It should work great with those headphones. Add a Loki to clean up the upper mid/lower treble of the the LCD-X and LCD-XC and you will the their sound even more with the Gilmore Lite MkII


----------



## dheepak10

Picked up a pre-owned Gilmore Lite MK2 for 400 CAD a month back. Loving the transparency it offers and the control it shows with HD650.
Using it with the Line-out of my iFi Nano BL. However, I feel that the iFi is limiting the GL2s potential. Looking at switching over to Khadas tone board which offers a transparent DAC conversion at just $99.
Anyone else tried the Headamp GL2 with Khadas tone board?


----------



## starence (Apr 11, 2019)

I have, but I prefer the Modi 3. It's hard to describe the difference, but to me the Tone Board sounded a little off.


----------



## TSAVJason

IndieGradoFan said:


> My Gilmore Lite mk2 arrived today. Very impressed after an hour of listening. Looking forward to more later. Will primarily use this with Mojo/Poly as the source and either an LCD-X / LCD-XC / TH-900.



Wow! You can go from smooth & dynamic to visceral & impacting to insane with that combo.


----------



## CaptainFantastic

I received mine today, one day earlier than planned. Thank you Justin for the quick and free shipping to Europe. The packaging and overall presentation are excellent. I look forward to plugging it in and starting to experience it with the RME ADI-2.


----------



## dheepak10

The new units of GL2 ship with a newer power supply that supports universal voltage range as opposed to the NA only power supply that I own.
Reached out to sales@headamp.com on the possibility of buying the power supply alone a month back.
Sadly no one bothered to reply. How's your experience been with their support?

Thanks!


----------



## musicfrommemory

dheepak10 said:


> The new units of GL2 ship with a newer power supply that supports universal voltage range as opposed to the NA only power supply that I own.
> Reached out to sales@headamp.com on the possibility of buying the power supply alone a month back.
> Sadly no one bothered to reply. How's your experience been with their support?
> 
> Thanks!


Hi Everyone,

About to take receipt of a Gilmore Lite MK2 - they will be powering a Mr Speakers Ether 2 (and Aeon Open Flow), and I wanted to check what DAC I should support it with (if any) and wanted to hear of good or great experiences out there - disregard budget for now but obviously the more inexpensive the better.

Many thanks,

MFM


----------



## Svperstar

musicfrommemory said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> About to take receipt of a Gilmore Lite MK2 - they will be powering a Mr Speakers Ether 2 (and Aeon Open Flow), and I wanted to check what DAC I should support it with (if any) and wanted to hear of good or great experiences out there - disregard budget for now but obviously the more inexpensive the better.
> 
> ...



I like my Grace Designs SDAC. Very cheap and it works well.


----------



## justin w.

dheepak10 said:


> The new units of GL2 ship with a newer power supply that supports universal voltage range as opposed to the NA only power supply that I own.
> Reached out to sales@headamp.com on the possibility of buying the power supply alone a month back.
> Sadly no one bothered to reply. How's your experience been with their support?
> 
> Thanks!



Sorry we missed your message. I just saw your follow up a few minutes ago


----------



## starence

@musicfrommemory, look into the Modi 3. I don't think you can do much better, unless you're willing to spend a lot more.


----------



## dheepak10

@justin w. - Thanks for the acknowledgement. Hope it can be worked out.

@musicfrommemory - I'm getting the Khadas Tone board in a few days. Will report here.
For now I use the amp with the line out of iFi Nano BL with listen filter - sounds good on both my Mackie MR524 and Sennheiser HD650.


----------



## musicfrommemory (Apr 16, 2019)

dheepak10 said:


> @justin w. - Thanks for the acknowledgement. Hope it can be worked out.
> 
> @musicfrommemory - I'm getting the Khadas Tone board in a few days. Will report here.
> For now I use the amp with the line out of iFi Nano BL with listen filter - sounds good on both my Mackie MR524 and Sennheiser HD650.



Newbie question: just got my Gilmore - will be listening from a MacBook Pro (with no DAC for now...) - assume I just need an RCA to 3.5mm to connect the Gilmore to the MBP?


----------



## dheepak10

musicfrommemory said:


> Newbie question: just got my Gilmore - will be listening from a MacBook Pro (with no DAC for now...) - assume I just need an RCA to 3.5mm to connect the Gilmore to the MBP?


You would need a 3.5mm to RCA cable to connect to the GL2. In future you can get an RCA to 3.5mm female cable to use the same cable to connect to your speakers.


----------



## starence

Several months ago, @justin w. said the special GL Mk2 power supply would be out this year. I wonder if that's still the plan.


----------



## Slim1970

starence said:


> Several months ago, @justin w. said the special GL Mk2 power supply would be out this year. I wonder if that's still the plan.


I sure hope so.


----------



## bassvirtuoso

Slim1970 said:


> I sure hope so.


Ditto


----------



## dheepak10

starence said:


> Several months ago, @justin w. said the special GL Mk2 power supply would be out this year. I wonder if that's still the plan.





Slim1970 said:


> I sure hope so.





bassvirtuoso said:


> Ditto



Isn't this the same as the universal power supply that the GL2 ships with at present?


----------



## starence

No, they’re supposed to be working on a golden reference PS, Justin said it’s somewhat based on the one from the GS-X mini.


----------



## musicfrommemory

starence said:


> No, they’re supposed to be working on a golden reference PS, Justin said it’s somewhat based on the one from the GS-X mini.



Hi Everyone,

I just want to chime in on how much I love my little Gilmore Lite MK 2. I bought mine (almost accidentally) second hand as an interim replacement for a Lyr 3 which I'd sold. I bought the Gilmore whilst waiting for a Cavalli Liquid Platinum to arrive. The thing is is that the little Gilmore outperforms, or to be more diplomatic about it, has a better synergy with both my Mr Speakers Ether 2 (planar) and also my ZMF Verite (dynamic). It makes both these headphones feel alive in a way that the LP just doesn't. 

I hope you don't mind this very brief and almost detail-free eulogy - just wanted to share the love. 

I thank my lucky stars I chose that little amp. 

MFM


----------



## Svperstar

musicfrommemory said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I just want to chime in on how much I love my little Gilmore Lite MK 2. I bought mine (almost accidentally) second hand as an interim replacement for a Lyr 3 which I'd sold. I bought the Gilmore whilst waiting for a Cavalli Liquid Platinum to arrive. The thing is is that the little Gilmore outperforms, or to be more diplomatic about it, has a better synergy with both my Mr Speakers Ether 2 (planar) and also my ZMF Verite (dynamic). It makes both these headphones feel alive in a way that the LP just doesn't.
> 
> ...




It came down between the Liquid Platinum and the mk2 for me when I decided to upgrade. I had a feeling the mk2 would be a bit higher quality based off of my experience with the original Gilmore Lite back in the day. I'm glad I went with it.


----------



## mysticstryk

justin w. said:


> We might do a GRLV (golden reference) power supply for the Gilmore Lite mk2 at some point, available separately



This still in the works or has it been cancelled?


----------



## drc73rp

mysticstryk said:


> This still in the works or has it been cancelled?



As per the Headamp Team in the GSX mini thread - GLMK2 power supply is coming, but later as the mini has taken up a lot of our resources lately.

I have a GLMk2 coming my way soon. If I like the sound and the synergy with my headphones I might be tempted to pair it with a Sigma22 power supply and see how far it will go.


----------



## justin w.

It's still in the works and will be the next new product we release, after we are all caught up on the GS-X mini


----------



## drc73rp

justin w. said:


> It's still in the works and will be the next new product we release, after we are all caught up on the GS-X mini



How does the new power supply affect the performance of GLMK2? What improvements can one expect - quieter, more power, more detail, better extension?


----------



## Charente (Aug 21, 2019)

So, I'm on board with a new Gilmore Lite Mk2 ... delivered swiftly to me in France at no extra cost. Great packaging. And, I notice 3 visual changes to the product when compared to photos I've seen before. An improvement IMO.


----------



## Baten

Charente said:


> So, I'm on board with a new Gilmore Lite Mk2 ... delivered swiftly to me in France at no extra cost. Great packaging. And, I notice 3 visual changes to the product when compared to photos I've seen before. An improvement IMO.


No extra cost? Lucky!


----------



## justin w.

We do offer free trackable worldwide air shipping on the Gilmore Lite mk2!


----------



## Slim1970

Charente said:


> So, I'm on board with a new Gilmore Lite Mk2 ... delivered swiftly to me in France at no extra cost. Great packaging. And, I notice 3 visual changes to the product when compared to photos I've seen before. An improvement IMO.


Is this a special edition GL Mk2? It has the Gilmore Lite name spelled out on the front with a brief description underneath. It also has a white dot on the volume knob. I haven’t seen this on any of the US versions nor is it on Headamp’s website.


----------



## Charente

I don't believe this is a 'special edition' ... just ongoing visual improvements, methinks, although I'm not sure how long they've been in effect. It may be part of the design matching with the power supply, which has been spoken about before, but I'm guessing.


----------



## ksorota

I just received a newer version as well. 

Overall, I think it's a nice improvement in design..."CQI" to quote another favorite manufacturer.


----------



## Slim1970

ksorota said:


> I just received a newer version as well.
> 
> Overall, I think it's a nice improvement in design..."CQI" to quote another favorite manufacturer.


Yes, I like the slight naming improvements made to the housing. The indicator on the volume knob is a huge bonus. @justin w. can older units be updated to the newer housing?


----------



## Arniesb

justin w. said:


> We do offer free trackable worldwide air shipping on the Gilmore Lite mk2!


Justin you should change led from amber
To something different... This orange looks kinda annoying.


----------



## Charente

Orange is different !


----------



## dheepak10

@justin w.  - Would it be possible to send a Gilmore Lite MK2 over to Amir at ASR for measurement? I love the amp and it would help others notice what a transparent amp this one is. Thanks!


----------



## Stuff Jones

Anyone with experience ordering from HeadAmp recently? I've placed an order and haven't received shipping confirmation several days later despite them advertising same or net day shipping. Phone calls are unanswered as has been an email so far.


----------



## ksorota

I did...it took a few weeks to get the Gilmore i ordered in August.  Drop Justin a PM, best communication possible when going direct.


----------



## Charente (Sep 10, 2019)

Surprising ... I ordered mine early August and it arrived on the 21st ... in France. Perhaps they are tied up at shows ?


----------



## Stuff Jones (Sep 19, 2019)

Mine came quick enough after all. Just a little slow/weak on communication.

I'm enjoying it a lot. One potential issue I have is that the connection of the power to the back of the amp doesn't feel very secure. It's a little wobbly and came out once accidentally when I was trying to organize cables. I don't think its a big deal but I wonder if it will get looser over time.

Has anyone else experienced this?


----------



## Charente

I agree ... it doesn't take much to loosen ... I don't move things around while they are switched on and indeed there is a warning on the GL2 usage guide ... "Never disconnect either end of the cable when power is on" ... but the amp itself is superb, having now owned mine for nearly a month.


----------



## justin w.

Stuff Jones said:


> Mine came quick enough after all. Just a little slow/weak on communication.
> 
> I'm enjoying it a lot. One potential issue I have is that the connection of the power to the back of the amp doesn't feel very secure. It's a little wobbly and came out once accidentally when I was trying to organize cables. I don't think its a big deal but I wonder if it will get looser over time.
> 
> Has anyone else experienced this?



haven't heard of this before but will look into it!


----------



## Stuff Jones

Anyone else experience some stickiness/inconsistency with the volume knob? There's one place - between about 9 and 11 - where the knob kind of gets sticky/hangs and in general the knob doesnt feel very smooth turning.


----------



## elira

Stuff Jones said:


> Anyone else experience some stickiness/inconsistency with the volume knob? There's one place - between about 9 and 11 - where the knob kind of gets sticky/hangs and in general the knob doesnt feel very smooth turning.


Volume pots are inconsistent, yours might have an issue. Check that the knob is not rubbing against the chasis.


----------



## sheldaze

Stuff Jones said:


> Anyone else experience some stickiness/inconsistency with the volume knob? There's one place - between about 9 and 11 - where the knob kind of gets sticky/hangs and in general the knob doesnt feel very smooth turning.


I'm between around 8 and 10, and I have not noticed anything odd with the movement.


----------



## dpump

Is there still going to be an upgraded power supply for the Gilmore Lite MK2 this year? A lot of us have been waiting patiently for quite a while.


----------



## Richardhoos

Hello Gilmore Lite owners! 

I love this little, powerful amp. Using with the ZMF Verite and I love it. 

I recently acquired a Norne Draug 3 headphone cable with a 4-pin XLR termination. Would I be able to use this cable by connecting to the Gilmore Lite via this adapter (see below pic)? Would it damage the amp somehow? Thanks for your help!


----------



## Baten (Oct 27, 2019)

Richardhoos said:


> Hello Gilmore Lite owners!
> 
> I love this little, powerful amp. Using with the ZMF Verite and I love it.
> 
> I recently acquired a Norne Draug 3 headphone cable with a 4-pin XLR termination. Would I be able to use this cable by connecting to the Gilmore Lite via this adapter (see below pic)? Would it damage the amp somehow? Thanks for your help!


Yes that's no problem. You are converting a balanced cable to an unbalanced one, no worries. You then get unbalanced signal over compatible pins, no problem.

It's the opposite direction that can be dangerous for your gear: when you try to feed a balanced ground-referenced signal over a single ended cable, things can break.


----------



## Richardhoos

Thank you Baten!


----------



## Richardhoos

Quick question Baten (or others!): if using the above set up, am I essentially not using the “balanced” properties of the cable? In other words, probably not getting the most out of the cable?


----------



## elira

Richardhoos said:


> Quick question Baten (or others!): if using the above set up, am I essentially not using the “balanced” properties of the cable? In other words, probably not getting the most out of the cable?


The Gilmore Lite is a single ended amp, using the adapter will make the cable behave like a single ended cable. If you want to use balanced you need a balanced amp.


----------



## Baten

Like @elira says, you're not getting balanced output in any case. So no.


----------



## ksorota

Quick friendly check-in for @justin w. to see if any progress has been made with the bespoke power supply?

Happy Holidays!


----------



## Charente (Dec 9, 2019)

I am impressed with the GL Mk2 ... and I regularly use it in place of my main amp, a Mjolnir 2 (fed by a Gungnir MB) ... this is SS vs Tube-Hybrid and, frankly, it's a close call to my ears. Maybe a bit more airiness in the soundstage with the MJ2 ... if a bespoke PS could lift the already impressive performance of the GL Mk2, that would be stellar. I can't stretch to a GS-X Mini but if it gets me closer at a reasonable price ...


----------



## dpump

ksorota said:


> Quick friendly check-in for @justin w. to see if any progress has been made with the bespoke power supply?
> 
> We keep asking about the upgraded power supply for the Gilmore Lite MK2 and HeadAmp is not answering. Originally I seem to remember the power supply was supposed to be available in 2018 and then the first part of 2019. I know HeadAmp is a small company and I love and respect their products, but it seems like finishing this power supply shouldn't be quite this prolonged. There is most likely a Chinese linear power supply that could be adapted to work so that might be something to check out.


----------



## Charente

To be fair, I recall HeadAmp saying they were focusing on the GS-X Mini first and expedite all those orders ... and that appears to be an understandable priority ... not sure I want to get involved with modifying a PS to suit ... well above my pay grade !!! 

I think I'd prefer to wait for an endorsed and matched unit to the GL Mk2 with predictable and worthwhile sonic improvements.


----------



## dpump

I seem to remember there was talk of an updated power supply for the GL MK2 before the GS-X Mini was announced. I purchased my GL MK2 in February of 2018, so we have been waiting almost 2 years for the improved power supply. DIY Audio sells a very nice pcb that can be built to work with the GL MK2 and would probably even go beyond what HeadAmp will do, but of course you have to purchase everything and build it yourself. I'll keep looking for an alternative for myself as there doesn't seem to be any firm timeline from HeadAmp.


----------



## justin w. (Dec 11, 2019)

It is something I have been working on. This is just the current idea which includes the Golden Reference Low Voltage power supplies and as many as 3 output ports. Also, it will have to be a little bit larger than the GLMK2, maybe an inch or two deeper.


----------



## Svperstar

justin w. said:


> It is something I have been working on. This is just the current idea which includes the Golden Reference Low Voltage power supplies and as many as 3 output ports. Also, it will have to be a little bit larger than the GLMK2, maybe an inch or two deeper.



That look cool, any plans on sending a GL mk2 / GSX to Amir to have it measured? Love to see how it compares to the other amps on his list


----------



## Charente

justin w. said:


> It is something I have been working on. This is just the current idea which includes the Golden Reference Low Voltage power supplies and as many as 3 output ports. Also, it will have to be a little bit larger than the GLMK2, maybe an inch or two deeper.



Fantastic ... don't mind deeper at all .. what might all these output ports be used for ?


----------



## ksorota

justin w. said:


> It is something I have been working on. This is just the current idea which includes the Golden Reference Low Voltage power supplies and as many as 3 output ports. Also, it will have to be a little bit larger than the GLMK2, maybe an inch or two deeper.



I assume the extra outputs are for plugging in additional components such as a DAC or second Amp, is this true?  Any chance of adding a USB power outlet for powering something like a Chord Hugo 2?


----------



## Voxata (Jan 29, 2020)

Svperstar said:


> That look cool, any plans on sending a GL mk2 / GSX to Amir to have it measured? Love to see how it compares to the other amps on his list


Measurements are not the end-all. Though I do find them important on the DAC side. I assume the GLMK2 will not measure stellar because when I connect a Modi Multibit to the 887 the sound is... not good. The shortcomings (my preferences) are immediate. The Gilmore Lite MKii sounds great with it though, lending to my belief it is more forgiving.

When fed with the D70 the Gilmore picks up more detail however can't get close to the 887 (which sounds great with the D70 as well). HOWEVER... when it comes to music I always prefer the MKii. It sounds more enveloping, the bass is more natural as the THX's bass is so accurate and focused it loses out in engagement. The Mk2 has great extension and good detail while being musical, warm and just a blast to listen to. The vocals sound fuller as well. If I need a scalpel I'll plug my cans into the 887, but I want to enjoy the music so I prefer Justin's product. I only use the 887 for gaming now and it serves its purpose very well there.


----------



## Svperstar

Voxata said:


> Measurements are not the end-all. Though I do find them important on the DAC side. I assume the GLMK2 will not measure stellar because when I connect a Modi Multibit to the 887 the sound is... not good. The shortcomings (my preferences) are immediate. The Gilmore Lite MKii sounds great with it though, lending to my belief it is more forgiving.
> 
> When fed with the D70 the Gilmore picks up more detail however can't get close to the 887 (which sounds great with the D70 as well). HOWEVER... when it comes to music I always prefer the MKii. It sounds more enveloping, the bass is more natural as the THX's bass is so accurate and focused it loses out in engagement. The Mk2 has great extension and good detail while being musical, warm and just a blast to listen to. The vocals sound fuller as well. If I need a scalpel I'll plug my cans into the 887, but I want to enjoy the music so I prefer Justin's product. I only use the 887 for gaming now and it serves its purpose very well there.




Oh I realize measurements are not the end all, its just fun to see things measured. I see you mention the Modi Multibit. I found it was holding back the mk2 and I greatly prefer the Grace Designs SDAC and Topping D30 over it. Both of those DACs give the mk2 much greater 3d spacing especially in things like games.

My Modi Multibit has been sitting in my closet for like a year. I keep meaning to sell it but haven't got around too it.


----------



## PoSR77 (Jan 29, 2020)

Have a Gilmore Lite Mk2 coming by the end of the week.

I'll use it in a bedroom set up with my Node 2i (which I recently got and am impressed with).

I decided on it over the THX AAA 789 and Rupert Neve Designs RNHP for a few reasons...the 789 is too big for my liking for where I need to use it, and the RNHP is, while cool looking in a unique way, not great for a bedroom setup. And as for sound, I was afraid the 789 or RNHP would be too neutral/clinical/lean (which I do like, but not in a bedroom set up where I'll mostly listen to genres that could use a little "warmth" or smoothness instead of ultimate detail retrieval like classical, jazz, vocal, folk, world, etc). I was also afraid the RNHP wouldn't have the power I'll need (I'll be using my T1 1st generation or HIFIMAN Sundaras). Really wish the RNHP had a gain switch, and do like that the 789 does...but I think the Gilmore Lite Mk2 will power my cans well.

In my main setup I have the Schiit Asgard 2 which I like with reservations: it's always seemed somewhat unresolving, kind of congested or smeary, and just lacking a "pop" or real engagement factor. It's kind of bland overall, if competent and a good all rounder. So I'll be comparing the Gilmore Lite Mk2 to it and if it is better by a large margin, I may just have to upgrade to another Gilmore Lite Mk2 in my main...or maybe I'll try the THX AAA 789 in my main since I'll once again be reminded of how much difference an amp can make (if it does). Or I could just save money and use the Asgard 2 in my bedroom setup and the Gilmore Lite Mk2 in my main. We'll see.

Will post again with impressions after I've spent some time familiarizing myself to the sound of the Gilmore Lite Mk2.


----------



## Voxata (Jan 29, 2020)

You'll enjoy a nice SQ boost over the Asgard 2 surely, I look forward to your impressions. When you do decide to add a THX I'd heavily recommend the 887. The build quality difference is significant considering they are the same price.


----------



## PoSR77 (Jan 30, 2020)

Voxata said:


> You'll enjoy a nice SQ boost over the Asgard 2 surely, I look forward to your impressions. When you do decide to add a THX I'd heavily recommend the 887. The build quality difference is significant considering they are the same price.



I hope so! I already have buyer's guilt lol. Should be here tomorrow.

There seem to be a few THX's that I haven't looked at in sufficient detail. Thanks for the recommendation.

I should have been more detailed in my previous post. I think amps do make a difference in the SQ and SS, but sometimes its subtle. I forgot to mention that I have an old Matrix M-Stage (first edition which came out around 2010 I think, the rectangular Lehmann Black Cube Linear clone) that I never really liked (powerful, but, to put it simply, a crude sound, kind of V shaped). I dragged that out and hooked it up to my Node 2i and I actually prefer the sound straight out of the Node 2i. Yes the headphone out on that isn't powerful enough, but it's_ almost_ enough (so much so I debated even getting a amp for this bedroom system). I did at least an hour of direct comparison to the Node 2i's out and the Matrix M-Stage, often switching back and forth within seconds with the volume matched as closely as I could per my ears, and though the M-Stage has more power (as mentioned) and width/depth of sound stage, the Node's SS is more refined, musical, and precise with a greatly improved midrange. So I've been using the out on it for over a week now.

But although that is _almost_ good enough (and I'm actually often ok with good enough in audio, especially with headphones as I listen to them only 30% of the time or so over speakers), it lacks in volume on some tracks which is often frustrating, and it seems I could attain stellar sound with a better external amp hooked to it (which I hope the Gilmore Lite Mk2 is).

I've been too lazy to hook up the Schiit Asgard 2 to the Node 2i btw. I will certainly compare it and the Gilmore Lite Mk2 using the Node 2i as a source as well as the two amps in my main office computer based system.


----------



## Svperstar

PoSR77 said:


> In my main setup I have the Schiit Asgard 2 which I like with reservations: it's always seemed somewhat unresolving, kind of congested or smeary, and just lacking a "pop" or real engagement factor. It's kind of bland overall, if competent and a good all rounder.



I went from Asgard 2 to mk2 and it was a nice step up. I wish I still had the original Gilmore Lite to compare.


----------



## Voxata

Bump for a great amp! I'm hoping Justin wraps up an LPS for this soon.


----------



## Baten

@HeadAmpTeam


----------



## justin w. (Mar 15, 2020)

ksorota said:


> I assume the extra outputs are for plugging in additional components such as a DAC or second Amp, is this true?  Any chance of adding a USB power outlet for powering something like a Chord Hugo 2?



I haven't checked in for a while..the last few months have been extremely busy, but now w/ the coronavirus it's suddenly eerily quiet. So in this social distancing I'm making some time to work on some of these designs.

Update on progress in past day on this board. It will now be the same size as the Gilmore Lite mk2 enclosure, and have 1 output. The power supply will be likely be +/-18V, which is about 15% higher than what is in the desktop adapter, so there will be an increase in max voltage swing of the amp. The supply will be capable of about 20W, so it will be running about 50% capacity with a Gilmore Lite mk2. Estimated price $299

As it is right now, the power supply will be on if it is plugged in. The switch controls if the output is enabled. This replicates how it works already on the Gilmore Lite / mk2 when using the power adapter. But it is possible i could still remove the switch completely, as the Gilmore Lite has an OFF/ON switch anyway. 






I will also do a larger version that is 50W capable, including the USB port you're suggesting. It will have 2 or 3 DIN outputs (for powering future products or multiple Gilmore Lite mk2s), and I could also consider a set of insulated binding posts for those who want to use the supply to power their own projects, if anyone thinks that sounds interesting. Estimated price $499


----------



## dpump

That power supply-Please get'r done!


----------



## Voxata (Mar 15, 2020)

Awesome, though, I'll have to replace the current caps I've got in there. SILMILC II 16v had fit perfectly. I'd just prefer a basic PSU as opposed to anything with USB/etc.


----------



## Charente

@justin w. Great to see the progress you've made. For me personally, just the basic PS to power the GL2 would be just fine.


----------



## elira

justin w. said:


> I haven't checked in for a while..the last few months have been extremely busy, but now w/ the coronavirus it's suddenly eerily quiet. So in this social distancing I'm making some time to work on some of these designs.
> 
> Update on progress in past day on this board. It will now be the same size as the Gilmore Lite mk2 enclosure, and have 1 output. The power supply will be likely be +/-18V, which is about 15% higher than what is in the desktop adapter, so there will be an increase in max voltage swing of the amp. The supply will be capable of about 20W, so it will be running about 50% capacity with a Gilmore Lite mk2. Estimated price $299
> 
> ...


Is there an expected performance improvement from using the new power supply?


----------



## emgineer

I would get the usb option as I could use it for my mojo/poly setup!  Been using the MoPo with the GL2 for over a year powering HD6xx, Ety ER4SR, iSine 10s and as a pre for ADAM A3X.  GL2 made the MoPo faster with the transients, bolder with the bass, added detailing to the mids and highs without becoming fatiguing.  Setup even gave the Ety's added bass (not much but very controlled)!  Leaves no desire to upgrade even after comparing to Hugo 2.  Thank you Justine


----------



## Voxata (Mar 19, 2020)

I'm curious, does anyone have a later revision Gilmore Lite MKii? With the switching PSU? I'd be curious to see the internal PCB if you are comfortable removing the top lid. It's simple, just remove the upper 2 screws from both back and front to remove the top half of the case. If it is tight still then use an allen wrench to gently loosen the volume knob and a socket to loosen the pot mount screw itself then just gently lift on the upper part of the case and it should lift right off.

Later versions of the MKii I've heard may have a switching PSU, while earlier ones have a linear brick. I wonder if the switcher MKii's will see a more significant benefit from going LPS.


----------



## Charente

Voxata said:


> Later versions of the MKii I've heard may have a switching PSU, while earlier ones have a linear brick. I wonder if the switcher MKii's will see a more significant benefit from going LPS.


I have one of the later GL2's (with the new text design on the front), and hoping that the new PS will bring some benefits over the supplied SMPS


----------



## JWahl

Voxata said:


> Awesome, though, I'll have to replace the current caps I've got in there. SILMILC II 16v had fit perfectly. I'd just prefer a basic PSU as opposed to anything with USB/etc.



I actually recently did this same mod on mine with decent results.  A little clearer but also a little less forgiving.  One thing to keep in mind, though is that while the 16V rated capacitors should be OK in with the stock +/-15V PSU, if the new one runs at +/-18V, then you couldn't use the new power supply with it.  I now see why the stock caps were selected with the extra headroom.  Shouldn't be too much grief for me switching back to stock or another higher rated cap that fits if I get the upgraded PSU eventually.

I realized while typing this, that is probably the reason you mentioned having to replace them.  I'm guessing you bought the one I saw for sale that inspired me to try the same mod.  Still, more voltage-rail headroom is always a welcome improvement.


----------



## Voxata

I actually did not buy that one, I did the mod myself testing a couple other caps as well. Mine appears to be decently forgiving, using a Bifrost 2 as source.


----------



## JWahl

Voxata said:


> I actually did not buy that one, I did the mod myself testing a couple other caps as well. Mine appears to be decently forgiving, using a Bifrost 2 as source.



That might explain it.  I almost got the Bifrost 2 since I've owned the Gungnir MB and Yggdrasil in the past, but I ended up going for an RME ADI-2 DAC instead.  The RME leans a little analytical, but it's features make it very flexible and tweakable.  The mod just made me wonder if the stock cap choice was chosen to placate people who thought GS-X Mk. 2 was too aggressive.  I'm really impressed of the micro-detail the Elna caps bringing out, though.  Even more than the Liquid Platinum run fully balanced. 

Running the HD-650 balanced out of the LP is still edging it out for me with it's silky midrange and sense of space, but only in balanced.  The Irony is I've long been a balanced naysayer because I've always thought the improvements would be minor relative to the cost of a properly implemented balanced design.  It makes me want to hear the HD-650 out of the GS-X Mini now.  It's still more than I'm comfortable spending on a single amp, so I'm hoping maybe once the dedicated power supply is released for the GLite Mk. 2, it may improve it similarly.  As the GLite Mk. 2 is with the mod now though, it's just super clean and detailed without getting into fatigue.  When I say "less forgiving", I just mean it exposes poor recordings a little more.


----------



## Voxata (Mar 26, 2020)

Cavalli stuff has been notorious (at least the LCX) about benefits from BAL since it doesn't use the phase splitter. Pay close attention to the linear PSUs voltage, if you are using 16V ELNA caps and he ends up going 18V you'll have yourself a bad time.

That said, for the money the MKii is absolutely solid. I've got the 650, 600 & 660S (as well as other sets) and with it I've got a strong preference for the 660S pairing on this amp.

When compared to something like a THX amp it isn't quite as fast, which can be a good thing. It's not as even, also, a good thing. It's just a fantastic sounding amp. I can also heavily recommend the Bifrost 2 pairing with it. I thought it sounded more natural than with some Topping gear I also have.


----------



## justin w.

Voxata said:


> I'm curious, does anyone have a later revision Gilmore Lite MKii? With the switching PSU? I'd be curious to see the internal PCB if you are comfortable removing the top lid. It's simple, just remove the upper 2 screws from both back and front to remove the top half of the case. If it is tight still then use an allen wrench to gently loosen the volume knob and a socket to loosen the pot mount screw itself then just gently lift on the upper part of the case and it should lift right off.
> 
> Later versions of the MKii I've heard may have a switching PSU, while earlier ones have a linear brick. I wonder if the switcher MKii's will see a more significant benefit from going LPS.



That is correct - The linear supplies were actually purchased back in 2010 when we were first planning a new Gilmore Lite. We had to get separate 115V, 230V, and custom order a 100V version for Japan. Those power supplies are no longer made, there just isn't enough demand in the world anymore for linear supplies. There's pros and cons to linear vs switcher but with the switchers getting better, they're reasonable options now.

The current plan is for the DPS to be a hybrid; switching supply input followed by linear regulation. I ordered the prototype PCBs to assemble and they will be here soon. An interesting thing is that circuit board orders now include free KN95 masks.


----------



## LeMoviedave

justin w. said:


> That is correct - The linear supplies were actually purchased back in 2010 when we were first planning a new Gilmore Lite. We had to get separate 115V, 230V, and custom order a 100V version for Japan. Those power supplies are no longer made, there just isn't enough demand in the world anymore for linear supplies. There's pros and cons to linear vs switcher but with the switchers getting better, they're reasonable options now.
> 
> The current plan is for the DPS to be a hybrid; switching supply input followed by linear regulation. I ordered the prototype PCBs to assemble and they will be here soon. An interesting thing is that circuit board orders now include free KN95 masks.



As a bit of a newbie on the topic, what practical advantages will a DPS bring to the sound of the mk2?


----------



## Voxata (Mar 28, 2020)

justin w. said:


> interesting thing is that circuit board orders now include free KN95 masks.



Hah, that's wild. I hope you are able to keep it 16v and I look forward to how things progress. Why not build a full linear unit instead of a switcher that's regulated? I'm guessing the performance difference is negligible but, the prior requiring more space?

Thanks again, this amp is amazing


----------



## justin w.

the transformer would be larger, also much larger filter caps would be needed to filter the lower frequency, and the 60hz magnetic fields would have to be shielded as the aluminum enclosure does nothing. 

16V or 16.4V is the plan (16.4V happens to be the original spec from Kevin Gilmore's amp design and is what the GS-X mini runs on)

18V would take it to the absolute max of some of the internal components, and amp could run too warm. So +/-20V like the GS-X mk2 would also not be possible.

But on the bigger unit I want to do that will have ~3 outputs + possibly the 5V USB, i think i will consider something like internal jumpers to change the voltage. But all outputs would have to be at the same level.


----------



## Voxata

Aah, more costly as well. I look forward to how things unfold, thanks for the response and the info too.


----------



## LeMoviedave

justin w. said:


> the transformer would be larger, also much larger filter caps would be needed to filter the lower frequency, and the 60hz magnetic fields would have to be shielded as the aluminum enclosure does nothing.
> 
> 16V or 16.4V is the plan (16.4V happens to be the original spec from Kevin Gilmore's amp design and is what the GS-X mini runs on)
> 
> ...


Is there a shot in the dark guess as to when the power supply will be released?


----------



## bochawa

I would love to see the 5V USB output if it could be used to power a raspberry pi based source. (Allo Digione Player in my case)

I just recently received the Gilmore Lite mk2 and I am enjoying it very much with HD600.  I am noticing more depth and clarity in the music.


----------



## justin w.

Some progress on the Dedicated Power Supply -- got the prototype board. Now have to build it.


----------



## LeMoviedave

justin w. said:


> Some progress on the Dedicated Power Supply -- got the prototype board. Now have to build it.


I volunteer to test your prototype when you finish.


----------



## Charente

justin w. said:


> Some progress on the Dedicated Power Supply -- got the prototype board. Now have to build it.



The update posts are great !


----------



## LeMoviedave

Plus, a subtle shoutout to Dan Clark audio.


----------



## Voxata

LeMoviedave said:


> Plus, a subtle shoutout to Dan Clark audio.


Oooh I see it now.


----------



## LeMoviedave

Like I said, subtle.


----------



## justin w.

First prototype of the Gilmore Lite mk2 Refeference power supply up and running


----------



## LeMoviedave

justin w. said:


> First prototype of the Gilmore Lite mk2 Refeference power supply up and running


AND????


----------



## Voxata

and.. I'm guessing it didn't explode.


----------



## LeMoviedave

I want to hear about how it sounds!


----------



## ksorota

LeMoviedave said:


> I want to hear about how it sounds!


I’m going to guess dead quiet


----------



## Charente

justin w. said:


> First prototype of the Gilmore Lite mk2 Refeference power supply up and running



Great to see !


----------



## Voxata

Would be nice to see measurements between PSUs


----------



## ksorota

justin w. said:


> First prototype of the Gilmore Lite mk2 Refeference power supply up and running


Any thoughts on what the chassis will look like? Same as the Gilmore with the front panel, or something else?

thanks for the updates!


----------



## elira

ksorota said:


> Any thoughts on what the chassis will look like? Same as the Gilmore with the front panel, or something else?
> 
> thanks for the updates!


I would expect it to match the looks of the amp, otherwise it would look odd.


----------



## LeMoviedave

Is there any guess on a release date for this bad boy?


----------



## LeMoviedave

justin w. said:


> First prototype of the Gilmore Lite mk2 Refeference power supply up and running



Besides the query about a release date, is this power supply intended to sit right under the Gilmore Lite, or will it be like the current power supply and be kept away from the main unit?


----------



## ksorota

I had been wanting to do this cap upgrade and had the 16s all ready to go until i saw Justin post about going 16.4 with the PS. 

Turns out the 25s can fit! The new sound is wonderful!


----------



## elira

ksorota said:


> I had been wanting to do this cap upgrade and had the 16s all ready to go until i saw Justin post about going 16.4 with the PS.
> 
> Turns out the 25s can fit! The new sound is wonderful!


What caps are those?


----------



## ksorota

elira said:


> What caps are those?



Elna silmic II

https://www.mouser.com/new/elna/elna-rfs-capacitors/


----------



## Slim1970

@ksorota sweet mod! I bought a second hand GL Mk2 with similar caps installed. The improvements in sound over the the stock version of the amp are definitely audible.


----------



## elira

Slim1970 said:


> The improvements in sound over the the stock version of the amp are definitely audible.


What are the main differences?


----------



## Slim1970

elira said:


> What are the main differences?


I'm hearing a slightly wider soundstage and better imaging than before. The sound is smoother with zero harshness in the treble. The bass is slightly deeper and the mids are more life-like and have slightly more presence. All of which are improvements to my ears. These caps takes the GL Mk2 up a performance level.


----------



## richardloh (May 30, 2020)

Hi Slim,

Any change on how detailed and extended on the sound ?

Seems stock are panasonic fm/fc but yes, I too like simic 2 in signal path which I believe these are at.

Update with apology: do not believe caps are in signal path as per vintage post by Gilmore on his steadfast design which is a nice read here and hope someone more knowledgeable can confirm:

https://headwizememorial.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/a-pure-class-a-dynamic-headphone-amplifier/

Tks.

Richard


----------



## Slim1970

richardloh said:


> Hi Slim,
> 
> Any change on how detailed and extended on the sound ?
> 
> ...


The GL Mk2 was already a detailed amp without the cap change. The cap change just enhances that sound a little further. They add some body and fullness to the sound while retaining all the details. I’m waiting to add the external supply that’s in the making, which should bring more even sonic improvements.


----------



## LeMoviedave

People, you need to stop posting about anything not relating to the power supply.  Every time I get a notice that this thread has been posted on, I am crushed when it turns out to not be a release date, or at least more info.


----------



## Slim1970

LeMoviedave said:


> People, you need to stop posting about anything not relating to the power supply.  Every time I get a notice that this thread has been posted on, I am crushed when it turns out to not be a release date, or at least more info.


We're all eagerly awaiting this power supply


----------



## richardloh (May 8, 2020)

LeMoviedave said:


> People, you need to stop posting about anything not relating to the power supply.  Every time I get a notice that this thread has been posted on, I am crushed when it turns out to not be a release date, or at least more info.



Hi Dave,

Lol .. Justin is sharing here and on the release date, it will be available when due else no more posts here make Richard a dull old man.

Admittedly you got me and I to checked the title of this thread to ensure that it is not only on the pending reference psu teased by Justin.

Since at it, the reason why and I am on this thread is that a friend who met the late Mr. Grado some 20 yrs ago and was given 3 headphones which he in turn gave me 1 of the 3 about 2 years ago. This headphone turned out to be rare one from defunct freesystem Singapore's FG-1 wireless project and it was from production inventory that resulted in also the rare and limited 200 pcs of PS-1 .. though not more rare than handful of FG-1 engineering samples.

Got a little bored with my revamped main hifi system in last 1 year and 1/2 way mark of covid19 stayhome order for last 4 week .. hence unpacked the FG-1 headphone and auditioned friend's questyle cma-800r and the new Kinki thr-1 which were fortunately silver and did not match. 

Chanced upon this Gilmore brand when looking at suitable headphone amp with PS-1 since FG-1 is so rare. As such, I bought for my first headphone amp of Gilmore Lite mk2 as it was also black to match other equipments as well as reasonably price for completeness of set up only  since I was frankly disappointed with the sound quality of both kinki and questyle amps with my FG-1 which turns out to be what I believe is mismatch and noisy alp pot respectively .. when compared to the speakers setup.

But wow .. with the gilmore lite mk2 and the FG-1, it got me much nearer to my speakers and even excel in some aspects due to lack of room interactions. However, I am still not used to missed  front stage with this new experience headphone listening when compared to my speaker system that I can almost touch about 8-10 ft away from me. The gilmore lite mk2 did somehow helped a bit with this front soundstage as it is quite intimate sounding as compared to the kinki and questyle. I do agree with one reviewer that its resolution is slightly lacking and its refinement is edged out also in/by my speaker system.

Sorry for the long post but guess many are still reeling from covid19 and have a bit more time than usual with work-at-home orders .. photos below but will be changing the orange led to blue when required part arrives from element14 next week.

Cheers.

Richard

PS: My gilmore is NOS prior to 2019 change and still with dedicated voltage of 230v and I think linear psu type but yes, I am also waiting impatiently for the reference psu but may mod with the simic 2 capacitors nicely shared by bros slim and ksorota above to hope for improved refinement and resolution


----------



## JWahl

ksorota said:


> I had been wanting to do this cap upgrade and had the 16s all ready to go until i saw Justin post about going 16.4 with the PS.
> 
> Turns out the 25s can fit! The new sound is wonderful!



Well, shoot.  I wish I would have known that.  I just took the word of the first poster who did it that they wouldn't fit.  Looks like mine might be going under the iron again in the future.  I had considered selling it, but maybe I'll hold on to it for awhile longer and wait for the power supply since there is some progress being made now.  I've been evaluating a Burson Playmate for review recently and I'm thinking about buying a Fun to compare to the GLite.  I really liked it's midrange presentation and imaging, even if it's not quite as refined and neutral as the GLite Mk. 2.  I think I might sell the Liquid Platinum instead for now.  Eventually I want to move back to something fully balanced, but I'm still trying to figure out the direction I want to take.  

@Slim1970 I'm probably going to PM you later (unless you want to share here) to ask your opinion of the Fun and Conductor compared to the modded GLite Mk. 2, since I think you might be the only person with experience with all three.  I'm wanting to compare the Fun in case they release a version of the balanced Conductor without a DAC in the future.  The GS-X Mini and Phonitor e look attractive also, but still outside of my spending comfort zone.  The Playmate loaner didn't have discrete op-amps included, so I suspect it could improve further.  To be honest, if I wasn't so attached to the features of the RME ADI-2 DAC, I'd probably just go for the Conductor 3/3x for simplicity.

Depending on how many of those NOS JFets Headamp has left, maybe all these copycat mods could inspire them to make an "SE" version with these caps, and maybe those little output heatsinks that the GS-X Mk. 2 uses so it can run a little higher bias levels.  I suspect that some of the perceived greater midrange sweetness of the Playmate may be a result of (assumed) higher bias.  I assume that because it runs hotter than most tube amps I've owned.  The GLite Mk.2 seems to run only faintly warm by comparison.  I've always wondered what it might be capable of with a little higher bias, but I'm sure Justin has his reasons for not overdoing it, namely long-term reliability.


----------



## richardloh (May 12, 2020)

Hi,

My Silmic 2 470uf 25v should arrive in Singapore from digikey USA warehouse this week together with the blue led from Element14 Singapore  ...  the orange led looks so aged imho.

Unfortunately local shop for such Silmic 2 and blue led had been closed due to lockdown until 1 June 2020 here.

Had the gilmore lite mk2 for about 10 days and will burn in 100 hrs before sharing my findings .. only concerns are losing transparency and speed of stock panasonic fm caps since silmic 2 is not well known for but hoping for higher resolution and refinement.

Just in case, member jaker's and lamda's journey and very detailed description of mod here albiet both having sold theirs .. lol !

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sold-gilmore-lite-mk2-amp-upgraded.908016/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/old-upgraded-headamp-gilmore-lite-mkii-headphone-amp.905565/

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Slim1970

@JWahl no problem. I’ll be happy to share my thoughts on all three. I can say, the Fun and GL Mk2 (modded) are playing on the same playing field once you upgraded op-amps in the Fun. The Fun in stock form doesn’t have the detail retrieval nor the transparency level of the GL Mk2. What the Fun does over the GL Mk2 is power. So I decided to swap op-amps in the Fun. I tried the V6 Classics, V6 Vivids, and the SparkoS Labs SS3601’s. All change the sound signature of Fun, which goes to show how transparent it is for the price. I ended up keeping the SparkoS Labs in the Fun.

The Fun with the SS3601’s was able to closely match the detail level and speed of the GL Mk2. The transparency level also improved on the Fun. But the GL Mk2 still edges it out, only slightly. The Fun retained its house for the most part with some big improvements. Bass definition and impact increased, overall clarity and instrument separation improved and the midrange was much clearer and cleaner. Keep in mind the cap upgrade on the GL Mk2 also improves things as well. It adds some midrange body and increases bass presence. All while keeping its other attributes untouched.

The Fun still feels more powerful. I also prefer the midrange on the Fun because it sounds fuller. Throw in the V6 Classics and you get tube like warmth and sound from it. I forgot to mention how the SS3601’s improves the transient response as well. There’s a crispness to the notes and it feels much more dynamic sounding. The improvements were so big I sold my first GL Mk2. I repurchased my Modded one once I got word of the new power supply.

With both being modded, they are two of the best valves in audio. Both compete very well with anything under $1K. Only thing missing from both is a balanced output.

The 3XR is next level. I think a fairer comparison to it would be the GS-X mini. It’s more powerful, more refined, more musical and drives everything including my Susvara’s and HE6se’s without breaking a sweat. Neither the Fun or GL Mk2 can handle those cans. Simply put, the 3XR is the best all one solution I’ve heard. I’ve also put SparkoS Labs op-amps in it to improve its performance as well.

Hope this helps....


----------



## ksorota

JWahl said:


> Well, shoot.  I wish I would have known that.  I just took the word of the first poster who did it that they wouldn't fit.  Looks like mine might be going under the iron again in the future.  I had considered selling it, but maybe I'll hold on to it for awhile longer and wait for the power supply since there is some progress being made now.  I've been evaluating a Burson Playmate for review recently and I'm thinking about buying a Fun to compare to the GLite.  I really liked it's midrange presentation and imaging, even if it's not quite as refined and neutral as the GLite Mk. 2.  I think I might sell the Liquid Platinum instead for now.  Eventually I want to move back to something fully balanced, but I'm still trying to figure out the direction I want to take.



I never would have tried the upgrade with the 25s if Justin did not mention the increase voltage of the power supply.  I purchased both sizes at the same time just in case I could get them to fit.  The power input side is the tightest fitting with the least amount of space between the incoming juice and the blue component.  The caps also do not sit flush on the board due to the different spacing of the capacitor legs, but since its not moving around I feel that its not going to affect the long term reliability.  

These caps really are worth the effort as they open up the sound stage, I did not expect the dramatic increase in its depth!  It feels like running the GLMK2 through a Saga+ and turning on the tube stage...the sound is smoother while retaining all of the same detail.  Imaging is slightly increased, and I am hearing improvements in the bass definition and impact.  

This is such a simple and easy upgrade to recommend...  all it requires are the most basic soldering tools and a little bit of patience.


----------



## lambdastorm (May 14, 2020)

Slim1970 said:


> @ksorota sweet mod! I bought a second hand GL Mk2 with similar caps installed. The improvements in sound over the the stock version of the amp are definitely audible.


Damn, this is the amp I sold ages ago! It's fun modding these little guys. I tried a couple different caps back in the day, and they all bring something different to the table.


----------



## lambdastorm (May 14, 2020)

Hey guys, for the last couple months a lot of you guys have been PM'ing me about the cap mod. I think I'm the first one to do it, so I'll just move what I wrote from the original post to here. FYI: You only need a solder gun for this mod, and of course the caps.

0. Panasonic FM 25V 470uF aka stock caps














Panasonic caps are known to have unbeatable specs. Uber-low ESR and extremely high ripple current makes it an excellent choice for budget-conscious DIYers. They adds very little coloration and sounds reasonably good. On top of that, it only costs $0.3 a piece. Headamp likely used these caps to save cost.

1. Nichicon FW 25V 470uF

These golden caps are the go-to for many audio companies. With gold-sleevings, they are very good-looking, have extremely low ESR and high ripple.

Replacing the FM caps with these yield a very audible improvement. The first thing you'll notice is how the sound opens up as if you open up the window for a breath of fresh air. Everything suddenly sounds so transparent you'll have a hard time beliving its the same amp. Soundstage extends wider, bass goes deeper and treble gains more fienesse. No downsides I can speak of. Nada.


2. Nichicon KW 25V 2200uF







If I were to judge these caps based on the looks, they'd score higher than ELNA.







Given how satisfied I am with the FWs, KW seems like the next logical step. For those of you who don't know what to look for in a power supply cap replacement, the rule of thumb is bigger is better. Bigger power supply cap can store more power and more importantly have less low-frequency roll-off, which is why I bumped up the cap value to 2200uF in hope of improving bass response. (more about capacitance and low-frequency roll-off can be found here: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/par...-capacitors-shootout-coupling-headphones.html)

Nichicon markets KW as a step up from the FWs, they're twice as expensive and have black sleeving instead of gold. So it should be better, right?

Wrong. I desoldered FWs and put these KWs in preparing to be wowed, and what I got was a lifeless sound muddy beyond redemption. These KWs are easily the worst sounding caps I've ever put into the GLs. I gave them 2 weeks to settle down, and in the end its still the same muddy sound with a very closed-in soundstage and no instrument separation to speak of.

I don't know why Nichicon would market these as the better cap. They cost twice as much as the FWs, aren't as good looking and sound so much worse.


3. Nichicon Fine Gold 25V 470uF

I've used Fine Gold for recapping amps in the past and am very satisfied with their performance. They're the second-best audio cap in Nichicon's line-up and projects a very transparent sound with very little coloration. Replacing the KWs with FGs is more than just a breath of fresh air----they're a total revelation. All of a sudden you hear details that you can never hear before and everything sounds crystal clear. These are the logical step up from FWs and indeed sound better, but the downside is they're bigger and heavier. Fitting them on the PCB proves to be quite a struggle.


4. Nichicon KZ 25V 470uF

Two weeks in with the Fine Golds and my hands got itchy again. KZs are the best caps Nichicon's ever made. They're even bigger than FGs and absolutely dwarfs the FWs. There's no way I can actually fit one of these in the tiny PCB of Gilmore Lite MkII. But there's always a nagging voice in the back of my mind. What if it sounds better? And what if I try really hard?

Well I did manage to fit these in in the end, at the cost of 6 hours, a lot of sweat, and bent capacitor legs. There's no way I'm doing this ever again.

And how does it sound? Sublime! These have a wider soundstage than the Fine Golds and are a bit more open sounding. They are hands down the least colored caps I've used on the Gilmore. Nothing really gets in the way between you and your music. Measurements of this cap is rock solid and if all you want is transparency, this is the cap to go, given that you can fit one of these ginormous beast in whatever PCBs you fancy.


5. ELNA Silmic II 16V 470uF


ELNA, a household name if your into capacitors. Nelson Pass loves them and touted them as the best sounding cap beside Black Gate. I have the exact same experiences from re-capping my vintage amps and other headphone amps like the rHead and Jazz FF. These badboys are ginormous, but if you can fit one of these in, chances are you won't replace them ever again. They wipe the floor with everything else.

But the problem is they're just too big. With a diameter of 16mm and lead spacing of 7.5mm, there's no way I can cram these in without damaging the PCB. And its not until 3 weeks into KZs that a thought suddenly occured to me: the Gilmore Lite uses a +-15V power supply which in theory sums up to 30V. How are they using 25V caps then???

With this thought I measured the voltage across each capacitor with my multimeter, and to my great surprise the voltage across each cap is actually 15V instead of 30V. As it turns out, the folks at HeadAmp are a little too conservative and opted for 25V caps when its not necessary.

Which means I can use 16V caps.

And 16V 470uF Silmic II actually fits. 12mm diameter, 5.0mm lead spacing. PERFECT.

With the enthusiasm of a new born child, I ordered 4 16V 470uF Silmic IIs and replaced the KZs with these. It was midnight when I finished the solderjob, and when I first powered these on I near had an orgasm.
















Is it really a $500 amp I'm hearing?


The change is so radical that I can hardly call it an upgrade. While there is soundstage and imaging before, the sound now gains a new dimension, being infinitely smooth and tube-like. There is zero harshness to be found. The bass digs extremely deep without being obtrusive, and the mids is the smoothest, most lifelike I've ever heard out of a solid-state. Someone once commented that the Silmic II imbues music with a tube-like warmth and smoothness (https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/electrolytic-capacitor-shoot-out.381961/page-5), and its absolutely true. Music comes out and greet you. It envelops you, hugs you, giving you warm tingles all over your body.








Theses caps are dangerously addictive, to the point that I find myself spending less time on Head-Fi and more time actually listening to music. They are every bit as transparent as the KZs and resolve details at least as well as the FGs. The biggest difference being that it imbues music with a tube-like quality and smoothness. Everything sounds seductive. You'd find yourself tapping your toes to the music and going from one song to another. Time and space is lost, only you and your music remains.

On top of all that, these are also the only caps capable of transforming the Gilmore into a much more expensive-sounding amp. While the KZ, FG and FWs are all worthy of being called an upgrade, they're ultimately only upgrades. The ELNAs transform this amp into something else. They sound tonally rich much like a tube amp, but with the precision and separation of a solid-state. And this is the area where the ELNAs had the Nichicons handily beat---the Nichicons sounds sterile and thin while the ELNAs sound harmonically rich and emotionally charged. If I were to blindly guess how much this amp costs based on sound alone, I'd probably say $2000.

A few things I found out later: Panasonic has a general series capacitor called M. Not FM, just M. And they're rated at 85C. These caps are surprisingly good for the money. They sound much better than the FC cap these amp comes with.

Also a general rule of thumb doing the cap mod: You shouldn't keep soldering and de-soldering just to try different caps. PCBs can easily get damaged if your soldering iron stays on a joint for too long. For this purpose you should get some good solder, preferably cardas solder. They flow extremely well, and are the only solder that doesn't require any flux paste to de-solder. All in all they're extremely easy to work with.

IF you REALLY want to catch em all and just get your hands on every cap out there, try this. After removing the capacitor, clean the two leg holes and solder two wires in place of the capacitor. Ta da! You get a free capacitor extension! Any cap you want to try just solder it to the other end of the wire. This way you would never risk damaging the PCB. A friend of mine was crazy enough to cram four snap-in capacitors inside the little Gilmore, thanks to this mod. Generally for capacitors of the same rating, the bigger the better. So if you really want to go all out, check out Nichicon's Super Through or ELNA's LAO. These uglyass MFs sound out of this world, but you do have to find some innovative ways to keep them inside the tight board space.


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

I just started a DIY preamp project to keep me occupied during COVID so I happen to have my soldering station set up.

Will the 16v ELNA caps be compatible with the new power supply for GLMk2 when it becomes available?


----------



## lambdastorm

The stock power supply runs on +-15V. The upgraded one should too. Compatibility should not be an issue.


----------



## ksorota

lambdastorm said:


> The stock power supply runs on +-15V. The upgraded one should too. Compatibility should not be an issue.






justin w. said:


> 16V or 16.4V is the plan (16.4V happens to be the original spec from Kevin Gilmore's amp design and is what the GS-X mini runs on)



From a few pages back... the only reason I went for the 25’s.


----------



## richardloh (May 22, 2020)

lambdastorm said:


> Hey guys, for the last couple months a lot of you guys have been PM'ing me about the cap mod. I think I'm the first one to do it, so I'll just move what I wrote from the original post to here. FYI: You only need a solder gun for this mod, and of course the caps.
> 
> 0. Panasonic FM 25V 470uF aka stock caps
> 
> ...



Hi guys,

Just joined in the fun with uprated 25v silmic 2 .. burn in time and will update with my finding thereafter.

More importantly, blue led done as the orange one has to go to match my other equipment .. orange to me is pending, alert or danger. 

I also had my denafrip terminator dac with blue led by denafrips instead of red ones and aesthetics to me is important in this luxury hifi hobby of ours.

Thanks again guys for the nice share.

Cheers.

Richard

PS: do consider using sandpaper to file down thickness of leg to allow resoldering back the silmic 2


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

Thanks for the suggestion on replacing these caps. After a brief listening, the most noticeable difference seems to be an improved sound stage, both larger and more accurate. Obviously not A-B comparison. I have always enjoyed this amp.

Now bring on the new PSU!


----------



## richardloh (May 30, 2020)

Hi,

I am using the rare grado fg-1 and had trouble finding a suitable headphone amp after having the new kinki thr-1 and questyle cma-800r that just dun cut it.

Googled and found PS-1 was used with Gilmore headphone amps and enter the nice neat package of gilmore lite mk2 .. no plan for balanced or preamp that I dun  have to pay for which is nice. Wow .. better than the kinki or even the more expensive questyle.

Barely 12 hrs but typical characteristic of  silmics 2 as with other application that I had experienced especially when compared to panasonic fc/fm remains the same. More musically aka enjoyable, more presence of midbass and bass which also improved overall frequencies, including midrange.

Still very detailed and perhaps smaller stage and a hair less on transparency that I did not missed as it is still very detailed .. I expect that these will be even less noticable after 100-300 hours with these silmics 2 470uf 25v.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Guidostrunk

Finally purchased an GLmk2. Going to be comparing it to my Liquid Platinum to see if I can get away from tube rolling lol. 

Will be having the cap mod done by @ksorota  because soldering cables is a whole different animal than messing with circuit boards that I'm just not willing to try. 

Has anyone paired their GLmk2 with the Focal Clear? Curious to hear some thoughts on the pairing. 

Cheers!

PS: Sorry @ksorota  hopefully you don't get bombarded in PM for more mods lol. Could be lucrative though.


----------



## richardloh (May 30, 2020)

richardloh said:


> More musically aka enjoyable, more presence of midbass and bass which also improved overall frequencies, including midrange.
> 
> Still very detailed and perhaps smaller stage and a hair less on transparency that I did not missed as it is still very detailed .. I expect that these will be even less noticable after 100-300 hours with these silmics 2 470uf 25v.
> 
> ...



Above still hold true .. the silmics 2 caps smoothen out a bit after 24x10 hrs but nothing drastic.

Transparency touted is lesser with smaller soundstage for sure but more musical and easier on the ears i.e. with my Grado fg-1.

Good enuff and end game for this part time headphone user who happened to be given the Grado fg-1 who still prefers signal from denafrips Terminator dac going to audible illusion l3a preamp, sander magtech amp and revel salon 2 which sounds sweeter, more transparent and with proper upfront staging.

Let's await for Justin's long outstanding linear psu upgrade but was surprised it had been almost 2 yrs since spoken for after googling the intro of this gilmore lite mk2 .. wun hold my breath for it though.

Cheers.

Richard

PS: Gilmore Lite mk2 with silmic 2 and blue led 😃


----------



## richardloh

Guidostrunk said:


> Finally purchased an GLmk2. Going to be comparing it to my Liquid Platinum to see if I can get away from tube rolling lol.
> 
> Will be having the cap mod done by @ksorota  because soldering cables is a whole different animal than messing with circuit boards that I'm just not willing to try.
> 
> ...



Hi Guido,

Typical bright focal signature especially with mentioned named "clear" should go well with warmer sounding silmic 2 mod .. especially you are used to your current tube based headphone amp.

But surprised that you modded even before trying it out first and guess you also figured the shared "improvement" in sound quality here ... my thinking is that individual preference and matching dictates our idea of improved sound quality ... hope you find the opportunity to try out stock version but safe bet that the mod will serve you well ..  at least better than stock one with your focal clear.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Guidostrunk

I did give it a listen for a few hours last night before shipping it out this morning for the mod. 

I'm really not finding the Clears bright whatsoever. I cranked on them a bit with the GLmk2 playing various poorly recorded 80's music and can't even come close to wincing. I read so many posts about the Clears being bright but can't hear it at all. When I think of bright the HD800 HD700 and a few others come to mind long before the Clears get a mention. 
Lol.

Surprisingly the mk2 wasn't too far off from the Liquid platinum(with CBS 5814wa on adapters).
What I'm hoping from the mod is possibly better imaging and maybe some more space in between notes to get that 3D presence like the LP. 

The bass response on it is fantastic. I did dig the sound a lot with the few hours I spent with it. 

One of my biggest problems with SS has always been soundstage and imaging. The lack of air around notes compared to tubes. The mk2 has some promise. We shall see.




richardloh said:


> Hi Guido,
> 
> Typical bright focal signature especially with mentioned named "clear" should go well with warmer sounding silmic 2 mod .. especially you are used to your current tube based headphone amp.
> 
> ...


----------



## Traiguen (May 31, 2020)

CaptainFantastic said:


> I received mine today, one day earlier than planned. Thank you Justin for the quick and free shipping to Europe. The packaging and overall presentation are excellent. I look forward to plugging it in and starting to experience it with the RME ADI-2.


Hello,
Today I received mine and I also have the RME ADI-2 DAC, what is your opinion on the difference between the RME headphone amp and the Gilmore Lite?
I am enjoying the combination very much.  I feel the Gilmore Lite has more bass compared to the RME, I find the sound maybe a tad warmer than from the RME, which I am enjoying greatly.  After much research and personal debate on which separate amp to get to pair with my RME I feel the Gilmore Lite was the best choice.  I considered the Rupert Neve RNHP, Audio DG 1 & Cajin iHA 6.  I must confess that I have a silly obsession with balanced... it is always in the back of my mind, I cannot say that I have heard a difference to make me prefer balanced vs SE.... it is just in my mind and keeps bugging me to get a fully balanced amp.  I managed to ignore it for now and I am very happy with the Gilmore Lite.


----------



## justin w.

ksorota said:


> From a few pages back... the only reason I went for the 25’s.



If you want to be a "super" upgrader you can eliminate the blue trim pots by replacing them with resistors equal to their current values. that will also give you more room for bigger/higher voltage rated caps


----------



## ilikebananafudge

deadspider187 said:


> I'm really not finding the Clears bright whatsoever. I cranked on them a bit with the GLmk2 playing various poorly recorded 80's music and can't even come close to wincing. I read so many posts about the Clears being bright but can't hear it at all. When I think of bright the HD800 HD700 and a few others come to mind long before the Clears get a mention.
> Lol.



FWIW I also don't find the Clears to be overly bright. They have more treble energy than my LCD-2s and my recently sold HD650s, but they're certainly not too bright.


----------



## richardloh

Traiguen said:


> Hello,
> Today I received mine and I also have the RME ADI-2 DAC, what is your opinion on the difference between the RME headphone amp and the Gilmore Lite?
> I am enjoying the combination very much.  I feel the Gilmore Lite has more bass compared to the RME, I find the sound maybe a tad warmer than from the RME, which I am enjoying greatly.  After much research and personal debate on which separate amp to get to pair with my RME I feel the Gilmore Lite was the best choice.  I considered the Rupert Neve RNHP, Audio DG 1 & Cajin iHA 6.  I must confess that I have a silly obsession with balanced... it is always in the back of my mind, I cannot say that I have heard a difference to make me prefer balanced vs SE.... it is just in my mind and keeps bugging me to get a fully balanced amp.  I managed to ignore it for now and I am very happy with the Gilmore Lite.



Nice !

New units shipped with blue leds which I had to mod?

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Guidostrunk

First I want to thank @ksorota for doing the mod on my GLmk2. Thanks a ton bro!!!

I got to spend some time with it this past weekend. What a fantastic little amp! 
Before I sent it off for the mod. I had a about a 3 hour session with it. I really liked what I was hearing. It had really nice grunt in the bass. Extremely coherent midrange and some sweet extended treble. During the 3 hour session I kept saying to myself " Man, if only it had more dimensional space" " I hope this mod helps out the imaging a bit". 

Man what a difference after the mod. It really has exceeded my expectations! Everything is just better. The slam, the impact, the layers in the imaging and space is phenomenal! The sense of realism is amazing. 
It's as if a tube circuit had been installed lol. It's such an organic, liquid flowing , enveloping sound. It is very holographic now. The only thing it lacks a little is air but I'm completely ok with that. I really didn't expect it. It doesn't have tubes lol. 

It's such an addicting sound. I spent the better part of 4 hours on my porch last night with the rig. The GLmk2 , especially modded. Might be the deal of the century! 

Now my interest in the GSXmini has grown even more. Lol. 

Not sure when the matching power supply is supposed to be available. Hopefully soon. The mini is lurking around the corner. 

Thanks again K!


----------



## Klmahnn

Interested in purchasing either the GLmk2 or GSXmini in the not too distant future. Just wondering... there seems to be a lot of modding going on with big apparent improvements in sound. Are these mods likely to be incorporated in the stock design in the future? Understandable if they won't due to cost and/or straying from the maker's ideal of how it should sound.


----------



## richardloh (Jun 10, 2020)

Klmahnn said:


> Interested in purchasing either the GLmk2 or GSXmini in the not too distant future. Just wondering... there seems to be a lot of modding going on with big apparent improvements in sound. Are these mods likely to be incorporated in the stock design in the future? Understandable if they won't due to cost and/or straying from the maker's ideal of how it should sound.



Hi Klmahnn,

Discrete class A design and so far just simple capacitor mod from excellent fm ones to silmics 2 to suit individual taste in my opinion.

Most did not but I do find transparency and staging lesser with silmics 2 but indeed better suited also for my equipment with more musical presentation to my ears .. YMMV.

I also hope to audition a GSXmini with reported similiar electronic on single ended application but it is almost 4x the $ and with added balanced features that I am not needing or usable.

What I can share is that with my upgraded dac compared to previous Denafrips Terminator, the small Gilmore shines even more 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## justin w.

richardloh said:


> Nice !
> 
> New units shipped with blue leds which I had to mod?
> 
> ...



The Gilmore Lite mk2 has been shipping with white LEDs for a while now (formerly amber).

The new Dedicated Power Supply will have the white laser engraved panels and white LED. So if you have an older Gilmore Lite mk2 with an amber LED and the bronze colored laser engraving, we'll offer an update for you if you buy the Dedicated Power Supply, at least for pre-orders.

Unfortunately we're now completely out of the standard power supplies for the Lite. Our order for more was set back due to COVID-19, we'll be able to ship more Lite mk2 amps in probably late July.

We will allow pre-orders for it on our site, and I have just added an option to order it with the upcoming Dedicated Power Supply (based on Golden Reference power supply) or the standard or just the Dedicated Power Supply if you already have the amp. For pre-orders, we will update the look of your Gilmore Lite mk2 if you want at no cost except shipping.

https://www.headamp.com/products/gilmore-lite-mk2


----------



## richardloh (Jun 11, 2020)

justin w. said:


> The Gilmore Lite mk2 has been shipping with white LEDs for a while now (formerly amber).
> 
> The new Dedicated Power Supply will have the white laser engraved panels and white LED. So if you have an older Gilmore Lite mk2 with an amber LED and the bronze colored laser engraving, we'll offer an update for you if you buy the Dedicated Power Supply, at least for pre-orders.
> 
> ...



Hi Justin,

Noted and thanks .. I had modded my early version lite mk2 (fixed voltage linear psu I think) with Silmic 2 caps and blue led. I had also added a dot of luminous white ink on the volume knob for improved visibility in day and night time.

Will be great if the dedicated psu will also be customised blue led for my completed order # 7690 and a photo shared here will be great whiich I may have somehow missed.

Awaiting summer time then 

Thanks again for the good news on this dedicated psu on the soon-to-be over wait 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> Thanks for the suggestion on replacing these caps. After a brief listening, the most noticeable difference seems to be an improved sound stage, both larger and more accurate. Obviously not A-B comparison. I have always enjoyed this amp.
> 
> Now bring on the new PSU!



Hi ZerO.pOint,

Time to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

Guidostrunk said:


> First I want to thank @ksorota for doing the mod on my GLmk2. Thanks a ton bro!!!
> 
> I got to spend some time with it this past weekend. What a fantastic little amp!
> Before I sent it off for the mod. I had a about a 3 hour session with it. I really liked what I was hearing. It had really nice grunt in the bass. Extremely coherent midrange and some sweet extended treble. During the 3 hour session I kept saying to myself " Man, if only it had more dimensional space" " I hope this mod helps out the imaging a bit".
> ...



Hi Guido,

Just in case somehow missed ..ime to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

LeMoviedave said:


> People, you need to stop posting about anything not relating to the power supply.  Every time I get a notice that this thread has been posted on, I am crushed when it turns out to not be a release date, or at least more info.



Hi Dave,

Time to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

Slim1970 said:


> We're all eagerly awaiting this power supply



Hi Slim,

Wait is over ... time to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

dpump said:


> That power supply-Please get'r done!



Hi dpump,

Time to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## ksorota

Is it wrong that I just received my GSX Mini, but I want to pre-order this and get another GLMK2...need one next to my bed right!?!?!


----------



## richardloh

ksorota said:


> Quick friendly check-in for @justin w. to see if any progress has been made with the bespoke power supply?
> 
> Happy Holidays!



Hi Ksorota,

Time to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

Charente said:


> To be fair, I recall HeadAmp saying they were focusing on the GS-X Mini first and expedite all those orders ... and that appears to be an understandable priority ... not sure I want to get involved with modifying a PS to suit ... well above my pay grade !!!
> 
> I think I'd prefer to wait for an endorsed and matched unit to the GL Mk2 with predictable and worthwhile sonic improvements.



Hi Charente,

Our wait is over ... Time to pre-order dedicated psu 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## emgineer

Pre-ordered!  Also ordered a Qutest, silly summer fun!


----------



## richardloh

ksorota said:


> Is it wrong that I just received my GSX Mini, but I want to pre-order this and get another GLMK2...need one next to my bed right!?!?!



Hi Ksorota,

Sorry to interrupt on separate topic but will really appreciate if you can provide review of gsx mini vs lite mk 2 via SE connection as this will be my use case.

Understand system dependent, personal preference etc.. but still good as reference for me to consider next upgrade when ready to do so.

Many thanks in advance.

Richard


----------



## ksorota

richardloh said:


> Hi Ksorota,
> 
> Sorry to interrupt on separate topic but will really appreciate if you can provide review of gsx mini vs lite mk 2 via SE connection as this will be my use case.
> 
> ...


Richard,

I am just getting into it and have some more listening to do before I can give you a detailed review...but I can say that the mini is just more...more clarity, more detail and more richness to the sound.  I am very happy with the upgrade. I am currently using it with LCD-1, and Meze 99 while I wait for my Ether cable to come back (re-termination to xlr) so I cannot really make a judgement on that comparison.  My Gilmore also had the Silmic II upgraded caps and I can easily say that the mini sounds more refined.


----------



## richardloh

ksorota said:


> Richard,
> 
> I am just getting into it and have some more listening to do before I can give you a detailed review...but I can say that the mini is just more...more clarity, more detail and more richness to the sound.  I am very happy with the upgrade. I am currently using it with LCD-1, and Meze 99 while I wait for my Ether cable to come back (re-termination to xlr) so I cannot really make a judgement on that comparison.  My Gilmore also had the Silmic II upgraded caps and I can easily say that the mini sounds more refined.



Hey Ksorota,

Thanks thanks and not surprised since rightfully so  ... will also look forward to your further sharing of the lite mk2 with the dedicated psu if you ever receives it but please use single ended if possible.

It is a bottomless pit but checking out $ for the mini ... lol !

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## ksorota

richardloh said:


> Hey Ksorota,
> 
> Thanks thanks and not surprised but please ... will also look forward to your further sharing of the lite mk2 with the dedicated psu if you ever receives it but please use single ended if possible.
> 
> ...


Yes a pit it is indeed.  I actually do not have the GLMK2 anymore...sold it to help offset the cost of the mini.  So unless someone wants to send me a GLMK2 to play with  or to perform the cap upgrade I will not be able to make that comparison.  

Once this work from home stuff ends I will probably get another MK2 for the office with the upgraded PSU for sure!


----------



## Slim1970

richardloh said:


> Hi Slim,
> 
> Wait is over ... time to pre-order dedicated psu
> 
> ...


Thanks @richardloh!


----------



## LeMoviedave

richardloh said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> Time to pre-order dedicated psu
> 
> ...


Yeah, you see, while I was waiting for the PSU, I might have ordered a GS-X mini.  So...


----------



## ksorota

LeMoviedave said:


> Yeah, you see, while I was waiting for the PSU, I might have ordered a GS-X mini.  So...



It is a very tough predicament!


----------



## LeMoviedave

ksorota said:


> It is a very tough predicament!


I know!  Whatever am I to do?


----------



## richardloh (Jun 19, 2020)

LeMoviedave said:


> I know!  Whatever am I to do?



Hi,

I am more fortunate and no hesitation in ordering the dedicated psu for my lite mk2 ... no immediate fixed plan for the gsx mini since not going to butcher my collectible grado fg-1 headphone for balanced operation. Just checked that it is usd1.8k vs usd500 with less motivation for my single ended operation and redundant balanced circuitry.

Let's see how usd800 with dedicated psu at still less than half the $ for gsx-mini  pans out but will probably stay with any upgrade to balanced ones to avoid paying for unnecessary functionalities.

One notable finding is that even without pending dedicated psu, the lite mk2 shows no limited potential with the upgraded upstream source in my case .. it simply allow all improvements from previous not-too-shabby Denafrips Terminator dac to my new dac 

Hope to report back soon upon receipt of the dedicated psu with high expectation at 3/4 $ of the lite mk2.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## LeMoviedave (Jun 11, 2020)

richardloh said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am more fortunate and no hesitation in ordering the dedicated psu for my lite mk2 ... no immediate fixed plan for the gsx mini since not going to butcher my collectible grado fg-1 headphone for balanced operation. Just checked that it is usd1.8k vs usd500 with less motivation for my single ended operation and redundant balanced circuitry.
> 
> ...


I have no doubt it will make a great amp sound even better.  The Mini has always been my end goal.  I figured, what the hell.  If you have no need or plan to go balanced, the mk2 will kick butt for many years to come


----------



## richardloh (Jun 12, 2020)

LeMoviedave said:


> I have no doubt it will make a great amp sound even better.  The Mini has always been my end goal.  I figured, what the hell.  If you have no need or plan to go balanced, the mk2 will kick butt for many years to come



Hi Dave,

Indeed and thanks for the reinforcement until upgrade bugs bite again as usual and feasibility of vitamin M .. lol !

Again more fortunate for me as I found out that Grado headphones which I am using were especially matched with Gilmore since its earliest intro .. this is how I got here nicely after failed attempts with new Kinki THR-1 and not very new Questyle cma-800r that both did worse than the cheaper lite mk2 in my setup.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## ShenaRingo326

what differences / improvements will the dedicated PSU bring?


----------



## richardloh (Jun 13, 2020)

ShenaRingo326 said:


> what differences / improvements will the dedicated PSU bring?



Hi Shena,

Think only Justin had heard but guess hard for him to comment without over or under promising.

Typically I expect improvement on:

1.  lower floor noise i.e. clearer and more transparent with improved power circuitry 
2. hopefully with also more "pop" or "density" or "music" if it makes any sense since now driven I think by toroidal transfomer   ... 

As usual, yymv depending on how resolved your setup and only you can tell unless someone else has your same setup and still subjective to his past experience and hence expectation.

In such more than usual diminishing return of audio hobby, I will be happy is this usd300 more to the usd500 or 60% translates to 20% improvement TO ME but more realistically (and hopefully) 10-15% of such arbitrary and subjective "measurement".

It may not help me as much since mine is already older linear psu with fixed voltage but newer/new buyer with switching type ones should experience more improvement.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## dpump

Want to clarify some things on the new upcoming power supply.
If we preorder the new power supply, we can return our amp to HeadAmp and have a new faceplate and LED installed at no charge except shipping? Since the front panel is easy to change maybe a new front panel could be included with the power supply and let the user install? LED could also be included if wanted? Could return the old front panel to HeadAmp if needed.
Can the amp and power supply be stacked without the power supply inducing noise into the amp? Power supply on the bottom and amp on top or amp on the bottom and power supply on top?


----------



## LeMoviedave

dpump said:


> Want to clarify some things on the new upcoming power supply.
> If we preorder the new power supply, we can return our amp to HeadAmp and have a new faceplate and LED installed at no charge except shipping? Since the front panel is easy to change maybe a new front panel could be included with the power supply and let the user install? LED could also be included if wanted? Could return the old front panel to HeadAmp if needed.
> Can the amp and power supply be stacked without the power supply inducing noise into the amp? Power supply on the bottom and amp on top or amp on the bottom and power supply on top?


As to that last part, Justin told me the PSU was meant to ether be stacked under or placed right next to the amp.  I would take it on faith that it would not introduce noise.


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

I would be in favor of the self-install faceplate option. That way I wouldn’t have to go without the amp and could save on shipping.


----------



## Charente

Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> I would be in favor of the self-install faceplate option. That way I wouldn’t have to go without the amp and could save on shipping.



Yes, for us in Europe (and elsewhere) the costs and export/import consequences are probably too much to contemplate.


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

Placed my order for the PSU this weekend. Anyone else surprised at how may GL Mk2’s are popping up for sale lately with the ELNA silmic cap mod?


----------



## Guidostrunk

I pulled mine off the market. I just can't let it go. It's a great amp! I know that power supplies make a huge difference but my goal is to get a mini within the next few weeks.
What amazes me the most is how over looked this amp is. Especially with the cap mod. I offered mine for $350 shipped and fees and not one pm. Me personally wouldn't look at anything else as far as solid state goes under $500, or possibly even more! 
 I'm really at a crossroads. I want to get the LPS for the GLMK2 but that will push the mini back a bit. Decisions, decisions lol.



Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> Placed my order for the PSU this weekend. Anyone else surprised at how may GL Mk2’s are popping up for sale lately with the ELNA silmic cap mod?


----------



## LeMoviedave

My mini should be arriving Thursday or Friday.  I am looking forwards to seeing what the difference is.


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

Guidostrunk said:


> I pulled mine off the market. I just can't let it go. It's a great amp! I know that power supplies make a huge difference but my goal is to get a mini within the next few weeks.
> What amazes me the most is how over looked this amp is. Especially with the cap mod. I offered mine for $350 shipped and fees and not one pm. Me personally wouldn't look at anything else as far as solid state goes under $500, or possibly even more!
> I'm really at a crossroads. I want to get the LPS for the GLMK2 but that will push the mini back a bit. Decisions, decisions lol.



I think one of the reasons this amp gets overlooked is because there is what seems to me an overblown obsession with balanced amps right now. It’s also kinda small, not the prettiest looking amp, and the $500 price range is a crowded market. But man does it sound great!


----------



## Guidostrunk

Very crowded lol. Me personally having owned balanced setups now ,and in the past. I don't think there's any difference other than volume. Hopefully I don't get shot for that statement lol. 
I'm an old school guy so the aesthetics are beautiful! I love me some old school Crown macro amps. Ugly af but commit audio crimes. 

I'm gonna pre order the LPS. I may have to send the combo to @ksorota  for evaluation coz he has my goal rn with the dact attenuator. He also modded my GLmk2 and Cavalli Liquid platinum (shhhhh)*wink


Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> I think one of the reasons this amp gets overlooked is because there is what seems to me an overblown obsession with balanced amps right now. It’s also kinda small, not the prettiest looking amp, and the $500 price range is a crowded market. But man does it sound great!


----------



## Slim1970

Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> Placed my order for the PSU this weekend. Anyone else surprised at how may GL Mk2’s are popping up for sale lately with the ELNA silmic cap mod?


Not really, the cap mod is totally worth it and it does improve the sound of the GL Mk2. I look at it as marketing strategy and a way to move gear. I only sold mine because I have a surplus of amps. I knew my modded GL Mk2 would move faster than an unmodded one and I was right. If I were to buy another GL Mk2 I would have it modded. There's no denying that the GL Mk2 is a great sounding amp on its own, but the cap mod ups the performance level. The new PSU is going to improve things even more.


----------



## Traiguen

Guidostrunk said:


> I pulled mine off the market. I just can't let it go. It's a great amp! I know that power supplies make a huge difference but my goal is to get a mini within the next few weeks.
> What amazes me the most is how over looked this amp is. Especially with the cap mod. I offered mine for $350 shipped and fees and not one pm. Me personally wouldn't look at anything else as far as solid state goes under $500, or possibly even more!
> I'm really at a crossroads. I want to get the LPS for the GLMK2 but that will push the mini back a bit. Decisions, decisions lol.


Same experience here, I have it in $400 - 1 month of use - and I get nobody interested.   This amp is hugely unappreciated, it has been my favorite amp of a large list.... THX AAA, SP200, RME ADI-2, Liquid Spark......  I am only selling because the GSX-Mini is on its way, but I will get it off the market and keep it, I love this amp.


----------



## Cat Music

Traiguen said:


> Same experience here, I have it in $400 - 1 month of use - and I get nobody interested.   This amp is hugely unappreciated, it has been my favorite amp of a large list.... THX AAA, SP200, RME ADI-2, Liquid Spark......  I am only selling because the GSX-Mini is on its way, but I will get it off the market and keep it, I love this amp.


What would be the differences in sound quality between the SP200 vs Gilmore Lite Mk2?


----------



## richardloh

Slim1970 said:


> ............ level. The new PSU is going to improve things even more.



Hi slim,

Indeed hopeful ...  just sent headamp support to check if shipping of new dedicated PSU had already started else when scheduled cos mentioned summer started for a while.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Slim1970

richardloh said:


> Hi slim,
> 
> Indeed hopeful ...  just sent headamp support to check if shipping of new dedicated PSU had already started else when scheduled cos mentioned summer started for a while.
> 
> ...


Thanks, for the follow-up.


----------



## Traiguen

Cat Music said:


> What would be the differences in sound quality between the SP200 vs Gilmore Lite Mk2?


IMO the sound of the Gilmore Lite is much more engaging than the SP200.  I tend to prefer warmer than analytical sound, the SP 200 is more analytical while the Gilmore is a bit warmer.


----------



## richardloh

Slim1970 said:


> Thanks, for the follow-up.



Hi Slim or anyone,

Any update from headamp on the dedicated psu ?

Asked twice and no response so far 

Hope Justin is here to advise.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

richardloh said:


> Hi Slim or anyone,
> 
> Any update from headamp on the dedicated psu ?
> 
> ...




Oops ... just re-read offer .. end summer 2020 or 22 Sep 2020.


----------



## ksorota

Really looking forward to this power supply, and hoping i can have it produced with an amber led instead of white... actually planning to swap am smart led into the Bifrost mb driving the Gilmore. 

Since my moniprice LP is currently being worked on I have been spending s lot of time with the GLMK2 and am constantly wondering why I have spent money on any other SS amps! Including the mini.    

The Elna cap mod with the power supply (Once delivered) is going to be hard to beat. Hopefully it gets finalized soon.
Best


----------



## richardloh (Jul 26, 2020)

ksorota said:


> Really looking forward to this power supply, and hoping i can have it produced with an amber led instead of white... actually planning to swap am smart led into the Bifrost mb driving the Gilmore.
> 
> Since my moniprice LP is currently being worked on I have been spending s lot of time with the GLMK2 and am constantly wondering why I have spent money on any other SS amps! Including the mini.
> 
> ...



Hi Ksorota,

In total agreement on both ....

1. Waiting eagerly for the dedicated psu

2. Very very nice gilmore lite mk2 and believe especially for grado headphones ... it just got better with the recent upgrade of the Denafrips Terminator dac to the plus version. 

Detailed and warm seems opposite but this is what I am hearing .. bass is tight with more boogie factor and I would further add that it is very quiet and transparent sounding.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## ksorota

justin w. said:


> the transformer would be larger, also much larger filter caps would be needed to filter the lower frequency, and the 60hz magnetic fields would have to be shielded as the aluminum enclosure does nothing.
> 
> 16V or 16.4V is the plan (16.4V happens to be the original spec from Kevin Gilmore's amp design and is what the GS-X mini runs on)
> 
> ...



hey Justin, just wondering if your are still working on a bigger unit? 

I pre-ordered the current iteration, but more than a little curious.


----------



## Voxata

I'd like to give a bit of an update on the Elna cap mod. I've seen a lot of these modded units hit the market and I've got to be honest I sold mine at one point. It paired well with a darker DAC (Bifrost 2) but would fatigue with my D90&iDSD BL. After scoring a cheap modded MK2 and swapping in Nichicon Muse KZs the treble hardness disappeared. 

The Elna caps worked fantastic in an LP I modded for a friend but in the MK2 the HD600 was not tolerable for long. I'd thumb the KZ's as a much safer all around cap for some, though depending on your chain YMMV of course.


----------



## ksorota

Voxata said:


> I'd like to give a bit of an update on the Elna cap mod. I've seen a lot of these modded units hit the market and I've got to be honest I sold mine at one point. It paired well with a darker DAC (Bifrost 2) but would fatigue with my D90&iDSD BL. After scoring a cheap modded MK2 and swapping in Nichicon Muse KZs the treble hardness disappeared.
> 
> The Elna caps worked fantastic in an LP I modded for a friend but in the MK2 the HD600 was not tolerable for long. I'd thumb the KZ's as a much safer all around cap for some, though depending on your chain YMMV of course.



I found a similar experience with the GLMK2 with Elna caps when paired with a Soekris 1321 DAC. It was a bit too much, but with the Bifrost mb i find the pairing wonderful. Of course the HD600 just sounds much much better on the LP, and even pairs well with the 1321 in that chain.


----------



## Voxata (Aug 1, 2020)

ksorota said:


> I found a similar experience with the GLMK2 with Elna caps when paired with a Soekris 1321 DAC. It was a bit too much, but with the Bifrost mb i find the pairing wonderful. Of course the HD600 just sounds much much better on the LP, and even pairs well with the 1321 in that chain.



I liked the LP quite a bit however it does have a weakness, speed. The cap mod helped smooth that to be a bit less noticable though. When using a quick DAC it's still evident but tune accordingly and it's nice. Couldn't make it serviceable for gaming or my 660S though. The 660S pairing was downright bad IMO The MK2 excels in quite a few areas the LP struggles, so they work together well - especially with the KZ's.


----------



## richardloh (Aug 1, 2020)

Hi,

In general from past experience of various mods on various equipment and different part of the circuitries with Panasonic FC/FM, Silmic 2 and Nichicon Muses caps .. the latter that I had the most experience from 20+ yrs old vintage FA series to newer FG, KZ etc. caps, I will summarise the following outstanding quality as typical on their own to match various sounding system:

1. Panasonic FC/FM:
Clean, fast and neutral sounding

2. Nichicon Muse:
Romantic, slower and musical sounding

3 Elna Silmic 2:
In between of Panasonic FC/FM and Nichicon Muses

I do tend to prefer detailed and clean sounding presentation ... YMMV as usual of course.

With this, I am not motivated to risk further soldering/desoldering out the Silmic 2 caps to try the recommended very nice Nichicon Muse KZ at the risk of damaging the pcba while noting my Terminator Plus dac is already R2R that steers towards slower and musical sound.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Huntersknoll

I’m looking to pick this amp up to pair with my Aeon 2 Closed. What does the Elna caps do? Just improve overall sound? Better bass? I’ve seen a few pop up used for $400. I was going to get it new but I’d be willing to get it used with the mod done.


----------



## LeMoviedave

Huntersknoll said:


> I’m looking to pick this amp up to pair with my Aeon 2 Closed. What does the Elna caps do? Just improve overall sound? Better bass? I’ve seen a few pop up used for $400. I was going to get it new but I’d be willing to get it used with the mod done.


Or you could buy mine and have the mod done yourself


----------



## Voxata

Elna opens the top end up a bit, but I felt with my HD600 it was too bright. I love the Muse caps myself, after trying both.


----------



## richardloh

Huntersknoll said:


> I’m looking to pick this amp up to pair with my Aeon 2 Closed. What does the Elna caps do? Just improve overall sound? Better bass?



Hi Huntersknoll,

More warm and organic sounding without losing details with silmic 2 as usual when compared to stock Panasonic fm/fc. Bass will be less lean while it will sound a tad slower or less dynamic.

Nichicon muse will be more of what silmic 2 brings as also typically.

Sorry but dun know Aeon 2 closed if suitable but great with my Grado fg1.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

Sorry all has anyone received and tried the new power supply yet. 
Thanks
Dave


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> Sorry all has anyone received and tried the new power supply yet.
> Thanks
> Dave



Hi Dave,

Dun think so unless there were pilot units sent.

Shipping is said to be late summer and I look forward to another 4 weeks worse case ....

All of us had been waiting for a while and some for 2-3 yrs since this was mentioned right from release of the gilmore lite mk2.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy (Aug 15, 2020)

Cheers Richard, i am the guy who probably caused the the wall wart to become 240v international  my Uk voltage was touching 250v +. So the unit was a little warm and noisy. Ironically the wife said she wasnt happy with buzzing electrical devices in the bedroom. I hope i didn't cause to much of an issue at HeadAmp. I have a 230v sine wave UPS so its on that now happy and quiet.
I had a go of making a 15v bipolar supply but fried the transformer. Ill stick too soldering and no electrickery i am not trained...
Good clean power is my only audio mantra, i have all sorts of power tweaks like balanced isolation transformer, Uptones LPS1, linear LPSs lt3045s filters, Ifi DC and AC purifiers. 230v Sine out..

Since mention of putting a design together for the Gilmk2 its been a long wait to see if it would be made.
Almost tempted to try a cap swap but not until i try the Golden  PSU.
Keen as its custom for the Amp.

Fingers crossed in this crazy time its soon.

Good luck and take care
Dave 😷😁


----------



## justin w.

We just got the powder coated enclosures for the Dedicated Power Supply and are now waiting for the circuit boards. Won't be much longer!


----------



## ilikebananafudge

justin w. said:


> We just got the powder coated enclosures for the Dedicated Power Supply and are now waiting for the circuit boards. Won't be much longer!


Thanks for the update!


----------



## chesebert

Correct me if I am wrong but is this the right math?

Glite+ Dedicated Power Supply = Gilmore V2SE = GS-1 = GSX mini in SE, in terms of general sound quality?


----------



## Middy

Just checking these are the right ones?
But confused now about the new PSU +16v  and a hint of adding fixed resistors for a larger footprint cap by justin's modding post.  If someone tried this and removed the regs..

Dont touch it before all the ducks are in a row.. is my normal philosophy..
I did aerospace soldering but electronics ☹
Lovely to see the suppliers are getting back on track. Covid19 messed up a lot of livelihoods... i do love the powder coated tank look..
Cheers
Dave😊


----------



## ksorota

Middy said:


> Just checking these are the right ones?
> But confused now about the new PSU +16v  and a hint of adding fixed resistors for a larger footprint cap by justin's modding post.  If someone tried this and removed the regs..
> 
> Dont touch it before all the ducks are in a row.. is my normal philosophy..
> ...



The stock rating is 25v... but with the original power supply of +/- 15v the 16v Elna caps worked out. The 16s are a direct fit replacement whereas the 25s take some tweaking to fit.They are not tough to get in, just need to bend the legs for correct spacing and to keep them from resting against other components.


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> Just checking these are the right ones?
> But confused now about the new PSU +16v  and a hint of adding fixed resistors for a larger footprint cap by justin's modding post.  If someone tried this and removed the regs..
> 
> Dont touch it before all the ducks are in a row.. is my normal philosophy..
> ...



Hi Dave,

You may want to consider sanding down the "legs" of the Silmic 2 to ensure any further swap has less likelihood of ripping the pcba traces ... and possibly better sounding of bare metals 😅

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

Thanks gents, the remark of over 16v and if Justin or one of us knows the correct resistor size and value to swap out the trim pots on the rails. If that becomes a later mod with a larger cap.
One tip id give anyone trying the cap swap is to making desoldering easier.
Always increase the board temp as much above ambient as possible.
I use a heat gun but the wifes hair drier would work.  It doesnt have to be untouchable or need oven gloves.
It reduces the contact time as in essence you are heating up the PCB desoldering as well as the joint. That extra heat helps..
Before trying..

Good luck and thanks for the kind advice
Always appreciated 
Dave 😁


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

Middy said:


> Thanks gents, the remark of over 16v and if Justin or one of us knows the correct resistor size and value to swap out the trim pots on the rails. If that becomes a later mod with a larger cap.



I think this is the post your are referring to from @justin w. “If you want to be a "super" upgrader you can eliminate the blue trim pots by replacing them with resistors equal to their current values. that will also give you more room for bigger/higher voltage rated caps”

You should be able to measure it with a multimeter. I was gonna give it a shot, but haven’t gotten around to opening it back up. All my ‘rona projects got put on hold when I had to go back to work full time.


----------



## richardloh

Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> I think this is the post your are referring to from @justin w. “If you want to be a "super" upgrader you can eliminate the blue trim pots by replacing them with resistors equal to their current values. that will also give you more room for bigger/higher voltage rated caps”
> 
> You should be able to measure it with a multimeter. I was gonna give it a shot, but haven’t gotten around to opening it back up. All my ‘rona projects got put on hold when I had to go back to work full time.



Hi,

Cermet element in these blue trimmers  is not even fully metal for convenience and no surprise being targeted mod.

However, not sure if indeed in audio path to make any difference but there are indeed many audiophile type resistors to modify if one is such "super grader". 

While measuring tuned trimmer's resistance value is straightforward, I doubt bigger/higher voltage caps can be physically placed as 25v silmic 2 is already almost touching top cover unless bent parallel to board without touching other components which I will avoid or how is this electrically related to replacing these blue trimmers and what resistance to change to if this is the idea to do so.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

Never knew it was a worm gear..
It would be skills above my level to what devices and values maybe would work. Its great you guys have done all the hard work figuring out the Silmic 2s. Vishay make some good resistors but could a SMT be used as a bridge or drop axials through holes in. 
Dont bother with my silly thoughts guys just thinking out loud. How much i know is..  nothing , 
i asked Justin about trying to make  a PSU a good while ago. He must if though i was mad as i didnt even know it was a bi polar circuit.. i was going to try and wire in a Pos and gnd supply..

Justin did chase down my PSU issue to make sure it was safe, really greatful for that level of customer care and detail. 

Dave


----------



## justin w.

Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> I think this is the post your are referring to from @justin w. “If you want to be a "super" upgrader you can eliminate the blue trim pots by replacing them with resistors equal to their current values. that will also give you more room for bigger/higher voltage rated caps”
> 
> You should be able to measure it with a multimeter. I was gonna give it a shot, but haven’t gotten around to opening it back up. All my ‘rona projects got put on hold when I had to go back to work full time.



If you do this, note that the potentiometer in question is in parallel with a 499 ohm resistor


----------



## emgineer

Just to be clear, will the 16v Silmic be ok with the upgraded power supply or do we need to go 25v?


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

justin w. said:


> If you do this, note that the potentiometer in question is in parallel with a 499 ohm resistor



Good to know, thanks for all the tips.


----------



## Middy

Ah you made me do it..another order added for the new Power supply.. The wife will kill me. 

But before i fit the Silmics as Engineer asked?



emgineer said:


> Just to be clear, will the 16v Silmic be ok with the upgraded power supply or do we need to go 25v?


----------



## tamtrum

Middy said:


> Ah you made me do it..another order added for the new Power supply.. The wife will kill me.
> 
> But before i fit the Silmics as Engineer asked?



I would highly recommend going with the 25V rated capacitors, unless you do enjoy swapping out blown 16V capacitors. If you run a capacitor at its rated max voltage, you are accelerating its lifespan and you better hope it fails in an open and not a short. For further reading : https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1271


----------



## Middy

Thank you.


----------



## emgineer

tamtrum said:


> I would highly recommend going with the 25V rated capacitors, unless you do enjoy swapping out blown 16V capacitors. If you run a capacitor at its rated max voltage, you are accelerating its lifespan and you better hope it fails in an open and not a short. For further reading : https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1271


Thank you, swapping them out for the 25's then!


----------



## richardloh (Aug 19, 2020)

tamtrum said:


> I would highly recommend going with the 25V rated capacitors, unless you do enjoy swapping out blown 16V capacitors. If you run a capacitor at its rated max voltage, you are accelerating its lifespan and you better hope it fails in an open and not a short. For further reading : https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1271



Hi Tamtrum,

Indeed ....

Original adaptor is +/-15v and stock panasonic@25v cap at almost 66% margin and even silmic 2@16v for size reason is with 7% margin but with new reference psu at I think 16v, silmic@16v is a no no to me also since there may be sporadic spurs that will kill the cap eventually.

Just to be clear that original is panasonic@25v and nothing wrong.

Btw, within reasonableness, I also believe to upsized voltage rating helps on sound quality or at least would not deteriorate but not the reverse and damn dangerous for cap to blow.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

I missed the originals are 25v thanks. The parts are on HIFIcollective. Which is a lot cheaper than Arrow or the other industrial distributors, MOQ and deliver are painful in the wallet..
Better order the 25vs then... 
I sit opposite the Arrow representative for RollsRoyce and he can't get me parts cheaper...


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> I missed the originals are 25v thanks. The parts are on HIFIcollective. Which is a lot cheaper than Arrow or the other industrial distributors, MOQ and deliver are painful in the wallet..
> Better order the 25vs then...
> I sit opposite the Arrow representative for RollsRoyce and he can't get me parts cheaper...



Hi,

I thought so and hence my ranting ...

Panasonic is nice and very importantly small with low esr .. one of the best. 

But for musicality, I like silmic 2 more while nichicon muse is even more musical and sweet sounding but not most dynamic ... ymmv.  

All dependable on products and design  but tuning to your preference and equipment used sometime works well.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

A bit of wiggling but the Elnas II 25vs are in. 
What do you think the settle in time is ?
100 hours?

Highs and bass more pronounced  mids a touch back so far. Definitely different sound as you guys described. 

Thank you as always. 
Hmm that power supply i cant wait...

Dave 😁


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> A bit of wiggling but the Elnas II 25vs are in.
> What do you think the settle in time is ?
> 100 hours?
> 
> ...



Hi Dave,

Congras !

100 hrs should be fine but more important is not to switch off and try to listen seriously in the first minutes imho and for how long I cannot say.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy (Aug 25, 2020)

Was a pain trying to solder wick out the caps,  in the end I added some more solder flowed the joint and pulled them each side. Then wicked our the empty vias.
Justins SMT house does a nice job, the board layout is lovely.
All*
Be careful not to over tighten the end plates, a couple of bolts seemed ready to strip. Oh and make sure you have a little clearance on the volume knob when re attaching via the grub screw.

If anyone is thinking of trying the mod.. on the fence..
Lots of soldering help on line but this i like as a ex pro solderer..
You do need equipment and practice.




Thanks Richard for the reply btw

Dave😁


----------



## Middy

Ok about 100 hours in with the new Caps.
Always a little scary doing a MOD. That please 'Pleaseeee turn on' moment when you plug it back in...

Initially ok more weight on the top and bottom Ends. My hearing, limited opinion and aural memory aside.  Highs and bass weighted from before the Capacitor swap. Yesterday i thought the amp went a bit wonky muted sounding but that could have been any reason than just the caps.

This morning my familiar nice sounding tracks are really nice. It has been a worthy exercise doing the swap sharper highs the mids feel more blended than recessed bass has a bit more whomp mid low bass- ish.  Airy with a bit more thump no harshness added.

1 listen is worth a million posts so unless you try and like it take my views with the normal pinch of salt. But i am happy with the perceived changes, very nice subtle improvement. 
The only other boost to my gear has been by better power supply to my equipment.
LPSs with good linear regulators like the LT3045. If the kit is not a high power requirement 1A max ect.

I am looking on here every day for news from Justin.. The child in me wants the repeat post is it done yet... Just excited to my hands on the golden PSU. A supply made by a good engineer not a chinese copy of an old design..

I do talk to much especially on a Saturday morning rant.

Thank you as always, keep safe and happy.

Dave😁😎😷


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> Ok about 100 hours in with the new Caps.
> Always a little scary doing a MOD. That please 'Pleaseeee turn on' moment when you plug it back in...
> 
> Initially ok more weight on the top and bottom Ends. My hearing, limited opinion and aural memory aside.  Highs and bass weighted from before the Capacitor swap. Yesterday i thought the amp went a bit wonky muted sounding but that could have been any reason than just the caps.
> ...



Hi,

For low noise LT3045 solutions, hard to beat this one:

https://www.mpaudio.net/hpuln-power-supplies

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy (Aug 29, 2020)

As my qutest is 5v and low amps i went with Alex's DXP https://www.ldovr.com/category-s/123.htm

And in a complete box. I wanted to try the HPlun on my intel NUC. But you can end up spending more on power than the kit its feeding🤑. Diminishing returns is the secret curse of being an audiophile but went it works... lovely..

Dave😊

Why i can't wait for Justins supply, thats me done on every part of my chain..


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> As my qutest is 5v and low amps i went with Alex's DXP https://www.ldovr.com/category-s/123.htm
> 
> And in a complete box. I wanted to try the HPlun on my intel NUC. But you can end up spending more on power than the kit its feeding🤑. Diminishing returns is the secret curse of being an audiophile but went it works... lovely..
> 
> ...



Hi Middy,

Indeed ... I am using an allo digione signature at sgd450 in my car audio system with an ifi usb3.0 at sgd600 for its clean dual 5v outputs and that exclude a sgd200 neotech silver cable.

Excellent sound quality from various full flac internet stations e.g. hionline, f3, jb radio2, radio paradise etc. and even local 64 aac internet radio fm stations sound very nice via moode OS.

I enjoy passengers getting perplexed with local fm music being crystal clear and still being received in basement level 3 in malls' carpark .. lol !

Cheers.

Richard

PS: x2 on justin's dedicated psu 😍


----------



## radiotower

For those that have the RME ADI-2 FS dac with the Headamp Gilmore lite mk2 do you use the RME EQ presets for different headphones?  Either your own or the ones posted by oratory1990.  Here’s for the Sennheiser HD650 EQ settings.


----------



## Middy

Sorry just the Chord Qutest, with Dan Clarks Ether 2.


----------



## JWahl

Zer0.p0int.Zer0 said:


> Placed my order for the PSU this weekend. Anyone else surprised at how may GL Mk2’s are popping up for sale lately with the ELNA silmic cap mod?



I think it's just coincidental, to be honest.  I've had mine listed for awhile, but haven't bumped it very aggressively.  I just ended up preferring the sound of the newer Burson line.  If I could afford it, I'd keep both; the G-Lite Mk.2 is still a fantastic amp and build quality is top-notch.  This might sound silly, but I actually really miss the volume knob on the G-Lite when I'm using the Burson.  I'm strangely picky about volume-knob design, since it's the main point of interaction with an amp, outside of the actual headphones.  Burson insists on these dinky knobs on some of the equipment that just feels unsatisfying to turn.  The G-Lite volume knob exudes quality above it's price point.


----------



## Middy (Sep 13, 2020)

@justin w. 
Any news or teasers please good or bad is ok. I am always interested in the design process, your design, thoughts issues, measurements even just troublesome suppliers.  Love to know what an engineer designer and manufacturer all in one's thoughts.  This is an easy crowd and add some meat to the bones than just the GL2 PSU.
Thanks if you get the time
Dave


----------



## klyrish

Before getting into e-stats a bit and also picking up the RAAL SR1a, my primary daily driver was the Ether 2 through the Headamp GS-X mini and I loved it. The GS-X mini has phenomenal slam and clarity and the paring of the two has great synergy.

But then back in April, my DACT-24 volume knob failed. I was listening to the HD800 (which I no longer have) and the volume was around 2-3 o'clock on high gain when suddenly the right channel got blaring loud after I adjusted the volume by a single notch. Knocking on the top of the amp with a knuckle directly above the DACT-24 would "fix" it for a little bit but if I adjusted the volume it would break again, and if I left it alone, it would just happen again anyway after a few minutes.

I sent my amp in for repairs and bought a Gilmore Lite Mk2 to tide me over in the meantime and was incredibly impressed with it. Its bass performance not at the level of the GS-X mini but it does damn well and the Ether 2 still exhibit decent slam as well as showing a surprising amount of detail in the low end. The best thing about the GLMk2 was the lifting of the veil I didn't even realize was there, though: treble has so much more energy and clarity vs. the GS-X mini and I thought the GS-X mini was clear and detailed. 

Since receiving my repaired GS-X mini, I've been using my it almost exclusively as a preamp because it makes the ESP/95X and Stax SR-404 sound absolutely incredible through the SRM-353X. It also preamps my SR1a through the Jot R, adding some much needed warmth and heft to the bass and really making them holographic. 

But using the GS-X mini with the Ether 2 as a direct driver has been so underwhelming. I don't know if it's because of how fantastic the ESP/95X sound (seriously...they're almost at a dynamic driver level of performance. They SLAM, the soundstage isn't the widest but is very deep and holographic, and most importantly: they're incredibly detailed while remaining musical and FUN), but the GS-X-mini/Ether 2 combo wasn't doing it for me anymore. And I'm a bit wary of the volume knob now so the fact I have to push the mini to 2-3 o'clock on high gain again with the Ether 2 makes me uncomfortable. I'd been considering selling the GLMk2 since it's just been sitting in its box since the mini returned to me but decided to see how the GS-X mini -> GLMk2 combo sounded to drive the Ether 2 first.

Once again: the GS-X mini takes the GLMk2 to a whole new level. It's the best of both amps: lovely warmth, incredible slam, and the excellent staging of the mini combined with the GLMk2's detailed, energetic treble and bass. The Ether 2 sound totally alive through this combo. So engaging and fun while remaining much more detailed than I can ever remember the Ether 2 sounding. I usually apply some parametric EQ in Roon when using the Ether 2 but it's not necessary at all with this chain. They sound like totally new headphones and now I'm unwilling to part with any of this gear because they all sound fantastic in different ways while being able to do things differently from one another.

I'm really excited to hear how this new PSU changes and (hopefully) improves the sound!


----------



## richardloh

justin w. said:


> We just got the powder coated enclosures for the Dedicated Power Supply and are now waiting for the circuit boards. Won't be much longer!



Hey Justin,

Any news when the dedicated power supply will start shipping for my order with blue led ?

Believe it was to start towards the  end of summer and I had to check again since not in USA to find that 22 Sep 2020 i.e. today accordingly to google is last day of summer .. hurray !!

Cheers.

Richard@Singapore


----------



## Zachik

@justin w. Can you please comment on expected improvements (measured) vs. old big brick and vs. newer switching power supply?
If you're willing to share perceived improvements as well - all the better... 
I am on the fence, and been told by someone that improvements vs. the old big brick is going to be very minimal (but much bigger vs. switching newer PSU), so hoping to hear your take.


----------



## richardloh (Sep 22, 2020)

Zachik said:


> @justin w. Can you please comment on expected improvements (measured) vs. old big brick and vs. newer switching power supply?
> If you're willing to share perceived improvements as well - all the better...
> I am on the fence, and been told by someone that improvements vs. the old big brick is going to be very minimal (but much bigger vs. switching newer PSU), so hoping to hear your take.



Hi Zachik,

I am using the old big brick and will find out when I receive the new dedicated psu but as usual ymmv and system/listener dependent.

I do believe this purposeful dedicated psu will have obvious improvement in my ok resolving system but I am bias cos the gilmore lite mk2 matches my grado fg-1 like none of the 3x $ headphone amps on loan did.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## richardloh

justin w. said:


> We just got the powder coated enclosures for the Dedicated Power Supply and are now waiting for the circuit boards. Won't be much longer!



Hi Justin,

Delayed receipt or some trouble of the circuit board from suppliers ?

Please share latest even if bad news ... waited for 3+ mths since order placed and think I can take some disappointment but hopefully not more uncertainty.

Cheers.

Richard

PS: Also email you separately just in case


----------



## justin w.

PCBs are being assembled now and enclosures are here waiting, so it won't be much longer


----------



## Middy

Thanks Justin, 
Dave


----------



## richardloh

justin w. said:


> PCBs are being assembled now and enclosures are here waiting, so it won't be much longer



Hi Justin,

Thanks a million ! 😃

Hurray 🥳🥳

Richard


----------



## Zachik

justin w. said:


> PCBs are being assembled now and enclosures are here waiting, so it won't be much longer


Justin - what about my question with regards to objective (measurable) and subjective (if you're willing) comparison between the new dedicated PSU vs. original brick and vs. newer switching PSU?


----------



## Dystasia (Sep 24, 2020)

Hi everyone. I bought this amp a few months ago using Modi Multibit and Aeon Flow 2 open and thought it sounded great but there was something that bothered me after trying other amps recently. I thought the dynamics and slam was to be desired. I felt that it sounded a bit compressed. Although everything else was pretty much spot on for me.

Do you guys think that the new Golden Reference PSU would make any difference on this regard? Or is there any DAC improvement I can make to try and make it sound less compress and more dynamic?

I also saw this comparison with the Asguard 3 and I can't help but feel like selling it if the PSU upgrate doesn't help and if the cause of the compression is not the Modi.

Note: In one experiment I used a simple TC35B USB-C to 3.5mm DAC for comparison and it had so much more slam and impact on snares and kicks that I couldn't help to think I wish I had that on my GLMK2. Maybe I'm confusing overblown low end with slam.


----------



## rajubhai55

I am beginner so excuse my question. Are all class A headphone amp configured as SET amplifier? which currently available amplifier is Class A configured as SET amplifier?  I am looking for solid state amplifier (not a tube amp).  Thanks


----------



## Middy

Sorry Rajhubai i dont know..


----------



## ksorota

rajubhai55 said:


> I am beginner so excuse my question. Are all class A headphone amp configured as SET amplifier? which currently available amplifier is Class A configured as SET amplifier?  I am looking for solid state amplifier (not a tube amp).  Thanks


SET stands for Single Ended Triode and is only describing a tube amplifier, not solid state.  

The GLMK2 is class A


----------



## George Tse

Hello

The standard power supply of my Gilmore lite Mk2 is malfunction. Where can I order a replacement? I did contact support@headamp.com, but no reply. Thanks


----------



## Charente

George Tse said:


> Hello
> 
> The standard power supply of my Gilmore lite Mk2 is malfunction. Where can I order a replacement? I did contact support@headamp.com, but no reply. Thanks


 I had a similar problem with the power supply earlier this year ... HeadAmp dealt with it reasonably quickly. Persistence ... I used the 'Chat' facility on their website to 'persist' with Justin Wilson directly.

Hopefully the new Gold Reference PS (yet to be shipping) is more reliable as well as producing better SQ results.


----------



## George Tse

Charente said:


> I had a similar problem with the power supply earlier this year ... HeadAmp dealt with it reasonably quickly. Persistence ... I used the 'Chat' facility on their website to 'persist' with Justin Wilson directly.
> 
> Hopefully the new Gold Reference PS (yet to be shipping) is more reliable as well as producing better SQ results.



In the end, Justine will send me a replacement. 

I’m also interested in the Gold Reference PS. I am looking forward to review of it. Thank you.


----------



## DelsFan

rajubhai55 said:


> I am beginner so excuse my question. Are all class A headphone amp configured as SET amplifier? which currently available amplifier is Class A configured as SET amplifier?  I am looking for solid state amplifier (not a tube amp).  Thanks


When I think of SET amplifiers I think of (by definition, tube-based) amplifiers which have the charactaristic (amongst others) of having RCA type inputs, as nearly all (?) tube based amplifiers are not/cannot be balanced.  (? ? ? )  Some tube based amplifiers have balanced inputs as well as single ended, but this is only for the convenience of people who want to send the signal going from their source/dac to the amplifier via balanced interconnects which they already own.   (? ? ? )

I equate single-ended with having RCA interconnects; perhaps the poster could have stated Class A single-ended rather than SET?

Maybe the question of @rajubhai55 (a beginner, as I was not so long ago) is,
Can class A headphone amplifiers be fully balanced, or do they all have RCA inputs exclusively?
and
Do all Class A amplifiers have RCA inputs, and, if not, what are some we would recommend that do (which then begs the question, for what type headphones and what is your price range)?

I don't know the answer; but since Class A and SET are mutually exclusive, I'm just not sure the question in @rajubhai55's mind (as opposed to what he wrote) was answered.


----------



## rajubhai55

DelsFan said:


> When I think of SET amplifiers I think of (by definition, tube-based) amplifiers which have the charactaristic (amongst others) of having RCA type inputs, as nearly all (?) tube based amplifiers are not/cannot be balanced.  (? ? ? )  Some tube based amplifiers have balanced inputs as well as single ended, but this is only for the convenience of people who want to send the signal going from their source/dac to the amplifier via balanced interconnects which they already own.   (? ? ? )
> 
> I equate single-ended with having RCA interconnects; perhaps the poster could have stated Class A single-ended rather than SET?
> 
> ...





Thanks for the reply, when I mentioned SET, I was not referring to balance vs unbalanced signals, I was referring to single ended triode  amp design. I believe  this term is applicable only to tube amplifier not solid state. But again the Nuforce HA-200 description says it is "single ended" which it means probably as unbalanced input? I got confused  and thought it as single ended triode design (this amp does not have tube). Still learning...


----------



## ahmedmazen7070

George Tse said:


> In the end, Justine will send me a replacement.
> 
> I’m also interested in the Gold Reference PS. I am looking forward to review of it. Thank you.


I experienced the same malfunction but did not receive a replacement, I was hoping for similar support from Justin!


----------



## haasaaroni

Dystasia said:


> Hi everyone. I bought this amp a few months ago using Modi Multibit and Aeon Flow 2 open and thought it sounded great but there was something that bothered me after trying other amps recently. I thought the dynamics and slam was to be desired. I felt that it sounded a bit compressed. Although everything else was pretty much spot on for me.
> 
> Do you guys think that the new Golden Reference PSU would make any difference on this regard? Or is there any DAC improvement I can make to try and make it sound less compress and more dynamic?
> 
> ...


I saw this comparison too, and it also made me question owning the GLMk2. However, I’ve owned the Asgard 3 in the past and really found the sound not to be to my liking. There was soundstage, low-end, decent dynamics, but the treble, compared to the GLMk2, was all over the place. Things weren’t as clearly defined, and without the sense of body the Mk2 has. The sound also seemed a little darker to my ears, and there was a graniness to the midrange that might sound like detail, but it was just a sort of “edginess” without much distinction.

I wish I could say the PSU would help with the compression but I also have no idea! It’s really not an issue at all for me personally, as I also own a WA6 SE and use that when I want a wide, open, uncompressed sound. I find the Mk2 very enjoyable, but more in a bare-bones kind of way. I love its punchy, accurate presentation that brings details to the forefront.

What other amps are you hearing with the AO2’s that sound better to your ears? I know that the AO2’s in general suffer a little from weaker dynamics. I also remember the soundstage not being very huge. You might just have to pick your poison. Upgrading to something like a Bifrost 2 (which I’m considering) also might help with that sense of compression...though other head-fi-ers might know better than me!


----------



## ilikebananafudge (Oct 15, 2020)

Looks like they’re coming soon!


----------



## Middy

Lovely professional job by Justin.

Hope this power cake tastes as good as it looks....

Remind me can it be used on the mini as well for future upgrade?

Nearly there gents nearly there....😁🎂


----------



## ksorota

Looking forward to this! Hopefully we get our ship notices soon.

I really would like an amber light on my model... hopefully he still has some lying around.


----------



## richardloh

😍😍 Justin, my blue led version to match my amp ?  Tks tks !!! Richard


----------



## Charente

My GL2 light is orange !! ... I thought all the latest versions were


----------



## Middy

Loved the orange light, with the design and finish i thought it worked perfectly like the fog light on a tank....🧐


----------



## richardloh

Charente said:


> My GL2 light is orange !! ... I thought all the latest versions were



Hi Charente,

I modified my gl2 to blue cos the rest of  components are primarily blue and no place for amber.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy (Oct 17, 2020)

Just wow......it looks more like an expensive audio shop. I can see now, the reason for such attention to detail.  

The epitome of audiophile aspiration.

Bravo Sir.

Sincere Regards

David


----------



## richardloh (Oct 17, 2020)

Middy said:


> Just wow......it looks more like an expensive audio shop. I can see now, the reason for such attention to detail.
> 
> The epitome of audiophile aspiration.
> 
> ...



Hi David,

Tks .. unfortunately I have no dedicated room for my hifi system but fortunately my wife is tolerant of it to be in the living room as seen. As such, I try to make it pleasing to the eyes as much as possible while knowing it will never play its full potential due to non ideal accoustics.

Initial components of Sander Magtech amp and Audible Illusion L3A pre amp happened to blue .. hence I try to keep to the same but blue is quite soothing when I off the lights for late night audition.

I had denafrips terminator and now the plus version both with blue leds from factory but I do choose silver and black for lower and top racks to look tidy 

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Charente

richardloh said:


> Hi Charente,
> 
> I modified my gl2 to blue cos the rest of  components are primarily blue and no place for amber.
> 
> ...



How neat is that ?!!


----------



## Middy

I know 🧐


----------



## justin w.

Middy said:


> Lovely professional job by Justin.
> 
> Hope this power cake tastes as good as it looks....
> 
> ...



No need, the Dedicated Power Supply for the Gilmore Lite mk2 comes from the GS-X mini power supply design


----------



## justin w.

Middy said:


> Loved the orange light, with the design and finish i thought it worked perfectly like the fog light on a tank....🧐



We had a lot of complaints about the amber LED. it seemed to upset a lot of people, so it had to go


----------



## justin w. (Oct 21, 2020)

ksorota said:


> Looking forward to this! Hopefully we get our ship notices soon.
> 
> I really would like an amber light on my model... hopefully he still has some lying around.



Yes, i will contact everyone who has previously ordered a Gilmore Lite, and ordered the Dedicated Power Supply recently, to see if they want the old (amber) or new (white) LED color

and blue (richardloh)


----------



## Middy (Oct 21, 2020)

I'd agree to just blue for all,  just so that incredibly neat set up matchs up on Richard's mega rig....

No accounting for taste, i loved the Amber. From different manufacturers every where, normally its LED brightness with people expecting a dimmer switch on the side...
Thank you for the option though Justin.
That PCB layout maybe functional but an OCD work of art.

Hope things are ok State side with you and yours..

Kind Regards
David


----------



## ilikebananafudge (Oct 26, 2020)

justin w. said:


> Yes, i will contact everyone who has previously ordered a Gilmore Lite, and ordered the Dedicated Power Supply recently, to see if they want the old (amber) or new (white) LED color
> 
> and blue (richardloh)



Hi @justin w. , do you have an estimate for when we might hear from you? I'm excited to try out the new power supply


----------



## klyrish

Got the shipping notification for the Golden Reference PSU a few minutes ago.


----------



## ilikebananafudge

Wow, I ordered mine June 11 and I still haven't gotten a shipping notification...


----------



## Middy

Was going to give a nudge but hopefully this is it..  Need  some nice news..... 

Keep smiling gents..

Dave


----------



## richardloh

ilikebananafudge said:


> Wow, I ordered mine June 11 and I still haven't gotten a shipping notification...



Hi Fudge,

No worry .. my order also made on 11 June 2020 and had not received shipping notification which I have no doubt Justin and his team are working on them.

Cheers and hurray !

Richard


----------



## LeMoviedave

Even though I upgraded to the GSX-mini, I am still excited that this day has finally come.  It has been years in the making!


----------



## Middy

I just got hold of the fine gold Caps so i can hold off until i get the GR PSU before trying them. Bonding my grounds helped a lot in SQ by the way i bought some stackable banana test leads and crocodile clips for £6 and clipped them to the RCA shells. Tryed the IFI AC purifier ground point and worked nice. I went further and bought the Puritan ground master and a dedicated earth rod which is the only safe way to do so and got some more detail...

It shouldn't be called a rabbit hole in audiophile circles.. its a Rabbit warren the size of Texas...

So close now, a nice early Christmas present  from Justin....

Dave 😁


----------



## iFi audio

Middy said:


> Tryed the IFI AC purifier ground point and worked nice.



Thanks! Do you still use it?


----------



## Middy (Nov 17, 2020)

Now its just on filtering duties again post balanced isolation transformer. I am using the Grounding rod / Puritain ground master in the garden.  The cheap stackable banana test leads confirms a more elegant solution like your custom GH cables. I am using 2 Uptone 1.1s PSUs on your ZEN Blue and Chord Qutest. I thought i may have a ground loop to the Gilmore Lite so experimenting worked into the mains AC puifier ground point. Bonding all Zen Gilmore and Qutest to a ground from the RCA shells

Complicated, technical and a profession for some people ..grounding. This was me seeing if it helped on my gilmore setup and it has... A little OT but Capacitor swapping grounding have boosted my SQ.
If people want to try i think its a cheap experiment and go from there.
Justin's new PSU may change things but currently great..
Cheers 
Dave


----------



## iFi audio

Middy said:


> Now its just on filtering duties again post balanced isolation transformer. I am using the Grounding rod / Puritain ground master in the garden.



Understood, thanks!



Middy said:


> ZEN Blue and Chord Qutest.



So ZEN Blue serves as a wireless receiver that sends digital data to your Qutest?


----------



## Middy

iFi audio said:


> So ZEN Blue serves as a wireless receiver that sends digital data to your Qutest?



And very nice too, a little issue with the Aerial but now LDACs working ok.  A really handy source ..


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

I also pre ordered the PSU in June, no shipping confirmation yet. 

Lately I’ve been playing around a little bit using the GL Mk2 as a pre amp into a Schiit Aegir. Sounds great.


----------



## ilikebananafudge

Got my shipment notification


----------



## ksorota

Also received mine!


----------



## Middy

Country specific ? Or first in the que?


----------



## Middy

Your shipment is on the way. 
@justin w. 
Thank you so much Justin, i cant wait to try it and all my gear now has custom clean power feeding it...


Kind Regards
David


----------



## justin w.

I’ve been away working and haven’t checked this thread in a couple weeks. All but 1 or 2 of the DPSUs have been sent out, the only ones left are a couple that had customization requests which will be finished this week

Since i know some people have been replacing electrolytic capacitors, just wanted to mention this — do NOT replace the polymer capacitors on the output of the AC/DC modules. Those parts/values were selected for a reason


----------



## Middy

That wont be a problem i dont think...

Whats the final verdict?  Final voltage any measurements you can share, your thoughts.

But thanks again...no cap swapping i promise..


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0

thanks Justin. I just received my shipping notice today. Can’t wait to hear the GL Mk2 in action with the new and improved PSU.


----------



## klyrish

Mine arrived about 30 minutes ago and I've only listened to one song so far (Nine Inch Nails - "Closer") but the improvements are pretty noticeable already. Bass is much tighter and more impactful. There seems to be more air and better clarity in the highs as well.

Chain: Roon (2014 MBP) -> Bifrost 2 (Unison) XLR -> HeadAmp GS-X mini pre-out -> GLMk2 -> ZMF Verite C (Suede Universe pads)

Obviously the GS-X mini is adding its own flavor to the sound but I was using this same chain with the stock GLMk2 PSU before the switch so it's still relevant. I plan on trying this out without the GS-X mini in the chain as well, but so far I'm impressed. This already great little amp sounds spectacular now. I'm excited to hear how the Atticus and Ether 2 sound as well.


----------



## Middy

Cheers for doing a quick overview, and dispelling any initial worries...
I hope more chime in with impressions and what kit in the chain.

I wanted the Elnas to be perfect for the MK2, i wanted to fit the 25v fine golds now. But i can see if i get back a bit more top end sparkle with a clean PSU.

Let the good times roll for our little piece of audio pleasure.... i needed a little lift..


----------



## klyrish

I feel like there is better separation and the stage feels much wider and more 3D as well. Really impressed with this PSU! Great work, Justin!


----------



## Zachik

There have been 2 different PSUs. Which one came with your GLmk2 and you compare to?


----------



## klyrish

Zachik said:


> There have been 2 different PSUs. Which one came with your GLmk2 and you compare to?


I'm comparing the stock PSU to the Golden PSU


----------



## haasaaroni

klyrish said:


> I'm comparing the stock PSU to the Golden PSU


Love seeing these initial impressions!! Is the stock PSU you're comparing it to the original PSU or the newer switching PSU?


----------



## Zachik

Zachik said:


> There have been 2 different PSUs. Which one came with your GLmk2 and you compare to?





klyrish said:


> I'm comparing the stock PSU to the Golden PSU





haasaaroni said:


> Love seeing these initial impressions!! Is the stock PSU you're comparing it to the original PSU or the newer switching PSU?



To clarify my questions:
There has been 2 different stock PSUs for the GLmk2... The original one:





Later, it was replaced with this one:




So... which do you compare to?  Common "belief" on this thread is the former was a little better than the latter of the 2 above.


----------



## klyrish

I have the newer stock PSU.


----------



## Middy (Nov 21, 2020)

Interesting to see what difference people find on thier rigs with what PSU.  The latter was for international friendly voltages.... mine spiked at 250v+ so my psu buzzed and was quite warm..

I ended up using a 230v UPS sine out generator to use it. The wife wasnt happy so its been on there since..


----------



## ksorota

I will not get a chance to listen until next week, but the new power supply arrived and Headamp has come through again. 

I received the amber led I requested along with the matching serial number to my amp. Great looking little unit, going to make a great stack with black modi 3 on top. 

Looking forward to the first listen and comparing it to the stock psu and other amps i have lying around.


----------



## radiotower

Any pictures of the new PSU?  Will not get to order until Monday but I’ve been following the thread here thanks every one.


----------



## Middy

Yes a few teaser pictures for those with potential restraining orders with the post man..
😀


----------



## alreadyused (Nov 22, 2020)

Looks good. Sounds better.


----------



## ksorota

Wonder if Justin would send out a matching cover for the amp!?


----------



## Middy (Nov 22, 2020)

Cheers guys, with a built in cheese grater too i see..... And is that the  new IFI DAC Amp.  So a custom Head amp wins out against their intergrated one?
Especially with that RAD O


----------



## radiotower

Very cool!  Thank you


----------



## Middy

Could i ask for a rear view of the unit please...
Connectors and included cable...


----------



## ksorota




----------



## Arniesb

Justin, wouldn't it be more convenient just to make it Everything onto 1 unit? Something like single ended Mini?


----------



## Middy (Nov 22, 2020)

ksorota said:


>



Thank you ever so much.. Ksorota😀
 A stackable design with that short cable but good thinking to add the pinout on the back. Oh it ended up 16.6 volts it seems.

Can't wait for more impressions and to try it out myself.... Hopefully this week... in the UK. With no planes flying airmail would be easy but a report said they seem to be gouging on Air and Shipping costs....

Oh i found this place on line as i want to try a Toslink real glass high spec and not a high cost brand version custom size if it helps if you are looking....
http://www.sysconcept.ca/product_info.php?products_id=364&osCsid=bo7de6vi1cvdbm9nm5ovebgs86

Keep smiling

Dave


----------



## bochawa

Could the power supply be located on the bottom of the stack, or does it run too hot?


----------



## justin w.

It can be on either the top or bottom


----------



## bochawa

Thanks.  I just placed an order.


----------



## Middy

@justin w. 
Have you got any measurents you can release now for the GS anything worth mentioning. For those interested.. please


----------



## richardloh

richardloh said:


> Hi Fudge,
> 
> No worry .. my order also made on 11 June 2020 and had not received shipping notification which I have no doubt Justin and his team are working on them.
> 
> ...



Hi,

Just 1 more week and understandably so for customised blue led that I am already grateful to Justin for making it possible in the first place 🙏🙏🥳🥳.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Zer0.p0int.Zer0 (Nov 23, 2020)

I received my power supply today, but maybe rethinking opting for the self-install option for the LED after seeing the tiny SMD resistor that needs to be changed out. I can barely see it, let alone solder it.


----------



## klyrish

I haven't been able to stop listening to the chain mentioned a few posts back. For those not willing to go back a few pages, it is:

Roon Core [MacBook Pro (2014)] USB -> Bifrost 2 XLR -> HeadAmp GS-X mini RCA pre-amp outs -> GLMk2 -> Verite C (Suede Universe Pads)

And I'm using a Furman PST-8 power conditioner for all my audio gear.

It's incredible how this PSU has really opened up the highs. I'm listening to Nine Inch Nails' _The Fragile_ right now and always kind of dread it because I usually have to turn the volume down a bit after "Somewhat Damaged" as the extreme distortion on the guitar in "The Day the World Went Away" and, honestly, just about every song with guitar on the album. The sound would get almost static-like and become extremely harsh and grating almost immediately.

Listening now, the distorted guitars are as beautifully obnoxious as ever but it doesn't hurt and _I can hear details in the distortion_. It's insane. There's so much layering and texture going on in there that was previously being lost due to...inferior power I guess? But when I listen straight from the GS-X mini on balanced, high-gain, it's that same harshness. I tested on a few songs and high vs low gain makes no difference through this stack. Unsure how it is without high gain just through the GS-X mini.

Anyway, during the extremely loud chorus of "We're in This Together" I can hear a tambourine for the first time. I knew it was in the verse but had no idea it was being played during the chorus due to the aforementioned hellacious static/harshness. Music is so much clearer and three-dimensional than I can ever remember hearing it. I feel the GLMk2 and the GS-X mini complement each other extremely well, adding up to something I would say is far more than the sum of its parts. The fantastic punchy weight of the GS-X mini's lows are tightened up a bit more, giving a surprising boost in slam. I actually had to do a double-take and see if I was wearing the Atticus given how much slam I'm feeling. The sound is further accentuated by the extremely detailed yet smooth, refined, and open, airy highs of the GLMk2. I can't get over how enveloping the sound is and how amazing the highs sound now. There is no harshness to be found, just detail, detail, detail. I feel like the Verite C are finally shining. I was lukewarm about them, I just could not seem to find a way to enjoy their sound like I felt I should based on the general acclaim they've received. The Atticus are fantastic and have great synergy but for some reason, the VC just weren't clicking.

Well, they've definitely clicked now. They are extremely detailed and have _impressive_ dynamics--something I felt I was on the cusp of with them straight out the GS-X mini but never quite reaching. These headphones and this stack is *thoroughly* enjoyable. I'm hearing things I honestly do not recall hearing through the SR1a and I'm now very excited to compare this stack to the same but using the Jot R as the amp instead of the GLMk2.

Anyway, the word "explosive" is thrown around a lot but there's no other word to describe how these can be. The quiet part of "The Mark Has Been Made" (which, for any non-NIN fans, is the main song throughout the movie _Man on Fire_) that starts at about 1:51 that culminates in a percussive blast as the other instruments come back at about 2:07 startled me--even when I was expecting it. My heart rate increased noticeably as I was effectively jump scared by the percussive explosion of sound. Speaking of explosions, snare hits have a sharp but pleasant crack to them that borders on being painful but never crosses that line.

Separation is incredible and easily the best I've heard. This album is dense and complex with so many layers to each song and I feel like I'm _really_ hearing it for the first time--again, even after the SR1a which is mind-blowing in its own way--there is no jumbling or overlap and unlike the SR1a, treble isn't overpowering everything. Everything is distinctly separated and able to be focused on. Stereo imaging is surround-like with sounds really feeling like they moving around me either in front or back. One of my favorite test songs is "Starf*ckers, Inc." due to the slamming main bass synth riff, the loud, angry, distorted guitars, the many vocal tricks and layers, and finally, the full-on assault at the end of the song where somehow Trent fit drums, at least four distinct guitar parts, bass synth, numerous other random synth noises (I count at least four of these that pop in and out throughout the final few minutes), additional programmed percussion, additional programmed high hats, main vocals, and gang vocals. The SR1a handles this passage amazingly and now, finally, so do the Verite C. This was another song section that caused pain and major fatigue due to extremely harsh highs and was always dense and muddled just through the GS-X mini. I knew these parts were there and could find them if I focused (and gritted my teeth) but it's effortless with the GLMk2 in the chain now.

Nine Inch Nails' "The Perfect Drug" is a sonic adventure. There is so much going on in this song as it is and then serious panning manipulation takes it to another level. The second chorus sounds so full and rich. The underlying bass synth following the same chords as the soaring guitars sounds so fat and sinister, especially on the lower chords. The song actually got my heart rate going faster during the drum solo due to the it feeling legitimately frantic.


----------



## Middy

Id never think to chain them together just replace one for another, even hardened commentaries like the Mini's sound, with a custom toroidal transformer. The pre circuit has to be uber clean, cleaning the GL2 power adds the secret sauce on your setup it seems. Hopefuly tonight or tomorrow ill find out myself.
Have you tried any of synergistic research fuses, i dont believe the marketing hype but they did change the tonality...

Thanks for the review... any notes on just the GL2 without the Mini pre with the new PSU.

Good luck
Dave..


----------



## richardloh

alreadyused said:


> Looks good. Sounds better.



The blue led gang  😅


----------



## Middy

Lol   😁 j was going to ask about xmass tree lights but...


----------



## Middy (Nov 25, 2020)

That set up is fantastic, one non blue led would stick out like a crocodile in a rocking chair..


----------



## klyrish

Middy said:


> Have you tried any of synergistic research fuses, i dont believe the marketing hype but they did change the tonality...


No, not sure what those are. :-/



> Thanks for the review... any notes on just the GL2 without the Mini pre with the new PSU.


So I made a playlist of songs I'm very familiar with and listened with the same chain as my previous post but without the GS-X mini in the chain (and obviously switched to BF2's RCA outs). I had the new PSU hooked up first and was very pleased with what I heard. I originally bought the GLMk2 earlier this year when my GS-X mini's volume pot crapped out on me. It was my only amp so I had to get a backup and I came to really love the GLMk2 in the meantime--but always missing that extra low-end oomph that the mini provides.

With the new PSU, I honestly don't miss the mini much. Bass isn't as tight or powerful but other than that, this amp is extremely impressive. It's very fast and has excellent separation and staging.

After running through the playlist, I hooked up the old PSU and ran through the songs again, noticing quickly that the amp sounded much more claustrophobic and enclosed. Treble got less airy and detailed, and that wonderful smoothness was mostly gone. The amp still sounds great and is technically impressive and enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but the stock PSU is definitely holding it back.

For final confirmation, I hooked the new PSU back up and the difference was much more apparent going from old to new vs. going new to old. The stage is noticeably wider and taller, with much better separation between instruments and layers. 3D positioning is increased and there is definitely a feeling of both side-to-side and front-to-back panning on certain elements (NIN "Closer" and "The Perfect Drug" in particular). Bass is tighter and punchier with greater slam. Treble has this wonderful air and smoothness to help all of those delightful details shine through.

With the new Golden Reference PSU, I could be happy with just the GLMk2 as my only amp. I'd miss certain aspects the GS-X mini excels at and but they're not critical anymore given how much this amp has improved.

For reference, here are the songs I used with a brief explanation for the choice.


Spoiler: Playlist




Nine Inch Nails "Somewhat Damaged" - it's my favorite song and has amazing sequencing, starting with only a single slightly-out-of-tune acoustic guitar and slowly adding more and more layers and rage as the song progresses
Nine Inch Nails "Starf*ckers, Inc." - it's a great, fun, fast song with a slamming bass line and TONS of layers
Nine Inch Nails "Underneath It All" - second only to "Somewhat Damaged" this is a short but packed song with a ton of programmed percussion and other synthesizers that amount to a wall of extremely detailed, layered sound with a goosebumps-inducing crescendo.
Nine Inch Nails "Heresy" - dual bass synth lines and heavily textured percussion set the base for this loud, angry, and very detailed song. There are a ton of layered vocals
Nine Inch Nails "Closer" - overplayed to death but still an incredible song. Like the rest: a ton of layers and little details to listen for
Nine Inch Nails "Eraser" - lots of weird textures--a broken flute or woodwind instrument being aggressively puffed into forms the basis of the entire song, what sounds like broken kazoos, and there are weird shells being scraped during the only vocals) and the snog has this wonderful slow build before quieting down for the only verse in the song and then explodes into the final act. Tons of dynamics.
Nine Inch Nails "The Perfect Drug" - tons of layers and that synth breakdown into the drum solo...
The Ghost Inside "Faith or Forgiveness" - heavy, hard-hitting song with a great hook. The entire _Fury and the Fallen Ones_ album is poorly mixed and extremely bright so this was a great test on how highs sound
The Ghost Inside "Engine 45" - another heavy, hard-hitting song with a great hook and chugging, heavily-distorted guitars. There's also a bass drop at 1:10 that is perfectly timed with the rest of the music, adding a nice contrast to the sharp snap of the guitar and drums at that exact moment. 
The Ghost Inside "Test the Limits" - not quite as heavy as the previous two songs but still obviously metalcore. Great guitar work and impressive drumming with another transitional bass drop that changes up the entire feeling of the song for the final half
Enter Shikari "The Appeal & The Mindsweep I" - Great, slow build to an epic and extremely textured bass drop that marks the transition to the hard-hitting and potentially ear-splitting main guitar riff
Enter Shikari "Elegy for Extinction" - Absolutely beautiful piece performed in conjunction with the city of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Enter Shikari "Sssnakepit" - RIDICULOUS sub-bass on this song among all of the other electronic details
The Dillinger Escape Plan "Prancer" - extremely bright song that was painful to listen to at normal volumes before the Golden Reference


----------



## Middy (Nov 25, 2020)

@klyrish

Thank you ever so much for the extra thoughts on the PSU and the NIN songs. Been a long time since i listened to them. Spent a lot of the early 1990s in heavy metal clubs and girls with more tattoos than me...

Ect black blue orange range
https://www.futureshop.co.uk/synergistic-research-black-high-end-uk-13a-fuse

Mains fuses people scream snake oil but dont explain why the sound changes. Ignore the marketing  bull on quantum cryo but try one on the analogue parts of the system. Try a second hand one from Ebay they have good resale value if the change isn't to your liking. Price is painful but you may be suprised..  a range of internal and external.. google for info.. suprising as i tried only on friends making me try..

Hmm FEDex said 6pm its 7:30 UK... i waited months i suppose....

Cheers

Dave


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> @klyrish
> 
> Thank you ever so much for the extra thoughts on the PSU and the NIN songs. Been a long time since i listened to them. Spent a lot of the early 1990s in heavy metal clubs and girls with more tattoos than me...
> 
> ...



Hi Dave,

While I wait for my psu scheduled on 30 Nov 2020, more on girls with more tatoo than you please 😛

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## ksorota

Blue is cool, but I’ll take warm amber every day of the week!!!


----------



## Slim1970

ksorota said:


> Blue is cool, but I’ll take warm amber every day of the week!!!


Looking forward to hearing your sound impressions and a comparison to the amp next to it


----------



## richardloh (Nov 26, 2020)

ksorota said:


> Blue is cool, but I’ll take warm amber every day of the week!!!



Errh .. no 4th colored led of amber for me please 😅

PS: standard red led denafrips Hermes pending customised blue led one from denafrips in Dec 🥳 Cable setup to be opened for display part no. to hopefully find blue or green version to get to 2 color of blue and green


----------



## ksorota

richardloh said:


> Errh .. no 4th colored led of amber for me please 😅
> 
> PS: standard red led denafrips Hermes pending customised blue led one from denafrips in Dec 🥳 Cable setup to be opened for display part no. to hopefully find blue or green version to get to 2 color of blue and green



Very  Impressive setup, and even more impressive in the dark! Now just take care of that TV LED 😉


----------



## richardloh (Nov 29, 2020)

ksorota said:


> Very  Impressive setup, and even more impressive in the dark! Now just take care of that TV LED 😉



Hi ksorota,

Indeed but gave up many ideas to avoid ... it is both living for the family and listening room for me.

I can only push my budget for higher end equipment to compensate for better sound but still with higher WAF since anymore room treatment to current customised diffusers and pictured absorbers behind listening position is also not preferred and this had made a difference.

Having yet another amber leds is to be avoided imho while still working to rid of red ones from local cable setup box while denafrip Hermes ddc with blue leds is otw 😅

Cheers.

Richard

PS: I select only equipment in black for top shelf and silver for others but yes, I am anal on aesthetics and feel good factors in addition to sound quality


----------



## Middy

I did wonder why you painted that large wall black.....🤔..
Bah i don't understand Fedex..
Your package will be delivered Wednesday by 6pm message...Friday i check tracking 'is pending' 
23rd In Memphis, it better not be Egypt.....
🛩⚱⚰🏔


----------



## Zachik

richardloh said:


> Having yet another amber leds is to be avoided imho while still working to rid of red ones from local cable setup box while denafrip Hermes ddc with blue leds is otw 😅


Funny - when I get to buy the new PSU for the GLmk2, I will ask Justin for amber LED to match my amp. I prefer amber over white or blue any day!


----------



## Middy

I have a Chord Qutest... its like when shops are selling cheap christmas lights in August......
I am not Jonnie Depp.. i really like Amber...


----------



## richardloh

Hey Justin,

Received and thanks !

A picture is worth a thousand words 🥳🥳.

Too early to say on improvement to the Gilmore Lite MK2 and hooked up as preamp in place of the usual Audible Illusion L3A and Audio Valve Eclipse on loan to let it run 24/7 for a few days to monitor.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

Ah so angry with Fedex...sent 3 help me emails and got no reply. Found the UK number last night to see if it wasn't delivered last week because of an import duty needing paying. He said sorry and it should be delivered monday... Then i get an email ..Sorry your package is lost please contact the seller for a refund or replacement.. i emailed HeadAmp again so hopefully when justin reads it he can send me out another and claim from Fedex....

I am a very patient man but the little boy in me is dying to have it and plug it in...

Sad now...☹😱


----------



## richardloh

Middy said:


> Ah so angry with Fedex...sent 3 help me emails and got no reply. Found the UK number last night to see if it wasn't delivered last week because of an import duty needing paying. He said sorry and it should be delivered monday... Then i get an email ..Sorry your package is lost please contact the seller for a refund or replacement.. i emailed HeadAmp again so hopefully when justin reads it he can send me out another and claim from Fedex....
> 
> I am a very patient man but the little boy in me is dying to have it and plug it in...
> 
> Sad now...☹😱



Sorry to hear Middy 😔

Hope all work get sorted out soon.

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## Middy

I knew Headamp is busy so made a quick call and got an answer, curt but no problem and going to send a new one out.
Before xmass hopefully...


----------



## Middy

I hope its before xmass...no new despatch notice yet.. ill give it to monday and stay patient...

Any more thoughts from GS PSU's anyone..


----------



## Zachik

I am surprised there are still no comparisons to the stock Switching PSU... 
(both original and later versions of the switching PSU)


----------



## klyrish

Zachik said:


> I am surprised there are still no comparisons to the stock Switching PSU...
> (both original and later versions of the switching PSU)


If you read the thread you would've seen my post comparing the new PSU to the old (newer) stock one. It's back one page.


----------



## Zachik

klyrish said:


> If you read the thread you would've seen my post comparing the new PSU to the old (newer) stock one. It's back one page.


I forgot I read your notes couple weeks ago. Thanks for the reminder.
However, you have a GSX-mini in the chain (which I seriously doubt anyone else here does)... So a little hard to tell how much that affects the stock GLmk2 vs. GLmk2 with new reference PSU.

Thanks again, and I would still LOVE to read more opinions and comparisons!


----------



## klyrish

Zachik said:


> I forgot I read your notes couple weeks ago. Thanks for the reminder.
> However, you have a GSX-mini in the chain (which I seriously doubt anyone else here does)... So a little hard to tell how much that affects the stock GLmk2 vs. GLmk2 with new reference PSU.
> 
> Thanks again, and I would still LOVE to read more opinions and comparisons!


The one I just referenced was with the GS-X mini out of the chain.


----------



## Zachik

klyrish said:


> The one I just referenced was with the GS-X mini out of the chain.


My bad - you have 2 posts in the previous page. I was reading the wrong one...


----------



## Charente

I thought I would share my own thoughts on the Golden Reference Discrete Regulated Power Supply, to give it its full title, so GRPS hereafter.

A separate dedicated power supply for the Gilmore Lite MK2 (GL2) headphone amplifier. This must be rare for amplifiers in the sub $1000 price range. The only one I can think of is the AUNE XPS-1, but that is in a lower SQ league.

The GRPS comes in a black case identical in size to the GL2 and with the same tank-like build quality. It neatly sits on top, or below or side by side if you prefer . The lettering on the front panel matches the latest design of the GL2. There is no on/off switch, so it is designed to be powered up permanently. The top of the unit is perforated with relatively large holes from which a red glow emanates from the components inside when powered up … it looks like it means business but runs just lukewarm to the touch. My unit has a white power light, which doesn’t match the amber one on the GL2 that I have, although I believe that a matching colour light can be specified at the time of ordering. I just forgot to ask, but to me the sound trumps looks.

I detected that it benefits from some settling down … the sound became more refined after a couple of days, or so.

The GL2 with the standard PS is already a worthy performer but the GRPS brings some notable and worthwhile improvements and these (IMO) are not merely small differences. From my notes …

First off, the soundstage … wider and noticeably deeper. Sound-levels are clearly commensurate with where the instruments are on the stage, front to back. This results in a pin-sharp image of of the instruments. 

There is an airy ambience that adds to the realism of the sound. The detailing of the instruments is impressive with fine nuances revealed. Even the decay is well detailed … then it goes to complete blackness.

All frequencies are well represented. In particular the detailed low-end is remarkable. One can almost feel the low frequencies, given the right recording  … the E string on a double-bass or electric bass is articulate and easy to follow. The B string on a 5-string electric bass is visceral but perhaps not to bass-head levels. Everything is, however, well balanced.

The GRPS finally realises the full potential of the Gilmore Lite Mk2 amplifier. It must be closely approaching the quality of its bigger brother, the GSX-Mini, albeit with just an SE output, which is fine by me.

Full marks !

Music: Jazz, Classic Rock and some Classical.
System: As per my signature for the Main System.


----------



## Middy (Dec 12, 2020)

@Charente

I didnt know you where a professional audio writer. A great article Charente.😁

This is what i was expecting from this PSU, cleaner deeper wider,   headamps design skill especially with power delivery as mentioned with other amps. Uptone used thier supply bricks with meamwell technology and a well designed custom regulation stage from Justin.


I just got my new replacement email from headamp for the one FedEx lost...
Yesss..
So hopefully next week i can add my thoughts for my system..

My rig isn't where i want it but it sounds really good with what i have, as mentioned before this is the last in the chain not to have some form of power upgrade so i am excited to hear the overall effect when it comes..

Is yours an unmodded GLmk2 or a new set of caps fitted?

merci mon ami et joyeux Noël Charente

Thanks all
Dave


----------



## Charente

Merci !

No, not a professional writer ... although I am an amateur musician and know what I'm looking for in reproduction.

No modifications to my GL2 ... I wouldn't know what I was doing ... well above my pay-grade !

Joyeux Noël à vous


----------



## Middy (Dec 17, 2020)

Well, its here and had about 24 hours of on time. As @Charente  says it needs some time to settle in,  the sound was slightly better but now the wow factor 24 hours later. Hopefully some more improvements in the next few days
Those poly caps need time to form is my best guess but now its night and day difference.
This song ive been enjoying the last week on spotify
Here’s a song for you… Everything About You Is Special by Venetian Snares 

Now its being listen to on someones other system i cant afford.
What the reader decides always varies  "YMMV trope " but the change isn't subtle.

Simplest way i can describe the Gilmore lite mk2 golden reference PSU is you have been listening outside a concert before... now you have a ticket and hear the music properly inside the wide space its in...
Ive followed John Swensons advice for power releated issues, when i saw Justin was using switching supplies i wasnt expecting much even with meanwell units and separate rails.
I do wonder what you would get with 2 custom wound toriods and Justins engineering skill but any doubts i had have been blown away and if you have a Gilmore lite mk2 you have to get the GRPSU you are essentially buying a new upgraded headphone amp.
It's just really nice...

The Chord Qutest  DAC  and DCA Mr Speaker Ether 2 are now earning thier money.

Disclaimers: I just a guy, no great knowledge just trying recommendations reading around and learning. Carefully parting with my hard earned money.

Gilmore Lite MK2 professional reviewers need to go back over this again with the custom PSU. What you think is personal but the delta of change is suprising.
As our more refined eared French musician aptly said more Bass detail and sound stage. But the realism is just that more there.. decay transients ect.
I hope more experienced people try this with a broader knowledge of other Headphone amps and share thier thoughts.

A lot of honest waffle from me i hope it helps as always...
@justin w. 
A1 job from Mr Wilson, worth the long wait..

Happy Christmas all
Dave


----------



## Charente

I'd also be interested to know how the combination of GL2 + GRPSU compares to the SE output on the GS-X Mini.


----------



## haasaaroni

Ok you guys got me. Just ordered one. Was holding off as long as I could, but now I have to hear what this thing does.


----------



## Middy

Always scary saying you think something is good. Especially when people make financial decisions from your posts, I can only say the PSU changes the sound and i really like it. I havent done the wife test but i have been relistening to my songs and enjoying music i would normally skip.
Not even tons of extra details appearing but just blossomed in the whole presentation. 
Analogue really seems to benefit from clean power. Digital has been smaller but there, going that extra mile with power upgrades.... in my system..

@haasaaroni 

I really hope you enjoy it and feel like it was worth it. 
Regardless let us all know what you think.
It was nice to match up the thoughts of the other poster on the PSU.

Kind regards
David


----------



## haasaaroni

Middy said:


> Always scary saying you think something is good. Especially when people make financial decisions from your posts, I can only say the PSU changes the sound and i really like it. I havent done the wife test but i have been relistening to my songs and enjoying music i would normally skip.
> Not even tons of extra details appearing but just blossomed in the whole presentation.
> Analogue really seems to benefit from clean power. Digital has been smaller but there, going that extra mile with power upgrades.... in my system..
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for this, David. I'm sure my own impressions will differ slightly with my use case and subjective point of view. But I was already a "believer" in the power of a separate PSU when I got my WA6-SE. Huge soundstage, open, airy feeling, and a cleanliness I've never heard on a tube amp before. Hearing what you and Charente (and others) had to say just tipped me over the edge 

I'll definitely post my impressions when I get ahold of it!


----------



## Middy

Thank you for that, ive spent a lot on power upgrades...UPS 23OV SINE WAVE OUT, balanced isolation transformer common mode filters, IFIs AC purifiers and DC...2 uptones audio psu's, a custom LT3045 regulator a big hole in the garden for a ground earth Rod electrolyte clay and custom earthing box to ensure its safe on domestic supply.

All helped to some degree more than others... Justins PSU a no brainer.

The only caveat ( i posted else where and remembered) i capacitor rolled my amp to Elna Silmic 2s 25v. I was going to swap them out but now i really dont know...

Just a nice suprise..

Take care and happy holidays

Dave


----------



## haasaaroni

Middy said:


> Thank you for that, ive spent a lot on power upgrades...UPS 23OV SINE WAVE OUT, balanced isolation transformer common mode filters, IFIs AC purifiers and DC...2 uptones audio psu's, a custom LT3045 regulator a big hole in the garden for a ground earth Rod electrolyte clay and custom earthing box to ensure its safe on domestic supply.
> 
> All helped to some degree more than others... Justins PSU a no brainer.
> 
> ...


Thank you Dave! Happy holidays to you as well, and thanks for the honesty and for the impressions. I'm excited to hear the difference for myself.

Aaron


----------



## richardloh (Dec 18, 2020)

Middy said:


> Thank you for that, ive spent a lot on power upgrades...UPS 23OV SINE WAVE OUT, balanced isolation transformer common mode filters, IFIs AC purifiers and DC...2 uptones audio psu's, a custom LT3045 regulator a big hole in the garden for a ground earth Rod electrolyte clay and custom earthing box to ensure its safe on domestic supply.
> 
> All helped to some degree more than others... Justins PSU a no brainer.
> 
> ...



Hi Dave,

I look forward to your advice on the swap of modded Silmic 2 back to stock Panasonic FM caps with the gold psu if you ever do it as I had also done the mod. Believe it should cleaner aka clearer as well as more dynamic but will loses on how organic and natural Silmic 2 are from my past mods.

For now after about 500 hrs 24/7 as a preamp for my traded-in Audible Illusion L3A I do not even bother to put back the Audio Valve Eclipse preamp on loan and had in fact returned it last nite .. yes, it has very much improved from day 1 with improved clarity, details, dynamics and soundstage. However it does get a bit fussy when I crank up beyond the usual listening volume in my main system... not sure if matching impedence issue but a non issue with headphone as that volume will never be used.

Just hope that I will not miss it too much next monday when fedex delivers my new Audible Illusion L3B and takes up preamp function cos quite a lot more $ spent there .. haha !

Cheers.

Richard

Richard


----------



## Middy

I was going to go back to stock then ordered the fine golds from Bulgaria but was a 3 month wait covid issue...
SILMICS do give more bass and mids but it was that shimmer and long transients on my go to song i missed. Now this PSU changes everything. The fine golds may give me more of what i like but its so morelifelike and almost holographic I am scared to touch it.  Again its hard not to sound like a fanboy over exaggerating and over stating but its just not the same amp anymore to my ears. You could have 10 amps in front on a blind test just swapping the stock psu you would only look at the others...

I hope the new gear lives up to your expectations and led preference...
Just thank you @richardloh for your help and support in this journey.
And..all the guys here very much appreciated gents..

Dave


----------



## ksorota

I decided to spend some time comparative tested today between the stock power supply and new Golden Reference PS (GRPS).  I used a combination of known and unknown music on a pair of HD6XX's. 

The short description of the new GRPS is that it increases the sound quality of an already brilliant little amp. 

The longer version is that the new power supply does its job of providing cleaner and more resolving amplification to the GLMK2.  I notice an improvement in the smoothness of the sound delivery.  It is truly one of those small enhancements that you need to hear to understand well.  I have a low SN model with the original power supply, which is good...I never complained about noisy power, just did not notice it prior to having the GRPS.  The new power supply gives a bit more space between the notes, its almost as if the GRPS is just cleaning up the background enough that notes trail to a blacker background.

Swapping from stock to GRPS adds clarity and reduces grain from the sound signature.  It took me a few songs to notice, but notice I did, and once I understood the changes I could pick out the power supply reliably.  The slight increase in power does not change the loudness at the same volume knob position; it seems that the increased voltage just gives the amp a bit more control over what is playing, never distorting even at high volumes.  

Prior to the GRPS I never would have stated that the stock power supply was "noisy" "grainy" "rough," and even now I would not say those things...but in comparison, it is.  Again the change is not night and day, but it is obvious enough after a few tracks, particularly acoustic or live performances.  I do believe that the GRPS elevates the little GLMK2 and is worth the cost.  


Nitpicks (because that is all I really have)

One thing that would have been a nice addition is a power button on the front of the power supply that matched the position of the input switch on the GLMK2, that would have kept the symmetry while also providing enhanced functionality.  I still turn off the amp when not using, but now have one light (GRPS) on and the other above it off when I walk by my desk...its a little thing, but would have been nice.  The finish is slightly different on the GRPS and therefore looks slightly different in color, but its very faint.  Thats all.


----------



## Charente

I wonder whether there's no on/off switch is because it is 'meant' to be powered all the time for some SQ beneficial or technical reason ... or both.


----------



## Middy (Dec 18, 2020)

Probably cost but always on is a cost for us with the electric bill.
I have the original PSU i think my units no 57. ?
A 5 dollar Switch may add a lot more per unit price with extra work before we see it.. Lower cost means an more attract product and less perceived risk with buyers regret. I'd love the Transfomer from the Gsx mini powering this but the cost..


@ksorota Thanks for your thoughts, a good read. i love reading other perspectives as it makes me re evaluate my thinking process.

This hobby is so hard to in any shape to convey what you hear to others. Mine is also recapped but what i hear really is so different than before.

The notes carry so much more and sound more fluid and smooth (less grain*).  The elna silmic might be that secret sauce for me but only now its elevated. Timpani is now sharper ,bass carry's longer with that extra perceived sound stage. Piano just more real..

I read people wanted slam elsewhere but this is more Rolls Royce than muscle car..
Mainly EDM but metal classical sound superb now.. maybe more if you have that type of headphones.

Metaphor a side, as long as people feel its honest but at least 4 for 4 in 'yes' get it no question..
I feel duty bound to give others as real as possible view before making a choice. We probably all have been burned or disappointed in our audio journeys...

Also we forget theres at least an extra 1.6v out of the PSU.

Nice if Justin can elaborate on the techical detail for those interested. Such a good job he has done..

I am talking too much again as i am tired from late nights listening to my music in a new light. The wife rolling her eyes as the alarm goes off and me reaching for my Mr Speakers....
I am critical listening as i write this..

Apologies

Dave


----------



## Middy

Just a merry Christmas from me to all on the thread. Been a nice journey with great people.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year all...☃️🥳😁

Sincere Regards 

David


----------



## Voxata (Dec 31, 2020)

I was able to test the MKii Elna+GRPS vs the GS-X Mini last night for a few hours.

I'd say the biggest attraction of the GS-X Mini is being able to have a DACT attenuator. Having perfect channel balance is fantastic. I've measured amps with the usual RK27 variants and there is always some imbalance through the entire range. My MKii is a little bit left dominant. The Jot2 I demoed was right. You get used to this, it's slight, it's mechanical and there is no way to avoid this. The DACT in the Mini is very, VERY worthwhile and once you've tried stepped attenuation it becomes evident. Dead center imaging & very precise staging is a big benefit.

The difference between SE and BAL on the GS-X Mini isn't huge but I do prefer the balanced output. That said during my testing I exclusively ran SE on the GS-X Mini so take this into account. Both amps were fed from Gungnir MB A2 BAL to --> Freya S Passive SE Max Volume --> Amps. Freya does not degrade signal from BAL to SE in passive mode.

I was able to do these comparisons with a friend and the two are more similar than different, for sure. This aside the Mini provides some very tangible improvements over the MKii. The Mini has a wider and deeper presentation. Imagine listening to the MKii as being in row 4 and the Mini in row 8. All of the sound is there, however with the Mini it's less splashy, more refined & focused. The treble is smoother, lacks any grain and bass has more texture. On the MKii it feels like the vocals are a bit more intimate or forward while the Mini painted a grander picture with superior decay and resonance. The Mini has a bit more resolution, a bit more in all areas really. Compared to the Jotunheim 2 the MKii was not as fast. However, Jotunheim 2 sounded a bit veiled or restrained in comparison. This difference was more significant when the Jotunheim 2 was cold and relaxed somewhat as it warmed up. The MKii has more of a gentle U FR approach as well. Jotunheim 2 was less realistic though more technically capable in this comparison. Generally, we favored the MKii. For background listening the Jotunheim 2 may be the more solid choice.

As far as the dedicated power supply goes, I like it. When the amp is powered off the DPS does not generate much heat. Fire up the amp and they both get warm pretty quickly. If the DPS was running all out all the time I'd have to mod in a switch however - given the usage behavior I wouldn't recommend this. It's a SQ improvement though, for sure. It helps inch the MKii towards the Mini, but it's still a ways off. Move over to balanced in/out on the mini and the comparisons I've made become more significant. Thanks for reading, and jam on!


----------



## haasaaroni

Voxata said:


> Compared to the Jotunheim 2 the MKii was not as fast. However, Jotunheim 2 sounded a bit veiled or restrained in comparison. This difference was more significant when the Jotunheim 2 was cold and relaxed somewhat as it warmed up. The MKii has more of a gentle U FR approach as well. Jotunheim 2 was less realistic though more technically capable in this comparison. Generally, we favored the MKii. For background listening the Jotunheim 2 may be the more solid choice.


Awesome to have these reflections! Out of curiosity, were you demoing the Jot 2 out of SE or balanced? I've read that the difference between SE and balanced on the Jot 2 is pretty significant.


----------



## Voxata

haasaaroni said:


> Awesome to have these reflections! Out of curiosity, were you demoing the Jot 2 out of SE or balanced? I've read that the difference between SE and balanced on the Jot 2 is pretty significant.


Thanks for asking, BAL out was used on Jotunheim 2. Not a huge fan of SE on that amp. SE was just used solely for comparing the Mini to MKii. The Mini's SE is quite good.


----------



## Charente

@Voxata ... Thank-you for your thoughts on GLMK2+GRPS vs G-SX Mini ... the comparison is very useful. Both amps are excellent at their respective price-points. 

IMO the addition of the GRPS is pretty much essential for the GLMK2, having listened to it now for about 2 weeks. As well as the AeonFlow Open, I have recently been trying the combo with the venerable Sennheiser HD650 and I find that pairing to be very good ... in particular the bottom-end is now that bit more refined, although still not quite as good as the AFO. The mids are superb, as ever.


----------



## Magic77 (Dec 31, 2020)

Hello Gilmore Lite owners,
Could anyone give me a little insight about this amp’s circuitry. Is it a discrete design using only transistors or does it use opamps. 
I just checked out the inside of the amp at the Headamp website. I see both transistors and what looks like two opamps. Just curious.


----------



## Voxata

Magic77 said:


> Hello Gilmore Lite owners,
> Could anyone give me a little insight about this amp’s circuitry. Is it a discrete design using only transistors or does it use opamps.
> I just checked out the inside of the amp at the Headamp website. I see both transistors and what looks like two opamps. Just curious.


It's discreet


----------



## Charente

.. as is the dedicated power supply


----------



## Voxata

Charente said:


> .. as is the dedicated power supply


Lol


----------



## klyrish (Jan 1, 2021)

As another owner of both the GLMk2 and GS-X mini, I have to disagree with some of the aspects of @Voxata's review. I find the GS-X mini to have a small and congested stage. But I listen to music like Enter Shikari and NIN that have multiple layers, maybe not as intense as orchestral music but far from "straightforward" music with easily defined instruments and layers.

For me, the GS-X mini excels with bass and the insanely tight grip and punchy display it has, but treble is harsh and congested.

The GLMk2 has tight, punchy bass as well, but it doesn't have the same reach as the GS-X mini. However, it is much more airy and well-separated. Treble is detailed and present while remaining smooth. There's no harshness in the GLMk2 with the GRPS in play.

As I've mentioned previously, I use the GS-X mini as a preamp into the GLMk2 and it honestly gives the best of both worlds. I get tight, hard-hitting bass of the mini along with the open, airy, deliciously-smooth treble of the GLMk2. It sounds so open and clear, which was one of my favorite aspects of the GLMk2 while remaining a tight, focused powerhouse thanks to the bass of the mini.

I do agree, though, that the differences between amps is greatly reduced with the introduction of the GRPS for the GLMk2. That power supply really takes the GLMk2 to the next level. Bass isn't as authoritative as the mini, but it's not far off. Maybe 5-10%. If you own both amps, you're doing yourself a disservice but not using them in tandem. It truly is a magical combo.

EDIT: and for what it's worth, I have the DACT upgrade on my mini.

EDIT 2: I'm using a 2014 MBP with a AudioQuest Carbon USB A to USB B USB cable to an X-SPDIF2 (with an independent linear PSU) ->  Sonnet Morpheus XLR -> GS-X mini -> GLMk2 GRPS -> Verite C

EDIT 3: I'm listening to Enter Shikari - Nothing is True and Everything is Possible, and the 3D/holographic aspect of this chain is on display. The GLMk2 is more 3D/holographic than the mini by itself. Bass is unreal with amazing reach and texture and everything is so spaced out/separated. This combo is seriously fantastic.


----------



## Voxata

Always great to hear other perspectives. Though I'm curious, you run the active GS-X Mini pre into the MKii? The Minis pre stage runs through it's amp circuit. Definitely makes for a vivid combo. How are your impressions for each amp alone?


----------



## Svperstar

The Gilmore Lite mk2 was finally measured on ASR. Measured like I thought, not at the peak of todays best amps but not horrible. Listening to mine now on my work from home laptop.

I got the SMSL SP200 for my Arya and LCD2 since it gives out more power. I am curious how the measurements would change with the DPS


----------



## haasaaroni

Svperstar said:


> The Gilmore Lite mk2 was finally measured on ASR. Measured like I thought, not at the peak of todays best amps but not horrible. Listening to mine now on my work from home laptop.
> 
> I got the SMSL SP200 for my Arya and LCD2 since it gives out more power. I am curious how the measurements would change with the DPS


Interesting measurements. I'm not surprised by the treble roll-off in the FR, but I would have expected to see more bass in the measurements. Maybe some of the distortion accounts for that? I'd be curious to see how the measurements change with the new GRPS.


----------



## Svperstar

haasaaroni said:


> Interesting measurements. I'm not surprised by the treble roll-off in the FR, but I would have expected to see more bass in the measurements. Maybe some of the distortion accounts for that? I'd be curious to see how the measurements change with the new GRPS.



To my ears the SMSL SP200 sounds clearer and with better bass then the mk2 but that might just be because it has more power, or placebo. Since the mk2 is now my work amp I don't know if I am gonna bother with the power supply. I never got the original Gilmore Lite DPS back in 2004 either.

Also I noticed the WooAudio WA6-SE in your sig. I have had that thing in the checkout box before but can't bring myself to spend that much money on an amp lol. How does it compare to the mk2?


----------



## haasaaroni

Svperstar said:


> To my ears the SMSL SP200 sounds clearer and with better bass then the mk2 but that might just be because it has more power, or placebo. Since the mk2 is now my work amp I don't know if I am gonna bother with the power supply. I never got the original Gilmore Lite DPS back in 2004 either.
> 
> Also I noticed the WooAudio WA6-SE in your sig. I have had that thing in the checkout box before but can't bring myself to spend that much money on an amp lol. How does it compare to the mk2?


I know what you mean! New it's quite an expensive amp, but so, so well built. I got my WA6-SE used, but it's a pretty old version (pre-2010 gen 1) so it's actually in the shop now getting a check-up. It still seems to be in amazing shape though, and I am missing it!

I would say the difference is quite noticeable between it and the GLite Mk2. What's missing from the Mk2 are some of the details, its precise imaging, and I think the Mk2 actualy beats it out in that "slam/punch" factor.

What the WA6-SE adds is just enough mid-range richness to give the notes even more body and realism (without getting overly-romantic), a much more expansive soundstage and larger images, softer treble (hense the less detail), and wider, more realistic dynamic range. This can change with the type of power tubes/rectifiers you use too, and quite a bit. The tubes I was using most recently give it a thicker low-end while reducing the soundstage a bit. 

Overall, my 'phones sound just more 'real' on it than on the Mk2, which sounds a little more thin, narrower, and punchier in comparison. Almost like the Mk2 gives you the outlines of the sound, and the WA6-SE gives you the actual body of the notes, while located in a much more expansive, open space. And all of this is with the stock Mk2, standard (older) power supply.


----------



## drmmr (Jan 5, 2021)

What would the difference be between the 16V and 25V Elna Silmic II in regards to the cap mod?


----------



## ksorota

drmmr said:


> What would the difference be between the 16V and 25V Elna Silmic II in regards to the cap mod?


The 25v caps are the stock rated replacements. 16v works with the stock power supply, but will not work the GRPS store to increased voltage.


----------



## drmmr

ksorota said:


> The 25v caps are the stock rated replacements. 16v works with the stock power supply, but will not work the GRPS store to increased voltage.


Gotcha thanks. Does the difference in voltage mean anything in terms of sound?


----------



## drmmr

Also, my finger is on the trigger for one of these guys but I'm a bit confused as to where this amp stands sound wise. Many in this thread have described it as a warm(er) amp with some tube-like qualities (especially after it's been modded) but elsewhere it's simply a "wire with gain". So does this thing color the sound or not?


----------



## haasaaroni

drmmr said:


> Also, my finger is on the trigger for one of these guys but I'm a bit confused as to where this amp stands sound wise. Many in this thread have described it as a warm(er) amp with some tube-like qualities (especially after it's been modded) but elsewhere it's simply a "wire with gain". So does this thing color the sound or not?


LOL yeah, there are a lot of contrasting opinions on this thing. I think it'll really just sound different depending on where you're coming from.

I personally hear a little extra thump in the bass and some roll-off at the top of the FR (the measurements in ASR show this), and yet it somehow portays the music realistically at the same time. Compared to a tube amp, it's not as meaty, expansive, or smooth, but compared to some other solid states I've tried, it adds a kick and real engagement to the sound, along with a smooth, yet detailed, treble.


----------



## Svperstar

drmmr said:


> Also, my finger is on the trigger for one of these guys but I'm a bit confused as to where this amp stands sound wise. Many in this thread have described it as a warm(er) amp with some tube-like qualities (especially after it's been modded) but elsewhere it's simply a "wire with gain". So does this thing color the sound or not?



The mk2 doesn't sound as warm as my Asgard 2 sitting in my closet right now, but its warmer then my SMSL SP200 which doesn't sound bright to me just very clear and controlled with a LOT more power on tap.

The thing with reading people opinions in the community is you will get wildly different and contradictory things.

For example a lot of people say the Schiit Modi Multibit sounds natural, too me its way too dark for a DAC.


----------



## ksorota

drmmr said:


> Also, my finger is on the trigger for one of these guys but I'm a bit confused as to where this amp stands sound wise. Many in this thread have described it as a warm(er) amp with some tube-like qualities (especially after it's been modded) but elsewhere it's simply a "wire with gain". So does this thing color the sound or not?



I would not call it a warm amp...but its not clinical either. The GLMK2 is a natural sounding amp that does not really impart any flavor into the music, it just amplifies the songs cleanly.  The mod does add a bit more body to the character of the amp.  To me the extra body is a fullness/richness that mimicks what tubes can do, but I would not think of it as a tube amp sound.


----------



## drmmr

Thanks everybody. I think I’ll pick one up and A/B it with my Liquid Spark and see which one gets the boot.


----------



## kylebucksot

I just recently picked up a used glite mk2. It has the standard power brick. What benefits is there going to the dedicated power unit?


----------



## kylebucksot

I am so new, I haven't figured out how to search the forums to find what I need either. Can someone link me the information on detail of the cap mod I've seen floating around?

Thanks


----------



## justin w. (Jan 10, 2021)

haasaaroni said:


> Interesting measurements. I'm not surprised by the treble roll-off in the FR, but I would have expected to see more bass in the measurements. Maybe some of the distortion accounts for that? I'd be curious to see how the measurements change with the new GRPS.



I've never commented publicly on anything ASR related, because I don't really care about it, but the entire thing is and has been for years just a way for people to validate their purchases of less expensive equipment. It's lazy comparison for lazy shoppers, and there's a big market for that. Yes, we're missing out on the tens of thousands of $99-199 chi-fi sales and trading it for mere hundreds of high-end sales, but I'm ok with that.

We've never designed or built anything for the purpose of having purely the lowest THD. That requires using specific chips only. Since it already exists it would be a waste of our time, so we build the designs we like. A discrete design is never going to do as well on those tests. Middle of the pack for a discrete design is actually quite good if you're just looking at bar graphs. There is also an issue where tube amps will be praised for 3% THD but solid state amps with fractional THD and attractive harmonics is somehow bad. it makes no sense

However, I would guarantee on the case of SNR, that many of the amps that are 'measuring lower noise' will not actually have real-world lower noise if you plugged a sensitive IEM into each one of them and listened to the background


----------



## haasaaroni

justin w. said:


> I've never commented publicly on anything ASR related, because I don't really care about it, but the entire thing is and has been for years just a way for people to validate their purchases of less expensive equipment. It's lazy comparison for lazy shoppers, and there's a big market for that. Yes, we're missing out on the tens of thousands of $99-199 chi-fi sales and trading it for mere hundreds of high-end sales, but I'm ok with that.
> 
> We've never designed or built anything for the purpose of having purely the lowest THD. That requires using specific chips only. Since it already exists it would be a waste of our time, so we build the designs we like. A discrete design is never going to do as well on those tests. Middle of the pack for a discrete design is actually quite good if you're just looking at bar graphs. There is also an issue where tube amps will be praised for 3% THD but solid state amps with fractional THD and attractive harmonics is somehow bad. it makes no sense
> 
> However, I would guarantee on the case of SNR, that many of the amps that are 'measuring lower noise' will not actually have real-world lower noise if you plugged a sensitive IEM into each one of them and listened to the background


Love this. Before coming to the Gilmore Lite mk2, I was using a Topping E30 and JDS Labs Atom, two of the best "measuring" pieces out there. Needless to say a Bifrost 2 and Gilmore Lite mk2 are worlds better in every way. I'd take a descrete design over a chip-based implementation every time.

Thanks Justin, for keeping it to the sound and not to the measurements!


----------



## kylebucksot

Second this. I cannot believe all the hype I fell for this past year before finding the glite. I have had nothing but an awesome experience with it. Im running with a schiit modi 3 multibit and its got to be hands down the best setup I've ever heard on all of my headphones.


----------



## drmmr

Got a GL + GRPS in the mail today. Putting it through its paces but absolutely blown away so far. Currently doing A/B with my Liquid Spark, and while I’m not the person to be asking about sonic differences what I can say is that this thing just has so much more SOUND. Incredible! Listening through my T60 Argons, amp is being fed by Modi 3+.


----------



## haasaaroni

drmmr said:


> Got a GL + GRPS in the mail today. Putting it through its paces but absolutely blown away so far. Currently doing A/B with my Liquid Spark, and while I’m not the person to be asking about sonic differences what I can say is that this thing just has so much more SOUND. Incredible! Listening through my T60 Argons, amp is being fed by Modi 3+.


Congrats! I just got shipping notification for my GRPS yesterday. Took a little longer because I wanted a matching amber LED. So excited for the upgrade!


----------



## drmmr

There does seem to be popping whenever I turn it on. Is that normal?


----------



## haasaaroni

drmmr said:


> There does seem to be popping whenever I turn it on. Is that normal?


Yeah when headphones are plugged in (or speakers with line out) and then I turn the amp on, there is a slight popping sound. I just turn the amp on without headphones plugged in and problem solved. Didn't find it to be much of a problem anyway


----------



## drmmr

haasaaroni said:


> Yeah when headphones are plugged in (or speakers with line out) and then I turn the amp on, there is a slight popping sound. I just turn the amp on without headphones plugged in and problem solved. Didn't find it to be much of a problem anyway


Yeah I figured that is the best way to go about it, just wanted to make sure it wasn't just me!


----------



## kylebucksot

drmmr said:


> There does seem to be popping whenever I turn it on. Is that normal?


Yes for sure. A true class a amp does that. Its like a guitar amp


----------



## drmmr

kylebucksot said:


> Yes for sure. A true class a amp does that. Its like a guitar amp


Good to know!


----------



## richardloh (Jan 19, 2021)

richardloh said:


> Hey Justin,
> 
> Received and thanks !
> 
> ...



Hi,

I disgressing but an update on mods of local Singtel miotv cable box with red leds to no-prize-given correct answer of blue leds finally after some investment with spare units and initial scare but all fixed 🥰

Cheers.

Richard


----------



## haasaaroni

Just got the GRPS, and have to say it's quite a difference! Wanted to just post a few of my (very subjective!) impressions.

It's been on less than 24 hours so far, but I immediately heard a big difference in detail, accross the spectrum, and much more air. Because of that detail and clarity, layering and separation (which were already great) seem much better, and the stage seems deeper and slightly wider as well.

I have to say though, at least initially, that the HD600's and Ananda's sound a tad brighter and thinner than I'm used to, though the bass is oh so delicious!! I think as a result of the extra air on top, the "meatiness" of the sound is somewhat compromised, which is what originally drew me to the mk2. I realize now (switching back and forth between stock PS and GRPS) that meatiness I was perceiving was, in part, caused by a lack of detail. So, there's no going back now!

Thinking of trying the Elna cap mod to the mk2 to get some of that thickness back. Or maybe my ears will adjust over time and the GRPS will settle in a bit more. I'll keep listening and see if things change in the coming days!


----------



## drmmr

haasaaroni said:


> Just got the GRPS, and have to say it's quite a difference! Wanted to just post a few of my (very subjective!) impressions.
> 
> It's been on less than 24 hours so far, but I immediately heard a big difference in detail, accross the spectrum, and much more air. Because of that detail and clarity, layering and separation (which were already great) seem much better, and the stage seems deeper and slightly wider as well.
> 
> ...


I felt the same way after finally getting to try out my LCDs with the mk2. While compared to my Argons they were already brighter, the additional detail provided by the amp has made them apparently even more so. But I don’t mind one bit! Vocalists have never sounded so buttery...


----------



## haasaaroni

Ok, now 2 full days in, and no more reservations about this amp. Sense of space and layering is absolutely mezmerizing, and totaly worth it to have that little extra treble energy.

Paired with a Bifrost 2 and Ananda right now, and the sound is wide open and HUGE. Major orchestral works are especially a treat, micro- and macro-dynamics are easily discernable, pinpoint imaging, tons of detail. This does what I expect from a solid state; it stays true to the source while presenting what was recorded in the most life-like, engaging way.

One question for all you GRPS owners...when the GRPS is plugged in without the mk2 turned on, there is a high-pitched buzzing noise coming from the unit. But as soon as the amp is switched on, it completely goes away. Has anyone else found this? Just a minor annoyance.


----------



## sebastian589 (Jan 22, 2021)

EDIT: NVM heard back from Justin

Loving the match with my ZMF Atticus.


----------



## Charente

haasaaroni said:


> One question for all you GRPS owners...when the GRPS is plugged in without the mk2 turned on, there is a high-pitched buzzing noise coming from the unit. But as soon as the amp is switched on, it completely goes away. Has anyone else found this? Just a minor annoyance.



No, I don't have the noise you describe with the amp switched off.


----------



## haasaaroni

Charente said:


> No, I don't have the noise you describe with the amp switched off.


Thanks. I guess I'll get in touch with Justin and see what he says. The subtle high pitch emitted from it is really pretty annoying...


----------



## drmmr

How hot do your guys' amps get after extended periods of being on?


----------



## haasaaroni

drmmr said:


> How hot do your guys' amps get after extended periods of being on?


Mine gets pretty warm. I wouldn't say hot. On an already hot day, I'd say it can heat up pretty well, but on a cold day like today it's a nice hand warmer. I never find it to be like an Asgard 2 for example. Would take a very, very long time to cook an egg on it


----------



## ShenaRingo326

Question from potential future new/used buyer.. other than aesthetics differences, are there any differences between earlier/later models of MK2? (based on serial number)

Thanks!


----------



## Svperstar

haasaaroni said:


> Mine gets pretty warm. I wouldn't say hot. On an already hot day, I'd say it can heat up pretty well, but on a cold day like today it's a nice hand warmer. I never find it to be like an Asgard 2 for example. Would take a very, very long time to cook an egg on it



Can confirm. Own Asgard 2 and mk2, the Asgard 2 gets like 3 times hotter.


----------



## TSAVJason

ShenaRingo326 said:


> Question from potential future new/used buyer.. other than aesthetics differences, are there any differences between earlier/later models of MK2? (based on serial number)
> 
> Thanks!



as a dealer I am not aware of any running changes on the MK2 version. If your question directly relates to buying one used you should be ok if the seller is reputable. You of course would only have whatever warranty remains on it if any.
Good hunting!


----------



## richardloh

ShenaRingo326 said:


> Question from potential future new/used buyer.. other than aesthetics differences, are there any differences between earlier/later models of MK2? (based on serial number)
> 
> Thanks!



Not sure serial #s but later batches are shipped with universal switching psu compared to dedicated input voltage ones that are supposedly better at least in theory ?

Cheers.


----------



## ksorota

richardloh said:


> Not sure serial #s but later batches are shipped with universal switching psu compared to dedicated input voltage ones that are supposedly better at least in theory ?
> 
> Cheers.


 
Only other change is newer units have a white LED versus the amber which looks so much better😜


----------



## ShenaRingo326

richardloh said:


> Not sure serial #s but later batches are shipped with universal switching psu compared to dedicated input voltage ones that are supposedly better at least in theory ?
> 
> Cheers.


i plan on getting it with the GRPS so i guess it doesn't matter on that aspect

thanks!


----------



## richardloh

ksorota said:


> Only other change is newer units have a white LED versus the amber which looks so much better😜



Blue leds together with golden reference psu ain't too bad also 🥳


----------



## Voxata

richardloh said:


> Not sure serial #s but later batches are shipped with universal switching psu compared to dedicated input voltage ones that are supposedly better at least in theory ?
> 
> Cheers.


Yep. Recommend the golden reference though.


----------



## richardloh

Especially for Grado owners like me:

https://headwizememorial.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/a-pure-class-a-dynamic-headphone-amplifier/


----------



## Charente

ShenaRingo326 said:


> i plan on getting it with the GRPS so i guess it doesn't matter on that aspect
> 
> thanks!



The GRPS is very worthwhile


----------



## mngomezch

Has anyone here compared how the Gilmore Lite Mk II compares with the single ended output of the Singxer SA-1 or the Rebel Amp?


----------



## Voxata

I prefer the Singxer, Rebel is a warmer affair if that's what you are after.


----------



## ksorota

Voxata said:


> I prefer the Singxer, Rebel is a warmer affair if that's what you are after.


do you still have the GLMK2, or did the Singxer win out overall?


----------



## Voxata

I sold it and the GRPS. The Singxer was more linear to me, less warm but still a really nice sound. It also has a lot more power.


----------



## AP357

Late to the party, but got the Glite mk2 used for a good price! Any owners here think it's still a good amp considering all the new amps out there? Thanks


----------



## Svperstar

AP357 said:


> Late to the party, but got the Glite mk2 used for a good price! Any owners here think it's still a good amp considering all the new amps out there? Thanks




I think my SMSL SP200 is technically better but I got the Gilmore Lite mk2 just for nostalgia purposes basically.


----------



## Middy

Cheap use.. you got a good deal still a nice unit. I won't sell it on as now my secondary amp.


----------



## TSAVJason

AP357 said:


> Late to the party, but got the Glite mk2 used for a good price! Any owners here think it's still a good amp considering all the new amps out there? Thanks


There is always going to be a new kid on the block. Even at full price it’s still a great little amplifier. So if you got a good deal on a used unit ….. enjoy the hell out of it! 👍🏻🍻


----------



## Zachik

TSAVJason said:


> There is always going to be a new kid on the block. Even at full price it’s still a great little amplifier. So if you got a good deal on a used unit ….. enjoy the hell out of it! 👍🏻🍻


I could not have said it better! 100% agree with Jason


----------



## ilikebananafudge

I like my GL2 so much I bought a beefy balanced version of it as my next amplifier upgrade (Mjolnir Pure Bipolar has the same basic Dynalo amplification circuit)


----------



## Zachik

ilikebananafudge said:


> I like my GL2 so much I bought a beefy balanced version of it as my next amplifier upgrade (Mjolnir Pure Bipolar has the same basic Dynalo amplification circuit)


Another option is the GS-X Mini. That is the official balanced version of the Gilmore Lite.


----------



## AP357

Svperstar said:


> I think my SMSL SP200 is technically better but I got the Gilmore Lite mk2 just for nostalgia purposes basically.


I have the SMSL SP200 and it's a good amp just not enjoying the clinical sound so I'll see how it compares to Glite MK2 when I receive it!


----------



## AP357

TSAVJason said:


> There is always going to be a new kid on the block. Even at full price it’s still a great little amplifier. So if you got a good deal on a used unit ….. enjoy the hell out of it! 👍🏻🍻


Agreed! Well said. 
I saw Max Settings review of the Glite MK2 on YT and he didn't seem to enjoy it lol, anyways getting new gear is fun!


----------



## TSAVJason

AP357 said:


> Agreed! Well said.
> I saw Max Settings review of the Glite MK2 on YT and he didn't seem to enjoy it lol, anyways getting new gear is fun!


Reviews can be helpful but I’m more interested in how I enjoy what I’m buying more than I lend any credence to others opinion unless I’ve really learned that reviewers listening style well


----------



## Svperstar

AP357 said:


> I have the SMSL SP200 and it's a good amp just not enjoying the clinical sound so I'll see how it compares to Glite MK2 when I receive it!



I'm listening too the Audeze LCD2 on the SMSL SP200 right now since I got new pads last week. It seems to really come alive on the SP200 vs the GL mk2. I think its just the power issue. I feel like the mk2 holds the LCD2 back.


----------



## ksorota

Svperstar said:


> I'm listening too the Audeze LCD2 on the SMSL SP200 right now since I got new pads last week. It seems to really come alive on the SP200 vs the GL mk2. I think its just the power issue. I feel like the mk2 holds the LCD2 back.



Consider the Schiit Mjolnir 1 as an upgrade. I place it as one of the best SS balanced amps I have heard. So clean and energetic, and such detail in The bass. For less than the GLMK2…it’s hard to beat!


----------



## tamleo

ksorota said:


> Consider the Schiit Mjolnir 1 as an upgrade. I place it as one of the best SS balanced amps I have heard. So clean and energetic, and such detail in The bass. For less than the GLMK2…it’s hard to beat!


The bass on the Mjolnir 1 is soft, bloated to my ears. Its treble is piercing but not airy. The worst amp I have paired with my LCD2


----------



## Svperstar

ksorota said:


> Consider the Schiit Mjolnir 1 as an upgrade. I place it as one of the best SS balanced amps I have heard. So clean and energetic, and such detail in The bass. For less than the GLMK2…it’s hard to beat!



I'm comfortable with the SP200 as my main amp and the GL mk2 on my work from home PC. I have debated going balanced but I don't know if its worth it, with the SP200 don't have to recable since you can use the 1/4 jack with balanced input but my system has no ground loops or anything so it seems to me like its just burning money.


----------



## ksorota

tamleo said:


> The bass on the Mjolnir 1 is soft, bloated to my ears. Its treble is piercing but not airy. The worst amp I have paired with my LCD2



Interesting.  The Mjolnir is great with dynamics and I thought it was a good match with the Code LEX.  I have not heard the LCD 2, only the classic, but not on the Mj...for reference, I enjoyed the Elex more than the LCD2 classic.  

GLMK2 is a great amp, the GRPS adds a bit more oomph to the signal, but not a whole lot.  I keep wanting to get a GLMK2 stack again for work, but I am lost in tubes right now, help me!!!


----------



## Svperstar

ksorota said:


> I have not heard the LCD 2, only the classic,



Its confusing but if your LCD2 is old enough like mine is I think it sounds the same as the LCD2C, back before the fazors existed.


----------



## flea22

Been loving this no BS amp. Good with meze headphones, has been my ss work horse for a year now for Rock and PC gaming.


----------



## AP357

Love the amp too, adds good depth to music with good bass slam, sweet mids and a nice extended treble that is non fatiguing!


----------



## TSAVJason

flea22 said:


> Been loving this no BS amp. Good with meze headphones, has been my ss work horse for a year now for Rock and PC gaming.


It’s a great amp for the money 👍🏻


----------



## ksorota

Looks like we got a board revision! Going to be harder to swap in those Silmic II caps.


----------



## lambdastorm

Oh dang, they're doing SMD caps now!!


----------



## ksorota

Been out of the loop awhile.  Has their been any mention of the larger version the GRPS with additional power ports.  

Is that still being worked on @HeadAmpTeam ?


----------



## purk

Zachik said:


> Another option is the GS-X Mini. That is the official balanced version of the Gilmore Lite.


The mini should be even better due to slightly better power supply.  It has a toroidal PSU if I am not mistaken while the Lite GRPS has a universal module.


----------



## Voxata

ksorota said:


> Looks like we got a board revision! Going to be harder to swap in those Silmic II caps.


I'm sure these newer caps measure very tightly anyways.


----------



## richardloh

lambdastorm said:


> Oh dang, they're doing SMD caps now!!


Hmmmh .. looks like oscons.

Never particularly like them except in digital hi-speed and hi-bandwidth application but it had been probably 6 mths since I last listened to my headphone setup ..

Cheers.


----------



## justin w.

They're basically the SMD version of the caps we were already using. They are not polymer caps 
Also as it says on the PCB revision was Oct 2019, so not recent


----------



## ksorota

If anyone is interested in the GRPS, I have one for sale that I would sell for 1/2 off. PM me if your interested.


----------



## ShenaRingo326

joining the club.. 🎧


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## drmmr

ShenaRingo326 said:


> joining the club.. 🎧


Lookin good! Glad they found a loving home.


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## Semper HiFi

ShenaRingo326 said:


> joining the club.. 🎧



Nice! I've got a Mk2 w/ GRPS on the way, also to be paired with a Bifrost. I like your rack/shelf but would it be possible to neatly stack them on top of the Bifrost?


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## ShenaRingo326 (Nov 5, 2021)

Semper HiFi said:


> Nice! I've got a Mk2 w/ GRPS on the way, also to be paired with a Bifrost. I like your rack/shelf but would it be possible to neatly stack them on top of the Bifrost?



since the BF2 has a curved top edge at front, I believe the rubber feet of GLMK2 will _just_ fit on top with flat part of the BF2 (haven't confirmed since everything's plugged in and settled) with the volume knob protruding in the front over the BF2

also, since I leave the BF2 on 24/7, I don't plan on stacking anything directly on top of it


----------



## Semper HiFi

Thanks to the team at HeadAmp for curing me of my tube addiction! I've been looking at this amp for a long time and am so glad I finally picked one up.

The clarity and detail this amp provides is fantastic. What surprised me most however was the amount of impact this thing has. The bass is really nice and tight, but man does it slam!


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## jonathan c

•  The Gilmore Lite II + Golden Reference power supply is a fantastic and compact headphone amplifier. Natural reproduction of ambience, tonal balance, has tremendous dynamics, imaging, and soundstage.
•  How good do I feel that GL-II+ is? I rotate it with: Linear Tube Audio MZ3, Schiit Lyr 3, Woo Audio WA2, Woo Audio WA6SE !
•  GL-II+ matches excellently with all my headphones. For example, with Focal Clear, Gjallarhorn JM Edition, and Grados I am there!


----------



## jonathan c

Doing a tremendous job with another wonderful headphone…


----------



## elira

What are the advantages of the GRPS vs the stock power supply? Any meaningful difference?


----------



## chesebert

Bass, soundstage, resolution, PrAT, dynamics - you know, typical improvements with better power.


----------



## elira

chesebert said:


> Bass, soundstage, resolution, PrAT, dynamics - you know, typical improvements with better power.


Is it subtle or clearly discernible?


----------



## chesebert

elira said:


> Is it subtle or clearly discernible?


Depending on your source and headphones.


----------



## elira

chesebert said:


> Depending on your source and headphones.


That seems to point towards the subtle side.


----------



## purk

elira said:


> What are the advantages of the GRPS vs the stock power supply? Any meaningful difference?


Less noise so blacker and more quiet background.  This alone improve depth cues and spatial information.  Another benefit could be greater sense dynamics.


----------



## TSAVJason

elira said:


> That seems to point towards the subtle side.


Not so subtle really


----------



## jonathan c

The Gilmore Lite w/ Golden Reference power supply is a stellar match with Grado GS3000e (and other Grados). Do not let the small form deceive you…


----------



## tezla7

jonathan c said:


> •  The Gilmore Lite II + Golden Reference power supply is a fantastic and compact headphone amplifier. Natural reproduction of ambience, tonal balance, has tremendous dynamics, imaging, and soundstage.
> •  How good do I feel that GL-II+ is? I rotate it with: Linear Tube Audio MZ3, Schiit Lyr 3, Woo Audio WA2, Woo Audio WA6SE !
> •  GL-II+ matches excellently with all my headphones. For example, with Focal Clear, Gjallarhorn JM Edition, and Grados I am there!


Hey Jonathan, 
I recently became a GL2 owner with GR PSU.  How would you compare the LTA MZ3 to the GL2?  I've had my eye on the LTA gear for years.  Can't afford an MZ3 but MZ2 maybe.  I'm running Focal Elears.
Really enjoying the GL2, great amp, great sound, great size/form factor, zero noise, completely black background, great vol pot.  Tested my Shure SE846 and no noise, no hiss.  Super impressive.


----------



## tezla7

Also- what do folks think about warm up/ leaving the amp on?
I don't want to waste energy, sometimes I listen for an hour, then come back to it in half an hour or so, and various combinations of times listening, not listening.  I leave the PSU on all the time but, leaving the DAC, streamer and amp on all the time seems a bit over the top.  But maybe it doesn't consume _that_ much power?


----------



## jonathan c (Jun 7, 2022)

tezla7 said:


> Hey Jonathan,
> I recently became a GL2 owner with GR PSU.  How would you compare the LTA MZ3 to the GL2?  I've had my eye on the LTA gear for years.  Can't afford an MZ3 but MZ2 maybe.  I'm running Focal Elears.
> Really enjoying the GL2, great amp, great sound, great size/form factor, zero noise, completely black background, great vol pot.  Tested my Shure SE846 and no noise, no hiss.  Super impressive.


•  GL-II+ handles itself extremely well vs LTA-MZ3. The latter obviously has immense detail, inert backgrounds, impeccable rendition of ambience and space: it is $3700+ (US) vs $750 (US) for GL-II+.
•  What I hear in GL-II+ that I hear in LTA-MZ3 is: even tone, great dynamics, natural transients and decay, and a very light touch of sweetness. Overall, GL-II+ does not sound overtly ‘solid state’ and LTA-MZ3 does not sound overtly ‘tube’. That last part, though, can be altered by tube choice.
•  I do switch everything off after evening sessions. Below, in a comparison about which I have been curious…EDIT: I prefer to have the GR above the GL-II since the GR has the vent holes & generates more heat.


----------



## tezla7

jonathan c said:


> •  GL-II+ handles itself extremely well vs LTA-MZ3. The latter obviously has immense detail, inert backgrounds, impeccable rendition of ambience and space: it is $3700+ (US) vs $750 (US) for GL-II+.
> •  What I hear in GL-II+ that I hear in LTA-MZ3 is: even tone, great dynamics, natural transients and decay, and a very light touch of sweetness. Overall, GL-II+ does not sound overtly ‘solid state’ and LTA-MZ3 does not sound overtly ‘tube’. That last part, though, can be altered by tube choice.
> •  I do switch everything after evening sessions. Below, in a comparison about which I have been curious…EDIT: I prefer to have the GR above the GL-II since the GR has the vent holes & generates more heat.


That's grand cheers Jonathan thank you for that.  Only just got a new setup up and running, all sounding great.  It's just my compulsive craziness looking at more equipment when everything is already great.  If the GL2 holds up well against the MZ3 then it'll hold up even better vs the MZ2 and I could do without spending more money.  Plus it's always super hard for me to match equipment because I have tinnitus, high sensitivity to 4k/upper midrange.  Plus I'm _extremely_ fussy and listen to a huge range of music. 

Thanks for the comment on PSU above or below, I've tried a few different ways including side by side, but think I'll do it your way especially for summer as it can get to 30˚C in my room.  Switch on or off, I was meaning more sort of inbetween sessions rather than leaving it on 24/7.  Think I'll switch on all gear for day/evening, always switch off at night.  Cheers.

Enjoying Folk Singer- Muddy Waters remaster recently- FLAC 192khz 24bit.


----------



## jonathan c

Another stellar duet involving GL-II+. There is nothing lacking here 😄!


----------



## iFi audio

jonathan c said:


> Another stellar duet involving GL-II+. There is nothing lacking here 😄!



Where's your MZ2  ?


----------



## jonathan c

iFi audio said:


> Where's your MZ2  ?


MZ3 is on the shelf section next to it. HPA rotation _chez moi…_


----------



## richardloh

jonathan c said:


> Another stellar duet involving GL-II+. There is nothing lacking here 😄!


Nay ... you need to change your headphone to mine if you can ever find one 😜


----------



## richardloh (Jul 15, 2022)

Hey Jonathon, bad joke 🙏🙏 but needed the stage to show off my rare Grado headphones since you oso has it ☺☺ 🙏🙏


----------



## iFi audio

jonathan c said:


> MZ3 is on the shelf section next to it. HPA rotation _chez moi…_


OK, fair enough


----------



## Maelob (Aug 5, 2022)

jonathan c said:


> •  GL-II+ handles itself extremely well vs LTA-MZ3. The latter obviously has immense detail, inert backgrounds, impeccable rendition of ambience and space: it is $3700+ (US) vs $750 (US) for GL-II+.
> •  What I hear in GL-II+ that I hear in LTA-MZ3 is: even tone, great dynamics, natural transients and decay, and a very light touch of sweetness. Overall, GL-II+ does not sound overtly ‘solid state’ and LTA-MZ3 does not sound overtly ‘tube’. That last part, though, can be altered by tube choice.
> •  I do switch everything off after evening sessions. Below, in a comparison about which I have been curious…EDIT: I prefer to have the GR above the GL-II since the GR has the vent holes & generates more heat.


Thinking of adding a GL 2 to supplement my LTA-Z10 with Sony Z1R, I love the LTA with my ZMF Verite, but with the more sensitive Z1R i dont like it as much because of the higher noise floor.


----------



## tezla7

Hey folks,

A second hand GS-X mini turned up for sale, which is rare where I am.  I'm more than happy with my GLMK2+GRPS, but, you know how it is!
Anyone have or had both and have some thoughts on comparisons?

This has been commented on a few pages back https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gilmore-lite-amp-owners-unite.478785/page-39 but just wondered if anyone had some more thoughts as the two opinions back then are quite different.


----------



## Charente (Aug 20, 2022)

It might be useful to hear from HeadAmp for their take on how the GLMk2 and GSX-Mini compares, at least on a technical level for the single-ended part of that amp. It must be close on a sound quality basis IMO ... but I'm guessing.

I imagine the main reason to get the GSX-Mini is to have a balanced input/output. Personally, I don't 'need' that ... the output from my Chord Qutest is single-ended and the GLMk2 sounds absolutely fine with that ... in fact it's a very good match to my ears.

However, if you can get a good second-hand GSX-Mini at a reasonable price might be an attractive proposition ... even just for the aesthetics and build quality.


----------



## jonathan c

My _only _criticism about the Gilmore Lite Mk II + Golden Reference p/s/u has to do with the Golden Reference. If only it had an on/off toggle switch on the back! 🤷🏻‍♂️


----------



## Zachik

jonathan c said:


> My _only _criticism about the Gilmore Lite Mk II + Golden Reference p/s/u has to do with the Golden Reference. If only it had an on/off toggle switch on the back! 🤷🏻‍♂️


+1


----------



## tezla7

jonathan c said:


> My _only _criticism about the Gilmore Lite Mk II + Golden Reference p/s/u has to do with the Golden Reference. If only it had an on/off toggle switch on the back! 🤷🏻‍♂️





Zachik said:


> +1


+2
Yeah that's my only criticism too.  Which to be fair- is pretty high praise really all things considered.  I unplug the power cable at the back sometimes, which just seems silly but necessary.  Wish I knew how much power it uses in standby.  I'm sure it's not much, but it's still enough that I can feel some warmth from the chassis.  I wonder if the always on aspect of the GRPS is the reason why it sounds great when I turn it on.  Can't say I've ever noticed a huge difference cold vs after long warm up.


----------



## Charente

jonathan c said:


> My _only _criticism about the Gilmore Lite Mk II + Golden Reference p/s/u has to do with the Golden Reference. If only it had an on/off toggle switch on the back! 🤷🏻‍♂️


I can only think that the absence of an on/off switch is because it is meant to be on all the time for some technical (and ultimately sonic) reasons ... thermal stability ??  Although if the GLMk2 is not kept on all the time as well, I don't quite understand why it would make a difference.

Same with my Chord Qutest ... it has no on/off switch either.


----------



## jonathan c

Charente said:


> I can only think that the absence of an on/off switch is because it is meant to be on all the time for some technical (and ultimately sonic) reasons ... thermal stability ??  Although if the GLMk2 is not kept on all the time as well, I don't quite understand why it would make a difference.
> 
> Same with my Chord Qutest ... it has no on/off switch either.


I often have two h/p/a on the top of my audio ‘pyramid’ and have both plugged into a power conditioner (at the pyramid base). If I _want_ a h/p/a on, I can turn that one on without fussing with power cords…😠


----------



## Zachik

jonathan c said:


> I often have two h/p/a on the top of my audio ‘pyramid’ and have both plugged into a power conditioner (at the pyramid base). If I _want_ a h/p/a on, I can turn that one on without fussing with power cords…😠


I have several amps living in a rack, and the GLMK2 to be honest is not getting a lot of usage (but the LPS is always on...)


----------



## tezla7

Thought I would add this.  I recently put in a decent power conditioner with DC blocking.  GR PSU is now running much much cooler in operation, and barely any heat whatsoever when amp is switched off.  I don't actually know whether the GR PSU is a linear PSU, I always thought it was a high quality switch mode.  I know power conditioning is a can of worms but, fact is- now the PSU runs a lot lot cooler both in operation and practically cold when amp off.  Now I don't care as much that I can't switch off the PSU completely because it's not warm anymore, it's virtually cold when amp off.


----------



## iFi audio

tezla7 said:


> I know power conditioning is a can of worms but, fact is



It is, but can make a very noticeable difference still


----------



## tezla7

iFi audio said:


> It is, but can make a very noticeable difference still


Did you open the worms or did I? 

I'll bet manufacturers go to extraordinary lengths to standardise things and to have as neutral baselines as possible.  I'm sure they have to.  My twenty years as an audio enthusiast have left me with the conclusion that everything makes a difference- but is that difference audible to me, and if it is, is it worth (can I afford) the £ for that difference?  Oh and- the behaviour of electricity can be super weird.  And humans have much more sensitive hearing than our vision, I remember Tony Andrews of Funktion One talking about that.

I was watching a video of someone review a class-A headphone amp last night and they talked about how it got really hot in operation.  Then I thought,

_"I wonder if they are using a power conditioner and what power conditioner they are using, if it blocks DC, and if they have DC on their AC saturating the LPS."_

Then I thought,

_"if they haven't rectified that, then it that amp could probably run cooler, and when I rectified it, it changed the sound signature to be slightly more lean (cleaner bass), more dynamic, clearer, bigger soundstage, better decay, increased resolution..."_

I also think it would be interesting if reviewers disclose their hearing profile- their auditory bias.
I have tinnitus (from a notorious sound system that will remain unnamed) so I have my ears tested every now and again to check they're still working.  They're still working like a teenager's, so that's nice.  But I do have a peak in sensitivity in the 4K region, which explains perfectly why I need to turn that region down or it hurts, and/or pick equipment that dips in that area.  The audiologist had a graphic on her computer showing the results.  Red line is my hearing, shaded area is average apparently.  Not sure how insightful the image is for me as a layperson, next time I'll try and get a better image with proper labels on the graph and/or ask what it means but, I find it interesting.






Maybe we might ponder this when listening to reviewers.  What is their hearing profile and what about their mains power?  Because if they're not using mains conditioning to review components then that's not standardised either as everyone has "different" mains power.  I'm sure the seasoned veteran reviewers can easily answer this but even they don't always readily share this to my knowledge.  And so I've bought gear that was highly recommended by veteran reviewers and hated it straight away because it was too bright.

But just to try and put some worms back in the can with a disclaimer- these are my personal experiences based on listening to my equipment in my home that does objectively have poor quality mains as proven by _the difference_ that I hear in my equipment when having installed a high quality mains conditioner with DC blocking.  Your mileage may vary.

Oh and, I watched a video about iFi recently and I didn't realise that you folks now have a head office about 30 miles from where I live in Yorkshire!  I like you folks even more now.


----------



## Charente (Nov 15, 2022)

tezla7 said:


> Thought I would add this.  I recently put in a decent power conditioner with DC blocking.  GR PSU is now running much much cooler in operation, and barely any heat whatsoever when amp is switched off.  I don't actually know whether the GR PSU is a linear PSU, I always thought it was a high quality switch mode.  I know power conditioning is a can of worms but, fact is- now the PSU runs a lot lot cooler both in operation and practically cold when amp off.  Now I don't care as much that I can't switch off the PSU completely because it's not warm anymore, it's virtually cold when amp off.


I simply use an isolating transformer ... some 'conditioners' may actually introduce noise into the mains.

My understanding is that the GR PSU IS a high quality switching type. Linear is not always best.


----------



## iFi audio

tezla7 said:


> Did you open the worms or did I?



I have no idea, but it's too late now 



tezla7 said:


> Because if they're not using mains conditioning to review components then that's not standardised either as everyone has "different" mains power.



Many reviewers actually don't use conditioners at all and rely solely on passive power bars. But the interesting thing about power distributors/regenerators/conditioners is that they improve sound in a way that doesn't change it at its core. We get essentially the same sound profile, but better.



tezla7 said:


> Oh and, I watched a video about iFi recently and I didn't realise that you folks now have a head office about 30 miles from where I live in Yorkshire! I like you folks even more now.



Thanks


----------

