HeadAmp GS-X mini Impressions

I'm creating a thread for this amp because I think it's worthy of consideration if you are looking for a balanced, very powerful SS amp with a bit of warmth. I know the GS-X MK2 doesn't have many fans here but I feel that GS-X mini is a much more pleasant amp. I had a chance to demo one a few months ago and I was very very impressed. Justin's build quality is also top-notch.

I ordered my own unit a few days ago and it should be here by the end of the week. I will post more detailed impressions but I was curious if anyone else has heard this amp.

 

I’ve owned it briefly and but ultimately preferred the iFi Pro iCAN to for all headphones I tried with them. Headphones used were Utopia, Code-X, LCD-4 and Susvara.

 

I owned it too (as well as GS-X mk2, Bryston BHA-1, Cavalli Gold, Pass Labs HPA-1, SPL Phonitor E to name a few solid-state options in relative comparison). My primary reason of recent has been to find what sounds best for Code-X.

I liked the resolution of the GS-X mini. I liked the full-frequency sound and dynamics, which help to push the Code-X more than say HPA-1 or Phonitor. Ultimately I thought it was ever so slightly V-shaped (very slight at the highs and lows) with some grit in the highs. Even compared to the GS-X mk2, which was like sandpaper in the way too present highs, there was no grit - too much extra volume in the highs, but clean. GS-X mini was more slight emphasis (again, using the word very slight), but also a little grit. I enjoyed the emphatic lows of the GS-X mini (personal preference).

Not that it's cheap, I'm currently using McIntosh MHA-150.

 

It doesn’t sound like the mini is an ideal fit for my headphones which can be a little metallic in the upper registers. What about with something like an LCD-2?

 

Thank you for your impressions. Which DAC were you using with the gsx mini?

 

Bifrost 2 was available by then, so that's what I used. Took HPA-1, GS-X mini, BW2 and 3F to the meet (used a splitter to send XLR to both GS-X mini and 3F). Used both a DAP via COAX and laptop via Unison into the Bifrost 2. Some of the better ears at the event certainly helped to hone impressions, but I did not disagree. That was the last time I would listen to the McIntosh MHA-100 before purchase (it was fed from a B-serial Gungnir Multibit in another room at the event).

 

Although I'm probably just repeating myself from the Head-Fi thread, my updated impressions with the GS-X mini are:

• lush mids that is engaging with plenty of dynamics and body, and personally my favorite aspect of this amp
• upper mids/lower treble has a slight excess of energy that works well with headphones like my HD650, but often gets hot with something like my Focal Elex
• mid-bass hump is very tame but present, quite pleasing as I've never had it bleed into the sub-bass or lower mids but still adds a overall warmth to a sound while retaining clarity (unlike my experience with Violectric/Niimbus)
• upper treble seems to be heavily suppressed compared to the GS-X Mk2, which makes it sound more intimate and warm at the cost of losing that expansive "shimmer-ing" quality
• My preference of DAC pairings have been Chord Dave>ifi Pro iDSD>RME Adi-2>Matrix XSP>Gungnir A1 MB>Yggdrasil A2. (Only reason I have Yggdrasil low is because the pairing made it sound very forward and clustered, but with good tube amp like a DNA Stratus I would have it at top. YMMV ofc.)

Overall the amp has never wow'd me (like the GS-X Mk2 or LAu), but I've been consistently happy with using it to drive my HD650. I haven't tried the BW2 or BHA-1, but I preferred the Mini over the Phonitor X and V281, and also a substantial improvement over the Lite Mk2.

 

Initial impressions will be up early next week. Sorry for the delay. I had to go out of town for a few days because my father was having surgery to remove a hernia, which is pretty minor but still a little risky at his age.

The amp arrived last week but it's being held at the local FedEx. I changed my mind on the faceplate color and finish so I think that delayed things a bit. Some finishes are a special request and not listed on the order page.

 

HeadAmp GS-X Mini - Review



Introduction - This purchase came about because I was looking for a set it and forget it SS amp that would crush any upgraditis temptations. I'm getting married in a few months and I know any future gear acquisitions will require life partner approval ... so it's a buy now or wait till the kids are out of school and the house is paid off. Anyways, I've always had a thing for Justin's amps, aesthetically speaking. I know it's dumb but I'm a sucker for color choices. I wanted an amp that was fully balanced, had plenty of power for future headphones, and was relatively compact. The Mini checked all the boxes and it came in red.

Build Quality - Excellent. It's built like a tank. The anodizing is perfect. It's got a nice heft to it at 6 lbs. No complaints. Justin knows how to put together a really solid amplifier. The vent holes on the top are definitely needed. It's Class-A so the case can get very toasty.

Chain - Macbook Air ---> Schiit Bifrost 2 ---> Audio Envy XLR ---> HeadAmp GS-X Mini ---> DCA Aeon 2 Open / Focal Clear

Sound - This amplifier sounds very clean and neutral to my ears. It is fast, highly dynamic and the resolution is excellent. The staging was also quite good, especially in terms of stage depth. It did seem to add a bit of additional width to the soundstage of both the Aeon 2 and Focal Clear, compared to my recently sold Lake People RS08. The noise floor of the GS-X Mini is dead silent, I'm not hearing any background hiss even with the volume knob all the way up.

The tonality is pretty darn neutral but I do hear a hint of warmth that is pleasing. Sub-bass extension on both the Clear and the A2O was excellent. The mid-bass had great punch ... this amp can definitely slam. I have no complaints about the midrange. Instrument separation is also very good. The treble is maybe a smidge elevated but it is not fatiguing. Detail retrieval is up there with some of the best amps I've heard. Is the treble smooth? Hmm, well @sheldaze mentioned hearing a bit grain and grit in the treble and I can slightly hear it but only with the Focal Clear. That would make sense because the Clear is more resolving and less warm and smooth than the Aeon 2. Again, the treble grit is very, very slight and it only shows up in a few songs. I'll see if it goes away with some burn-in but it's not a big deal and the amp is still a keeper even if the slight treble grit remains.

The transient speed is fantastic. String plucks sound immediate and sharp and instrument decay is a noticeable improvement over the Lake People RS 08. I'm admittedly not great at describing instrument timbre but nothing sounded unnatural. Brass, stringed instruments, and percussion all sounded very life-like. I would even say that the Mini helped to alleviate the sense of "metallic-ness" that I sometimes heard in both the Clear and the Aeon. Maybe that was a characteristic of my now departed Lake People. The amp has plenty of power for my purposes. If I recall correctly, it puts out about 4W into 50 ohms. Both my headphones were tested on low gain to have more volume range.

I was worried that the Clear would be too bright with the Mini and would require some Roon EQ tweaking but that wasn't the case. The Clear is still a very hyper-focused, detail-rich headphone that can fatigue after a few hours and the Mini didn't really eliminate these characteristics. However, the Mini's superb dynamic's allowed me to lower the volume with the Clear a bit and extend my listening sessions.

The Aeon 2 wasn't as immediately impressive with the Mini as the Clear was but I still think that the two paired well together. The Aeon has always sounded a bit too warm and boxed in but the HeadAmp Mini did alleviate these issues to some extent. The stage width and depth did open up a bit for sure. The Mini's detail-rich treble also increased the perception of clarity in the Aeon 2.

Conclusion - This amp is a keeper. In summary, it has a neutral tonality with a bit of pleasing warmth to take the edge off. It is punchy, fast, clean, highly detailed, and is very revealing of source components. The build quality is stellar and the color choices make the buying experience feel more personal. I really love this thing and I think it will be in my headphone stable for a long time. The HeadAmp GS-X Mini gets two big thumbs up.

 

Nice write up. I have one as well. Satin Grey. That red one looks very nice.

Go Ducks, Go Gulls!

 

Please post some Mini impressions if you get a chance. I'm curious to hear what others think of this amp.

I used to go to Gulls games when I lived in San Diego. Miss the vibe. The Gulls of late have been more entertaining than the Ducks have been the last few years. It makes the NHL suck less painful.

 

I’ve been comparing the GS-X Mini to the Bryston BHA-1 for the past week or so. Figured I’d post a few comparative notes.

As I outlined with my brief impressions in the BHA thread, my headphones are the Clear, HD 650, and DT 1770 Pro, with most of my impressions with the Clear. DACs were the Bifrost 4490 with Gen 2 USB, and Gungnir Multibit A2 (new but warmed up) with Unison USB. Music includes classical (orchestral, piano, chamber, vocal), jazz (big-band), weebshit, synthwave, EDM, various pop/rock (too many to enumerate), all played over USB from foobar.

Compared to the BHA, the Mini has a slightly warm sound. The closest thing I can compare it to in my experience would be the DT 880 mids, in terms of the slight warmth, solidity, and tactility. The BHA is more neutral, though I would prefer to say less noticeably colored.

The overall extension, control, and impact of the bass is similar between both amps, but the Mini hits a bit harder in the mids due to the extra warmth. The BHA isn’t actually lacking in bass compared to the Mini. The difference in warmth falls more to the upper bass and mids.

The BHA has a bit of extra focus in the upper mids, especially in high gain and from balanced out, whereas the Mini is perhaps the slightest bit laid back. This is something of an educated guess on my part, since my target for “neutral” upper mids is probably more laid back than most would prefer.

Treble on the BHA is more transparent, at least in the top octave. With the Bifrost 4490, the Velvet Sound™ boosted highs and air were more apparent with the BHA than the Mini. Can’t say I noticed any particular issues with the treble on either amp, except they do not hold back in the case of bad recording or source.

The BHA is much faster than the Mini (not to say the Mini is slow by any means), with quick, zippy transients. The Mini is more snappy, but slower. Overall, the Mini falls slightly on the dry side compared to the BHA.

Soundstage on the Mini is somewhat flat, more wide than deep, compared to a more naturally deep stage on the BHA. However, moving from Bifrost to Gungnir closes the gap, giving the Mini additional depth. Imaging precision is about the same, with perhaps a small edge to the BHA in terms of instrument delineation and placement. Neither amp really does imaging, layering or holography like the Valhalla 2, though (the only tubes I’ve heard). This is the one area where the Valhalla is just straight up better than either SS amp. Tubes are good, confirmed.

Dynamics, detail, and low-level resolution are about on par between both amps. You could probably listen really carefully and pick out differences here and there, but I didn’t care enough to try. Neither amp seems to be near done scaling with the Gungnir MB, not that I have any way to verify this prediction.

Both amps seem quite transparent. Picking out differences between DACs was no trouble through either amp. Both sounded fairly hideous with the Bifrost, probably a combination of the 4490 chip and older USB input, though in different ways. The BHA was super upfront and fatiguing with an over-present top octave, while the Mini was sibilant, raspy, and too bassy. Dynamics and impact were lacking in both cases.

Where the Mini bests the BHA in my opinion is blackground and microdynamics. The BHA sounds more grayish (relative), whereas the Mini digs into the music more. Sounds emerge from total silence with more immediacy. The Mini can also stop on a dime, with sudden silences being especially well-delineated and pronounced. I get a better sense of texture from the Mini, though this may be assisted by the warmer tone.

Some negatives about the Mini. There’s some hiss on high gain through sensitive cans, as well as sound bleed with the volume pot all the way down, also on high gain. The volume pot isn’t as smooth, I assume because 4-gang instead of 2-gang like on the BHA. It doesn't have the BHA balance knob, which is a cool and under-rated feature.

Overall, I prefer the Mini, based on synergy with the rest of my chain, and my personal preferences. The slight warmth works well with Gungnir MB A2, and the Clear, that latter of which I find slightly too cool in the lower mids otherwise (not just out of Gungnir). There’s also something to be said for the aesthetics and ergonomics. Given I wanted something that would fit neatly on a desk, I’m glad I ended up preferring the Mini.

 

I had a very similar experience comparing both amps using the Ifi Pro iDSD, and HD650 and HE500 for headphones.

The only difference is I actually thought the volume pot (DACT) had a smoother gradient on the Mini.

For me, the BHA absolutely nailed it for me listening to classic jazz and female vocals, due to its slightly bigger staging and more natural sounding decay.
But the Mini came out ahead in electronic/pop music, due to the black-ground and slightly tighter bass.

 

@KaiserTK I have the Alps pot on the Mini. I believe the BHA has an Alps pot as well, but I'm not sure which model, come to think of it.

 

I like the GSX-Mini. I have one from the first production run. It's very neutral (compared to my tubed stuff) and its got enough juice to power my HiFiMAN HE6se. I use it with the HE6se for the most part, but occasionally with HD800S or my Focal Clears.

I have it running out of two DACs so I get a little different flavor from each. It's located in a cabinet, so I added an ACInfinity S6 fan to keep it cool. I contacted Justin from headamp on my find with the fan. He tested it and thought it was a good add. Inexpensive protection as far as I am concerned.

https://www.acinfinity.com/componen...ponent-cooling-blower-system-rear-exhaust-12/

DACT Volume control is smooth and the front panels switches and build are very high quality. Rear panel is also well organized. Typical Headamp quality.

In summary, plenty of juice, neutral sound, well built. I haven't seen many complaints on it and that is unusual in and of itself. A small proportion of people find fault in most products, even the best ones.

 

I have had the Mini for about 6 months, I had the chance to compare it to my RME ADI-2 (amp portion) and also to a tube amp from ampsandsound.... the Mini is the ONLY one which stayed from the above..... I find its sound inviting, musical and very enjoyable. I am now using it with a Denafrips Pontus (R2R) DAC..... highly recommended!!!.

 

Just out of curiosity, since this is a balanced amp I was curious if the SE out sounded gimped at all in comparison. Great impressions though, thanks to everyone.

 

I wouldn't say gimped but the balanced out did sound a little better to my ears. Could be confirmation bias.

 

I've had a GSX-Mini for about a year now, and it is my favorite headphone amp. It drives the Verité and Verité Closed with a nice even hand. I hear a touch of warmth and more sense of depth to the sound than with other solid state amps I've heard. There is a satisfying soundstage that allows the ZMF "3d" effect to do its thing. It doesn't quite have that spooky, tangible sense of space for each instrument that a great tube amp can give you, but it comes damn close.

I find it to have excellent resolution, but it retains a degree of smoothness that keeps it from being fatiguing. I'm sure there are more resolving amps for people who crave every last detail, but I'm really happy with the presentation.

In my system the background is absolutely dead silent, which is a huge plus for a lot of music. It's just nice to be able to play any genre of music through the Mini, without thinking twice about the equipment. Great all around amp.