HeadAmp GS-X mini Impressions

What you are describing is perfectly normal behavior for the GSX-Mini. To my ears, the Mini gets noticeably more punchy when switching to high gain. I actually prefer my Focal Clear using high gain on the Mini but then I have very little adjustment range on the pot so I need to drop the output voltage on my Mojo 2 to compensate. Sometimes its a bit too much of a good thing though and it can start to bleed over into “fatiguing” territory.

The dynamic shift and subtle change in tonality is actually one of the things I really like about the Mini. I just see it as added flexibility rather than a flaw. If you prefer a smoother, less incisive presentation, you can get that in low gain.

The other nice thing about the Mini is is it’s transparency. It adds a subtle amount of warmth to upstream gear but the amp is still good a revealing tonal differences between DACs.

YMMV on this stuff but I’m still very happy with my Mini. Since it’s not a flavor of the month hype amp anymore, you can find them used for close to 50% off retail and they are absolutely worth it at that price. This amp never really caught on here and that’s probably because of the Kevin Gilmore factor to some degree. I could totally be wrong on that presumption though. Maybe it’s just because the Mini is really overpriced brand new, especially now that the MJ3 is in the picture.

 

Indeed, the difference between high and low gain, it's definitely there. Been running the Focal Elear lately, out of the balanced GS-X Mini output, in low gain I hear more separation in layering while in high gain layers kind of close the distance between them, increase in forwardness / punch.

Although what's layering and what's separation in what's being portrayed is kind of tricky to define, since it's an interplay of record composition, in terms of what part of the audible range each instrument plays, and how the brain interprets it.

I prefer low gain and cranked up volume pot. Especially with those, pre CD era, heavy metal records from the early '80s, that are so full in juicy layers of sound. Mid and late '80s CD releases were also mastered with decent dynamic range.

Btw, the same I notice happens with other solid state amps, I usually like low gain better with headphone under 150-100 Ohm.

 

I am really loving having this flexibility at the flick of a switch and a spin of the knob. Some tracks or albums are served really well by one or the other.

Yeah! I'm starting to think it's almost like High Gain is just a tiny bit v-shaped - the bottom takes a step forward, the highs maybe take a half step forward, and the mids kind of slink back a little quarter step or something. Low Gain is definitely a bit more delicate which but now it's the mid range that takes a step forward and somehow grows bigger and clearer but now I'm just killing this metaphor.

Sometimes, I think one works better than the other, but they both sound great and you can kinda choose your mood. With ASC - After Dark, High Gain lends an appropriate weight to the bottom end and that top end nudge balances it out, but then maybe you want to swirl out into space by switching to Low Gain and letting the mids surround you. On Monolord - Skyward, choose Low Gain to hold your lighter up and sway or choose High Gain to headbang a little bit. Up to you really.

Edit: I should add, the soundstage is also just a little wider with Low Gain

 

I've had my eye on this for a while and I was curious how well it works with a Utopia. I see the experiences here have been mostly with Clear, so I assume it's largely similar synergy-wise but perhaps someone with Utopia can share his experience?

A bit of background. My Utopia has been paired with a Luxman P1u and Bifrost 2 for quite some time now and I've been happy mostly. I know the GSX Mini is different (more transparent err bright rather than musical) but I wonder if it's worth switching. The Utopia is lovely with my current setup but having them for 3+ years now, I feel that it sounds a bit veiled and perhaps too musical at times? It's likely to be upgraditis lol but I wanted to see if I can extract a bit more from my Utopia using a solid state that isn't too pricey (I know the GSX is pricey already). Also adding the I really love the look of the GSX Mini.

Aside from the Utopia synergy, I also feel the P1u isn't as good in driving some orthos like the HE1000 and HE6SE V2 which I guess is the secondary reason why I'm looking towards the GSX Mini. Outside of those, I love the Luxman stuff. I'd probably get the P750u if it weren't so darn expensive.

 

The GS-X Mini is good but not great with the Utopia. I had the GS-X Mini before moving to the DSHA-3FN. The GS-X Mini is a fantastic amp in many ways. It paired well with several headphones, especially HD650 and HD800 and their respective JAR variants.

That said, it’s not an ideal match for the Utopia. First, I really think that the Utopia needs an amp like the DSHA-3FN or a big boy tube amp to fully remove the metallic timbre of the drivers. The GS-X Mini does not help in this regard.

Second, the GS-X Mini sounds better in high-gain mode, IMO. It’s much punchier in the macrodynamics and allows the microdynamics to shine. [I’m not just imagining this. I spoke with Spritzer (Birgir), one of the designers of the SuSy Dynalo mk2, and he confirmed that this circuit is optimized for the higher gain setting.] The problem here is that the Utopia has a high-sensitivity driver, and high gain leaves you little room on the volume control. Personally, I didn’t like the sound of the Utopia on low gain. It felt a little flat and took away the stunning dynamics that the Utopia is known for.

In short, stick with your Luxman amp if you’re happy. You already have a very nice amp. If and when you’re ready, go for one of the big boy amps. Otherwise, don’t fret about chasing the dragon.

 

I wasn't going to comment given that I haven't heard this amp, but my advice was going to be the same. Keep the Luxman amp, and maybe consider demoing a better DAC to compare to the Bifrost 2. Perhaps an Yggdrasil GS2 or Analog 2 would be more to your liking if you want to stay with Schiit, removing some veil and giving more resolution.

 

The P1u is from back in 2012, power specs are a bit vague but certainly does not look as optimized as the GS-X mini (Continuous power output: 2 W/8 Ω, 0.5 W/32 Ω).

I use the GS-X mini with the Utopia, from the single ended output, with a nice PEQ bass boost (foobar2k + MathAudio Headphone EQ component), it's as good as it gets. Only problem is one could probably get an equally satisfying amp for less money than the GS-X mini. Whatever the budget, in today's market, one is only spoiled for choice.

Some will swear this or that amp is best, but one should account for how limited most user experiences are and make their own research and experience to find out what works best.

Just be aware that one's brain is the biggest variable.