Is this a Poor Man's Schiit Bifrost 2? The Geshelli J2 DAC Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- Geshelli Labs J2 DAC bit.ly/3l9ND4b
J2 Purchase bit.ly/3l9ND4b
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Recommended Speaker List
Around $100 (These prices will fluctuate between $75 - $150)
Sony SSCS5 - Lively amzn.to/3pZNnGk
Pioneer AJ First Gen - Laid Back
Neumi BS5 -Neutral amzn.to/3q0SR3B
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ - Crystal Clear and Punchy emotiva.com?aff=9
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Klipsch RP600M - Neutral amzn.to/3pBoXCf (This speaker’s price can fluctuate between $440-630 which is really dumb)
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Around $500
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Around $600
Elac Uni-Fi UB5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/3s3srPG
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Aperion Novus - Neutral and probably the best desktop speaker one can get $599 bit.ly/2Q1H9rW
Aperion Novus Open Box $449 bit.ly/3us8zGx
Wharfedale Diamonds Lush and Detailed amzn.to/3aBAso0 Come as singles
Recommended Amp List
Under $100
Aiyima A07 - Neutral and Full amzn.to/3g9YLNf
Around $130
SMSL AD18 - DAC/Amp Lively on top but solid tone controls amzn.to/3rVZxkN
SMSL SA300 $140 amzn.to/3u83oLs
Around $250
SMSL DA-9 Balanced Amp amzn.to/34SdbLs
Around $400
Emotiva TA-100 - DAC, Phono Stage, Pre Outs - Balanced and Tasty emotiva.com?aff=9
Vista Audio Spark www.vista-audio...
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Ifi Zen DAC amzn.to/2T3wuyY
FX D01 amzn.to/3d9GY6U
SMSL SU8s amzn.to/2SWTGiw
Denafrips Ares 2 www.denafrips....
Subs
Emotiva SE8 emotiva.com?aff=9
Emotiva SE12 emotiva.com?aff=9
SVS SB1000 Pro bit.ly/3scmwsc
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Ok so riddle me this. Asking for a friend. Say your ok with Bifrost price, what do you pick? Knowing that a lot of my digital collection sounds digital and prefer a analog sound. Like the idea of Made in US of A, and already own a Modi multi bit.
Keep up the good work Chief Audioman!
@@todddonaldson2822 they’re both fantastic. If it was my money I’m buying the geshelli
Bought it. Playing through my crown xls 1002 (I am not crazy about this amp) and holy cow. Best DAC I have tried with it.
Using USB out of my note 9 running qobuz premium into this dac and XLR into the crown.....I'm actually blown away at how good this combo sounds. I look forward to trying it with my other Class AB amps when I have more time.
I seriously can't justify spending more on a Dac. I have several Dacs to include SMSL m400, Loxjie 50, tried Pegasus and this may be the ticket. The only odd thing is limited volume.
It gets loud enough but its not a hot signal. Soundwise / Price this is as big of a gem as the Aimiya 07...
Thanks Randy!!
@@ufarkingicehole weird. I assume you’re running it balanced. I think you can change the input sensitivity on that crown. That may get it going.
@@cheapaudioman you are 100% correct.. I actually did and it helped a bit.
This DAC is amazing. The imaging is really holographic. I was seriously thinking of selling this crown for peanuts but the word synergy comes to mind. Is the Ares 2 really "better" than this Geshelli J2 in your humble opinion because this cheap DAC is blowing my mind. Another cheap audio man Gem!!!
I just looked up Geshelli. They are from the Space Coast. It makes sense. There are a lot of engineers there. They also appear to be after an old school non-digital sound. It's not by accident.
Great review! Randy, you and I have already spoken. I'm kinda writing this for everyone else. Hope that is okay. I also recently purchased a J2. I was waffling between a Bifrost 2 or Denafrips Ares II. While continuing to search, I found Geshelli Labs, practically in my back yard. After viewing other positive reviews, but written and video, I contacted them. Let me just clearly state, Geno and Sherri are just awesome. Just Awesome! As far as the product, this is my fifth DAC, and it crushes all those before it. No questions. And, which is really cool, I have one-off finish and cover plates. Again, it sounds absolutely wonderful, made in the USA, and great people to deal with. Thanks.
Thanks for writing this. I have a couple of Schiit Dacs (Modi & Modius) but I think I really want a Bifrost. Now I am wondering ... kinda blown away by all this
...like in too good to be true (for the money)
Is it multibit or R2R ladder DAC? Sounds like just a Sabre delta sigma chip.
Sounds like my kind of DAC! Any piece of equipment that gets out of the way - and lets the music be front and center - is a great thing!
What a coincidence, I just got my J2 yesterday. Very happy with it so far. Geshelli Labs is a great company. Their Archel2 GMR headphone amp is awesome too!
Great review Randy. I bought this Geshelli DAC awhile ago and can't agree more with your review. I love it and Geshelli has great customer service. I want to get another one for my main PC. I want to try one paired with one of the headphone amps. Hopefully you will do a review of one of their headphone amps as well. I will always support a US company and Geshelli is a great small US company I will continue to support. I'm jealous I didn't get a t-shirt now I want one to advertise for them. Thanks again for the great content Randy.
I miss the camera not focusing on the items you are trying to show ;) aside from jokes, production quality has gone up! Keep it up
I know , the new professional Randy kinda lost some of the charm lol
@@DocBrewskie at least we can see his fake sponsors better...
“This what I think analog sound like”, fair description. The design is something Philippe Starck might do, just fun.
I just dropped $250 on this on your reccomendation. Bought the MT-34 push pull tube amp also on your reccomendation. Listening to you is becoming expensive....but I love the way the stereo sounds.
Just took delivery a couple of days ago. Have it plugged into a bluesound node 2i feeding Rega Brio and into a pair of unifi reference bookies. Sounds great.
I have 2 Schiit Modi 3+'s on my Cambridge amps and my Arcam SA10 has an internal ESS9016K2M. They both sound great, there is simply no need to spend a fortune on a DAC, a nice basic DAC from a decent company is all that you need.
Really ? Someone told me big difference between 100 and 500 dollar DAC .. also amp .. but maybe sound is subjective
@@rajendrabiswas a $100 DAC is already good like Modi+ since it provides clean sound output... comparing to $500 it might not have a HUGE difference, but slightly. They said it's more expensive due to multiple input.
Your sponsors are ALWAYS funnu...don't stop!
Loved the review, never heard of Gheshelli at all. I will definitely look them up. Thanks again.
Big improvement from your first review. You look much happier and jolly. Keep it up man.
Well after over 300 videos I hope they’re better, my man. Thanks so much for watching from the beginning
I really like mine, can’t wait to see what else they make. Thanks Randy.
I found the Schiit Modius light in the mid frequencies and the Bifrost 2 cool and muddled, unable to keep up with the dynamic swings in orchestral music.
I enjoyed the Ifi Zen dac, but the soundstage was rather compressed. I bought another dac based on the Burr Brown chip, the Lake People RS-06, and it is very neutral with a good soundstage. But I wanted something with a bit more natural sweetness, so I'm now enjoying very much the Topping D70s.
So, there are many choices out there. Each of us knows what he or she is looking for. We just have to keep looking until we find it. Thank heaven there is ebay and Amazon return to unclutter our shelves.
Thanks Randy that was a great review of a the Geshelli J2 DAC. I am really happy to see that this competes with much more expensive DAC's at a price point that I can deal with. Too bad you have to have a disclaimer about your joking about sponsors.
Judging by the smile and good mood id say someone was up to making a little music of their own this morning! lol.
Thanks for all you do sir - Would love to see a comparison between the Modi Multi bit and the Geshelli J2 using loudspeakers!
Very cool, never heard of Geshelli. But I have now. Love to see a photo of your headphone rig by the nightstand. Have a great day.
Thanks Randy! You make me wish I needed a new DAC. 👍😆
I think I just found my DAC upgrade. Thanks Randy!
I am listening to this via my enog2 pro and I've had it for years and I personally think geshelli makes products that never disappoint.
I am glad you are always entertaining and pinpoint about the items you review. It's great when we don't get a sales pitch during a post. That's good stuff.
Appreciate it
So I just got my J2. Until now I have been using the dac in my Onkyo or the one on the Wiim mini I got last week. Let me tell you, the difference is not subtle. OMG. I thought my system sounded good before. I thought it imaged well and was clear. I had no clew how much better it could be. Believe Randy when says dacs make a difference!
Which chip did you choose
I bought the J2 and it was delivered yesterday. (replacing the Cambridge Dac Magic 100) Sound was noticeably better immediately, in almost every way. There's just more depth in every aspect. Hopefully I feel the same way in a month.
Which CHIP did it have?
I am planning to get one for meself. Does the enjoyment still holds up until today?
@@aldrinkinny At 1:45, the Sabre ES9026Pro. It is actually the one that Sherri at Geshelli likes for it's instrument-forward sound.
Hey Randy, I'm a new subscriber but started watching your reviews about a month ago. I was initially attracted by your "mission statement" and have been continually drawn back by your great reviews. This one, in particular, was of huge interest to me. I've watched your DAC reviews with great enthusiasm as I was in the market to find a DAC that would complement my new investment from IOTAVX (S3 and P3) and Buchardt (S400 Mk2). But before I made a decision on the DAC, I watched your review of Streamers. I was heavily leaning towards the IFI Zen Streamer but then watched your review on the Bluenote Node (2021). So, I bought it!! Now, back to the DAC. I narrowed it down to two DACs, the Schiit Bifrost 2 and the Denafrips. I was on the fence because of the cost. I very much agreed with your and other reviewers comments about the difference between the Denafrips and the Schiit. When you said that the Bifrost fell in the middle between the Denaprips and the Topping D90, I knew that was the sound I was looking for. So, I purchased one. Then I see your review on the Geshelli... I still think I got a great DAC in the Bifrost. But it would have been nice to only have to pay half the price to get the sound I wanted.
I am interested in the Bifrost 2. What are your experiences. What stands out?
Cant go wrong with Schiit regardless!
I love the fact that you have to explain that sponsors are fake every now and then. It makes me laugh almost as much as the sponsor messages. This message was brought to you by the letter K and Sith Audio chocolate motor cycle helmets.
Some people still don’t get the jokes so I have to make sure to let folks know that I’m not sponsored by Shark Week
@@cheapaudioman shark week, when you absolutely must lose a limb.
God, I love ur videos as they give me great audio info and totally crack me up! Good stuff! :)
Just placed my order. Thanks for the recommendation!
Oh man, I wish I had seen this before I bought the Cambridge Audio DACMagic. While it's a good DAC, I put my Modi back in place after about a month of using the Cambridge. The Modi really IS a clean DAC and you can't beat the price. I would LOVE to try the Geshelli J2, but it's gonna have to wait for a while. Something tells me that I would much prefer the sound of the J2 over the DACMagic. Plus the J2 has pulsing lights and it's made in the US! How cool is that. :)
O love my Modi, but this is orders of magnitude better. Best Money I have spent on my system.
@@christopherhachet8204 When I pay my credit card down a little more I'm going to check this out myself. I'm greatly looking forward to it. :)
@@AlarusOne I like owning music, and some things are only available on CD and not vinyl. With the Geshelli, I get 95 % of the vinyl sound (analog) with CD's. It's unreal.
@@AlarusOne You will be a happy listener!
Hey my neighbors on either side are Weyland and Yutani! Love your shirt and the review, thanks!
Here at Randy's Hi-Fi. Man it looks like Circuit City back there. Love the review. Thanks again. And zero Hate. Truth is all.
It would go great with my Antec Lanboy computer case from 2003.
With an Athlon XP and a Radeon 9700 pro to play Half-life 2.
Good to note that just because a manufacturer uses a "new" DAC chip doesn't automatically make their device any better. Many brands such as Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, and others use DAC chips dating back to 2013 or so and they sound just fine.
Hello from Canada!!! And yes, we do fix them houses in Canada!!!)))
Woot! I've been waiting for this review!!
WEYLAND YUTANI!!! Building better worlds… Randy, thanks for the review. I ordered an AKM version yesterday. I know they are on backlog from last year. Hopefully the wait won’t be too long.
You just convinced me to buy one. Been going round and round for ages with dacs. Just sent a Topping D50s back meh
Love your shirt!
Great video and sure looks like a great company! Thanks for introducing them!
LOL I love this direction because the Bifrost was the “poor” audiophile’s choice and now we have one for even poorer audiophiles! I have the Geshelli Archel amp and love it
I love my J2
That's an excellent tshirt! I have that patch on my photography backpack.
Awesome review, this is the kinda thing I tune in for
Ordered one 11.23.21 in boring basic black. :)
You can get it without the LEDs if you message/email them and request it without them
Everything about your videos rock, or classical however you want to perceive it, great great review good Friday morning to you sir, I like the thoughts and sound of this product I am interested in learning more so I may have to get this item
Sold... looking forward to checking this out
He sold me also.
@@christopherhachet8204 what colors did you go with? I went purple and this funky green
Irony of ironies I almost went exact same but in the end I did purple/clear.
I listen to a lot of music at night in a room by cancle light. This lit up with my Mt- 34 Tube amp, vintage silver face Yamaha Tuner, should look fantastic.
@@christopherhachet8204 cool man. I hope to hear your thoughts after you have a little break in.
@@christopherhachet8204 Holy cow... haven't had a ton of time screwing with it but using USB c out to USB into the Dac with balanced cables into my crown xls 1002 ..... wow
I don't even like the crown that much but this does something to the class D sound that makes it sound better than ever before. I have several dacs from a few hundred to $1k. This may be my favorite DAC thus far
Did i ever mention that i like ur fake sponsors a lot? 😂 as well as i like ur videos 😀. U are funny guy 👍
Would this be a good step-up from a JDS Labs Atom? Would be paired with the Sundara.
Thanks for all you do Randy! Please keep up with the sponsors, they are always amazing! Some people don’t get it and that’s OK. HaHa
Nice to have a USA made excellent DAC. Take a break from the Chinese DAC of the week.
This is singularly the best upgrade to the system.
great review, as expected from you, Randy 👍👍👍 do you think the Geshelli DAC could improve the sound of a Bluesound node 2i streamer using its digital out (into the Geshelli) vs. the not too bad DAC inside the Bluesound? cheers😃✌️
I have both. A good DAC definitely helps the Bluesound node 2i. Reviewers said the DAC in the Node 2i is pretty good, but when I plugged in a Soncoz $199 DAC, it sounded WAY better. I swapped in the Geshelli and it sounded even better than the Soncoz. I would definitely do it if given the choice. Even a $100 Sanskrit makes it sound a lot better.
The DAC market seems to be racing to the bottom of the price range.. It's all good because a lot of them are using the same chip sets. When they all start sounding so much alike that the differences can't be perceived, then it's the color of the lights inside, the aesthetic that becomes the deciding factor for a lot of audiophiles who tend to listen as much with their eyes as they do with their ears. I would buy one of these but I'm saving up several thousand dollars in order to buy super power and speaker cables for my rig .
Indeed. DAC chips have been around since the 1970s, finding their way into CD players in the 1980s. That's been a few years for manufacturers and engineers to develop and tweak to no end. After achieving the performance they want most of the rest of the push is figuring out ways to make them cheaper, not "better". Chips developed and made 10 years ago can and do sound fine when implemented well.
Hopefully the dust will settle on all these "high end" DAC devices much as has 4K TVs. Yeah, yeah, OLED might still be king in that regard but other have caught up and offer crazy sized TVs with outstanding picture quality relatively cheap compared to just a few years ago.
I suspect at some point spending $100 to $300 on a DAC will be sufficient for anyone running a stereo rig costing less than $10,000 and even then, their ears might not be able to tell much difference.
I just wish CD player makers would offer digital INPUTs and a switch, so we could use the decent (or even really good) INTERNAL built-in DAC inside them instead of having to mess with buying all these external devices in the first place. Or start offering them in good preamps or integrated receivers and just be done with it.
Do I want my stereo flashing at me? Why yes!
Love your beautiful humour
Yesss, I like it cheap.
(I am Dutch)
Been streaming through Node 2i for a while now. But just rehooked the Geshelli JNOG into it and wow! Forgot how much of a difference that DAC makes.
How does this compare to the Dragonfly Cobalt in sound quality? Both chips are 32-bit with similar dynamic range. Cobalt is 2-Channel, Geshelli is 8-Channel.
Hi Randy, did you test for any audible difference between the outputs (RCA vs Balanced)? I noticed someone claiming the RCA is noticably inferior on this device. I'm interested in buying one of these, but I'd only be using the RCA's. Thanks!
Love the Weyland-Yutani shirt!
Live every week like it's shark week.
-tracy Morgan
I would *totally* watch a program in which identical-twin Canadians give up house-building to study sharks.
I have the original JNOG. I have compared it to a few other moderately priced DACs and I like the JNOG the best for sound quality. I do miss not having a usb and blue tooth connection on this DAC. I might get the upgraded version with usb.
Hi. If you want, you can send yours in for the upgrade. All you would pay is round trip shipping and the price of $49.99 for the Amanero USB.
@@sherrigeshelli7906I purchased the J2 with aluminum case. Kind of regret not buying a wood case. Can I purchase a wood case after the fact?
Please O please review the Geshelli J3!
Got my t-shirt Randy. Cool vids
Hey Randy, thanks for another great review! How does this compare to the similarly priced SU-8s? Beyond the fact that the Geshelli is perhaps fuller, which do think is better overall?
Love the Weyland T-shirt
Thank you sir! I'm looking for a sabre DAC.
For a second I thought your sponsor is Weyland Corp.
hi, which chip option should i get?
Bifrost 2 is a completely discreet R2R dac. One can't compare it to a delta sigma dac using a mass available chip. Schiit Bifrost 2 sounds completely different. Am i wrong?
Randy, J2 or Denafrips Ares II
Good stuff Randy!
Nice shirt!
Hi Randy could review sometime in the future "cheap" speakers Bic venturi dv84 8"- woofer or dv64 6"- woofer
They aren't very good at all. High stars 🌟 on Amazon but its garbage. I even had a modified version and they sucked as well. I suppose if you never had many speakers to be able to compare them to, one may find them ok. A ton of better options at the same price point is out there
J2 or E50?
Atari, Schoolhouse Rock, and latchkey kids - Pong, Forever! Live your truth, Randy... live your truth! Lol!
Hey Randy, quick question - am I right in thinking Amazon Link ONLY does Amazon Music? You can't get Qobuz or Tidal or anything else (stuff on your NAS) through it can you? And even for Amazon Music, can it do the HD tracks without throttling?
There are also 3 chips to choose from. Which chip should one choose?
Hey Randy,
Awesome review. I’m considering getting this DAC to update my digital set up. I have the Emotiva TA 100 which I know you have a lot of experience with. My question is…would the JNOG be worth the money to upgrade from the DAC in the TA 100? I’m using a RPi and Andover SB for streaming. Thanks!
I have the Emotiva PT 100. The J2 is certainly an upgrade from that pre amps Dac.
Twins & Fins, I'd actually watch that
HELLO...wondering what you would recommend for a neutral sounding system Marantz integrated feeding BW Matrix speakers - Geshelli J2 or SMSL SU9N...looking for a full bodied large soundstage not overly analytical
Hi, hope you see this, would you get this Geshelli J2 or or the Schiit Modius? (for a xduoo mt604, sundara and a pair of JBL 305 monitors) which one you like more ?
Which chipset do you prefer?
Love Geshelli! I feel they've been flying under the radar for a while, yet I also know there are reviewers out there who use a lot of Geshelli in their home systems...that says a lot!
I have Geshelli's prior DAC iteration (JNOG...red case, smoke black faceplate...didn't go for the USB option). Great product. Great people. I think you have to pay quite a bit more to surpass what it gives you.
Do I wish they'd use a switch (like the Schitt Modi) for easier understanding of the input selection? Sure. Would it sound worse with a switch? I don't know. Is it a big deal to simply cycle through the lights until you get sound? No.
Do I like the Modi look better? Sure. But I have both, and the JNOG outperforms the Modi. (Couldn't tell any difference on my computer, but I could when I tried them both between the Bluesound Node 2i and B&K 507.)
And love your color choices! Clearly not chosen by Sith Audio. Totally agree that being able to choose your desired look is awesome.
When are you going to review the Geshelli Labs E2?
Does it have a remote so that it can be used with the A300? Or it there a balanced dac with sub out and a remote to use a 2.1 setup?
Have you tried the Khadas Tone Board? With an acrylic cover - looks quite similar to the J2 - doesn't have Optical In (only usb and coaxial) and no balanced out - uses ES9038Q2M
How does the Khadas sound? I like my Modi 3; just curious.
@@ericdaniel323 I was pleasantly surprised. I had my apprehensions - given that it was ultra-cheap and seemed to be more of a DIY thing than a DAC of consequence. I have had AKM DACs from SMSL, Topping and FiiO and was looking for a different sound. Didn't quite like the Burr Brown (iFi Zen Dac) - a bit too rolled off for my taste. So decided to try ESS next. Tried the EarMen Sparrow first (ESS9218Pro) - liked it - wanted to check out the more popular product in the family - ESS9038Q2M. Chose the Khadas (bought acrylic cover separately) before moving onto something more expensive like the Soncoz LA-QXD1 or Aune X1S Pro. And enjoyed it thoroughly - the sound has just the right level of detail and body that I prefer. Definitely worth a try - given the low cost - would suggest to buy the acrylic cover also - some enclosure needed I feel 😃
do you think Rob Delaney would consider playing you in one of your episodes?
I’m sure he’s busy
Is there a compelling difference between this and Topping E30 to upgrade?
Randy, Great review, as always. Do you know how Geshelli J2 compares in audio quality to the Schiit Modi Multibit. They are roughly the same price. I understand the Modi Multibit uses a similar topology as the Bifrost 2, without balanced outputs. I am looking for a lower priced dac (than the Bifrost 2) with roughly the same performance. Thanks for your assistance.
Good luck getting the Schiit. They're out of stock until at least December. I canceled my order and went with the J2. I'm very pleased so far.
@@rejean2744 I went with the J2 as well a couple of months ago. The sound has very analog like with no hint of harshness; the balanced outputs are also a plus. The J2 sound very nice coupled with my Schiit Feya S and Vidar. I ordered charcoal with blue glass that cosmetically works with the Schiit stuff.
I have the Topping D50S any thoughts on sound comparison and if this is an upgrade I should consider. Thanks anyone who chimes in.
To run from a phone, is there a cable that can go from the 3.5 to one of the spidf line ins?
I want to connect a pi4, running volumio, via usb, to the J2. The J2 is not in the list of DACs, does anyone know if this is possible?
Can I cord into this from an andriod phone seamlessly through optional USB port?
What did one farmer say to the other farmer?
How does it compare to the Modius?
The jnog 2 vs the modius?