DAC: Geshelli JNOG2 (AKM) [aka J2]

Never EVER make a purchase based on a single review.
Never EVER import a product where sending it back is not going to be cost effective.

Uh oh. The evidence below strongly indicates I don't take any notice of my own advice... :doh: :)

The current DAC in my system is, IMO, rather good (Denafrips Pontus II) but that little voice in the head keeps nattering away when it comes to hifi. A Denafrips Terminator Plus is hugely appealing but, barring a lottery win, there is no chance of that. So, in keeping with the theme of improbable (delusional) wishes, how about a dCS Lina (combo streamer / DAC)? On what planet does a streamer / DAC costing £5k(ish) more than the Terminator Plus even come into the equation when the TP isn't within budget? Planet Sim Hifi. I'd be fantastic at that game.

However... I've been toying with the idea of experimenting with "cheap" DACs for some time. All the usual suspects were tempting (e.g. Topping, SMSL, Gustard, Singxer et al) but, for reasons that currently elude me, I just didn't get the "feeling" to pull the trigger. Until now. Based on just one review. Importing from the USA.

Geshelli Labs JNOG2 (AKM version):
https://geshelli.com/product/jnog2/ [ES Sabre versions also available]

Interactive casing viewer / checker:
https://geshelli.com/product-viewer/


I went for the USB module (extra US $50) and White Oak wooden casing (extra US $50). Taking into account import duty / VAT etc, the cost overall delivered cost is likely to be roughly a quarter of the Pontus II. Had I stuck with the basic model (aluminium casing / no USB module), that would be roughly 1/7th.

A search for "Geshelli" produced zero hits on the forums so the following question is more in hope than expectation. Nevertheless, has anyone on the forums got any experience of any Geshelli products (especially DACS) and, if so, are there any observations you'd be happy to share.

Not much excites me nowadays but there is genuine eager anticipation for the J2 - the kid inside still lives (occasionally) :cool:

I take it you have read this (non subjective) review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/f...ced-dac.34811/

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Originally Posted by Barry

I take it you have read this (non subjective) review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/f...ced-dac.34811/

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Hi Barry... I hadn't seen the ASR info but it wouldn't have made any difference to the decision to purchase. Every now and again, I take a peek at the ASR site for mild entertainment but I have this novel approach to hi-fi components: listening to music, not lab results / numbers :)

To balance the books, here's a link to an entirely subjective (and very positive) review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbDI8OQP7s

The reviewer won't be everybody's cup of tea and, sometimes, I find him plain irritating. But, every now and again, something grabs my interest as was so for the J2.

Other online written reviews / user comments are mostly positive in terms of SQ but, as I have long since learnt, it's usually down to personal preference when it comes to audio character.

If I followed ASR as the sole basis for purchases, much of my setup would be regarded as distinctly less-than-great. However, the setup has been steady for a whole year and there is no inclination to make major changes. The J2 purchase is a one-off experiment - I will be truly astonished if it competes with the Pontus II despite the YT reviewer's enthusiasm for the J2. There is space in my second system for the J2, so it won't be a waste. If I don't like it, it should sell reasonably easily.

Whatever anyone's setup, happy listening all.

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Originally Posted by RockAddict

Hi Barry... I hadn't seen the ASR info but it wouldn't have made any difference to the decision to purchase. Every now and again, I take a peek at the ASR site for mild entertainment but I have this novel approach to hi-fi components: listening to music, not lab results / numbers :)

To balance the books, here's a link to an entirely subjective (and very positive) review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbDI8OQP7s

The reviewer won't be everybody's cup of tea and, sometimes, I find him plain irritating. But, every now and again, something grabs my interest as was so for the J2.

Other online written reviews / user comments are mostly positive in terms of SQ but, as I have long since learnt, it's usually down to personal preference when it comes to audio character.

If I followed ASR as the sole basis for purchases, much of my setup would be regarded as distinctly less-than-great. However, the setup has been steady for a whole year and there is no inclination to make major changes. The J2 purchase is a one-off experiment - I will be truly astonished if it competes with the Pontus II despite the YT reviewer's enthusiasm for the J2. There is space in my second system for the J2, so it won't be a waste. If I don't like it, it should sell reasonably easily.

Whatever anyone's setup, happy listening all.

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Hats off to you for trying something different These do look interesting and the novel approach of case customisation is appealing.

Might be tempted myself- shame there doesn't appear to be a UK-based company doing something similar.

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Originally Posted by RockAddict

Hi Barry... I hadn't seen the ASR info but it wouldn't have made any difference to the decision to purchase. Every now and again, I take a peek at the ASR site for mild entertainment but I have this novel approach to hi-fi components: listening to music, not lab results / numbers :)

To balance the books, here's a link to an entirely subjective (and very positive) review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbDI8OQP7s

The reviewer won't be everybody's cup of tea and, sometimes, I find him plain irritating. But, every now and again, something grabs my interest as was so for the J2.

Other online written reviews / user comments are mostly positive in terms of SQ but, as I have long since learnt, it's usually down to personal preference when it comes to audio character.

If I followed ASR as the sole basis for purchases, much of my setup would be regarded as distinctly less-than-great. However, the setup has been steady for a whole year and there is no inclination to make major changes. The J2 purchase is a one-off experiment - I will be truly astonished if it competes with the Pontus II despite the YT reviewer's enthusiasm for the J2. There is space in my second system for the J2, so it won't be a waste. If I don't like it, it should sell reasonably easily.

Whatever anyone's setup, happy listening all.

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Agreed - half of the test result graphs are meaningless to me. But on the other hand, subjective reviews are just that - subjective. So I would need to read several independent reviews to form some idea of what the device sounds like.

As you say, it's all down to personal preference.

@RockAddict did you ever make the decision to order one of these? Would be interested to hear your thoughts if you did.

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Originally Posted by VanDerGraaf

@RockAddict did you ever make the decision to order one of these? Would be interested to hear your thoughts if you did.

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Hi @VanderGraaf. I have now had the Geshelli J2 (AKM 4493 chip) for 3 weeks. Initial non-critical impressions are "promising" and I'm hoping to get some proper listening done over the next few weeks. The plan is to A/B the J2 with both the Denafrips Pontus II and, separately, the onboard DAC of the Bluesound Node 2i although cabling from the Node (to amp) will be different when tried on its own so it won't be a perfect test.

The A/Bs will be conducted with an Aiyima A07 (with Sparkos SS3602 op amps) instead of a Willsenton R8. Digressing somewhat but, IMO, the A07 is an amazingly good little amp (<£100; extra £160ish for the op amps).


For info should anyone be interested... Product cost (including wooden case and USB module) came to £345 (near enough) on the back of a very unfriendly exchange rate. The combined additional costs of import duty + FedEx handling charge + VAT came to £82. Total cost delivered = £427. The J2 is supplied with a 2-pin EU plug (useable with an adaptor) but I chose to purchase a made-for-purpose 3-pin UK plug - Geshelli kindly confirmed it was compatible.

I hear good things about the Geshelli DAC from that small boutique business.

The chaps are a couple of mavericks doing some interesting stuff. Should sound good built around the AKM chip?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RockAddict

Hi @VanderGraaf. I have now had the Geshelli J2 (AKM 4493 chip) for 3 weeks. Initial non-critical impressions are "promising" and I'm hoping to get some proper listening done over the next few weeks. The plan is to A/B the J2 with both the Denafrips Pontus II and, separately, the onboard DAC of the Bluesound Node 2i although cabling from the Node (to amp) will be different when tried on its own so it won't be a perfect test.

The A/Bs will be conducted with an Aiyima A07 (with Sparkos SS3602 op amps) instead of a Willsenton R8. Digressing somewhat but, IMO, the A07 is an amazingly good little amp (<£100; extra £160ish for the op amps).


For info should anyone be interested... Product cost (including wooden case and USB module) came to £345 (near enough) on the back of a very unfriendly exchange rate. The combined additional costs of import duty + FedEx handling charge + VAT came to £82. Total cost delivered = £427. The J2 is supplied with a 2-pin EU plug (useable with an adaptor) but I chose to purchase a made-for-purpose 3-pin UK plug - Geshelli kindly confirmed it was compatible.

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With the cost of living crisis and me being tight, I've been watching YouTube reviews by the cheapaudioman. Curious to hear how you're getting on with the Geshelli J2? I'm also interested in your opinion of the Aiyima A07. I bought a dirt cheap 2.1 TPA3116 amp board for my pc because It gets good reviews, and I wasn't too bothered about sound quality, but it's surprisingly good, and not at all what I thought a Class D amp would sound like. I assumed it would be a bit thin and analytical, but it's great.

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Originally Posted by fatmarley

With the cost of living crisis and me being tight, I've been watching YouTube reviews by the cheapaudioman. Curious to hear how you're getting on with the Geshelli J2? I'm also interested in your opinion of the Aiyima A07. I bought a dirt cheap 2.1 TPA3116 amp board for my pc because It gets good reviews, and I wasn't too bothered about sound quality, but it's surprisingly good, and not at all what I thought a Class D amp would sound like. I assumed it would be a bit thin and analytical, but it's great.

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My little TPA3116 amp is excellent.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barry

Agreed - half of the test result graphs are meaningless to me. But on the other hand, subjective reviews are just that - subjective. So I would need to read several independent reviews to form some idea of what the device sounds like.

As you say, it's all down to personal preference.

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It measures well in all of the tested areas, there's nothing there to indicate that it would overlay any sound of its own onto the recorded signal.

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Originally Posted by walpurgis

My little TPA3116 amp is excellent.

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Before I bought mine, I was searching this forum everywhere because I remember you recommended a cheap amp, and I had a feeling it might be a TPA3116 based one. It looks like I was right.

Am I right in thinking you prefer it to your Quad 306?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fatmarley

Before I bought mine, I was searching this forum everywhere because I remember you recommended a cheap amp, and I had a feeling it might be a TPA3116 based one. It looks like I was right.

Am I right in thinking you prefer it to your Quad 306?

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No, I like both. The 306 probably has the edge I think, but I've not directly compared them that I recall.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by walpurgis

No, I like both. The 306 probably has the edge I think, but I've not directly compared them that I recall.

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I haven't directly compared mine to the 306 either. The Aiyima A07 has the TPA3255 chip that's supposed to be even better than the TPA3116. It's certainly capable of producing a lot more power.

It's been several weeks but a series of events has meant a lot of things I might otherwise have done have been put on hold, including posting on forums. But, I haven't forgotten.

1) Geshelli JNOG2 (AKM chip) [DAC]
2) Aiyima A07 [power amp]

Geshelli... I had this in my system for a few weeks and listened to music as I normally would. After a few weeks the Pontus II was brought back into the system and that's when the differences became more apparent. Don't forget the price points of the two are very different (£427 late 2022 with my spec vs £1,900 as of 2021).

Long story short, the Geshelli is a perfectly decent DAC at that price point. It presents audio that is neither bright nor dull but there is a lack of subtlety that, to me, was emphasised when I'd brought back the Pontus. I also have a Bluesound Node 2i and, on balance, prefer music via its onboard DAC compared to the Geshelli. For me, that makes the Node much better value given it is primarily a streamer with a DAC tagged on for good measure. That said, the Node 2i has a build design flaw insofar as a couple of capacitors on the power supply board can get too hot resulting in a reduced life-span - easily replaceable but not ideal. Alternatively, there are aftermarket kits to replace the Node's original power supply - I got one so the capacitor issue won't affect me.

The Geshelli isn't a "bad" DAC at all but it doesn't produce the richness and depth of the audio immediately apparent when the Pontus was fired back up.

The basic Geshelli (i.e. standard case & no USB port) would have been £80 - £90 cheaper (£337 to £347, UK import). At current prices, the latest Node (3rd gen, "N130") is typically priced at £550 so the question is all down to VFM. IMO, if you're looking for a streamer and a DAC with a relatively limited budget, the Node is the way to go. If it's just a DAC, then there are several competitors to the Geshelli at the £350 to £450 price point and it's going to be down to personal preference in the context of functionality and audio character.

Would I buy the Geshelli again having now tried it? Never say never but it probably falls into the category of "...the search continues...". If it's already in your system and it's the only one you've got, you're not going to recoil in horror at what you hear but, IMO, you'd always be thinking there is something better out there for similar money or at least not much more money - whether or not there actually is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fatmarley

With the cost of living crisis and me being tight, I've been watching YouTube reviews by the cheapaudioman. Curious to hear how you're getting on with the Geshelli J2? I'm also interested in your opinion of the Aiyima A07. I bought a dirt cheap 2.1 TPA3116 amp board for my pc because It gets good reviews, and I wasn't too bothered about sound quality, but it's surprisingly good, and not at all what I thought a Class D amp would sound like. I assumed it would be a bit thin and analytical, but it's great.

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Aiyima A07... [with aftermarket upgrade of Sparkos SS3602 op amps (will need risers!)] I'm increasingly impressed by this and would happily suggest it to anyone on a limited budget, subject of course to how the audio character might or might not work for them. I kept the 32v / 5a adaptor that came with it and, so far, it's all been problem free (theoretically, the A07 can use an adaptor up to 48v / 10a). With a pair of speakers that are officially rated at 86dB sensitivity, the A07 is driving them to perfectly decent volumes without difficulty in a medium sized room. If you want earth shaking volume, try an aftermarket power adaptor with more oomph.

IMO, the A07 conveys music with clarity but without falling over into shrieky brightness and there is good representation across the frequency range. Bottom end is solid although, unsurprisingly, not quite as refined as with my Willsenton R8 valve amp. There is plenty of depth, height and width to the soundstage and imaging is more than decent with the A07.

Would I buy the A07 (plus the aftermarket upgrade) again having now tried it? Without hesitation. If circumstances changed and I had to part company from the much larger and heavier valve amp, I could live with the A07. I am definitely keeping it in any case; it's a very handy piece of kit to have as a spare (or to use until energy prices return to sane(r) levels!).

Nice reviews Rockaddict. Now I have a reference for the Geshelli.

Sounds like the Aiyima A07 really Is a bargain. I don't need another amp, but even so, it's still tempting at the price.

Just found this thread - possibly too late. My Geshelli Labs JNOG2 [J2S] arrives tomorrow! And I did buy it based on reviews, and I will not be able to return the unit easily.

I have however gone the cheap route, and did not select the USB option, nor the fancy wooden casework. So the price was only £233.98. I went for the socketed version of the DAC which explains the [J2S] designation. I choose the AKM chip since I'll then be able to compare that to the ESS chips in my Eversolo DMP-A6.

The socketed version is designed to let you change out the opamps used for the balanced and unbalanced outputs. Geshelli offer three options: TI OPA1656, TI OPA1612, or Sparkos Labs 3602. The pricing for these options range from $0 for the OPA1656 to $79 per opamp for the Sparkos. I already have quite a selection of opamps lying about from other projects, so I ordered the OPA1656. :) I even have a pair of Sparkos 3602s so I should be able to hear if they make a difference.

I also happen to have an Amanero USB module in the house, which is what Geshelli use, so I may try and get that installed as well.

It will be a fun project.

Just realised I think I've got an Aiyima A07 amp with upgraded power supply in a box under the bed I should dig it out at some point.

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Originally Posted by Desmo

Just found this thread - possibly too late. My Geshelli Labs JNOG2 [J2S] arrives tomorrow! And I did buy it based on reviews, and I will not be able to return the unit easily.

I have however gone the cheap route, and did not select the USB option, nor the fancy wooden casework. So the price was only £233.98. I went for the socketed version of the DAC which explains the [J2S] designation. I choose the AKM chip since I'll then be able to compare that to the ESS chips in my Eversolo DMP-A6.

The socketed version is designed to let you change out the opamps used for the balanced and unbalanced outputs. Geshelli offer three options: TI OPA1656, TI OPA1612, or Sparkos Labs 3602. The pricing for these options range from $0 for the OPA1656 to $79 per opamp for the Sparkos. I already have quite a selection of opamps lying about from other projects, so I ordered the OPA1656. :) I even have a pair of Sparkos 3602s so I should be able to hear if they make a difference.

I also happen to have an Amanero USB module in the house, which is what Geshelli use, so I may try and get that installed as well.

It will be a fun project.

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I have been interested in the Geshelli Labs DAC for sometime with the AKM chip so will be interested to hear your findings.

I expect the Sparkos op amps may sound the best

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

I have been interested in the Geshelli Labs DAC for sometime with the AKM chip so will be interested to hear your findings.

I expect the Sparkos op amps may sound the best

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Well, initial impressions matched those of the Original Poster of this thread. Good DAC, but not outstanding. The addition of the Sparkos OpAmp certainly helped, but the further addition of a linear power supply really made a difference! Now I'm getting the power and depth of stage that I was hoping for. I only added the LPSU yesterday afternoon, so perhaps there's more to come but I'm happy with the Geshelli.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Desmo

Well, initial impressions matched those of the Original Poster of this thread. Good DAC, but not outstanding. The addition of the Sparkos OpAmp certainly helped, but the further addition of a linear power supply really made a difference! Now I'm getting the power and depth of stage that I was hoping for. I only added the LPSU yesterday afternoon, so perhaps there's more to come but I'm happy with the Geshelli.

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LPSU have always made a difference in my experience especially when used with DACS at the cheaper end of the market so not surprised you have had an uplift in performance. Another area to consider is to try and remove as much RFi or electrical noise away from the DAC with whatever means you can.

I experienced how significant this can effect any digital components the other day when I used a mains noise conditioner near my DAC / LPSU / DDC. However it certainly wasn't a budget item as it cost nearly the same price as my entire system!:eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Desmo

Well, initial impressions matched those of the Original Poster of this thread. Good DAC, but not outstanding. The addition of the Sparkos OpAmp certainly helped, but the further addition of a linear power supply really made a difference! Now I'm getting the power and depth of stage that I was hoping for. I only added the LPSU yesterday afternoon, so perhaps there's more to come but I'm happy with the Geshelli.

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I'd be interested to know the LPSU make / model / spec if you're happy to share.

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Originally Posted by RockAddict

I'd be interested to know the LPSU make / model / spec if you're happy to share.

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I used a 12v Chinese ZeroZone ultra low noise LPSU from ALIExpress - but, I see the same model is also available on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113191206...Bk9SR4aK28aqYg Delivery was pretty quick, and I did not have any unexpected delivery/import fees.

I chose that particular model for a number of reasons: physical size - it is a similar size to the Geshelli, the R-core transformer - I've always had good experience with this type, price :) and the 30W rating - more than enough juice!

Make sure to ask for a 5.5mm x 2.1mm plug on the DC cable.

Just seen a review of the Geshelli JNOG2 socketed AK4499EX with Sparkos Op amps. If and when I buy another DAC this will be top of the list.

I like the fact you can custom build this DAC and change OP amps and use better PSU to upgrade but I think I would just buy it with the Sparkos Op amps off the bat.