I use the Stellia+Pxe as my home office headphone rig. (See Current Set-Up Pics - Official Picture Thread - #460 by cwichura for photo.) I have been very happy with the combination. I do not consider it sterile or harsh at all. The SPL headamps have a reputation for being pretty neutral to the source yet still “musical” (I hate that descriptive for head-fi stuff).
Of course, everyone is different, so the real solution is find a way to demo the SPL before purchasing, if you can. Or make sure the place you order from has an acceptable return policy.
The GS-X Mini has also been getting a lot of praise lately. I’ve never heard one, so can’t say if that’s the new-gear hypetrain or not. The SPLs are not hypetrain – they’ve been around a long time…