Perfect stack, as you have your Cool Whip on the top as “Toppings” should be! Lol 
Yea I know Lame post, but couldn’t resist 
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I wasn’t calculating anything, I was just throwing off large numbers and looking dumb doing it! 
Thank you for doing these comparisons. Those are two top tier amps. Few own both, and even fewer take the time to make thoughtful comparisons. Thank you!!!
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Levity is what the world needs these days 
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Absolutely 
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Just chilling out to with the D90 + Headamp + Rad-0 to some lovely Steve Ray Vaughn - Couldn’t Stand The Weather. Tin Pan Alley brings in a strong bass line rolling along with Stevie lay down only solo with clear separation over the top. Then there are the clean rhythms of the cymbals, feels like I am back at Antone’s
Jumping off now to Cat Power from Dark End of the Street album with HE-1000 SE on the combo above, It feels like I just slipped into Elephant Room siting up near the stage.
This is another nice DAC/AMP combo.
Greg
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Next Update
The DAC
- Chord Qutest drive all three amps vs. RCA running at 3 Volts output
The AMP
- Headamp GS-X mini
- SPL Phonitor x
- Monoprice THX 887 ( Tested Gain Level 1 & Level 2 ( helped give it more air but did not address bass and midrange lacking compared to the amps above) Level 2 became the default for comparisons
The Headphones
- Focal Stelia 1/4 Cable
- Hifiman HE-1000 SE XLR Cable
- Rosson Audio RAD-0 XLR Cable
The Songs
RAD-0 Songs
- Death Cab for Cutie "Passenger Seat Demo ( Demo )
- Separates the three amps - Death Cab for Cutie “To The Ground” open to wandering synth, then overlay hard-hitting snare and * kick drum. The GS-X mini just hit harder, more abundant in the mids and treble, it is vibrant rendering. Then next is Phointor X. It was still rich in detail, but drier in its rendering of the song. The trailing behind is the 887. It just feels thin even hollow compared to the two amps, weeker even with gain at Level 2.
- Death Cab for Cutie “Before The Bombs.” GS-X mini just stand out
- The Cure “Pictures of You” GS-x spoils you
- The Cure “Never Enough.” GS-x just pulled more detail through all frequencies, Phontor and 887 seamed compressed and a scooped in bellow the treble region.
- The Cars “Let the Good Time Roll” GS-X mini has greater stage instrument separation with RAD-0 over Phonitor x,
- The Cars “My Best Friend Girl.” Ok, I just keep going back to GS-X mini that says it all.
HE-1000SE Songs
- Grimes “Violence” GS-X Mini just hit harder, deeper faster, with more detail. More space and air. SPL sound veiled, even compressed and thin in comparison.
- Grimes 4/EM. Dito
With the Chord Qutest into Headamp GS-X mini, The Mini pulls all the detail out of what the DAC is feeding the amp, creating vibrant, rich in detail, very dynamic, full frequency, but not harsh rendering. - Grimes “Delete Forever” Lovely Acoustic Guitar open with simple female vocals, on Phonitor bass lacks detail, even little muddy in sections, it still hits hard.
- B-52s “Planet Claire”
- B-52s Rock Lobster GS-X and Phonitor x were closer this time, but GS-X mini still more open; THX feels like a set of overlapping bell curve distribution is set over frequencies.
- Bishop Bridges “River” GS-X is rich detail, crisp bass mid-range, and treble. This song a bit of dynamic range you have to render.
LCD-4 with Revel Plug-in ( LCD-4 mode) GS-X Mini was on Gain Low
- Bishop Bridges Wild Horses Here they are both very good in playback, On GS-X mini still feel more open with richer reverb and sense of space with better detail in the treble, and last breath at end of the song hit as she whispering with a deep breath in your left ear. is THX 887 not even in the same league as Phonitor X and GS-X mini
- The Cars “Moving in Stereo” Mini take the heat one more time, Phointor is drier. I am giving up on the THX,
- Gary Clark Jr Blak and Blu Open, Opening Kick drum, and snare are beautifully rendered with LCD-4 and GS-X mini, SPL is a bit softer in its bass presentation. Mini brings out more micro-detail
- Dusty Springfield “Son of Preacher Man”. Loving rich vocals and trumpet on LCD-4 with Mini.
Vertie
- Elle King " Under the Influence" Phointor pulls vocal more forward but has good clarity overall, seam
- Jessie Baylin “See How I Run” again on Phonitor sound signature pulls Jessie very rich vocals further forward of the mix some overly dominating the guitar. The instruments have better detail and timbre on the Mini.
- The Smith “What Difference Does It Make?” Here the Mini needs High Gain with Vertie for this song, bring the next level of richness to Morrisey vocals. Ability to switch high gain from the front of the amp is a trump card
- Rolling Stones “Paint It Black” Each amp here has its strengths - I call it a tie.
- David Bowie “Space Oddity” just lovely on Mini, bring in more richness to the instruments and David Bowie’s vocals.
Right .now. I would rank the amps in this order:
- Headamp GS-X mini - this is the amp I want for laid back listening and Headphone evaluation
- SPL Phonitor x
3 Monoprice THX 887
It seems the GS-X mini tolerates higher peak voltages from the DAC on the RCA before clipping. When VU’s are getting buried on Phontior x it still crystal clear bass, midrange, and treble
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Bonus round with the Vertie sound good on both premium amps
- Pink Floyd “Interstellar Overdrive”
- Booker T and The M.G.'s “Green Onion”
- The Electric Prunes “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)” Tremolo and Fuzz rich Guitar, with a kick of the amp to get spring reverb feedback.
- The Cult “Sweet Soul Sister”. Guitar are correct sounding on the MIni.
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While the Bifrost goes back to the mothership to be exchanged, Here is the stack I was working with tonight. Moved the Headamp to the bottom of the stack since it was sliding on top of the SPL Phonitor x, it is wider just not as deep as the SPL amp.
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That’s a very alluring fantasy stack you have there. And its strewn nay literally draped with the sexiest of headphones.
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What a beautiful pair of sentences. You’re quite the wordsmith, Paul.
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Thank you. A few companies have been good to me, so I can play Final Fantasy of Headphones world.
I have to say I would drop the Monoprice THX 887 from my fantasy amp list, After this experience, it is a very good amplifier, on the bang for buck it is excellent. It just not going to make the cut.
For me, the Fantasy stack must contemplate “To tube or not to tube”, If to tube, I am looking at something like Amp & Sound “Bigger Bend” or “Mogwai Special Edition” or ZMF Pendant which is going to have more fo Vox amp signature. Even on last Eddie Current Studio amps. I sure others here can entice me in other directions on True Tube Amp.
But I may have found close to mythical moment what you all call End-Game Amp at least in the Solid-state world.
I collapse down the solid-state world to Headamp GS-X mini, SPL Phontor x, TCA HPA-1, and built in the amp on RME ADI-2 DACfs
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Haha thank you. Though @pennstac I definitely the resident wordsmith. I pale into insignificance under his shadow.
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And your humility exemplifies your greatness.
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I can’t find a thread on the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Mk. 2. It’s advertised as the “same circuit design” as the GS-X Mk2. Any thoughts or experiences?
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There was one posted FS, but I don’t think there’s been a thread. I was interested in that one as well. Nice looking little amp.
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Thanks for the write up on this! The mini is an amp I’ve been eyeing for a while now… from everything I’ve been seeing it seems to pair with planars very well. May have to look into picking one up.
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I bought a Lite as a Quarantine diversion. It seems very interesting, On first listen, excellent power, dynamics and control. More to follow.
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There was one listed for sale here a while back. It’s intrigued me since then. I love the look of it. Very nice.
Looking forward to hearing more.
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It advertizes the same circuit design as the GS-X (though that can mean a lot of things). But if it’s a lower cost, single ended version of the same amp family then that’s a good thing!
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Are you going to stack the Pendant on top? 
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