I was trying to make the combo fit in the 1k budget. You can put the Zamps into Mono and up them from 60wpc to 90wpc. They are also really small and would probable fit better than most options next to normal headphone amps. I only mentioned the A-100 because of itās ease of use and price. I didnāt mean to suggest that it was the best.
1 Like
Actually could a used schiit jot 2 fit in the budget? That actually drove the he6 decent (but it gets so much better with a nicer power amp), it has a lot of current to throw out which the he6 does like if you canāt deal with a bigger power amp
1 Like
GL2K thread be likeā¦
16 Likes
Sorry sorry Iāll stop now lol
5 Likes
Great advice and thoughts guys, Sorry Ohmboy for continuing the madness 
Follow up question though, lol. I have an SMSL SP200 and a topping D10 dac. Is the HE6SE even in question for this setup?
Iām still torn between the LCD-X, GL2K, HE6SE, and maybe Ether CX closed? I havenāt cancelled my drop order YET, but man Iām close, especially with the wisdom about chinese new year that I wasnāt aware of.
4 Likes
The leather perforated pads make the phoenix more bright. And I heard if you use the Utopia pads on the Elear they sound like the Elex. but I think with the type of headphones you have you definitely need to upgrade your dac and amp.
If anybody is looking at the he6 as an alternative but dosnt know what to drive it with the new ifi Diablo might be worth looking at, I donāt own either but apparently the ifi Diablo has so much power some people have to return it because its too loud for there headphones.
Can we take this non-GL2k discussion to another thread pls
8 Likes
Sorry to derail the thread 
Hi,
The Linsoul page suggest a headphone amp with at least 2W power. However, if I enter the specs of the double sided version to any headphone power calculator, I get a much lower requirement.
What should I believe? I actually want to know if an E1DA 9038S or 9038D would drive this perfectly or not.
What do you think?
I think this can be attributed to real world vs on paper calculations. Yes, you likely can drive this off of a lower wattage, it just doesnāt provide the proper power required. In the same way a guy who is 6ā2" with huge quads should be able to dunk a basketball, but canāt in the real world. Not bitter at allā¦
I have tried this on other equipment and you will not get the same experience.
2 Likes
I have the GL2K since a few days only and I am normally running it with my Topping A90 fed by my RME ADI-2 DAC. I was surprised that I can leave the A90 in low gain most of the time and still enjoy a rich sound (as a disclaimer: I generally listen at lower to moderate volume levels). It also runs well off my āweakerā RebelAmp (in high gain) and the THX789. However that does not mean that the GL2K does not need the amps power reserves. Most of the portable DAC-Amps I tried it on so far (including the Mojo, Monoprice THX-portable, Centrance DACport-HD, ā¦) and are a bit lackluster. Of course they make the GL2K āloudā but do not drive it to its full potential especially in the low-end and also w.r.t. harshness (see also the DT880/600 discussion). Until a saw your question, my e1da 9038S (3rd Gen.) didnāt come to my mind for this headphone. So I just tried it a few minutes ago and it actually runs relatively well to my surprise. I was at about 70% volume and it plays loud and not too badl. Still it is a bit limited in its performance by the 9038s and for the first time since I have the GL2K, I was skipping tracks quickly to get over it. Switching back to the A90 was actually a bit a relief.
Long story short; I would not invest in the GL2K without a proper amp but I would say you definitely do not require the full wattage stated there.
6 Likes
Thank you for the detailed explanation. May I ask if you tried the 9038S using a phone or a laptop? Just to make sure it could draw enough power through the USB port.
Thank you for the honest reply.
When reading forums i se epeople talking about driving planars less efficient than this with a Mojo and say it sounds good. I always wonder if they ever heard bass slam or kick.
I wanted this to dirve an Ibasso DX300 but i guess it will not drive it to my liking.
I used a (Linux)-PC but started the test briefly with the Android-phone the 9038s is normally āattachedā to. Didnāt notice a very big difference between the two devices (but again, only briefly tested with the phone). Again, if you did not experience what the GL2K is capable of when properly driven, one might actually be quite happy with the 9038s (actually that sounds a bit arrogant ā¦ it is not meant this way; I just want to express that you may be better off with less demanding headphones on the 9038s which is a wonderful device).
2 Likes
as mentioned earlier, i would HIGHLY reccomend trying a aeon 2 or the new aeon model. they are truly magnificent and measure significantly better in both distortion bass and top end. used around the same price its what i would try before this. also much more comfortable and well made. just my 2 cents.
I have 9038S and powerdac but I basically ordered Schiit asgard 3 and modius for these GLs. Should drive to full potential
1 Like
Would you say Asgard 3 is enough to power GL2000? Itās not really HE6 so IDK how much expensive amps matter here.
1 Like
I was really hoping to see a used toiler paper mod at first.
Then the broken film warmed my heart, just a bit.
Since few installation have gone wrongā¦ by my slipped fingers.
Glad it can be fixed with money so not that big of issue. 
Hope everything is good in near future.