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Shenzhen Audio only accepted pre-orders before, all the X18 you can get were updated with new firmware, don't worry about this issue.Buyer beware: Update your X18 with the latest firmware. If Gustard hasn't released anything, ask them for it.
@WolfX-700 measured this DAC a few days ago. https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/gustard-dac-x18/
While most of the usual tests yielded great results, the multitone test results saw significantly higher distortions than the SINAD number suggested, and they varied quite a bit depending on the different types of filter selected, including the default filter.
After this bug was communicated, Gustard quickly sent L7audiolab a different unit with updated firmware. The buggy multitone results were visible when the DAC was fed 0dBFS signal; therefore, Gustard decided to simply lower the level of the output voltage when the buggy filters were selected to prevent the signal every reaching 0dBFS. However, the non-buggy filters still gave the full voltage.
As a result, changing the filters literally changes the voltage by around 0.2Vrms, which could be audible. I found the way of fixing this bug kinda funny. Before the fix, you might not detect the distortions rising to -80dB. After the fix, you might actually detect the lower volume when switching to a different filter.
The fix and the new firmware were developed 3 days ago. Shenzhenaudio started selling the X18 DAC 7 days ago. This means all the units in stock still have the bug, including the one that Amir received. I am not sure how Gustard will handle this update. I suppose they could release a new firmware that customers can download and install on their own, but if that was the case, why did they have to physically send L7audiolab a different unit with the new firmware? Anyway, I hope Gustard will fix this bug for every customer and not just for a technical reviewer with an APx555B analyzer.
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