Gustard X16 Balanced MQA DAC Review

[ABall]

Hi all, sorry if this is a daft question... my Gustart x16's usb, optical and coaxial inputs are all in use. I'd like to connect a pi4 (running piCorePlayer) to it, is there an easy way to connect the pi using the IIS or the AES inputs?

Maybe this.... https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/dac-...-transmitter-i2s-dsd-dop-to-hdmi-p-13982.html

 

[ABall]

Ian does some really cool stuff for Pi, I've been very tempted in the past, pretty sure another company does one of these boards too. Cant remember off the top of my head..

 

[ABall]

Mind you this would be easy if the pi has optical... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KGQ5...a_i_XJS22ZP7HD6AAVG6CS91?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Veri]

I'd like to connect a pi4 (running piCorePlayer) to it, is there an easy way to connect the pi using the IIS or the AES inputs?

Pi2Aes can give you the AES output you need

 

[gofry]

Now that I can listen to the dac normally (factory cabling still, probably tomorrow I’m going to have better rca and power cables)
Setup macbook pro-viablue usb-dac-yamaha rx-a2080
Vs macbook pro-viablue ethernet upnp-yamaha rx-a2080

the gustard is pretty detailed and yet good to listen, absolute not tiring. The sound is perfectly transparent and flat. Flat in every good and bad sense.
Weight is definitely missing from the mid-region, basses are tight -a bit less than only with the yamaha but more detailed-, treble is not overextended at all, just about right.
instrument separation is there, the dac is fast, but the story is more 2d than 3d. Soundstage has width a pretty good one but I can’t say the same thing about depth unfortunately

So I can relate to the fact that not much of a jump from e30 probably

 

[Pdxwayne]

Now that I can listen to the dac normally (factory cabling still, probably tomorrow I’m going to have better rca and power cables)
Setup macbook pro-viablue usb-dac-yamaha rx-a2080
Vs macbook pro-viablue ethernet upnp-yamaha rx-a2080

the gustard is pretty detailed and yet good to listen, absolute not tiring. The sound is perfectly transparent and flat. Flat in every good and bad sense.
Weight is definitely missing from the mid-region, basses are tight -a bit less than only with the yamaha but more detailed-, treble is not overextended at all, just about right.
instrument separation is there, the dac is fast, but the story is more 2d than 3d. Soundstage has width a pretty good one but I can’t say the same thing about depth unfortunately

So I can relate to the fact that not much of a jump from e30 probably

I suppose you are doing pure direct listening comparisons?

What songs do you use to judge 2d vs 3d capabilities?

One thing I have noticed with my Marantz AV8801 is that I don't like the sound of DAC going through it. So, I am curious about your Yamaha's transparency..

 

[gofry]

pure direct: for sure
My regular test
https://tidal.com/track/81952773
https://tidal.com/track/158796990
https://tidal.com/track/151829
https://tidal.com/track/77168304
https://tidal.com/track/96098345
https://tidal.com/track/95496474
https://tidal.com/track/165682542
https://tidal.com/track/166790191

 

[Pdxwayne]

pure direct: for sure
My regular test
https://tidal.com/track/81952773
https://tidal.com/track/158796990
https://tidal.com/track/151829
https://tidal.com/track/77168304
https://tidal.com/track/96098345
https://tidal.com/track/95496474
https://tidal.com/track/165682542
https://tidal.com/track/166790191

Thanks!

I searched for your Yamaha's measurements but only found this:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...and-measurements-of-yamaha-rx-a1080-avr.9090/

I wonder about your Yamaha transparency....as I suspect all the internal should be the same, maybe amp section more powerful?

 

[gofry]

I suppose you are doing pure direct listening comparisons?

What songs do you use to judge 2d vs 3d capabilities?

One thing I have noticed with my Marantz AV8801 is that I don't like the sound of DAC going through it. So, I am curious about your Yamaha's transparency..

Oh for sure on lab test it will fail, like the 1080 did. X3600 measured perectly...bought it, hated it both w music and movies.
Yamaha to me feels like home compared to it.
Everything has science and arts and this time science did not justify something that was pleasant for me
re 1080: nope they are not the same. But trust me X3600 measures top notch and to me it was totally the same feeling as gustard. Ears vs SINAD. Let's not go there , because I know I'll end up: you need your hearing examined. I just have written down what I've heard. One of my friend has an A18 with a denon 2500 NE and compared the a18 mqa to it and to a node2i with modded power supply, and the A18 was way better than both.

 

[kopczas]

the gustard is pretty detailed and yet good to listen, absolute not tiring. The sound is perfectly transparent and flat. Flat in every good and bad sense.
Weight is definitely missing from the mid-region, basses are tight -a bit less than only with the yamaha but more detailed-, treble is not overextended at all, just about right.
instrument separation is there, the dac is fast, but the story is more 2d than 3d. Soundstage has width a pretty good one but I can’t say the same thing about depth unfortunately

How long have you been using x16?

 

[gofry]

How long have you been using x16?

Listened to from 1pm till 9pm back to back with the yamaha I'm pretty confident I can decide quickly what I like and I don't like

 

[ABall]

Oh for sure on lab test it will fail, like the 1080 did. X3600 measured perectly...bought it, hated it both w music and movies.
Yamaha to me feels like home compared to it.
Everything has science and arts and this time science did not justify something that was pleasant for me
re 1080: nope they are not the same. But trust me X3600 measures top notch and to me it was totally the same feeling as gustard. Ears vs SINAD. Let's not go there , because I know I'll end up: you need your hearing examined. I just have written down what I've heard. One of my friend has an A18 with a denon 2500 NE and compared the a18 mqa to it and to a node2i with modded power supply, and the A18 was way better than both.

Be carefull, the double blind test police will be here soon....

 

[Pdxwayne]

Oh for sure on lab test it will fail, like the 1080 did. X3600 measured perectly...bought it, hated it both w music and movies.
Yamaha to me feels like home compared to it.
Everything has science and arts and this time science did not justify something that was pleasant for me
re 1080: nope they are not the same. But trust me X3600 measures top notch and to me it was totally the same feeling as gustard. Ears vs SINAD. Let's not go there , because I know I'll end up: you need your hearing examined. I just have written down what I've heard. One of my friend has an A18 with a denon 2500 NE and compared the a18 mqa to it and to a node2i with modded power supply, and the A18 was way better than both.

Not trying to say you are not hearing what you are hearing.

What I am worry about is that the Yamaha can't exhibit the full potential of the DAC.

At least for the 1080:

 

[ABall]

Not trying to say you are not hearing what you are hearing.

What I am worry about is that the Yamaha can't exhibit the full potential of the DAC.

At least for the 1080:
View attachment 109960

I think my bluetooth speaker is more transparent than that!

 

[gofry]

Thanks!

I searched for your Yamaha's measurements but only found this:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...and-measurements-of-yamaha-rx-a1080-avr.9090/

I wonder about your Yamaha transparency....as I suspect all the internal should be the same, maybe amp section more powerful?

Nope, not the same

Not trying to say you are not hearing what you are hearing.

What I am worry about is that the Yamaha can't exhibit the full potential of the DAC.

At least for the 1080:
View attachment 109960

Gotcha, sorry did not have time to edit my post. So yes that was my other thought process that maybe simply the amp limits the soundstage. But then it is still pretty interesting that with the internal dac, everyting is there and perfectly fine in terms of 3D and separation.

 

[ABall]

But let's not judge, nothing wrong with prefering a device that has limited transparency, a lot of people like NOS in DACs because there is reduced treble.

 

[Pdxwayne]

Nope, not the same

Gotcha, sorry did not have time to edit my post. So yes that was my other thought process that maybe simply the amp limits the soundstage. But then it is still pretty interesting that with the internal dac, everyting is there and perfectly fine in terms of 3D and separation.

I was curious too. Thus, I looked at a1080 measurements for HDMI in (digital in) vs analog in and found that digital-in chart looks cleaner and measured better. Analog in chart looks pretty noisy in the highs. Maybe be that was what causes the 3D differences between your tests.

 

[gofry]

I was curious too. Thus, I looked at a1080 measurements for HDMI in (digital in) vs analog in and found that digital-in chart looks cleaner and measured better. Analog in chart looks pretty noisy in the highs. Maybe be that was what causes the 3D differences between your tests.

Yeah thanks if that's case DAC goes back, money back. no MQA but at least I'd now that's the case

 

[Pdxwayne]

Yeah thanks if that's case DAC goes back, money back. no MQA but at least I'd now that's the case

You just need a second setup where you can directly connect x16 to a well measured stereo amp via XLR.
; )

 

[gofry]

You just need a second setup where you can directly connect x16 to a well measured stereo amp via XLR.
; )

And probably need to find a new home pretty quickly