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Gustard X16 Balanced MQA DAC Review

MaxBuck

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We haver had our share of Schiit product issues as well so I would not say they have an advantage there based on history.
Perhaps, but if I have any issues I can just toddle down the road to their factory rather than deal with an opaque customer "service" experience.
 
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amirm

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dmac6419

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The more problems I read about with Chinese DACs, the happier I am to have purchased the Schiit Modi. Few "features," but performance seems flawless and it just works.
Of all the audio, professional gear that I own non of it is perfect,be it made in the West or the East,so called audiophile go looking for problem's,sheesh.
 
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The more problems I read about with Chinese DACs, the happier I am to have purchased the Schiit Modi. Few "features," but performance seems flawless and it just works.

I guess that's one way to ensure that DSD won't work.

Buying American in this case will get you nowhere closer to having dsd work.

These are company problems not Chinese problems. Also the modi and the x16 are two very different products, comparing them makes a moot argument.

Personally imo dsd is very niche, pointless and a waste of my time. But everyone deserves the product they buy supported!
 

MaxBuck

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I guess that's one way to ensure that DSD won't work.

Buying American in this case will get you nowhere closer to having dsd work.

These are company problems not Chinese problems. Also the modi and the x16 are two very different products, comparing them makes a moot argument.

Personally imo dsd is very niche, pointless and a waste of my time. But everyone deserves the product they buy supported!
For my purposes the Modi and the X16 are precisely the same: devices that convert digital audio signal into something my preamp can deal with and send along to my power amp. I understand that for other folks they may differ more. And I'm not clear why DSD is something I should care about. As of this moment, I don't.
 

dmac6419

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I criticize the lack of quality evaluation of Chinese companies' products.
When designing a product, there are more or less failures. But in recent situations, there are too many things that have forgotten the basics.

Sony is a shell of itself,Sony ain't making SOTA,Sony trying make as many dollars as it can off of name recognition
 

wisechoice

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For people here who are questioning the value of a DAC that can properly play back DSD, let me just say that there is music out there that was recorded that way, and in my view, it’s worth listening to the way it was intended. You can disagree with me, of course, but if you do, I would just ask that you don’t market a DAC that promises to help me reach that goal. Nothing else is really relevant for the purposes of this thread.

With that in mind, it’s unfortunate that Gustard seems to have spent more time and effort on MQA than they did on basic QA. I’m still within the return window myself, and I’m considering how important decent DSD playback is to me on my main system. For what it’s worth, I think DSD from the Gustard sounds better through my KH 120s than from the Onyx, when it’s not crackling. That’s part of what makes the problem so disappointing. But there are also other options, so we’ll see.
 

wisechoice

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I have no problem playing DSD or any other files on the Gustard X16,no crackle's,pops or any issues shutting it down.

I’m genuinely happy to hear it.

For anyone who wants to check for themselves, I’m able to consistently reproduce the issue with the beginning of track six in this sampler from NativeDSD, and also throughout the first introductory track. Neither track has any issues on my Onyx, on any system, but every app and system that I’ve tried with the Gustard has the problem.
 
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wisechoice

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Also here. Almost 90% of my files are SACD Iso and I never had any problems.
Here the X16 with IOs works perfectly.
It may be that devices with problem have left.

I’ll try again on iOS tonight. Which app are you using to play them?
 

dmac6419

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I’m genuinely happy to hear it.

For anyone who wants to check for themselves, I’m able to consistently reproduce the issue with the beginning of track six in this sampler from NativeDSD, and also throughout the first introductory track. Neither track has any issues on my Onyx, on any system, but every app and system that I’ve tried with the Gustard has the problem.
What version did you download? Exact files
 

wisechoice

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What version did you download? Exact files

I tested the 2 channel version of DSD 64, 128 and 256 files and was able to reproduce the issue with them.

The 256 fs version is a paid purchase, so folks can just download and test the 2 ch 64 and 128.
 

AXR

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I see MQA and I see MQA. (with a dot) on display on different songs. Any difference between the two?
 

dskelto

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Hi all...I am able to reproduce the crackling at the end of the sampler track #6 (DSD256)when played through the X16. There is no crackling when played through the Tone 2 Pro. You do have to increase the volume considerably to hear it, but I was able to hear it.
 

dan kolov

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I'm using Windows 10(ver.1903) and Gustard X16. No crackling,no stuttering when I listen to any format DSD and MQA.Stuttering = low latency.If you have stuttering, increase latency.This works for me.
5.jpg
 
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