I am curious how it compares to these dacs as well. Has anyone had a chance to really put the X16 through a decent demo yet with speakers not just headphones? I know they are just starting to trickle out now from the suppliers.
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Gustard X16 Balanced MQA DAC Review
- Thread starter amirm
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I am curious how it compares to these dacs as well. Has anyone had a chance to really put the X16 through a decent demo yet with speakers not just headphones? I know they are just starting to trickle out now from the suppliers.
I didnt get a call, probably paid the fee about 8 hours after I got the txt. I thought DHL pre paid the vat now with the new rules, in the past I've had to pay import charges when the parcel hit the uk so I dont know why they are holding off collection. More Brexit bullshit maybe.Getting the same message shipping to germany. Website said enter an 11 digit import code for the DAC. Then some dude from Leipzig DHL left a message on my voicemailDid it delay your package getting shipped out from Schenzhen or was it later in the shipment process?
sakt1moko
Member
Getting the same message shipping to germany. Website said enter an 11 digit import code for the DAC. Then some dude from Leipzig DHL left a message on my voicemail
Where did u get the DAC? Im struggling my mind to find the best way to import to spain. All posibilities are going to have taxes... HIFIGO store says that: "all tax and duty paid" so I dont know where is the best way to get it. Any recomendations?
I can't compare to those, but I have a aune S5a (which has a AK4490 chip) and now I got the X16, and I have been doing a/b listening, and can definitely hear a wider sound stage, better instrument seperation and finer detail.
And I was very happy with the Aune S5a before. The main reason for the change was that the aune was not Roon compatible and it is a network player with built-in dac, so got a raspberry pi as a Roon bridge and connected the X16 to the raspberry pi.
I have both connected to a Line Magnetic LM-211IA tube amp, and Dali Zensor 3 speakers.
Best sounding system I have owned to date, and price wise the cheapest .
kopczas
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I did not pay any fees after I got D90 on December. Shipping from the seller to Poland took 1 week .
I am impressed, DHL picked mine up from Shenzhen at 13.20 and by 7am the next day its in Germany.
I think they are using expedited shipping for people who ordered early, I ordered November after the review came out. I would normally always pay a bit more for faster shipping.
Debating an order (which would make it the 4th desktop dac in the house... Speaker system, workstation 1,2 and onto bedroom...)
anyone seen other plans for 9068 based flagships? I figure everyone is going to migrate eventually
anyone seen other plans for 9068 based flagships? I figure everyone is going to migrate eventually
Gradius
Addicted to Fun and Learning
X16 is a fine product, except for their HP amp (h16), and mqa part. I want a non-mqa version.
And still no website, as is very cheap to have one on nowdays.
And still no website, as is very cheap to have one on nowdays.
H16 is a fine amp,just as good as the A90,I have both,ignore the Numb3rs it sounds good if not better
Gradius
Addicted to Fun and Learning
H16 costs $400.
By other hand, Monoprice 887 is just $350 and beats h16.
Sure, it lacks a balanced pre-out, but is easy to add that one.
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Paid $350 for the H16 and got a $20 credit from Apos Audio
Gradius
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Good for you, but still no better than 887.
Ok,you win
You can also buy it on AliExpress at a better price (but you have to wait longer). I think that Audiophonics is a bit expensive, although you get a 2-year warranty. Most items on Ali come from China and have only a 1-year warranty.
PS. I'm spanish too.
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Audiophonics is indeed more expensive.
But unless you consider your gear as consumable, you would consider this marginal expense when you have an issue and need to return your amp/dac or whatever.
Means lower shipping cost both to and from and not exposed to re-import duty and expenses once repaired.
In Europe, Audiophonics and neighbour based companies would be my first choice.
Thanks for your quick review. I have some questions for you:Well first impressions are wow this thing is built like a tank. it feels heavy and solid. the screen is absolutely tiny but very clear. Slightly annoying that there isn't a power button on the front. The control wheel is fast and easy to use but a little cheap feeling. I have mine paired with the Topping A90 amp. I'm learning that there is such a thing as too much detail lol. I had a set of headphones (monolith m1070) that I've been enjoying listening to for a while now. With this setup I almost cannot listen to them anymore. They have become very harsh and sibilant in the treble region. The reviews about the headphones always complained about this, but I never heard it. I thought I just wasn't treble sensitive, but the X16 has shown me how wrong I was lol. With my cheaper amp DAC combo, there wasn't much of a tonal shift between each songs. They all sounded boomy and not much treble presence. With the X16 there is a wide tonal range now. Songs that used to have a boomy bass now have a quite and refined thumping bass. The treble extensions is beyond what I've expected. I'm not a fan of overly peaky treble so I have to EQ it out now. I'm waiting on my focal clears to come in to really test this out though. I'm not a audio reviewer and I don't think I have golden ears. If someone points out a minor detail in a song I can often find it myself. While I am just listening regularly I wouldn't catch those minor details by myself though. I often will find something I like or dislike about a audio setup, but simply cannot put into words. if you have any question about the X16 let me know and I will try to answer them (I've had mine for a while now
- Have you noticed build quality issues? For example: the device is unstable on the stand, the USB connector is not reliable and it's not easy to remove the USB cable... My SU-9 has these issues.
- How about the remote control? It seems to work on several devices, because the Play/Pause button is likely to be the 'OK' button on the X16, isn't it? Do the 'Stream', 'Dac' and 'Amp' buttons have any function?
- Does the X16 have any sound color filters like the SU-9? For example, to emulate a tube amp (on SU-9 this function has almost no effect).
Thanks in advance and congratulations for your new DAC!
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