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Gustard X16 Balanced MQA DAC Review

kevin1969

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I am enjoying the X16 so much with NOS mode and Final Fantasy orchestras...... Instruments come alive, please try classical music with NOS On and share impressions :D

I'll try. Do you have any recommendations on source material? I have Tidal.
 

Dannemand

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Speaking of good recordings and test tracks on Tidal:

2L has released several high quality MQA albums and playlists on Tidal. I linked a few below. Many tracks are also available for free download in several formats on their good old 2L Test Bench website (from 16/44 to DSD256). I tend to find 2L's mastering a tad hot (as if they never realized that the Loudness War is over). But their recording quality is indisputable, and they are great for testing.


Another great catalog of classical MQA releases are the Everest Records Master Transfers from 3-track 35mm tapes recorded in the 1950s-60s. I am listing a selection below, but more can be found by googling site:tidal.com "everest records". Some are showing their age, while others are just stellar:

Copland: Appalachian: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242759
Copland: Symphony No. 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238533
Rimski-Korsakov Scheherazade: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238847
Berlioz: Sym Fantastique: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238872
Tchaikovsky Manfred Sym: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241901
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238925
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79239430
Bartók Conc for Orchestra: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242372
Prokofiev: Sym No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238867
Stravinsky Rite of Spring: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238563
Hindemith: Sym in E-flat: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240169
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240939
Schumann: Piano Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241380
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241088
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238930
Mahler: Symphony No. 1: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79239101
Mahler: Symphony No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241148
Mahler: Symphony No. 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238612
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240950
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242429
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242486
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242511
Schubert: Symphony No. 8: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238813
Khatchaturian: Piano Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241873
Stravinsky: Ebony Conc & Sym in 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238766
Sibelius: Violin Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241347
Debussy Iberia, Ravel Valse&Espas: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240924
Hindemith, Mozart: Violin Conc: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238803
Gershwin Rhapsody & American: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240363
Mussorgsky Pictures at Exhibition: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240889

Otherwise I tend to find that the best recordings are NOT available as MQA. Such as pretty much anything from Reference Recordings (Keith Johnson & Co) of which I listed some below. Mostly classical, but not all. They are just excellent NATURAL, well mic'ed recordings. I'm not a blues fan, but check those Doug MacLeod albums; Or the Banner Saga to test your bass; Or the pizzicato opening in the Scherzo of Minnesota Bruckner 9...

Tutti!: Orchestral Sampler: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45720637
30th Anniversary Sampler: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45718779
Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky Symph 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/50935838
Pittsburgh Brahms Symphony 4: https://listen.tidal.com/album/95887708
Pittsburgh Bruckner Symphony 4: https://listen.tidal.com/album/42802473
Pittsburgh Bruckner Symphony 9:
https://listen.tidal.com/album/143090758
Pittsburgh Beethoven 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/94355969
Pittsburgh Beethoven 5 & 7: https://listen.tidal.com/album/52327206
Pittsburgh Beethoven 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/169516162
Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky 4: https://listen.tidal.com/album/139212796
Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky 6: https://listen.tidal.com/album/59468103
Minnesota Bruckner Symphony 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715306
Minnesota Pics at an Exhibition: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716262
Stravinsky: Sacre, Firebird, Rossig: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716607
Minnesota Reveries: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45719006
Rachmaninoff Sym Dances & Voca: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716985
Minnesota: Bolero! Fireworks https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715512
Copland Fanfare, Appala, Sym3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45713960
Minnesota Exotic Dances: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45717887
Minnesota Mephisto & Co: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715935
Dvořák & Janáček: Orchestral: https://listen.tidal.com/album/38110280
Shostakovich Symp 5 & Barber: https://listen.tidal.com/album/76948704
Mahler Symphony No. 1: https://listen.tidal.com/album/49818040
Schoenberg: American Symphony: https://listen.tidal.com/album/68901239
Mozart: Piano Conc Nos. 21 & 24: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45714319
Nojima Plays Liszt: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45717983
Kansas City / Miraculous Metam: https://listen.tidal.com/album/38113758
The Banner Saga: https://listen.tidal.com/album/25413161
Dick Hyman Plays Duke Ellington: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45717350
Dick Hyman Plays Fats Waller: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45714730
Doug MacLeod / Brand New Eyes: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716918
Doug MacLeod / Break the Chain: https://listen.tidal.com/album/74289912
Doug MacLeod / There's a Time: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715806

Also, most releases produced or engineered by Steven Epstein tend to be excellent, such as the following. More can be found by filtering in Tidal on Steven Epstein as Producer, Engineer or Production Team. There are several MQA as well, although I don't have a list.

Pittsburgh / Maazel / Sibelius: Complete Orchestral works: https://listen.tidal.com/album/1788170

To find good recordings, I generally start on Discogs.com, filtering on labels or producers/engineers with a good track record, then search on Tidal for ones that interest me. Much more efficient than starting in Tidal, since 90% of albums in there are just crap recordings. Particularly last year's dump of 16/44 MQAs from Warner. I've found very few good recordings among those (although several are historically significant ones).

Enjoy the music!
 
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curiouspeter

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Speaking of good recordings and test tracks on Tidal:

2L has released several high quality MQA albums and playlists on Tidal. I linked a few below. Many tracks are also available for free download in several formats on their good old 2L Test Bench website (from 16/44 to DSD256). I tend to find 2L's mastering a tad hot (as if they never realized that the Loudness War is over). But their recording quality is indisputable, and they are great for testing.


Another great catalog of classical MQA releases are the Everest Records Master Transfers from 3-track 35mm tapes recorded in the 1950s-60s. I am listing a selection below, but more can be found by googling site:tidal.com "everest records". Some are showing their age, while others are just stellar:

Copland: Appalachian: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242759
Copland: Symphony No. 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238533
Rimski-Korsakov Scheherazade: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238847
Berlioz: Sym Fantastique: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238872
Tchaikovsky Manfred Sym: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241901
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238925
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79239430
Bartók Conc for Orchestra: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242372
Prokofiev: Sym No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238867
Stravinsky Rite of Spring: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238563
Hindemith: Sym in E-flat: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240169
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240939
Schumann: Piano Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241380
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241088
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238930
Mahler: Symphony No. 1: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79239101
Mahler: Symphony No. 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241148
Mahler: Symphony No. 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238612
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240950
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242429
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242486
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79242511
Schubert: Symphony No. 8: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238813
Khatchaturian: Piano Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241873
Stravinsky: Ebony Conc & Sym in 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238766
Sibelius: Violin Concerto: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79241347
Debussy Iberia, Ravel Valse&Espas: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240924
Hindemith, Mozart: Violin Conc: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79238803
Gershwin Rhapsody & American: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240363
Mussorgsky Pictures at Exhibition: https://listen.tidal.com/album/79240889

Otherwise I tend to find that the best recordings are NOT available as MQA. Such as pretty much anything from Reference Recordings (Keith Johnson & Co) of which I listed some below. Mostly classical, but not all. They are just excellent NATURAL, well mic'ed recordings. I'm not a blues fan, but check those Doug MacLeod albums; Or the Banner Saga to test your base.

Tutti!: Orchestral Sampler: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45720637
30th Anniversary Sampler: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45718779
Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky Symph 5: https://listen.tidal.com/album/50935838
Pittsburgh Brahms Symphony 4: https://listen.tidal.com/album/95887708
Pittsburgh Bruckner Symphony 4: https://listen.tidal.com/album/42802473
Pittsburgh Bruckner Symphony 9:
https://listen.tidal.com/album/143090758
Pittsburgh Beethoven 3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/94355969
Pittsburgh Beethoven 5 & 7: https://listen.tidal.com/album/52327206
Pittsburgh Beethoven 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/169516162
Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky 4: https://listen.tidal.com/album/139212796
Pittsburgh Tchaikovsky 6: https://listen.tidal.com/album/59468103
Minnesota Bruckner Symphony 9: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715306
Minnesota Pics at an Exhibition: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716262
Stravinsky: Sacre, Firebird, Rossig: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716607
Minnesota Reveries: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45719006
Rachmaninoff Sym Dances & Voca: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716985
Minnesota: Bolero! Fireworks https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715512
Copland Fanfare, Appala, Sym3: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45713960
Minnesota Exotic Dances: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45717887
Minnesota Mephisto & Co: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715935
Dvořák & Janáček: Orchestral: https://listen.tidal.com/album/38110280
Shostakovich Symp 5 & Barber: https://listen.tidal.com/album/76948704
Mahler Symphony No. 1: https://listen.tidal.com/album/49818040
Schoenberg: American Symphony: https://listen.tidal.com/album/68901239
Mozart: Piano Conc Nos. 21 & 24: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45714319
Nojima Plays Liszt: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45717983
Kansas City / Miraculous Metam: https://listen.tidal.com/album/38113758
The Banner Saga: https://listen.tidal.com/album/25413161
Dick Hyman Plays Duke Ellington: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45717350
Dick Hyman Plays Fats Waller: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45714730
Doug MacLeod / Brand New Eyes: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45716918
Doug MacLeod / Break the Chain: https://listen.tidal.com/album/74289912
Doug MacLeod / There's a Time: https://listen.tidal.com/album/45715806

Also, most releases produced or engineered by Steven Epstein tend to be excellent, such as the following. More can be found by filtering in Tidal on Steven Epstein as Producer, Engineer or Production Team. There are several MQA as well, although I don't have a list.

Maazel / Sibelius: Complete Orchestral works: https://listen.tidal.com/album/1788170

To find good recordings, I generally start on Discogs.com, filtering on labels or producers/engineers with a good track record, then search on Tidal for ones that interest me. Much more efficient than starting in Tidal, since 90% of albums in there are just crap recordings. Particularly last year's dump of MQAs from Warner. I've found very few good recordings among those (although several are historically significant ones).

Enjoy the music!
2L even managed to release MQA albums on Qobuz.
 

Dannemand

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They also do DSD and DXD.
https://www.nativedsd.com/label/2l/

I think they mostly record in DXD though.

That's true. They have free examples of those available as well on the Test Bench website I linked. Their DSDs sound amazing.

And yes, they record in DXD. Amazingly, even those are available for free on their Test Bench. Of course samples only.

So does Qobuz offer regular HiRes PCM versions of 2L tracks as well as MQA versions?
 

curiouspeter

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That's true. They have free examples of those available as well on the Test Bench website I linked. Their DSDs sound amazing.

And yes, they record in DXD. Amazingly, even those are available for free on their Test Bench. Of course samples only.

So does Qobuz offer regular HiRes PCM versions of 2L tracks as well as MQA versions?

I think the MQA version is the only hi-res version. This is why I think it would be prudent to buy DACs with MQA support.

I use their test bench to see just how far my Roon Core can be pushed. Turns out mine can only handle DSD64 or DXD with 8-band parametric EQ.
 

Dannemand

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I think the MQA version is the only hi-res version. This is why I think it would be prudent to buy DACs with MQA support.

I use their test bench to see just how far my Roon Core can be pushed. Turns out mine can only handle DSD64 or DXD with 8-band parametric EQ.

Got it (about Qobuz offering only MQA versions of 2L).

I have no experience with Roon. DXD with 8-band parametric (or other DSP processing) will keep a CPU pretty busy, for sure. Particularly if you also do other progressing on the stream.

I don't use EQ but I'd be tempted to try on my RPi with moOde and see how much it can handle. Just playing DXD or DSD256 files to the DAC can barely keep it awake, since I have all software processing turned off. And that's despite moOde being 32-bit only.

It's my first RPi and I realize now the Pi 4B 4GB was complete overkill for a streamer. Oh well, it was still cheap: Less than $90 for Pi, case and adapter. And it does everything I want in a steamer, plus a ton I'll never use. I need to donate to moOde, though. That's some serious software right there!
 

curiouspeter

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Got it (about Qobuz offering only MQA versions of 2L).

I have no experience with Roon. DXD with 8-band parametric (or other DSP processing) will keep a CPU pretty busy, for sure. Particularly if you also do other progressing on the stream.

I don't use EQ but I'd be tempted to try on my RPi with moOde and see how much it can handle. Just playing DXD or DSD256 files to the DAC can barely keep it awake, since I have all software processing turned off. And that's despite moOde being 32-bit only.

It's my first RPi and I realize now the Pi 4B 4GB was complete overkill for a streamer. Oh well, it was still cheap: Less than $90 for Pi, case and adapter. And it does everything I want in a steamer, plus a ton I'll never use. I need to donate to moOde, though. That's some serious software right there!
Just to clarify, Qobuz may have the CD quality version for these albums as well. But hi-res...

EQ on DXD may be a bit much for RPi. Roon does it on the server. Straight passthrough of even DSD512 should be no problem.

RPi is quite amazing as a network transport. Audiophiles can nitpick on the USB cleanliness, but no doubt it can deliver 95-99% of what a $5000 streamer can do. It looks quite good with the $15 passive cooling Flirc case too.
 

joseG86

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You definitely should with bitrate set to 48khz and direct sound / wasapi shared, exclusive / asio doesn't work
 

Dannemand

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Just to clarify, Qobuz may have the CD quality version for these albums as well. But hi-res...

Understood, that's what I meant. I realize I wasn't clear.

EQ on DXD may be a bit much for RPi. Roon does it on the server. Straight passthrough of even DSD512 should be no problem.

I don't have any DSD512 to test, but yes, passthrough would be no problem.

RPi is quite amazing as a network transport. Audiophiles can nitpick on the USB cleanliness, but no doubt it can deliver 95-99% of what a $5000 streamer can do. It looks quite good with the $15 passive cooling Flirc case too.

The USB issue was on RPi 3, I understand they fixed it in RPi 4. But the reputation sticks. People buy $400 powerbricks for their Pies :facepalm:

One of the benefits of MQA is you get confirmation of stream integrity: It has to be bit-perfect, which would also catch severe USB issues. But of course timer induced jitter is still possible.
 
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ninetylol

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Just got my X16. Most heavy DAC ever? :D

Seems the Gustard X16 doesnt like my Razer Viper 8k mouse though. The mouse is pretty new and uses 8kHz polling on the USB bus instead of 1kHz.
The Mouse is on its own PCIe USB 3.1 card (and thus its own USB controller) but still when i move the mouse fast, the Gustard loses sound and stutters when connected on USB.
I connected it to Optical for now, but my other DAC did not have this problem on USB :confused:

Edit: might be another problem with MQA or Tidal
 
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joseG86

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Just got my X16. Most heavy DAC ever? :D

Seems the Gustard X16 doesnt like my Razer Viper 8k mouse though. The mouse is pretty new and uses 8kHz polling on the USB bus instead of 1kHz.
The Mouse is on its own PCIe USB 3.1 card (and thus its own USB controller) but still when i move the mouse fast, the Gustard loses sound and stutters when connected on USB.
I connected it to Optical for now, but my other DAC did not have this problem on USB :confused:
Update bios and MB chipset drivers, use 2.0 for X16 and plug it in a different input from the mouse, disable hardware acceleration for mouse as well.

1613838144922.png
 

ninetylol

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Update bios and MB chipset drivers, use 2.0 for X16 and plug it in a different input from the mouse, disable hardware acceleration for mouse as well.

View attachment 113759
All done. X16 got the only 2.0 slot (and controller) for itself. Mouse acceleration is always off.

Anyway at least beer is still good. Cheers!
 

curiouspeter

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Just got my X16. Most heavy DAC ever? :D

Seems the Gustard X16 doesnt like my Razer Viper 8k mouse though. The mouse is pretty new and uses 8kHz polling on the USB bus instead of 1kHz.
The Mouse is on its own PCIe USB 3.1 card (and thus its own USB controller) but still when i move the mouse fast, the Gustard loses sound and stutters when connected on USB.
I connected it to Optical for now, but my other DAC did not have this problem on USB :confused:
This is a bit concerning. Does it mean the X16 is sensitive to USB? Perhaps we need USB purifiers, audiophile cables and $5000 streamers after all...

In hours of testing, my signal chain stuttered twice, each for about 1 second. I have not started to trace down the issue. It could be Wi-Fi as my home is flooded with em waves, though this has not happened before.
 

ninetylol

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This is a bit concerning. Does it mean the X16 is sensitive to USB? Perhaps we need USB purifiers, audiophile cables and $5000 streamers after all...

In hours of testing, my signal chain stuttered twice, each for about 1 second. I have not started to trace down the issue. It could be Wi-Fi as my home is flooded with em waves, though this has not happened before.
Im just testing this more thouroughly and it also happens with my old mouse. Although less often. But yes, at least for me USB seems to be super sensitive. Display is also changing between MQA and PCM when it stutters. (could be a problem with Tidal or MQA too. but at the moment it doesnt work right.)
 
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