Gustard X16 Balanced MQA DAC Review

[Marcomarco]

When OSF xxxKHz appears on the screen, the sample rate will be displayed as the sample rate of the file before MQA compression. The sampling rate can vary between 44.1-384k (determined by the file before compression) and does not depend on the sampling rate during transmission.
View attachment 110869

yesterday i received x16. Installed driver in windows 10 all ok. I use Roon and everything works. only if active dsp with mqa in roon x16 indicates osf instead of mqa. On another producer's website I read: This behavior is mandated by MQA, a DSP processed stream is called “MQB” by MQA LTD and the display must show OFS instead of MQA.

 

[curiouspeter]

yesterday i received x16. Installed driver in windows 10 all ok. I use Roon and everything works. only if active dsp with mqa in roon x16 indicates osf instead of mqa. On another producer's website I read: This behavior is mandated by MQA, a DSP processed stream is called “MQB” by MQA LTD and the display must show OFS instead of MQA.

Yes, this is totally normal.

My Roon signal path is very similar.

 

[Deleted member 24508]

Hello,
Please revisit the idea of shipping these asap without MQA certification. Be that with a firmware reflash or whatever. I can do without MQA. I bought this the day this review was released for its performance without MQA. If they cannot deliver on their end of any bargain, it/MQA needs to get out of the way.

If a DAC producer chooses to use MQA then obviously getting MQA certification is part of the process, we cannot call this MQA getting in the way?

 

[m8o]

If a DAC producer chooses to use MQA then obviously getting MQA certification is part of the process, we cannot call this MQA getting in the way?

tho the issue is moot as they delivered months ago.

 

[alex88]

Hi there, i just got mine as well, and im not quite sure if the settings are correct. im using music from tidal and Qobuz and some files on the mac.

 

[ninetylol]

Hi there, i just got mine as well, and im not quite sure if the settings are correct. im using music from tidal and Qobuz and some files on the mac.

settings are correct stock. change windows settings to 44,1khz 24/32Bit

 

[alex88]

settings are correct stock. change windows settings to 44,1khz 24/32Bit

just uploaded the pic... im streaming to raspberry 4 with ropieeeexl on it.

 

[Marcomarco]

[QUOTE = "alex88, post: 735965, member: 27310"] Salve, ho appena ricevuto anche il mio e non sono sicuro che le impostazioni siano corrette. Sto usando la musica di Tidal e Qobuz e alcuni file sul Mac. View attachment 122393[/CITAZIONE]
Can you activate dsp in roon and send screenshots of the mqa?

 

[alex88]

[QUOTE = "alex88, post: 735965, member: 27310"] Salve, ho appena ricevuto anche il mio e non sono sicuro che le impostazioni siano corrette. Sto usando la musica di Tidal e Qobuz e alcuni file sul Mac. View attachment 122393[/CITAZIONE]
Can you activate dsp in roon and send screenshots of the mqa?

What exactly should I turn on?

 

[Frio]

What exactly should I turn on?

https://support.tidal.com/hc/de/articles/360005773698-HiFi-Optimierung

 

[alex88]

https://support.tidal.com/hc/de/articles/360005773698-HiFi-Optimierung

that's for the tidal app, i use Roon to control everything

 

[Frio]

that's for the tidal app, i use Roon to control everything

Ah yes, not sure if pi shouldn't do the full decoding, decoding first unfold is enough and then via usb to the dac to do the rest.

Edit: maybe this helps

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/mq...t-ropiee-metrum-acoustics-amethyst-dac/100765

 

[alex88]

Ah yes, not sure if pi shouldn't do the full decoding, decoding first unfold is enough and then via usb to the dac to do the rest.

Edit: maybe this helps

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/mq...t-ropiee-metrum-acoustics-amethyst-dac/100765

No the pi is only the end point, the dac should to all the unfolds, normally

 

[misterdog]

NASA have managed to break the secret of the full unfolding.

[MEDIA

[/MEDIA]

DSD was promised as the saviour of audio years before MQA and were still waiting for that to be available as a mainstream product available to the masses.
I'll stick with Red Book. Sounds fine to me.

 

[KNUPAC]

Sorry if this has been asked before but is there any “pure DAC” mode in X16? So it disable the volume control all together.

update :
how to enter "Dac operation mode" ? been pressing the DAC button on the remote for more than 3 seconds and nothing happened?

 

[misterdog]

That's to enable the remote..
Though mine worked without.
There is no 'pure dac' mode only 0dB AFAIK.

 

[Frio]

The dac mode is the dac itself the volume attenuation is not doing much since it's digital and there is no pre mode.
Those buttons on the remote are only useful if you have other gustards, they share the same remote.

 

[curiouspeter]

The dac mode is the dac itself the volume attenuation is not doing much since it's digital and there is no pre mode.
Those buttons on the remote are only useful if you have other gustards, they share the same remote.

I suspect volume attenuation is a free "feature" that costs next to nothing. I use an integrated amp with analog volume control.

 

[Frio]

I suspect volume attenuation is a free "feature" that costs next to nothing. I use an integrated amp with analog volume control.

Not exactly the point is to leave out volume parts in two because balanced signal paths and digital Volume. I use an amp with volume too, it is a dac not a pre amp.

 

[JSmith]

There is no 'pure dac' mode only 0dB AFAIK.

SMSL SU-9 has a pre-mode... when off the volume is not active.



JSmith