Gustard X16 Owners feedback...

[Reynaldo]

I put the X16 back on using the SMSL SD-9.
I'm using the AES input and again it got a tiring sound to hear after a while.
With the M1 I could listen for hours.
As a last attempt I changed the NOS to ON, I always used it in OFF with the Mac mini + Audirvana.
It was very good, even with 16/44 Khz files.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I'm using the AES input and again it got a tiring sound to hear after a while.

That's pretty strange. I've not yet tried AES since I don't have a proper 110Ω AES cable. What cable are you using?

 

[Reynaldo]

That's pretty strange. I've not yet tried AES since I don't have a proper 110Ω AES cable. What cable are you using?

Nordost Odin

But I don't think it's the input or the cable, but leaving the NOS on.

​

 

[Yogi42]

Am I missing something here—
a $16,000 cable
using a $500 DAC

 

[Reynaldo]

Am I missing something here—
a $16,000 cable
using a $500 DAC

??????????
I still haven't gone crazy

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[dsnyder0cnn]

??????????
I still haven't gone crazy

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That cable could be your problem. It seems that you have a counterfeit copy that may not even have the correct termination and balanced impedance. A real Nordost Odin cable from an authorized dealer, as @Yogi42 suggested, will cost several orders of magnitude more. For example:

Nordost Odin 2 Digital AES Cable

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($13,000)

I'm interested in giving AES/EBU a try as well. However, this is the most I'm willing to spend on the experiment:

https://www.thecableco.com/d-110-digital-cable-aes-ebu.html ($100)

I'd suggest you try one of these or something similar that is known to be made and terminated properly.

Gustard's "NOS" mode really only makes sense if you're upsampling the source stream in your media player software. Feeding it 44.1 kHz content with "NOS" mode will produce significantly rolled-off highs. I suppose if you enjoy that, it's fine, but it's not accurate or how the DAC was intended to be used.

 

[Yogi42]

Beware the counterfeit cables from China. I suspect there are more counterfeit products than any one realizes. The more expensive il is, the more likely someone will try. Sometimes suspect bargains can cost pain, cost and more problems than the real thing.

 

[Reynaldo]

That cable could be your problem. It seems that you have a counterfeit copy that may not even have the correct termination and balanced impedance. A real Nordost Odin cable from an authorized dealer, as @Yogi42 suggested, will cost several orders of magnitude more.

Possibly the cable is not original, but it is well made with good terminals and correct impedance.
The problem is not in the cable or in the input, I had the same feeling using I2S with the original Gustard cable, the same one you use.
I always left the NOS in Off when I used the Mac mini + Audirvana, however with the SD-9 it is very good leaving it in On.
Maybe the SD-9 already does something that with the NOS on Off gives me this listening fatigue.
I repeat it is not that it is bad, the impression is that it was very detailed.

 

[Reynaldo]

SMSL SD-9 and Gustard X16
Today I'm listening to more 16/44 files with NOS On.
I'm enjoying it a lot.

 

[Reynaldo]

I'm interested in giving AES/EBU a try as well. However, this is the most I'm willing to spend on the experiment:

https://www.thecableco.com/d-110-digital-cable-aes-ebu.html ($100)

I have another AES cable here very similar to this one.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Today I'm listening to more 16/44 files with NOS On.
I'm enjoying it a lot.

I agree that the time-domain performance on the Gustard is great with NOS enabled. You should try NOS + upsampling to 192 kHz. That seems to be the sweet spot, based on my measurements.

 

[flz]

For those of you who own the X16, do you leave it on all the time or use the power switch on the back every time you use it? I'm looking at both X16 & X18 and just wondering how big of a deal the lack of a front power switch is.

 

[Dennis_FL]

I leave mine on all the time.

 

[MrOtto]

How can I use the AES and IIS input for something more common as TOSLINK or Coax, which I have equipment that has for outputs. Any affordable converters for this type of conversion?

 

[Dennis_FL]

How can I use the AES and IIS input for something more common as TOSLINK or Coax, which I have equipment that has for outputs. Any affordable converters for this type of conversion?

Why do you want to do that? Are you already using the X16 inputs for them?

 

[Reynaldo]

For those of you who own the X16, do you leave it on all the time or use the power switch on the back every time you use it? I'm looking at both X16 & X18 and just wondering how big of a deal the lack of a front power switch is.

I use sockets with wifi for the X16.
I always leave the DAC switch on and turn it on and off via the cell phone APP

 

[Dennis_FL]

I use sockets with wifi for the X16.
I always leave the DAC switch on and turn it on and off via the cell phone APP

Cell phone app?

 

[Reynaldo]

Cell phone app?

Mobile app

 

[MrOtto]

Why do you want to do that? Are you already using the X16 inputs for them?

Why I would need more optical and coax inputs when so many devices has this kind of output?

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

do you leave it on all the time or use the power switch on the back every time you use it? I'm looking at both X16 & X18 and just wondering how big of a deal the lack of a front power switch is.

I leave mine on all of the time. I should connect a meter to see how much power it draws, but I imagine not very much. I do have the display set to turn off after 30 seconds of inactivity.