Gustard X26Pro Review (Balanced High-end DAC)

[Highfive99]

Howdy. 1st post. Been a lurker for awhile now. Just got my X26 Pro yesterday after reading threads like this and going over published reviews. It's replacing my first DAC, a PS Audio DL III with a Cullen stage 4 upgrade. After just a few hours with the X26P out of the box last night I can say that is a great DAC for it's age and for the lousy $400 I paid for back in January! But the X26P gives me goose bumps it's that good out of the box.
Question I have is about the heat issue I see some have posted about. Been burning mine in for 18hrs now and the case is not hot at all. Slightly warm to the touch I'd say. Certainly no where near to have a fan bracket 3D printed for it that I saw someone cleverly came up with. So I guess my question is why are some units running hot while others are not?

 

[Trell]

^ You don’t need to burn in your new DAC for better performance.

 

[Highfive99]

^ You don’t need to burn in your new DAC for better performance.

Well I guess that's a matter of opinion as I have read more than once where the sound improves noticeably after a good 100hrs or so of use.

 

[Trell]

Well I guess that's a matter of opinion as I have read more than once where the sound improves noticeably after a good 100hrs or so of use.

A common audiophile myth that is not true, but since you found ASR you can get facts that will help you make better decisions. When I get a new device I often leave it on for days in the beginning as part of testing (I even check temperatures as well), but not for any expectations of improved sound.

 

[Highfive99]

A common audiophile myth that is not true, but since you found ASR you can get facts that will help you make better decisions. When I get a new device I often leave it on for days in the beginning as part of testing (I even check temperatures as well), but not for any expectations of improved sound.

Ummmmm hate to break it to you but people on here have mentioned about the burn in. That's why I made the decision to burn it in. FWIW I just powered up my amp and I'm already noticing a bit of a difference since I first powered it on. But my question is about the heat the unit generates not whether burn in is an audiophile myth or not.

 

[Trell]

Ummmmm hate to break it to you but people on here have mentioned about the burn in. That's why I made the decision to burn it in. FWIW I just powered up my amp and I'm already noticing a bit of a difference since I first powered it on.

You sure you're posting on the right forum?

 

[linger63]

Ummmmm hate to break it to you but people on here have mentioned about the burn in. That's why I made the decision to burn it in. FWIW I just powered up my amp and I'm already noticing a bit of a difference since I first powered it on. But my question is about the heat the unit generates not whether burn in is an audiophile myth or not.

As a fellow X26Pro owner I can tell you that mine gets warm after several hours but never HOT.
I use mine as a DAC only and think that maybe the owners complaining of excessive heat are using theirs as a DAC/PRE.

The heat then being possibly due to the combination of working harder (as a DAC and Pre) and potential impedance match issues with certain power amps...........just a guess though.

 

[28B audio]

I owned the X26P for about 2 weeks now, the unit gets quite warm after an hour of operation in DAC mode. My solution is to made an exhaust for it! The fan is the quietest I can find, the PWM controller unit is not necessary, just put 12V to pin1 and GND to pin2. Aesthetically not ideal, but works for me. Adhesive tapes as vibration isolator between the exhaust and the chassis.

 

[BDWoody]

Ummmmm hate to break it to you but people on here have mentioned about the burn in. That's why I made the decision to burn it in.

Careful who you listen to, even around here. We can't catch them all...

It's usually mentioned in the context of being part of typical 'audiophile' silliness...at least on this forum, along with esoteric cables, power conditioners, and other misc. unsupported woo.

 

[pseudoid]

External clocks are used for synchronization in pro environment. Its application in home audio is dubious and my previous tests show it to have slightly worse performance, not better. I don't have anything to test the X26Pro on it though. It certainly appeals to high-end audiophiles who equate such things as being better.

Gustard C18 is such an external OCXO, which is a 'perfect match' for the X26 ... both in size and price.

 

[deafenears]

Gustard C18 is such an external OCXO, which is a 'perfect match' for the X26 ... both in size and price.

The X26's are larger than the A18 and X16 which is what the C18 would match.

 

[Highfive99]

I owned the X26P for about 2 weeks now, the unit gets quite warm after an hour of operation in DAC mode. My solution is to made an exhaust for it! The fan is the quietest I can find, the PWM controller unit is not necessary, just put 12V to pin1 and GND to pin2. Aesthetically not ideal, but works for me. Adhesive tapes as vibration isolator between the exhaust and the chassis.
View attachment 162292

Interesting. Mine has been running 72hrs straight and it's only slightly warm to the touch above where the ESS chips are. Wonder why such a huge difference?

 

[Highfive99]

^ You don’t need to burn in your new DAC for better performance.

Just as a follow up to this opinion, after 120hrs of burn in, my experience is that there is quite a difference in the listening experience from when I listened to it out of the box. Initially I was honestly somewhat underwhelmed over the difference to my old PS Audio DAC. Now I am overwhelmed by the difference. To me, burn in makes a huge difference.

 

[pseudoid]

after 120hrs of burn in, my experience is that there is quite a difference in the listening experience

If you think of a DAC as if it was your Italian Grandma Nonna's spaghetti sauce; then, you really would not want to exceed 24 to 36 Hours.

 

[Highfive99]

If you think of a DAC as if it was your Italian Grandma Nonna's spaghetti sauce; then, you really would not want to exceed 24 to 36 Hours.

Everything I've seen and read about burning in just about anything recommended 100hrs. I tested a PSAudio S300 amp and they recommend at least 100hrs. I saw a review of the Pontus II where the reviewer contacted Denafrips and they recommended a whopping 10days! And some people regard burn in as a myth. As in spaghetti sauce, everyone seems to have their own recipe.

 

[kevin1969]

Just as a follow up to this opinion, after 120hrs of burn in, my experience is that there is quite a difference in the listening experience from when I listened to it out of the box. Initially I was honestly somewhat underwhelmed over the difference to my old PS Audio DAC. Now I am overwhelmed by the difference. To me, burn in makes a huge difference.

Or maybe you actually had more time to listen to it and notice the differences?

 

[KNUPAC]

hey, with black friday deals approaching, do you guys reckon x26 pro fare better than VMV D1se by that much?
also quick question, as previous x16 owner, do the xlr and rca still output in the same time? still no mode to select one output at a time?

cheers

 

[Highfive99]

hey, with black friday deals approaching, do you guys reckon x26 pro fare better than VMV D1se by that much?
also quick question, as previous x16 owner, do the xlr and rca still output in the same time? still no mode to select one output at a time?

cheers

I'm seeing the X26 Pro selling $1275 this week. That's a steal. Only downside is it ships from China and would take 3-4weeks to get. Amazon seller is doing them at $1425 but ship within a couple days. It does not have selectable outputs.

 

[srkbear]

Am I reading correctly that some of the folks who are reporting issues with this costly, fairly high-end DAC are using it in PC-based setups? Is this even a thing?

I invested (with a gulp) over $10,000 in my system, with this Gustard DAC, an iFi Pro iCAN Signature amp, Focal Utopia cans, a 7N single crystal copper/silver braided 4.4mm headphone cable, Audioquest Mackenzie XLRs and a Coffee USB cable, and after all this effort to achieve the most pristine sound possible I would be terrified to trust a PC to be the first step in the signal chain. I got a Matrix Audio Streamer for this purpose and all works flawlessly.

I realize that many folks have budgetary concerns (as do I) and I expect to get in a lot of trouble for posting this, so please educate me because I’m well-below the experience level of the collective wattage of this forum—are PCs a standard tested-and true audio stream source for these applications or are well-made audiophile-grade streamers superior for this purpose?

 

[cglin222]

@gustard how do I connect u18 and c18 to x26?
Pc usb to u18 - i2s - x26 and c18 to both u18 and x26 10 mhz clock in
Is this how it should be connected?