objectively they measure quite similar, and they both exceed 115 db, so not possible to hear a difference there.
subjectively, looks like I haven't try the d1se but for all the commends is not as analytical as topping, not super warm, but warmer than d7 pro, wha are you opinions?
should I save money and wait for x26 pro? I will wait for a couple of weeks for the gustard x18, not many reviews or comments only that measure perfectly 2nd on the sinad chart.
Right - now we get into subjective territory - and I'll try to keep that somewhat terse, because it's just really swampy territory : ) For starters - how can DACs that measure within specs that should make it impossible to hear a difference between them, actually sound different? Can they actually sound different if they measure (almost) the same? If SINAD/SNR are the only metrics that matter, why don't we all just get a Topping D10s or an SMSL SU-6 and be done with it? Obviously, most people even on this forum wouldn't do that, even though from a dollar-per-performance metric, that would be the only logical thing to do. IMO the answer is that a DAC is not only a DAC, but also an amplifier, and that amplifier has an analog output stage, and that analog output stage will respond differently to a 'real' load vs. a 'synthetic' load, and therefore sound different from one DAC to another.
Nobody 'listens' to a DAC, they listen to an entire signal path, within the DAC, and the rest of the downstream signal chain.
So a 'warm' DAC - what does that mean? To most people, a 'warm' DAC will resolve treble information without being harsh or excessive. Strictly speaking though, that's not the job of a DAC; the DAC is supposed to render everything in a recording, without adding or subtracting anything. Subjective terms like 'warm' mean different things to different people - some people will run a system that doesn't resolve much treble, their speakers might roll of above 10khz, or they have other components which will attenuate treble resolution. Then there's the human factor - some people are more tolerant of treble, others have hearing loss - actually prefer more treble etc. etc. In the end, 'warm' means different things to different people, and is therefore purely subjective. In the end, I think rather than talking about 'warm' DACs I think it makes more sense to talk about recordings with high levels of treble; be it either that they're bad recordings, or just feature lots of treble.
Some DAC manufacturers have long caught on to this 'treble problem' - hence the market for R2R DACs etc.
SMSL and Topping only recently started to engineer their products not only according to measurements but also subjective sound signatures; for example custom sound profiles on some recent SMSL DACs, where the sound profiles inject either even, odd or both order harmonics into the signal, like on the D1SE. And of course, the 'tuning' of recent DACs by SMSL or Topping goes further than that - a lot of attention goes into the 'tuning' of the analog output stage, at least compared to just a few years ago. I've seen posts on this forum by John Yang, where he describes in detail the different sound characteristics of different opamps in the output stage, now some would call that heresy - however, since he's an audio engineer who does this sort of thing for a living, I'd be careful to dismiss his findings on the topic.
Coming back to the Topping DX7 Pro - I had it, and I couldn't make it work in my target system. Not the fault of the DX7 though - that DAC is just outright fantastic, and only resolves what is in the recording. Problem is, all my other gear in the target system downstream is also highly resolving, and crappy recordings will sound - well, crappy.
In essence then, I really never have a problem with most DACs I buy, but rather the eclectic mix of recordings I Iisten to - most of which are recorded without special attention to 'mastering', in terms of sound quality, or 'excessive treble'. As a result, some DACs work better for me, not because they're 'warm' or 'bright', but because they have an analog output stage which - on my mostly crappy source material - will attenuate treble ... somewhat.
I think the Gustard X26 Pro is the kind of TOTL DAC that does everything well, and nothing wrong. Yes, just like any other DAC some things could be better - like the timbre, I think the D1SE for example does that slightly better. I wouldn't call it warm or bright though - again, that's subjective - but what I can tell you is that I can listen to it without getting tired of it - for hours at a time, and the rest of my system 'scales up' when I attach it; i.e. bass impact hits harder, transients are sharper, and the treble is somewhat rolled off compared to other DACs. And again, that's a very subjective impression specific to my reference system - pop the X26 into your average near-field/desktop system, and I very much doubt it would sound much different from say a Topping D10s in the same near-field setup : )
If you want to upgrade, and not spend the money on the X26 Pro, I think you can not go wrong with the Gustard X18 - not only does it measure well, but looking at the internals, specifically the I/V conversion stage, I think that's a really well engineered product. Just like Topping and SMSL, Gustard is another manufacturer that pays attention to the 'sound signature' of their DACs. Would I recommend the X26 Pro over the X18, and D1SE? I can't speak in detail to the X18, since I don't own it - but - finally when it comes to the D1SE - what you get is so damn well balanced and performant, I honestly don't see the need to spend more. So no - unless you have a really TOTL system which will literally resolve pins dropping, and is capable of huge dynamic swings - don't bother with the X26 Pro, it's not worth it. Unless you have the system to match it, you won't get the very marginal benefits the X26 Pro *might* have over say the D1SE, and - maybe - the X18.
Hopefully you'll find this useful - to sum it up - no, unless you have or want to build the system to go with it - don't get the X26 Pro. If excessive treble resolution is a problem, chances are you would like the D1SE, and maybe - the X18. Caveat emptor: I think both of these DACs are probably more of a 'sidegrade' compared to the DX7, but in case of the X18 I might be wrong.