Wolf's Measurements of Gustard A18 DAC

[james_0075]

Quite difficult to find the answers for you, finally got response from Mr. Huang the owner ten minutes ago:
- Gustard will establish website by this yearend.
- Gustard online store address: https://gustard.taobao.com/
- email address: [email protected]
Tel：18682080102 (for mandarin only)
Wechat：18682080102

This is ALL.

 

[Martin]

Just a feeling that Gustard is now price competing with Topping. the X-26 is "sold out" at Shenzen and X-22 seems to replace it. Does Gustard have a web site ?

It's on the back of their devices:

www.gustard.cn

It looks like it has not yet been utilized.

Martin

 

[Martin]

Quite difficult to find the answers for you, finally got response from Mr. Huang the owner ten minutes ago:
- Gustard will establish website by this yearend.
- Gustard online store address: https://gustard.taobao.com/
- email address: [email protected]
Tel：18682080102 (for mandarin only)
Wechat：18682080102

This is ALL.

I have yet to figure out how to buy anything on Taobao. The hoops one must jump through using proxy buyers and drop shippers is unattenable.

Martin

 

[Harmonie]

Taobao worries me a bit.
A Gustard A-22 with BT ? I think it's a prototype .
Hard to understand and to trust ... Sorry Mr. Huang.
A more direct contact or website or else whould help the confidence and the technical assistance.

 

[Harmonie]

Quite difficult to find the answers for you, finally got response from Mr. Huang the owner ten minutes ago:
- Gustard will establish website by this yearend.
- Gustard online store address: https://gustard.taobao.com/
- email address: [email protected]
Tel：18682080102 (for mandarin only)
Wechat：18682080102

This is ALL.

Thanks James !

 

[james_0075]

Huang does not suggest to buy from TB directly, as 1)They do not speak English. 2) You have to pay by Alipay. And recently due to COVID-19, shipping delayed a lot, but now it is improving.

 

[james_0075]

It's on the back of their devices:
View attachment 70501

www.gustard.cn

It looks like it has not yet been utilized.

Martin

www.gustard.cn is NOT active.

 

[james_0075]

Gustard also has a FB page, but stopped at two years ago. So, let's see if any improvement occurs this year end.

 

[gto88]

Thanks for the email address, it is the only information I found so far for their contact.
I sent a complain about A18 has no power on/off on remote controller.
The power switch in the back is really back idea, and they claim its remote as "full function"

 

[james_0075]

You mean your A18 runs well, but you would like them adding a power button on remote control in future production? Or they need to amend manual to indicate remote works as full function except power switch on / off? Or move the power switch from back to front and also let remote has this function?

 

[gto88]

Yes, the A18 runs well, and sound good, but with the switch in the back and remote doesn't work for power on/off
is really a bad design practice.
My sabaj D5 has main switch in the back and also power button at front panel and its remote can turn it on/off.
There is no next generation for this thing, tech is evolving too fast.
I only hope that they can make remote work for on/off function, through firmware update if possible.

 

[james_0075]

Understand what you mean, thanks.

 

[TXinD76121]

People in the other forums [are confused]. They saw his early measurements, and then went on a rant about me and hence the results being useless. I also got manufacturer questions asking me about them. Since I did not make the measurements, it put me in a difficult spot to explain.

I've been writing on the web since 2002 and for magazines since 1988. My experience over many years is that readers don't pay attention to bylines. I can put up a guest post on my site with the author's name in two places, the one at the top in bold type with "Written by" in front of it, and readers will still assume I wrote it. There's not a lot that can be done about this...it's in the nature of the beast.

 

[deafenears]

Maybe a big banner at the top for reviews not done by Amir and promoted to the front page. Good thing Wolf now adds various watermarks in the images posted as well as little cute figurines in place of the pink panther(s).

 

[soccermommy]

No optical input is heartbreaking. Its the only way to get audio from my Samsung OLED.

 

[restorer-john]

The front panel design looks they they stole Sony's classic label used for decades...

 

[Harmonie]

Yes, the A18 runs well, and sound good, but with the switch in the back and remote doesn't work for power on/off
is really a bad design practice.
My sabaj D5 has main switch in the back and also power button at front panel and its remote can turn it on/off.
There is no next generation for this thing, tech is evolving too fast.
I only hope that they can make remote work for on/off function, through firmware update if possible.

My (very) old Wadia 12, doesn't have any power buttom on the front at all. I keep it on since ... more than 20 years continuesly and never had/have the slightest issue at all !

 

[Harmonie]

The front panel design looks they they stole Sony's classic label used for decades...

View attachment 70864

View attachment 70866

Ah Sony's Chifi unveiled ?

 

[james_0075]

No optical input is heartbreaking. Its the only way to get audio from my Samsung OLED.

Rumor says that A18 MKII will have Toslink in and MQA function will be added, but not sure when will be on market yet.

 

[Harmonie]

BTW, strange. I wonder how many versions the A22 has ? The A22 I'm testing has USB & BT . No news about MQA (but who cares).