Multiple Interfaces: The fully balanced decoder GUSTARD DAC-X16 supports USB/I2S/COAX/OPT/BT/AES input, and has two output modes: RCA single-ended output and balanced XLR input. It is a true fully balanced decoder. Another striking difference is that I could easier follow the trail of a musical note in busy passages with X26 PRO. There was simply more air around, the whole place felt decompressed and the musical notes had clearer leading edges. Not only the soundstage was bigger, wider and taller, but I could easier focus on anything I wanted, without stressing myself too much. X16 wasn’t that impressive with HPA4, it wasn’t that holographic and it wasn’t that deep and open wide by comparison.

On less than perfect recordings, X18 can add some unwanted ringing in the treble and a higher pitch, but after adding the U18 into the chain, it single-handedly removed all traces of grain and listening fatigue. If you even experienced an R-2R ladder DAC or a well-made FPGA DAC (like those of Chord Electronics or Audiobyte), then you already know how real those can sound with acoustic music, as if musical notes are bonded with invisible silk threads. To a certain degree, this is exactly what U18 would be doing to all your DACs. It would add more flow, a bit more air in between the notes, it would further expand the stage, while adding even more refinement and a higher transparency. On entry-level DACs you can experience a lower noise floor and a better detail retrieval, but that isn’t the case with X18, as it’s already exemplary in here. BT Power: SELECTED or ALWAYS. Self-explanatory, leave it at Selected if you are not using the BT input that often. DSD Filter: 4 positions. You are going to select the roll-off of the DSD content, 47K position sound more natural to me. You can access its user menu by pressing the Menu button on the remote or by a long press on the button to the far right. Once you do that, a user menu like this will appear: This DAC is a killer. Detailled, dynamic, wide and deep soundstage, neutral but not cold and not so much analytical. It grooves. It outperforms my AudioGD NFB29 9038 except if i am below -30db.Gustard X16 is the latest Desktop DAC featuring a fully Balanced output with full MQA decoding support. It houses premium chipsets including the latest ES9068AS DAC chips, XU216 USB signal receiver, and more, providing the best sound quality experience to its users. Dual ES9068AS DAC Chipset:- At first sight, the DAC is really really well made with quality components and seems to be very flexible = removable OP amps, removable BT board etc

Gustard squeezed the last drop of performance from that ES9038 PRO, thanks a powerful I/V and LPF stage, on top of that its channels were paralleled for a higher dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. If we’re talking about micro-details, then the little fellow was up there with the best I’ve tried, seriously outclassing entry to mid-level converters coming from the likes of SMSL, Topping or Soncoz. In some ways I’d describe the Gustard as pretty “workaday” – it doesn’t do anything wrong, but it doesn’t connect me with the music like my other DACs. For me, it is missing that certain something that’s really hard to quantify.Considering all of the above, I didn’t know what to expect out of X18, but after getting to know it better for about a week, X18 started showing me its beautiful side. I’m glad to report that X18 sounds closer to X26 PRO than to X16, as there’s considerably more impact in the lowest octaves, the sound stretches wider and instead of a bi-dimensional sound field, X18 delivers an airier and deeper presentation. Almost everything that I disliked about the X16, felt improved on X18. There was a higher engagement factor, a nicer impact in the lowest octaves, a smoother vocal performance and a warmer overall tonality, while retaining the same cleanness, ultra-revealing nature and noiseless presentation. While system matching was a crucial aspect on X16, that’s no longer the case with X18 – it felt effortless sounding, as if the amp that followed was less important. Why : 1/ there is one dedicated ship for each canal that cannot be effect less on crosstalk. 2/ there is one embeded linear regulator, INSIDE each chip for the first time on ESS Sabre. A critical step on each Dac implementation is the chip supply quality. Here it cannot be better. I can complain only about its case design, which looks bland and uninspiring, but everything else feels and performs at a very high level. X26 PRO just scored a Gold Award and it is fully deserved. Congratulations to the team! X16 has a clean front panel with just a simple monochrome OLED screen in the middle and a nice volume wheel on the far right. If you want to use it in the DAC mode, select maximum volume of 0 dB and if you will be using it as a DAC and Preamp, you can choose the desired volume level via that remote control or via its volume wheel. In the middle of the volume wheel a button is located, a short press on it will select your desired digital input and a long press will engage its user menu, where additional setting can be found. Gustard is not forcing you to use the remote control in case you’ll want to change setting like digital filters, you can do that single-handedly, unlike Topping that is forcing to use its remote for advanced settings. Another really superb recording that I reviewed in Copper Issue 144 is jazz pianist and vocalist Patricia Barber's latest release, Clique. I've ripped the DSD layer of the SACD disc, and I also have the 32-bit/352.8 kHz DXD files. I had the following to say about this excellent release then: " Clique is an exceptional recording; one of those rare events where all elements of the creative process combine to yield a record of perfect performances and technical brilliance. Clique is a truly outstanding listening experience." The DXD file is easily the finest-sounding digital music file on my entire music server, and it reached a new level of magnificence when played with the Gustard X16 in my big system.

Gustard is a Chinese audio equipment manufacturer that mainly focuses on DACs & AMPs. Their headquarters are located in Guangdong, China. Gustard is an innovative company with an independent research and development team. They design raw, engineering-focused devices that are so much more impressive on the inside, compared to the simplistic, modest look on the outside. X18 has a clean front panel with just a simple monochrome OLED screen in the middle, an On/Off button to its left and there’s a volume wheel on the far right. If you want to use it in the DAC mode, select its maximum volume at 0 dB and if you will be using it as a DAC plus preamp combo, then select your desired SPL via its remote or volume wheel. A button is located in the middle of that wheel, a short press lets you choose a digital input and a long press will engage its user menu. Gustard is not forcing the use of its remote when changing settings, you can do that single-handedly, unlike other companies that require a remote for advanced settings. Now, this is just entirely speculation on my part, and I haven’t gotten a definitive answer from PS Audio yet, but at the time when the SGCD was there awaiting a new circuit board, it wasn’t alone. I was told that there were multiple units waiting for boards, which were in short supply due to the pandemic. I was offered the option – which they didn’t really recommend – of getting a repair of the existing board. That would have involved basically stripping elements from the existing board to isolate the problem, then replacing them with new parts in an attempt to restore the board to its previous condition. My alternative was to wait for a fully-assembled replacement board, which was definitely my first choice. And after hearing such a marked improvement in the sound quality of my renewed SGCD, I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps my new board came equipped with an upgraded ESS DAC chipset – or possible other improvements. It worked very well when I used it as a DAC + Pre in my setup, Reference 3 sounded as I know them to be, their transparent and speedy presentation remained intact. X26 PRO added some class-A warmth, a heavier and more impactful bass at the cost of being less grippy sounding to the Element X. When X26 PRO worked as a DAC only, leaving the preamp duties to a Benchmark HPA4, the sound became even more focused, more controlled and tighter in a way. The difference was quite minor and I feel that in a less revealing setup, you’ll be guessing if you need a dedicated preamp or not. If what I’m searching for can’t be found on Qobuz, then I will be continuing my search on Tidal and after that on Spotify. When it comes to high-resolution MQA content, for now there are three services that will be offering such content: Tidal, Nugs.net and Xiami Music in China. Once you have a subscription to any of these, you’ll have access to a wide variety of MQA files that are released on a weekly basis. These files can go up to 24-bit and 96 kHz in resolution with the last bits of information stored in a lossy format.

Bluetooth 5.0

To return your product, you should mail your product to: 4F 405, Building F, No.2 Shangxue Science and Technology North, Bantian Street, Longgang Dist, ShenZhen, 518129 Guangdong, China Its side plates are rounded and the front plate is rounded at the edges, I’m swapping electronics on a daily basis be it amplifiers or DACs and sometimes they might touch each other. With rounded cases, I’m more confident that I’m not going to see scratches or dents anytime soon. Mid-band is lush and full and is where the Gustard scored really highly. Vocals were easy to decipher and there is a good insight into tone and detail in the performer’s voice. In lots of ways, I could see some describing this as an “audiophile” sounding DAC. Sending music from a smartphone that was using streaming services as Qobuz and Tidal worked as a charm and LDAC codec sounded almost indistinguishable to its wired connections. Bottom line is that X26 PRO performed amazingly well in here, rising the bar yet again and becoming a new benchmark when it comes to Bluetooth receivers.