How does a Gustard DAC sound?
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- Опубликовано: 7 июл 2024
- Gustard X18 review. Is this $750 right for you? Read my written reviews with scores at iiwireviews.com/
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00:00 About X18
01:25 Connectivity
02:26 Features
05:37 Sound
13:16 Comparisons
15:33 vs EarMen Tradutto
19:37 vs Denafrips Ares II
23:37 vs Topping D70s
24:47 Conclusion
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Test system:
Raspberry Pi with Pi2AES streamer
Denafrips Ares II DAC
Acoustic Invader AMP and PREAMP: acousticinvader.com/
KEF LS50 speakers: amzn.to/2ztRg0s
#hifi #audiophile #dac #stereo 
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Forgot to mention that X18 comes with a NOS mode alongside many OS digital filters. That said, I much preferred most OS modes because NOS sweetens the sound, but at the same time robs it of air, details, and separation. Didn't care for it much. Also, as many of you are asking this - yes I did sell my Hegel H90 and behind me you can see a preamp from the Acoustic Invader preamp and amp combo. Crazy good devices, but review and more info about them coming next week. Cheers!
hi, just want to clarify, did you mean you prefer NOS over OS? Thanks
No, I prefer OS.
one of the rare top audio reviewers, thank you loads
Great review - you’ve got a knack for
communicating key points in a clear and honest way. Thanks!
Love the ‘climbing the mountain’ analogy.
I know this is a older review but I just want to say I enjoyed it and you have very good english. Very easy to understand and informative.
Excellent review, not just another yes man, a breath of fresh air,
I have had the Gustard A22 for over a year in my system and your assessment is in my opinion is spot on , I have Klipsch RF7 ||| 's , with Parasound JC 5 and Emotiva processor . In 2 channel listening with a REL T9x in the signal love the neutral and resolute sound coming from the Gustard .
Fantastic review bud, thanks!
Climbing up a Pyramid from different points is a good analogy. I may prefer staying in the middle level and enjoying the unique colors to aiming unreachable top and getting one and only THE best. Thanks for the enjoyable review.
Great review. I love your style and the way you present content.
I purchased an X18 in part because of your review, and I must say ... I'm blown away for the price (US$ 599, open box on Amazon). Your review was spot-on. The DAC is accurate without fail, top to bottom. My Denafrips Pontus II on my other system is more musical, but the Gustard is a nice change of pace and so far I'm glad I didn't purchase an Ares II for my second system. It's good to have something different, something other than an R2R. FYI, a Schiit Freya + is paired with the Gustard and works well, with Harbeth P3s and two small REL T-Zero subs.
The X18's built-in Bluetooth works great and is an added bonus.
I've ordered an H16 headphone amp directly from China to pair with the X18. I'm excited to hear how they work together.
really appreciate your detailed review. thanks and more power!
Very good review, very detail and informative. I wish you get a chance to compare the x18 to it's younger brother x16 that came out last year, to see if the x16 is a good buy for it's price range ($450-500) and where it stand in comparison to others DACs too at that price.
A great review! Thanks!
Still waiting D1se review from you. Almost everyone is impressed by it, especially in its price range.
You don’t know me from Adam, but I own it and love it as well!
@@davidcoons89 it probably does but since they are at similar prices, which one would be a better buy D1se or X18?
Nice review. Would be nice if you could review the Gustard H16 headphone amp. For some reason reviews of this priduct are scarce, even though the comments on the audio forums state that it is a superb unit.
Have a nice day. Cheers.
Excellent. I do appreciate the trouble you go to really fully describe the sound quality.
If it readily comes to mind can you give an example or examples of pieces of music that you like that feature both electric bass guitar and acoustic upright bass being played?
Cheers. Happy 2022
Great reviw! It'll be good if you can get your hands on X26 Pro to compare. Regards
thanks for the reviews mate.!! Please check out the new k5 pro ess. I'd love to see your take on it.
If you wanted a D70s and missed out, the X18 is probably the closest alternative. Both seem to have very similar inputs and specs. My guess is that the filters on the X18 will be a bit more useful looking at where they start cutting off. The D70s might sound a bit smoother with more bass, the X18 perhaps a bit more resolving with sharper leading edges resulting in a bit more separation and resolution, but so close you probably couldn't tell without keeping on A-Bing the two. The X18 is a bit more narrow in size. That's really about it. Essentially two equal units. X18 is also stated to be close to the Gustard X26 in SQ, which is double the price...so very much diminishing returns. Priced where it is, it should compete with anything at or even 50% higher of its' price. Throw in an EarMen Tradutto as another competing option although it has a bit less connectivity options.
Not sure if you have a cap on prices for DACs that you review, and I'm grateful you feature so many sub $1,000 options, which are affordable to me. That said, I'm very interested in the Swiss DAC, Merason Frerot, $1,350 USD. I've read some incredible reviews, and wonder if it' similar - 'or better than' - or if it magically combines positive but 'competing' attributes of the X18, Tradutto, Ares II, etc.?
Hats off to you - you're the GREATEST hifi reviewer and presenter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you review the Merason Frerot - please consider including it on your channel!
Thanks! I do have some sort of soft limit on the pricing that's a mix of my budget, amount of views, and ability to sell it second-hand afterward here in Serbia. So buying a piece of gear that expensive will be OK only if I really plan on keeping it, but these videos still can't justify me buying something like that just for reviewing purposes... So I guess that growing the channel more is the way to go. More subs, views, people using my affiliate links to cover the cost of getting something like that. Until then, I'll cover what I can get my hands on, loan, get a review sample, etc. Cheers!
I'm very tempted by the Gustard R26 Discrete DAC. Seems like it competes with DACS twice it's price
Would like to see you review the Gustard X26 Pro.
Thank you!
Very interesting and opinion-forming reviews. Thanks. For me would be also interesting comparison sound quality on RCA connection ( like most all DAC-s have ) and using XLR ( many of them ). Are there any or clearly noticeable differences? Specially that not of all have really balanced topology.
A great review. Have you heard the gustard x26. And which R2R DAC Would have same level of detail as the x18. I have an x16 and I have an x18 on loan and I can't believe improvement in detail and bass definition over the x16.
hi,
could you do a video about how you got into audio and if possible some details about your genre preferences, testing methodology etc
this will likely help grow your channel IMO
Hi, yeah interesting idea, I'll think about it. Cheers!
Neutral. How all dacs should sound. I have an X16 and a D90se. Measurements wise, the D90se is currently THE best dac you can get. Im getting rid of my X16 and keeping the D90. Now im just going to play around with amps. Singxer SA1, Topping A90, etc.
Some people prefer other dacs over the D90se even those costing less. All in all, regardless of which wins in specs, at some point specs are good enough and a slightly warmer/brighter side of neutral may be one's preference. But they all tend to sound more similar than different at over $600 up to double that.
I have smsl Su9 but I would want to know the comparison between this Gustard x18 and Musician draco r2r dac because theyre similar in price. I would have to sacrifice other audio gear so I can buy one of those things because dacs are great.
Hi thank you for great review, as always. Wanted to ask have you sold your hegel amp? If yes whats your new amp and why you choose it?
Many people asked about it, I change it for a basically unknown brand - Acoustic Invader preamp and amp combo. Great devices, review coming next week.
Hello sir, will you review Fiio K9 pro? You are ones of the best DAC reviewers, really want to know your opinions about K9 pro.
Excellent
I am listing to you describe the x18, love the the detail you provide. But I turned my x16 which cost much less and I heard everything you heard. Maybe you should compare. I have the blue-sound more in an other set up. The x16 sounds far far better. Please give the 16 a run.
So, the price point of view which one u recommend??
I hope you will be able to upgrade your speakers to a bigger ones, it will help us a lot to understand what these dacs will perform with big speakers...
Thanks a lot for another greay review 😉
Compared with X16 that I had some time ago, the display looks much more readable.
I remember that it wasn't possible to turn off X16 with remote (it also didn't have button in front so it had to be turned on all the time)- is it the same with X18? Not possible to turn off with remote but only with the front button?
Cheers,
Przemek
DACs LOVE to run warm and most draw very little power at when not actively in use..leaving it on all the time will also prolong the life of the electronics as they won’t be exposed to repeated extreme swings of heating and cooling not to mention your DAC will always be at optimal operating temperature for ya and ready to sound its very best!
@@davidcoons89 X16 was quite warmish when left turned on so I'm not sure if it would prolong life of electeonics. If you listen to music once per day, I'm not sure whether leaving it powered on for 24h is better than using it just for 2-3 hours 😉
Cheers.
Good review as always. How good do your amp and speakers need to be to hear the benefit of this DAC over something like the D300 or even the E50? I recently saw a comment on a forum from someone saying they couldn’t hear a difference between their Ares 2 and the DAC in their Node 2i. Would you say something like spend half on the DAC compared to your amp cost? Thanks.
I can hear a very big difference between my Ares and my Node2i. Not even close. I would spend the same on both DAC and amp. DACs are a critical component IMHO. 1K each will get you a darn fine set up if one can manage it.
@@myu4039 Thanks for the feedback. Do you have a dedicated streamer or are you using the Node? What amp and speakers do you have?
@@doifeellucky I use a NODE now as primary source into an Audio GD R1 DAC into a rebuilt Sansui AU 517 into a pair of Zu Omen speakers. I am about to get a Odyssey Khartago amp soon though and the Sansui will move over into my second system with a Node 2i into a Denefrips Ares 2 into a pair of Tekton Lores.
Great, thanks!
Have you had a look at the SMSL VMV D1SE yet? How does it compare?
Haven't had a chance to try that one. Too many DACs. 😄
@@iiWiReviews 😄 Thank you!
It is great to have this price class get some choices and competition. I hope you can review the SMSL VMV D1se at some point - it seems like it might fit in the mix of Ares II, etc very well. It is $720US.
Or maybe trying too hard to be everything.. I'm wondering too
And maybe the SMSL VMV D2.
@@cablebrain9691 Well - that is probably a very good DAC - but is MUCH more money.
@@willmac5642 I think it’s an objectively great performing DAC and it fits my preferences and synergizes well with my system as well. I wouldn’t say it’s THE clear standout DAC in it’s price range but it’s v competitive depending on what you’re looking for.
Another thing is to buy a chip based dac for clinical and precise sound and instead of searching for an R2R, use /buy a decent turntable searching for that real analog experience ,soundstage and depth, similar to what reviewers talk about denafrips.
How would this X18 compare to the Eversolo Z6?
What you say here about this DAC making a spoon on a glass sound realistic is what I'm looking for in online reviews. I want to know whether a DAC makes a cello sound like a cello, a trumpet sound like a trumpet, a flute sound like a flute. I rarely hear anything about this on RUclips audiophile channels. It's usually blather about bass punch, soundstage height, separation, resolution, glare, etc. If you tell me which audio components have PRAT and which are thin in the mid-bass, I'll yawn and move on. If you tell me which make it easier for me to believe I'm at a concert listening to a real piano or string quartet, I'm a subscriber for life!
Hi Bill, the reason most reviewers don't talk about Harmonic or "Timbrel Accuracy" is because unless they're a musician, they don't know what a real flute or trumpet sounds like..Unless you're working with real instruments daily or hear lots of live music in venues , one doesn't know.. I am lucky being a musician and being in touch with real instruments, not merely a "ghost image" of them..Often " Non Oversampling" DACs have the most lifelike presentation ( Correct Harmonic Structure)whereas ..The Oversampling DACs have more artificial info added which is perceived by some as 'more detail' and perceived by others as 'fake digital artifacts' (digititis) There is a big fan base for NOS DACs for people who prefer a more Analogue organic real presentation over a hyper detailed etched presentation.
I prefer the Mid way step of NOS being lifelike yet avoiding the the inconvenience and expense of true analogue (Vinyl)
All these RUclipsrs focus on are features that a consumer can easily read off the internet. They never get into the character of the sound and dive deep into the topic this is also why I love this guy.
Now I have the Tradutto, I can understand what you are saying about the Gustard and the Denefrips more easily. And I can see that it might be nice for one DAC to have the best characteristics of all three -- but like you say, then we'd be in higher-priced territory. Probably significantly more than I'd ever be prepared to spend.
The Tradutto is -- or was when I bought it -- the least expensive of the three, but within the last week or so has gone up by £100 to £799 (is that a coincidence, or did your review have an influence, I wonder?)
Whatever, at the price I paid, I'm content with its pluses and minuses. It too is crisp and precise -- if not as much as you say the Gustard is -- but I'd find it very difficult to sacrifice its wonderful bass and soundstage depth. And I might like the even better soundstage you say that the Denefrips has, but wouldn't like to sacrifice the Tradutto's apparently somewhat less veiled presentation.
No point in my trying to over-justify my choice (which was as much dictated by price as anything else), or to worry about the benefits I might be missing in the other two DACs. At these kinds of prices, different manufacturers will make different design decisions about what to focus on, and that will inevitably lead to different compromises being made. It's up to the customer to decide which s/he likes best.
One consideration is that probably any of these three DACs have the kind of price/performance ratio that even a few years ago would have seemed impossible! Maybe in a few more years the kind of performance one currently finds in high-end models will become commonplace and the leading edge will have moved on.
Very nice video. Now for something completely different... I don't see the Hegel H90 amplifier anymore behind you. Do you have a new amp?
Yes, I got Acoustic Invader preamp and amp combo for a review (small Serbian manufacturer) but it was so good that I purchased it instead of returning, and sold my Hegel instead. Review is coming next week.
Yes I spotted that. Similar design with two big knobs.
@@iiWiReviews Thank you for the info. Looking forward to the review of the Acoustic Invader!
You can use DACs as volume controls, but I wouldn't call it using as a preamp. I have tried using a high end DAC as a volume control and without the buffer of a preamp the sound was dull and lifeless. Preamps are necessary in my opinion. Especially if a person is spending $800 on a DAC.
What about a comparison against the Bifrost 2? :)
Is this an upgrade over Allo revolution DAC?
What about the Gustard X26 pro?
Hvala za jos jedan sjajan review! Trenutno imam Hegel H190 i pitam se da li bi mi Gustard X16 doneo bolji zvuk. Sto se digitalnog signala tice, uglavnom slusam CD-ove putem Primare CD transporta, dok uopste ne streamujem sa kompjutera ili preko streamera. Da li cu cuti bitnu razliku u zvuku u odnosu na Hegel H190 DAC ako investiram u Gustard X16? Hvala unapred!
Pozdrav. Dok je Tradutto jasno boji od DAC-a u H90, sa onim u H190 ga već nisam poredio a on ima digitaliju novije generacije za koju važi da je osetno poboljšana u odnosu na prethodnu.
@@iiWiReviews Nisam ni znao za Tradutto, pogledacu i taj test! Moje pitanje je bilo za Gustard vs Hegel ali mi je sada i Tradutto privukao pažnju, posebno zbog činjenice da je iz Srbije. Hvala!
@@playlist286arhbffsd Izvini, odgovarao sam na više komentara pa sam pobrkao DAC-ove. 😄 Po mom mišljenju je Gustard X18 parnjak sa Traduttom i jasno bolji od DAC-a iz H90. Mada se meni lično zvučni potpis traduta više dopada, ima više mesa.
X16 je poznanik donosio da poredimo sa X18, zaista nije loš DAC... sve je tu na svom mestu, ali takođe ni u čemu ne blista posebno. Mislim da bi on već teško doneo bilo šta više u odnosu na interni H190 DAC.
@@iiWiReviews U tom slučaju cu sačekati test Gustard x26pro ili Denafrips Pontusa :)
How are you ? Thanks for this video.. pls review ibasso DC 05 and hifiman eagle
I heard Eagle is basically the same as the single-ended output on the Sparrow. That means nice and warm sound.
@@iiWiReviews thank you
Gustard similar house sound to RME?
An excellent review, as always! I have a well-intended comment: I always play your videos at 1.25X speed, not because I try to make them last shorter but because you talk a tiny bit slow. I understand that you think well before you speak, which I'm all for it and helps you deliver such well-defined reviews, but if you could speed up a tiny bit it would be perfect. All the best.
You should revIew geshelli j2
How about pairing DAC with DDC, how does it scale? For example Gustard X18 with Gustard U18 or Singxer SU2.
If you're using USB interface then it will certainly help. I'm not interested to try those currently since I've been avoiding USB for quite some time now. Instead, I'm using Pi2AES board to clean my digital signal before it enters a DAC. It really does make a noticeable difference.
@@iiWiReviews *I would ask how it compares to the Denafrips Pontus 2 and the Singxer SDA-6 PRO*
What's your recommendation for an under 1000 DAC my friend? The 1 you liked best.
I have two favourites, Denafrips Ares II and EarMen Tradutto... Can't choose between them cause I love both for different reasons. I went in detail about it in Tradutto review.
Thanks for your great channel, on your recommendation I bought the X18. It’s amazing! A question on my side has to do with the USB cable. I’d like to use the new Supra Excalibur US - B to A audio cable, however my MacBook Pro M1 only supports US - C this means I’ll need a B - C converter. Will this effect the sound? Should I rather use an Audioquest A to C cable? Thank you.
Good work, thanks.
How's that x18 will compare to x16? Any thoughts?
I think Audio science review measured the x18 as slightly better but at almost double the cost.
I might get a chance to do it soon.
@@oppje6188 audiosciene has nothing to do with sound. They are measuring instrument lol
@@ahmadhusaini8420 I didnt say it has anything to do with sound lol
@@oppje6188 xD
In short....Gustard x18 should be a kinde of.....good DAC for monitoring, anlysing the sound?
Latly ussing Topping dx-9.....with ATC p1. ATC SCM7 ...AUDIOLAB CDT 60 , FOR NEARFIELD LISTENING.Finde , it is nice , big sound......but would like to get a sound , you just describe.
Such a good rewiev, as ussuall
All the best👍🙂🖖🍀👋
What is the comparison between Gustard X18 and Topping D90SE?. any chance to review D90SE?
Probably more similar than different. What has been stated about both is they don't have that depth of stage as say an R2R dac or even the Schitt Bifrost. That seems to be what others have stated as well. The Chinese dacs at that price point and even lower seem to go for clarity, punch, excitement over depth of stage or softness as in R2R dacs may at their lower price points.
I have a Topping D70S which adds a bit of warmth, maybe a bit more depth, has been stated to sound a bit R2R but with similar characteristics as the more analytical dacs and which do well with my Focal speakers. My amp also leans a bit warmer but not overly so and gives sufficient resolution and space between instruments. With warmer speakers you may loose a bit of sharpness, clarity, etc. but are great with more analytical speakers which I prefer as it can take some of the edge off for a smoother presentation. iWii states what others have said, The Gustard X18 and the more analytical dacs may pair better with less resolving and brighter speakers, perhaps something more neutral or warmer.
You have to listen and decide which would be more pleasing to you in your current or planned system. I prioritize speakers first, then amp, then source. Amp is a close second as they need to work together to give the best price/performance they can IMO and the right dac can tweak the SQ given how well the speakers and amp work together. I like getting the most detail and resolution I can while retaining smoothness while avoiding too much sharpness or edginess.
People that like really warm presentations sound too woolly to me for most music but sometimes it is better for Rock music (probably depends upon how it was mixed in the studio). For Jazz, classical, acoustic and even Blues I like a fast, more analytical presentation. I also get reasonable depth and space given the budget setup. My amp in this system sounds very much like my Hegel without giving up too much. The internal dac of the Hegel is more analytical and a bit faster but still smooth giving a bit more space and resolution than the Topping D70S but the D70S adds a bit more fullness to bass and midbass. Both I find pleasing and I may prefer one over the other depending on music. Both use AKM but I also like ESS chips. I used and still have a Lavaudio DS600 which was nice enough for under $200 when on sale.
System:
Focal 807W (great speakers, hard to find used, compete with many even at 2K price points)
Keces E40 (a high quality class AB amp at 10 lbs...we all get older.)
Topping D70S (at the time best price for performance purchase with 2 yr warranty at APOS.)
-Considered the Gustard X26 PRO which would have been overkill. If I were to upgrade speakers or used floorstanders or needed to listen at much louder levels, I'd keep the Hegel, get the X26 PRO or some other higher priced dac...but I didn't need it. Will sell the Hegel as it's overkill for my needs and improvement in SQ in my system at my listening levels while nice, are more/less marginal. It's like going 80kph in a sports car that want to driven much much harder and faster. "System matching".
Blue Jeans cables (15 feet) also a bit warmer on the upper frequencies vs what I had.
Ears (13kHz cutoff)
Hope this adds some perspective.
@@nc3419 Thanks for the input. I bought D90SE 3 weeks ago and it does improve the sound stage, clarity, and bass. Since they are both about the same as you mentioned there is no benefit to owning Gustard at this moment.
What about timing (prat)? And dynamics?
Timing is great in my opinion because this is a fast paced, well timed device. Regarding dynamics, it's good but nothing to write home about. I would sooner called it controled and neat than dynamic or punchy.
As for the PRaT term, I have to come clean that I never fully understood that term. I heard people saying old Naim devices had good PRaT but those to my ears were just OK when it comes to precise timing but sounded lively and punchy so you would nod your had with rhythm. If that would be the definition of a good PRaT then I would rather go for EarMen Tradutto DAC.
How it compare to Schiit modi multibit ?
They are very different. Mimby is warmer, fuller, softer, and much less resolving. X18 is very flat, neutral, and reveals much more tiny details.
@@iiWiReviews i like weighty/deep/full body & Little bit “V” shape sound your recommendation list please. .Budget max 500 usd
Thank you.
where is your written review of this? I'm trying to find your sound quality score of this product.
I'm late with written reviews because I had some personal stuff last few months that took all of my time. It's getting better now so I'll try to catch up as quickly as possible.
@@iiWiReviews take your time. I appreciate your hard work nonetheless!
@@iiWiReviews would you rate this one higher than a 9.5 for sound? If you don’t mind me asking
Not really, as far as technicalities go: speed, transients, resolution, I'd give it a 10 easily... but soundstage depth and fullness/palpability of the tones are not the best in class (Ares II and Tradutto have a lead here). So I'd say it will probably be a strong 9 for the overall sonic performance, in line with what I rated Ares II, just for the different set of skills. But hey, that's just my own system of values, so somebody else might feel differently.
Does it feature Balance Control?
Not sure if you're thinking of tone balance or channel balance, but the answer for both is - no it doesn't.
@@iiWiReviews Channel balance indeed. It's a pity that DACs that work as a pre-amp rarely offer that function. (Almost) none of us has a perfect room and correcting the channel balance is a very useful feature. I know that Audiolab's M-DAC, RME's ADI-2-DAC as well as Cambridge Audio's DacMagic offer this function but it's only very few from a long list of DACs available. How do you think about this?
so neutral but not dead, so that's a perfect DAC isn't It?
Audiolab DAC-M would kill that bird X18 or anything like that anytime anywhere when you need it!!
Does it sound like custard? This is not a great name to have in the English speaking audiophile world.
What's wrong with custard? It would mean it sounds delicious. 😊
@@iiWiReviews Custard's usually pretty thick and gloopy in the UK😆
Ha, good to know cause I never tried it. Just Googled it, pictures and the description seemed delicious. 😁
Not sure that "gustard" is French (or some other language) for the english "custard". I looked it up, but havent got a definitive answer.
@@iiWiReviews Then there's creme brulee.
Your microphone setup for this video is very cursed. Really painful peaking & sibilance. Probably need to compensate for your pronunciation as well. Your way of stressing makes it worse.
You're right unfortunately... I noticed it myself and I'm trying different mic positions and settings to improve it. Currently researching boom arms and anything else needed to nip it in the bud.