Gustard X20 DAC
Mar 29, 2016 at 9:11 PM Post #586 of 1,320
  I'm using Foobar to play my DSD and FLAC files.  I'm keen to try upsample the FLAC files. Will you kindly guide us the steps to do this with Foobar, or the link to the relevant information?
Thank you in advance!

 
The Schiit site gives a good process for Foobar on Windows
http://schiit.com/guides/dsd-setup
 
Step 1 - use https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/files/foo_input_sacd/foo_input_sacd-0.8.4.zip/download
Step 2 - OK
Step 3  - OK
Step 4 - Run ASIOProxyInstall-0.8.3.exe from the extracted zip file
Step 5 - OK
Step 6 - right click " foo_input_sacd.fb2k-component" from the extracted zip file and click "install"
Step 7 - OK
Step 8 - OK
Step 9 - OK
Step 10 - set the ASIO driver to the installed Gustard XMOS driver
Step 11 - set DSD to DSD method to "SDM Type C (FP64)"
Step 12 - set PCM to DSD method to "SDM TYpe C (FP64)"
Step 13 - set fs to DSD128 for both PCM and DSD
Step 14 - OK
 
That should be all that is required. You can ignore steps 15 to 17.
Please don't hesitate to get back to me if you have any issues.
When playing the X20 should display DSD128
 
Note this can be quite demanding on a cpu.
My music server (hp 8440p with an i7 620m) runs 20%.
It gives a JRiver benchmark score of 2200 (see JRiver help menu option)
You should try and keep the cpu below 40% ?
 
Note I am using the U12 connected to the x20 using hdmi cable
This enables DSD256 which gives a noticeable improvement on DSD128.
 
And you can also use the Foobar SoX plugin to upsample all music files to 192khz
Download the Foobar "Resampler (SoX)" file
There are 3 variations as described in the following link
https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,67373.0.html
Mod gives you the ability to specify which input files to resample; mod2 which files to ignore.
The discussion thread is here https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,67376.0.html
 
Note I also suggest you look at the JAM skins for Foobar - http://flipout69.deviantart.com/art/JAM-v1-3-1-407758948
You can also try the JAM 2.0 which is a bit cleaner but installs a mobile version of foobar
I have had a lot of fun using these skins
 
Alternatively drive foobar using foobarcon from your android tablet.
This is also lots of fun
 
Mar 29, 2016 at 10:55 PM Post #589 of 1,320
Mar 30, 2016 at 12:19 AM Post #591 of 1,320
  Dear b0bb!
   
  Did you have a chance to compare LKS MH-DA003 (preferably stock version) to Gustard X20? I wonder whether the LKS is worth around $500 dollars more than Gustard's price.
  Thanks!


I bought the LKS before the Gustard came out, so no.
 
The price increase pays for bigger power supplies and a larger board with clear separation between the analog and digital sections, I do not need to worry about shielding between the sections
 
Apr 1, 2016 at 8:34 PM Post #592 of 1,320
There's an $11k+ Chord DAVE in the room getting no love
Supposedly it's the E1-KRS doing dac=>pre duty, but I can't spot it
 
What I do see 2min is a familiar face doing SHARP+NORMAL+PCM@44 (my goodness, the very worst parameters)...
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frii1NS5AMw&ebc=ANyPxKo8Dy44XXfhnqhCYRFRcePv9GMp8zMn_ilpXOM8a-X1FmqXv-V9piwD_sDFGtwx-DocmfHjAzBSeRRYFadLYJm_2qxEew
 
and at @ -28vol this might also be doing preamp duty!
 
Apr 8, 2016 at 8:42 AM Post #593 of 1,320
is there more people that compared Auralic Vega to X20?  they are very similiar,both are chinese,Ess Sabre 9018,even internaly they both look similiar with three comparments.
 
I have reed this one guy who have X20,Vega and Yggy and he say its better than both Vega and Yggy,but it cost like 75% less so I its hard to believe.If someone could measure it for thd,noise and crosstalk that would be much appreciated
 

 

 
Apr 13, 2016 at 5:13 PM Post #595 of 1,320
I'm interested in trying something like the AQVOX usb power supply or one of those twin usb cables where one leg carries the data and the other carries the power. Has anyone tried either of these approaches with the X20?

I know it needs the 5v power from the usb connection to lock with the computer, I'm just not sure either of these approaches will work.
 
Apr 17, 2016 at 3:52 AM Post #597 of 1,320
is there more people that compared Auralic Vega to X20?  they are very similiar,both are chinese,Ess Sabre 9018,even internaly they both look similiar with three comparments.


 


I have reed this one guy who have X20,Vega and Yggy and he say its better than both Vega and Yggy,but it cost like 75% less so I its hard to believe.If someone could measure it for thd,noise and crosstalk that would be much appreciated


 





 



 


The Aurelic Vega is a very good dac and in quite a different price category than either the Yggy $2300, Gustard x20u $900, and Vega Aurelic $3500. If they were quite similar that would be something of note. The biggest issue with the Gustard is no local distributors in US and Europe though.

It does look as if the Gustard X20U got some "inspiration" form the Aurelic though. Never heard the Gustard nor the Yggy. Once heard the Gumbi, which should be close to the Yggy. In Europe Schiit is not that big of a thing partially due to some qc issues with the finish on their units and the same or usually higher prices than the equivalent Audio GD, Yulong, Chinese manufacturers.



Cheers WB
 
Apr 17, 2016 at 4:13 AM Post #599 of 1,320
The Aurelic Vega is a very good dac and in quite a different price category than either the Yggy $2300, Gustard x20u $900, and Vega Aurelic $3500.
If they were quite similar that would be something of note....
Cheers WB

 
Hi and thanks for the information.
You mean that soundwise the Vega is clearly on another level ? 
I wonder if anyone has had the chance to compare any of the three.
kind regards,  gino
 
Apr 17, 2016 at 6:03 AM Post #600 of 1,320
 
Hi and thanks for the information.
You mean that soundwise the Vega is clearly on another level ? 
I wonder if anyone has had the chance to compare any of the three.
kind regards,  gino

 


I couldn't tell you, it is what I would call a bit more "refined" than the Gumby Gungrirmultibit, which is supposed to be 95% of a Yggy, which I have not heard. The Gumby was good for headphones (especially dynamics) but it seemed to not be quite as good with speakers and pairing it with other equipment and the owner exchanged it. For a headphone setup the gumby seems to be excellent though, but if you go high end some other R2R setups seem to really have something else. High end, to me means everything has an effect on the systme, from power conditioning, synergy, cables, resonance, isolation. These are issues that are far less important in HP setups, apart from the power issues. Real Highend usually has a budget of more than 25K. Usually starting at 2-4K Dac, 2-3K preamp, 4-6K amp, 3-10K for speakers, 3-5K for misc. There are no upper limits and some aspects can be had for less. But a complete High End system for less than 20K is really hard. You can have a lot of high end equipment but are far away from a highend setup, IMO. I am also someone who has worked for high end installers for a while.

In the end you don'T need high end to enjoy music, its more like an addiction:wink: It similar to having a swiss hand made watch to a swatch. I can appreciate both, both will tell you the time, but there is a definite difference as well. Don't let the high end goal get in the way of enjoying the muisic:wink:

The Vega is in a different class of sophistication to the gumby, but also more than twice as expensive! It does speakers and hp very well, which it should regarding the price:wink: Now if the Gustard X20U comes close to the Vega, that would really be something. The Vega also does SE and balanced well, which is often not what many HP DACs specialized in Balanced do as well.

I am very curious how the Gustard X20u sounds and especially how the experiences with ordering within the European Union go. I was just clobbered with customs and that is 23% to >30% and a trip to the customs office, 3-4hrs, which I can do without. You have to show purchase reciet and payment receit, etc. Just a super hassle and then the idea of having to send it back if there are issues .....

Resolve that and some more feedback and I might be up for it. It would be a telling sign if the Gustard X20U would be somewhat on par with a Vega, especially in a SE and Ba setup with both speakers and HPs. This would be for an office setup. At home I get to burn in clients setups at times so not really going invest in highend in such a ssituation.

Well I have at least till the end of the month to decide.

Cheers
WB
 

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