AaaHah!!! The H20 is available (in some parts ) at last! It's been a long time, waiting.
I had an H10 and enjoyed it. As others have said, it's good for the money. A solid performer, with plenty of power and control.
Like Accurate Audio, Gustard based the H10 on the Violectric V200. But, I think that the Gustard is potentially the best version, if the dual transformer design is anything to go by. However, it seems that the H10 also has the limitations of the Violectric design: namely some noticeable roll-off at the frequency extremes. Playing with the op-amps changes things, a little, but the overall sound is still the same.
The new H20 looks very interesting! And, at over three times the price (I paid) for the H10, I would be truly disappointed if it isn't.
Having sold my H10, to upgrade to something that isn't 'rolled-off', I'm currently looking for a new amp. Although the H20 price would be pushing my budget, I'm happy to pay that much, if I think it's worth it. Also, I have easy access to the Chinese market place. The H20 should be well worth a try.
I say "should", because I also have to remember a chief competitor: another Chinese manufacturer who has been around for a while, sells internationally, has an extensive range of well reviewed products (at very competitive prices), and also offers an impressive 10 year guarantee: Audio-GD. Forgetting about products from the US based manufacturers, the main competition seems to be the Audio GD NFB1 amp: it has very similar attributes to the H20 (9 watts; balanced or single-ended operation; lots of connections; relay/resistor(?) volume control, etc), and it offers remote control operation. AND it's available for 3/5s the price that the H20 is currently available for! I think the only thing that stopping the NFB1 from being THE 'go to' amp, in this price category, is that it's from China. But, we're not bothered about that, are we?
And that's not it. If, like me, you're prepared to take the risk of buying something a bit more 'hobbyist' from China, there are no end of designs for you to try. I'm going to take the plunge, and try a Chinese made Kevin Gilmore design. Kevin Gilmore, the man who thinks that Cavalli amps are overpriced, and Audio-GD offer a lot for the money. I should be rolling up my sleeves, (finding, dusting off, and) plugging in my soldering iron, and building my own. But, when the ready-made items are just a few clicks away, they seem like much less of a risk!
I don't know if anyone, with a better eye for this kind of thing, can see if the H20 is based (like the H10) on another design, or if this an 'all new', Gustard created, amplifier? It would be interesting to know. Tantalisingly, Huang's Taobao listing mentions "KG gold tune" capacitors. I wonder which 'KG' this is, and if it has any relevance to the overall design?!?
Anyways, I'll be keeping an eye on this thread (and anywhere else) in the hope of seeing some solid feedback about the performance of the H20: I'm a very interested observer. Heck! If the feedback is that good, then I'll get one myself, and leave my own comments.
Edit: Spurred by some references at the beginning of this thread, I've just googled a certain 'liquid' amp. Hmmmm! I wonder if appearances are anything to judge by?!?
