[zilch0md]

Good to hear Swannie. I find the highs to be extended but smooth. I wonder how it will pair with the HD800 which is coming within 3 to 4 days.

I wonder, too!

 

[swannie007]

Good to hear Swannie. I find the highs to be extended but smooth. I wonder how it will pair with the HD800 which is coming within 3 to 4 days.

So far, both Oppo PM-2 and AKG Q701 are enjoyable with the H10. My Schiit Lyr 2 is now begging to get some playing time; that's how good the H10, for me, is. The H10 sounds analogue compared to the Lyr 2 (whatever that means ). The sound of the guitar is so natural and fast and effortless. I enjoy more listening to music than before. For the price, it is one killer amp! Hope others will also find this lesser know gem. It is jusy very good!

That describes the highs very well. I suspect that the H10 will pair very well with the HD800's due to the control it has on the top end which is the one area where the HD800 is very picky about source choice. Enjoy.

 

[swannie007]

  Swannie, it looks like we are headed down the same path. I am loving the synergy between the 400i and the H10.  I too am eyeing the Gustard X10, but I am also mulling an X9 purchase.  Either one is going to make a beautiful, compact stack.
 
 

 

 
I currently have the new Aune S16 and it's a suave sounding dac, but I really need something to compare it to. I'm very sensitive to hyper detailed, etched treble, so I'm concerned that the Sabre chips in the X10 might be a little much for me. The X9 uses the tried and true Wolfson chips, so It may be the more sure thing in this regard. However, (there always is an "however")  soundstaging is equally important to me and If the X10 throws a wider and deeper stage with better image specificity, I could live with a slightly more harsh top end. Adding to the conundrum is the fact that my favorite Gustard guy on ebay, Polychen0306, is selling the x9 for $342 delivered and apparently does not have the X10. Other sellers, like Kidult, have the X10 for as low as $519 and a nearly $200 difference is significant to me.  We already know that the x9 is basically a Rein x3 minus the upsampling feature, and the Rein is very favorably reviewed. That takes some of the risk out of snagging an X9 for such a great price.  I have not been able to find much in the way of reviews for X10 and though people say it looks like a Wyred for Sound Dac-2, I have not heard of any direct comparisons.  It sure would be great if someone with a well regarded ES9018 dac would give us a direct comparo with the X10.
 
Ahh...the frustrations of audiophilia nervosa! lol.  I might have to take one for the team.

Yes, it is a dilemma. I don't think you can go wrong with either the X9 or the X10. From the limited reading I have done in this regard it appears that the X10 is a more revealing dac whereas the X9 is more musical. Tough choice indeed!  Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will be well pleased with the final outcome. I have done about 36 hours of burn-in on the H10 and it does indeed sound better than it did at 20 hours or so. This thing is a true treasure and somehow sounds like a very good tube amp. Don't know how but it does and I am a very happy camper! Cheers.

 

[Kyno]

Heeey, I received my second H10!! 

 
Well, it does change quite a bit once it's burnt-in. Very similar of course, but I'd say it's basically quite compressed compared to my own. I was almost expecting a bigger change, but it's definitely enough for the music not to be as enjoyable. Reminded me of the fears I had OOTB with my first one.
 
 
As for the HD-800, I really don't like my ODAC or Gamma2/H10 combo with it, and I'm the first surprized about it.
 
It was better for me than my O2 or Garage1217 Polaris with both my HD-650 and T1 so I was expecting something pretty decent, but I actually prefer my Polaris by a huge margin with this one.
 
I spent about 6h with my H10 because I couldn't test my Polaris at first. It wouldn't start and I believed for a moment it might be broken. I ended up taking a closer look and found that I had plugged-in the wrong power supply after cleaning my desk, oops 

 Fortunately it's still running fine.
 
I was rather confused with the H10. I was thinking the HD-800 was pretty nice, detailed, with good imaging, a huge soundstage, good clarity, etc, but also cold, analytical, without much body nor bass, and somehow flat.
It was still very good for classical music, but no emotion or PRaT at all on any tracks whatsoever.
 
I was dissapointed, but thought it may simply be the wrong headphones for me and/or (more likely) that my amp/dac weren't good enough. It's also known not to be that great with pop and bass music, or at least compared to classical or the T1, so well...
 
Since I tend to value the H10 more or less on the range of an V200, and that something like and HDVD 800 seemed out of budget, I was almost already set out on selling it to try the next flagship (HE-560). Wrong thinking!
 
The change with my Polaris was dramatic, it suddenly became alive. Not as detailed, but more body, more bass, more musicality. I still (digitally) EQ it down a bit in the highs, they are a tad less controlled than with the H10 and it was already too bright for me with the Gustard, so they feel a bit unbalanced now, but I'm going to try Anax mod next week and see how it goes.
I would prefer non-fatiguing headphones (I come from the HD-650, that says it all 

) so I'm still not sure I will keep them, depend on how my ears will feel with the Anax mod and/or the EQ. 
 
The Gustard has its merits, I will still choose it with my HD-650, and definitely with the T1 over my O2 or Polaris, but it didn't do it for me at all this time. Mind you I only had an ODAC and Gamma2 at hand to pair it with, no $800-1k DAC, so there is that too.
Very impressed with my Polaris however, even paired with my small DACs.

 

[zilch0md]

Hi Kyno!

How long have you had your HD800 and on what other gear have you used them?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[swannie007]

Ok so I have about 48 hours of burn-in on the H10 and I am loving it! I am listening to a lot of my music and hearing nuances in the music that I have never heard before. Now before you think my other gear is very low rent let me tell you that I have a selection of Schiit gear, both ss as well as valve and a Cayin tube amp and a Shanling hybrid and a Cayin ss amp as well as Breeze Audio ss amp(Lehman clone) and a Breeze Audio dac(which I am using with the H10) and a Rotel dac  and Beresford dac, and so forth. In other words, I am used to pretty decent sound but the H10 is head and shoulders above them all, and I don't say this lightly as I am not swayed by marketing and other nonsense, sorry, input. I let my ears do the talking, so to speak, and they are telling me they like the H10 a LOT! My preferred headphones with it at the moment seem to be the T90's with the 400i's a close second with the Q701's and the HD650's a hairs breadth behind. I must say that I am very pleased with the purchase of this amp and will very likely buy a Gustard X9 or X10 to pair with it in the new year. The detail retrieval is amazing! Listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn right now(Tin Pan Alley) and it is sublime! I can see that I will be in my office until the wee hours listening to this thing and rediscovering many of my old favourite tracks. Enjoy the music. Cheers.   

 

[lukeap69]

Heeey, I received my second H10!! 

Well, it does change quite a bit once it's burnt-in. Very similar of course, but I'd say it's basically quite compressed compared to my own. I was almost expecting a bigger change, but it's definitely enough for the music not to be as enjoyable. Reminded me of the fears I had OOTB with my first one.


As for the HD-800, I really don't like my ODAC or Gamma2/H10 combo with it, and I'm the first surprized about it.

It was better for me than my O2 or Garage1217 Polaris with both my HD-650 and T1 so I was expecting something pretty decent, but I actually prefer my Polaris by a huge margin with this one.

I spent about 6h with my H10 because I couldn't test my Polaris at first. It wouldn't start and I believed for a moment it might be broken. I ended up taking a closer look and found that I had plugged-in the wrong power supply after cleaning my desk, oops   Fortunately it's still running fine.

I was rather confused with the H10. I was thinking the HD-800 was pretty nice, detailed, with good imaging, a huge soundstage, good clarity, etc, but also cold, analytical, without much body nor bass, and somehow flat.
It was still very good for classical music, but no emotion or PRaT at all on any tracks whatsoever.

I was dissapointed, but thought it may simply be the wrong headphones for me and/or (more likely) that my amp/dac weren't good enough. It's also known not to be that great with pop and bass music, or at least compared to classical or the T1, so well...

Since I tend to value the H10 more or less on the range of an V200, and that something like and HDVD 800 seemed out of budget, I was almost already set out on selling it to try the next flagship (HE-560). Wrong thinking!

The change with my Polaris was dramatic, it suddenly became alive. Not as detailed, but more body, more bass, more musicality. I still (digitally) EQ it down a bit in the highs, they are a tad less controlled than with the H10 and it was already too bright for me with the Gustard, so they feel a bit unbalanced now, but I'm going to try Anax mod next week and see how it goes.
I would prefer non-fatiguing headphones (I come from the HD-650, that says it all :atsmile: ) so I'm still not sure I will keep them, depend on how my ears will feel with the Anax mod and/or the EQ. 

The Gustard has its merits, I will still choose it with my HD-650, and definitely with the T1 over my O2 or Polaris, but it didn't do it for me at all this time. Mind you I only had an ODAC and Gamma2 at hand to pair it with, no $800-1k DAC, so there is that too.
Very impressed with my Polaris however, even paired with my small DACs.

I will soon find out myself as thr HD800 is on the way. I can only compare Lyr2, H10 and Theorem 720. Hopefully one of those will pair nicely with the HD800.

 

[Kyno]

Hi Kyno!

How long have you had your HD800 and on what other gear have you used them?

Thanks!

Mike

 
Just 24h, with O2, Garage1217 Polaris and Gustard H10.
 

Not that the H10 is bad with it, and the Polaris also has its drawbacks (less details, less controlled, harsher highs somehow), and I recognize what I like about the H10 when I go back to it (I prefer its signature), but the magic is just not happening.
At least not with my current DACs, I would need one that could bring some punch to it, like the Polaris does, cause they currently feel somehow lifeless to me. I'm actually going to ask if someone has an idea over the HD-800 topic.

 

[stuartmc]

Kyno, you may want to try a good DAC that has balanced outputs, so you can use the H10's balanced inputs. I found the balanced inputs on the H10 to sound appreciably better than the single ended. Not a huge difference, but definitely more of that "draining lake" stuff poking out of the noise floor and that is where the magic lies for me. Hey, maybe you should get one of the Gustard DACs and be our guinea pig.

 

[zilch0md]

Thanks Kyno!

Which of the following problems are happening when you listen to the H10 > HD800?

1. Insufficient bass for your tastes.
2. Too bright for your tastes.
3. A brittle or harsh treble.
4. Fatiguing (enough to discourage you from listening for very long at a time).
5. No more detail than what you hear with the H10 > HD650.
6. Too much detail for your tastes.

I would really appreciate anyone's H10 > HD800 feedback on these points (with a mention of the DAC being used).

Thank you!

Mike

 

[No_One411]

Here are my thoughts on using the H10 with the HD800. 
 
The HD800 felt thin and wispy the first week I had the H10. I didn't hear sibilance or harshness persay, but it really lacked dynamics, and wasn't an enjoyable listen. I was really worried that the H10 would end up being one of those cold, analytical amplifiers. I had much more success pairing the H10 with my Paradox Slants. It exhibits much better driver control for planar magnetic headphones. 
 
With that said, I think I've reached the point where the H10 has really started to open up, and the HD800 pairing has started to sound much better to me, particularly when listening to classical. 
 
I've also noticed that the amp seems to perform better after being left on for a while. It may be any arbitrary length of time, so I don't want to specifically quote any numbers. What I do after coming back from work is turning the H10 on, taking an initial listen on a couple of test tracks, and come back after dinner. (Let's say an hour or so) The amp sounds so amazing at this point. Everything I put it through sounds absolutely fantastic. HD800, Paradox Slants, Alpha Prime, UERM, etc. There is no fatigue, no lack of body, no lack of dynamics, etc. 
 
I suggest to just turn the amp on, and enjoy the music. There is so little to complain about with the H10. 
 
Note: I did start using the 4V balanced XLR outputs from the Anedio D2. There is a slight improvement overall there, but I can certainly live with the RCA outputs if I did not have a DAC with balanced outputs. 

 

[stuartmc]

Yes, it is a dilemma. I don't think you can go wrong with either the X9 or the X10. From the limited reading I have done in this regard it appears that the X10 is a more revealing dac whereas the X9 is more musical. Tough choice indeed!  Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will be well pleased with the final outcome. I have done about 36 hours of burn-in on the H10 and it does indeed sound better than it did at 20 hours or so. This thing is a true treasure and somehow sounds like a very good tube amp. Don't know how but it does and I am a very happy camper! Cheers.

Well, my brother from down under, I've decided to give one of the Gustard dacs a try. I'm committed...just have to figure out which one. I'll probably have the choice nailed down next week after the Rega Apollo-R arrives. I'm still kind of old school and I want a good disc spinner, so I don't have to rip my entire collection. I've been using my Meitner CD-d transport and I think the Rega will be an improvement. It's the same shoe box form factor as the Gustard gear, so it will fit great in my bedroom setup.

The Rega uses the same Wolfson chip (a single one), so I'm thinking that I may get a good idea of the Wolfson flavor when I run it straight into the H10. If it's a little over warm and smooth, then I will probably opt for the X10, rather than the X9.

 

[zilch0md]

Thanks Kyno!

Which of the following problems are happening when you listen to the H10 > HD800?

1. Insufficient bass for your tastes.
2. Too bright for your tastes.
3. A brittle or harsh treble.
4. Fatiguing (enough to discourage you from listening for very long at a time).
5. No more detail than what you hear with the H10 > HD650.
6. Too much detail for your tastes.

I would really appreciate anyone's H10 > HD800 feedback on these points (with a mention of the DAC being used).

Thank you!

Mike

 
Kyno, I read from another poster in the HD800 impressions thread that you've already sold your HD800.  Is that true?   
 
(Astonished)
 
Mike

 

[Kyno]

   
Kyno, I read from another poster in the HD800 impressions thread that you've already sold your HD800.  Is that true?   
 
(Astonished)
 
Mike

 
I'd say 1 to 4 to your previous post (1 and 4 without EQ being the most important).
 
I did sold it as it was already planned as such (didn't lose money on it), just because I wish to have an idea of what the HE-560 sounds like Wasn't supposed to be so quick though, and I probably won't be trying the HiFiman before 3 to 4 months, but things don't always go as planned, right?

 
Doesn't mean I won't go back to it eventually since I was starting to enjoy it more than my current HD-650.

 

[swannie007]

Well, my brother from down under, I've decided to give one of the Gustard dacs a try. I'm committed...just have to figure out which one. I'll probably have the choice nailed down next week after the Rega Apollo-R arrives. I'm still kind of old school and I want a good disc spinner, so I don't have to rip my entire collection. I've been using my Meitner CD-d transport and I think the Rega will be an improvement. It's the same shoe box form factor as the Gustard gear, so it will fit great in my bedroom setup.

The Rega uses the same Wolfson chip (a single one), so I'm thinking that I may get a good idea of the Wolfson flavor when I run it straight into the H10. If it's a little over warm and smooth, then I will probably opt for the X10, rather than the X9.

Well my friend, I'm glad to see that you will "take one for the team" so-to-speak. I appreciate your sacrifice and suffering on behalf of others. Very noble of you! Let us know how the pain and suffering goes. Cheers from Oz.