GUSTARD H10 High-current Discrete Class A output Stage Headphone Amplifier

[Kyno]

Well, I hadn't find it that good with the HD-800 either, as my earlier feedback stated, but I tried with my HE-560 and I confirm it was great 

 
I was usually at -6 considering it was being a little too shouty at -12 (I'm pretty sure my small DAC wasn't helping at all with that).

 

[zilch0md]

  [snip]
 
Hope this helps. The amp works best driving planar magnetic headphones. I'm still much happier with it's performance with planar magnetics over the HD800. 

 

  Well, I hadn't find it that good with the HD-800 either, as my earlier feedback stated, but I tried with my HE-560 and I confirm it was great 

 
[snip]

 
Thanks guys!
 
I'm still trying to accumulate a consensus on the H10 > HD800, so I appreciate your feedback (positive or negative).
 
Mike

 

[stuartmc]

I think I agree with you guys, but it's not that the H10 is somehow not a great amp with conventional drivers. It's just that it is completely magical with planar magnetics. Make no mistake about it - the amp drives my HD600's better than anything else I have tried, but with my HE-400i's it's at a different level. That level is of course subject to the rules of diminishing returns and audiophile hyperbole, but darn it, it's magical to me.

 

[doco]

my soul tells me to hit that Buy button but my body is not willing. I'm just so paranoid about how i won't like the solid state sound after sticking with an OTL tube amp for so long. headphone is hd650 which is all i use these days.
 
quick someone give me that beatdown. btw i remember flysweep saying he was going to try balanced cables for this amp. was there any update on that?

 

[stuartmc]

my soul tells me to hit that Buy button but my body is not willing. I'm just so paranoid about how i won't like the solid state sound after sticking with an OTL tube amp for so long. headphone is hd650 which is all i use these days.

quick someone give me that beatdown. btw i remember flysweep saying he was going to try balanced cables for this amp. was there any update on that?

I have extensive experience with tube amps, having personally auditioned well over twenty of them in my main system. I do know what great tube amps sound like, including the OTL variety. When I said many posts ago that this is the most tube like ss amp I have heard in a very long time, I wasn't kidding. By tube-like, I mean gloriously grain free with a delicate and airy top end and real meat on the bones in the critical midrange without bloat, overhang or any other negative artifact I can think of.

 

[stuartmc]

Oh, forgot to mention that I use balanced cables with mine and I think the sound is slightly more refined and a slightly lower noise floor than with the single ended inputs. My two cents served with the appropriate grain of NaCl.

 

[pekingduck]

My HE560 just came in today and the H10 should be here tomorrow 

 

[stuartmc]

Now that is a feast for the ears, not unlike a finely prepared Peking Duck, lol

 

[lukeap69]

  my soul tells me to hit that Buy button but my body is not willing. I'm just so paranoid about how i won't like the solid state sound after sticking with an OTL tube amp for so long. headphone is hd650 which is all i use these days.
 
quick someone give me that beatdown. btw i remember flysweep saying he was going to try balanced cables for this amp. was there any update on that?

My H10 sounds more tubey than my hybrid Lyr 2. Yeah, I know it's crazy. 

 

[lukeap69]

To those who have tried both RCA and XLR connections, did you notice that the treble is harsher using the XLR connection and the bass is less boomier? Might be mind adjusting automatic whenever I change the connection but this is consistent on what I hear everytime. I only notice this when using HD800 and not apparent on Oppo PM-2 (with PM-1 original leather pad.) The XLR connection seems to have better dynamics but again this maybe due to my brain automatically adjusting whenever I change the connection. 

 

[swannie007]

  More news from Pollychen, aka, our Gustard guy.  Apparently, much was done with the new model on the USB end, including a new daughter card with I2S and USB with a new XMOS chip..  Here's the good news - for those of us who don't care about using a computer as a source (I'm talking to you too Swannie, my OZ friend) the modular approach has allowed them to produce a lower priced X12 without the usb interface.  I am waiting on a quote for this stripped down version and if it is significantly less (I'd say at least $70 would do it) then I'm going to put in my order this week.
 
Pollychen has his add up on ebay for the standard X12 version, so I'm going to show him a little head-fi love ----
 
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/GUSTARD-DACX12-ES9018-USB-XMOS-CPLD-DSD-DAC-Coaxial-Optical-AES-/261703075054
 
His price is a little higher than the lowest listed one, but the main difference is that Pollychen ships DHL expedited and the others don't. That, and his proven track record is more than enough for me.

Hey Stuart my friend, appreciate the mention....I think? Anyway, have purchased an X10 from a chap over here and it should be delivered by the time I get home from my current work roster. Can't wait to hear the A10 and X10 combo. I think I may even venture into the balanced waters with my HE 400i's. Need to find out more about how to do it and what cables to get etc. Would love to hear a balanced setup before putting up the cash for all the cables etc. Maybe someone here could give me some sort of idea about the benefits of a balanced setup with this amp. Look forward to any insights. Cheers from "the bush" where the internet is like playing the slots in Vegas...sometimes you get lucky, but mostly, it's a losing propisition.

 

[stuartmc]

To those who have tried both RCA and XLR connections, did you notice that the treble is harsher using the XLR connection and the bass is less boomier? Might be mind adjusting automatic whenever I change the connection but this is consistent on what I hear everytime. I only notice this when using HD800 and not apparent on Oppo PM-2 (with PM-1 original leather pad.) The XLR connection seems to have better dynamics but again this maybe due to my brain automatically adjusting whenever I change the connection. 

Hmmm.... interesting. So far I haven't heard that harsh treble thing, but when you say better dynamics we may be hearing something similar. A slightly lower noise floor would tend to make things sound more dynamic. Are you using identical ic's, except for xlr vs. rca connection? I compare single ended to balanced by using 1m lengths of Analysis Plus silver ovals. Actually it's the only ones that I have in both single ended and balanced form. I have loads of different single ended ic's, but the differences between the ic's overshadow what I hear in the pure balanced vs. Single ended comparison. It's fairly subtle to me.

 

[stuartmc]

Hi Swannie. Yes, that was a good and friendly mention. From a prior chat you had indicated, like me, that you weren't into the computer/USB side of things, so a price reduction sans usb might appeal to you too.

As for the balanced shindig, you can't do the whole deal with the H10 because it only has a single ended output for the headphones. The only balanced goodness one can experience is that between your DAC and the H10, provided of course that your DAC has balanced outputs. I think we have discussed this before in this thread that having xlr inputs and only single ended ouput on a headphone amp is not that uncommon.

 

[lukeap69]

Hmmm.... interesting. So far I haven't heard that harsh treble thing, but when you say better dynamics we may be hearing something similar. A slightly lower noise floor would tend to make things sound more dynamic. Are you using identical ic's, except for xlr vs. rca connection? I compare single ended to balanced by using 1m lengths of Analysis Plus silver ovals. Actually it's the only ones that I have in both single ended and balanced form. I have loads of different single ended ic's, but the differences between the ic's overshadow what I hear in the pure balanced vs. Single ended comparison. It's fairly subtle to me.

When I said harsher, I meant relative to the other. Yes I use PCOCC cables for both RCA and XLR purchased from eBay seller. The difference is not big but perhaps because HD800 is very revealing, I can easily notice it.

 

[stuartmc]

When I said harsher, I meant relative to the other. Yes I use PCOCC cables for both RCA and XLR purchased from eBay seller. The difference is not big but perhaps because HD800 is very revealing, I can easily notice it.

Now that you have me thinking about this, I have to say that it is almost impossible to tell whether the difference is on the H10 input side or the DACs output side. Another head-fier sent me a private message about his Aune S16 and said the xlr outputs sounded way better than the single ended ones. I had attributed the improvement solely to the H10 when in fact it is more likely a combination of the two.