[Sdmark]

I've had this wonderful Gustard HP amp for several months now, maybe 6 or so and I really enjoy the excellent sound that is capable of delivering. I find that my favorite phones on it are AKG K7XX. Excellent details, large wide soundstage, and very good bass all combine for a wonderful listening experience.

The only issue that I have with it is that it takes a fairly good while to warm up to sound it's best. It sounds significantly better once it's had juice flowing for a 1/2 hour (or more), similar to my extraordinary Class A Threshold T-100 home power amp did. While this is not a major problem, there are times when my schedule is such that what I really want to do is listen to music now, not later, and I find myself using my iPhone/AQ Dragonfly with Earsonics SM64s more & more, as much for convenience as for the sonic goodness of the Earsonics.

Not making any sort of decision now, but if anyone has suggestions about another amp of similar signature to Gustard without the warmup necessary, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Resorob]

Thanks for the quick feedback Sdmark.
I like what you write about the Gustard H10, the warm up is no issue to me, I just flick the switch before listening when I am going to walk the dog, so it is warmed up when I want to listen, I have to do the same with my tube amps

and also noticed the same behavior on my trusty Luxman L430 SS amplifier.
Someone more knowledgable than myself taught me long ago that equipment sounds best when at body temperature.
I think I will buy it and let you know how it turns out.
 
Musical regards.

 

[snellemin]

Got to messing around with the Gustard and found some crazy heat coming out of it.  Added pennies  and later changed to memory copper sinks.
 
First try with thermal 3M foam tape and pennies.  

 
Switch over to memory heat sinks on the board.

 

 

[Holypal]

  Got to messing around with the Gustard and found some crazy heat coming out of it.  Added pennies  and later changed to memory copper sinks.
 
First try with thermal 3M foam tape and pennies.  
 
Switch over to memory heat sinks on the board.
 
 

 
 
What's that op-amp you use?

 

[snellemin]

   
 
What's that op-amp you use?

It's the Burson's V4 single and duals.

 

[sunneebear]

  Got to messing around with the Gustard and found some crazy heat coming out of it.  Added pennies  and later changed to memory copper sinks.
 
First try with thermal 3M foam tape and pennies.  
 
 

 
 
You need to show Burson this and let them know how lame their idea was to seal up the V5's.  
 
Great idea putting the heat sinks on the regulators.

 

[snellemin]

   
 
You need to show Burson this and let them know how lame their idea was to seal up the V5's.  
 
Great idea putting the heat sinks on the regulators.

Nothing wrong with the Burson being capped.  I have no heat problems with my V5's in the Parasound's.  It's the design of the Gustard that is questionable.  The V4 singles in the Gustard is barely warm.  The regulators in the Gustard are not up to the task.  Simple fix would be adding another set fets and/or better heatsinking.  Other then that, it's a very nice sounding amp with the V4's installed.  

 

[sunneebear]

  Nothing wrong with the Burson being capped.  I have no heat problems with my V5's in the Parasound's.  It's the design of the Gustard that is questionable.  The V4 singles in the Gustard is barely warm.  The regulators in the Gustard are not up to the task.  Simple fix would be adding another set fets and/or better heatsinking.  Other then that, it's a very nice sounding amp with the V4's installed.  

I am sure you are right but it was still lame of them to approach some of us on this thread to try the V5 in the H10.  Then there's that voltage debacle.

 

[tvnosaint]

They do improve the sound in a not so small way. My replacements have not had an issue that said . If burson were responsible for the flurry of interest in the v5s they should have thoroughly tested the process

 

[Resorob]

Dropped the hammer, cut the knot, I ordered a Gustard H10 off eBay today, it should arrive somewhere between Monday through Wednesday next week.
So this entitles me to membership of this club I gather

 
You are all very interested in what DAC people use, well none actually.
I went back to the Dark Side of the Force aka Vinyl in 2014 and have not bought nor listened to a single CD since then.
At present I use a Micro Seiki BL21 turntable Mission 774 LC tonearm, Grado Prestige Gold Cart and a Muffsy RIAA stage.
Future improvements will be a Lenco L-78 turntable with PTP4 modification, baltic birch 16 kilograms plinth, an Origin Live Zephyr tonearm. A Denon DL103 Paradox Pulse will ride in the Zephyr tonearm, and the tonearm will have the Pete Riggle VTAF unit fitted (VerTical Adjustment on the Fly). To the Muffsy an MC Head preamp will be connected.
At present I am also constructing a Phono stage with tubes.
I still have a Pioneer PD S-707 (Stable Platter) and Zhaolu DAC which I might get off the attic during burn in of the Gustard H10, from experience I know that burning in makes a world of difference.
In the past I owned a Jungson ja-88d model 09, a massive 2 x 80 Watts Class A amplifier, built like a tank.
The thing sounded nothing like a good amp for the first 80 hours after that and while listening, it seemed like someone flicked a switch and the thing turned into a really, but really good amp, regardless of the cost.
 
I will let you know how I fare with the Gustard.
Should you have an Instagram account and like pictures, you can find me there under "Meerderheid" which is Dutch for the Majority

 

 

[mandrake50]

Hard to believe "the majority" have like $30K in their turntable... or plan to.

 

[Resorob]

I get your drift mandrake50, but I like enjoying the best possible sound without breaking the bank, it is not a big accomplishment to buy everything if sufficient funds exist and knowledge is absent. So I like building stuff, like the big and heavy Lenco and the tube Phono stage currently under construction. Current projects include a rebuild to living room friendly version of my 807 SE tube amplifier. I have some speakers to build with extremely low WAF, the cabinets should accommodate a pair of Audio Nirvana 12" Fullrange speakers.
I do believe in keeping vinyl spotlessly clean to prevent static and unnecessary clics and pops, I even clean new vinyl before playing, it can be quite noisy before cleaning.
I use a Clearaudio Smart Matrix and the best cleaning fluid I came across up to now, Vinylzyme Gold Concentrate bij Todd the Vinyl Junkie, great stuff.
Look forward very much to receiving the Gustard H10.

 

 

[fritobugger]

Dropped the hammer, cut the knot, I ordered a Gustard H10 off eBay today, it should arrive somewhere between Monday through Wednesday next week.
So this entitles me to membership of this club I gather :wink_face:

You are all very interested in what DAC people use, well none actually.
I went back to the Dark Side of the Force aka Vinyl in 2014 and have not bought nor listened to a single CD since then.
At present I use a Micro Seiki BL21 turntable Mission 774 LC tonearm, Grado Prestige Gold Cart and a Muffsy RIAA stage.
Future improvements will be a Lenco L-78 turntable with PTP4 modification, baltic birch 16 kilograms plinth, an Origin Live Zephyr tonearm. A Denon DL103 Paradox Pulse will ride in the Zephyr tonearm, and the tonearm will have the Pete Riggle VTAF unit fitted (VerTical Adjustment on the Fly). To the Muffsy an MC Head preamp will be connected.
At present I am also constructing a Phono stage with tubes.
I still have a Pioneer PD S-707 (Stable Platter) and Zhaolu DAC which I might get off the attic during burn in of the Gustard H10, from experience I know that burning in makes a world of difference.
In the past I owned a Jungson ja-88d model 09, a massive 2 x 80 Watts Class A amplifier, built like a tank.
The thing sounded nothing like a good amp for the first 80 hours after that and while listening, it seemed like someone flicked a switch and the thing turned into a really, but really good amp, regardless of the cost.

I will let you know how I fare with the Gustard.
Should you have an Instagram account and like pictures, you can find me there under "Meerderheid" which is Dutch for the Majority  

I use an SMSL M8 DAC. Slightly bright DAC with slightly warm amp

 

[sikninjaskillz]

I know it's been posted that it's not ideal, and probably not powerful enough, but has anyone actually tried the h10 with hifiman he-6? There are less powerful tube amps like Ember ii people seem to like.

 

[mandrake50]

I took my H10 using a Pulse Xfinity ad a DAC to three different local meets. In each case there was someone there with a pair of HE6 phones. These are usually pretty small meets so one occasion I had the HE 6 for about an hour. I personally thought that is did a good job driving the headphones. Several others, including the owner (who used  a Cavalli tube amp.. I can't remember the model, but it was an earlier amp built for a kit. He also agreed that the H10 did a credible job with the HE6. Common wisdom says the HE6 needs gobs of power to sound good. Maybe my idea of good is different, or perhaps I don't require the sound pressure levels that others do, but I wouldn't avoid the H10 he6 combination.