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

[bala]

Thanks kyno for your initial impressions/comparison with the O2 & Polaris - looking forward to a more detailed post after burnin and whenever you find time. The HD650/O2 pairing never suited my tastes, though both of them are excellent with other pairing.

 

[pekingduck]

What's the output impedance of this amp?

 

[FlySweep]

 

  What's the output impedance of this amp?

 
The specs (listed on the first post in this thread) indicates a damping factor of greater than 400x at 50 ohms.. so at least 0.125 ohms.

 

[stuartmc]

Good stuff Kyno. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the comparisons as the H10 gets it's bloom on. Your experience may not be the same as mine, but it went from marginal to being decent, passable to holy smokes in the span of about 50 hours. I was using the Purist Audio system enhancement disc, so I may have sped up the process.

 

[pekingduck]

   
The specs (listed on the first post in this thread) indicates a damping factor of greater than 400x at 50 ohms.. so at least 0.125 ohms.

Thanks! I did look at the specs but didn't know how to interpret that.

 

[swannie007]

I came across this amp a while ago on eBay and was quite curious, as a result I put it on my watch list to see if I could find more info about it on the internet. Well, today I found this thread and, long story short, my wife bought me an Xmas present today. I got it from the vendor on eBay that most here seem to use. So, hopefully in a few short weeks I will be able to partake of the fine audio nectar described here by others. Curious to see how it will stack up against my Cayin HA-1A(all tube) and Shanling PH300(hybrid) as well as the little Cayin HA-2i(SS) (which, for about $170.00 is a great buy!). Can't wait. Thanks to all who have posted impressions of this amp. Cheers.

 

[stuartmc]

Hi swannie. Welcome to our H10 clan. The rules of membership are simple - just share with us your experiences and how the H10 gets along with your associated gear. I would particularly enjoy a compare and contrast with your cayin amps.

 

[swannie007]

Hi swannie. Welcome to our H10 clan. The rules of membership are simple - just share with us your experiences and how the H10 gets along with your associated gear. I would particularly enjoy a compare and contrast with your cayin amps.

Hi Stuart,
Greetings from "Down Under". Thanks for the welcome. Once I have received the H10 and done a burn-in of about 50 to 60 hours or so, I will do some back to back comparisons and post my impressions. Don't expect professional reviewer quality impressions as I am just a regular guy who enjoys good sound and I am not completely familiar with some of the terms employed in some of the more professional reviews but I will relay how they compare, to my ears. Now I know that some well meaning souls out there may see this as an opportunity to educate an idiot in the fine art of "audiophile wordsmithery" but please don't bother. To me, audio is like wine, I know what I like and I just enjoy it without getting all caught up in the art of description and so forth(What is "barn yard" anyway?). That being said, I will attempt to relay my thoughts on the matter without too much hype and confusion. Hope this doesn't offend anyone as it is not my intent, if it does, get a life, this is an open public forum and we are all entitled to our opinion and that is mine!  Cheers.

 

[stuartmc]

No worries 'mate. I enjoy and respect every enthusiast's opinion and I get the impression that's true for 99% of the folks here at head-fi. You are the world authority on what sounds good to you and that's unassailable. Now, if you can throw in a couple of quaint Aussie Crocodile Dundee-isms, you will totally rule in my book! Lol

 

[swannie007]

No worries 'mate. I enjoy and respect every enthusiast's opinion and I get the impression that's true for 99% of the folks here at head-fi. You are the world authority on what sounds good to you and that's unassailable. Now, if you can throw in a couple of quaint Aussie Crocodile Dundee-isms, you will totally rule in my book! Lol

Sorry to disappoint mate but I am actually more of a "Yank" than anything else as I lived there for 26 years and have been here for 7 years with the first 26 years in Africa. So, I guess I am a "multi-national" breed. However, I will apply the the Dundee-isms where applicable. Gotta go now and put the billy on for a cuppa. Cheers.

 

[jaywillin]

 
Sorry to disappoint mate but I am actually more of a "Yank" than anything else as I lived there for 26 years and have been here for 7 years with the first 26 years in Africa. So, I guess I am a "multi-national" breed. However, I will apply the the Dundee-isms where applicable. Gotta go now and put the billy on for a cuppa. Cheers.

good one !, and "putting the billy on for a cuppa" would be ??? i guessing coffee, or tea ?  but i'm from georgia living in alabama, so i might be waaaaaay off lol,   

 
by the way, i've been just observing here, i to have the h10 on my watch list, as soon as i get some other gear related matters settled, i may give it a whirl 

 

[swannie007]

  good one !, and "putting the billy on for a cuppa" would be ??? i guessing coffee, or tea ?  but i'm from georgia living in alabama, so i might be waaaaaay off lol,   

 
by the way, i've been just observing here, i to have the h10 on my watch list, as soon as i get some other gear related matters settled, i may give it a whirl 

Yep. Putting the kettle on for a cup of tea. Hope you are able to get your H10 soon and join the club. Doesn't Bamma have a fine selection of BBQ joints? If so, I am mighty jealous as I have yet to have good BBQ here in Oz in all the time I've lived here. They just don't know good BBQ from a hole in the ground! Cheers.

 

[Kyno]

I just noticed something interesting.

I'm running the following system : PC > USB cable > ODAC/O2 combo (single unit) > Jack 3.5mm to 2xRCA > Gustard H10 > HD-650.
 
The O2 changes whether the H10 in connected to it or not. I guess it makes sense as it serves as a pre-amp in this case, right?
 
Funny how the O2 becomes greatly more precise and nice with the H10 

 It does show its limits, but still, transparency at its finest actually compared to the H10 alone. No match for the piano.
 
35h to 40h in with the H10, still quite a bit compressed.

 

[zilch0md]

  I just noticed something interesting.

I'm running the following system : PC > USB cable > ODAC/O2 combo (single unit) > Jack 3.5mm to 2xRCA > Gustard H10 > HD-650.
 
The O2 changes whether the H10 in connected to it or not. I guess it makes sense as it serves as a pre-amp in this case, right?
 
Funny how the O2 becomes greatly more precise and nice with the H10 

 It does show its limits, but still, transparency at its finest actually compared to the H10 alone. No match for the piano.
 
35h to 40h in with the H10, still quite a bit compressed.

 
Are you double-amping - using both the O2 amp and the H10, in series?  
 
Or are you taking a Line Out from the ODAC to the H10, bypassing the O2 amp?
 
Mike

 

[zilch0md]

  Have had this amp for a little while now. Amazing value for money, sounds fantastic with both my HD800 and LCD2. Love the large volume control.

 
 

Hi!

How long is "a little while?"

Which DAC are you using?

Is your HD800 modded?

Do you find you can listen to the HD800 for long periods as easily as you can the LCD-2, without fatigue?

Thanks!

Mike

 
sydneyaudio hasn't been online at Head-Fi for three and a half days - since making that post. It seems a lot longer than that to me, however. I keep checking in hopes of getting a response.