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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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
Hi Kyno!
How long have you had your HD800 and on what other gear have you used them?
Thanks!
Mike
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.
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
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.