Gustard U12 USB Interface 8 Core XMOS chip

[CJG888]

Any news on that U12 vs. Audio-gd DI 2014 comparison?

 

[conquerator2]

Any news on that U12 vs. Audio-gd DI 2014 comparison?

U12 should arrive any day now

 

[Anda]

U12 should arrive any day now

 
Did you order inside EU?

 

[conquerator2]

Did you order inside EU?

Yep, from Amazon.uk

 

[Anda]

Yep, from Amazon.uk

Ok. For future owners their Ebay shop ships from UK 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GUSTARD-U12-Native-32bit-384kHz-XMOS-DAC-0-1ppm-U10-upgrade-Black-Silver-/261596415436


 

 

[rb2013]

Anyone who wants to try an awesome interconnect cable - I highly recommend these Aural Thrills Silver/Teflon.  They use a unique grounding circuit and Teflon/Silver plugs similar to the very expensive WBT's.  $179/pr for 1 meter - 60 day free trial.  So you can do your own free 'blind test' after burnin.
 
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/interconnects-aural-thrills-audio-silver-braid-w-silver-teflon-rca-read-this-before-you-buy-2015-01-03-cables-75042-garland-tx

 

[conquerator2]

^ well, with free trial... Gotta say that is fair! Of course, bias is still real

 

[phile1]

like others i have no money to spend in golden cable... i don't care about cables....
Could we go back to our thread : the U12.
Any other good feedback ? or any disappointment ?
thanks

 

[rb2013]

^ well, with free trial... Gotta say that is fair! Of course, bias is still real

I once read that 30% of pharmaceuticals benefit are from placebo effect - maybe a mind/body interaction,  I don't know.  But they sure work for me.
 
Maybe I can hire a hypnotist to in-plant my Nissan drives like a Porche.  Ever see the movie Shallow Hal
 
I also have these - a little cheaper, not quite as airy but really sound good.  $134/pr 1 meter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aural-Thrills-Self-Powered-Active-Shield-Cable-1m-Silver-Teflon-Connectors-/251779920158?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9f40b11e
 
These are their top of the line - not 4x better.  But better- especially with the right tubes (I can hear a difference in different tubes - Mullards are my favorites).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aural-Thrills-tube-powered-active-shield-300b-274b-kt88-home-theater-/251779919344?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9f40adf0

 

[menkromsen]

Dude - this is not a cable-discussion thread!  

If you really must talk about how cables changes sound and so on - keep it to USB-cables (which could or could not make a difference to the Gustard U12)
 
 
Back to topic; I'm getting my unit on monday.Have been using a M2Tech for quite some time now so it will be cool to hear the difference!

 

[rb2013]

  Dude - this is not a cable-discussion thread!  

If you really must talk about how cables changes sound and so on - keep it to USB-cables (which could or could not make a difference to the Gustard U12)
 
 
Back to topic; I'm getting my unit on monday.Have been using a M2Tech for quite some time now so it will be cool to hear the difference!

Sorry you are right - no more cable discussions here.  I will start a new thread on the Aural Thrills stuff.

 

[Greggo]

New to this thread and have just skimmed through it all... still having trouble wrapping my head around applications for U12 other than just providing USB conversion to SPDIF?  Curious as I just got a Gustard H10 amp and I am now considering a X12 DAC as well.
 
Do most of you look at something like the U12 because you have DACs that do not have a USB input, or do you look for even better USB performance from the U12 and then optical or coax digital inputs to your DAC?
 
I have a system scenario that I was wondering if some of you could help me with, deciding if the U12 is a good fit:
 
I have a medium sized basement family room, iMac based home studio on one wall, digital active stereo system on another, and then a listening chair with a headphone studio next to it on yet another wall.  I have a MacBook Air that I can keep near the listening chair, and planned on running USB into Gustard DAC and amp that I would also keep next to the chair.  About 10 feet away is the iMac on a desk and I would like to be able to use that as a source as well, so I was thinking about a U12 sitting next to it, with optical output running to the miniDSP 4x10 HD across the room that drives the stereo system, and then digital coax running along the other wall and into the Gustard DAC at my listening chair for those times when I don't want to bring the MacBook Air downstairs for whatever reason.  And then I have a separate USB feed from the iMac into the studio interface I use (Focusrite Scarlett 18i20) for times when I want to listen to headphones while sitting at the iMac.
 
Does this all make sense?  Would the U12 be a good way to feed USB audio into my miniDSP and also run to the X12 (future purchase, currently using NAD D1050 as a DAC)?  Kind of like a digital audio stream router?

 

[rb2013]

  New to this thread and have just skimmed through it all... still having trouble wrapping my head around applications for U12 other than just providing USB conversion to SPDIF?  Curious as I just got a Gustard H10 amp and I am now considering a X12 DAC as well.
 
Do most of you look at something like the U12 because you have DACs that do not have a USB input, or do you look for even better USB performance from the U12 and then optical or coax digital inputs to your DAC?
 

For me I'm looking for the best USB converter at reasonable cost.

 

[Greggo]

  For me I'm looking for the best USB converter at reasonable cost.

and is that because your DAC does not have USB input, or it does have USB and since it also has other digital inputs you are using the U12 because you think it is superior to yours DAC's onboard USB input?
 
Any feedback on my application scenario?  Does it make sense to use the U12 as a digital audio stream router?  Do all outputs work at once by the way?  Even without my family room studio scenario, it seems like it would be a cool way to review equipment, to be able to feed the same USB audio stream to multiple DACs at the same time.

 

[rb2013]

  and is that because your DAC does not have USB input, or it does have USB and since it also has other digital inputs you are using the U12 because you think it is superior to yours DAC's onboard USB input?
 
Any feedback on my application scenario?  Does it make sense to use the U12 as a digital audio stream router?  Do all outputs work at once by the way?  Even without my family room studio scenario, it seems like it would be a cool way to review equipment, to be able to feed the same USB audio stream to multiple DACs at the same time.

Well I have many DAC's - some with USB and others without.  My best DAC's do not.  I like the flexibility to change DAC's and USB interfaces separately.  If you read the thread starting page - I mentioned all the USB interfaces I have tried.  The U12 is the best sounding I have owned so far.
 
I'm not familiar with the U12 optical SPDIF, or HDMI, as I use the coax SPDIF only.  Maybe others can comment.
 
Good Luck!