[bos3812]

From what I know - the latest sotm’s v4.6 image does not contain the updated kernel. You’ll need to manually update the kernel.

May (sotm) gave me the following value to test with mpd - maybe help to you

auido buffer size : 5 ~ 10
Stay with buffer before play at 0
Stay with buffer time at 0.5
Period time : 5~10

Criable and Monolitic, you were right. The latest update asks to manually update the kernel. I have done that right now and I will change the values as recommended by May. This evening I will test the Gustard again. Hope it will help. Thanks guys for help.

 

[Criable]

Criable and Monolitic, you were right. The latest update asks to manually update the kernel. I have done that right now and I will change the values as recommended by May. This evening I will test the Gustard again. Hope it will help. Thanks guys for help.

Np at all @bos3812
If all else fails - try firmware v1.41
Good luck

 

[bos3812]

Criable and Monolitic, you were right. The latest update asks to manually update the kernel. I have done that right now and I will change the values as recommended by May. This evening I will test the Gustard again. Hope it will help. Thanks guys for help.

It didn't work. When I started the music everything went well but after half an hour or so the ticks and stutter were back. I did not try version 1.4 of the software because a few members found out that version 1.61 did sound better. I tried the Gustard again with the Icrons in between and tried to ignore the constant ticks. This gives a much better sound, much more detail, air and openness. In this case the Gustard is better than the Singxer. The Icrons 2304GE lan gives the Singxer the air and detail I hear. The difference (with and without the Icrons) is stunning. This is really a shame because I could have a great DDC when the Gustard could work together with the Icrons. But it doesn't, sadly. I can't miss the Icrons. They are important for me. At this moment I have no solution anymore. If someone has an idea I love to hear that.

 

[wushuliu]

I've had the U16 for a couple days. First off, I can't seem to find out my firmware. The firmware upgrade program just shows my current firmware as blank. I followed the driver install instructions in the manual and that seems fine although I guess I didn't need to because I have Windows 10? I downloaded the special Thesycon driver mentioned in this thread but can't seem to install it. It's all a little confusing. If I'm just using SPDIF out do I even need them?

Anyways, don't know what firmware I have but it does sound really really good. No pops or clicks when using standard Windows audio settings. I haven't run it consecutively for hours in that mode but so far so good. However, I prefer to use Jplay for my Tidal listening using Hifi Cable as my patch between the two. Unlike Xmos-based USB inputs, the U16 has a hard time allowing me to use the lowest latency settings and highest Jplay settings. That's when the pops and clicks happen. Which is too bad because it sounds *excellent* otherwise at those settings. If I scale back the buffer settings in the Gustard Interface window to say 2048 samples and bump Jplay down to 200Hz it seems to be okay. In other words it may be of benefit for PC-based users to play with the buffer settings (which they should be doing anyway to get best sound quality).

I will give it more time to see if the pops and clicks occur at the lower latency settings. If anyone has suggestions as to how to figure out the firmware update showing up blank that would be great.[EDIT: Figured out the firmware: 1.61]

 

[Criable]

It didn't work. When I started the music everything went well but after half an hour or so the ticks and stutter were back. I did not try version 1.4 of the software because a few members found out that version 1.61 did sound better. I tried the Gustard again with the Icrons in between and tried to ignore the constant ticks. This gives a much better sound, much more detail, air and openness. In this case the Gustard is better than the Singxer. The Icrons 2304GE lan gives the Singxer the air and detail I hear. The difference (with and without the Icrons) is stunning. This is really a shame because I could have a great DDC when the Gustard could work together with the Icrons. But it doesn't, sadly. I can't miss the Icrons. They are important for me. At this moment I have no solution anymore. If someone has an idea I love to hear that.

Please do give 1.41 a try - it’ll still sound better than su1 I believe. Apologies about your situation- didn’t know you have the Icrons back then when I replied to your question about u16 partnering with sotm.

 

[roni44]

I've had the U16 for a couple days. First off, I can't seem to find out my firmware. The firmware upgrade program just shows my current firmware as blank. I followed the driver install instructions in the manual and that seems fine although I guess I didn't need to because I have Windows 10? I downloaded the special Thesycon driver mentioned in this thread but can't seem to install it. It's all a little confusing. If I'm just using SPDIF out do I even need them?

Anyways, don't know what firmware I have but it does sound really really good. No pops or clicks when using standard Windows audio settings. I haven't run it consecutively for hours in that mode but so far so good. However, I prefer to use Jplay for my Tidal listening using Hifi Cable as my patch between the two. Unlike Xmos-based USB inputs, the U16 has a hard time allowing me to use the lowest latency settings and highest Jplay settings. That's when the pops and clicks happen. Which is too bad because it sounds *excellent* otherwise at those settings. If I scale back the buffer settings in the Gustard Interface window to say 2048 samples and bump Jplay down to 200Hz it seems to be okay. In other words it may be of benefit for PC-based users to play with the buffer settings (which they should be doing anyway to get best sound quality).

I will give it more time to see if the pops and clicks occur at the lower latency settings. If anyone has suggestions as to how to figure out the firmware update showing up blank that would be great.[EDIT: Figured out the firmware: 1.61]

Use a pc download Gustard U16 FW upgrade zip, after installation, plug your U16 to the pc and it will show you the firmware. Here is the tutorial: https://download.shenzhenaudio.com/Gustard/Gustard U16 firmware upgrade tutorial V1.2.pdf

 

[wushuliu]

Use a pc download Gustard U16 FW upgrade zip, after installation, plug your U16 to the pc and it will show you the firmware. Here is the tutorial: https://download.shenzhenaudio.com/Gustard/Gustard U16 firmware upgrade tutorial V1.2.pdf

Thanks, I figured it out after uninstalling the driver and rebooting. Now with 1.61NFB I can't play Jplay at all regardless of buffer settings. ASIO 16 samples sounds good however. This is one quirky machine...

 

[roni44]

I have settled with FW 1.61 and still debating if I can live with it. The current problems I have:

1. MacBook Pro using Kodi to play MKV files movies, about an hour into the movies, a pop/click or lose of sound for a quick second, and it will repeat itself about every 5~8 mins. Remedy by reset U16, however every time reset U16, then I have to manually switch the CKL from INTL to EXT.

2. Lips sync issues, watching youtube, video and sound is out of sync, no remedy at all unless I upgrade to 1.71 which presents more problem and less sound quality.

3. Audirvana 3.5/Tidal Hifi, every so often the U16 will reset when changing songs, again pain in the ass have to get my ass up to U16 and change the CLK to EXT.

Thought about getting Singxer SU-6, but not sure how SU-6 compares to M2tech Hiface EVO 2 and both are about the same cost.

 

[Criable]

Quick information sharing.
For those with Denafrips dac - please do get the new dsp board upgrade and ditch your existing dcc (be it u16 or su6). Denafrips released the board for its terminator dac already.

Compared to a su6/u16 - its sounds so much better- cleaner, with better detail retrieval and extended high via the usb input.

 

[bos3812]

Thanks guys for all your help and suggestions. I've decided to send the Gustard back. When I listen to my music I want to relax and not fight with a machine who wasn't ready to bring to market. I don't belong to the few lucky ones who have no problems with it. I hope Gustard will bring out a stabel version of the software one day but I also think it will not happen. In my opinion all the problems have their cause in the ESS Sabre chip which is, so far as I know, not brought to market by ESS Sabre. Of course there is a reason for that. These are only my thoughts about it. Maybe the cause lies somewhere else. I don't know. For the time being I keep my SU-1 and wait for a better, stable and payable DCC.

 

[wushuliu]

The U16 sounds exquisite when it's working well. Truly remarkable sound quality as an spdif converter. If I keep settings as basic as possible it seems to work just fine for music playback. I am tempted to keep it, however I also have a modded Xmos spdif converter with a Crystek clock powered by a LPS that comes pretty close to the U16 and with fewer issues. Tonight I added a lifepo4 battery to power the Crystek and it's now no contest. My modded converter walks all over the U16 and sounds incredible for a fraction of the cost. For those who don't want to go that route and just want an spdif converter for music playback and can live with the quirks, the U16 sounds terrific.

 

[roni44]

The U16 sounds exquisite when it's working well. Truly remarkable sound quality as an spdif converter. If I keep settings as basic as possible it seems to work just fine for music playback. I am tempted to keep it, however I also have a modded Xmos spdif converter with a Crystek clock powered by a LPS that comes pretty close to the U16 and with fewer issues. Tonight I added a lifepo4 battery to power the Crystek and it's now no contest. My modded converter walks all over the U16 and sounds incredible for a fraction of the cost. For those who don't want to go that route and just want an spdif converter for music playback and can live with the quirks, the U16 sounds terrific.

Adding external 10mhz clock to U16 brings to another level, but the quirks remain.......

 

[bos3812]

The U16 sounds exquisite when it's working well. Truly remarkable sound quality as an spdif converter. If I keep settings as basic as possible it seems to work just fine for music playback. I am tempted to keep it, however I also have a modded Xmos spdif converter with a Crystek clock powered by a LPS that comes pretty close to the U16 and with fewer issues. Tonight I added a lifepo4 battery to power the Crystek and it's now no contest. My modded converter walks all over the U16 and sounds incredible for a fraction of the cost. For those who don't want to go that route and just want an spdif converter for music playback and can live with the quirks, the U16 sounds terrific.

Maybe you wrote it before but about what modded Xmos spdif converter and lifepo4 battery are you talking here?

 

[wushuliu]

Maybe you wrote it before but about what modded Xmos spdif converter and lifepo4 battery are you talking here?

I didn't want to get too off topic. It's one of these converters. $45. What makes them a great value is that you can use an external power supply and the on-board regulators are high quality LT1763, unlike the Singxer F1 etc where you can't avoid the noisy regulators. So you desolder the clocks, add whatever new ones you want. Get a A26650 Lifepo4, a battery case, and a switch. Just wire up the battery to VCC/power pin of the clock(s) and ground, bypass with a .1uf cap and that's it. Crysteks are nice and big and easy to work with. I've used lifepo4s on other dac projects and you always get a level of sound quality that is hard to match. In this case with the converter what you get is sonic purity.

 

[wwmhf]

I didn't want to get too off topic. It's one of these converters. $45. What makes them a great value is that you can use an external power supply and the on-board regulators are high quality LT1763, unlike the Singxer F1 etc where you can't avoid the noisy regulators. So you desolder the clocks, add whatever new ones you want. Get a A26650 Lifepo4, a battery case, and a switch. Just wire up the battery to VCC/power pin of the clock(s) and ground, bypass with a .1uf cap and that's it. Crysteks are nice and big and easy to work with. I've used lifepo4s on other dac projects and you always get a level of sound quality that is hard to match. In this case with the converter what you get is sonic purity.

This seems to be an interesting project! Do you have any suggestion about the connector for the I2S out of this converter?