I actually also use a hi-fi fuse and upgraded power cord. Some people get annoyed by the thought of these making a difference so I hesitate in mentioning them.
Thanks for reminding me of the Gustard U18. Right now I’m connecting with AES and SPDIF but might give I2S a go.
Unlike many, you seem open minded, given that you already have hi-fi fuses and an upgraded power cord....so I think it's quite likely that you'll hear the difference of what an I2S cable + DDC will do.
If/when you make the purchase...you'll thank me later
Hey Cuthbert 80, I think you should do what I did months back and upgrade your headphone amp to the Audio-GD Master 19. That headphone amp took my Focal Clear to the next level. It blows the doors off any other headphone amp out there at 880 US. The soundstaging it offers is just spectacular as well. I guarantee you would be blown away if you bought one.
Hey Cuthbert 80, I think you should do what I did months back and upgrade your headphone amp to the Audio-GD Master 19. That headphone amp took my Focal Clear to the next level. It blows the doors off any other headphone amp out there at 880 US. The soundstaging it offers is just spectacular as well. I guarantee you would be blown away if you bought one.
It's funny you mention this cause I saw your post about your Audio-GD Master 19 in the Focal Clear OG thread and immediately started doing research lol.
Where I am in the UK, it seems a bit of a pain to find one of these as there doesn't appear to be a UK dealer?
The sheer size of that thing is ridiculous lol so I would not only have trouble finding space for it but also the heat emanating from it could pose a serious problem in the summer as my room gets uncomfortably warm. Still...I'm keeping my eye out. The price does seem really damn good for what you get.
I was actually strongly considering buying a new amp recently but with guidance from the community...because my Meze 109 Pro are so efficient and that my Gustard H16 isn't too horrible lol...I decided against it.....for now.
Instead, I spent quite a lot on Snake Oil lol which includes:
1x Oiyade D+ Class S USB Cable (was using a cheap & nasty printer cable before)
1x After Dark Black Magic II Carbon Fibre I2S Cable (for U18 DDC to X18 Dac)
1x MCRU No.5 Power Cablewith Furutech Plugs on Each End (For H16 Amp)
1x Furutech FP-314AG II Power Cable with Furutech FI-UK 1363 Connector (For X18 Dac)
1x Synergistic Research Orange fuse (For H16 Amp)
1x Sky Audio Cables - Litz 5n Silver Plated OCC Copper, 24 AWG Headphone Cable (Was using an OFC pure copper cable before)
No doubt an amp or even better, a new headphone would yield by far the biggest sound changes but if I was to tell you that collectively all of the above snake oil made no sound difference...I'd be bloody lying!
The Master 19 is certainly a good size, but keep in mind it is far smaller than the other headphone amps they sell. Regarding heat, most of us who own one just put this USB fan on top of it. I do the same. It costs 14 bucks US. It totally keeps temperatures nice and cool. I remember when we talked before in the thread. You and I had pretty much identical impressions on gear. I have no doubt in saying that you would be extremely impressed with the Master 19. It is a spectacular headphone amp.
You can buy the Master 19 direct from Audio-GD. You just send Kingwa an email and ask for a price quote. He is the owner of the company. You will get an email back the same day with the total purchase and shipping cost amount. Here is the email address.
I ended up buying the Singxer SDA-6 PRO 2 DAC yesterday. If anyone here is interested, I can put up a comparison between it and the X18 when the DAC shows up in the mail. The DAC is currently on sale here for only 1169.10 US. This is an awesome price for this piece of hardware.
You can buy the Master 19 direct from Audio-GD. You just send Kingwa an email and ask for a price quote. He is the owner of the company. You will get an email back the same day with the total purchase and shipping cost amount. Here is the email address.
I ended up buying the Singxer SDA-6 PRO 2 DAC yesterday. If anyone here is interested, I can put up a comparison between it and the X18 when the DAC shows up in the mail. The DAC is currently on sale here for only 1169.10 US. This is an awesome price for this piece of hardware.
In my opinion, AKM makes the best and most natural sounding DAC chips. I am really looking forward to getting this puppy in the mail. I will for sure let you know what I think of it. I already know it is going to be a solid upgrade from the already excellent X18. Maybe you should take advantage of the sale there too for 1169, instead of paying 1300 for it.
Hifigo now has the DAC on sale for even cheaper than shenzhenaudio. It is on their spring sale for only 1104.15 US. What an awesome deal for anyone who wants to buy. I think you should get one, TheRealDz.
Hifigo now has the DAC on sale for even cheaper than shenzhenaudio. It is on their spring sale for only 1104.15 US. What an awesome deal for anyone who wants to buy. I think you should get one, TheRealDz.
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