[wwmhf]

good instructions. 

 

[gulakpi]

Nice!  Many thanks!
 
Quote:

 
Hi
 
Note the 'baidu' sites are in Chinese.
When you access the site in your browser, click the 'download' symbol on the top of the page ..
 
 

 
 
Then click the blue prompt box to process the download ..
 

 
You will then be prompted to save the driver to your computer.
 
 

 

[Triplefun]

I've been wondering on the impact of the os and player on the quality of the digital sound when I came cross the following - http://archimago.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/measurements-part-i-bit-perfect.html.  The conclusion is the DAC.

 

[MINORISUKE]

  .....
In the mean time, I've ordered a WaveIO card and an Audio GD I2S to HDMI socket 
converter card. Why? ... because the WaveIO is really cheap, well built, has a bunch 
of functions ie:- USB header pins, I2S direct and isolated outputs, great clocks and 
good quality power regulation etc. I may even put it inside the DAC, if I can hack into 
the x20's internal I2S lines
......

You do not have to hack.  I asked via the store about the internal PCIe X1 pin assignment.
As you bought yours from a different store, I will not share the answer here, as it was a part of customer service of the store where I purchased my unit.
If you use only PCM or only DSD, the connection is not difficult.  However, an automatic switching between PCM and DSD seems to be tricky, as their pin assignment is quite unique.
I am a fan of MX-U8 using I2S/DSD output.  See my previous posts in MX-U8 and U12.
Note that your DAC-X20 also accepts DoP64 from coax, optical, AES/EBU and BNC, which means MX-U8 can be used for DoP64 playback with DAC-X20 without using RJ45.

 

[MINORISUKE]

English manual
http://yun.baidu.com/s/1jH1SCg2

 

[BrainFood]

Originally Posted by Triplefun /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Be careful - the Gustard outputs 4.6V on the XLR
This is excessive and will distort most preamps which typically require < 1v.

 
At least direct to my active monitors, output doesn't seem overtly hot. 
 
The speakers can be set to have a input signal input of -10dBV (0.3V), for unbalanced, and then +4 dBu, +8 dBu and +12dBu for balanced, the latter being the least sensitive and lowest volume.  Running from the X20 balanced, the +4 dBu setting is about most suitable, so that the X20 is set to around -10 dB on most material at medium volume and allowing some headroom for parties

.  +8dBu would also be okay unless you want go pretty loud.
 
Haven't got a balanced active pre but, if the above is anything to go by, the Gustard's output is not excessive.  4-5v seems quite common for balanced sources looking around, no?

 

[wwmhf]

  English manual
http://yun.baidu.com/s/1jH1SCg2

 
Thanks for letting us know this. 

 

[SimonBromley]

Hey there MINORISUKE
 
Have you actually managed to link your MX-U8 up to the X20 via the PCIe slot ?
 
If so, that's pretty cool !!
 
Apart from the standard I2S cables, was there anything else you had to hook up 
to make it work ? As for the DSD on/off function, I always knew this would be an issue.
I was thinking of maybe having a manual switch cause the trigger, as the WaveIO card 
doesn't have this trigger functionality anyway. Do you think this might work ?
 
Anyway, I shall get on to my supplier and ask them for a PCIe pin diagram.
Hopefully they will help me out.
 
I didn't realise when I purchased the X20, that that was just the easy bit !!
The complexity of all this driver, software and USB interface stuff is proving rather 
more than I'd bargained for. Lol ...
 
Best regards
 
Simon

 

[PearlyWhiteZ]

Man, I'm sure glad Head-Fi has such threads as this.  I was in the market for a DAC/Pre combo and was banging my head against the wall trying to find something within my budget when somehow I stumbled across this thread.  Looks like we have a winner here.  I've just placed my order (yesterday) and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival.  Unfortunately I'm not exactly a headphone guy, so I'll be using this to feed signal via XLR directly into a pair of Brinkmann monoblocks which power my Epos Elan 15 speakers.  I've had the Yulong DA8 and BMC PureDAC before and all I can say is that the BMC (to me) was all hype and not my tonal taste.  The Yulong was great but lacked a remote control for volume, but also didn't drive my amplifier at the time well enough at all (D-Sonic M3-800S).  So here's hoping this DAC actually includes a preamp section worthy of driving an amp.  Thanks for the contributions to this thread, guys.  It seems like most any questions about this DAC can be found on one of the pages within.  I hope to be reporting great things when it arrives.  And for what it's worth, I bought it from forexmen on ebay for the 2yr warranty and great positive feedback.
 
Cheers,
Steven

 

[PearlyWhiteZ]

And for what it's worth I've already got a Gustard U12 which I absolutely adore.  Though reading through the pages it seems you guys heavily favor the Tanly unit; that will come later.  For now I'll be using the U12 in conjunction with the X20U, unless the X20U sounds superior without the U12 inline.  My tests will determine and I'll move forward from there.  Is anyone else out there using this dac to directly power a stereo amplifier or monoblocks?  If so can you please let me know how you like it?

 

[Triplefun]

Get the X20 and front it with the U12 using HDMI cable for IIS connection. That way you can upsample to DSD256 for a great sound using Foobar or JRiver. 
 
Re the Gustard U12, I was finally able to realise DSD256 in Foobar using the Thesycon demo driver. DSD256 shows on both the U12 and the X20 (X20 connected using IIS HDMI cable). The DSD256 sound is an improvement on DSD128 and justifies the purchase of the U12 to front the X20.
 
I then downloaded Chodi's Thesycon 2.23 XMOS driver http://www.speedyshare.com/RXMDH/Luckit-2.23-for-Gustard-U12.rar
And successfully installed on Windows 10 64bit using the 'unsigned driver' advanced setting mode. I have set the WaveIO driver buffer to 'extra safe'.
 
Foorbar and Jriver (MC20) both upsample to 256bit. However, when I play a 24bit/192khz file in Jriver it plays DSD256; if I play the same piece in Foobar it outputs PCM192 and loses much of the dynamics. When I play 44.1Khz files in Foobar they upsample to DSD128 as expected. Why does the output 'drop' to PCM in Foobar but not JRiver? Could it be my HDMI cable quality? Note native DSD64 and DSD128 files are output as DSD256 for an even better listening experience.

 

[BrainFood]

  Is anyone else out there using this dac to directly power a stereo amplifier or monoblocks?  If so can you please let me know how you like it?

 
I am (to active speakers) but would rather not comment until it's run in properly in another couple of days or so.  I also currently connect the RCA's to a fiio e11k (with no attenuation on the x20) and I can safely say it's a big step up from my previous dac!
 
Quote:

 So here's hoping this DAC actually includes a preamp section worthy of driving an amp

 
Not sure that technically it has a preamp section as such.  More a source with volume control. 
 
 
 

 

[Triplefun]

And for what it's worth I've already got a Gustard U12 which I absolutely adore.  Though reading through the pages it seems you guys heavily favor the Tanly unit; that will come later.  For now I'll be using the U12 in conjunction with the X20U, unless the X20U sounds superior without the U12 inline.  My tests will determine and I'll move forward from there.  Is anyone else out there using this dac to directly power a stereo amplifier or monoblocks?  If so can you please let me know how you like it?

And for what it's worth I've already got a Gustard U12 which I absolutely adore.  Though reading through the pages it seems you guys heavily favor the Tanly unit; that will come later.  For now I'll be using the U12 in conjunction with the X20U, unless the X20U sounds superior without the U12 inline.  My tests will determine and I'll move forward from there.  Is anyone else out there using this dac to directly power a stereo amplifier or monoblocks?  If so can you please let me know how you like it?

See http://audiophilereview.com/preamps/preamps---active-passive-or-none.html for the value of a preamp. The x20 has a volume control and a crappy remote. The remote power switch does not work. But you can use the remote to manage volume and to 'clumsily' switch the x20 input sources - iis, coax, optical, aes, USB. There is no analog input. And the max output voltages of the x20 will very quickly over load most power amps! Also no headphone output.

I use magneplanar speakers which are quite bright by nature. I initially had a x10 which with the Maggie's, monoblock power amps and no intermediate preamp was very bright. The x20 is less so. But someone lent me a valve hybrid avm pa5.2 preamp which tamed the brightness giving a very natural sound. So I suggest you try the x20 and see how it goes. If you find it too bright, want more flexibility on the control of other devices, or want a headphone output then look for a decent preamp.

 

[wwmhf]

  And for what it's worth I've already got a Gustard U12 which I absolutely adore.  Though reading through the pages it seems you guys heavily favor the Tanly unit; that will come later.  For now I'll be using the U12 in conjunction with the X20U, unless the X20U sounds superior without the U12 inline.  My tests will determine and I'll move forward from there.  Is anyone else out there using this dac to directly power a stereo amplifier or monoblocks?  If so can you please let me know how you like it?

 
"Direct"? You should make sure that X20 does have the needed volume control; otherwise, watch out for your ears or your speakers because modern sources such as DAC usually have very high output to drive your amplifier to the maximum. 
 
If X20 does not have any volume control and if you want to avoid/reduce negative impacts from anything in between the source and the amp, then you can consider a passive preamp which is what I use in one of my music setups.   

 

[BrainFood]

 And the max output voltages of the x20 will very quickly over load most power amps!

 
The X20 outputs 4.6v max which is a little above the 'industry standard' of 4v.  I would have preferred 4v (to keep overall system gain down) but it's not that excessive or unusual over the last decades.  Similary the 2.3 volts on RCA compared to industry standard of 2v
                                                                                      
I fail to see how it would overload most power amps (with sensible input sensitivity) and I already explained that it doesn't overload my active speakers (which are effectively power amps without volume pot).