[joce]

Hello Everyone,

I have been following this thread which much fun for a while and have the following questions, thoughts

A lot of poeple, from other forums, find the AKM chips superior - for many reasons - superior to ESS sabre, specially for DSD playback

Have anyone been able to compare the Gustard A20H to the Gustard X20u?

Do you think the A20H will be outperfomed by the new upcoming Gustard x20 pro version with the ES9028?

According to some the AKM support DSD natively while Ess have to reconvert the signal. I dont know either which one is more appeilling in terms of signature sound (I like the stock Gustard x20 a lot)

Also, my understanding of the A20H could be used as a preamp as well (as the stock x20u) but the output volume is fully analogue instead of digital, like the stock x20u. And on top of it, you have a great headphone amp. Am I missing something?

Finally, I wonder why the new A20H is limited to DSD 256 by USB input, while I think this chips could handle DSD 512. Maybe a software issue (deliberated program obsolescence by the manufacturer?).And the A20H use the same usb input as the Singxer U-1...

Thanks for your help or comments

Jocelyn

 

[rafabro]

And the A20H use the same usb input as the Singxer U-1..

A20H use the same USB as X20U

 

[mocenigo]

Hello Everyone,

I have been following this thread which much fun for a while and have the following questions, thoughts

A lot of poeple, from other forums, find the AKM chips superior - for many reasons - superior to ESS sabre, specially for DSD playback

Have anyone been able to compare the Gustard A20H to the Gustard X20u?

Do you think the A20H will be outperfomed by the new upcoming Gustard x20 pro version with the ES9028?

According to some the AKM support DSD natively while Ess have to reconvert the signal. I dont know either which one is more appeilling in terms of signature sound (I like the stock Gustard x20 a lot)

Also, my understanding of the A20H could be used as a preamp as well (as the stock x20u) but the output volume is fully analogue instead of digital, like the stock x20u. And on top of it, you have a great headphone amp. Am I missing something?

Finally, I wonder why the new A20H is limited to DSD 256 by USB input, while I think this chips could handle DSD 512. Maybe a software issue (deliberated program obsolescence by the manufacturer?).And the A20H use the same usb input as the Singxer U-1...

 
It is very difficult to compare chips, because what is around, in particular the analog output stages and all the power supplies have usually an even bigger impact on the sound. Here a lot of people (but definitely not everybody) think that the AKM is usually less detailed but more musical, whereas the ESS chips are colder and more detailed. I guess this depends also on the way this is implemented. The presence of the analog volume attenuator on the A20H points to a bypass of the volume control for both DSD and PCM, whereas the use of the analog domain on the ESS means the volume control is never bypassed. Since analog volume controls have a constant background noise, this means that you have a higher relative noise floor of you attenuate a lot on the A20H, which does not happen on the X20 (pro or not). The Gustard designers are very good, so they probably did not like the digital volume control of the AKM.
 
Since they have essentially the same price but the A20H includes also a headphone amp, I would suppose that the X20 should sound a bit better and the A20H is more versatile, but the only way to know is to try them.
 
The USB inputs of A20H and X20U are based on the same board.
 
 Roberto

 

[rocketron1]

***edit*** Got it working via a different driver, loving DSD256 now
 
 
hello guys,
 
Just received my X20U and pretty stoked until I found out that DIYinHK  pulled the v3.34 driver from their site and changed it to v3.38 which is incompatible with the X20.
 
would anyone be able to help me out and upload the DIYinHK v3.34 driver for me please?
 
would really appreciate it, theres nothing worse than coming home from work opening up the shiny new gustard and getting excited to start listening to dsd256 collection that I have been collecting since I ordered the X20 only to find out the drivers are now unavailable :/
 
thanks

 

[Tom-s]

Don't have use for the USB anymore.
Using optical i now removed the USB board using Simon's instructions found on another forum. 
For a 20min job it's definitely worth it!

 

[wwmhf]

  Don't have use for the USB anymore.
Using optical i now removed the USB board using Simon's instructions found on another forum. 
For a 20min job it's definitely worth it!

 
Then, X20 will loose its DSD capability, right? 

 

[Tom-s]

O. Just noticed. It does. Thanks for that.
 
Well, i don't listen to DSD that much anyway.
 
I'll leave it out for now. 

 

[wwmhf]

  ***edit*** Got it working via a different driver, loving DSD256 now
 
 
 

 
Would you please let us know which driver you are using now for DSD256?

 

[rafabro]

   
Then, X20 will loose its DSD capability, right? 

Unless you connect with SU-1

 

[wwmhf]

  Unless you connect with SU-1

 
I am not sure if any optical can pass DSD info from SU-1 to X20. 

 

[rocketron1]

pm sent buddy
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally Posted by wwmhf /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
Would you please let us know which driver you are using now for DSD256?
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Tom-s]

Does anyone know what type the internal Coax connectors are? To order some.
I'd like to try some cable rolling to see what it does to the sound without using a soldering iron inside the DAC.
 
This is the one i thought of: http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-SMA-male-right-angle-plug-crimp-for-RG58-LMR195-RG142-RG400-cable-Connector/151473497775?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D38530%26meid%3D9a87fd1fa87141bf9f16bfab5ced3f72%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281484852208

 

[Fabio Lovato]

Hello guys sorry for the bad English.

I'm owner of Gustard X20.
After many months of work and with the help of a technician we did get Raspberry and Gustard with I2S input.

Raspberry supply Belleson, Cable I2S hand made and software Moode set resampling 24-192.

Amazing sound.
Compare with Merging Hapi and Aqua La Scala Gustard have same fluid sensation... music flow.

USB input set with expencive cable fails to reach performance of I2S.

Great, great performance, doesn't think this gap, I am very satisfied.

 

[Excellence 5]

  ***edit*** Got it working via a different driver, loving DSD256 now
 
...changed it to v3.38 which is incompatible with the X20

Why do you say it is not compatible, what do you mean? As mentioned by bitcars at post #712, you need to disable the digital signature before installing it.
 
What driver are you using instead? However, if you still want v3.34, just send me a message.

 

[rocketron1]

  Why do you say it is not compatible, what do you mean? As mentioned by bitcars at post #712, you need to disable the digital signature before installing it.
 
What driver are you using instead? However, if you still want v3.34, just send me a message.

hi,
 
that is for the v3.34 driver, the new v3.38 driver won't work on the gustard. instead I am using the driver from jlsounds which is working perfect.