[rafabro]

Gustard is known enough branch, maybe not for you but it doesn't mean it's no name. They make one of the best value audio stuff and it does very reliable. 
For same sound quality from one of the popular branch you have to pay at least 3-4x.. no thank you..

 

[phthora]

I have lived with the Oppo SDAC for many months as a beta tester, in multiple incarnations. The sound quality is really outstanding. It should remain on anybody's shortlist, IMHO.

 
Yeah? The seeming impossibility of contacting Gustard is definitely a negative, but it still seems like the x20 Pro would have better performance. Convince me I'm wrong. 

 

[ekrauss]

I haven't compared the performance of the two, but I have compared the Oppo SDAC to my Ayre QB-9DSD. The audio quality between the two is very, very close, and of a very similar nature. Since they both rely on balanced circuits and ESS chips, that doesn't surprise me.

My post above is based on practical considerations--"Gustard" is an unknown manufacturer with no customer support. You roll the dice with your $1k. I don't know about you, but to me $1k is a butt load of money. I'd rather not spend THAT much and have something go wrong with no recourse. Just my $.02.

 

[ekrauss]

I'm not discounting "Gustard" entirely, but until I know who manufactures the units and what distribution and support mechanism they have in place for the USA, I'm reluctant to spend that much dough on them. Maybe for a $250 component, but not for $1k. YMMV, of course.

 

[phthora]

Fair enough. I can't dismiss your concerns. Honestly, if it wasn't on Amazon, I probably wouldn't be buying it through Taobao or Shenzhen directly.
 
What draws me to Gustard rather than Oppo in this case is that Gustard is very transparent about what they are putting in the box. With Oppo, I can't even figure out if the USB is Xmos. I trust Oppo to make a great product. However, I need more specific information than that if I going to spend the ~1k on it. I also don't need/want many of the features that the Oppo has. Bluetooth, network streaming, airplay, wi-fi speakers, I won't really use any of it.

 

[ekrauss]

Yes, understood. The SDAC is feature heavy and that is some of what you are paying for. I am not sure what chipset the USB implementation uses but it would be easy enough for me to pop open the lid--or it would be even easier for me to ask and then post back here--although not in the Gustard thread.

Can you point me to the best pages to learn more about Gustard equipment and its specs? The first I really heard about them was via a Massdrop, and since then I've done some research and the only distribution outlets seem to be eBay sellers or sort of "gray market" importers of Chinese audio brands. Is this equipment FCC certified? UL certified? Is it even legal for sale in the US? I'd have more confidence if I knew where the components were coming from, if they had an official and reliable distribution network, and clear avenues for customer support.

 

[phthora]

Yes, understood. The SDAC is feature heavy and that is some of what you are paying for. I am not sure what chipset the USB implementation uses but it would be easy enough for me to pop open the lid--or it would be even easier for me to ask and then post back here--although not in the Gustard thread.

Can you point me to the best pages to learn more about Gustard equipment and its specs? The first I really heard about them was via a Massdrop, and since then I've done some research and the only distribution outlets seem to be eBay sellers or sort of "gray market" importers of Chinese audio brands. Is this equipment FCC certified? UL certified? Is it even legal for sale in the US? I'd have more confidence if I knew where the components were coming from, if they had an official and reliable distribution network, and clear avenues for customer support.

 
For specs, the best place that I've seen is here: https://www.shenzhenaudio.com/gustard-dac-x20-pro-super-ultimate-2-x-es9028-xmos-hifi-dac-384khz-dsd-dop-decoder.html
 
And here is the User's Manual: https://download.shenzhenaudio.com/Gustard/X20PRO%20User%27s%20Manual.pdf
 
Now, according to this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/752522/gustard-amplifiers-and-dacs/45#post_11440314 Gustard is the in-house brand of Shenzhenaudio and has been making equipment as an OEM for a while.

 

[rafabro]

Yes, understood. The SDAC is feature heavy and that is some of what you are paying for. I am not sure what chipset the USB implementation uses but it would be easy enough for me to pop open the lid--or it would be even easier for me to ask and then post back here--although not in the Gustard thread.

Can you point me to the best pages to learn more about Gustard equipment and its specs? The first I really heard about them was via a Massdrop, and since then I've done some research and the only distribution outlets seem to be eBay sellers or sort of "gray market" importers of Chinese audio brands. Is this equipment FCC certified? UL certified? Is it even legal for sale in the US? I'd have more confidence if I knew where the components were coming from, if they had an official and reliable distribution network, and clear avenues for customer support.

Maybe you are Oppo reseller?

 

[ekrauss]

No, I don't sell any audio equipment--I just listen to it.

 

[ekrauss]

Thanks--I will digest!

As far as Shenzhenaudio, that outfit is shrouded in a bit of mystery, too, don't you think? I understand that they are a hi-if reseller with quite a few established brands, but other than that, their website is light on details about who they are. That being said, I do number among their 5,000+ fans on Facebook, and a lot of "industry insiders" are fans as well, so I'm not questioning whether they are legit. Still, I'd like more info.

 

[wwmhf]

Thanks--I will digest!

As far as Shenzhenaudio, that outfit is shrouded in a bit of mystery, too, don't you think? I understand that they are a hi-if reseller with quite a few established brands, but other than that, their website is light on details about who they are. That being said, I do number among their 5,000+ fans on Facebook, and a lot of "industry insiders" are fans as well, so I'm not questioning whether they are legit. Still, I'd like more info.

Several people on head-fi including myself bought multiple equipment from Shenzhenaudio. My experience up to now is so far so good. 

 

[phthora]

Thanks--I will digest!

As far as Shenzhenaudio, that outfit is shrouded in a bit of mystery, too, don't you think? I understand that they are a hi-if reseller with quite a few established brands, but other than that, their website is light on details about who they are. That being said, I do number among their 5,000+ fans on Facebook, and a lot of "industry insiders" are fans as well, so I'm not questioning whether they are legit. Still, I'd like more info.

 
Wow. You want to know some facts about a company in a communist country before you send hundreds of dollars their way with very little legal recourse as a consumer? That's about as crazy as locking your doors at night or putting a password on your wi-fi.

 
There is a little information about Shenzhenaudio here: http://www.easycounter.com/report/shenzhenaudio.com  Mostly about its website though.

 

[ekrauss]

That's good to know. I know they also sell their wares through Amazon. Still, I would be a lot more comfortable spending $1k if they had a presence in North America and customer support here (like Grant Fidelity in Canada does for a bunch of less established Chinese brands, or a larger dealer network like more established brands such as Shanling, Cayin, Opera/Consonance, etc.).

 

[gaddabout]

I have lived with the Oppo SDAC for many months as a beta tester, in multiple incarnations. The sound quality is really outstanding. It should remain on anybody's shortlist, IMHO.

What I don't understand is why anyone would choose to purchase a "Gustard"--which is basically a no-name audio component--over one that is an established brand with responsive customer service and support, and a great warranty. Maybe it's just me, but if I'm spending $1k, I want some security if anything goes wrong with the unit . . .

I've bought the Gustard from clear-Components germany. 2 Years Warranty...where is the problem?

 

[gaddabout]

I haven't compared the performance of the two, but I have compared the Oppo SDAC to my Ayre QB-9DSD. The audio quality between the two is very, very close, and of a very similar nature. Since they both rely on balanced circuits and ESS chips, that doesn't surprise me.

My post above is based on practical considerations--"Gustard" is an unknown manufacturer with no customer support. You roll the dice with your $1k. I don't know about you, but to me $1k is a butt load of money. I'd rather not spend THAT much and have something go wrong with no recourse. Just my $.02.

Customer support? For what? For a Dac? If the DAC is broken in the period of warranty and this applies to both a brand and a no name, you will need to to get a ticket for repair.
In Germany no problem at all.