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Gustard DAC-X22

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Gustard DAC-X22

Name: Gustard DAC-X22
Brand: Gustard
SKU: gustard-dac-x22
Price: 849.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

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Product Description

The DAC-X22 will fit right into your high-end audio setup. Using the new, top-of-the-line ESS ES9038PRO DAC chip, it aims for both excellent analytical and musical qualities Read More

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zenbert

175

Mar 30, 2019

Verified Buyer

My setup, which I consider is pretty much end-game is the following: Tidal (44.1K/96K) || Audirvana (44.1K --> DSD256) on MB Pro (USB) --> Gustard X22 (XLR) --> Woo Audio WA22. I'm running higher power tubes (Tung-Sol 5998, Tung-Sol 6SN7 GTB, Mullard GZ37 Rectifier) My go to cans are LCD-3 for bass and vocals, HD820 for any mixed or larger stage recordings. I park myself awhile when I have time to really enjoy my music. Otherwise it's the Fostex TH-X00 with LC-X + SDAC on the desktop working. I had purchased the Topping D50 and tried it with the WA22 earlier, which was a better resolving DAC with better range and clarity while more cold in sound signature compare with the Nuforce DAC80. Based purely on the spec and the measurement review from audiosciencereview.com, I was skeptical the Gustard would make any significant difference despite being a ES9038Pro but only one chip vs. 2 x ES9038q2m. There are so many articles online about placebo effect on owning a more expensive DAC, but I haven't seen an article that convince me that DAC makes a big difference. AMP however was more universally accepted as the next thing after the headphones. The Gustard came nicely packaged and well constructed. Polished black with clearly marked controls and connectors. I haven't crack it open but the images online suggests it's a high quality component device. The dimension of the Gustard is roughly the same as the WA22 and the black finishes are well matched. My initial experience after connecting the Gustard with the WA22 was mind blowing. While I was a little bit ambivalent about swapping the Nuforce DAC80 with D50 to use with the WA22 as the D50 was clearly colder, the Gustard was superior in resolving power and even keeled from high to low. It was like "WOW!" (I guess I need a matching DAC for the more powerful amp after all). I have stopped thinking about my setup since matching the Gustard to the Woo. Just enjoying my music now more than before. Very happy about the decision and hope the equipment stays reliable for years to come. My journey as an audiophile has been interesting so far. What I hear continues to change with time. The Gustard is definitely a good match with my Woo amp, which helps with my appreciation of music. Not just hearing more, but the tuned quality and rich output bring more enjoyment to the time spent.

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FL_Guy

Sorry I missed the question, in case you haven't found the answer yet, the 9038 refers to the latest model of the Sabre DAC chip set. A few recent DACs have used a dual 9038 design, and been very well reviewed. It's not clear (to me at least) whether that's due to the use of the two 9038 chips, other aspects of the implementation being very good, or a combination of factors. In any case, in my experience at least, a dual 9038 chip design is definitely not the only way to get really good, even top of the line/state of the art sound from a DAC design. Imho. Sorry if any (or all) of that is obvious.

tandrb

Thanks! That's how I've been saying it, but I wasn't sure if I was saying it right.