[DAPpower]

so you didn't get the AGD DDC then?

No due to the uncertainty of the compatibility I opted for the Ock-2 instead but thank you so much for sharing the reply. This is good information!

 

[Thetaburn]

Glad to hear things have settled in with square wave. The cable matters far more with square wave, as I understand it. If one is finding glare with square wave, the cable could very well be the culprit. Passing a square wave with minimal harm isn’t something that’s easy for a cable to do.

Yes, I was surprised as I never believed in cable burn-in before.

Ock-2 is quite versatile.
The effects of the OCK 2 are subtle on sine wave (U18 EXT, x26pro INT) to very noticeable on the square wave (U18 EXT, x26pro EXT) and everything in between.
On EDM tracks, the square wave (U18ext and x26pro) pairs well.
With acoustic or classical music - sine wave pairs better.

Luckily, it is quite convenient to change from sine to square wave output in less than 10 seconds and 1 second to change from EXT to INT.

 

[Highfive99]

this is the reply to @DAPpower 's question I got, asking about compatibility:

Thank you very much for your email.
Yes the DI20HE is compatible.

DSD support
Except for pcm /DSD pin.
Most dac's have auto detect for DSD.
The Gustard not, a flag must be set on pin 15 in order to tell the dac it is DSD signal.
This could be a manual trigger of DSD is important for you. Would require a mod in the DI20HE.

Let me know if you have any questions

Regards
Jos
Magna Hifi

That sounds exactly right as it was some time back in the R26 thread where someone figured out a way to set that pin 15 flag through an HDMI cable they modified.

 

[ChJL]

That sounds exactly right as it was some time back in the R26 thread where someone figured out a way to set that pin 15 flag through an HDMI cable they modified.

Yes and modifying that pin only necessary for Dsd files.

answer:

Haha, yes was checking emails

The DI20HE is plug and play with the Gustard (pcm).

Regards
Jos
Magna Hifi

anyways... many in this thread seem to be satisfied with Gustard combo w U18... but "surprisingly" not so much in the DI20HE thread...

 

[Thetaburn]

To me, the Sinewave sounds more analog which I prefer, Squarewave is too peaky and to me it sounds like what I would call digital glare.

I also find myself using EXT clock mode on the X26 Pro and INT mode on the U18 as of late. I still have the U18 hooked to the Ock-2 but on INT mode if that even makes a difference. If I turn on EXT mode on U18 the soundstage is ruined, everything sounds collapsed and distant.

After the 200 hour-burn in period, you can also try switching the direction / orientation of the HT DC 3 cable.
I found 1 way to sound smoother than the other. I have the directional arrows pointing toward the OCK2. Kind of like a fuse.

 

[ChJL]

No due to the uncertainty of the compatibility I opted for the Ock-2 instead but thank you so much for sharing the reply. This is good information!

Maybe you want to get it sometime later knowing that mode 2 is the one compatible with X26pro...
http://audio-gd.com/R2R/DI20HE/DI20HEEN_Use.htm

 

[ChJL]

DI20HE with X26pro work flawlessly together using firmware 4.075 both with HDMI (haven't tried Dsd!) and spdif. Guessing AES/EBU certainly also...

 

[ChJL]

my remote stopped working, anyone using a replacement?

 

[Highfive99]

my remote stopped working, anyone using a replacement?

New ones are available for short money. https://www.ebay.com/itm/166090781988

 

[taipan254]

Hey Everyone – I know folks have been busy talking about cables and clocks. However, I wanted to share a use-case that may be interesting / worth exploring for some X26 Pro users (really any user with an LDAC capable DAC).

I recently saw a post on another head-fi thread about an alternative Bluetooth driver that enables LDAC transmission on Windows systems. LDAC transmission claims the ability to transport 24 / 96 data, enabling wireless, hi-res audio transmission. I was intrigued and tried it out.

Following the instructions on the Mr. Walkman article, I downloaded, installed, and listened to the LDAC driver using my Topping G5 (as I primarily use it with my Windows laptop when I travel). I was very impressed – it sounded as good as having a galvanically isolated USB connection.

When I got back from my travels, I applied the driver to my Gustard X26 Pro. My impressions were also very positive. Here is my driver configuration:

I am using HQPlayer to transmit the files – here’s the configuration I’ve used:

A few notes / observations:

• HQPlayer is set to output via WASAPI and the LDAC encoder to the Gustard BT receiver
  • Mitigant: Still sounds pretty good!
• I am losing two bits on transmission, despite LDAC claims of full 24 bit resolution (this could be an HQPlayer issue as the driver settings page indicates that there is 24 bit transmission – see first image)
  • Mitigant: I am still getting above CD-quality transmission
• I’ve set the “Stereo Mode” on the driver to “Dual Channel” – which is an improvement over the default “Stereo” setting
  • Issue: Distance between source and DAC can’t be too long
• LDAC is still probably a little lossy

Does utilizing LDAC plus upsampling to 22-24 bit / 2 Fs beat utilizing my LPS powered ultraRendu + Topping HS02 + Curious USB cable with content upsampled to 32 bit / 16 Fs via HQP? No, it does not. However, the performance is great, and bests a DAC-direct USB connection to my laptop. Further, this LDAC set up is pretty hard to distinguish from plugging into my ultraRendu set up at 24 bit / 2 Fs upsampling (i.e., a wired, like-for-like comparison with the LDAC solution). I think the galvanic isolation plays a nice role here.

Did I mention that the LDAC transmission driver cost me US$6? Normally it's $9.99, but if you buy a license before the trial expires, it's $5.99. A lot cheaper than two decent USB cables with a galvanic isolator like the Topping HS02 between them. With LDAC, you get galvanic isolation from the source and a high-quality signal with very little incremental cost. Make sure your USB is not plugged in when testing LDAC to avoid any insidious noise traversing from your source to your DAC. If USB is plugged in while testing LDAC, make sure it is galvanically isolated from the source (use a Topping HS02 or an Intona unit or a DDC with galvanic isolation).

While this is not going to replace my ultraRendu set up, I am impressed with what I can achieve with LDAC for an incremental $6 outlay. I’m definitely using it for my “travel / work” set up with my Topping G5. If I was really budget constrained, I’d also use it at home with the X26 Pro. So for all those budget constrained folks, or those that simply like to experiment, I hope this post added some value!

 

[Rantenti]

Hi, I connect my Gustard X26 Pro DAC with my computer via USB, where I installed a Matrix Element H USB card on my computer. The Element H USB card claims to allow the digital signal to bypass the motherboard circuitry and it also cuts USB output power from the motherboard. So supposedly the Element H outputs a clean USB signal without power (since the Gustard X26 Pro does not require 5V "handshake" from the USB, I can cut the power from the USB completely)

Since the USB signal is already "clean", will a DDC (eg. Gustard U18/ Matrix X-SPDIF 3) inserted into the chain between the Element H USB card and the DAC bring any benefit?

Option 1: Computer --> Matrix Element H USB card (bypasses motherboard and cuts USB power) --> Gustard X26 Pro (using its own K2 clock when using USB input)

OR

Option 2: Computer --> Matrix Element H USB card (bypasses motherboard and cuts USB power) --> Matrix X-SPDIF 3 + LPS --> Gustard X26 Pro (in this case, the DAC follows the clock of the X-SPDIF 3, which uses a generic Accusilicon clock, which I am not certain to be better or equal with the Gustard DAC's K2 clock)

Thanks!

 

[kennyb123]

In this case, will a DDC (eg. Gustard U18/ Matrix X-SPDIF 3) improve the sound any further? If I use the I2S output from the DDC, then the DAC would follow the clock in the DDC (pls correct me if I am wrong), so if the clock in the DDC (K2 in the Gustard U18/ Accusilicon in the X-SPDIF 3) isn't better than that in the DAC (Gustard K2), then will there be any benefit from using the "clean" signal from the Matrix Element H USB output on the computer?

The Matrix Element H looks like a very nice choice. I suspect there will be nice additive gains from using the Matrix Element H to feed the U18.

 

[silversurfer616]

Had the chance to buy his dac for a good price and started off with USB from Antipodes server/streamer. Initially I thought something is wrong as the sound was constricted and muddy…even worse than the Metrum dacs I had before. Metrum is well known for suboptimal USB implementation.
Connected to my Matrix DCC via AES and it’s a different dac now. Pretty good, actually.

 

[PhazeCrive]

USB is a notorious dac killer.
Slight overexaggeration but gains are almost always seen when switching away from it or using a USB c*ble.

 

[nexgen]

Happy owner of Gustard A20h here. I have had SMSL SU-9 in the past and I was very happy from pairing it with ifi iCan Pro but AIO Gustard A20h was a bit better for my taste. Now I'm thinking about upgrade for X26 Pro and pair it with my HiFiMAN EF6. From reviews I'm worry about eventualy dryness from X26 Pro but A20h is not so very wet in some opinions too.