The X16 is remarkably well constructed, and is a really robust piece of audio kit that offers an astonishingly good level of connectivity at its modest price point. Bluetooth is easy to set up. Go into the menu, turn on the Bluetooth power and the computer or phone sees the DAC immediately. Select BT input with the remote and you are away. We often have issues with Bluetooth in the house but the Gustard performed flawlessly. Bluetooth streaming is what it is to my mind and I rarely use it – it worked fine! CONCLUSION

You’re looking at a unit that was as detailed and transparent as the best DACs I put my hands on. It’s fully loaded with a lot of goodies, you get a full MQA decoder, the best Bluetooth codecs are on-board, plus it is a fully balanced DAC and preamplifier with endless possibilities. Gustard seems to be learning fast from their past mistakes, everything that wasn’t great on X16 was taken care of and for all of the reasons combined, X18 got a well-deserved silver award! If you are looking for an instrument grade DAC, that is as detailed and transparent as the best converters I’ve tried, that is straight as a line in the frequency response, that will not beautify and sugar coat your music in any way, then X16 seems to be an excellent choice. You can access its user menu by pressing the Menu button on the remote or by a long press on the button to the far right. Once you do that, a user menu like this will appear: The biggest novelty is that Gustard ditched two ESS-Sabre ES9068AS silicon in favor of a single, but higher performing ES 9038 PRO DAC chip. As I have explained multiple times, ES 9038 PRO is a very interesting silicon, as it can work in mono, stereo or 8-channel mode with either current-mode or voltage-mode operation. Most ES9038 PRO designs that are I know of are using it in stereo configuration with a voltage mode operation due to a much lower cost and R&D. However, if you want to squeeze maximum performance out of it, this particular chip gives a lower total-harmonic-distortion, bypassing the IMD hump if current mode is being used. This configuration adds a lot to the cost, as a powerful I/V (current to voltage) conversion stage needs to be built around the ES9038PRO. The better the I/V conversion stage is = the higher precision can be squeezed from the DAC chip and the same can be said about its operation mode, as in mono mode it will output a higher dynamic range.Usually, ESS-Sabre converters would never conquer my heart when it comes to midrange presence, depth and layering, but I guess with the right components, everything is possible. It put more meat on the bone to the usual ESS-Sabre silicon and a higher engagement factor. It was able to easily untangle my music, pushing macro and micro-details on the foreground. The usual suspects were in place, rendering them crystal clear and extremely defined. Even bad mastered music sounded impressively clean, as if I was listening to a digital remaster of said records. Connecting X18 to an Enleum AMP-23R that drove a pair Hifiman Susvara was such an eye-opening experience, as words like clinical, boring or bright never appeared on my lips and from an ultra-linear converter, the final outcome was a rich ‘n full-bodied experience, pushing and pulling dynamics like crazy. I tested it in a high-end loudspeaker setup and also in several headphone setups. When I used it in the living room, I’ve tried it as a DAC + Pre unit and then only as a DAC, leaving the preamp duties to the Topping Pre90 or to a Benchmark HPA4. I’ve used a Keces S300 power amplifier, that was driving a pair of KEF Reference 3. At about 2.5 kilos or 5.5 pounds, it is considerably heavier than its competition like the Topping D70S, D90 and SMSL M400. I have a bigger confidence in heavier devices and if we are talking about DACs, a heavy unit equals with a nice linear power supply and with a bigger capacitance for power storing and filtering.

DACs: Gustard X16, Gustard X26 PRO, Matrix Audio Element X, Audiobyte HydraVox + HydraZap, Flux Lab Acoustics FCN-10 You can access its user menu by pressing the Menu button on the remote or by a long press to the button on the far right. Once you do that, a user menu like this will appear: Before any listening, I needed to volume match them, since X26 PRO is outputting 5V on the XLR and Element X a weaker signal of 4.5V. For that I used a MiniDSP E.A.R.S. system and a 300-Hz sine wave. E.A.R.S. detected a difference of exactly 0.7 dB at the listening level of 85 dB with the Audeze LCD-4. Before listening, I volume matched them, I’ve used the same power cables, the same interconnect and USB cables for both devices.

Out of pure curiosity, I’ve connected the U18 to a much nicer FPGA DAC that I’m using for more than a year. Even if the USB board of Audiobyte’s HydraVox is already state-of-the-art, U18 made the HydraVox tighter sounding, the speed of sound improved tremendously and for some reason, the whole dynamic range felt improved. The bass notes were more playful with U18 in place and drums were more impactful than before. If you want to squeeze the last drop of performance from your DAC, a DDC is mandatory, including the I2S connection that removes all digital receivers from the signal path.

Neil Landstrumm’s Busy Making Videos has plenty going on in the mix and the X16 copes very well with everything that is thrown at it. However, I just feel that the music isn’t as exciting as it should be – something is missing that gives my other DACs the edge in this regard. Don’t get me wrong, this is not terrible in any way and I could be well happy listening to the Gustard forever, but it’s not got that little bit of sparkle that sets great kit apart from the herd. I got this feeling throughout my time with the Gustard – not missing anything but not really falling in love with it either. Listening to the chilled jazz of Paolo Fresu and Lars Danielsonn’s Summerwind record it’s very easy to fall into the music and be seduced by the chilled nature of the presentation. And I think this gets to the crux of what the character of this DAC is all about – on tunes where I’m looking for energy, vitality and pace I was left wanting, on more chilled music I found myself drifting into the tunes and getting right into it. The question then would be “Is the X16 a bit boring?” and I suppose it sort of is if I’m honest. That’s a bit unfair, actually, and as opposed to boring I think a better way to describe its character is chilled and undemanding.For this comparison my weapon of choice was the Hifiman HE1000SE, which seems to be extremely detailed and transparent, more so than my loudspeakers and more so to the Audeze LCD-4, Kennerton Wodan and Erzetich Phobos, so it was natural using some detail-oriented headphones. U18 revitalized the X18, it added more soul into my tunes, while improving every single aspect that was good but not great. For all of the reasons combined, I decided continuing my review with the U18 in place and if you’re still using a PC as a transport, then this thing should be mandatory, it’s that good. An Altera MAX II FPGA will be isolating the I2S signal, reshaping it by removing traces of jitter introduced by galvanic isolators and last, but no least, a 20W linear transformer will be providing clean and regulated power to all its circuitry. Why : 1/ there is one dedicated ship for each canal that cannot be effect less on crosstalk. 2/ there is one embeded linear regulator, INSIDE each chip for the first time on ESS Sabre. A critical step on each Dac implementation is the chip supply quality. Here it cannot be better. Among modern DACs of the middle and high class, a very common approach with analytical, extremely informative character of reproduction, which each manufacturer tries to solve within their budget and circuit elements. It is curious that Gustard, apparently relying on his rich experience in creating audio components for audiophile, does not pursue super-analyticity: there is no super-detail, hyperscale and monstrous image of the music scene, there is no attempt to show every detail in all its glory. But when listening X16, you literally immediately understand that the sound is balanced, harmonious, everything is in place and everything is enough: details, space and temperament of performance. But in any bundle that we tested with X16, along with the elegant musicality, you can feel the signature style of the gustard.