[lwr]

I am interested in the added clock mod.  Please post a photo of it in place.  Thanks.

[samuelh]

Hi, guys, great thread... Since I`m not much of an expert in the field of DACs I`d have a newbie question - If I get myself Gustard, can I connect it to Raspberry, which would take a role of a renderer in this case (connected to my NAS)  with let`s say Rune or Moode installed? How would I connect the two - by USB cable? How about purchasing a device like Auralic Aries - would that be a better option? I guess it should be connected via USB cable to the Gustard or maybe spdif/toslink? Someone mentioned High Speed USB Isolator - is that a mandatory part in this constellation or does it just contribute to better SQ? Any help would be much appreciated..

[ccklone]

Quick question for X20 users:

Do you use balanced connectors or RCA connectors into you preamp? I ask because I've just ordered a new Don Sachs SP14 preamp, and I'm wondering if I should have XLR connectivity added. (I know. It is a personal decision for everyone.)

Hey Now Michael,

I use balanced out of my X20 into a Pass designed BOSOZ (Bride of Son of Zen) pre-amp with adjustable input and it sounds fine, terrific really. I use Monarchy Audio SM70 Pro mono blocks into some Omega speakers. Since switching to an Intel NUC w/NAA as a music renderer my music sounds really good upsampled to DSD 256 via HQPlayer. Couldn't be happier with this inexpensive investment.

--
Finest kind,
Chris

[ccklone]

Hi, guys, great thread... Since I`m not much of an expert in the field of DACs I`d have a newbie question - If I get myself Gustard, can I connect it to Raspberry, which would take a role of a renderer in this case (connected to my NAS)  with let`s say Rune or Moode installed? How would I connect the two - by USB cable? How about purchasing a device like Auralic Aries - would that be a better option? I guess it should be connected via USB cable to the Gustard or maybe spdif/toslink? Someone mentioned High Speed USB Isolator - is that a mandatory part in this constellation or does it just contribute to better SQ? Any help would be much appreciated..

Hey Now Samuel,

Before I got my Intel NUC, I used an RPi2 with Volumio via USB into the X20 with good results. I first used Volumio and enjoyed the RPi2 very much with the Spotify integration, it just worked and sounded good. Then I got Roon, HQPlayer and then upped the ante, installed the NAA image onto to the RPi2. This allowed me to stream native DSD to the X20, albeit only up to DSD128 is all. I got the Intel NUC and now stream DSD256 with no issues on an iMac i5 build.

The RPi2 is now in the bedroom via powerline Ethernet with the NAA image outputting via USB to an iFi Micro DSD. I can only get DSD128, but it sounds really good. I also use double Regens (one green and one amber each) into the X20 and iFi Micro DSD. I don't like having them out of the chain.

--
Finest kind,
Chris

[mresseguie]

Chris,

Very cool info. It's much appreciated.

Keep on truckin'...

Just another 10 days till I'm back in my house with my upgraded system in an empty living room. 

Michael

[aldcoll]

Chris,

Very cool info. It's much appreciated.

Keep on truckin'...

Just another 10 days till I'm back in my house with my upgraded system in an empty living room. 

Michael

I will bring your sub back so the empty room will really BOOM

Alan

[david45]

It all seems I have this DAC on my radar as well. 

Forum member rklein has one for sale and I'm about to pull the trigger.
However before I do so I need to make sure that I can get the Thesycon driver which enables dsd256. I am not looking for the test version/the one that beeps after some playing time.

Is there anyone on this circle who would be willing to help? Feel free to send me a PM.

Cheers,

David

 
 

[ufokillerz]

anyone have the diyinhk 3.34 drivers they can upload and pm me a link?

They are no longer available and 3.38 doesn't work for the gustard apparently. Thanks in advance!

[ufokillerz]

also if someone can point out their hqplayer settings?

[sruffle]

All, I am hoping to get a little help.  I have upgraded my Audirvana Plus app so that I can try upsampling to DSD.  However, when I try to set the Gustard to DSD, the multifunction knob skips right over the setting where you can choose PCM or DSD.  For example, I choose my input (USB) and then when I should go to the PCM/DSD input, it sends me directly to filter choices.   Am I doing something wrong?

For what it's worth, in Audirvana only shows the DAC (identified as xCORE USB audio 2.0 output) with a built in output of 44.1, 48, and 96.  I know it does 192 in PCM so that stumps me also.

[sruffle]

As I thought, the issue was user error.  I got it working.  It will be interesting to see how this compares to PCM

[navi]

As I thought, the issue was user error.  I got it working.  It will be interesting to see how this compares to PCM

I couldn't get my Gustard to convert PCM to DSD. How did you do it?

[sruffle]

I couldn't get my Gustard to convert PCM to DSD. How did you do it?

The issue was in my settings in Audirvana.  I adjusted it to select DSD over PCm 1.1 and it then let me convert to DSD.  Once that was fixed, the Gustard automatically switched from PCM to DSD

[navi]

The issue was in my settings in Audirvana.  I adjusted it to select DSD over PCm 1.1 and it then let me convert to DSD.  Once that was fixed, the Gustard automatically switched from PCM to DSD

Thanks. hmmm... says it has trouble with the Volume control if i do this. (I really don't want the pre-amp back in the system)

[sruffle]

Thanks. hmmm... says it has trouble with the Volume control if i do this. (I really don't want the pre-amp back in the system)

If I remember correctly, I got the same message and just hit the ok button.  You just have to make sure that the volume in Audirvana is set at 100% in the settings.

[quadman]

Ok its been almost 1 month that I have had the clock soldered into the gustard on the output board and 2 weeks that I have used an external 5V PSU running to a twisted pear trident 3.3V regulator right in front of the clock.  As I mentioned before the clock mod is a major upgrade, perhaps only beaten out by the success of DSD512.  This is a relatively easy step to do provided you have soldering skills and the knowledge to do it.  Using the gustards internal PSU is the easiest way to do this, but using an external PSU with a regulator by the clock is another step up from the gustard's internal PSU.

The easiest (low power) clock to source is a crystek CCHD-950x from mouser http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Crystek-Corporation/CCHD-950X-25-100000/?qs=L4klnTtkofObrfUJUtC8ig%3D%3D  it has a very low current draw and is favorably reviewed in other threads.  You only need 3 wires soldered to this clock to make it work, pins/pads 2, 3 and 4.  You also need to make sure you have a .1uf ceramic capacitor type x7r between the Vin and ground pads.  There are 4 pads around the output boards coax tower one is even labeled 3v3 (3.3 Vdc).  Using a ohm meter with continuity test you can easily identify the other two using the coax tower as reference (center signal, outer part ground).  Now if you attempt this and make a mistake it is not my fault, you need the basic knowledge and soldering skills to do this, if not find someone who can.  The best part this mod is easily reversible, just desolder the wires from the pads and re-connect the coax cable.

So to make a significant upgrade to your dac I suggest doing the first 3 AC mods in Ric Schultz level 1 mod (twist AC lines, replace fuse with audiophile fuse or wrap in copper foil, remove steel hardware from trannys and raise on cardboard) and replace the coax cable with a clock soldered on the output board as described.

Those 4 steps will significantly raise the level of your dac.  BTW clocks take time to break in and probably account for the majority of a new dac's break in.  I felt after 100 hours with signal that the clock was pretty settled and any change from there was very subtle.

[navi]

Ok its been almost 1 month that I have had the clock soldered into the gustard on the output board and 2 weeks that I have used an external 5V PSU running to a twisted pear trident 3.3V regulator right in front of the clock.  As I mentioned before the clock mod is a major upgrade, perhaps only beaten out by the success of DSD512.  This is a relatively easy step to do provided you have soldering skills and the knowledge to do it.  Using the gustards internal PSU is the easiest way to do this, but using an external PSU with a regulator by the clock is another step up from the gustard's internal PSU.

The easiest (low power) clock to source is a crystek CCHD-950x from mouser http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Crystek-Corporation/CCHD-950X-25-100000/?qs=L4klnTtkofObrfUJUtC8ig%3D%3D  it has a very low current draw and is favorably reviewed in other threads.  You only need 3 wires soldered to this clock to make it work, pins/pads 2, 3 and 4.  You also need to make sure you have a .1uf ceramic capacitor type x7r between the Vin and ground pads.  There are 4 pads around the output boards coax tower one is even labeled 3v3 (3.3 Vdc).  Using a ohm meter with continuity test you can easily identify the other two using the coax tower as reference (center signal, outer part ground).  Now if you attempt this and make a mistake it is not my fault, you need the basic knowledge and soldering skills to do this, if not find someone who can.  The best part this mod is easily reversible, just desolder the wires from the pads and re-connect the coax cable.

So to make a significant upgrade to your dac I suggest doing the first 3 AC mods in Ric Schultz level 1 mod (twist AC lines, replace fuse with audiophile fuse or wrap in copper foil, remove steel hardware from trannys and raise on cardboard) and replace the coax cable with a clock soldered on the output board as described.

Those 4 steps will significantly raise the level of your dac.  BTW clocks take time to break in and probably account for the majority of a new dac's break in.  I felt after 100 hours with signal that the clock was pretty settled and any change from there was very subtle.

Can i have a look at the internals with these mods?

[Ric Schultz]

Crystek 950 clock is now part of level one mod.  Thanks to Simon and Quadman for doing this first.  I also bypass the clock power supply with one of my modded .33 Wima caps to good effect.  I will try a better regulator on the next one I mod.......I am sure it will be better than the stock power supply (will raise the price somewhat).  Always learning....always more to do.  I just added a small pic on my site showing the clock mounted.

[sruffle]

This DAC really shines with DSD (now upsampling using Audirvana).  The Mac seems to be working really hard to upsampling so I am thinking about getting a new machine and  trying a HQPlayer/mRendu combination.  To get to 256, are there any drivers that need to be installed on a Windows computer? 

The DAC sometimes seems finicky in picking up DSD.  I don't want to go to the effort of using HQPlayer and then not have it work. 

[mresseguie]

Sruffle,

Which model is your Mac, how much RAM, and how old is it?

My Mac Mini is just 2+ years old, 8 Gb RAM, hybrid HDD/SSD. I have not yet installed Audirvana.