[PeteG]

Sorry to follow up on my own post.  Is there somebody out there who can PM me a version of the users manual in English?  Thanks.

PM sent.

[quadman]

So late afternoon yesterday, I swapped the stock diodes on on the output board with Ric's suggested ones.  Now my buddies dac is only missing the custom coax cable from a full L1 dac mod.  I let it run with a signal for 4 hours before I listened to it.  While it was settling in I listened to my L1 dac on DSD256, I must say I really like the sound at this resolution, density of information is probably one of the best descriptions I can come up with.  The stage is huge, of course, but the solidity, presence and energy of all performers is what grabs your attention.  It could for persons who have only heard redbook PCM or up sampled PCM be a bit unsettling, off maybe?  I have asked myself more than once is there a phase(y) thing going on because of this density of information.  Then when you start to break performers down individually you realize that it is as it should be they are tightly focused, located in a specific place in the stage with great transparency and what I call palpable presence and a dynamic energy that you do not quite get with PCM.  Now PCM is also very good but lacks that extra amount of "density" that DSD256 provides.  I guess it was this effect, thou to a lesser extent (than DSD), what @sruffle meant when he said "but that depth now seems amplified"

On to the diode change, I replayed the same tracks I had just listened to with my L1 dac at the same volume.  Things were coming together very nicely and I was hearing only slight differences between my L1 and his close to L1 dac.  Confession, his dac has a different oscillator clock than my dac.  Mine was purchased in late February and has a Gustard labeled clock which is a slightly different size than his (purchased in mid April) Accusilicon labeled clock, so they are most likely different clocks and until they both have the same level of mod, it will be hard to make comments on his dac vs. my dac.  So my comments are based on how his dac is improving compared to my dac and am I getting the same "density of information" that I get with mine.  I will speculate that his dac has a bit more weight to the bass while mine is maybe more focused and tighter and his dac (to use a common audiophile comparison) would be a touch on the tube side and mine a touch on the SS side.  Once I solder in the new coax cable on both dacs (so they are the same, pure silver) then I can make some sound comparisons.  As it is now I really enjoyed listening to music with both dacs and feel as tho my buddies dac with the diode change has moved into that paradigm shift territory I mentioned much earlier in this thread.  With the same coax cable in each will the new accusilicon clock dac beat the Gustard clock dac.  We will see, that is a story for next week.

[martinr]

My plan was to purchase an Yggdrasil later this summer, running a disc spinner through it via coax or optical since I have 300+ redbook CD's and purchase an music server (possibly a HAL 3) later this year or early next year.  Reviewers have said the Yggy does wonders with redbook CD's, any idea how the Gustard X20U would sound with redbook discs?

Thanks

- Martin

[nc42acc]

Martin my Yggdrasil sits waiting to be listed on Audiogon. The Gustard X20 plays beautiful music daily through my system. YMMV.

Marty

My plan was to purchase an Yggdrasil later this summer, running a disc spinner through it via coax or optical since I have 300+ redbook CD's and purchase an music server (possibly a HAL 3) later this year or early next year.  Reviewers have said the Yggy does wonders with redbook CD's, any idea how the Gustard X20U would sound with redbook discs?

Thanks

- Martin

[martinr]

Marty,

Did you compare the Yggy to the Gustard playing redbook discs?

Thanks

- Martin

[nc42acc]

Martin my music collection is predominately Redbook ripped to ALAC and AIFF used through an Aurender.

Marty,

Did you compare the Yggy to the Gustard playing redbook discs?

Thanks

- Martin

[KLH007]

My plan was to purchase an Yggdrasil later this summer, running a disc spinner through it via coax or optical since I have 300+ redbook CD's and purchase an music server (possibly a HAL 3) later this year or early next year.  Reviewers have said the Yggy does wonders with redbook CD's, any idea how the Gustard X20U would sound with redbook discs?

Thanks

- Martin

Martin, Rich's HAL 3 server is a great buy, sounds superb and you can't get better customer service.

[martinr]

Martin, Rich's HAL 3 server is a great buy, sounds superb and you can't get better customer service.

Yeah the reviews sound really good, glad you like the server!

[Phil A]

Martin, Rich's HAL 3 server is a great buy, sounds superb and you can't get better customer service.

+1 on that - listening to the older MS-2 now (sounds the same) and also have the MS-3

[ACHiPo]

Uptone Amber Regen update:  I'm still struggling with network issues, but I was able to get my USB output on my Aurender to work again, which means my Uptone Regen works again.  Pretty big improvement over the AES input I'd been using for the last couple weeks.

Now I just need to figure out WTF's going on with the Aurender on my network.

[nc42acc]

Have you updated your Aurender? I know the latest update made some very needed changes.

Uptone Amber Regen update:  I'm still struggling with network issues, but I was able to get my USB output on my Aurender to work again, which means my Uptone Regen works again.  Pretty big improvement over the AES input I'd been using for the last couple weeks.

Now I just need to figure out WTF's going on with the Aurender on my network.

[Phil A]

Now I just need to figure out WTF's going on with the Aurender on my network.

What are you using for NAS?  I finally got my Synology DS716+ and have it up and running (about a month and a half) and it seems to have lots of updates too.  I suspect the other post with the Aurender firmware is more likely the culprit.  I dragged my HAL MS-3 to the dealer to compare it to an Aurender N100H but his Berkeley Reference DAC driver didn't like Windows 10 so hopefully sometime over the next month he'll lend it to me.

[ACHiPo]

Have you updated your Aurender? I know the latest update made some very needed changes.

Yes I upgraded the software a couple weeks ago as part of my troubleshooting--it didn't make any difference. 

Finally got a chance to try out a few different things today and I'm gaining on it. The problem has something to do with my wireless extension router.

I pulled the wireless extension router out of my electronics closet and hooked it up to the Comcast router. Confirmed that it functioned properly (could connect to internet wirelessly through the extension router via iPad).

I pulled the Aurender out of my rack and took it into the kitchen (where my Comcast router is). Confirmed everything functions correctly regardless of whether I was plugged into the wireless extension or the Comcast router directly. I could access the Aurender via iPad on either wireless network. I also confirmed I could access the Aurender's files from my desktop wirelessly connected to either router.

I then reinstalled everything, and while I now get an IP address on my Aurender (and can play USB again!), I can't connect to the Aurender on my iPad or see the Aurender on my Music Server or desktop through either wireless router.

So, the problem must have something to do with the wireless extension router.  Something to do with it not physically connected to the Comcast router. Weird thing is it worked for many months. 

Of course, having a 75' Ethernet cable running through the hallway is not a long term solution, but I'm going to pick up a long cable and see if I can get everything stable with it hardwired. Hopefully it will stay that way once I unplug the long Ethernet cable, since it worked ok for several months.

Pretty weird! (especially the USB output bug!)

[ACHiPo]

What are you using for NAS?  I finally got my Synology DS716+ and have it up and running (about a month and a half) and it seems to have lots of updates too.  I suspect the other post with the Aurender firmware is more likely the culprit.  I dragged my HAL MS-3 to the dealer to compare it to an Aurender N100H but his Berkeley Reference DAC driver didn't like Windows 10 so hopefully sometime over the next month he'll lend it to me.

Phil,
I'm still using the MS-3 as my NAS.  I'm a bit suspicious that something done when fixing my MS-3 has something to do with the issue since these issues started after I got the MS-3 back.  Hopefully getting everything hardwired and rebooted in place will put things right again.  The MS-3 is still running WIN8.
Evan

[Phil A]

Phil,
I'm still using the MS-3 as my NAS.  I'm a bit suspicious that something done when fixing my MS-3 has something to do with the issue since these issues started after I got the MS-3 back.  Hopefully getting everything hardwired and rebooted in place will put things right again.  The MS-3 is still running WIN8.
Evan

Evan - are you using something like? - http://lifehacker.com/5822590/turn-an-old-computer-into-a-networked-backup-streaming-or-torrenting-machine-with-freenas

[ACHiPo]

Evan - are you using something like? - http://lifehacker.com/5822590/turn-an-old-computer-into-a-networked-backup-streaming-or-torrenting-machine-with-freenas

Phil,
No I'm not using that app.  I just have the MS-3 connected to the WiFi extension router.  The Aurender is also plugged into the extension router, and connected to the MS-3 as an NAS via the Aurender software.  I'm pretty sure the problem is an IP conflict.  Now I just need to figure out how to fix it without breaking something else.
Evan

[HAL]

Evan,
Have you tried running the MS-3 without the extension router and just the WiFi to your network? 

[ACHiPo]

Evan,
Have you tried running the MS-3 without the extension router and just the WiFi to your network?

Rich,
Yes I tried that.  The MS-3 works fine without the router, but the Aurender needs to be hardwired to a router.  It worked fine for several months.  About 6 weeks ago it was spotty, then went totally out a couple weeks ago.

I'm going to try one more time to power everything down, then power it back up again starting with the Comcast router.  It should work, as it did for months.  Worst case I can use the 100' CAT6 cable to connect the Aurender to the Comcast router when I want to play something not on my playlists. 

There's always vinyl 

[HAL]

That is what I have to do here on power outages.  Cable modem, then WiFi Router, then range extender.  If not, the range extender kills the network. 

[quadman]

Time to get this thread back to Gustard.  Was distracted last week by a KCBS BBQ contest which I competed in, thats over, back to audio.  I soldered my custom silver coax cable into my friends X20 over a week ago and listening you would be very happy with the change, transparency went up and images seemed more there.  Then I switched to my L1 dac with Ric's copper coax cable and something was just a touch off, his stage seemed smaller than mine and the images from his were blurred just a bit more.  Now this was only noticeable when I compared it directly to mine.  I was very content just listening to his.  So as Ric has said "that coax cable is directional".  I then reversed the cable direction and let his dac play a signal for 2 hours while I listened to mine.  Then I switched to his dac, OMG, WOW nice change.  His stage had become much bigger, images much tighter focused with that 3D palpable presence I just love.  There seemed to be more energy present.  it was really nice  and I felt his dac had now surpassed my dac as to transparency.  Last night I soldered in a custom silver coax into my dac, crossed my fingers hoping it was the correct direction (no arrows on these things), I got lucky and it was, it matched the stage size of my friends.  Now I need to listen more this weekend to see the differences between the two dacs, as really now the difference is the oscillator clocks only.

So if you are curious and not afraid to take off the top cover, you might want to unscrew the coax cable (mark one end first for reference) and reverse it and screw it back on and listen to the stage size and image focus.  You may be surprised. I would guess they don't listen to each cable, they just grab one from a box and screw it on.