Gustard X16 Review

Gustard X16

In this review, we’re taking a look at the new $499 USD Gustard X16 DAC.

 

Disclaimer: Aoshida-Audio sent us the Gustard X16 for this review, free of charge. I only covered the customs fees & taxes. All thoughts and experiences with the product are naturally my own. You can find more about it HERE.

Gustard

Gustard is a Chinese audio equipment manufacturer that mainly focuses on DACs & AMPs. Their headquarters are located in Guangdong, China. Gustard is an innovative company with an independent research and development team. They design raw, engineering-focused devices that are so much more impressive on the inside, compared to the simplistic, modest look on the outside.

Their portfolio is quite rich, they design devices for a wide range of tiers. Gustard states that they have a close relationship with the ESS company and that gives them an edge over other companies when it comes to newly designed chipsets & products. I haven’t used a lot of Gustard products before, I remember using one of their AMPs though. It was back in 2013, I think. It was a great AMP and I really liked the pop-open casing. I also remember that tightly packed amp stage with huge caps. Good times.

Gustard X16

Gustard X16 BALANCED MQA DAC

Highlights & Technical Specifications

DAC Config: 2x ESS Technology ES9068AS 

Input: USB, Optical, Coaxial, AES, I2S + Bluetooth.

Output: RCA – 2Vrms @ 0dBFS / XLR 4Vrms @ 0dBFS

THD: < 0.0001% 1kHz

Dynamic Range: > 126dB

Output Impedance: BAL-XLR 300Ω; SE-RCA 100Ω

USB: PCM up to 32bit 768kHz, Native DSD up to DSD512, DSD DoP up to DSD256, MQA up to 384kHz 

I2S: PCM up to 32bit 768kHz, Native DSD up to DSD512, DSD DoP up to DSD512, MQA hardware rendering 

Coaxial, Optical, AES: PCM up to 24bit 192kHz, DSD DoP up to DSD64, MQA hardware rendering 

Bluetooth: PCM up to 24bit 96kHz (LDAC)

Bluetooth Codecs: AAC/SBC/APTX/APTX LL/APTX HD/LDAC

Dimensions: 22 x 17 x 5.5 cm

Weight: approx. 2.2 kg

The review continues on Page Two, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.

Page 2: Build & Technology Inside

Page 3: Sound Analysis

4.2/5 - (216 votes)
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Long time Tech Enthusiast, an ambitious petrol-head, Yagiz likes his gadgets and always finds new ways into the tinkerer's world. He tries to improve anything and everything he gets his hands onto. Loves an occasional shine on the rocks.

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