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GUSTARD

GUSTARD - DAC-X18

Desktop DAC With MQA Decoding
Sale price₹ 69,999 Regular priceMRP: ₹ 74,999
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Color: Black
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DELIVERY

1. What is a Pre-Order product?
A Pre-order product is a product that we especially order for you from the brand. Once you place an order with us, we will order it from the brand for you.

2. How do I know when the product will be delivered?
There is a rough timeline on the product availability and once it has been confirmed with the brand, we will inform you.

3. Do you order the product from the brand as soon as I place the order?
We do not immediately order the product but add it in the upcoming order.

4. Will you be giving me updates?
Once we have ordered the product and have a confirmed timeline, we will give you an update.

5. I’d like to make changes to/cancel my order?
You can only cancel/make changes to your order until we place the order with the brand. Since the product is specifically being ordered for you, we will be unable to cancel/make changes once we order the product from the brand.

Free Shipping
7 Day Replacement Guarantee

In case you receive the GUSTARD - DAC-X18 with a manufacturing defect, please raise a return request within 7 days of delivery.

However, if you receive an incorrect / damaged / different product or one with missing accessories, please raise a return request within 24 hours of delivery. In case you receive a product with a missing, incorrect, or faulty accessory, you will be given a replacement accessory instead of the entire product.

Please make sure that the product is in the original packaging with all the accessories it came with. We'll also need an unboxing video and images of the parcel to investigate about the discrepancy. You may be asked to share images of the product and the packaging received for us to determine the damage or defect prior to approving the return request. The free replacement will be shipped only once the original order is returned.

A replacement will be issued only if:

- It is found to be defective
- It is determined that the product was not damaged while in your possession
- The product is not different from what was shipped to you
- The product is returned in original condition (with brand’s/manufacturer's box, MRP tag intact, user manual, warranty card and all the accessories therein)

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Warranty & Services

Don't sweat it, this GUSTARD - DAC-X18 comes with a 2 Year warranty from GUSTARD that covers manufacturing defects. All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.

Read more about GUSTARD's warranty in India.

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Chi-Fi
Excellence

2 Years of
Warranty

Ideal for Audiophiles

These DAC & Amps are designed for discerning music lovers. If audio quality is important to you, a set of DAC & Amps like these would be ideal.


You can expect these DAC & Amps to present you with a refined listening experience. The audio quality exhibited by these DAC & Amps is a beautiful mix of musicality, technical brilliance and high precision.


These DAC & Amps deliver a spacious & open soundstage that makes you feel you are sitting at a live concert. Experience the magic and delve into pure sonic tranquility!

Ideal for
Indoor Use

Bluetooth with
LDAC/aptX HD/aptX LL

Balanced XLR
Output

DAC Chip
You may not even realise it, but most of us use a digital-to-analogue converter (commonly known as a DAC) daily. Built into your computers, tablets and smartphones, a DAC is fundamental to unlocking the convenience of digital music. Any device that acts as a digital sound source will need a DAC to convert digital audio to analog. A DAC converts the digital information stored in “0s and 1s” into an analog signal that's passed to speakers or headphones and ultimately our ear. In short, DACs play a large part in making digital music hearable. 

While this technical process is undoubtedly impressive, the DAC embedded into your smartphones or laptops is nowhere good enough to listen to your favourite music recordings in high quality. So, if you want to listen to music in high quality, an external DAC is essential to allow headphones or speakers to perform at their potential. An external DAC, first and foremost, will improve audio quality dramatically.

Metal
Build

Pair with Laptop via USB

A majority of people use a laptop as the primary source device to listen to music or watch movies. Since the laptop is an essential part of the audio chain there are headphones and devices designed to work a laptop or computer system flawlessly. With the availability of USB connectivity, it becomes easier to pair various devices like an Amp, DAC or even headphones without worrying about drivers or any additional piece of software.

Connect With IIS-H
AES, Coaxial & Optical

Volume Controls

If your DAC & Amps include volume controls or volume rockers, you can easily change the volume with a button press or volume knob turn.


DAC & Amps that have volume controls make its operation incredibly simple; turn up the volume on your smartphone or your source devices and then change the volume on DAC & Amps to the desired level.


This design feature allows you to have complete control over the desired volume according to your listening preferences.

GUSTARD INTRODUCES THE NEW HIGH-QUALITY DESKTOP DAC-X18

GUSTARD has released its latest desktop DAC, the GUSTARD DAC-X18. GUSTARD is a brand that has a good reputation in the audio industry for its well-designed and professionally equipped Hifi devices. For the DAC-X18, GUSTARD has featured a flagship-grade ES9038Pro DAC chip paired with a 16-core XMOS XU216 USB signal processor chip along with Bluetooth V5.0 connectivity with LDAC transmission, full MQA decoding, Balanced line-out, and many more features. DAC-X18 provides crisp high-resolution audio signal decoding with 32-Bit/768kHz PCM and native DSD512 decoding. DAC-X18 also houses their self-constructed CPLD logic processor that works together with premium HiFi components for class-leading performance achieving ultra-low THD+N and high SNR ratings. Upgrade your setup with the GUSTARD DAC-X18 today!
X16

Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18

EQUIPPED WITH THE FLAGSHIP-GRADE ESS SABRE CHIP FOR PRISTINE AUDIO

It is a well-known fact that your desktop audio chain benefits from a high-quality DAC system and this is just what the GUSTARD DAC-X18 delivers. At the heart of the GUSTARD DAC-X18 is an audio conversion stage using an ES9038Pro chip from ESS Sabre Technologies. This chip is known for its incredible performance and ability to provide accurate and transparent audio reproduction. The ES9038Pro chip is an eight-channel 32-Bit DAC that offers exceptional performance in decoding high-res audio signals with ultra-low THD+N ratings. With the ES9038Pro DAC chip, the GUSTARD DAC-X18 provides its users with top-quality audio signal decoding so that you can enjoy your music with the utmost clarity.

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Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18

FEATURES GUSTARD’S CPLD LOGIC ARCHITECTURE FOR EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE

GUSTARD DAC-X18 features the brand's self-constructed CPLD Logic architecture chipset, which incorporates several technologies, including clock management, PLL, DoP decoder and digital filters for precise operation between its internal components. GUSTARD has designed this integrated circuit for the DAC-X18 so that it single-handedly manages logic functions, clock management, 2nd PLL, digital shaping, DoP decoder and many more functions. This ALTERA CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) chipset lays down the foundations for excellent sound quality and enables the DAC-X18 to perform exceptionally without errors or artefacts. This attention to every minutest detail makes the GUSTARD DAC-X18 a perfect addition to your audio chain.

Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18
Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18

FULLY BALANCED 16 CHANNEL DESIGN INCORPORATED WITH PREMIUM COMPONENTS

GUSTARD DAC-X18 has a balanced architecture with eight independent I/V converters that are designed to work with each channel of the embedded DAC chip. The I/V stage features a premium OPA1612 chip providing exceptional performance with low distortion and high SNR ratings. To complement the balanced architecture, the team of engineers at GUSTARD incorporated resistors with a tolerance of 0.1% for the sections of the I/V converter for better performance. To further elevate the performance of the DAC-X18, two Accusilicon A5318-B clocks are embedded to ensure perfect synchronisation of the audio signal for low jitter level, promoting clear and pure playback. DAC-X18 also includes toroidal transformers and nichicon capacitors to enhance performance. The inclusion of these premium components enhances the performance of the GUSTARD DAC-X18 ten folds and delivers an immersive audio experience. ​

Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18
Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18
Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18
Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18

EMBEDDED WITH XMOS CHIP AND BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY FOR HI-RES PLAYBACK

The team at GUSTARD have equipped the latest DAC-X18 with the new XU216 16-core USB processor from XMOS Technologies. It enables support for high-resolution PCM and DSD signal decoding over USB connections. DAC-X18 decodes 32-Bit/768kHz PCM and native DSD512 with great precision and clarity, ensuring accurate and neutral sound. The latest DAC-X18 from GUSTARD also supports digital Bluetooth input with the latest Bluetooth V5.0 connectivity, so you can connect your smartphone or any other Bluetooth enabled device to the DAC-X18 using a wireless Bluetooth connection and feed the audio signal to the DAC. With its balanced architecture and a dedicated Bluetooth antenna, DAC-X18 supports all the latest wireless transmission codecs like LDAC (up to 24bit/96kHz), AptX HD, AptX LL, SBC, AAC, ensuring sound quality equal to or better than CD quality.
X16

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Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18

EXPERTLY DESIGNED WITH AN ARRAY OF CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS AND REMOTE CONTROL

GUSTARD has designed the DAC-X18 with premium components and high-quality materials. The DAC-X18 showcases a solid build and features an OLED screen on the front panel for easy visibility of various parameters of the device. This screen has adjustable brightness and automatic sleep time. These settings can be accessed and changed via the included Remote controller, reducing the need to reach out to your device again and again. The remote controller offers full functionality and can access any function on the DAC-X18. For the input stage, the DAC-X18 comes with IIS-H, AES, Optical, Coaxial and USB ports to easily connect your devices. The output stage DAC-X18 features XLR (Balanced) and RCA (Unbalanced) ports to send your audio out. To power the device DAC-X18 comes equipped with an independent power supply with a voltage switching switch (220 &110 V) to ensure it works around the world flawlessly.

Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18
Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18

COMPLETE MQA DECODING ALONG WITH MULTIPLE DIGITAL FILTERS FOR ACCURATE SOUND

GUSTARD DAC-X18 has received the required certification to decode MQA files. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is the latest technology where high-resolution data is stored in small audio files. GUSTARD DAC-X18 brings support for MQA decoding, where after capturing the audio file, MQA folds the file to make it small enough to stream. This process is called ‘Music Origami’ and will playback audio on any device to deliver higher than CD-Quality. DAC-X18 also incorporates multiple digital filters and NOS (Non OverSampling) to reduce any artefacts in the audio signal. For PCM you get M-Fast, M-Slow, L-Fast, L-Slow, H-Fast, APO-Fast and BRICK filters and for DSD you get 47K, 50K, 60K and 70K filters. The inclusion of these elevates the quality of the audio exponentially for you to submerge in your music.
X18

Headphone-Zone-GUSTARD-DAC-X18
2 Year Warranty

Don't sweat it, this GUSTARD - DAC-X18 comes with a 2 Year warranty from GUSTARD that covers manufacturing defects. All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.

Read more about GUSTARD's warranty in India.

Affordable Excellence in Audio: The Shenzhen Revelation

Headquartered in one of China's leading tech hubs – the city of Shenzhen – GUSTARD is a company with research and development at its core. Its goal is to provide music fans with high-performance audio products at affordable prices.

GUSTARD is one of those names that has had a strong pull in the audiophile world and are known for their desktop audio solutions, with a particular focus on headphones. Their line-up of products primarily includes headphone amplifiers, DACs, clocks, and recently integrated streaming devices.Gustard is one of the most secretive and mysterious audio equipment manufacturers out there. But GUSTARD sure knows what they are doing when it comes to digital audio. They are known for utilising high-quality components like toroidal transformers, embedding dual DAC chips in a dual-mono configuration and equipping a fully discrete class-A output stage in their gear.

Explore Collection
Audio Science Review

"Another instrument grade, exceptionally well engineered audio product in the form of X18. It is clear a ton of effort has gone into providing full transparency to input signal."

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Customer Reviews

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