Gustard X30 DAC

I would imagine it's another winner from Gustard. I have been a Gustard guy for years. I have both the X26 and A26. The X26 sounds excellent but can be a tat grainy in the highs so I moved it to a secondary system. The A26 took care of that issue. The X30 probably does too per the reviews. The main reason I will not invest in the X30 is that, just like the X26, it gets rather hot to the touch even after just a couple hours. The A26 is stone cold no matter if you run it all day. It's a major positive for me. I run an Innuos Zenith mk3 via Gustard DDC with I2s connection to the A26. Also use the Gustard master clock controlling the timing of the ethernet switch, DDC and Dac. I concurr with @sls883, it sounds just right to my ears. It did take high quality cables and fuses to get there. Everything matters.

@baylinor I leave my dac on 24/7.  I just checked my X-30 and it's slightly warm. Not at all hot.

I'm using a LHY ock-2 clock, but I don't really hear a difference. I have the clock connected to the U18, so I thought it made sense to connect it to the dac as well. The X-30 has a really good clock. 

Obviously the cost of the X30 allowed for a better clock since the C18 alone costs more than the X26, R26 or A26. Not what I read about the heat of the X30, but glad to hear you are as happy with it as I am with my setup. 

@baylinor I have not heard the A26, but I’ve read good things about it.

I’m curious to see what the temp is on the X-30. For grins, I ordered an infrared thermometer on Amazon. It was cheap and if I ordered some coffee with it, I get free same day delivery. lol.

LOL @sls883 

All I know is the X26 has always been the hottest running component in my equipment line-up. Twice as hot as my Parasound Halo A21+. First 6 watts of pure A. 2x500 watts @4 ohms. Let's just say, over time, it's uncomfortably hot. However I was able to minimize the heat by elevating it with extra footers raising it about 3" off the rack. Highly recommended.