Many thanks for the reply. Yes, will do, I’m no audiophile and won’t be a/b testing against the m500, but happy to share general impressions on the x16.
Hi all, I’ve had the x16 set up for a few days. Possibly not fully burned in if you think that’s a thing. Some positives and negatives compared to the M500. I guess at this level i shouldn’t expect much of a difference in sound quality between the two dacs without a/b switching and even then... Anyway, general impressions are that I am liking the x16 sound just a little bit more than the m500 but that is very possibly placebo born of wanting to feel I’ve made an upgrade purchase! I am very happy with the m500 and will continue to use it, just in a different system.
The x16 seems to me to be a bit more dynamic, a little more engaging, spacious and holographic but as stated, probably placebo. And I would not claim to be a reliable and proficient audiophile in terms of assessing the qualities of equipment, I just love music
A definite downside with the x16 compared with the m500 that probably would have been a dealbreaker for me had I known before purchase, is that the x16 doesn’t have a standby option and there’s no way to turn off via the remote. You need to physically turn it off at the unit - with the on-off switch at the back of the unit! Also, with my unit there’s a thump if you turn it on when the amp is already on. So I need to switch the unit on before switching the amp on to avoid the thump.
Another downside with the x16 is the size of the font used to indicate which source is selected. It’s ridiculously small, I can’t read it from a few metres away and I have pretty good vision.
Despite the above, I am really enjoying listening to the x16 and very pleased I bought it.
I’ve only tested the x16 with two sources so far, usb from a Windows pc with flac files and premium Deezer, and an old Arcam 72 CD player via coaxial. And only with an Arcam a29 integrated amp hooked up to Quad S2 speakers. Not tried it with a dedicated headphone amp or with headphones connected to the a29 yet. I’ve mainly listened to simple acoustic, guitar based tracks, but also some indie, jazz and classical. Very happy with the sound across the board.
Hope that’s helpful