Are you saying the headstage goes behind the ears? I wouldn't be surprised because the X-Sabre put the stage in front of the speakers. I've never heard something that like before.


photo credit below: Maxvla (it's cropped from the original)

Great read guys. Thanks for the efforts.

Really insightful comparison gents. I really like the format of distilling the important aspects for easy comparison, and the columns for further comments and rebuttals.


I'm slightly bemused by the assessment of the Gungnir though. Granted, I've not heard the other two components and the impressions are relative, but in absolute terms the praise imparted on the Gungnir just doesn't jive with the time I lived with it. Makes me wonder if there was something off with my particular unit, though other members at HF are now coming out of the woodwork and describing the same irks I found ultimately intolerable.


Anyway, good job again! The comparison tempers some of the building X-sabre hype, but it also showcases that Matrix have released a very good component at a great price.

Really insightful comparison gents. I really like the format of distilling the important aspects for easy comparison, and the columns for further comments and rebuttals.


I'm slightly bemused by the assessment of the Gungnir though. Granted, I've not heard the other two components and the impressions are relative, but in absolute terms the praise imparted on the Gungnir just doesn't jive with the time I lived with it. Makes me wonder if there was something off with my particular unit, though other members at HF are now coming out of the woodwork and describing the same irks I found ultimately intolerable.


Anyway, good job again! The comparison tempers some of the building X-sabre hype, but it also showcases that Matrix have released a very good component at a great price.

Sorry for the late reply, was busy at work then had errands to run before coming home where I could type a considered reply.

I also was impressed with the format and review. PWD2 aside (I didn't have the best trial of that DAC), I really can't agree with most of the comparisons between the Gungnir and X-Sabre. The areas which Marv rated poorly for the X-Sabre I felt would be clear cut advantages, so it's weird to see things I thought of as strengths be shown as weaknesses. Bass control, microdynamics and fluidity of time, and the big one, treble, were areas I thought the X-Sabre clearly was superior to the Gungnir. Bass control was probably the smallest advantage to the Gungnir out of this group, but it was still present. Gripping, well textured bass that could hit hard and disappear instantly was one of the first things I noticed when I listened to the X-Sabre. Microdynamics, which is absolutely key to making music involving, was again a step up, letting each element have it's own volume level making things very interesting and engaging. The fluidity of time aspect crept up on me, and I didn't notice it until I switched back to the Gungnir and it just felt disjointed and just rough overall in how the songs progressed. The treble is surprising because I felt it was extremely detailed (something else that was not well received) but not bright or biting, and certainly not digital. With the large soundstage and added air, the treble felt much more natural and relaxing, but not all that forgiving either. I felt the tonal balance was basically the same, but those were rated differently as well.

Those are fairly big things, IMO, but the biggest one was how constrictive the Gungnir is and I never knew it until the X-Sabre arrived. The Gungnir puts me in this state of permanent slight-tension like I'm constantly bracing for something bad or an impact, etc. I always thought it was weird how my headphone rig (Gungnir/BHA/800) seemed to tense me up, but I thought it was the analytical nature of the BHA-800 combination, both being considered slightly bright, analytical components. Putting the X-Sabre in the rig felt like taking a deep breath and letting it go. That alone made the X-Sabre the victor between the Gungnir and itself.

As for X-Sabre hype, there is a difference between hype and favor. Before this review only John (project86) and myself had possession of one, and anyone else who had heard it was under meet conditions and really couldn't get too detailed in their opinions because of that. Both John and I really do like the X-Sabre so yes, the two people who have one like it. That isn't hype. The fact that neither of us really have had favorable opinions of the PWD is more a criticism of the PWD than a hype move for the X-Sabre. I've said ever since I A/B'd the X-Sabre and Concero in Nick's hotel room, that the X-Sabre isn't even the best deal, that the Concero is better value, getting almost the same sound but with fewer features.

If I were an outsider looking in at the comments in this review, I'd see overall the Gungnir is slightly favored and costs $350 less. Purrin's recommendation at the bottom of the X-Sabre column combined with the recommendation at the bottom of the Gungnir column would confuse the hell out of me.

I guess it's confirmed now after the BHA-1 and now the X-Sabre that we hear very differently, perhaps opposite. When I joined here I thought we might have closer hearing since our priorities seemed to be similar and your approach to measurement based subjectivism made a lot of sense to me. At least now I know where we stand so I can judge gear based on how you comment on it and how that translates to what I will hear. As for the PWD, that will have to wait for a later date, probably a California meet, since I'm certainly not willing to bring a PWD in. Something else that is very different between us, is that since joining here I've grown further towards the headphones only side, and Marv has grown further towards the speaker side. This may account for some of our differences, but as I've stated before it was the X-Sabre that made my speaker rig even listenable once again, a huge improvement in that rig compared to the Gungnir.

So far the X-Sabre is the best pure DAC I've heard to date, all inclusive. That said, the DAC in the Boulder flagship CD player may trump it since that seems more and more likely the reason I liked Ray's setups at RMAF.

All said, I respectfully disagree.