Thank you, Tarun. I so thoroughly enjoy your reviews. Please keep up the good work.

Prudent, accurate, realistic review as always. Thanks!

Thank you Tarun. Killer review as always. Most likely my next dac. I had AudioGD and Denafrips in the past and i have a TDA1540 dac now. It will be fun to compare it with R26.

Thank you Tarun, another outstanding review.

Qutest obviously , Thanks Tarun for amazing video … your simplicity in review makes at least my future choice of equipments easy .. can’t thank you enough.

A credit to your previous videos that I knew what most of the parts inside were and that they were well implemented on this unit. Thanks!

I see a Gustard in my future… Thank you again Tarun for another enlightening review. Top notch!

Looks like a winner! Great review… thank you!

Stellar review. Concise presentation. Cool, calm and very informative. I have what I consider a modest but solid system. This thing blew my mind. Walked into my partner's office, smiled gleefully and nodded yes. The search is over...at least for now. Thank you.

Hey Tarun - thanks for reviewing this! It’s all over the forums, Facebook groups and the like. At this (and higher) levels it’s about learning your personal taste, which you speak to quite well. I compared my own Pontus 2 directly against a Spring 3 (L2) (coincidentally the exact same unit you reviewed), and the May DAC. They were more resolving, but as you point out they do lack a bit of that warmth and richness - although both were excellent. I recently listened to a Chord Dave - which does to my ears seem to walk a very fine line between detail and richness. Super resolving and yet engaging. I would love to see that DAC in the mix on your channel (I am sure a Patron could lend you one.. haha). I also think sources get overlooked here. When I upgraded to my Pontus 2, shortly after I upgraded my BlueSound Node 2 to an SoTM SMS-200 ultra neo. The result was as dramatic as the DAC change. A DAC can only work with what you feed it - your Aurelic is a great benchmark of performance, and I do think folks overlook that because transports are 1) not cheap 2) not as cool as a DAC or an amp. Anyway hope these comments are helpful! Thanks as always; it’s great to see how your channel has evolved over the past couple of years :)

That's a beautiful topology. Very nice. Great review . Happy valentines day 💓. Have a great day. 👍

I went from ares 2 to r26 and what a difference it made! I’m not even exaggerating, it elevated my whole system to new levels I never thought a dac could. Happy to see all the trustworthy reviewers loving it too.

A really interesting (I mean that in the most complementary way) review... My impressions, from some of the more thoughtful audiophile Facebook groups etc, is that most people claiming "giant killer" are those that have upgraded from SMSL or TOPPING etc. I really liked the nod to the VENUS, as in, "hold on son, you've got a way to go yet"... Still, it's pretty rare that an "outstanding" is given by this particular, honest and trusted reviewer.. Thanks Tarun! 👍😁😁👍

Ahhh,, ABA Friday,, 💖🥰💖. As always a top shelf review from the master reviewer. ⭐ Reviews of the Schumann Ladder and Musician Pegasus DAC,s would be interesting. Cheers, thanks and have the best of weekends Tarun,, 🍻😎👍‍‍👍

I am looking forward to Gustard A26 review and also their U18 DDC. Thank you for an excellent review.

Thanks for the video, Gustard A26, a within-brand comparison between R2R and chip-based

You now have me interested. As I said in Bristol Hifi show, I'm looking for my happy ever after retirement system and this may be worth examining as my DAC. Thanks again again for your excellent reviews

Wonderful review as always, thoughtful and detailed and balanced (very British :)) approach. Might I recommend you review the Sonnet Pasithea if you have not already. Cheers.

Thanks! Good review.

Thanks for your review of the R26, I am really tempted by this dac. I would love you to review the A26 as well, as another reviewer said he preferred it to the R26. Decisions decisions!

That’s a very beautiful layout!❤

Hi Tarun - love the channel. Great review - for what it’s worth I have this dac and have found you can squeeze a little extra performance out of it by using the LAN, and separately the NOS modes sound with via external upsampling via hq player. I have no issues with Jazz, classical etc. The dac is a great all rounder for the money. The streamer does have offer a positive impact on the sound quality versus say usb which is not galvanically isolated Using it with the Buchardt sk400 mkii’s and the r26 (based on your previous reviews) and there is great synergy there

nice review brother!!!

Great review! I have this piece and am hearing it the same way you are. With it being an R2R, I was expecting more body and warmth. It's a bit more clinical than I had expected.

Tarun, thanks for the review. The Mytek Liberty 2 gets my vote for future testing.

I have a Spring 3 currently being built for me... this review makes me a little reflective about that!

Hope that the Gustard A26 is on Your review list :) Also a biger toe to toe comparison of R2R dac's would be appriciated !

Hello Tarun thanks again for another excellent review! I would love to see you review the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM DAC as well as the Schiit Yggdrasil. Oh and one more the Gustard A26.

Splendid review once again Tarun! - also nice to see that you wait a bit with some of the - perhaps less relevant - features. Personally I think that it is probably a great DAC, but too many features are there that I would most certainly not use, and I am a minimalist. A great DAC to review is the Musician Pegasus - I would really be interested to see where you place it; I have one - and I think that it aims for the people that like a good no nonsense NOS R2R DAC - but it 'secretly' aims for the people that have a musical taste for, well pop, rock and metal, so recordings/masterings that are often a bit compromised.

Another great video with well reasoned arguments and concise information. My system comprises PrimaLuna Evo300 integrated amp, Rega Planar 3, Lindemann Limetree Network II, Marantz CD6002 CD player, Nakamichi LX3 (circa 1983), and Klipsch Palladium P-37F floor standing horn mounted speakers. Overall I am very satisfied with the sound given the room dynamics. I recently added several IsoTek power cords (Initium on the Marantz and (importantly) a Premier on the amp)....WOW! mind-blown and what a difference - improved musicality, staging, depth, space, details, and so on. No looking at an iterative upgrade to further improved sound details, lower noise floor, improve stage, etc. So am considering an upgrade to the DAC/Streamer (currently Lindemann) and am looking at the Auralic Altair G1.1 and trying to stay within a budget of up to $AUD5000 (UKP2600, USD3400). Given my system (tube amp) my questions are: 1. am I better off with a discreet R2R ladder DAC OR a digital DAC?? 2. merits of a combo DAC/streamer versus discreet components?? 3. brands/models of DACs you feel would be best/better suited to my system. Thanks in advance and will appreciate any insight you can offer. Cheers Tony

As always your reviews are comprehensive and well articulated. While somewhat off course (albeit related, DAC-wise) if you have a chance to review the Ares 12th, I definitely wouldn’t dismiss it outright based on how much press the Ares II has already garnered. Having lived with the Ares II in my system (Musical Fidelity M5si, LS50 Meta, and Paradigm sub in a nearfield setup) for over a year and recently upgrading to a Ares 12th + Denafrips Iris via I2S (the newly added connection on the 12th, source being a Mac Mini running Roon/Qobuz), the difference (with approx 300 hours burn in time) has shaken me from the once-impressed-now-complacent experience of the Ares II to realizing that the new 12th + Iris (via I2S) is absolutely something special. And yes, this addresses Ares II shortcomings of bass quality/quantity, soundstage depth/width, evenness of delivery, and detail retrieval all to a margin that is not subtle.

I have r26 for 4 months now and I'm absolutely love this dac so much detail clarity big sound stage I use it as roon end point and sound is amazing you don't even need external ddc when you use roon endpoint it's my end game dac very well done gustard.....

I enjoyed your review, especially the comparison with Venus II. Cheers! 🍻

Thanks for your informed reviews. I would like to see a review of ifi and Cambridge Audio DACs.

I really enjoy my R26, great review! One thing to point out is that even though the Venus has better bass weight and a bit better soundstage, its twice the price.

Hi Tarun, thank you very much for this great review! It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the Merason Frerot DAC and the Graham Slee Majestic DAC.

Nice vid! Be nice to see you review s.m.s.l su9-pro. Keep up the good work 👍

thank for another insightful review,as always. it would be great to hear your thought on earmen tradutto dac from serbia

Loved the review! Certainly sounds like an R2R that is right up my alley. A review of the Gustard A26 would be really interesting. Another option I would like to see is the Soekris.

Thanks for a reasonable and fair review. I see a lot of pumping for this R26 online. When I compared the R26 with built in streamer against Aries 12th, Ladder Schumann and Pontus II fed by a PI 4 I2S connection I found it scored at the bottom of the list. The sound was slightly veiled and lacked the dynamics of the others. Not a huge difference but enough to be easily distinguished.

Great review as always. Sounds like a brilliant compromise for the best of both worlds to be honest. I personally really like top end details, despite being more of a bass hound in my earlier day's. Amazing really how China is really stepping up their game, few years ago China Hi-fi was to be the subject of ridicule and wasn't really taken seriously at all, quite the turnaround.

Great, pointed review Tarun, thanks! Would love to see you get your hands on a Mola Mola Tambaqui sometime soon and put it up against the rest although I do realise it is in a different price bracket

Thanks for the great review which I think added differentiated perspectives on fit and match with music genres and other pieces of equipment such as amps and speakers. I went from “nothing” to an RME ADI-2 when embarking on headphone track. I later got the Gustard R26. With the RME I prefer my Denon AH9200 headphones Liston sing to pop and country but with the Gustard and external (cheap) headphone amp I much prefer my Sennheiser HD820 for jazz and classical music. I would recommend reviewing Gustard A26 which I’m considering in another rig.

I do like your channel. I like the way you explain things. I like that you look inside the product. As you said, the Gustard layout is just draw droppingly neat. It may be time you took the scariest leap. If you want the channel to grow,...........think you know what I am going to say. Vinyl. Each year vinyl sales are on the increase and I am a vinyl lover. When you buy physical media, it's not just about the music. It's about the feel and touch. It's about the artwork on the sleeve. It's about the annoying part of cleaning and looking after the product and building a collection. Please give it some thought. 👍

Nice Review Tarun. You’ve moved me towards the Venus II. I think it’ll warm up my very resolving ATC 19 actives. However the Gustard sounds cracking for the price.

Listened to this review on my R26! Thanks for putting this together. I highly suggest you try the LAN input, it's a noticeable improvement over USB. The R26 doesn't have USB isolation so noise can be an issue. Both noise and jitter is not an issue over LAN whereas it is for USB.

Tarun, we all thank you once again for the excellent review ! Chi-fi DAcs unfortunately, is something not everyone can audition in audio stores, and especially for some of the ... 'unlucky' ones (fi myself) who happen to live on a Greek island, away from the hifi / hiend audio happenings of Athens :) A few months ago i watched your video review of the Denafrips Ares II. Would be great to hear from you also your thoughts of the all new 12th edition, as well as the also new Gustard A26.

Hi Tarun, thanks for guiding music enthusiasts with your insightful reviews! I started with the Chord Mojo's , moved to the Ares Enyo. Did like the analogueness of the Denafrips but did miss the clarity and resolution of the Chord dacs. The Ares seem to chew off a bit of the top-end too! I have the R26 in now , after considering your as well as other reviews and it does make up in detail, clarity and does not roll of the top-end as does the Denafrips Ares. I would expect the performance to improve considerably after burn in. I bought my R26 from The HiFiCat based in China. They take care of VAT, customs and is part of the advvertised cost. I bought mine for £ 1360.00 and was delivered in ten days. Looking forward to your further reviews. Thanks again!

Been curious about this for a little while now. Seems to be generally well received, and comes in at a fair price with ton of features. I think your comparison to the Denafrips DACs gave me a sense of what to expect from the R26. As for future reviews, would like your take on an Audio-GD DAC.

Thanks Tarun. I hope you will also review the A26.

This DAC replaced my Terminator II. Tonal verisimilitude was equally convincing between the two DACs in my system - but the R26's soundstage dimensions were more expansive. Resolution was much better as reported here versus the Venus 2. The Terminator was fed I2S via a Hermes DDC, the R26 gets I2S via a Singxer SU-6 DDC and slaved to a LHY OCK-2 master clock. I think results widely vary with different gear/systems obviously. For me the only DAC I've owned and had in my system that I prefer is my Lampizator Baltic 4 tube DAC - and that DAC is $7K USD. Simple math will tell you the R26 is a good buy, but as Tarun has said, and I agree, results will be system dependent and will ultimately depend on your sonic preferences, hearing ability, music genres you prefer, etc. As always Caveat Emptor.

Hi Tarun, Thanx once more for the great review. I was trying tons of DACs in the area of 1000 Euro (RME, VMV, Schiit, etc) but wasn‘t really happy with the sound also the more affordable R2Rs (Ares 2, musician) are in my opinion not allround enough and missing the snappiness of e.g the VMV D1 SE. Then I stumbled across the R26, which almost makes all sorts of music sound good (and it is a pain to find good gear if your are listening to all genres). And reminded me that the old British philosophy of investing in a very good Frontend still holds true also in the digital domain. The R26 needs a lot of burn in - initially I found it slow especially for electronic music, but this has changed over time. However I am missing some bottom end and find it too detailed. But this is mainly due to matching issues with my slightly leaner sounding system. That‘s why I will follow your recommendation and try the Pontus. I would love you to review the Musical Fidelity M6x which has a similar price tag as the Pontus and sounded very impressive, with a very realistic presentation. Even though a very good implementation of the ESS chips, it could at times sound slightly harsh. But I think for some systems (maybe more the rather laid back ones) the Musical Fidelity could be a great choice. Would love to hear your take on the MF. Keep up with your fantastic work.

When you look inside a DAC like this, you can only marvel at the work that has gone into it.

Thanks Tarun, I’d like you to review the Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DAC. Relaesed last year it is the updated version of the Bifrost 2. There is an official UK stockist (although stock is often slow to arrive from the US where it is made). It is available for £850 and I am split between that and the Ares II. The bonus of an easy warranty makes the Schiit a very appealing option, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it from a sound perspective.

Great review ! Gustard a 26 review would be interesting

For me the R26 replaced a Denafrips Ares 2 and my immediate impression was how much more detail was in the music and a realization of how much I had been missing. The other big thing for me is that it does not really favor any particular music genre. I realized that with the Ares I was listening to more accoustic and music based around vocal performance as that was where it sounded it's best. Rock, metal and electronic had been neglected as the Ares did not suit those genres sounding slow and thick. The streamer section is clean and very serviceable, probably in the ballpark of a Bluesound node but I find my Zen stream to sound a bit more detailed and lively. Great review from Tarun, as usual.

Great review thank you! I would love to hear your thoughts on the Hifi Rose RS 150b. Thanks again Stephen

Nice review good job 👍

Another great review from TARUN ✨ I really like to see a review on Aqua HiFi DACs…

Hi Tarun. Thank you very much for the review, I was very curious to know your opinion about the R26. I would like to see your Ares II 12th Anniversary and the Ladder Schumann reviews.

Great review. Wd quite like to see a review of newer Pontus 12th or one of the Merason dacs

Tarun, great review thank you. Answering your question please review Soekris dac 2541. It is also available as motherboard for DIY-ers and is beloved by electronic digger's community. I am super fancy to hear your comparison to the gear you compared to GustardR26... My Best!

wow, nice build!

Great review again Mr.Tarun👌👌👌. Appreciate if you can review Schiit Audio Gungnir or Yggdrasil OG DAC.

Sounds like my cup of tea. Would like to here that with acdc"s back in black . Hells bells with a bit of crossover cranked well up can make your hair stand on end.

Another great review, Tarun. I will check out the R26. I'll even forgive you for the "sound quality" section, which flags up as "sound quantity" 😉

Your review is well balanced as usual : technical insight vs sound quality, comparison to other similar devices. With regard to the post sales support of this Gustard DAC, I wonder whether it can be on par with the excellent service provided by Vinshine in Singapore ( global Denafrips distributor).

Not much into DACs but it will be interesting to learn more about the two new Cambridge Audio DACs that were introduced recently. Granted they are for a more entry level audiophile but still, how it would compare to others at a similar price may be beneficial.

Interesting video, enjoyed greatly. The amount of dacs available is a minefield for me. Names that I have never heard of, obviously specialists in their particular field. I would love to see a video of what dac(s) could be recommended as an upgrade in an 'everyday' sort of system. I don't consider myself an audiophile by any standards but I do consider myself a music lover and have always had a 'reasonable' sort of hifi system. Currently using an audiolab 6000a in a Home Theatre 7.1 system with a denon x3700h and a emotiva a2 power amp, my source being a xonar essence stx in my media centre pc.

This is an Amazing DAC!

🙋‍♂️ HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL 🤗👍💚💚💚

I replaced my Ares II with the R26 and experienced the drop in sound stage depth, holographicness, and tonal balance that you allude to in the review. However, I stuck to the R26 as I listen to a lot of pop and electronic music where the detail retrieval was spectacular. I have managed to get back most of the SS depth and holographicness by hooking up the R26 to a Tripp Lite 1000HG medical grade isolation transformer.

Hi Tarun! Very informative review as always. Seems this dac Is very good, It would be nice a comparison with gustard delta-sigma counterparts. A26 or x26 pro. Be careful with the dac Rabbit hole! Thanks

The SMSL SU-10 seems to be a considerable upgrade from earlier SMSLmodels. Might be worth reviewing and comparing / contrasting with R26. Thanks for the fine reviews.

Thanks Tarun. Been an R26 owner for four months. Lovely DAC, especially using LAN and Roon - the best. I sold my Venus and Lumin U2 Mini based on R26 hype and liked the idea of money in my pocket and a one-box solution. Fast forward, I honestly admit that the R26 is a slight decrease in *some areas of the sound, mainly vocal realism. However, I have since upgraded my speakers (DeVore) and amplification (T+A) and those differences have narrowed. I don’t miss my Venus-Lumin combo. It was overpriced. I took the money and bought better speakers. It’s basically a wash now. What a journey this has become! Keep listening

Hi Tarun, I really think it is now time to bring the Chord Qutest (back) on te table for comparison. With good powersupply (like Farad Super3 for example). In the high end setups you now have at home, I think you will be surprised what it’s capable of (clarity, but also 3D soundstage…)

Thanks for this Tarun, for me the R26 is probably the best DAC under £2K. I only replaced it with a Metrum Jade with DAC3 modules. The R26 performance goes even higher when fed via I2S from the Gustard U18 USB bridge/DDC.

Great review as always! I am curious to know your thoughts on comparing the Gustard R26 DAC vs the RME ADI-2 fs DAC? Tks and keep up your great work! Vince

Great review. If possible please review Schit Yggdrasil

I almost forgot: there’s a DAC company: 432evo that creates DAC and it’s tuned to 432HZ=A . Very interesting. Melody Gardot’s Currency of Man was recorded tuning the A music note at 432 Hz. It might be interesting to see a review on this one as well 😊

Would love to see u do a review on the jays audio DAC

Hello! The Chord Dave dac would be interesting to review since it claims to be the best dac in the world ... I am a fan of the Chord company and personally think that the R&D department do a really good job and their products are very well engineered and designed and offer performance in some areas where simply other manufacturers just copy one another...

I've had the R26 basically since it came out. It's an End Game R2R DAC at a reasonable price competing with TOTL DACS

Hi Tarun, thanks for another exemplary review! Very interested in what you would think of a Schiit Modi Multibit. Cheers, J

Hi Tarun - I'd much like to see you turn your attention to either the Border Patrol DAC SE-i or the Lab 12 Reference DAC. The Border Patrol DAC is interesting because its measured performance isn't stellar but the sound belies the numbers. I've owned one for years. The Lab 12 has generated some positive comment online as a tubed ladder DAC. Granted that both of these products are a bit obscure. Thanks for the excellent Gustard R-26 review. You've a way of describing sound quality that invariably has me thinking "yes, I understand what you mean".

Thanks Tarun for your as usual considered and balanced review. I have an R26 which is my first R2R DAC, prior to which I had only had Delta Sigma DACs. So great to get your perspective from having listened to many DACs, as to where the R26 sits on the spectrum of DS to R2R. Do you mind me asking what DDC and/or R26 internal streaming protocol(s) (eg. Roon or UPnP) you used with the R26, as anecdotally at least over on HeadFi the latter do not all perform equally well. A limitation of its modest streamer hardware and firmware implementation perhaps. For what it is worth I have found very satisfying improvements to the palpability of the R26's vocals and its soundstage depth and width when using its internal HQ Player NAA renderer/streamer by adding an external clock (the LHY OCK-1) and a high quality switch (LHY SW-8). I speculate that part of this may be due to the external clock likely improving the temporal precision of both the R26's DAC and streamer sections. I've had further improvements still from adding a second switch upstream and little grounding boxes throughout the front-end digital and network chain - less glare, a blacker backgound and a more calm and organic presentation. Many other users have found similar benefits from using fibre media convertors to add galvanic isolation before feeding ethernet to the R26. I have no idea whether the R26 is more sensitive than your average DAC/streamer to improvements to the upstream digital chain, but very sensitive it certainly is. Although I doubt my R26 would now be mistaken for a Denafrips I feel it has taken a step or two in that direction in terms of tonal weight and presentation if not outright warmth per se. To be fair I imagine the Denafrips DACs and/or external network streamers would also benefit from similar tweaks, though this might manifest a little differently. Just my 10p from my experience in case it aids others. Keep up the good work.

Greetings. I've enjoyed your reviews. A different approach without going overboard. I've noticed you've reviewed a couple of Burson Audio components. I'd like to hear your impressions of the Burson Audio Composer 3XP Dac with rollable OP amp options if you can get to one. Regards.

Hi Tarun, the DAC I would like you to review is the DAC in the Hegel 390.

Great review. Your last remark, regarding the type of music (jazz, vocals), leads me to think that this is not the DAC for me. I am considering the Terminator II 12 ed. So... regarding your request, yes please consider reviewing it.

Great review thanks. Please, can you review the T+A DAC 200? Different price point but seems to be a giant killer in that neighborhood. Many thanks for your consideration and keep up the great work.

Hi This was a very interesting review - thank you. As you asked for requests to test, the Denafrips 12’th series (upgrades) would be good candidates here, as you had most of them for review already and should be able to draw the parrallels to previous models. Thanks

Hi, your reviews are always on the point. As you asked for a suggestion of dac you should put a ear on is Rockna Wavelight dac. What you thinking about? Thank you

I'm into a variety of music from acoustic to jazz to rock and some others as well. I find the R26 to be very well rounded and produces an excellent soundstage. A vast sonic landscape while maintaining resolution. I tried the D1se but for me, it just fell short. I agree the screen could have been designed better but other than that, I find no shortcomings. The fact that is has the ability to be a Roon device out of the box makes it an even better value.

I'd like to see reviews of smsl su-10 and the vmv d2. Also, the a26 seems like a good alternative vs the r26 from gustard themselves and the lader schumann seems like a very good dac also.

Thanks Tarun. More entries in the DAC rodeo. I guess my Pontus II is in no danger of vacating the premmises

You asked for future DAC review suggestions … how about the Mola Mola Tambaqui. Also, I remember in your 2023 “preview” video, you mentioned the Innuos Pulse streamer, if that comes about, I’m very interested in hearing what you think about it in comparison with your Aries G1.1

I really appreciate your reviews. More importantly, I respect your opinion. This was overdue. Glad in got into the hands of someone of your clout. Having owned both (still have the R26) O didn't feel the Venus and any advantage in soundstage width. Depth yessir. Might be my setup? Thanks again!

Would be great if you could review the Musician Aquarius which beat the Pontus in a direct demo and test by another reviewer so would be a good test for the Venus. Otherwise the Musician Pegasus which beats Ares 2 according to pretty much everyone, should be a good test for Gustard R26. ps> Your review on this Gustard R26 has clarified things a lot as the original reviewer who rated it so high is into electronic music, whereas more audiophiles tend to lean towards jazz and vocals.

Cheers Tarun, I had been hovering over one of these for the last couple of months but have now ordered it. Will be connected to my Roon Rock NUC via ethernet. How long before I feel the rest of my system needs to be upgraded 😆 well if your going to go from a cheap Topping DAC may as well go 'all in'. I was looking originally at an ares 2 (enya?) with some sort of Roon endpoint but then I thought maybe the 12th-anniversary ares then I'm already not far of this, cost-wise with a separate endpoint as well. I'm turning 50 this week. Nothing like spoiling yourself eh?

I’ve a gustard dac I really like it