This hobby is about listening to your recommendations , acknowledging your were right and being happy with it . Not a fanboy comment, IT'S LITERALLY MY STORY. While I'm happy with what I own now and not interested in this new Gustard release...DAMN, LOOKS GOOD! Thank you, Sandu, for your work, your efforts matter and are not unnoticed!

I bought R26 after your review, I'm thinking if it wouldn't be a tip to get an A26, to keep them both:) You're doing an excellent job Sandu, things are becoming so clear, a real help!

I would love to know peoples opinion who have compared Chord Qutest with the Gustard offerings (A26/R26). I am about to upgrade from my Chord Mojo, and Qutest seemed the natural progression. Also much easier to buy from my local store in the UK with good warranty. However, i am extremely tempted with the Gustard A26, especially as most reviews suggest it is better than the Qutest by some margin. If it really is that good, i could put up with buying direct from China and hope there are no issues with the build quality and longevity of the DAC. Also the connectivity is much better than the Qutest.

Another great in-depth review by _the_ DACman. Thank you !

Ordered R26 week ago. And judging by comparison made right choise. Cause I preferred SMSL D300 over more detailed D400ES (owned both).

Great review as always, very in depth and interesting. The written one is awesone. Good job. And I'm looking forward to this new pre-amp from Gustard.

Great review. You're getting better and better all the time--even as you were already excellent.

I got my R26 a week ago. After reading the thoughts here I feel I made right decision. I prefer a bigger soundstage over slightly more focused imaging. I suppose it comes down to personal taste and associated equipment

The ethernet streamer sounds better than the USB input is deal-breaker for me. For goodness sake, the Roon server costs more than the A26 itself, and you have to add the Roon core or software, whatever it is called into the mix as well. Oh, I forget, you have to have a dedicated preamp, as well, to get the best out of it. The list goes on...

Was eagerly waiting for this review 🙌

Can I say Gustard has THE CLEANEST BEST LOOKING ARCHITECTURE of a dac I've seen? As a Gustard owner of a DAC Unit and a DDC unit I can only salute their craftsmanship and engineering prowess as I know how good those things sound. Love also the new outside design, GREAT TEAM! Almost as good as you🤗

Well, a few minutes in with the A26 and it immediately stomps my PS Audio GainCell DAC. It further refines and expands on the sound I get currently with my Topping DX7-Pro with SparkOS op-amps, mostly wrapped in some folded up faraday material (helps a lot) and it's fed by I2S from a SMSL DDC. After about 20 minutes of listening to the A26 (using Roon over ethernet) I heard things expand a bit, more detail, a little smoother sounding. It never sounded etched, but it had that congested sound like most new things do. I don't know how long this thing needs to settle in, but Ill leave it running playing music for the next week or so. I really like what I'm hearing, very balanced, detailed, and the sound stage sounds a little further back than I'm used to, but everything is solid and so damn present. I guess this isn't going back.

Man those Chord units on the picture in your review are just fabulous! They look like alien made technology. Chord for me has one of the best designs ever!

Superior all around! Thank you!

Wow! Outstanding. The written review is so detail. 👏👍

I didn't even know this was a thing. I've been too busy improving my rigs data situation and fine tuning the room (which brings tremendous gains). While looking for something entirely unrelated on Amazon, Amazon being Amazon is like "hey, Gustard A26 $1499, Get it by Tomorrow...". I'm already interested in the brand due to the R26 ,but the price caught my attention. Then I saw the internals and the component choices. Yeah, I hit Buy Now and read the reviews (your's in text form) afterwards. In a nutshell, I'm super excited -- the DAC should arrive today. The internal design hits most of the points that I need to consider it, it looks to be built so well for the money. That case looks pretty substantial for $1500 as well. I'm not surprised at the price. I'm just glad to read that the chips perform better than the discrete version of the ladder dac -- makes more sense (regardless of how anyone might prefer it). I also don't think ladder DACs are so magical because of the discrete logic components, except in the analog section, which I think is typically always discrete and biased more towards Class A operation. That last part makes a huge difference. Comparing any of the budget DACS that are not capable of swapping op-amps is not even fair. In my case it was easy to hear the difference between the Topping DAC with its TI op-amps and the SparkOS op-amps. You would think that you were hearing totally different devices between the two configurations.

Another great review...good job !!! ❤️

Would be nice to see a comparison video of A26 to Denafrips pontus 2.

After the SMSL D400EX I now own the A26 and this is the first DAC (number 6) where I don't feel immediately like modifying it. It is THAT GOOD. An endgame DAC, finally! Beware, it needs one week break-in, which is most likely due to the specific Nichicon UKW series caps they have used all over. Those are notorious for long break-in. A better fuse is welcome. My Mutec reclocker is useless for this DAC. The digital section is rock solid. My greatest surprise was that my modded dCS network bridge via AES outperformed the built-in steamer. Not by a huge margin, but noticeable. Neither does it make my HPA4 preamp redundant.

You’re the dac king no doubt, trust this mans reviews he speaks the truth and his electronics tell him the truth. Happy I listened to you and am loving every day with my r26. So special!

Sandu I would appreciate a comparison between the A26 and the X26Pro. I tried the R26 at my local HiFi store and quickly determined that it is not for me. The R2R sound is just not my cup of tea - it sounds a lot less detailed compared to chip-based DACs, and I don't like too much loss of detail, even if the soundstage improves slightly. With R2R, in my opinion, the sound is all jumbled up together, "muffled" almost... Detail is what makes music so engaging, at least for me. Hearing sounds in my music that I had never heard before. Although I do acknowledge that there is such a thing as too much detail (which can quickly become sharp, shrill, and fatiguing)... So yeah, hope you can do an A26 vs X26Pro video soon! I don't want to go wrong, especially at $1500! Cheers! PS: Gustard also just released an H26 headphone amp. I saw it on Aliexpress I think...

Great review and sharing. Thanks.

I undertstand A26 is better in bass departement and R26 get better high but wich one is better in the midrange area?

I was thinking how this DAC could sound with I2S via DDC, and a Clock input signal.

Love all the DAC reviews! Any chance you will review the geshelli labs j2 dac, akm version?

The streamer capabilities seem to be an after thought in these Gustard devices. Skipping using the built in Roon bridge gets annoying. I feel the A26 has a nicer sound to me than the R26.

Hi . Great video. I just got my A26 and have it hooked into a Shanling ET3 CD transport with Shanling I2S cable. It won't do DSD and it gives a feedback sound when i stop the song I'm playing XLR cables Sennheiser AMBEO MAX sound bar. I tried connecting with a Toslink but it says unlock underneath the OPT on the screen and won't do anything. Any ideas?

Better than R and X ? Looking forward to the written review

나이쓰 형님 ^^

A 12 v trigger is missing.

I am getting this R26 soon. May I ask if most of your listening was in NOS or OS mode ?

Yes, there is something about this "velvet sound" by AKM. The A26 looks like a much more serious build than my D400EX, which sounds very nice after some modifications. And the Gustard must be the first DAC ever where I see Panasonic POSCAP capacitors (the black rectangles with the plus sign printed on them). I use those everywhere. Alas, the bigger ones don't sound that great. The only gripes with the A26 that I have is the electrolytic coupling caps between the IV stage and output stage. I hate coupling caps. They always distort the sound.

I returned mine. Soundstage was intially 'wow', but overall I thought it was tonally thin. Maybe the R26 will be more to my taste 🤞

Hi there! thank you for the video!! I have been looking at the A26 but haven't pulled the trigger yet bc there is not much info on how to use an iOS or android devise to play music with it. Can you confirm if I could use either devise? Cheers from Mexico City!

I was hoping for a good sound from the coaxial input but seems this is not the case...

You look so tired yet you shared this video ! Thank you very much hope u have relaxed life as well !!

I prefer 🍮 🍮 custard's 😋😋 yummy! Certainly one to consider in the future maybe. Good review, thanks. FN - Chord are a rip off 💲💲 I wonder how this compares to a Holomay 3 or a Schiit Yggy OG?

Доброго дня! Как Вы считаете какой ЦАП лучше подойдёт в систему.,использую интегральный усилитель denon pma sx11 , напольные колонки Yamaha NS 1000x, ( акустика достаточно звонкая и нейтральная, закрытого типа имеет не очень выраженные низкие частоты) ЦАП smsl su-1, слушаю файлы хорошего разрешения с жёсткого диска, который подсоединён к ноутбуку, преимущественно джаз,классику инструментальную музыку,вокал. Сравниваю gustard а26 и smsl d400ex.

Thank you!

Thanks for the review! I followed your advice I bought it and it's wonderful! only problem I can not find any difference on the filters! is it mine or can someone help me? on other dacs i always felt the differences between nos and others !!! Thanks in advance

Can anyone answer this.... Is the Gustard P26 pre amp matching product line of the R or A26?

I have the Enleum 23R and Susvaras and am looking for a DAC. So far my favorite the Chord Qutest but wouldn’t mind a little wider soundstage and a little more bass oomph. Do you think the a26 or r26 would be better?

Sandu quick question, for tube amp would you take the r26 or a26? (I'm headphones listener only)

Gustard A26 or should I go all out for the Aqua La Scalla mkll❓this way i feed my Linn Klimax pre amp with some tubes before the Yamaha M2 amp🤔❓

Chord Dave Dac ! Puts out 18 Bit Fact 😮😅😊

TDA 1541

How would this compare to Chord Qutest, I wonder.

Great review. Seems like a great dac. I have a question. I have an Eversolo DMP-A8 streamer. The dac section of the A8 uses one ak4499 chip, while the Gustard A26 uses a pair of ak4499 chips into the ak4191. You mentioned that this configuration make the A26 a fully balanced dac. Does that mean the dac section of the DMP-A8 is not fully balanced? Thanks in advance for your time and insight.

Sounds like when you say Gustard you're saying Goose Turd. Okay maybe too much tweeds for me today. Thx for the review. I'm gonna go read a book w/ pictures now.

Better than Pontus 2? (which would you personally prefer)

Good review, has anyone compared A26 to Topping D90SE which I own at the moment. I’m quite into clinical/flat sound, Topping is average on soundstage. Do you think A26 is an upgrade to D90SE?

I bought the R26 based on your review and so far, very good. What is the advantage of having a Roon Nucleus with Ethernet if I'm streaming fine with a USB into my MacBook Pro directly? How does it actually enhance the audio quality? My wifi connection is actually very fast! I have both Qobuz and Tidal.

Having a hard time deciding between Qutest and A26..

How does the Holo May KTE compare to the Gustard A26

Great review, thanks. Is the A26 adequate as a preamplifier?

I use Chord Dacs(mojo2 and Hugo2 ) which is the standard for me in Timing and transient response, and PRAT. You think Gustard with this unit achieved the same fast sound like Chord dacs ?

So, if Gustard X26 Pro and R26 had a baby...it would be the A26. Blend of the best of both and exceeding those in certain areas? The fact that Gustard is developing a Pre for these dacs only leaves one to choose a proper amp/s and speakers (and headphones) for ones needs. End game for a still "reasonable or achievable" cost in the world of audiophilia? No need to spend anymore if your only going after "very incremental" crumbs of improvement?

Waited for this one :) You mentiond that the A26 has better sound stage than the VMV D2, what about the rest of performance? I suppose it would be better detail wise and low end impact. What about the tonality? And sound separation?

Great seeing a shift in the design mentality of DSs. Could you include the HIFIMAN EF-400 DAC/AMP to your to-be-reviewed list? Bought it a few weeks ago and I'm mighty impressed with it's price to performance value. Would love to hear your take on it.

it needs better remote control to balance thing out.

Hi Sandu, in your written review you list... "DDCs: Denafrips Gaia, Singxer SU-6, Matrix X-SPDIF 3" Which of these three is your best recommendation for A26? Thank you.

Thank you very much for this outstanding review. For convenience, I would like to know a bit more about the streamer capabilities since I tend to use Apple Music more and more. Is A26 airplay compatible ? This is not clear for me. Sometimes I see a "AirPlay" Sticker, sometimes not. And if it is Airplay compatible, what will A26 say as received sound quality ? 16/44 ? Have you tried this specifically ? Thank you very much.

Thank you for your excellent review. The video, but for sure the writer review is just great. I have a question: You use the Reference XLR 40 Analogue, did you try other interconnects?

Hello, thanks for another great review :-) Is it possible to turn ON/OFF device via remote? I remember that previous models like A22 required push of physical button and it was not possible to control it via remote. Thanks in advance for your reply!

Really enjoyed this review. Liked and subscribed. can I connect to my Cambridge Axa 35 amp to this and use it as my source? Thanks

I love your reviews and I hate to make this comment but I’m going to ask anyway. Please if possible, next investment you make on your channel to upgrade your microphone for audio vocal or some type of sound treatment to lower the echoey sound reflection from the room. It’s sometimes hard to hear what you say with your accent and I think it’s the microphone you’re using. I listen to your videos all the time and I have to constantly go back to try and understand well because the mix between accent and microphone isn’t in your favor. Your accent is fine but when paired with the microphone it isn’t. I’ve used multiple devices and it’s always the same issue. 🙏

Hi,great reviews always. What do you think betwen tis A 26 and the matrix sabre 3 that is more expensibe? Thanks you, congratulations.

Witaj.interesuje mnie chord qutest bądź A26. Stanąłem przed wyborem i nie wiem który z nich bardziej będzie bliski brzmienia analogu. Coś do mojej lampy unison research s6 coś co poszerzy scenę i dorzuci detali. Jak myślisz chord czy gustard? Dzięki z góry

So, how do you think these two Gustards compare to Denafrips in this range overall? Thanks for the great reviews.

Would really like it if you could review the topping e70 velvet dac. And maybe compare it to smsl m500 mkiii to see if it could be dethroned in that price range 😀

Hi, Which DAC to chose between R26 and A26 with a Technics SU-G700 m2? The Tecnics is a FDA so the R6 seems to be the best choice... Thanks for your advice 😅

What about Gustard A26 vs Singxer SDA-6 pro ? They both have a great reviews and sound (i didnt hear both of them). I wish to know which of them is better? Anyone compare them?

Great Review! If you Will Review smsl su9 pro, please compare ir with smsl vmv d1 se AND smsl do 200 mkii .Thanks. love your reviews, aré very insightfull AND just great!

I've got the Musician Pegasus, would this be very different?

What is the difference from the gustard r26 discrete model, and which one is better in sound stage and depth?

Interesting, I’m time traveling through KZfaq… As a headphone set user…( Audeze LCDX 2021 ) on a Bryston BHA-1 amplifier ..looking to upgrade my DAC . Moving from mid fi Topping DAC ..but something you said..caught my attention You don’t notice as much change in the DAC performance when using headphones..🤔 So how high can ( should) you go in a headphone system 🤷🏻‍♂️

@soundnews i bought it, sorry but x26 pro is defintely better. I dont understand why you said that a26 is better

Shouldn’t the comparison be also between this and the Topping E70 velvet ?

Hello, My only audio source being Apple Music via IPad connected via USB to the DAC (so, Hi-Res, not airplay), Should I go for: - Gustard R26 (since Apple Music is PCM thus meant for R2R), - Gustard A26 (but then A26 (DS) will transform PCM in DSD). What is the most obvious choice in this situation according to you. Is R26 the natural choice for PCM files and A26 for DSD. Or is it… more complicated ? Thank you so much.

@Soundnews What about compared to X26 PRO? What are the differences? Thank you

@Soundnews - Would connect Gustard A26 to SMSL AL200 or A300? What is the cheapest AMP you would recommend connecting this DAC to? I listen to vocals and classical music at lower volumes using LS50 meta. Thanks.

im sure sounds great .. but what to say about the outside look ? such like a decoder ? simply horrble . imao .. cheers ...

Is it Roon Ready, can't find Gustard as a partner on their site.

@Soundnews or anyone else - which amp (lower cost is preferred) would you pair it with? Listing to vocals and classical music using LS50 (KZfaq music). Thanks.

What will happen I connect it to Sonos amp or INFI Audio Stereo Tube Headphone Amplifier, Class AB?

Very muffled audio is coming with this particular video. Just letting you know.

What is the best streamer to this dacs price performance level?

If they can update the case of R26 to be like this, I'd buy it.. But with current one, just cannot

Do u know if Gustard makes a stand alone DAC?

Good afternoon. Which one is better suited for listening at low volume ? Neighbors ...))) Thanks.

I received mine 10 days ago. It is very good UNLESS your music contains guitars and kick drums lol. Mid base is barely there to a point that a kick drum is lost behind the bass guitar. One mostly hears the membranes without the case so basically it sounds kind of empty. Also the guitars sound ethereal and have no bite and dynamism as they should. It is unacceptable that my old Burson its clearly better in these regions. It does sound big and I was extremely happy in the beginning. Then I tried jazz and heavy metal and rock and basically everything that has some beat. The guitars are just there and then you forget they are there. The streamer has disconnections occasionally and the screen is too dim at the bright setting, even in the dark. So disappointed :''(

Its suprised me When 300-700mW wut dis metalic box provided..Ha2 Long live HPa4 frm benchmark. peace!

too hard to understand you... sorry

Hello, which dac do you recommend for connecting to the integrated amplifier (Marantz pm 6006), and the speakers are Klipsch RP500. Budget around 300 euros. SMSL SU-9 N??? Thank you.

Do you think the A26 or R26 can replace my Chord Qutest and iFi Zen Stream? I'm looking for an upgrade for both.

TDA 1541

Thank you for this review! I listen a lot of well-recorded electronic music, but also older stuff with poorer quality. I'm looking for the DAC that would give the best in both listening situations, whether it's good in electronics, pop, rock but also when it's older. My preamp and amps are Rotel, my HP Totem Forest. Which DAC do you think would be the best, A26 or R26? Thank you again

Hi, I wanted to ask you for your opinion. Since I'm not interested in streaming, are there other types of DACs that you could recommend with these chips without the streaming implementation? I'm a fan of upsampling listening to DSD 256 using HQPlayer as a player with a discontinued Topping D70S DAC. by changing DAC I could improve my listening even further and take a step forward. Thank you