I bought the R-26 based upon the reviews and the build quality. I'm coming from a Denafrips Ares ll which is an awesome DAC for the money. The x26 is in a different League though tighter bass refined mid-range and more holographic. I was a little on the fence on whether or not I wanted to upgrade because the Ares ll was so good. The musical presentation of this DAC will have you listening to your whole music collection again and then discovering things you've never heard before. I am very pleased with the R-26 and would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a new DAC.

Ok i received my R26 brand new and fonctionnal. I paired it with the Gustard U18 DDC to connect through IIS. Before the U18 was in, the sound, compared to my Denafrips Pontus II, was wider, punchier and more 3D without being forward. It reminds me of my Chord Mscaler/Qutest combo but with more meat on the bone and a sense of liquidity the Chords lacked. With the U18 in place, the musicians are inside my room, playing for me. This amazing vividness gives music its enjoyment and visceral emotion. I'm quite amazed by this unit after owning severals DACs from Delta Sigma to R2R. Thank you for this review ! Without it, i was about to make a loan to buy a Holo May. I don't know the may but the Gustard is amazing ! Truly !

Thank you Sandu for this review. Your opinion inspires my trust and respect for many years. I bought an R 26 DAC and after listening to it I legally agree with every word of yours. He's great. It's worth every cent. The Gustard R 26 opened up the world of music for me anew. I launched a playlist of my best favorite music and each track gives me new impressions and pleasant emotions. It's such a grand sound, so breathtaking, it's a different world of music. Save me... I can't stop for 3 days now... I don't want to press stop... I want to drown in this vast sea of ​​music.

Very good review from you, Thank you! I recently bought a Gustar r26, it has only worked for about 200 hours and the sound is very musical, just amazing for the money it costs.

Sandu thanks for the detailed, honest reviews. I bought Musician Pegasus based on your reviews from way back and I know that it got beat up on in forums, from other reviewers based on rumours or things outside of how the unit performed. Glad you stuck to your guns because the DAC lived up to the hype and your review. Fully trust your opinion and review this time around. Credibility and mad respect brotha! :)

Believe the hype, really!!! Like many, I have had hit and miss results going on reviews but this piece of kit is an absolute bargain no question. Mine just arrived the other day and even on startup it sounded great, but like many have said, it needs about 100 hours running in, although mine is literally improving by the hour shortly after getting it up and running. Even at this stage it is astonishing, finding a way to present incredible musical detail but in a very balanced and natural way. Again, as others have said, it has an incredible sense of "air" and dimensionality with fantastic soundstaging. I came from a great little budget dac, the Geshelli J2, but wanted to try an R to R dac, although I didn't necessarily want to spend the very big bucks for the Holo models or higher Denafrips. Whilst I haven't heard those dacs in person, I can't honestly imagine they will be that much better, if at all, than this Gustard, which is end stage for me in all honesty. And a couple of tips. Assuming you are going in via PCM, I found the sound to improve noticeably if you set the PCM NOS to ON. This bypasses the internal FIR filters sending the signal direct to the ladder array (to my mind, a bit like a tone defeat on an amp). This will disable your variable volume control and also the PCM Filters, but overall I was happy to sacrifice those for the better sound. Btw, the PCM Filer control is useful though if you want to tweak the sound character of the dac, and no doubt users will experiment with the filters and the direct NOS signal to see which they prefer. I imagine setting DSD Direct to ON will have similar results if you use DSD material. Also, I have never really bothered with Bluetooth, but even this functionality is amazing in that the receiver is incredibly stable and the sound is astonishing bearing in mind the limitations of the format. I have yet to try the USB or Ethernet inputs, but no doubt they will be stunning too. And apparently in the coming month or so there will be a firmware update to include Tidal Connect, happy days. I run the unit with a great little Primare DD15 CD transport, but am looking at other options to further improve things as the transport definitely makes a difference if you are using CD. And if it helps, in testing transports I was seriously underwhelmed by the Audiolab, the current mid price favorite. The same goes for the Leek and even the more expensive Cyrus transports. As I say, I may explore more exotic transports but the Primare is great for the money. Finally, Gustard Support are incredibly responsive and helpful, I have raised a number of queries with them via email and they have been great. Anyway, I hope this helps if you are considering this piece of kit, just buy it, you will thank me!

As a Tiger I Tank owner I agree with the new elegant design. If musicality and warmth with diffuse substance is your thing this dac is AN AWESOME R2R. From what I heard the X26 pro is stil punchier and more detailed, but everyone has it's own preferences. Very detailed, technical and full of positive vibes review, Sandu, we can all take a little bit of your energy in our lifes. Great honest analysis!

Your review, Sandu, triggered me to try out the R26 as a replacement for an SMSL M400. I already tried the X26 following your enthusiastic review about this one but this unit was not doing much for me (maybe my copy was somehow a bad one). So knowing about all your other very kind and glowing reviews I was a little skeptical, if your praise was really justified. Owning the R26 for less than 24 hours I’m totally convinced, that it is. Even without any burn-in time at all the R26 owns the M400 in every aspect. I can totally understand your “being stunned whilst the first listen” part of your review. That was exactly what I felt. And if you still say this given the experience you have, this is truly a testament of the R26 quality. Thanks for your reviews!

I agree with everything said here! Sent back my A26’Z needs break in to realize differences. The midd are so beautiful. You will listen for hours going thru your library to challenge it

Superb review as always brother! Great job, I feel Gustard is doing God's work along with SMSL and Topping in terms of bringing truly great sounding audio products at mostly prices that everyday working Joes can actually afford and enjoy at very high levels! Great channel. :)

Just wanted to say that after watching your review I ordered one. I had been looking for an upgrade to my Ares II. I normally don't buy something based on a single review but I have grown to trust Sandu's reviews so I pulled the trigger. Received it two days ago (very fast from Aoshida). All I can say is Thank You Sandu! Your review nailed it and this is exactly what I wanted. I plugged into my Burson Soloist 3XP with the SuperCharger and a smile immediately crossed my lips. Everything sounded punchier and more detailed. Tried with Arya Stealth, Audeze LCD-XC, Sennheiser 660s & 600. Dare I say it? This may be my endgame. Plus I want to spend money on actual musical equipment like hardware synths and drum machines (more fun than just software based music production).

Great review dude. I'm really not in the market for another dac right now, but this will be at the top of my list when the time comes.

Great review and awesome recommendation. I just received the R26 and it is an incredible DAC. I also have the X26 pro, and the R26 bests the X26 pro by a good margin. R2R DACs present music so much more naturally.

Great review sir!!! It is amazing that such stellar gear today is available at near pedestrian prices!!! Only a few years ago 5 figures were needed get inti this performance category 👏

Your review helped push me to buying this over the Denafrips and Holo Audio DACs I was considering. Huge shoutout to Aoshida Audio, the R26 *arrived in 6 days!* Ordered Thursday arrived Wednesday. Right out of the box, it's apparent this is a contender. A little raw and a little lean, I don't find it soft at all. The imaging is pinpoint and lots of air around instruments. Wide and deep soundstage. Aurender N100 feeding it, _balanced outputs_ to BAT pre & amp feeding Focal Kanta No2's. I'll just keep it running throughout the day. Nice fit/finish for price. Not nearly Denafrips or Kitsune level, but less than half the price. That let my buy a new phono stage and power supply.

Just ordered it! Thank you for the suggestion. Black Friday deal makes it a no brainer!

What an incredible review. Especially the written part!!!

What A sympathic and fine young man who is able to speak clear and honest what he is listening. 🌹🌹🌹

Add a Synergistic research 20 mm- 2.5amp slow blow fuse , fuse is directional ,fuse direction reading L to R facing up . Tweak geek sells AQ fuses the yellow are pretty good purple even better ,and they show fuse orientation. Use a decent aftermarket power cord It truly makes this dac that much meter still , just give it a solid 200 hours , the dac Play it 2 weeks 24-7 to fully run it in , the Isotek runin cd is a great runin cd And track 3 use 3-4x a week as a 5 minute sweep tune up i. Magnetic fields tend to drift , this CDs cleans things up ,listen before ,and after this has won several awards in the past.,Happy 🎶 listening.

Thank you for this video, very enjoyable and informative. Would you consider doing a review of the P26 preamp from Gustard? I'm very interested in this unit but there are hardly any reviews online.

Excellent review

By any chance, do you know how the Gustard R29 compares to a Benchmark DAC3? I am trying to make the switch into R2R and currently own a Benchmark DAC.

Thank you for the review. I love that you are willing to adjust your outlook as you continue to review evolving technology. Normally you mention burn-in time when reviewing R2R DACs. How long did it take to burn-in the Gustard R26 Discrete DAC?

Love your candid review ♥️. Awesome.

I sure appreciate your honesty and you dare to speak your mind comparing and mentioning brand and models. My sincere appreciation to you. I depend on reviews to make decisions before I place an online order. Here in Singapore, there’s no return policy unless it’s faulty on delivery. In fact, even brand new units that fail to operate as it should after receiving, cannot be returned so buyers have to pay more to sent items back to factories and pray that we can trust them to fix it properly before sending back. I’ve read that some Musician Audio’s customers had units sent back but “went missing in mail” which is infuriating. One customer was advised to under declare the value to $20 and yes, that parcel went missing. Beyond the challenge of depending on reviews with no return policy even for faulty units, very few shops offer these units for tests in their shop which is already difficult for someone like me, with Physical disabilities so I only rely on honest, good and straight reviews. Appreciate this sir!

Hi. I bought an R26 based upon your review, and I am deeply satisfied. The bass improved significantly after 300h of burning-in, and now R26 exceeds X26 pro in all aspects. I am quite surprised how MQA sounds great when Full-decode mode("MQA passthrough" should be selected on the source device, and "MQA" should be shown on display, not "OFS"). I hope you test it and give me some comments about it!

Soundnews, you've gushed about the SMSL VMV D2 as well as now this R26. I'm about to pull the trigger on one of these two, but I need to know two important points. - I live in Arizona and I CAN'T have components that are going to warm up the room by running very hot like a Class A amp. I'm wondering if this R26 runs hot like the Gustard X26 pro - What do you think sounds better, the SMSL VMV D2 or this R26? - Bonus info.....I've already read from two different sources that this R26 dac doesn't have an audio delay on it like the Denafrips dacs do, so it's good to use for gaming or TV's without the sound being delayed behind the video. That's great.

Hi Sandu, Can you comment more on differences with the Musician Aquarius? Another reviewer commented that bass was better than R26? Excellent review, thank you so much

I noticed on another forum that several buyers experience different hum noises (from transformer to display). When so many people are discussing this topic I find it strange that you and other reviewers are completely silent about this topic. The reviews are 100% raving without any negatives. I'm sure this is a very good DAC but it would be nice to address this topic and offer a solution (together with Gustard). For now it seems a hit or miss with this device. I would like to know if this is now solved with new batches before spending 1600$ and ending up with a hum 🧐

Thanks for this detailed review! For the reviewing or anyone who has tried this DAC: How does the R26 do with classical music and in accurately recreating natural/organic instruments? And is it ever sibilant with harsh treble peaks?

Thank you for your unboxing review. I also watched your video on the SMSL M500 MKIII, and I eventually purchased it. I have been using it for three months now and have been completely satisfied with its performance, especially considering its price. However, I have been contemplating an upgrade recently, and I would like to ask if switching from the M500 MKIII to the Gustard R26 would be a significant improvement in sound quality. Thank you.

>Very smart review & thank you for honesty - goes the longest way!

Good man! Always tell it like it is! Honesty and Integrity are the most important standards in life. Be true to yourself and your heart and you will have no regrets in life. Thank you for your Video's I would love you to compare this to Holo Audio - Spring 3 DAC - Spring V3 KTE +Preamp Module. Thank you.

I’ve wanted an r2r dac that can do it all, but I couldn’t afford a Terminator. Thank you for the great review

You are definitely the best Dac reviewer on KZfaq your words are very easy to understand and a great explanation of the sound would you say this gustard it’s better than the denifraps Pontus dac?

awesome review. hoping they add tidal connect support soon

Excellent review. Very interesting DAC. Wish it had BNC coax input & I2S that was configurable though.

I recieved this Dac last week. I’m still burning it in but man what a great Dac. The Dac I was using was the smsl m400 and one reviewer said you have to go up to the 3-4k area to get a big jump, nope this Dac for 1649usd is a steal. How long was your burn in period? How many hours for you? Thanks. FYI- Scorpions! Seeing the in a few weeks with Thundermother!

Could U please make a Review of the the A26 against the R26...(? That would be wondeful...(": Iam still not sure which one to buy..." Both are brilliant but the A26 should be even clearer and more transparent...but the R26 on the other Side should sound more musical and a bit warmer...and not so clinical and pure"... But thats not my Opinion and only the Opinions of some other User... 😀👌👍🙏

Just ordered one after ur review, saying it’s even on par with the DENAFRIPS terminator plus is a huge statement! I have Iris DDC feeding the Pontus II so we will see. I also have on loan a Auralic Vega DAC which is superior to the Pontus II without a DDC. It’s going to be interesting for sure….

Hello Sandu, great review👍👍, thank you, I have one question, is there a difference in SQ rca vs xlr output? many thanks in advance for info..

Hi Sandu, how do you manage to use I2S that is not Ps Audio compatible? I use a streamer with I2S that is PS Audio compatible and I cannot connect it. Thank you for your help.

Great review :) As ususal! Will definetley do an audition of the R26 when I will have a chance. No I just have some hope for a big Dac cpomparison, R26, Holo Audio Spring, Denafrips, Smsl D3 to name the least, and maybe even Dogde Tube 7 - that would be epic.

Hello Sandu, I was impressed with your review of this dac so much so I’ve purchased it. I have a Lumin T3 in my system. Would using this dac with the Lumin be somewhat of an improvement? Thank you for the work you do.

Thanks for the review. Do you know what kind of resistors gustard use in that DAC? I cannot find that specification in the web. Usually it is 0.01% or 0.005,% for hi quality dac. The precision resistors is an important feature for r2r DAC...

Thank you Sandu for this review that probably in the best on the web, for your experience and compared the other DACs your have listen, do you think this one that produce less fatigue to listen ? or there are are better candidate in this price range ?

Hi! Thank you for the review. What will you choose. The R26 or the new Eversolo dmp-a8. I’m looking for the best sound for my tidal streaming. I have the node x coax through fiio k9 pro ess for my meze empyreans in one room. But I would like streaming in my stereo setup too in another room. Focal aria 948, preamp, amp c73 and m73 from Pioneer. Sources are vinyl, pd-73 pioneer cd player, minidisc and casette too. I know. I’m a nostalgic old school sometimes. Thank you!

Has anyone compared R26 to Ladder Schuman side by side? Sandu thank you for this excellent and very detailed review. 👏🏻

Again great video. I'm in the market for a DAC and was wondering how you would compare the Gustard R26 with the new Ladder Schumann? Heard the Ladder is a small step above the Musician Pegasus. What do you think?

Thanks Sandu for as always very informative review! I saw the measurements in DSD mode and they are not very good. Did you test the DSD playback?

@Soundnews did you test with and without a dedicated pre-amp in the chain? My point is to understand is the pre amp section in any good or if it's better to have a pre-amp. Thanks

You mention this is in your top 5 DACs. Can you share what your other top DACs are please? PS love your reviews

Great review thanks! I'm confused by the streamer portion though - I'm using a Bluesound node w/Qobuz subscription for all of my music - would I be able to access that directly with the R26 without needing the node? Would I need a Roon account as well?

This review came at the perfect time. I'm in the market to upgrade my system closer to endgame and was very much desiring the Musician Aquarius based on your previous review, but it wasn't in my budget. I was going to settle for the Pegasus & then this review comes out with a very encouraging comparison to the Aquarius & T+. You sold me on this DAC. Ordered!

Awesome review Sandu. I'd appreciate a comment on how it compares to the Pegasus

Un review pe cinste, bravo Sandu! Folosesc un Soncoz SGD1, crezi că diferența e atât de evidentă?

Gustard R26 Discrete (Gold Award) vs SMSL VMV D2 (Gold Award) For headphone use. Both are basically $1700 bucks. Is the VMV D2 in your Top 5 DACS?

Hi Sandu I mainly listen to DSD 512 upsampled thru hqplayer via PC using Tidal. I currently use the gustard x26 pro for this. I understand r2r dacs benefit more for pcm. Do you think there will still be an improvement as what you have described i.e less ringing soundstage etc if I switch from x26 pro to r26 if I always upsample only to DSD 512? Appreciate your inputs.Was your test tracks played on pcm or you also noticed the improvement on native dsd? Thanks!!

Very nice and detailed review ! I currently have the Singxer SDA-6 Pro that you reviewed a few months ago. Do you feel the Gustard is a nice upgrade over the Singxer ? Cheers

I wonder what they do to mitigate the sonic limitations of Bluetooth, because in my mind, I can’t see wasting money on Bluetooth circuitry on a DAC at this price point.

Your review inspired me to order one! I just experienced the Zen Stream feeding my HiFiMan EF400 R2R into my 2-channel system via XLR. Beautiful sound, ZERO listening fatigue but a little "soft" and missing the pinpoint placement of my Matrix Mini-i Pro 3. Based on your listening notes (and I run Roon) I am excited to "burn-in" this DAC and hope it is "just right" for me. Thanks again for the KZfaq review and your excellent online review. QUESTION: has anyone tried it with Roon yet???

R2R DACs are preferred more for their NOS mode which are also their strength against delta sigma DACs. So what is your impression when running on NoS mode vs Denafrips, Holo Audio and other equivalent R2R DACs?

After your review I was sure I would get the Singxer SDA-6 Pro - As a PURE XLR DAC (I don't need any features) - just PURE XLR SOUND - what dac do you recommend? R26/SDA-6PRO or something else in this price range? THANKS for all you do! Best regards.

thank's for the review, I want to use a gustard r26 or A26 DAC streamer directly connected to a Benchmark AHB2. you're talking about the A26 which needs a preamp to get the best sound, is it the same for the R26? Is there a perfect solution using the volume of one of his DACs? Or do you really need a separate pre-amp?

Wow what a great review, looking forward to reading the written content which is low key your best work! Have your heard Holo spring or May KTE before? I really enjoy the Holo r2r nos presentation. I also just purchased an Aqua La Voce S3 r2r Dac which is quite great for it’s used price point.

Hi Sandu , want to know your opinion on how much better that R26 is versus my Musician Pegasus? Would it be a nice upgrade? Thank you, Charles

Great review, Sandu. What headphone amps do you rec to get all this has to offer?

Hi Sandu! I bought one of these and it sounds good! But I don´t know if my unit is healthy. I connected it directly to a Emotiva XPA Gen3 poweramp and I can max the volume without hurting my ears! Best regards Mikael

I think Sandu has caught FOTM disease. I'd try to review a Schiit Yggdrasil LIM, before hanging it up.

Hi Sandu, There is usually a tradeoff between detailed and tonal richness (meat on the bones). My only experience with R2R was the Denafrips Ares II which I promptly sold for lack tonal richness. I currently own Loxjie D50, while it didn't change my life, it offers enough detail without sounding too thin and clinical. You've established that the R26 is very detailed, is there a tradeoff in the ''meat on bones'' department compared to other high end DACs? Edit: OK I just read your written review which I guess answers my question. What I'm looking for above all else for system synergy is detail yes, but most of all tonal richness. Endless features are at the very bottom of my list. I've found that sometimes the most technically impressive components are the least musically enjoyable when actually listening to real music.

Thank you for the review, it makes me want to buy it! Is it possible for you to properly explain the streaming functionality? I don’t understand what it actually offers, and I can’t find it anywhere. Cheers

Great review. Is this dac true NOS?

Sandu, do recommend using Gustard's U18 digital interface unit this r26 DAC or do you feel this unnecessary? Thanks!

nice review man , looks like i got to save up again . Any headphone amp reccomendation for this DAC ? . My options here are Audio-GD master 19 or Burson soloist 3xP or maybe Topping A90D for a cheaper option .

Hello Sandu. great review. are you familiar with the PS NUWAVE sound? If so, can you compare it with the R26. what would be the differences if I replace by ps dac with the R26?

Hello Sandu I want your opinion, I m in the market for a new dac for my headphones setup.. before this review I an ready to pull the trigger for the X26 pro... now I m a little confused... My big problem is that I m listen only MQA from Tidal.. and I don't know If the R26 is for me. Can I listen MQA with the R26. ?,?? Which of two do you believe is best match for me..?? Thanks in advance.!!

Great review and very tempted to pull the trigger on this DAC. Cannyou advise that this will work with the Innuos ZEN server?. I am currently using the ZEN connected to the DAC in my Primare pre 60 preamp. Many thanks

Hello, Your review is superb, it is full of technical and musical details. I own a streamer Eversolo A6 standard version. I will only use the R26 DAC, do you think it will be a good association. Did you use an internet switch during your test or did you directly connect your RJ45 internet box to the R26?

Thx. I have some questions : You are not talking about the quality of restitution of the timbres of acoustic instruments. What can you tell us? Especially for classical and jazz music: do the instruments sound natural? How are the timbres ?

Although I love your reviews I have become a little skeptical. I ordered the vmv D2, returned it it was too too muddy in the mids really unbalanced to the point that you lose information. Then I ordered the singxer pro, after 300 hours or more it was still screaming... not the treble region but the mid highs. I really loved it but when you hear piano or female voices it just hurts. You warned us about these aspects of those devices just not the level. Would you say that R26 is more or less linear than those devices? is there a region it prefers?

interesting! the Denafrips Pontus II is the same price r2r very famous dac, very strange you have not review it yet :)

Thank you for the insightful review! How does this DAC compare to Denafrips Pontus II? Which one would you recommend? I'm at a crossroad 🧐Thanks!

Looks like the 3-4 seconds delay is also observed when IR port is used from a TV (maybe that is why ARC port is out of question). Feels like (not an expert) that it is related to AKM chips - I have not had any experience with ESS but main-stream dac/integrated amps well-known manufacturers are mainly (per my observation only) using ESS chips (perhaps those are quicker to process the signal). Not sure but I am not impressed with the delay when TV songs come into play. Other that this - the sound is great even via Sonos amp (both connect and the latest one).

C´mon man better than T+? I donˇt know. What about the comparison with the R7he MK2 which is probably better than T+? Thanks for the video...

Have you ever thought of pulling your speakers out and away from your wall and out into your room. GUARANTEE you’ll be surprised at how much better your overall sound, imaging and soundstage will improve…Ooops - I just saw a shot of your speakers later in the video, that are pulled out. Nice job

Gran reseña escrita,muy buen trabajo.Una pena no poder llegar a este Dac. Que te parece a día de hoy ,el Soncoz Sgd1 ?? O está un poco viejo? Gracias

Have you compared it to Ladder Schumann FPGA R2R DAC?

xThanks Much! Soundnews

I'm curious if DACS like the Gustard R26 and the Denafrips DACS are mainly meant for Speaker setups over headphone use?

I luv your honesty thanks Sandu. I might actually jump at this. Seen you wear NFL shirt, you have a fav team?

How does this compares to Sonnet Morpheus & Rockna Wavelight?

Hi Can you expand on the differences between R26 and the Aquarius - I am considering both and wondering that the $1.5K adder gets you

Great video, Any chance of reviewing the dac2541 from soekris? also a r2r dac In the sub 2k USD price range

Thanks for your review, have you tried the Musetec LKS 005? If not please do 🙏

Thank you for your valuable advice. I just bought the discreet Galard 26R. For better clarification, I would like to know if the addition of Gustard U18 DDC brings a significant improvement or in what percentage. To see if I add it to my list. Any other advice is welcome. Merci encore. (Juste en anglais) ;)

How does this compare to the SMSL VMV D2 dac, and you mentioned heatsinks on this. So this thing runs very hot like the X26 pro then? Also, did you hook this DAC up to a PC or a TV and test if there's an audio delay on the inputs? Denafrips dacs suffer from an issue with their FIFO buffer on the inputs. There's enough of a delay on the inputs that if you use them on a PC or with a TV, the sound will be delayed slightly behind the video.

Hey. Great video. Just wondering how this would compare to the Schiit Gungnir Multibit A2 ?

Thank you for what you are doing and I am really grateful to you, but I want to buy a dac and I want what do you think of this compared to the musician aquarius dac I know this is more expensive but in terms of performance I am really waiting for your opinion to buy all the love💓

I’m confused about the streaming function. Does it stream and can you get Roon. It seems like you were saying you only used it as a Dac. Should I sell my bluesound 2i or should I keep it when I purchase this R2R Dac?

I’ve just acquired R26. Generally speaking, all findings on your review match what I’ve found in my listening, however there is one thing which you did not mentioned, maybe it was not the case on your setup, but I noticed that R26 lacks both body and weight in the mid bass. Thus, could you check if this is really the case? Also, do you see any advantage in changing the fuse for a Gustard one or even a HiFi-Tunning? Kind regards