What's inside Gustard's R26 R2R HiFi DAC? Review & Comparisons

Рет қаралды 38,485

Күн бұрын

Gustard are known for their accurately measuring DACs. But how does an R2R DAC fit into their lineup? And how does having a built-in streamer benefit? I take a detailed look.
Thanks to Shenzhen Audio for sending me the R26. You can buy it from them here and support my channel at the same time:
www.hear.audio/go/GustardR26
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And literally after I shoot the video they provided firmware which makes the menu larger and more readable! Pic here: www.head-fi.org/threads/gusta...
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Link to GoldenSound's video about measurements: • Why you can't trust au...
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00:00 Introduction
04:03 Inputs & Outputs
07:39 Front Panel & Menu Options
13:54 Inside the DAC
18:35 Listening impressions
28:16 Upsampling
29:31 Conclusion

Пікірлер: 195

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

And _literally after I shoot the video they provided firmware which makes the menu larger and more readable!_ Pic here: www.head-fi.org/threads/gustard-dac-r26-balanced-decoder-r2r-1bit-dual-native-decoding-music-bridge.963630/post-17430582

@martinvegas1327 Жыл бұрын

Ladder Schumann is another good one👍

@cameronrector178 Жыл бұрын

This is the most thorough review of this Dac on KZfaq. As one of the Head-Fi guys, we have went really deep with this Dac for over 6months now, and you covered all of the bases. Especially the the LAN input, streamer, and FMCs! Personally I feel like my Dac search is over. Stepping up from this DAC based on sound quality and features would imho start at $5000. It’s that good. Top marks!

@scottroberts4551 Жыл бұрын

Great review, thanks for the detail. I purchased the R26 2 months ago and have been very happy. I listen mostly to jazz and softer music and wanted something musical and warm, which is what I experience. I've got a bluesound node with upgraded power board + external linear power supply feeding the R26 via coax and feel the sound is extremely clean, smooth, and warm. To round things off the R26 feeds my Rogue Audio Chronus Magnum3 all tube integrated amp, driving Magnepan LRS+ speakers. I finally have a system that sounds like music.

@markw7303 Жыл бұрын

that chronus is great!!! heard it at a show almost bought it on the spot

@scottroberts4551 Жыл бұрын

@@markw7303 It's my first tube amp and I've been very happy with it. Every time I turn it on it brings me pleasure...

@markw7303 Жыл бұрын

@@scottroberts4551 only thing you can really go up from there is single ended 300b amps. Hard to find current ones that are more then single per that's only 7 or 8 w and to limited in speaked choice to bother . Dual at 16or 18 wats is good but again hard to find . Manly and allnic have nice quads but pricy.... It never ends.

@markw7303 Жыл бұрын

I have a coincident 300b int found it after hearing yours. I was lucky and got it from the company owner refurbished by him. Prob made less then 25. Dual 300b s

@Dan-iy8ig 6 ай бұрын

So if I don't listen to classical jazz and I mostly play rock music in heavy metal would you not recommend this DAC?

@yphoenix9077 Жыл бұрын

Finally, an honest review without all the hype. Thank you.

@shawnpwatsons1 Жыл бұрын

Listening now. I was waiting for this one!

@cobar5342 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for a very good review and even pronouncing 'processor' correctly!

@richardspector9392 Жыл бұрын

Great review and super informative. In my humble opinion the R26 is the best "bang for the buck," on the market. I have tried Top tier Denafrips, Holo Audio and many $3k D/S DAC's in my system and while yes, when you get over $5k for a DAC there is superior audio differences from the sub $3k DAC's but the difference is so small with the R26 the I would rather spend the $1650(USD) on the R26 and invest the other monies in a high quality headphone amp, which I did with the Ferrum OOR / Hypsos. Simply, the R26 is not better than the Holo May / Spring, Denafrips Terminator but it is a VERY close second at a fraction of the cost.

@klepp19 Жыл бұрын

Do you think R26 can beat Holo Spring Level 2? Or Denafrips Venus II. I currently own Pontus II. Thanks!

@sonicplayroompiano4302 Жыл бұрын

Curious to know which holo spring you compared?

@rspector5 Жыл бұрын

@@sonicplayroompiano4302 The HS KTE 3

@rspector5 Жыл бұрын

@@sonicplayroompiano4302 Holo Spring 3 KTE

@mikeg2491 Жыл бұрын

I picked up a used Chord Qutest and R26 in the same week, it gives me the two extreme ends of flavor, a bright analytical sound to a warm smooth one for the price of just one higher-end R2R or sigma dac. I’ll take flexibility and variety over one monster end game.

@peterwood2633 11 ай бұрын

This review is excellent, only one ive seen to go into detail about the tuning that influences the sound being output.

@r00s. Жыл бұрын

I have had this DAC for almost 3 months and quite enjoy it! I find it sounds best through LAN using FMCs.

@done.9253 11 күн бұрын

Thank you for the review.

@SimpleMailWork Жыл бұрын

Thank you, you are the best!

@BillyKueekSG Жыл бұрын

Another nice review and I’ll be watching this again when I am sitting in front of my R26. I got the R26 a few months back, managed to listen to it here and there so definitely not listening enough. I stream Apple Music with my MacBook Pro M1 or pull out my HDD with over 20TB of FLACS, WAVs, DSDs. I am a headphone user and currently, the R26 is paired to iFi Pro ICAN Signature or Topping A90. Got myself a 3-in-3-out switcher and interconnect cables, I just finished rearranging my equipments on the Burson Mothership with the new cables and repositioning the stack on another cabinet instead of my work desk (saving space for a pair of apolitical R200 perhaps). Being a complete dummy, I am depending on friends I haven’t met personally to guide me through with step by step instructions so next up is to try Roon and Qobuz and running the R26 using LAN. I have to update the firmware too and now, need to search online for instructions in this one.

@liamporter1137 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing.

@eugenefudge1883 Жыл бұрын

I purchased this DAC to replace my Gustard X18. Which was good. But the Gustard R26 is mush better. .I love the sound of this. There's always going to be a better mouse 🐁 trap.. the more you pay the More 💰 money up will lose if you want to upgrade. So I am very happy but will go no further down this path.

@EvgeniyRC Жыл бұрын

Hello. Thank you for a quality and honest review. R26 is really good if cooked right. I built my final kit and there is no desire to change anything else. And the main ingredient for Gustard R26 is Trafomatic Head 2. Believe me, it's hard to describe in words. What this couple does is magic.

@antonristo1096 Жыл бұрын

I own the Head 2 and have been concidering the R26 to pair with it. Are you using the LAN connection with the R26? Have you changed the tubes in your Head 2?

@EvgeniyRC Жыл бұрын

@@antonristo1096 yes, of course I also use a network connection via a switch to listen to roon. This gives the highest quality of music. I also use the best new production lamps available today. Gold Lion ECC88 and EH gold 6N30P. They are the best choice according to many people including Trafomatic Audio producer Sasha.

@antonristo1096 Жыл бұрын

@@EvgeniyRC Thanks for the reply! How would you describe the sound improvements of the Head 2 with the tubes you are using? I've tried some expensive Mullard and Philips ECC88 tubes with mine, but I still prefer the stock EH tubes for their tight and impactful bass and open soundstage. Do you find the sound of the Head 2 with the R26 to be closer to neutral or leaning towards warmer/darker or brighter presentation?

@EvgeniyRC Жыл бұрын

@@antonristo1096 It's a difficult question. I think you understand that this is a very subjective story. The stock bulbs are really good, but I no doubt replaced them with the ones above. They sound nicer to my ear. A lot depends on the rest of the hardware you're using. And the style of music you prefer. This DAC + Amplifier pair makes it very easy to hear the difference in the sound of the headphone conductor and interconnect cables. You can easily put together the perfect configuration for you. I use all connecting cables from a thick silver conductor and a copper cable for headphones HE1000SE from Forza. And there is no limit to my delight ...

@frederf69 Жыл бұрын

This is the most thorough review of this item I've seen. Gustard etc are not only getting close to hifi but are also offering great value for money & sometimes embarrassing the hi end boutique racket. According to Mike Moffat - sigma delta sounds like haemorrhoidal ass 🤣🤣 ✌😎👍

@lesarnolfinis6775 Жыл бұрын

Great review! Speaking of rabbit hole I bought a BG7TBL 10 MHZ clock for $100 and power it with a good quality 12V power supply. For the small investment, the improvement is notable with better bass, soundstage and even instrument overall tones. The music sounds louder when actually it is not. For the price of a cable upgrade you get more than that.

@BillyKueekSG Жыл бұрын

Being in Singapore, I saw there’s an upgraded version of this so I’ll be looking into this but it has limited units. I will have to buy a cable to connect R26 to BG7TBL right? Is it the BNC cable? I’m a compete dummy

@b00m3rh4nd_sol Жыл бұрын

I will tell you adding the LHY AUDIO OCK-2 master clock does take this thing to a whole new level

@connorduke4619 Жыл бұрын

Does it strengthen the dynamics and bass response by chance?

@r00s. Жыл бұрын

OCK-1 does, IMO

@b00m3rh4nd_sol Жыл бұрын

The biggest differences I notice are timing and a more analog sound. Everything gets a little better because of the timing imo

@prova85 Жыл бұрын

@@r00s. Agreed. I've had an X26Pro for about a year and a half and got the OCK-1 2 months ago and it blew me away the difference it made. Those things are a great bang for the buck.

@REX4340 Жыл бұрын

The most thorough review on youtube👍👍

@gregbartley2475 Жыл бұрын

I’ve had mine for 6 weeks, probably have about 300 hours on it. I’m coming from a DAC that implements an ESS Saber 9028 pro which o quite like. I just wanted to try an R2R. It’s connected to the network as a Roon endpoint which I personally prefer over the usb connection. I was getting dropouts with the network connection until I increased bandwidth from my isp and upgraded my router. The first thing I noticed after about 60 hours we the scale yet preciseness of the soundstage. My room (14’x28’) suddenly got bigger while maintaining solid bass control and mid/high clarity.

@janmodig8509 Жыл бұрын

As usual, A good review. The thing is that the K2 clock syntheseizer and the integration of it make 90 % of the value of the Gustard gears. othervise they are "Average" in my opinion. Get a high performing master clock from Cybershaft or Mutec with quality cables and You are "taking off" as a few of us are. Based on the very wellperforming K2 clock syntheseizer I have 2 x U18's, a X26 Pro, a R26 and now a A26. Without the master clock ability (K2) they should not have been intereresting for me. A good master clock of 50 Ohm are key with the Gustard gears. Thanks for good reviews/Jan

@jaybrodnax Жыл бұрын

The DSD Direct mode uses the dedicated DSD DAC chip and bypasses the R2R ladder. If off, I think PCM conversion is used with at least parts of the R2R

@reptidan Жыл бұрын

I was blown away by this DAC. I went from a aune x8 with sparkos op-amp. the rest of my system is a first watt f5, focal 807v speakers. I went beyond my expectations, even my GF couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was very upset that I had spent money on a "stupid music box" until she heard it..

@kfl611 Жыл бұрын

Do you have enough headphones? Obviously NOT........love it. Thanks for posting and explaining all this r2r and i2s stuff.

@alenotta Жыл бұрын

Love all the detail put into these reviews. I've been using this DAC for several months now. I upgraded from the SMSL m400 which I also liked quite a bit for sub-1k range. This DAC felt like it placed me more in the center of the music more than the delta sigma chip. I tested between the network straight to Roon and a short audio quest carbon USB C terminated cable directly into my Mac. I use both, but I actually prefer the usb connection streaming Tidal. It seems to be warmer and have a touch more mid-bass to me. I'm not sure if that is just how Roon vs Tidal decodes the MQA etc.

@bruunm1975 7 ай бұрын

Hey @alenotta. So you can use this as a Roon Endpoint? And it works flawlessly? Cheers from Canberra Aus.

@saadmh Жыл бұрын

(Another) great review! Thank you Amos. I'm interested in trying out a R2R dac. Looking at Denafrips and Schiit audio...

@williammilligan1451 Жыл бұрын

Gustard has its own higher end FUSES, approx $24/fuse. Just updated my R26 and was pleasantly surprised, improved lateral soundstaging, imaging and body. This was with only 4 hours of break end. The change was dramatic!

@BillyKueekSG Жыл бұрын

I thought the R26 already came with this better fuse?

@williammilligan1451 Жыл бұрын

@@BillyKueekSG Mine didn’t .

@BillyKueekSG Жыл бұрын

@@williammilligan1451 there are variations of this fuse. What is the original fuse on your unit? Which fuse did you use for your R26? Thank you

@ProducerMC Жыл бұрын

So happy to hear from a R26 owner! 3 quick questions.. what fuses did you order? How many do you need? And where are the fuses located in the R26.. I can’t find them in any pictures

@BillyKueekSG Жыл бұрын

@@ProducerMC as far as I know, it’s the Gustard 3.15A fuse, one of it, located at the power point that is connected to the power

@jazzandcocktails7 Жыл бұрын

Thanks again.

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Always welcome!

@Chicob1944 Жыл бұрын

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?

@elthamlad468 8 ай бұрын

I bought the Gustard R26 to replace my Cayin iDAC6 MKII. Initially I was, very impressed when A/B comparing the two. The Gustard was more open and spacious sounding. However, I found the warmer and more intimate sound of the Cayin more appealing with some music. I was originally going to sell the Cayin but now I think I'm going to keep both. Interestingly, the Cayin is based on an ESS Sabre DAC, yet it sounds nothing like how you'd expect an ESS Sabre DAC to sound. It's warmer even than the Gustard. I honestly couldn't say which was the better DAC, they are different, both in good ways.

@drjp109 Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@sonicplayroompiano4302 Жыл бұрын

I'd love to see a comparison of the Gustard VS the Ladder Schumann Dac

@WelkySchullin Жыл бұрын

thx

@b00m3rh4nd_sol Жыл бұрын

NOS mode is life w/ external master clock

@crummwoody Жыл бұрын

Have a R26 for about 2 months. Streaming Roon. Used both iFi Audio Zen Stream and Ethernet direct connection into the DAC. The Zen Stream has the upgraded iFi power supply- Power Elite 15v. The stock power supply is not good and will put the Zen stream at a huge disadvantage. Comparing the two methods (USB or Ethernet), the USB via Zen Stream is slightly less hyper detailed compared to the Ethernet directly into the Gustard. That said, the Zen connection provides a more organic, rounded, warmer delivery. Voices and instruments have more body and the result is conducive to long term listening. The Ethernet connection, while providing a more detailed presentation (with well recorded files) will punish those files that are not well recorded and engineered. As that last category includes most files, I tend to listed to the Zen Stream. Of course, YMMV, and it is nice to have the option to use Ethernet.

@mikeg2491 Жыл бұрын

It’s kind of a pain in the butt as I don’t like setting up or running servers nor use roon and have no use for Ethernet but would have to use it to get that extra detail. That said I bought it specifically for that smoother sound vs chiseled audio from the likes of chord so it sounds like I’m not missing much if the music gets a little harsh through it versus USB.

@Pianitara 3 ай бұрын

Please do a review of the gustard h26 HPA. Thank you.

@techmed-rainer Жыл бұрын

Danke!

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

@techmed-rainer Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong You're welcome! I like your content and your attitude.

@NeilBlanchard Жыл бұрын

If you get a chance, it would be great to take a similar look at the Gustard A26, which is an AKM DAC - but I *think* it is multibit? I am not an expert, but someone mentioned that the DSD in the R26 is a separate sigma delta processor?

@prateeksaini5412 10 ай бұрын

Hahaha Currawong! Loved your reference to tones being accurate but music being off! Some ppl just have hilarious tunnel vision & obsession

@Currawong 10 ай бұрын

People want to feel like they have knowledge. I find it grossly ironic that the same types of people who will at one point will say how you won't pass a DBT comparing too devices, will also champion ranking those same devices by differences in distortion that are supposedly inaudible.

@worthingtonmodelrailway8628 Жыл бұрын

I have both the Gustard R26 and Denafrips Pontus II. I find the Denafrips better for a more smooth sound particularly for acoustic, vocals and smaller jazz ensembles. The Gustard sound stage is wider deeper and there is more air around the instruments. It’s way better for large Jazz (Big Band) groups, rock/pop and orchestral. I love it for Pipe Organ too!

@klepp19 Жыл бұрын

I currently have Pontus II. You peek my interest in trying the R26!

@worthingtonmodelrailway8628 Жыл бұрын

@@klepp19 put the Pontus into sharp mode you will get a closer “sound” to the Gustard but not the separation.

@klepp19 Жыл бұрын

@@worthingtonmodelrailway8628 Ok I will look into that. What is preferred mode on the R26?

@joscallinet6260 Жыл бұрын

@@klepp19 I understand why you wrote 'You PEEK my interest' - because that's what the word ''PIQUE' sounds like when spoken! I have the Gustard R26 and it sounds wonderful to me, as well - it truly offers "value for money."

@joscallinet6260 Жыл бұрын

@@klepp19 For me, the preferred mode is to enable the PCM NOS (Non-Over-Sampling) mode in the Gustard R26's menu (which, by the way, bypasses the R26's internal volume control) and then feeding the Gustard R26's fully balanced full-strength XLR output to an external preamplifier and use the latter to control listening levels. The quality of the sound from the R26 is then heard to its greatest advantage. because there is no loss of definition or resolution of the detail of the sound caused by its internal volume control. I am using a BRICASTI M20 preamplifier (Moon Audio based in North Carolina sells it) which has an amazingly good volume control which does NOT compromise sound quality at lower listening levels. There is a crazy price differential between these two items - the Gustard R26 DAC sells for roughly 1,600 US$ - whereas the Bricasti M20 preamplifier retails for 12,500 US$ - but what an alignment of sound quality these two offer - they have to be heard to be believed - a wonderful clarity, breadth and depth of sound when well-recorded music is played through them.

@onepieceatatime Жыл бұрын

Any chance you'll review the Thieaudio Wraith? Would love to hear your impressions.

@johncahill985 Жыл бұрын

This DAC is great but if you want to take it to the next level Add an external clock

@TomlynAdvisors Жыл бұрын

I'm considering starting a stereo-only system (hi-fi) to my current AV Yamaha system. The new hi-fi would start with either a) Gustard R26, or b) Yamaha S801. Not considering price-point, which unit would have the better-performing DAC to listen to detailed, classical music ?

@greymatterstome Жыл бұрын

I have both. The S-801 I have dedicated to my 2 channel speaker setup and the R26 for my desktop headphone use. The Yamaha has a Sabre DAC (the ES9010K2 I believe) I haven't swapped either of them between the 2 setups however. The S-801 is a neutral to slightly warm sounding amp and it doesn't suffer from any Sabre glare except at the most busy of passages. It depends most likely on your speakers and use case and of course what you prefer. If you prefer detail and instrument separation, the Sabre will be better suited but honestly I don't think the R2R in the Gustard is too far off

@MOWFWDU Жыл бұрын

Thanks for such a useful review! One thing, did you try the R26 without a preamplifier (with it's volume control). I suspect I need a preamp to get the best from it, but it would be nice to save the $$

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

I didn't. The problem is that only the last 30dB of the volume control is analog, and the rest is digital, which not good for R2R DACs. Also, some of the settings will lock the volume to maximum, which, if that happened suddenly when you were attempting to change the settings during music playback, would be highly unpleasant.

@MOWFWDU Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong Thanks for there reply. I suspected this was not going to be a satisfactory solution. I am trying out the Wattson Madison in a week, streaming DAC but has Leedh processing for volume control. Swiss made.

@b00m3rh4nd_sol Жыл бұрын

I do agree the LAN input with Roon is better than USB. I was thinking about trying the same thing with optical + quiet power supply. You had the iFi Zen connected over I2S?

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Neo Stream, rather than Zen Stream. Indeed, if you're not using up-sampling, then optical might be a good alternative.

@michabuszynski7326 Жыл бұрын

To me personally, something was "Off" in Instrument placement in sound stage comparing to Denafrips Ares II and I stayed with Ares. I had Gustard at home but I returned. Also i2s with Singxer su-6 did not work 😕 for dsd. So it was a big disappointment for me.

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

I got the SU-1 working after sorting out the DIP switch settings. It's such a PITA to set up every time for each DAC, so I got a marker and wrote down the settings for each brand of DAC on the bottom!

@Krell666 10 ай бұрын

Gustard need to find the kerning tool for their logo. GUST ARD.

@TriAmpHiFi Ай бұрын

. Kerning? Had to look that up. As it turns out, I've been kerning for years. I vinyl cut/plot and install lettering for signs. I guess there's a word for everything. Thanks for adding to my vocabulary. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

@ducdangkhoatran-pd2ym Жыл бұрын

I'm with Gustard since x20pro. Then x16, x26. What I mean, will Gustard add a R26 pro , like they did .

@brendanliddell240 Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for your review. Another review of the R26 for thought. In your opinion, how do you think this would compare with a Schiit Gungnir (Multibit)? I have no need for LAN streamer funtionality, just PCM >24/192 from PC. Below are the combinations I'm considering to be used with Sennheiser HD 800S: 1. Gustard R26 DAC > Gustard H20 Pro AMP (Class A SS) (Due out 2023) 2. Schiit Gungnir (Multibit) DAC > Schiit Mjolnier 3 AMP (Class A SS) (Due out 2023) 3. Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DAC > Schiit Lyr+ AMP (Hybrid Tube/ SS) Please let me know your thoughts.

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

I'd say that, very generally, DACs from different companies at the same price point tend to perform about the same, with only subtle differences (the video comparison with the R2R-27HE's built-in R8 DAC being a case in point). I'm going to guess the Gungnir MB would be comparable. Much the same goes for amplifiers. The difference is more noticeable when it's a pair of components you're considering. Other than that, the Mjolnir 3 is on my list of products I want to review.

@frederf69 Жыл бұрын

I have used the Gumby MB for over a year with Jotunheim2, Freya+ & a pair of Aegir's. The Gumby is fine, but run it balanced only; the RCA outputs are not great. Oh & you'll need a Little Bear box or similar, as there is only one pair of XLR outs. Wish more manufacturer's would give us a couple of balanced outs 🤷‍♂

@Reeeepicheep Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong I rock the Gungnir Multibit w/ unison usb and Mjolnir 2 stack. Did you mean to say Mjolnir 2? There is no Mjolnir 3 (yet)...

@Teluric2 Жыл бұрын

Whats the signal noise ratio?

@Fidelity_Sound 4 ай бұрын

I had this then ordered the A26. The A26 is so much more dynamic than the R26. Both are great though. Both also suffer from a poorly under resourced streaming platform. Roon stuffers often. Wish they would gave either left the lab option out of put more cpu/memory to avoid the Roon bridge issues.

@Currawong 4 ай бұрын

Check if there isn't an update to the streamer in yours. The updates basically involve flashing the internal micro SD card (via USB) with a new image.

@KiNGMe21 2 ай бұрын

My Roon hasn't stuttered once. It seems like it may be something on your end.

@markw7303 Жыл бұрын

if this had a real pre out i would recommend it more

@Reeeepicheep Жыл бұрын

Comparison to Bifrost 2 and Yggy?

@michaelscott4439 Жыл бұрын

For many users, including me, the main use of a DAC like this is to play CDs. Not a single mention in this review though - would be appreciated if you'd care / have time to comment!

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

It definitely works from a CD player that has COAX or optical digital output.

@michaelscott4439 Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong Of course it "works"! What I meant was - what is your opinion of the sound quality, compared to other DACs, playing CDs! Personally I find it to be superb, but am interested in your opinion since you have access to so many others. Again its my opinion, but I find CD sound quality to be more realistic than streaming.

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

There are two things to consider here: The CDs may not have watermarking added, as has happened to a lot of streamed music, so they might be better. The other would be the CD player itself. I only have one BluRay player here, and I'm not friendly enough with any hi-fi stores that would even consider letting me bring it in to test transports etc. I could try different streamers and transport methods via coax, but the best solution I think is optical in that case anyway.

@gregbartley2475 Жыл бұрын

I’ve run a coax from my Oppo 105 to the R26 with great results

@michaelscott4439 Жыл бұрын

@@gregbartley2475 Have you compared coax to optical? How does the sound compare with streaming?

@qualifierswedenab8767 Жыл бұрын

Aune xc1 improve the sound over the internal clocks of my R7HE 😊 its only 300$ so it is a cheap upgrade 👍 But the same clock had no effect on my Teac NT-505. So the effect vary depending on the imolementation

@IronHorsey3 11 ай бұрын

Enjoy your reviews but damn if you don't just pound away at context. You give all the details and check the outputs of a unit but then you note clearly that differences among competitors is subtle. Hardly no one does this (the boys at Schiit being an odd exception) and you continue to stick to that context. Just well done.

@minuteskill Жыл бұрын

So this dac does not have op amps rolling capability? Seems if I have it right there is no possible way to gain better sound by rolling ops...

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

No. Very few DACs do these days. At this level there'd be no benefit in being able to do anyway. It's not like people are using OPA2134s and other old opamps anyway. There are plenty of newer ones available that are vastly better.

@briancampbell7712 Жыл бұрын

Why does my R26 power button blink twice then pause , then it repeats again over and over?

@kevin26exe 11 ай бұрын

how is this compared to pro idsd? :)

@REX4340 Жыл бұрын

One thing that does need to be tested with streamers is gapless playback, particularly with streaming services. Is it gapless?

@tarekz9992 Жыл бұрын

@currawong have you compared to any Audio-GD DACs?

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Watch the review. :)

@tarekz9992 Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong :). Admittedly I skimmed the video then posted. Having fully watched it, I still wonder if the Audio-GD HE is worth the price difference. Great content BTW

@zorankalina4399 6 ай бұрын

Wish to use R26 conected wiith computer and CD transport...on ATC P1+ ATC SCM 7+ 2× REL TZero, for " nearfield " listening / 1 meter-jard/. And "studied" many revievs....that should sound realy good. + for headphones...already have Project headbox se 2. So...all in all, considering prices....looks, manage to be on ...ore realy close to best for the price. Sure...hope so.🙂👋

@timothywood5333 Жыл бұрын

On all the Gustard equipment I have seen reviewed, most people tend not to mention the fuse. Do you know much about its capabilities or audio characteristics? Or perhaps it is simply a case of if it was not there it would not work at all. Curious.......

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Fuses are a rabbit hole I've not wanted to go down.

@timothywood5333 Жыл бұрын

@Currawong clever move. I recently purchased a Gustard X16 and H16 set and realised they had fuses. I better go ahead and buy two Gustard fuses incase they blow. Like in cars and houses. I do not think they are that type of fuse. There is not much information about fuses that I have been able to find. As far as I could figure out these fuses can make the sound warmer or some such thing. Which may be a good thing given a few reviews of Gustard say the words precise and cold and clear. I have not received and tested any of this new audio equipment I mention as yet. Thanks for the response. Keep up the informative and interesting videos...

@michaelscott4439 Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong In my opinion the fuse is a really worthwhile rabbit hole - tremendous step forward.

@timothywood5333 Жыл бұрын

@@michaelscott4439 exciting. How so worthwhile? Are you able to perhaps part with some experience or knowledge or insight into this fuse caper? Or perhaps point me and others in a direction for more information...

@michaelscott4439 Жыл бұрын

@@timothywood5333 I replaced the standard fuse with a Gustard nano fuse, bringing a tremendous all round improvement. Stronger & more detailed bass, clearer treble and transparency, greater dynamics - most cost effective upgrade ever!

@briancampbell7712 Жыл бұрын

when i use the R26 LAN or USB I'm forced to raise the volume all the way up on my amplifier...this is not normal....If i switch inputs to my optical with the volume knob so high i could blow my speakers...I have the latest USB Driver and firmware 1v4 installed...what could be wrong...Please Help

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

The software on your computer must be changing the volume level then.

@briancampbell7712 Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong seem like it's okay now but yeah maybe that's it

@donanimdunyasi Жыл бұрын

You mentioned FPGA. what is the benefit of fpga thing for r26? Do you think r26 is similiar chord qutest?

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

An FPGA is just a programmable chip. They are used in audio DACs to program everything from the control functions of the DAC, to the digital filter designs. The R26 is totally unlike the Qutest.

@donanimdunyasi Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong thank you for response. So as audio quality, chord qutest or gustard R26? I am about to buy.

@kalakalaiand3343 Жыл бұрын

@@donanimdunyasi r26 is better across board compared to chord Qutest. X26 pro let alone is better than Chord qutest according to Golden sounds

@donanimdunyasi Жыл бұрын

thank you very much

@donanimdunyasi Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong but, R26 design has FPGA chips??

@gamingandmusic9217 6 ай бұрын

does R26 require burn in? how many hours? does it improve a lot?

@TriAmpHiFi Ай бұрын

. Is there some sort of Red-Line implied here?

@kuglepen64 Жыл бұрын

I’d love to know how many effective bits this (and other R2R) DAC is capable of outputting. I’m guessing it will be even less than an old 16 bit delta-sigma chip, so 13 perhaps?

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Miska from HQPlayer might have an idea, if he has tested one.

@LuckyX2 Жыл бұрын

It starts to lose linearity above 18 bits.

@cameronrector178 Жыл бұрын

ENoB R26 is 15.65bits. Pontus 2 is 14.6bits Terminator plus is 15.1bits. Musician Pegasus 15.8

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

Cheers! I expected about as much.

@LuckyX2 Жыл бұрын

@@cameronrector178 Where did you get these numbers? The measurements I found show the R26 is linear to about 105-110dB which is about 17-18 bits.

@Acura1NSX Жыл бұрын

Can I update my R26 Day on my MAC with this software?

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

The image for the built-in streamer can be flashed using Balena Etcher on a Mac. The system firmware uses a Windows program, so you need at least a Windows VM running which works well with USB.

@Acura1NSX Жыл бұрын

@Currawong So my question is do I need a PC which I do not have to load this silly software. I'm at a loss to understand why this can only be achieved with a pC. I guess Gustard thinks everyone is on a PC, lol.

@jaybrodnax Жыл бұрын

I tried the THY OCK-2 clock (highly regarded), and I could detect exactly zero difference

@b00m3rh4nd_sol Жыл бұрын

really? it is easy to A/B test and yes I can hear a difference

@jaybrodnax Жыл бұрын

@@b00m3rh4nd_sol I wish I could hear the difference. Maybe with a new cable. I did a "blind" test and could not hear any improvement

@milosCivejovidar Жыл бұрын

I would say that once you get to this price range for a DAC, then testing various options is like having a soup recipe and comparing how buying different brands of salt changes the taste.

@mariodrv Жыл бұрын

It gets better than this to about 10-15k.

@johncahill985 Жыл бұрын

I can understand why you didn't want to test with an external clock but if you want to bring the DAC to a similar playing field as the Rockna Waveliight a good clock can get you there for a lot less money

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

I'm skeptical, especially given that external clocks can easily make things worse. See here: goldensound.audio/2022/04/14/gustard-x26-pro-measurements-f20-firmware-10mhz-clock/

@johncahill985 Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong I been doing a bit of reading. With regards to external Clocks it depends on the implantation. You are right if it is taking over the Clock it is usually a backwards step but with the Gustard it is helping the internal clock using a similar method of DCS. which they have written a few papers on.

@joscallinet6260 Жыл бұрын

@@johncahill985 IMPLANTATION? Didn't you mean to say IMPLEMENTATION? When you need a pacemaker to even out and regulate your irregular and out-of-control heart rate, surgeons IMPLANT it in your body - that procedure is called a pacemaker IMPLANTATION. On the other hand, HOW an external clock is configured and connected to your DAC comes down to how it is IMPLEMENTED - the way it is designed and used.

@shelly6482 Жыл бұрын

So we put the dac back inside the PC?

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

If you listen to music on your phone via Apple Music, Amazon Music, KZfaq, Deezer, Qobuz or whichever service, then you're streaming music, and your phone is a "streamer".

@shelly6482 Жыл бұрын

@@Currawong Build many gaming/work computers all with differant motherboards and power supplys and always test them on my main 2 channel rig just to see if i can hear a change. The more expensive motherboards give you optical output cheap ones are just usb so many varables. Tried many smart phones also but i find the optical PC out into my musician pegasus sounds best. Smart phones sound bright to me.

@Acura1NSX Жыл бұрын

How can we get Gustard to release a firmware update to increase the tiny size of the menu screen? It is ridiculously small!

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

They already have.

@Acura1NSX Жыл бұрын

@Currawong Hi there, I sent an e-mail to Gustard support, this was their reply..... The text cannot be enlarged. No update firmware for this setting, thank you.

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

What I meant is, it's larger in the menu system with the latest firmware than in my video. But it will still be hard to read across a room.

@Acura1NSX Жыл бұрын

@Currawong Understood and yes it does look a lot better. I don't understand why Gustard was not aware of this firmware improvement.

@Spock105 Ай бұрын

As a non technical person : what happens if ' one resistor ' fails ? does the whole DAC then fail ? can they find that one faillure and repair or does it require to replace a whole board ?

@Currawong Ай бұрын

It's technically possible to replace a single resistor, if you knew the type and value. If they are custom high-precision resistors, then it'd be an issue. Usually though, the whole board would be replaced. That being said, depending on the location in the ladder, the increased distortion from a resistor failure might not be noticed at all.

@Spock105 Ай бұрын

@@Currawong Thx. So in essence , it could be an expensive repair and I guess there is for the moment not much info on how good these R2R dacs hold up in terms of reliability .

@Currawong Ай бұрын

Resistors are used all through electronics, and if they are going to fail, it's usually picked up during initial testing at the factory. So, the reliability of an R2R DAC will be the same as any other component.

@Spock105 Ай бұрын

@@Currawong except maybe that there are a lot , but a lot of resistors in a R2R dac compared to a chip based unit. Replacing a chip will take a lot less time then figuring out which resistor has failed and if it can be replaced or the whole board should be replaced which will cost I presume a lot more

@stoicar Жыл бұрын

Ifi neo stream is a lot better with super farad3 . A loootttt

@arrowzen7433 Жыл бұрын

I am just surprised that they put a BT receiver in this?…

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

For whatever reason, the Chinese manufacturers seem to consider it an important feature to have.

@mikelanier5617 Жыл бұрын

I love bluetooth for listening to audiobooks sent from a tablet (that is beside my chair) to R26 in my main system. Books sound better than ever and I still have pause, play, volume and rewind controls at my fingertips. The ONLY reason to use it for me as I stream music fromTidal over Lan, cd and dvd from Oppo 203 on coax and my TV on the optical input. Sounds fantastic on both rca and xlr ouputs. Love the sound I get from the R26 ❤

@kevinstarski1598 Жыл бұрын

Heard the USB sucks...

@Currawong Жыл бұрын

It indeed could be better.

@pjlett5688 Жыл бұрын

I find the Gustard very good sounding vs the competition ,to make it even more cohesive and natural Instal a better fusethe synergistic research purple fuse is very good , but theAudio magic -M1 fuse is better still a bit better image density and bass.never use the stock powercord it is rubbish , Buy something not too expensive like the Pangea awg14 sig MK2 for-under$200 u.s dollars and youhave a excellent dac and Roon end point.

@pjlett5688 Жыл бұрын

20 bit is all that is possible in truth no matter what they say .