[taipan254]

Let me break it down for you.
Your PGGB PCM enters your dac. It gets processed by 8x FIR. Then the same sample is copied 8 times and is fed through 3rd order IIR before being copied again 8 times and entering the modulator which produces a 1-bit DSD stream. This is converted to 32 (2^5) or 64 (2^6) bits at a time and sent to analog through those 32/64 conversion elements.
Your PGGB is gone brother.

Many things in the above quote are patently false.

If something is upsampled to 16fs (as it is with PGGB), it skips the FIR filtering in an ESS DAC. Also ESS datasheets do not explicitly state how many conversion elements they employ, but it is largely believed to be a multi-bit architecture of 5 to 8 bits, operating in the MHz range. Nothing is modulated to a 1 bit stream / DSD.

Clearly this guy is trolling. I hope no one takes his advice!

 

[Lucus]

What does JPlay do that Mconnect (for ex.) is not doing, apart a nicer/more comfortable sorting ability ?
...and that for 50€/year !

 

[camrector]

Many things in the above quote are patently false.

If something is upsampled to 16fs (as it is with PGGB), it skips the FIR filtering in an ESS DAC. Also ESS datasheets do not explicitly state how many conversion elements they employ, but it is largely believed to be a multi-bit architecture of 5 to 8 bits, operating in the MHz range. Nothing is modulated to a 1 bit stream / DSD.

Clearly this guy is trolling. I hope no one takes his advice!

Ok sorry let me fix it.
“Your PCM enters your dac. It gets processed by 8x FIR, unless you use PGGB upsampled to a 16fs rate then it ONLY skips the 8x FIR stage, then the sample is copied 8 times and is fed through 3rd order IIR before being copied again 8 times and entering the modulator which produces a 1-bit DSD stream. This is converted to 32 (2^5) or 64 (2^6) bits at a time and sent to analog through those 32/64 conversion elements.
Your PGGB is gone brother.”
There fixed
You can’t say the ESS datasheets do not explicitly state this. One can find this info anywhere online. Read the data sheets, instead of trying to discredit someone with your “beliefs”/speculation.

 

[AxelCloris]

Mod Comment: let's please keep things on topic, friendly - or at the very least civil - and within our Posting Guidelines. Let's please focus on the DAC-A26 here in the thread.

[Edit] For a quick reminder, the ignore button is always available and in my opinion can lead to a dramatically better experience on any site where the option is available. Simply hover over anyone's username and click "ignore" to hide their posts on the forums. Please feel free to use it as you see fit.

Thank you to everyone who has been keeping the thread related to the DAC-A26 and our experiences with it. We appreciate it. If anyone has comments regarding moderation please feel free to PM me rather than posting in the thread. Thanks all.

 

[bogi]

Also ESS datasheets do not explicitly state how many conversion elements they employ, but it is largely believed to be a multi-bit architecture of 5 to 8 bits

Number of equally weighted conversion elements corresponding to so called 6bit sigma delta DAC is 2^6 = 64. That "6bit" is only a convention to tell that there are 64 elements. It does not tell about modulator output.

Nothing is modulated to a 1 bit stream / DSD.

Modulator output can be 1bit and serial to parallel conversion can be used to feed for example 64 conversion elements out of modulator output. That is happening at modulator rate (FIFO buffer principle). Search on web for Signalyst DSC1 open source DAC schematics. It does it this way too.

According to available sources of information camrector is true about ESS DACs architecture.

 

[taipan254]

I've moved the ESS / upsampling conversation here as to not derail / move attention away from the A26 thread for all those that want to follow along.

 

[sendler2112]

My new Acer Nitro laptop with RJ-45 (i7 13th/ Nvidia RTX 4060/ 16 GB DDR5-$950, cheap Cat6 cable) Is playing local files from the harddrive and connecting Qobuz through Roon out through HQPlayer desktop5. But only through USB. I can select the DSD Direct and LAN setting in the A26 menu which then displays "LAN DSD 25.4M".

But no sound, And after a few seconds, The read out changes to say "LAN PCM 48k" and no sound.
The DSD direct selection is enabled.

The HQP input is set to none but Roon is finding HQP as its output device and the sound plays and shows the selected upsampled rate on the DAC if I use PCM through USB.

Drag and drop to the HQP upsampled to 384/ 32 using whatever default filter settings and out through USB does sound slightly better than playing the same 24/192 WAV file from Foobar ASIO. The difference is slight but noticeable so I bought the HQP license. Streaming the same file from Qobuz through Roon using the same upsampling is still a step down in transparency even with the HQP processing. But I do 80% of my casual listening from Qobuz and will undoubtedly start using some of the excellent EQ in HQP so I will probably end up keeping Roon also since it can seamlessly route Qobuz through HQP.

The filter PSG Long does sound considerably better than PSG short I tried just to see (hear) and the processing is having no trouble keeping up apparently as the cooling fan in the laptop never even blairs. CUDA GPU sharing is selected.

Here is the screen showing Direct SDM box is checked.

The player field shows mode SDM but play does not begin and sometimes locks up the program because the output screen does not see the Gustarenderer as an option. The device field is blank from choices when I select "NetworkAudioAdapter".
This is a fairly new A26 with DAC firmware version 115_131_247. Is it possible it still didn't come with the latest LAN firmware? Or is there some other setting I have wrong?

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Output Config???

 

[camrector]

My new Acer Nitro laptop with RJ-45 (i7 13th/ Nvidia RTX 4060/ 16 GB DDR5-$950, cheap Cat6 cable) Is playing local files from the harddrive and connecting Qobuz through Roon out through HQPlayer desktop5. But only through USB. I can select the DSD Direct and LAN setting in the A26 menu which then displays "LAN DSD 25.4M".



But no sound, And after a few seconds, The read out changes to say "LAN PCM 48k" and no sound.
The DSD direct selection is enabled.



The HQP input is set to none but Roon is finding HQP as its output device and the sound plays and shows the selected upsampled rate on the DAC if I use PCM through USB.



Drag and drop to the HQP upsampled to 384/ 32 using whatever default filter settings and out through USB does sound slightly better than playing the same 24/192 WAV file from Foobar ASIO. The difference is slight but noticeable so I bought the HQP license. Streaming the same file from Qobuz through Roon using the same upsampling is still a step down in transparency even with the HQP processing. But I do 80% of my casual listening from Qobuz and will undoubtedly start using some of the excellent EQ in HQP so I will probably end up keeping Roon also since it can seamlessly route Qobuz through HQP.



The filter PSG Long does sound considerably better than PSG short I tried just to see (hear) and the processing is having no trouble keeping up apparently as the cooling fan in the laptop never even blairs. CUDA GPU sharing is selected.



Here is the screen showing Direct SDM box is checked.



The player field shows mode SDM but play does not begin and sometimes locks up the program because the output screen does not see the Gustarenderer as an option. The device field is blank from choices when I select "NetworkAudioAdapter".
This is a fairly new A26 with DAC firmware version 115_131_247. Is it possible it still didn't come with the latest LAN firmware? Or is there some other setting I have wrong?

Couple of your settings are off
Input Section should be blank

Output section should look like this

SDM section like this

 

[camrector]

The direct SDM is for how Hqplayer handles being sent tracks that are DSD already

Did you link your Roon to your HQplayer?
Also set the DSD filter to “Wide” on the A26

 

[sendler2112]

Couple of Output section should look like this

When I select NAA IPv6 the device field is blank from any choices. Cheap Cat6 cable from laptop to A26. Is the R26 Gustarender 1.43 firmware the same as for the A26? I have the file ready to be loaded with balenaEtcher if this is a risk free thing to try. I have yet to be able to identify which renderer firmware is installed.

 

[camrector]

When I select NAA IPv6 the device field is blank from any choices. Cheap Cat6 cable from laptop to A26. Is the R26 Gustarender 1.43 firmware the same as for the A26? I have the file ready to be loaded with balenaEtcher if this is a risk free thing to try. I have yet to be able to identify which renderer firmware is installed.

Your A26 should be good to go firmware wise. Roon HQPlayer Qobuz worked from day 1
Have you selected HQplayer as your Output device in Roon?

Make sure you are sharing the Ethernet signal with the A26 from your laptop as well.

The LAN input must be selected too on the A26

 

[camrector]

On Roon make sure that HQP is selected from your audio zones page.

Then this is the signal path

 

[sendler2112]

HQP is selected as the output device in the Roon App. Roon plays Harddisk files and streams Qobuz through HQP with no problem as verified that this is what the signal path is by the readout on the DAC stating that it is receiving PCM 384.
When playing files that are dropped directly into the HQP App they will play correctly even before I loaded Roon. But only via USB. In this case Roon is never in the picture. When I select NAA IPv6 output in HQP the device box never has any options in it. Is there a setting in Windows to tell it to allow the LAN? I just noticed that the read out on the A26 screen behaves the same when I select LAN whether the RJ-45 is connected to the laptop or not. It cycles through the same statements 1, 2, 3. stating LAN DSD 24.5m, then LAN PCM 44.1K, then stays on LAN PCM 48K.

 

[camrector]

When I select NAA IPv6 output in HQP the device box never has any options in it. Is there a setting in Windows to tell it to allow the LAN? I just noticed that the read out on the A26 screen behaves the same when I select LAN whether the RJ-45 is connected to the laptop or not. It cycles through the same statements 1, 2, 3. stating LAN DSD 24.5m, then LAN PCM 44.1K, then stays on LAN PCM 48K

Yes that means that the A26 isn’t connected
You need to have an Enable Internet Connection Sharing in windows if you are going directly from the PC.

You could just hook a Ethernet from your router or switch connected to your network as well.