GUSTARD DAC-R26 Balanced Decoder R2R+1Bit Dual Native Decoding Music Bridge

[Forgisound]

Tried removing plug on DAC and reattach again?
Restarting Windows?

OK, I did it. Now I have Gustarender 1v4. There is still an upgrade for the DAC. Does it change functionality?

 

[migo]

OK, I did it. Now I have Gustarender 1v4. There is still an upgrade for the DAC. Does it change functionality?

There is no change log I've not found anything new with upgraded DAC FW.

 

[migo]

News???

Have you connected usb cable do your DAC?

 

[Forgisound]

I am now trying to install the system firmware. Windows found the port, but no progress. The DAC is turned off, and the counter power is on.

 

[Forgisound]

I managed to install the system firmware dated 11/15/2022. But now again Roon does not see the DAC through the LAN input. So far it has worked.

 

[Forgisound]

I reinstalled the renderer firmware again. Now everything works and both firmwares are updated. So, if after updating the system firmware the LAN port does not work, you need to reinstall the renderer firmware.

 

[sbogdanovs]

I reinstalled the renderer firmware again. Now everything works and both firmwares are updated. So, if after updating the system firmware the LAN port does not work, you need to reinstall the renderer firmware.

Yes, experienced the same

 

[VintageAudio]

Treble on R26 isn't rolled. And I doubt you think it is either, you're just using the incorrect word.
Whan a frequency is "rolled" it means it's rolling off into non-existence, literally cannot be heard.

Typically this is a phrase very commonly used for bass, because many speakers "roll" off at 60/50/40/30hz etc....

R26 has full treble extension to 20khz.

Now, R26 does lack a leading edge to the treble, or lacks sharp treble.
It actually does have treble sparkle, (X26 did not) but the treble is neutral to maybe a touch on the warmer side.

R26 also has good treble air (X26 does not), this is something that is within the broad category of stage (stage width, depth, spatial placement, separation between elements, a sense of things having space).

A great juxtopistion is my Antelope Zodiac. It also has air, width, depth, great separation, but the treble's tonal density is thin, and it has a sharp leading edge.
(Zodiac is a technical monster, I just don't like it's tonality unless very carefully synergized).

To cap this off with some tube talk, because I love tubes

A great example of real treble roll is 300B tubes, by design they inherently have just a touch of it (some brands more than others).
Pentodes generally do not have treble roll, they really get all the way up there.

And this is why Elrog 300B is very appealing to some people, it's not actually a 300B tube. It's a tube made to run at exactly 300B specifications, but the internal structure is changed to be more akin to a 2A3. Thus the Elrog 300B extends all the way up.

As always ymmv, just ime/imo

EDIT:
Almost forgot, I wouldn't say his review directly corresponds to what I think of R26, but again this is mostly because his audio vocabulary is trash.
You can't extrapolate any nuance from his review with his nebulous statements.

I take the reviews for what they'r worth - everyone uses different terminology, it's not an exact science. I get the general feeling he's describing and just cross reference it with what other reviews say and hear. Heck, I don't know what most of these audiophile words mean - I just a get a fuzzy idea of it based on its context married with my own experiences.

 

[VintageAudio]

I currently have a M1 MBP > USB to Douk Audio DDC with Femto Clocks > HDMI cable > I2S on Musician Pegasus (with upgraded fuses) > Bakoon Amp 13R and then to Buchardt S400 MK2 and Hifiman Susvara.

Thinking about upgrading to the Gustard R26.

I mainly use it for music on Youtube, occasionally with FLAC files from personal collection, Airplay and Bluetooth. Less boxes the better.

Current systems sounds great - holographic, big soundstage, full bodied sound etc...

Will R26 work with the Douk Audio DDC? Anyone share experiences?

Thanks

 

[VanHai]

I currently have a M1 MBP > USB to Douk Audio DDC with Femto Clocks > HDMI cable > I2S on Musician Pegasus (with upgraded fuses) > Bakoon Amp 13R and then to Buchardt S400 MK2 and Hifiman Susvara.

Thinking about upgrading to the Gustard R26.

I mainly use it for music on Youtube, occasionally with FLAC files from personal collection, Airplay and Bluetooth. Less boxes the better.

Current systems sounds great - holographic, big soundstage, full bodied sound etc...

Will R26 work with the Douk Audio DDC? Anyone share experiences?

Thanks

I run my system with Douk Audio I2S to R26, working beautifully and no problem at all.

 

[Halby9000]

Have you connected usb cable do your DAC?

I wanted to know about the elimination of stuttering during playback from LAN....

 

[migo]

I wanted to know about the elimination of stuttering during playback from LAN....

Yes I know, but I've asked something Do you have always connected USB cable to your R26? Disconnecting it resolves for me majority of stuttering. Only let LAN cable connected and output off-course. I don't know if unterminated USB input cable causes some disturbance to R26, but for me removing it had positive effect on playback stuttering.

R26 SoC have only 128MB RAM and Roon integration consumes half of it when idle. When observing stuttering I see large RAM page swapping to swap space on SD-CARD and this is slow. So I've disabled Roon integration in R26 to save free RAM and installed Tidal connect. With playing through Tidal app directly to R26 was so far without any stuttering, not single one for four days now... I can make flash-able image when interested...

 

[Halby9000]

I wanted to know about the elimination of stuttering during playback from LAN....

Yes I know, but I've asked something Do you have always connected USB cable to your R26? Disconnecting it resolves for me majority of stuttering. Only let LAN cable connected and output off-course. I don't know if unterminated USB input cable causes some disturbance to R26, but for me removing it had positive effect on playback stuttering.

R26 SoC have only 128MB RAM and Roon integration consumes half of it when idle. When observing stuttering I see large RAM page swapping to swap space on SD-CARD and this is slow. So I've disabled Roon integration in R26 to save free RAM and installed Tidal connect. With playing through Tidal app directly to R26 was so far without any stuttering, not single one for four days now... I can make flash-able image when interested...

Hi, I don't have any usb cable connected to the R26. I only use the Lan input with 5m Cat7 cable. I listen to Qobuz with BubbleupNp. The stuttering occurs especially at the start of playback...then goes away for a while....haven't done any updates yet though. I have Gustarender v1.3 streaming firmware and system software from June 2022...If I could listen to Qobuz without BubbleupNp maybe it would be better...

 

[migo]

Hi, I don't have any usb cable connected to the R26. I only use the Lan input with 5m Cat7 cable. I listen to Qobuz with BubbleupNp. The stuttering occurs especially at the start of playback...then goes away for a while....haven't done any updates yet though. I have Gustarender v1.3 streaming firmware and system software from June 2022...If I could listen to Qobuz without BubbleupNp maybe it would be better...

Unf. I cant try Qobuz, it is not supported here in Slovakia.

 

[Dandoudou]

Today @roberto2 and his friend, Michel, came to my home to compare the OCK-1 with the OCK-2. We had the impression that both clocks sound good, but did not compare a lot between them. Instead, we made some comparisons between the sound of the LAN input of the Gustard R26, and its sound with the Audio-GD DI-20HE.

TEST 1
We compared the two following setups:

1/
Mac (Roon > 384 kHz upsample) > RAAT > RBi4 Host (GentooPlayer, Diretta Host) > Diretta protocol over fiber > EtherREGEN (+ 10 mHz) > Cat.7 > Allo USBridge Sig (GentooPlayer, Diretta Target) > USB > iFi iGalvanic 3 > USB > Audio-GD DI-20HE (+ 10 mHz) > I2S > Gustard R26

2/
Mac (Roon > 768 kHz upsample) > RAAT over fiber > EtherREGEN (+ 10 mHz) > Cat.7 > Gustard R26 (+ 10 mHz)

In each of these setups, two devices were connected to the 10 mHz clock.
We all considered that the sound of setup with the LAN input was more resolving, and much more impressive. It’s surprising how good this input of the R26 sounds.

TEST 2
Then, we made a new comparison, but this time we connected three devices of the setup of the DI-20HE to the 10 mHz clock:

1/
Mac (Roon > 384 kHz upsample) > RAAT > RBi4 Host (GentooPlayer, Diretta Host) > Diretta protocol over fiber > EtherREGEN (+ 10 mHz) > Cat.7 > Allo USBridge Sig (GentooPlayer, Diretta Target) > USB > iFi iGalvanic 3 > USB > Audio-GD DI-20HE (+ 10 mHz) > I2S > Gustard R26 (+ 10 mHz)

2/
Mac (Roon > 768 kHz upsample) > RAAT over fiber > EtherREGEN (+ 10 mHz) > Cat.7 > Gustard R26 (+ 10 mHz)

This time, we all considered that the two setups sound as good, though their sound was different. The setup with the LAN input of the R26 was more resolving. But the setup with the DI-20HE was more relaxing, it had an Audio-GD kind of sound.

After that, we listened to my old Pegasus DAC with the setup of the DI-20HE. And its sound was also very good. It did not disappoint in comparison to the R26.

@roberto2 kindly lent me his OCK-2 and his BNC cables to compare with my OCK-1.
I will take the time to do it, and I will report if I make interesting findings.