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

[BShaw]

Thanks for the suggestion. Had the experiment. Since its easy for the FMC is on my rack.
Connected the 5V wallwart on a separate wall outlet and here are my (ears) findings:

Wallwart: Louder (2-3dB by a sound meter app), shoutier (a lot of upper midrange), congested.
Same LPS: Calmer, more full/balanced/natural sounding.
Other note: Level matched for SQ comparison

Questions: Why wallwart is louder? Maybe if I have two separate LPS?
Verdict: For now this is enough (current, same LPS). Will see if I have a proper setup in the future.

Music played: Stille Grender by Det Norske Jentekor (2020 2L, DXD) and Blue Coast Collection 4 (2020 Blue Coast Records, DSD256)
Related equipments are on my sig.

Nice album rec Mickey, love Tord Gustavson!
My amateur guess is you’re hearing the noise from the smps which accounts for the “congested” tone and upper mid boost, same way people sometimes think upper region noise sounds like brightness, etchiness, or even….definition. Not sure about the volume boost, is it possible that voltage deltas could cause this? Or maybe it’s also a byproduct of the extra noise…..what I mean is, maybe the wallwart is acting like a gain booster somehow, because it's running hotter than spec'd voltage?

 

[camrector]

Nice album rec Mickey, love Tord Gustavson!
My amateur guess is you’re hearing the noise from the smps which accounts for the “congested” tone and upper mid boost, same way people sometimes think upper region noise sounds like brightness, etchiness, or even….definition. Not sure about the volume boost, is it possible that voltage deltas could cause this? Or maybe it’s also a byproduct of the extra noise…..what I mean is, maybe the wallwart is acting like a gain booster somehow, because it's running hotter than spec'd voltage?

I was going to add that, then you edited lol
Double check voltages

 

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

Used the walwart came from the FMC. But will check.

Thanks and Happy Holidays again.

 

[camrector]

Thanks for the suggestion. Had the experiment. Since its easy for the FMC is on my rack.
Connected the 5V wallwart on a separate wall outlet and here are my (ears) findings:

Wallwart: Louder (2-3dB by a sound meter app), shoutier (a lot of upper midrange), congested.
Same LPS: Calmer, more full/balanced/natural sounding.
Other note: Level matched for SQ comparison

Questions: Why wallwart is louder? Maybe if I have two separate LPS?
Verdict: For now this is enough (current, same LPS). Will see if I have a proper setup in the future.

Music played: Stille Grender by Det Norske Jentekor (2020 2L, DXD) and Blue Coast Collection 4 (2020 Blue Coast Records, DSD256)
Related equipments are on my sig.

I’m currently riding out this Blizzard listening to Gunde, Bodilsen, Lund “Moods” 24/96 & Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio “Misty” for direct cutting DSD256
Its helping!

 

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

Any from TBM! Ah famous piano recordings at "Misty"...
Good luck on the blizzard...

Now I am really signing off...

 

[BShaw]

I’m currently riding out this Blizzard listening to Gunde, Bodilsen, Lund “Moods” 24/96 & Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio “Misty” for direct cutting DSD256
Its helping!

Love those TBM recordings! Misty ids my go to piano test disc

 

[camrector]

Love those TBM recordings! Misty ids my go to piano test disc

Mine is Kieth Jarret The Köln Concert

 

[kumar402]

Thanks for the suggestion. Had the experiment. Since its easy for the FMC is on my rack.
Connected the 5V wallwart on a separate wall outlet and here are my (ears) findings:

Wallwart: Louder (2-3dB by a sound meter app), shoutier (a lot of upper midrange), congested.
Same LPS: Calmer, more full/balanced/natural sounding.
Other note: Level matched for SQ comparison

Questions: Why wallwart is louder? Maybe if I have two separate LPS?
Verdict: For now this is enough (current, same LPS). Will see if I have a proper setup in the future.

Music played: Stille Grender by Det Norske Jentekor (2020 2L, DXD) and Blue Coast Collection 4 (2020 Blue Coast Records, DSD256)
Related equipments are on my sig.

Wallwart on dirty side shouldn't have any impact, right?

 

[camrector]

Wallwart on dirty side shouldn't have any impact, right?

Correct

 

[camrector]

Native DSD512,
DSD Direct on
Sounds incredible.
This is where this 1bit DSD Dac shines.

 

[Nada]

Wallwart on dirty side shouldn't have any impact, right?

Depends. Its not beyond rational conjecture that a cheap switch mode wallwart can radiate high level high frequency hash back up its power lead and contaminate the mains power. If the DAC is plugged in the same mains circuit and if the DAC has poor mains power filtering and has a DA that is sensitive to power hash, the sound could change. Dont expect an electrical engineer to take that seriously. A snort of derision would be an appropriate EE opinion. To test this hypothesis at home a blinded trial is in order. Expect it not to be discernible in most systems.

However plugging both fibre boxes into one power supply will nullify what is arguably the most important advantage: electrical isolation from the LAN. Ive seen multiple PCs blown by a lightening strike that got into the LAN at a uni with very good IT. Imagine what can happen in domestic settings. Imagine the whole stereo fried. Boards internally melted. Irreparable.

 

[Odezra]

Native DSD512,
DSD Direct on
Sounds incredible.
This is where this 1bit DSD Dac shines.

What modulator / filters are you using? I was on 512 and it’s excellent - you feel like you are in the same room and speakers melt away. However, with asdm7 / poly sinc gauss long for 1x / poly sinc gauss hires ip for nx at 48x512 on a Mac mini, the decay of instruments (eg guitar) is not as a realistic as pcm at 756 with same filters.

Would love to to find the clarity of the 512 dsd setting with the naturalness / timbre of the 768.

 

[Nada]

Would love to to find the clarity of the 512 dsd setting with the naturalness / timbre of the 768.

Try PGGB in Foobar for high tap PCM reconstruction.

 

[camrector]

What modulator / filters are you using? I was on 512 and it’s excellent - you feel like you are in the same room and speakers melt away. However, with asdm7 / poly sinc gauss long for 1x / poly sinc gauss hires ip for nx at 48x512 on a Mac mini, the decay of instruments (eg guitar) is not as a realistic as pcm at 756 with same filters.

Would love to to find the clarity of the 512 dsd setting with the naturalness / timbre of the 768.

This is just purely what the R26 offers.
Source is DSD512, then passed right to the 1bit DAC.

 

[Nada]

Source is DSD512

Yes but what do you use to get DSD512? What software and what hardware. Does your PC run hot and make fan noise?