No Deal
100+ Head-Fier
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Yes. Thank you. PlusSound.
GUSTARD DAC-R26 Balanced Decoder R2R+1Bit Dual Native Decoding Music Bridge
- Thread starter m-i-c-k-e-y
- Start date
nicks25
Head-Fier
I finally sold my Denafrips Ares II and opticalRendu! Now I just need to decide between the R26 and A26. Have always owned R2R DACs so the A26 would be a different direction for me.
Try it for 30 days and if you don’t like it return it for the R26.
Make sure you let us know!!!
@nicks25 I was about to suggest getting both and keeping the one you prefer. I did this with an AK4499 (prev gen) SMSL VMV D2 vs the R26. Although it cost a few bob in return shipping to France (I can recommend Audiophonics' customer service) it was a great learning experience that meant I'm not dying wondering whether the velvet sound of a quality AK4499 implementation would've been a better match than quality R2R for my then bright-leaning system. Soundnews rated both highly, but the R26 higher.
It quickly became clear the R26 had the edge on all fronts, even DSD. The D2 was a little too smooth and sweet, a touch veiled, just generally less dynamic I put down in part to its op amp output stage.
I'm sure for multiple reasons the A26 will be a completely different AKM beast, certainly judging by Tharbamar's reaction, though one swallow doesn't make a summer. It'd be really interesting to compare them in optimized setups where both are given the best opportunity to do what they do best... eg. clean network feed, internal streamer and/or external clock
nicks25
Head-Fier
I will probably purchase from Shenzenaudio. I didn't realize they had a 30 day return policy so that could work out perfectly. bodiebill2 (A26 Impressions thread) has purchased the A26 and said he needs a couple more weeks to complete the break-in but initial impressions are positive. He is comparing to an Audio-GD R8HE Mk2. I will probably make my decision this weekend. I have already ordered the OCK-1/BNC cable and the fiber optic components. Makes for an exciting hobby. Thanks to all of you for your assistance the last couple of weeks!
Nice work on the pre-aquisitions! And yeah I reckon Bodiebill will be particularly well placed to judge the A26 vs an optimized high quality R2R (if not the R26 itself) as from recollection alongside the R8HE he has the DI-20HE DDC and an upper end Afterdark clock. I believe he also bought the SMSL D2 but returned it because of DSD I2S pin incompatibility with the DI20...
Cool re Shenzen, I've bought a few things from them, just never tested their return policy.
Cool re Shenzen, I've bought a few things from them, just never tested their return policy.
Bodiebill will also compare the A26 to his Merging Hapi with Ravenna.
Just imagine if the A26 outperforms the Hapi…
Sound Eq
Headphoneus Supremus
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I am interested in this dac, I see it has 5v output on XLR, while some other dacs have 10v, is this dac a good choice to connect it to an amp such as nirvana or cfa3 to drive susvara.I had the enleum amp 23r and ifi I dsd pro before and I always felt I had to push the ifi dsd pro to 10 v to give a great sound with that combo and susvara
migo
500+ Head-Fier
I had R26 connected to CFA3 for a 3 weeks. Technically it works, sound was OK, but R26 lacked finest details in crowded orchestral recordings with Susvara. Like instruments playing in background with lower intensity/volume was veiled. I've returned to X26Pro. YMMV as always.
Deleeh
Headphoneus Supremus
Since you are located in the US, the return policy may be delayed if you have to send it back to China.
So it might be inconvenient for you if you want to test both inputs to make a decision.
Rather, see if there is a US dealer to avoid the hassle and get a better return policy.
Nothing against Shenzenaudio, they are okay.
If you really want to take a full risk, look at Hifigo, as they take care of customs clearance and also have the R26.
Personally I have seen on Youtube that the R26 seems more relaxed than the A26, at least that was my impression.
Certain details were also better, even down to the vocal range.
It's definitely not a reference but I found it audible.
duffer5
100+ Head-Fier
So, who leaves the R26 on 24/7? I have a mind block on doing such a thing but I am starting to become convinced it is a necessity for the R26. Thoughts?
Deleeh
Headphoneus Supremus
Hello,
I have written to support asking about this.
In order for the first 200 hours to burn in, I will leave the unit on most of the time and turn it off occasionally to recover.
That is what I have decided for myself.
I usually do this when replacing capacitors or new units.
Gustard replied to the question and wrote me that you can switch it off and leave it on standby for at least an hour before use or even completely.
So that it "warms up".
So it looks like there is no need to leave the devices switched on all the time.
I got a similarly answer from Denafrips support.
In the end, I would say everyone should test it for themselves and decide how they feel about it.
Here is the text of my question.
My question:
They say that you should often leave the R2R Dac on standby and not switch it off completely, is this also true for the R26?
If so, what is the approximate lead time for it to come back on?
There are days when I listen to a lot of music and then again a few days.
Answer from Gustard under this item.
Gustard's answer:
Keep the machine running so you don't have to wait for it to warm up.
If the power is completely turned off, it takes about half an hour to an hour to enter the state.
As you can see, everything is less dramatic than it actually is.
In the end, everyone decides for themselves what they want to do.
For me personally, I won't leave the whole thing switched on if I know I'm not listening to music for various reasons.
If one hour is not enough, you can always extend it by another hour.
I have written to support asking about this.
In order for the first 200 hours to burn in, I will leave the unit on most of the time and turn it off occasionally to recover.
That is what I have decided for myself.
I usually do this when replacing capacitors or new units.
Gustard replied to the question and wrote me that you can switch it off and leave it on standby for at least an hour before use or even completely.
So that it "warms up".
So it looks like there is no need to leave the devices switched on all the time.
I got a similarly answer from Denafrips support.
In the end, I would say everyone should test it for themselves and decide how they feel about it.
Here is the text of my question.
My question:
They say that you should often leave the R2R Dac on standby and not switch it off completely, is this also true for the R26?
If so, what is the approximate lead time for it to come back on?
There are days when I listen to a lot of music and then again a few days.
Answer from Gustard under this item.
Gustard's answer:
Keep the machine running so you don't have to wait for it to warm up.
If the power is completely turned off, it takes about half an hour to an hour to enter the state.
As you can see, everything is less dramatic than it actually is.
In the end, everyone decides for themselves what they want to do.
For me personally, I won't leave the whole thing switched on if I know I'm not listening to music for various reasons.
If one hour is not enough, you can always extend it by another hour.
nicks25
Head-Fier
Thank you for the feedback! I could purchase through Amazon but would prefer to avoid the sales tax. Apos Audio is another option. In terms of your comparison between the R26 and A26, do you own the R26 and listened to the A26 on Youtube?
labeelen
100+ Head-Fier
In
After the burn-in I left it in stand-by and I am perfectly happy with the sound the moment I switch it on (from stand-by)
vinylvalet
Member of the Trade: Big Ear Stereo, The Vinyl Valet
It's necessary for all solid state gear to be left on 24/7, especially digital, to sound it's best unless you are traveling. It will last longer as well especially if you have a good surge suppression/conditioning unit in your main panel like this:
Whole House Surge/Conditioning/Waveform Correction
Whole House Surge/Conditioning/Waveform Correction
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