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

[Jake2]

I upsampled a16-44 track to DSD512, and there was no pop both with AOR ticked and not ticked.
HQP rate limit being rate at 48 x512.

Terrific, thanks!

That what I was expecting/hoping with all the positive feedback of you and others moving to v1.4 re no popping, but nice to have the specific confirmation re that scenario which I think was likely the problem area and so different Adaptive Output Rate settings / rate family combinations of different V1.3 users may explain why some had popping and others didn't. All an historical footnote now with v1.4 anyway. V1.4 here we come...

 

[mgsu]

For those of you getting any pops or crackles on dsd direct and haven’t had any joy with the firmware update - I have what I think is a resolution. It’s for Roon / hq users on Mac.

I haven’t done the firmware update and this is working consistently for me.

1) set up roon/hq player as per normal and set r26 to dsd direct
2) open the HQPDcontrol app for iOS and select the settings icon and change the file rate from auto to the max file rate you are after
3) play music in roon

This works consistently for me. When HQplayer is set to auto I get a crack every time the playlist starts (but not when cycling through tracks in the playlist).

Another side benefit is that for me anyway, depending on the file sample / bit rates, the auto selection will sometimes not reach the highest possible upsampling rate, but changing it on the iOS app (from auto to the maximum) seems to always ensure all file types reach the max file rate selected. There could be a way to do this in the HQP desktop app but I have not found it or understand it well enough. So have been using the desktop app / iOS app together to achieve this. Not elegant but works.

When you select max sample rate in roon, roon upsamples all files to 768kHz which is not ideal because 768 : 44,1 = 17,41. (Odd number)

For best SQ in roon you should always select "max sample rate to the power of 2" = 705,6kHz :44,1 = 16x sample rate.

 

[Dandoudou]

When you select max sample rate in roon, roon upsamples all files to 768kHz which is not ideal because 768 : 44,1 = 17,41. (Odd number)

For best SQ in roon you should always select "max sample rate to the power of 2" = 705,6kHz :44,1 = 16x sample rate.

The rates should be set indeed manually with the players. I do it with Roon, JRiver, and Origin.
Only HQPlayer upsamples the files automatically to the right frequencies. The 44.1 multiples to 705, and the 48 multiples to 768. It also does it automatically for the DSD upsampling.

 

[Dandoudou]

I received the OpticalModule Deluxe 2 a few days ago. It replaced in my setup a generic TP Link SFP FMC. Now, I'm using it together with EtherREGEN.
The sound is indeed more refined, more analog like, with audiophile grade FMCs on both sides of the fiber.

I use them in my setup like this:

Generic switch (powered by Shanti, and to which are connected the Mac and the NUC GentooPlayer/Diretta Host) > Cat.6 > OpticalModule v2 (powered by Shanti) > Fiber > EtherREGEN (+ OCK-1) (powered by Audiophonics LPSU200) > Cat.7 > DIY Audiophile Switch (powered by Audiophonics LPSU200) > Cat.7 > R26 // Allo USBridge Sig.

 

[Jake2]

I received the OpticalModule Deluxe 2 a few days ago. It replaced in my setup a generic TP Link SFP FMC. Now, I'm using it together with EtherREGEN.
The sound is indeed more refined, more analog like, with audiophile grade FMCs on both sides of the fiber.

I use them in my setup like this:

Generic switch (powered by Shanti, and to which are connected the Mac and the NUC GentooPlayer/Diretta Host) > Cat.6 > OpticalModule v2 (powered by Shanti) > Fiber > EtherREGEN (+ OCK-1) (powered by Audiophonics LPSU200) > Cat.7 > DIY Audiophile Switch (powered by Audiophonics LPSU200) > Cat.7 > R26 // Allo USBridge Sig.

Interesting. Makes me even more tempted to try something like the Teradak, and/or maybe an ER2 or an SW-10. probably just a couple of Teradaks for now.

One qn, why do you have a switch after the ER? I'd have thought you'd want to have the switch with best clock (presumably the externally clocked ER?) closest to your DAC/streamer?

 

[Jake2]

This is interesting. What’s confusing me still is that I get no popping across 44.1 or 48. In HQP on desktop - it’s set to dsd 44.1 x 512, but on the iOS app I change that 24576000.

So @Odezra I just upgraded to Gustarender v1.4 following @Dandoudou 's guide. Froze first time in the decompression step, but just restarted and it worked seamlessly.

Now on v1.4 the good news is no blips/noise with HQP DSD so far at all...in particular none on 44.1khz rate family.

Really should've gotten onto this earlier.

 

[Dandoudou]

Interesting. Makes me even more tempted to try something like the Teradak, and/or maybe an ER2 or an SW-10. probably just a couple of Teradaks for now.

One qn, why do you have a switch after the ER? I'd have thought you'd want to have the switch with best clock (presumably the externally clocked ER?) closest to your DAC/streamer?

I'm using the A side of the ER for the SFP module, and it has a single RJ45 out on the B side.
I need two RJ45 outputs. One for the R26. One for the Allo USBridge that is connected to the DI-20HE. This way, I can switch between the streamer of the R26 and the DI20 with the input selector of the R26.

I did not test yet if adding or removing the DIY audiophile switch changes the sound. I'll try it later.

 

[Jake2]

I'm using the A side of the ER for the SFP module, and it has a single RJ45 out on the B side.
I need two RJ45 outputs. One for the R26. One for the Allo USBridge that is connected to the DI-20HE. This way, I can switch between the streamer of the R26 and the DI20 with the input selector of the R26.

I did not test yet if adding or removing the DIY audiophile switch changes the sound. I'll try it later.

So your reply prompted me to try something that occurred to me whilst on holiday.

Since I got the SW-8 I've had it setup as the hub to which everything else connects by cat 5/6 ethenet cable:
- R26
- Mac Mini M1
- TV streamer /renderer
- generic wifi router w SMPS (I know, need to insert FMCs here at least )

It sounds most excellent. Even the TV much better. But conventional wisdom seems to to be have a minimised number of 'clean' ethernet connections to the end switch to which the music streamer connects (preferably just the streamer I think). So theoretically one should move the noisy computer/server further away, connect it upstream instead. But it occurred to me what if the computer and the software running on it (Roon/HQP) were able to perform better by virtue of being connected to a high quality switch.

So I unlugged the Mac Mini ethernet cable from rhe SW-8 and plugged it directly into my router instead. Twas as I suspected - rather than a reduction in noise by moving the Mac further away, it was the opposite. A flatter sound, both macro and micro-dynamics flattened a lot, less sense of space, quite a bit more glare, and just less overall life, rhythm and tempo to the sound. Switching the Mini's ethernet cable back and forth between the SW-8 and the router reinforced this. One was super musical with an organic feel and foot tappingly engaging, the other not so much, though still 'hifi' it was comparatively a little brittle and lightweight, certainly more digital sounding.

Bit unfair to pit my generic router against the SW-8 in this respect, but then many would say it shouldn't even matter. But it does. And not just a little.

 

[Dandoudou]

So your reply prompted me to try something that occurred to me whilst on holiday.

Since I got the SW-8 I've had it setup as the hub to which everything else connects by cat 5/6 ethenet cable:
- R26
- Mac Mini M1
- TV streamer /renderer
- generic wifi router w SMPS (I know, need to insert FMCs here at least )

It sounds most excellent. Even the TV much better. But conventional wisdom seems to to be have a minimised number of 'clean' ethernet connections to the end switch to which the music streamer connects (preferably just the streamer I think). So theoretically one should move the noisy computer/server further away, connect it upstream instead. But it occurred to me what if the computer and the software running on it (Roon/HQP) could perform better by virtue of being connected to a high quality switch

So I moved the Mac Mini ethernet cable to connect to my router instead. Twas as I suspected - a flatter sound, both macro and micro-dynamics flattened a lot, quite a bit more glare, and just less overall life, rhythm and tempo to the sound. Switching the Mini's ethernet cable back and forth between the SW-8 and the router reinforced this. One was super musical with an organic feel and foot tappingly engaging, the other not so much, though still 'hifi' it was comparatively a little brittle and lightweight, certainly more digital sounding.

Bit unfair to pit my generic router against the SW-8 in this respect, but then many would say it shouldn't even matter. But it does. And not just a little.

I avoid streaming from the computer through the router.
Diretta recommends officially to avoid the router for a best sound quality. Of course, if I play Qobuz, the files are streamed to the computer from the router, and then the sound is streamed from the computer to the endpoint.

To avoid the router, I use a generic switch to which are connected the Mac, The Host, the Optical Module, and the router.
The connection of the router to this switch is necessary to allocate IP addresses to the devices, and to stream music from Qobuz to the Mac.
But since the Mac streams through this switch, the sound goes to the Host without passing through the router. Then the Host streams it to the streamer, and again the sound does not pass through the router. It goes instead to the OM, from there through fiber to the ER, to the DIY switch that, I'm using as a hub for the audio gear, and then to the streamer.

The fiber creates an isolation between all the audio gear, and the remaining of the LAN.
And it's better for the sound to not connect any devices of the dirty side of the LAN (TV, computer, etc…) to the hub of the clean side.
All the devices of the clean side are powered by LPS to keep the noise floor low, and are connected to the same electrical strip.

 

[Jake2]

Cheers, yes I need to try another switch with LPS upstream, which will surely be better than the router. Still, the magnitude of the difference makes me wonder whether the server will still perform relatively and audibly worse if connected to an inferior switch to the SW-8. I appreciate the principles of isolation you outlined, but I get such great improvements with Netflix/HBO etc through direct connection to the SW-8, I'm not willing to give them up by connecting it to another switch that's not as good. The TV is always off when I'm listening to music which may explain why I don't notice any detrimental impact from the TV/SW'8 connection.

 

[Dandoudou]

You need to add the FMCs to your setup and an additional switch in order to try to find which connections give you the most satisfying result for your usage.
As a generic switch, someone recommended a Netgear that I forgot the reference on one of the threads.

 

[duffer5]

I welcome your input on why the improvement???

This group / thread has been so helpful. So I have been on the fence, do I or don't I get an external preamp. Well, I remembered that my Class A Oppo HA-1 headphone amp / preamplifier had a high quality preamp built in and decided to use my ACTIVE speakers via that HA-1. Well lo and behold when I set the r26 to fixed volume output and controlled the volume via the HA-1 (which is an analog control knob) with connected active speakers via xlr my sound jumped a level in the best way possible. I have attached a description of the HA-1 circuitry and the preamp specifications.

I welcome your input on why the improvement??? Kinda dumbfounded once again. Almost as much as I was with the FMC upgrade. How can this be and thank you in advance for educating a newbie.

R26 feeding the HA-1 Class A discrete headphone amp / preamplifier via xlr analog in.
HA-1 feeding Active speakers via XLR out.

 

[Odezra]

So your reply prompted me to try something that occurred to me whilst on holiday.

Since I got the SW-8 I've had it setup as the hub to which everything else connects by cat 5/6 ethenet cable:
- R26
- Mac Mini M1
- TV streamer /renderer
- generic wifi router w SMPS (I know, need to insert FMCs here at least )

It sounds most excellent. Even the TV much better. But conventional wisdom seems to to be have a minimised number of 'clean' ethernet connections to the end switch to which the music streamer connects (preferably just the streamer I think). So theoretically one should move the noisy computer/server further away, connect it upstream instead. But it occurred to me what if the computer and the software running on it (Roon/HQP) were able to perform better by virtue of being connected to a high quality switch.

So I unlugged the Mac Mini ethernet cable from rhe SW-8 and plugged it directly into my router instead. Twas as I suspected - rather than a reduction in noise by moving the Mac further away, it was the opposite. A flatter sound, both macro and micro-dynamics flattened a lot, less sense of space, quite a bit more glare, and just less overall life, rhythm and tempo to the sound. Switching the Mini's ethernet cable back and forth between the SW-8 and the router reinforced this. One was super musical with an organic feel and foot tappingly engaging, the other not so much, though still 'hifi' it was comparatively a little brittle and lightweight, certainly more digital sounding.

Bit unfair to pit my generic router against the SW-8 in this respect, but then many would say it shouldn't even matter. But it does. And not just a little.

Sounds like you are building up the business case here for the SW-10?! maybe you should buy two and sync the clocks, and run the fmc isolation (which would be just overkill).

@Dandoudou The netgear switch which performed v well in the AA tests was the gs108e.

 

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

What SW-10? Buyin two, syncing? Let Alvin explain...

 

[Jake2]

Sounds like you are building up the business case here for the SW-10?! maybe you should buy two and sync the clocks, and run the fmc isolation (which would be just overkill).

@Dandoudou The netgear switch which performed v well in the AA tests was the gs108e.

What SW-10? Buyin two, syncing? Let Alvin explain...

You guys!

To temporarily dampen down the temptation to seriously overcapitalise on clocks & switches, I just pulled the trigger on the Netflix Netgear switch. It's been in my shopping cart for a while, just needed a push. Will power with a spare Ifi Power X. FMCs next...