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

[rodthebod]

It does the same work, but most probably with better clocks versus the standard FMCs.
It appears that this FMC is an excellent value for price:

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0062K68D0...JL6LUDRJ&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Two FMC modules with 10m optical cable and a couple of SMPS thrown in (LPS recommended at least for the clean end to DAC) for €31 (AliExp) beats the value element and they work well. (see my earlier posts)
Not trying to be clever, but sometimes going for the basic option works just as well as paying out $100's. Use the savings to buy a decent sounding clock such as the Leo Bodnar, it makes the music come alive.

 

[Dandoudou]

Two FMC modules with 10m optical cable and a couple of SMPS thrown in (LPS recommended at least for the clean end to DAC) for €31 (AliExp) beats the value element and they work well. (see my earlier posts)
Not trying to be clever, but sometimes going for the basic option works just as well as paying out $100's. Use the savings to buy a decent sounding clock such as the Leo Bodnar, it makes the music come alive.

I'm practicing optical isolation for more than two years. I tried countless options.
The basic stuff brings an improvement that I would qualify as 85-90%, depending on the models.
For the 10-15% of extra refinement of the sound, you have to use better FMCs, better SFP modules, better fiber, better PSUs…

 

[DeckHiFi]

Hi @LucianoBadoe ,
I don't understand why you are anxious. The PI2AES does not support DSD anyway.
I have a PI2AES with a Rpi3 that I keep in the closet. All its outputs sound good with the R26.
My main streaming setup is detailed in my signature. There's an issue of I2S incompatibility between the DI-20HE and the R26. It's impossible to play DSD.
I received the Red only yesterday. Its I2S output is fully compatible with the R26.
All my streamers are Diretta Targets running GentooPlayer, and beat on my system the LAN input of the R26.

Please keep sharing your thoughts on streamers with this dac as I know you recently got one. Would be cool to hear all the advantages and negatives of specific streamers vs the internal. Thanks!

 

[DivinesGaming]

Going from the FMC's into the Gustard R26 sounded very good, although a bit similar to using USB in my opinion.

Going from the FMC's then into Holo Red Streamer, then into the Gustard R26 (via I2S) had a noticeably blacker background and deeper more intimate sound, literally more resolving everything was cleaner and more pin-pointable, and instruments sounded more realistic.

I was wowed at this so tried going USB through the Red into the R26 and although it was a bit better than without the Red, it wasn't as jaw dropping of a difference as compared to the via ethernet and i2s connectivity method.

 

[Dandoudou]

Please keep sharing your thoughts on streamers with this dac as I know you recently got one. Would be cool to hear all the advantages and negatives of specific streamers vs the internal. Thanks!

When I received it, I first tried the Red OS.
It could not stand the comparison to my Gentoo/Diretta Targets, so I stopped using this OS after 3-4 tracks, and did not use it again.

The Red works very well as a Diretta Target with GentooPlayer, and is fully compatible with the R26.
I upsample to DSD512 and PCM768 with HQPlayer, and up to now I did not encounter the slightest issue.
I also played a few albums with Audirvana Origin streaming to Gmediarenderer and to APlayer without any issue.

As a PI2AES user, the Red should be a nice upgrade for you without any doubt.
The PI2AES is good, but not as good as the Red and the DI-20HE who have better clocks.
You'll also be able to use rates that are higher than 192 kHz. The R26 benefits from upsampling.

 

[Dandoudou]

In addition to the I2S output of the Red, I tried AES/EBU, SPDIF, and Toslink.
All of them work well with the R26.

 

[mgsu]

Speaking of FMC and audiophile Switches, if your streamer has WiFi, do me a favor and connect your Streamer/Transport to WiFi and report back if it improved SQ or not.

I take power and signal hygiene quite seriously by having a Niagara 3000 and 3 hypsos PSU and a SOTM sNH-10g switch in my system and i tried also FMC.

I found out yesterday that by connecting the streamer/transport to WiFi bumps up the SQ.

It took me so long to find out because WiFi has kind of stigmata in the HiFi community and i was blindfolded by the narrative that WiFi is bad.

So yeah, maybe it applies only to my streamer but in case your streamer has WiFi please give it at least a try, it costs you nothing.

 

[Dandoudou]

Regarding FMCs, I bought the Finisar SFP 1475 modules.
They are excellent, and they beat my Finisar AOC cable as well my as my Finisar SFP 8519 modules from AfterDark.

 

[LucianoBadoe]

Speaking of FMC and audiophile Switches, if your streamer has WiFi, do me a favor and connect your Streamer/Transport to WiFi and report back if it improved SQ or not.

I take power and signal hygiene quite seriously by having a Niagara 3000 and 3 hypsos PSU and a SOTM sNH-10g switch in my system and i tried also FMC.

I found out yesterday that by connecting the streamer/transport to WiFi bumps up the SQ.

It took me so long to find out because WiFi has kind of stigmata in the HiFi community and i was blindfolded by the narrative that WiFi is bad.

So yeah, maybe it applies only to my streamer but in case your streamer has WiFi please give it at least a try, it costs you nothing.

I goes with a wifi extender and then to R26 or Pi2aes --> i2s R26 with very good results in SQ.

As you I took a long time to test wifi for the false idea it was worse for SQ.

 

[camrector]

When I received it, I first tried the Red OS.
It could not stand the comparison to my Gentoo/Diretta Targets, so I stopped using this OS after 3-4 tracks, and did not use it again.

The Red works very well as a Diretta Target with GentooPlayer, and is fully compatible with the R26.
I upsample to DSD512 and PCM768 with HQPlayer, and up to now I did not encounter the slightest issue.
I also played a few albums with Audirvana Origin streaming to Gmediarenderer and to APlayer without any issue.

As a PI2AES user, the Red should be a nice upgrade for you without any doubt.
The PI2AES is good, but not as good as the Red and the DI-20HE who have better clocks.
You'll also be able to use rates that are higher than 192 kHz. The R26 benefits from upsampling.

what computer specs you got and what filters when upsampling to DSD512?
I’m due for a cpu upgrade.

 

[DeckHiFi]

Going from the FMC's into the Gustard R26 sounded very good, although a bit similar to using USB in my opinion.

Going from the FMC's then into Holo Red Streamer, then into the Gustard R26 (via I2S) had a noticeably blacker background and deeper more intimate sound, literally more resolving everything was cleaner and more pin-pointable, and instruments sounded more realistic.

I was wowed at this so tried going USB through the Red into the R26 and although it was a bit better than without the Red, it wasn't as jaw dropping of a difference as compared to the via ethernet and i2s connectivity method.

Nice. Well this would also get me around the issues I had with the internal streamer on R26. Decisions decisions. That's awesome you noticed a significant difference though! That seems like a nice setup.

 

[ericx85]

Can the R26/A26 use it's LAN input when the ethernet is plugged directly to the PC? Or does it need to be connected to a router/streamer that's connected to the PC? I did get LAN working by connecting an ethernet to my router, but was curious if I could just make a direct connection to the PC since mine has 2 ethernet ports using 2 different ethernet modems. I have the A26, but this thread is much more active and the dacs are similar aside from being r2r/DS.

 

[Dandoudou]

Can the R26/A26 use it's LAN input when the ethernet is plugged directly to the PC? Or does it need to be connected to a router/streamer that's connected to the PC? I did get LAN working by connecting an ethernet to my router, but was curious if I could just make a direct connection to the PC since mine has 2 ethernet ports using 2 different ethernet modems. I have the A26, but this thread is much more active and the dacs are similar aside from being r2r/DS.

It should work. I never tried it with the R26, but I did with a streamer on a previous system.
You should connect first the R26 to the LAN, and boot its streamer. Once it got an ID address from the router, and appeared on the LAN, you can connect it directly to your PC.

 

[ericx85]

Alright, I'll keep fiddling. When I connect the dac to the PC directly with the ethernet cable on the Intel modem it just shows up as Unidentified Network. Somethings gotta be off settings wise. On my Asus router it pops up just fine as Gustard Renderer.

 

[Dandoudou]

Alright, I'll keep fiddling. When I connect the dac to the PC directly with the ethernet cable on the Intel modem it just shows up as Unidentified Network. Somethings gotta be off settings wise. On my Asus router it pops up just fine as Gustard Renderer.

When you connect it directly to the PC, you create between the two devices a new network that is not connected to the router.
The only thing that is important: do the players on your PC see the renderer of the A26, and can stream music to it?