[TheRealDz]

Also got mine from Amazon (Japan) where it's also on sale. I only have like 15 hours on mine as it just arrived yesterday.

If you can, could you give your impressions on the R26 via LAN vs via U18? Thank you.

Unfortunately, I don't have an ethernet connection near mine, so it will be connected via I2S.

 

[Headphoneprobs]

Don't know about others but I'm sat at my desk setup with a r26 (owned for a long while and connected to smsl po100 pro via hdmi) and chord 2qute (owned for a less long while and connected to the same as above via optical) and they sound absolutely identical. Listening to iems via singxer sa1. Am I insane/doing something wrong?

 

[FredA]

Don't know about others but I'm sat at my desk setup with a r26 (owned for a long while and connected to smsl po100 pro via hdmi) and chord 2qute (owned for a less long while and connected to the same as above via optical) and they sound absolutely identical. Listening to iems via singxer sa1. Am I insane/doing something wrong?

Give them a better converter. You'll see.

 

[camrector]

Unfortunately, I don't have an ethernet connection near mine, so it will be connected via I2S.

A wireless extender works great. Get one with a LAN output and get the FMCs mentioned on page 1. You’ll be very glad you did.

 

[camrector]

Here is a simple diagram to follow for FMCs

 

[dacwizard]

Hello:

Going through this thread - extensive.

I'm very interested in purchasing the R26 and I have a query regarding its i2s port.

I have the Douk Audio U2 Pro (poor man's DDC) connected from my PC with an LPS going into the U2 Pro via the DC 5V port. I was using the U2 Pro's I2s port to connect to a Musician dac and all was fine. Does anyone know from first hand knowledge or educated opinion whether or not I could have a conflict using the i2s from the U2 Pro to the R26 port? Has anyone heard of any compatibility difficulties in this area with the R26's i2s? Can anyone foresee a problem here?

I want to keep working with the Douk and LPS for a while via i2s and not go to optical or coax,

Below I've attached an image of the U2 Pro if indeed this helps.


Thank you very much for anyone that can give me some information or opinion in regards to the above.

Thank you.

The issue you may have is GUSTARD does not use the most common i2s pin out (there are apparently 4 common pin outs in use). So it may depend if you have any options for changing the i2s pin out on your ddc. Check this post on this thread for the GUSTARD pinout

Post in thread 'GUSTARD DAC-R26 Balanced Decoder R2R+1Bit Dual Native Decoding Music Bridge'
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gus...ve-decoding-music-bridge.963630/post-17271286

If you don’t use DSD you will likely be ok, if you do then check pin15.

 

[Jake2]

Give them a better converter. You'll see.

+1 re a better DDC. @Headphoneprobs I wouldn't expect a Chord and an R2R DAC to sound identical - far from it - so something in your chain is limiting its resolution and making the sound homogeneous.. the prime suspect is your $50 DDC. Its internal oscillator is the one clocking the synchronous stream (s/pdif & i2S) both DACs are using. Either get a better one and/or a USB isolator like one of the latest gen ones referred on the Douk U2 Pro thread.

Or cheaper but equally or more effective ( until you get to the very best DDCs like the new Audio GD DI-24HE) , at least in terms of hearing more of the R26's potential, use its internal streamer with a clean ethernet feed... cheap FMCs + upgraded power supply per the sticky on the first post.

 

[2bxfile]

The issue you may have is GUSTARD does not use the most common i2s pin out (there are apparently 4 common pin outs in use). So it may depend if you have any options for changing the i2s pin out on your ddc. Check this post on this thread for the GUSTARD pinout

Post in thread 'GUSTARD DAC-R26 Balanced Decoder R2R+1Bit Dual Native Decoding Music Bridge'
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gus...ve-decoding-music-bridge.963630/post-17271286

If you don’t use DSD you will likely be ok, if you do then check pin15.

Thank you for responding to my query Dacwizard. Appreciate it!

I may not be greatly adept to the pin issue without more investigation which you have referred me to but, what do you say about me just going simple and using my U2 Pro's coax instead of it's i2s which I won't be able to achieve, at least at this juncture? Do you believe that the sonics would be diminished if I went this route? Do you believe that the i2s is that much of an upgrade that I would notice a big difference?

Thanks again,

Chuck

 

[2bxfile]

Hello Jake2:

@2bxfile

I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so forgive me if I don't "savvy" your reference to me.

I believe you might be suggesting (and I could be assuming wrongly) that I invest in a better interface and of coarse you'd be right. But, here's the rub, I'm a little bit married to this tiny device at the moment with it's accompanying LPS via 5V. I wanted to see if I could swing keeping it around a while longer. I might be able to if I just lower my expectations and go the coax way. I'd have to see how much the sound is degraded or rather changed to determine my next move. This is all predicated on me actually possessing the R26 eventually and soon (sale$) - just doing my due diligence prior. I had a Musician product and the i2s worked flawlessly, but it recently went out the front door.

The pins on both devices are definitely different. By the way, I received a message back from Shenzhen telling me (after explaining my situation) that I can always have a cable made for the two units but, with my luck, just when I get it made and placed into my little Douk, it just might decide to retire itself to a better life in the audio hereafter.

 

[Jake2]

Hello Jake2:



I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so forgive me if I don't "savvy" your reference to me.

I believe you might be suggesting (and I could be assuming wrongly) that I invest in a better interface and of coarse you'd be right. But, here's the rub, I'm a little bit married to this tiny device at the moment with it's accompanying LPS via 5V. I wanted to see if I could swing keeping it around a while longer. I might be able to if I just lower my expectations and go the coax way. I'd have to see how much the sound is degraded or rather changed to determine my next move. This is all predicated on me actually possessing the R26 eventually and soon (sale$) - just doing my due diligence prior. I had a Musician product and the i2s worked flawlessly, but it recently went out the front door.

The pins on both devices are definitely different. By the way, I received a message back from Shenzhen telling me (after explaining my situation) that I can always have a cable made for the two units but, with my luck, just when I get it made and placed into my little Douk, it just might decide to retire itself to a better life in the audio hereafter.

Hi there... Sorry, I got you mixed up with another poster! Several posts in quick succession asking about the R26.. will amend.

Edit - as it happens I have a U2 Pro and R26 but haven't tried them together. Currently travelling but can try on my return.

 

[Fluty]

Sorry to hear you've had an issue Fluty. FWIW, I've left mine on continuously for 18 months or so and haven't had any issues. Maybe it was just a buffering issue somewhere along the line?

Thanks for the reply.. I found the problem, and the "cure" had nothing to do with rebooting as there was nothing wrong with the R26 or the CD source. I've recently purchased a superb silver digital cable (connecting to my CD transport) from Snake River Audio in the US, which has no screen (shield) and therefore no induced eddy currents to smudge the signal. It was my wife who pointed out that the dryer in the laundry was stop/starting at the same time as the audio glitches. The lack of a screen let through some interference from the dryer, so problem solved - don't run the dryer! This cable is well worth the slight inconvenience as it easily betters my former DH Labs glass toslink and Furutech silver RCA cable.

 

[2bxfile]

Can some chime in and let me know about the Gustard's i2s?

Is it's compatibility so exclusive as to be deemed almost proprietary.

Can someone tell me other than a Gustard DDC connected to the R26, what other company's pieces (interface, DDC) have you had success with connecting via i2s?

Gustard could have easily offered multiple mode settings for their i2s, yet chose to make it almost exclusive and difficult with it's fixed single position.

So, if anyone could give me any of their experiences with other company's products working successfully with the R26's i2s, I'd be grateful.

Thanks.

 

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

AF200, Matrix Audio's X-spdif3, Audio-gd DI-24 and Singxer's SU-6 have configurable I2S outputs.

 

[Edosan227]

Here is a simple diagram to follow for FMCs

question, is the ethernet switch actually necessary, or is it fine to plug it directly into the fmc? Thank you.

 

[2bxfile]

Thanks Mickey:

Could you field this question for me relating to the R26 and U2 Pro in regards to me just using my U2 Pro's coax instead of it's i2s which I cannot use.

Do you believe that the sonics would be diminished if I went this route, in your opinion?

Do you believe that the i2s is that much of a sonic upgrade from the coax that I would notice a difference, again in your opinion?

Thank you,

Chuck

Mickey - is the eternal city Rome in your case or are you referring to John Bunyan's Celestial City in his epic Pilgrim's Progress?