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

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

You can:

Cheapest: Needed 1. cheap FMC 2. DAC cable (see end of my POST)
Connect lan cable from router/switch too cheap FMC
Connect DAC cable from cheap FMC to your SW-6.

Modest: Needed 1. Gustard N18 Pro 2. DAC cable (see end of my POST )
Connect lan cable from router/switch too Gustard N18 Pro
Connect DAC cable from Gustard N18 Pro to your SW-6
Connect clock cable from OCK2 to Gustard N18 Pro.

Your Discretion: Buy another SW-6 to replace the Gustard N18 Pro above and follow the same procedure.

 

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

Yes. Like this example , but instead clock coming from SW-10 to SW-6, all clock inputs of your switches comes from OCK-2.

Update: Reason, synchronization and clock of OCK-2 is better.

 

[vvume]

Well sorry for the late reply, in the end,like yourself,l totally ditch the rear power inlet., and went a step further,l moved the transformers into a different enclosure, l direct fed the,power in the new enclosure, ditching any power inlets,,and lined the enclosure with Ultraperm 80, then made two separate boxes in Ultraperm 80,two further cross interference between both transformers, as you say, its not for the faint hearted, so really does improve the R26

@Stellabagpuss did you see any metal shielding around the transformers on the R26 when you removed them entirely and housed them outside? I just discovered/realized that the outer shell of the transformers seem to be plastic? Is there any metal shroud underneath that plastic for shielding?

 

[Stellabagpuss]

@Stellabagpuss did you see any metal shielding around the transformers on the R26 when you removed them entirely and housed them outside? I just discovered/realized that the outer shell of the transformers seem to be plastic? Is there any metal shroud underneath that plastic for shielding?

There is only a plastic cover, they are dipped in resin, so you can't remove the plastic covers.

Take a look on my Journey on my Blog on the TAS forum

https://theaudiostandard.net/thread/6792/damiens-blog?page=17

 

[vvume]

There is only a plastic cover, they are dipped in resin, so you can't remove the plastic covers.

Take a look on my Journey on my Blog on the TAS forum

https://theaudiostandard.net/thread/6792/damiens-blog?page=17

Wow! Reading through your blog, you have gone way ahead with the changes.

Yesterday, I put a 1mm thick copper flashing around both transformers and another 1mm copper plate lid on top of the flashing to provide some metal shielding enclosure between the transformers and to the middle and R2R sections and the results are a bit interesting - the changes are subtle and top end appears to be smoother with far less hardness/harshness, more holographic, but with about the same level of detail. Maybe just a tiny bit more detail, but I could be imagining it. Not the kind of jump in details I experienced replacing the IEC inlet. Maybe I hit the limits of what the R26 could do in terms of detail, but the extra smoothness without loss of detail was definitely welcome.

 

[Stellabagpuss]

Wow! Reading through your blog, you have gone way ahead with the changes.

Yesterday, I put a 1mm thick copper flashing around both transformers and another 1mm copper plate lid on top of the flashing to provide some metal shielding enclosure between the transformers and to the middle and R2R sections and the results are a bit interesting - the changes are subtle and top end appears to be smoother with far less hardness/harshness, more holographic, but with about the same level of detail. Maybe just a tiny bit more detail, but I could be imagining it. Not the kind of jump in details I experienced replacing the IEC inlet. Maybe I hit the limits of what the R26 could do in terms of detail, but the extra smoothness without loss of detail was definitely welcome.

Copper will only help with higher frequencies, you need to use Ultraperm 80 or Mu Metal, this,will reduce the magnetic waves, its used for this very purpose.

lt really depends on how far you want to go down the rabbit hole,if your running a clock, consider changing the internal clock cable, the main thing... have fun

 

[sendler2112]

Is there anything to be gained from upgrading the opamps? Is there a schematic posted?

 

[LucianoBadoe]

Giron cold be a good shield option?

 

[vvume]

Copper will only help with higher frequencies, you need to use Ultraperm 80 or Mu Metal, this,will reduce the magnetic waves, its used for this very purpose.

lt really depends on how far you want to go down the rabbit hole,if your running a clock, consider changing the internal clock cable, the main thing... have fun

I do have MuMetal shielding that I had previously installed, but given the cost, I had selectively put it between and top of the middle and R2R sections, and between the R2R and output stages. The copper shielding is in addition to those shields, which is probably why the differences were subtle. I'll consider buying more MuMetal in the future, but given that they are sensitive to bending, I am not sure I can do it without damaging the material. I am unlikely to remove the transformers outside the housing like you have done for the time being.

I used to use a LHY-OCK2 external 10M clock, but since I started using a DDC through I2S, the difference in external clocks were hardly noticeable and even improved noticeably when I disconnected the external 10M clock. I came across this note on R26 ads that seems to suggest that the local/external clock is turned off for I2S connection ("Function off")? I initially used a Singxer SU-6, but since switched to using a Gaia which offered a fuller luscious sound.

 

[wweerr123]

Hi guys, which screws do you need to take off to remove the top of R26? Thanks.

 

[Jake2]

clock. I came across this note on R26 ads that seems to suggest that the local/external clock is turned off for I2S connection ("Function off")? I initially used a Singxer SU-6, but since switched to using a Gaia which offered a fuller luscious sound

There’s an emailed clarification from Gustard upstream that clarifies that the text in the add you screenshot applies where PCM NOS and DSD Direct are ON, but if OFF (R26 doing oversampling) then ext clock is used for all inputs, both synchronous and asynchronous.

 

[BShaw]

Giron cold be a good shield option?

Funny he didn't test this stuff, on his own site they say it's "The best material available for shielding DC, ELF & VLF Magnetic Fields":
https://lessemf.com/product/magnetic-shielding-foil/

 

[Jake2]

Funny he didn't test this stuff, on his own site they say it's "The best material available for shielding DC, ELF & VLF Magnetic Fields":
https://lessemf.com/product/magnetic-shielding-foil/

Suspect it's the same amorphous cobalt-based film as this one. I bought some but haven't used it in anger yet. It's certainly far more flexible than Mu-metal equivalents, so as noted above is supposed to not suffer from the loss of its magnetic permeability that Mu-Metal does when stressed by sharp folds/creases or impacts (gentle bends like around a toroidal are fine), but there's no free lunch as magnetic shielding attenuation is proportional to thickness and this stuff is super thin... needs to be doubled over multiple times methinks to equate to Mu-Metal (incl no brand equivalents).

https://www.yshield.com/en/yshield-...s a magnetic shielding,-frequency fields (HF).

 

[BShaw]

That's a different material Jake, but I'm going to check it out. The stuff LessEMF sells is 80% nickel and it works really well according to my very amateur testing. I've seen it on Amazon too. I'm gonna make a hat out of it

 

[Jake2]

That's a different material Jake, but I'm going to check it out. The stuff LessEMF sells is 80% nickel and it works really well according to my very amateur testing. I've seen it on Amazon too. I'm gonna make a hat out of it

Ah sorry, the roll shape made me think it was one the many branded variants of the cobalt stuff. It is super flexible so could be used in really tight spaces and the edges aren't sharp at all.

TBH whenever I see 80% nickel and a thickness of 0.004" (or 1mm) that's starting to look pretty similar in composition and thickness to Mu-metal and its' no brand equivalents. Highly permeable and effective for shielding, absolutely, from my experience! (I have about 10 A4 sheets of the stuff now)

*And LOL re the hat.