I think more time will help- also because of adjustment to a new sound. Truth is I very much like a dark sound, and tonally it is gorgeous; only need a bit more crispness. But all the reviews seem to say it performs very well in detail retrieval- so I'll give it more time. Truth is- without the external clock- it is much crisper- and not muddy at all. I have always found a good external clock improves base and thickens the sound and I think- until the unit opens up, the external clock will over thicken things. No doubt;- every day is a small improvement to my ears- so I hope within a week- I will be in a better place.....
GUSTARD DAC-R26 Balanced Decoder R2R+1Bit Dual Native Decoding Music Bridge
- Thread starter m-i-c-k-e-y
- Start date
Do you listen to it in NOS mode ?
NOS mode is crisper and better IMHO.
Hibiki. Not well known to people outside of China but an excellent clock. -113db at 1hz-- and only $1,300 including shipping.. I keep the clock on 24/7. I used to own a Mutec Ref10 SE-120 and it does essentially the same thing as the Hibiki- really adds solidity and base to the sound...
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You can't be serious, 1300 for a clock? What's the point...
9bphillips
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Is anyone using an R26 with tubes? Just wondering how they would mesh. I'm using a Wa22 and using my dx300 dap as my dac and source. I'm interested in the R26 but don't really understand some of the technical talk going on. I guess I'm just curious if the R26 would pair well with tubes and will I be good using my dap as source with R26. Also if I use dap will I be missing out on better sound quality?
BShaw
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I’m using it with a modified Willsenton R8, KT88/EL34, and it’s a match made in heaven for me, all that tube juiciness plus great detail and clarity. Holographic soundstage, to trot out an overused but still applicable phrase!
The Mutec Ref 10 SE-120 is $7,000 and Cybershaft is more... Indeed- the price is rediculous just like $6,000 Abyss headphones and other toys. This is the obserdity of this hobby.
However, once you get a good external clock- you hear a solidity of sound, pinpoint imaging, and and many other benefits that no dac, no fuse, no power cable, switch, or amp. can make up for. It simply makes music more "right" than anything else I ever heard.
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and a lot of people hear it like me. I wish I didn't hear these substantial improvements as it would save a lot of money.
9bphillips
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That's what I was hoping to hear! Thx for the reply. What is your source? Just curious how you are using the R26? Do you think one way is better or worse than another? I've heard ethernet is the way to go. I still need to understand exactly how that works because I'm not too tech savvy! Lol
I also have pure silver (99.99) interconnects (without any screening, which is vastly superior) , plus I have Sonus Faber speakers and Audio Research pre. Agree, sound of R26 was closed in at first but now with 150 hours here it is brilliant! Crystal clear highs, solid & powerful bass, fantastic imaging. Hang in there, give it more time to burn in!
BShaw
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I stream qobuz via ethernet through Bubble UPnP, and also have an Audiolab CD transport. To me there's no difference in the SQ, but since I almost never stream something I have on CD, I haven't done direct A/B testing with the same tracks. Both sound damned good, the qualities of this DAC - spaciousness, staging, separation, and beautiful timbre to name a few, are really reinforced with tubes IMO.That's what I was hoping to hear! Thx for the reply. What is your source? Just curious how you are using the R26? Do you think one way is better or worse than another? I've heard ethernet is the way to go. I still need to understand exactly how that works because I'm not too tech savvy! Lol
Nada
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External clocks are
- an engineering nightmare (ideal design has a good enough clock inside the DAC with short connections to preserve timing, reduce bounce, cable issues etc)
- a manufacturers delight for profits
- an audiophile trap
- a skeptics delight (confirmation bias, voodoo etc)
It can be argued that if a DAC sounds better with an external clock it means
A. The DAC is very poorly designed and isnt worth trying to fix with an external clock
B. the listener having spent $$$$ is caught in a cognitive bias trap
Rational purchasing would suggest instead of sinking money in an external clock, using that money to buy better headphones, a better amp or a better DAC will be much better value.
Lets be ultra rational and suggest donating that money to a charity would be a better investment in inner happiness with improved musical joy from better mood.
On the other hand if an external clock sounds good why not?
- an engineering nightmare (ideal design has a good enough clock inside the DAC with short connections to preserve timing, reduce bounce, cable issues etc)
- a manufacturers delight for profits
- an audiophile trap
- a skeptics delight (confirmation bias, voodoo etc)
It can be argued that if a DAC sounds better with an external clock it means
A. The DAC is very poorly designed and isnt worth trying to fix with an external clock
B. the listener having spent $$$$ is caught in a cognitive bias trap
Rational purchasing would suggest instead of sinking money in an external clock, using that money to buy better headphones, a better amp or a better DAC will be much better value.
Lets be ultra rational and suggest donating that money to a charity would be a better investment in inner happiness with improved musical joy from better mood.
On the other hand if an external clock sounds good why not?
It goes further than this my friend. Google "10mhz clock" and "jitter" and you will find the scientific evidence is that every single external clock increases jitter over an internal clock. Meaning- these clocks make things worse. But then again, we all know that measurements and sonic likings have a poor correlation.
The X26 dac supposedly measures quite well, and the R26 quite poorly, but most prefer the R26. The Topping D90 is one of the best measuring and lowest distortion dac's ever made according to audio-science and according to most listeners- it sounds quite bad. audio-gd dacs measure very very poorly but are almost universally acclaimed for world class sonics.. Benchmark is another very low distortion dac that sounds to many completely flat, and sterile. I never base my purchase on the numbers but rather on what the listeners say. Listeners like 10mhz clocks- a lot.
Listen to a good 10mhz clock and you will probably like it. Most people do. Maybe were crazy.
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