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

[BShaw]

The hum was very unlikely to be fixed by FW or a Groundhog, based on analytical problem solving. Im sorry you wasted your time and money. Why do you ignore sound advice?

For anyone else with a physically humming DAC with only power cord connected, a clear problem solving pathway is posted earlier in the thread. One that doesn't cost time and money.


Putting your money into better headphones is the surest way of getting improved sound for your $. Spending your $ on an external clock may make little or no difference. Can you cancel your clock order? If not do a blinded trial with the external clock. Just get someone to flick between internal and external clocks when you cant see. Expect to be rapidly disabused of any expectation your clock money was well spent.

I will absolutely do a blind test, especially since it's so easy and quick to flick back and forth. I have heard no single person have anything less than fantastic results by adding a clock. I know about expectation bias, and don't like throwing money away. But when so many people on this forum and other places report such noticeable improvement, where is the bias? I don't think most of these people are that stupid.

A side note, from a tweaker - we had friends over for Thanksgiving, music lovers well versed in audio. At the end of the night, my friend Bob, who'd been looking very contemplative the last half hour of the night while listening to Anouar Brahem's Blue Maqams, walked up to me and said "I don't know what you've done but your system sounds even clearer and more real than last time I was here, I can hear every little thing Jack Dejohnette is doing and it sounds amazing" Bob is a drummer
This is a very subjective opinion of course, but in the end aren't we each living our own subjective experience? Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a serious delusion. Let's all do whatever spins our turbines, and not demand others have the same priorities.

 

[Jake2]

I will absolutely do a blind test, especially since it's so easy and quick to flick back and forth. I have heard no single person have anything less than fantastic results by adding a clock. I know about expectation bias, and don't like throwing money away. But when so many people on this forum and other places report such noticeable improvement, where is the bias? I don't think most of these people are that stupid.

A side note, from a tweaker - we had friends over for Thanksgiving, music lovers well versed in audio. At the end of the night, my friend Bob, who'd been looking very contemplative the last half hour of the night while listening to Anouar Brahem's Blue Maqams, walked up to me and said "I don't know what you've done but your system sounds even clearer and more real than last time I was here, I can hear every little thing Jack Dejohnette is doing and it sounds amazing" Bob is a drummer
This is a very subjective opinion of course, but in the end aren't we each living our own subjective experience? Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a serious delusion. Let's all do whatever spins our turbines, and not demand others have the same priorities.

Love your anecdote about Bob the drummer's reaction!

 

[cobrabucket]

I have found a cable manufacturer who make all sorts of 50 ohm cables...see ssb.de. I bought a lmr400 type based on ecoflex 10 cable with crimped bnc connector.
I use the squared output to the R26

Did you have to message them to ask to attach the crimped connectors? I don't see an option to buy one with the connectors already attached so I am assuming I need to ask them for this service, correct? Thanks!

 

[Neslo1108]

Did you have to message them to ask to attach the crimped connectors? I don't see an option to buy one with the connectors already attached so I am assuming I need to ask them for this service, correct? Thanks!

Sorry the cables are from ssb.de but a German company make ready- and custom-made cables Mauritz.de

 

[headstef]

Putting your money into better headphones is the surest way of getting improved sound for your $. Spending your $ on an external clock may make little or no difference. Can you cancel your clock order? If not do a blinded trial with the external clock. Just get someone to flick between internal and external clocks when you cant see. Expect to be rapidly disabused of any expectation your clock money was well spent.

@BShaw
Totally true. I have been using two perfect pairs of HD 650 for years and was enjoying their sound and abilities very much. I always thought that these headphones where very close to TOL sound. I wasn't expecting that by upgrading to something not very "exotic" (Neumann NDH 30 open back) I would experience such a big improvement. It came out that with my beloved HD 650 I was missing much detail and instrumental timbre and realism. One month later I still cannot believe how wrong I was all those years not trying something more advanced than HD 650. The real abilities of my electronics (Qutest + Lehmann) where regrettably hidden. Of course Neumann NDH 30 is not just another advanced headphone. I selected it after very careful listening because of its very uncommon levels of detail, neutrality, speed, and naturalness. Its sound is exotic even though its price is not. (What's more, its astonishing level of resolution does not come with overexposed high frequencies). Now I can discern differences between my dacs and headphone amplifiers that didn't come through with HD 650. But these differences of electronics are insignificant compared to the improvement offered by upgrading headphones. Modern electronics like Gustard R26 demand excellent transducers to reveal their real strengths. No point to hassle with advanced dacs and clocks without a TOL sounding headphone. You would be disappointed by the almost inaudible differences.

 

[Forgisound]

I have been using SR Orange fuse, on R26, amp and preamp for 3 days. Although they are expensive, I think they are a good investment. The sound is better in every way. Clearer sound, more detailed. The biggest gain is better dynamics, especially microdynamics. For example Ray Brown's double bass is timbrally much more correct with SR fuses.
This is not a call to flame opponents, but information for audiophiles who are thinking about purchasing SR fuses.

 

[Palyodgree]

@BShaw
Totally true. I have been using two perfect pairs of HD 650 for years and was enjoying their sound and abilities very much. I always thought that these headphones where very close to TOL sound. I wasn't expecting that by upgrading to something not very "exotic" (Neumann NDH 30 open back) I would experience such a big improvement. It came out that with my beloved HD 650 I was missing much detail and instrumental timbre and realism. One month later I still cannot believe how wrong I was all those years not trying something more advanced than HD 650. The real abilities of my electronics (Qutest + Lehmann) where regrettably hidden. Of course Neumann NDH 30 is not just another advanced headphone. I selected it after very careful listening because of its very uncommon levels of detail, neutrality, speed, and naturalness. Its sound is exotic even though its price is not. (What's more, its astonishing level of resolution does not come with overexposed high frequencies). Now I can discern differences between my dacs and headphone amplifiers that didn't come through with HD 650. But these differences of electronics are insignificant compared to the improvement offered by upgrading headphones. Modern electronics like Gustard R26 demand excellent transducers to reveal their real strengths. No point to hassle with advanced dacs and clocks without a TOL sounding headphone. You would be disappointed by the almost inaudible differences.

Yes usually this is pretty basic knowledge you can be rewarded big by upgrading headphone / speakers , the next step is of course a well suited matching amplifier to drive them and if the urge and budget moves you evaluate the rest of the components in the chain however don’t get obsessed with the next thing you have to take time to actually enjoy your music the main purpose of this hobby .

 

[Nada]

Anouar Brahem's Blue Maqams, walked up to me and said "I don't know what you've done but your system sounds even clearer and more real than last time I was here, I can hear every little thing Jack Dejohnette is doing and it sounds amazing" Bob is a drummer

Nice. Blue Maqams is sublime. Its a great test for a DAC with acoustic instruments and superb musicians.

This is a very subjective opinion of course, but in the end aren't we each living our own subjective experience?

Well some humans have demonstrated the ability for higher cognitive processing with mindfulness, mentalising, metacognitive reflection, self-inquiry and skepticism to enable a certain freedom from being bound within subjective limits. Which you yourself have just done

Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a serious delusion.

Thats a very limited concept. Almost certainly not always true. At worst horribly judgemental.

Let's all do whatever spins our turbines, and not demand others have the same priorities.

That looks ironic. Like you are wanting others to follow your demand to not reflect on anyones choices

The question perhaps on a forum where we influence each other, is what is the right action? To let others flail around wasting time or money or try and help. Maybe not help an afflicted member but save others from jumping down the same hole.

Like spending money on a clock instead of sorting out the weakest link, like the headphones.

I will absolutely do a blind test, especially since it's so easy and quick to flick back and forth.

Thanks Bryan! Thats really good of you. I admire your ability to test and not get p1ssed with all my nagging.

I have heard no single person have anything less than fantastic results by adding a clock.

That could be publication bias.

There might be three people who got a clock and heard wondrous things. Maybe cause there system and ears are so amazing the last 1% tweak was incredible, maybe cause they profit from selling the clocks and are marketing here, maybe cause they have expectation bias. Remember expectation bias as placebo effect can make patients get the same severe pain relief from saline as morphine. Thats potent stuff.

So members who get a great result are much more likely to post.

What about if there are ten members with a clock who heard nothing. Would they post. Maybe not. They may be despondent, feel foolish, want to sell the clock or not feel confident to post a divergent opinion and be subject to ridicule.

So the positive clock reports might just be a bias in posting.

I know about expectation bias, and don't like throwing money away. But when so many people on this forum and other places report such noticeable improvement, where is the bias? I don't think most of these people are that stupid.

Expectation bias has no respect for intelligence. Its a potent thing.

The wonderful thing about the external clock is its so easy to flick back and forth - get a friend to do that and cover the DAC display and it could get interesting. If you believe you can hear a difference do a random sequence with twenty trials and we can work out if theres significance.

Science is a beautiful thing.

 

[Fluty]

I have been using SR Orange fuse, on R26, amp and preamp for 3 days. Although they are expensive, I think they are a good investment. The sound is better in every way. Clearer sound, more detailed. The biggest gain is better dynamics, especially microdynamics. For example Ray Brown's double bass is timbrally much more correct with SR fuses.
This is not a call to flame opponents, but information for audiophiles who are thinking about purchasing SR fuses.

I'm interested in your comments about the SR orange fuse, think I'll get one. Would you mind clarifying what value for the R26, & should it be slow or fast acting?

 

[Forgisound]

I'm interested in your comments about the SR orange fuse, think I'll get one. Would you mind clarifying what value for the R26, & should it be slow or fast acting?

Slow, original is 2,5 A in my device. If you use 120V, you can buy 2,5 A, 3,15 A. If you use 230V, you can buy 2A, or 2,5 A.

 

[Halby9000]

Per chi ha ormai concluso il periodo di rodaggio, quali sono i parametri che sono cambiati e come sono cambiati? Grazie.

 

[565321]

Pericoloso di sporgersi

 

[staffz93]

If I intend to use XLR out direct to my amp are there any settings I need to be aware of on the R26? Is there anything to adjust?

 

[mgsu]

I am feeding the Gustard from Singser SU-6 over II2S. The SU-6 has switches on the bottom to set the appropriate II2S signal. Switch 5 is stated as:
CLK output mode: OFF is MCLK, ON is WCK(WCLK/LRCLK)

if i leave the SU-6 SW5 to OFF (MCLK), then which clock is used in the cain? The SU-6 or the Gustard clock?

 

[mgsu]

If I intend to use XLR out direct to my amp are there any settings I need to be aware of on the R26? Is there anything to adjust?

You must be aware that when you use NOS or DSD on the Gustard, then the DAC bypasses automatically the volume control into "fixed mode" (volume control can not be used), and the whole power goes direct into your amp. You can shut your speakers.