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

[camrector]

Do you have measurements to back that up?

got him!

 

[565321]

Do you have measurements to back that up?

Back what up? I feel no need to back up other person's claims.

 

[OCC7N]

Exactly enjoy!



I hope everybody enjoys the weekend!

 

[SupCompracer]

Back what up? I feel no need to back up other person's claims.

Nice deflection but you did make a claim. Have a nice weekend.

 

[565321]

Nice deflection but you did make a claim. Have a nice weekend.

I didn't talk about some optical cable in the digital domain affecting the analogue domain, it didn't write that jitter is transported over TCP/IP. And that is just two recent claims. This thread is full of ridiculous fantasies. But it's fun to read as entertainment.

 

[mmwwmm]

18 signs of a condescending person (and how to deal with them)

 

[camrector]

I didn't talk about some optical cable in the digital domain affecting the analogue domain, it didn't write that jitter is transported over TCP/IP. And that is just two recent claims. This thread is full of ridiculous fantasies. But it's fun to read as entertainment.

1. It’s a fiber optic cable.
2. It’s all still in the digital domain. It’s not in the analogue domain until it hits the dac.
3. Jitter is the variation in time delay between when a signal is transmitted and when it's received over a network connection.

It’s amazing how opinionated and uneducated you are. Here read up.

https://www.atatus.com/blog/jitter-vs-latency/

 

[migo]

Yesterday I had late night session with my new R26. This unit has not high pitch tone coming from front panel, but I can hear transformers hum when I put my ears close enough (0.5m) to DAC. When powering on unit with switch on back transformers make big noise for a while, like very bad transformer from 80s. In 1700EUR HIFI device it is not really necessary to save on transformers IMHO. Shame on Gustard for doing this! My X26Pro has no such a bugs.

Otherwise this DAC plays music very nice from first power on! Produced sound has nice weight, has musical tonality/balance and good dynamics with nice music flow. Enjoyment pure! Compared to X26Pro, R26 seem to have a bit less detail retrieval/resolution, can be heard on some acoustic instruments textures. But comparing here X26Pro with 500+ hours usage with R26 2h usage, and maybe it will change in future.

Streaming works without any problems, no singe interruption. Last night played with Tidal and Bubble UPnP app into HP setup and right now from linux with pulseaudio_dlna plugin to my stereo setup. Only small problem I observed is with Master files, not all files tagged "Master" in Bubble playlist had displayed MQA on DAC display and was decoded as PCM, but this can be app problem not DACs.

It is time to listen to the music now and enjoy...

 

[cobrabucket]

Would something like this work? And then I'd need to get a cable? Do I need a single or double cable? I have power supplies I can use (I think this uses 5v). I'm gonna try it. Just don't want to get the wrong items!

 

[camrector]

Would something like this work? And then I'd need to get a cable? Do I need a single or double cable? I have power supplies I can use (I think this uses 5v). I'm gonna try it. Just don't want to get the wrong items!

If you are referring to “Kit 5” in your link then Yup that’s perfect and similar to what I use
This is the single cable you need

PacSatSales - Fiber Optic Patch Cable - Single Mode - SIMPLEX - OS1-9/125um (1M, LC to LC) https://a.co/d/ffymnOS

Whatever length you need but it just needs to be a single mode LC to LC

 

[cobrabucket]

If you are referring to “Kit 5” in your link then Yup that’s perfect and similar to what I use
This is the single cable you need

PacSatSales - Fiber Optic Patch Cable - Single Mode - SIMPLEX - OS1-9/125um (1M, LC to LC) https://a.co/d/ffymnOS

Thanks, Cam. And I'm reading it correctly that this kit uses 5v psus? And it has 2 of the proper modules? I would just need to add a cable and be done? Cheers

 

[mgsu]

Don't want to start a debate here, just want to chime in with my own experiences.
My DDC rankings are (I directly own all of these, and have extensively ABX'd them).

DI-20HE > Hydra-Z+ZPM > U18 > SU6 > Lynx AES16e (tied with Pi2AES) > Eitr > (I've owned these in the past, DI-2014/DI-U8/F1)

The R26 ethernet for me is better than U18 I2S, which stated above, I already think is better than SU6.
I'm surprised by your results, but I wan't argue them, I just want to give my own data point.

The sound signature of SU6 to me (compared to my other DDC) is darker, thicker, a touch of haze.
I've also loaned out the SU6 and had people tell me they thought the same.

I will also say all ethernet testing is with Roon, using their own (and IME best in the market) RAAT network protocol. Which again, ime, is better than UPNP or airplay.

Sound signature of SU-6 is source dependent.

SU-6 from Roon Rock via USB: midrange is a little bit recessed and muffled as you described.

SU-6 from Stack Audio Link II Bridge, midrange is fantastic, no complains, there is even a bass boost.

if you ask which Input souds best on the R26: IIS or LAN Mode?
It varies, it is time dependent and power depended. Power is not always the same through out the day, although all my gear is powered by a Niagara 3000 and my ethernet is taken care by a SOTM SNH-10G switch with clock, powered by a Ferrum Hypsos PSU.

Sometime IIS from SU-6 sounds better than LAN and sometimes LAN sounds better than IIS.

SU-6 is a good investment IMO!

 

[camrector]

Thanks, Cam. And I'm reading it correctly that this kit uses 5v psus? And it has 2 of the proper modules? I would just need to add a cable and be done? Cheers

Correct buy that kit and a cable and you are good to go.
Each of those FBMs is 5v/1a
Here is the Linear power supply I use.
Runs them both
25VA DC 5V Bench Linear Power Supply Audiophile,Desktop Power Adapter Regulate 5 Volt 3A 4A for Raspberry pi 3 Model A+ B B+ Plus Micro USB https://a.co/d/dG199Il

 

[Palyodgree]

Funny how science works huh?


In my situation I am forced to use a Wifi extendener, because my apartment has shared wifi and I do not have access to the router.
My city also doesn’t have fiber internet yet either. Just cable.
So I use two Wifi extenders. One covers my apartment and all the devices I have, the other is just for my audio system with the extender function turned off and just the LAN port supplying Ethernet to my Switch.
It’s a 20in cat8 cable ran from the extender to the switch, a 20in cat8 cable from Switch to the 1st fiber media convertor (FBM) 1 meter of Single mode fiber to 2nd FBM, then 20in cat8 cable to R26.
Switch and FBMs have linear power supplies, all plugged into a Puritan 156.
I’m loving this solution.
1. Whatever noise is on the dirty internet coming into my apartment is eliminated first over Wifi then stripped clean again by the Fiber. My R26 only sees 20in of high quality cat8 copper, coming from a clean linear powered FBM.
2. My extender is plugged directly into the wall and the fiber completely shields the R26 from any surges or lightening that could hit and come across copper Ethernet cables.
All for $100

I feel your pain we lived in a high rise deep in a city core for years plugging a Entech ac noise meter into a socket the numbers were unbelievable moving out of the city into a house the ac noise was bad enough however I did purchase a Puritan 136 it actually worked as advertised, the Entech meter numbers dropped significantly I was very pleased though it did seem to blunt transients when my dac was plugged into apposed to directly into a dedicated receptacle the transients snapped back , It didn’t seem to effect anything else though .

 

[Palyodgree]

Why on earth would I stream music from a laptop? Over USB? First a cable in the digital domain acting as a low pass filter in the analogue domain and now jitter on TCP/IP. Wow.

I don’t know why you would , you changing your story?