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

[rodthebod]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZavQmgLq4yV0iKKiCwehf778d1kVKvIm/view?usp=share_link

Here it is.

Took 35secs, thanks

 

[fullbass]

I've updated FW to 2022 15 11 and renderer SW to 1v4 and now I've got stuttering on LAN input too when playing MQA files

it seems you should not rush to update to the newest firmware, since it is not clear what exactly they are fixing.
there is a risk of breaking something else

I also had stuttering on the MQA in Roon App. but it seems it disappeared after I disabled the use of the MQA Core in the device settings. I left only 'Decode and Render' setting

 

[migo]

it seems you should not rush to update to the newest firmware, since it is not clear what exactly they are fixing.
there is a risk of breaking something else

I also had stuttering on the MQA in Roon App. but it seems it disappeared after I disabled the use of the MQA Core in the device settings. I left only 'Decode and Render' setting

As always! I've tried to solve stuttering with USB playback and introduced/moved it to LAN input!

Downgrade to 1v3 seems to be possible, will try later after some other experiments...

 

[migo]

USB playback stuttering remains when playing MQA files with UAPP on R26 with latest available SW/FW. When it happens MQA disappears on R26 display for that short while and PCM is displayed.

EDIT: I've tested with Tidal app for Windoze now and stuttering is there too.

 

[fullbass]

I've tried to solve stuttering with USB playback and introduced/moved it to LAN input!

the fact is that I have version 1.31 (out of the box) and I observed stuttering both on USB and LAN. so I'm not sure that rolling back to version 1.3 will help you. if you have not seen problems on the LAN with 1.3 before, then I think it's just a coincidence

 

[fullbass]

USB playback stuttering remains when playing MQA files with UAPP

turn off the MQA bypass, let it decode on the transport (UAPP)
maybe gustard needs some kind of delay or buffer increase so that it decodes and renders MQA without stuttering. I hope this will be fixed in the future

 

[Currawong]

USB playback stuttering remains when playing MQA files with UAPP on R26 with latest available SW/FW. When it happens MQA disappears on R26 display for that short while and PCM is displayed I think, it is very quick.

The problem many manufacturers have encountered with MQA is, the DAC has to use the MQA filters for MQA music, but if they want to use their own digital filters for everything else, then MQA has to be detected first before the switch, causing a stutter. MQA wanted manufacturers to have the filter applied to everything so that people wouldn't get a stutter every time an MQA track was played. Now, if the transmission has any errors, that may affect MQA detection, and you'll get playback issues.

The solution is pretty simple: Avoid MQA. If you can't, have your software do the unfold first (if you don't mind money going to a company that perpetrated one of the biggest con jobs in history).

 

[migo]

The problem many manufacturers have encountered with MQA is, the DAC has to use the MQA filters for MQA music, but if they want to use their own digital filters for everything else, then MQA has to be detected first before the switch, causing a stutter. MQA wanted manufacturers to have the filter applied to everything so that people wouldn't get a stutter every time an MQA track was played. Now, if the transmission has any errors, that may affect MQA detection, and you'll get playback issues.

The solution is pretty simple: Avoid MQA. If you can't, have your software do the unfold first (if you don't mind money going to a company that perpetrated one of the biggest con jobs in history).

Sorry I don't agree here, I've ZERO problems with X26Pro playing MQA files more than one year in the same setup. It is R26 fault not MQA.

 

[Luvdac]

Awesome - great to hear the OCK-2 worked so well for you, to have another member of team R26 + ext clock converts! Interesting and great illustrative example of how a high end server/DDC chain can trump the R26's internal streamer (something I've not yet experienced). Do you mind saying what streaming/serving software, USB cable and I2S cable you use? As I suspect they may be bottlenecks for me and others too.

I do roon and recently moved to roon rock from windows 10. ALL my cables are custom made using hand drawn 99.9% solid silver wires.

 

[Jake2]

I do roon and recently moved to roon rock from windows 10. ALL my cables are custom made using hand drawn 99.9% solid silver wires.

Cheers. Do you DIY them yourself or get them made?

Coincidentally after speculating about cables maybe being the bottleneck in the Zen/U18 chain, I just found they are, or at least the USB cable was.

Swapped my 2yo USD110 Aliexpress high OCC purity copper silver-coated one to a recently arrived USD170 Semperfi The Outsider Pure Silver cable I'd not yet gotten around to hooking up. Made the Zen/U18 chain MUCH better. Less glare and edginess, now better imaging focus and bass definition than the internal streamer. The latter has a broader, if less focussed soundstage with perhaps a touch longer decay. Very close now.

(Suspect the Zen got a bump from the new LHY Switch too)

OK I need to add a #6 to my considerations list... Cables - they're critical. Already knew this for 50 clock BNC cables, hoped it wasn't so key for USB cables from a galvanically isolated Zen Stream output to a dedicated DDC like the U18, but I've learned firsthand they are.

Now It's not at all hard for me to imagine that if a step up I2S cable like the USD500 Tubulus Argentus I2S (silver like yours) brings another similar or greater jump, the Zen + U18 could clearly surpass the R26 internal streamer. Same again if the streamer was upgraded. Quite a lot of spending over and above the cost of the R26 to do so of course.

So many damn variables.

 

[iovlui]

Already knew this for 50 clock BNC cables, hoped it wasn't so key for USB cables from a galvanically isolated Zen Stream output to a dedicated DDC like the U18, but I've learned firsthand they

What BNC cable do you recommend for the OCK-2?

 

[Jake2]

What BNC cable do you recommend for the OCK-2?

Gustard C2 (50 ohm). A much cheaper Minicircuits semi rigid cable that on paper was promising with very good specs around internal reflections was good too (good enough to realize a lot of the benefits of the OCK1), certainly much better than a generic pro audio 50 ohm and a 75 ohm 'hifi' one intended for coax spdif (both of those seriously limited any improvement), but C2 still clearly out in front.

Haven't tried it but Cybershaft's 50 ohm BNC cable, also linked below, is supposed to be good and is <USD50.

For example something like this USD25 hand-formable cable from Minicircuit with a return loss at 10mhz of ~45db (superb, anything about 20db is very good I understand) and insertion loss of 0.02 db (vanishingly low). https://www.minicircuits.com/WebStore/dashboard.html?model=141-24BM+ See link for downloadable data sheet.



Which looks remarkably similar to Cybershaft's USD30-55 semi-rigid cable, though the latter is offered at multiple lengths up to 1.5m whereas the former has a maximum length of two feet per Minicircuit's selection tool. This one comes with a certificate of measured 'SWR' - which I presume refers Standing Wave Ratio or Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), closely related to return loss, another way of measuring the amount of reflected signal. https://cybershaft.shop/products/50ohm-bnc-semi-rigid-cable-2



I would've already ordered a cable or two from either or both of these companies to try if the shipping to NZ wasn't totally insane for Minicircuit (~USD140) and OTT for Cybershaft relative to the cable prices (>USD50). I believe a few folk on here have used the Cybershaft and rate it.

 

[Loose-Leaf]

I bought my R-26through Amazon an impulse purchase just to replace an older dac that was 3 times the retail price just until I found something else that’s more inline with my other components,.What the heck $1400.00 Sandu of SoundNews said it’s darn good dac so whadda got to loose .
The R-26 has settled in my system nicely I think a more synergy link with the other components I’m utterly surprised how well it fits in with the rest of the much more expensive components , Innuos Zenith 3 server , OOR Hypso amplifier and HiFiman Susvaras though maybe some day I’ll look at other components I’m content so far with long sessions of listening I’ll keep it for now . Lastly I’ve been using Innuos Sense app it is clearly better sounding then Roon ,I think Roon definitely needs to step up their game .

i would like to add , industry software competition is always a good thing for use consumers, the Innuos Sense 2,2,2 recently released is so far ahead of Roon in sound quality this should force Roon into upgrading their current software , Innous could very well become Roons direct competition by making it available to anyone , I’m confident most here experiencing Innous Sense software would stop use of Roon
Two big steps using Innuos Sense # 1 overall sound quality # 2 it’s “free“ to Innuos owners.

 

[ericx85]

I can only guess the MQA issues are due to the fact that its an R2R dac. MQA was generally built into D/S chips. I don't think I've seen an R2R dac aside from this one do MQA natively so Gustard had to find a way to make it work thats not "official". I know some people like MQA, but I would take Currawongs advice and avoid it if you can. It is by all means a cancer on the audio industry. The only reason I would imagine it sounds better at times is due to whatever DSP was applied to the MQA file. The original master 44.1/48/88/96 non MQA file should always be better. You could probably also do better with HQPlayer than what MQA attempts to do.

I would still listen to MQA just to see how that version of a song sounds like, but it's only available on Tidal I think and from what I understand(someone can correct me if I'm wrong) the original CD quality files are no longer lossless CD quality files but gimped downsampled versions of their MQA files now.

 

[migo]

I can only guess the MQA issues are due to the fact that its an R2R dac. MQA was generally built into D/S chips. I don't think I've seen an R2R dac aside from this one do MQA natively so Gustard had to find a way to make it work thats not "official". I know some people like MQA, but I would take Currawongs advice and avoid it if you can. It is by all means a cancer on the audio industry. The only reason I would imagine it sounds better at times is due to whatever DSP was applied to the MQA file. The original master 44.1/48/88/96 non MQA file should always be better. You could probably also do better with HQPlayer than what MQA attempts to do.

I would still listen to MQA just to see how that version of a song sounds like, but it's only available on Tidal I think and from what I understand(someone can correct me if I'm wrong) the original CD quality files are no longer lossless CD quality files but gimped downsampled versions of their MQA files now.

Yes, I'm aware of MQA and what it is and about its downsides. User(s) here reported the same problem with stuttering HiRes from Qobuz! R26 is broken IMHO.
I've hacked myself to the internal Arm board with streamer SW, I've used @NoaHimesaka guide and added Tidal connect to my R26 and will try it later evening. It has one downside unf. it works only with older Tidal app, not recent one from GooglePlayStore.