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

[SupCompracer]

Hello everyone. I am one of those guys who's pc skills are really very basic.....

I'm an old guy with an R26. I just use a Windows 11 laptop with USB type C cable to upgrade Gustarender firmware. Follow the directions included with download. If you have power on, the firmware card inside the R26 will not be visible in the USBImager drop down window.

EDIT: Regarding cable, you get a USB type A to type C cable. ~ $6 at Amazon. These type A to C cables are provided with some cell phones as swell.

USB Type-C to USB-A​

1.关闭机器后背开关。

Switch off the power switch on the back panel.



2.运行usbimager，点击第一行右侧"..."按钮并在弹出窗口选择Release_xx.img.gz。

Launch usbimager and click '...' button on the right of first bar. Select 'Release_xx.img.gz'.



3.连接Type-C接口与电脑并移除其他USB存储设备。此时第二行会出现刚刚插入的设备。

Connect Type-C port to PC and remove other USB storage. The device would appear on the second bar.



4.点击第三行写入。

Click the third bar to write the image.



5.完成后关闭usbimager，移除USB连接后再开机。

Close usbimager after finished, turn on the power after USB disconnected.

 

[BShaw]

Isn’t there a sticky on page 1 of the thread? Maybe it’s just for mac……edit: yes, there’s a great tutorial using balena etcher for both mac or pc. I used this recently before it got stickied (merci dandoudou) and it went brilliantly. I’m in the same boat as you gcanman, and was tearing my hair out previously. Updating BOTH the renderer FW and the R26 FW fixed some issues for me, especially a vexing external clock error.

 

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

Hello everyone. I am one of those guys who's pc skills are really very basic. I got my R26 recently and have it connected to my my Roon core via usb so I can use it as an endpoint. I've been told it is better to connect it to my network but that requires a firmware update. I'm using a desktop pc running windows 11, my pc does not have a usb c connection. I have downloaded the 1.4 from Gustard but can not figure out how to get the firmware onto the R26. I saw someone who used Blanchaetcher or something like that? If anyone could explain to an old guy the most straight forward way to do the update I'd be very grateful.

Pls see first post on page 1 for FW update.

 

[rafrif]

Just a quick update, given the previous discussions regarding a preamp. It’s been almost 3 weeks since I bought the R26. I have tried many configurations, given the signal was too hot for my AS3200 to handle accordingly.
These were my options:
1. Run the R26 in fixed mode and use attenuator in AS3200.
2. Use the R26 as a preamp and NOS Mode off.
3. Use R26 internal attenuator, NOS On and run the R26 in fixed mode.
To my surprise I tried option 3 again today and Omg. It is amazing. Such a difference. I suppose the R26 has been in use constantly for 3 weeks so probably some burn in also has made a difference. Probably the Yamaha AS3200 is also injecting some nice coloration. Whatever it is I don’t care. I just love how it is sounding at the moment!
Set up:
Klipsch Forte IVs.
R26.
AS3200.

 

[Odezra]

For those of you getting any pops or crackles on dsd direct and haven’t had any joy with the firmware update - I have what I think is a resolution. It’s for Roon / hq users on Mac.

I haven’t done the firmware update and this is working consistently for me.

1) set up roon/hq player as per normal and set r26 to dsd direct
2) open the HQPDcontrol app for iOS and select the settings icon and change the file rate from auto to the max file rate you are after
3) play music in roon

This works consistently for me. When HQplayer is set to auto I get a crack every time the playlist starts (but not when cycling through tracks in the playlist).

Another side benefit is that for me anyway, depending on the file sample / bit rates, the auto selection will sometimes not reach the highest possible upsampling rate, but changing it on the iOS app (from auto to the maximum) seems to always ensure all file types reach the max file rate selected. There could be a way to do this in the HQP desktop app but I have not found it or understand it well enough. So have been using the desktop app / iOS app together to achieve this. Not elegant but works.

 

[BShaw]

In a related note, the FW update did nothing for the delays at the beginning of hi rez tunes via Qobuz, but since ditching Bubble UPnP (Sayonara baby!) and adopting Jplay, it rarely happens now. JPlay is super well put together, they did a great job. Blows away everything short of Roon.

 

[Jake2]

For those of you getting any pops or crackles on dsd direct and haven’t had any joy with the firmware update - I have what I think is a resolution. It’s for Roon / hq users on Mac.

I haven’t done the firmware update and this is working consistently for me.

1) set up roon/hq player as per normal and set r26 to dsd direct
2) open the HQPDcontrol app for iOS and select the settings icon and change the file rate from auto to the max file rate you are after
3) play music in roon

This works consistently for me. When HQplayer is set to auto I get a crack every time the playlist starts (but not when cycling through tracks in the playlist).

Another side benefit is that for me anyway, depending on the file sample / bit rates, the auto selection will sometimes not reach the highest possible upsampling rate, but changing it on the iOS app (from auto to the maximum) seems to always ensure all file types reach the max file rate selected. There could be a way to do this in the HQP desktop app but I have not found it or understand it well enough. So have been using the desktop app / iOS app together to achieve this. Not elegant but works.

Great stuff Odezra, I’ll try that.

It sounds like this iOS solution is consistent with an observation I made just before Christmas re the MacOS HQP app. Probably got lost in the mix with all the firmware update posts at that time. Haven’t yet tried the fix of changing it back. Will do tonight as well as trying the iOS app.

Edit/PS: thanks for the heads up re HQPD control - looks handy. Suspect it renders the main reason I got a Luna Display dongle for my iPad redundant…

I’m still on Gustarender v1.3 - will upgrade to 1.4 when I return home after the Christmas hols.

I got bad popping at the start of DSD tracks initially when I first got the R26 but in the course of changing a few HQP settings it went away. Wasn’t entirely sure which one(s) did it but was happy to have it gone for the past 6 weeks.

Revisiting my HQP settings this week it seems that the popping is only there when I have Adaptive rate output checked (selects upscaled frequency from same rate family as source frequency. Ie. an integer multiple ) vs greyed (adaptive with interpolation to selected maximum up-sample frequency). I only recently changed back from the latter to the former this week as it is supposed to be better sonically. The pops at start of DSD tracks are now back alas.

Edit: this is with DSD direct ON, which is theoretically better/purer than off as the R26 would presumably attempt to do further up sampling, doubling up. Or at least if not actually upsampling as DSD512 is already at the R26’s max, ‘some’ processing by the K2 PLL, as OFF certainly sounds different, a little softer.

 

[Jake2]

OK, after some testing (at multiple DSD levels - 256, 512 with both 44.1khz and 48khz rates) my theory that the root cause was selecting HQP upsampling that stays in the same rate family was only half-right.

It seems with sending HQP upscaled DSD to the R26 streamer/renderer running Gustarender v1.3 firmware on my system this is the picture:

• I get the loud pop/crackles at the start of new tracks whenever the output DSD format is in the 44.1khz rate family, regardless of any HQP settings
• silence/no pops whenever 48khz DSD rate family output to R26 regardless of HQP settings
• these outcomes are irrespective of whether I have Adaptive Output Rate (AOR) greyed/ 'as necessary' (= upsample up to max sample rate) or AOR ticked (= upsample within same rate family) selected, the key seems to be the output rate family received by the R26, not which combination of source files or adaptive upsampling HQP used to get to that output.
• most content I seem to play is 44.1khz 16bit. So practically this means, that even when I leave the DSD rate at DSD512 48khz, selecting the AOR = ticked, means it plays back at DSD512 44.1khz, thus provoking the popping.

Tentative conclusion - the R26, in Gustarender v1.3 at least, is great with 48khz but not great with 44.1khz rate family DSD. Maybe 48khz is the R26's 'native' DSD frequency if there is such a thing. Hopefully fixed with v1.4.

Could a HQP user with Gustarender v1.4 (and ideally someone with v1.3) & HQP please test these scenarios - well actually mainly scenario 2 which is the key one:

1. Source file 44.1khz, playback via HQP DSD256 or 512 48khz - AOR greyed - should be silent (no noise)
2. As per #1 - but with AOR ticked - noise/pop should occur on v1.3. I'm interested to see if this is fixed with v1.4.
3. Source file 48khz, playback via HQP DSD256 or 512 48khz - AOR greyed - should be silent (no noise)
4. as per #3 - but with AOR ticked - noise/pop - should be silent (no noise)

Thanks again @Odezra for sharing your iOS HQPD Control settings experience which I leveraged.

 

[Odezra]

OK, after some testing (at multiple DSD levels - 256, 512 with both 44.1khz and 48khz rates) my theory that the root cause was selecting HQP upsampling that stays in the same rate family was only half-right.

It seems with sending HQP upscaled DSD to the R26 streamer/renderer running Gustarender v1.3 firmware on my system this is the picture:

• I get the loud pop/crackles at the start of new tracks whenever the output DSD format is in the 44.1khz rate family, regardless of any other HQP settings
• silence/no pops whenever 48khz DSD rate family output to R26 regardless of other settings
• these outcomes are irrespective of whether I have Adaptive Output Rate (AOR) greyed/ 'as necessary' (= upsample up to max sample rate) or AOR ticked (= upsample within same rate family) selected, the key seems to be the output rate family received by the R26, not which combination of source files or adaptive upsampling HQP used to get to that output.
• most content I seem to play is 44.1khz 16bit. So practically this means, that even when I leave the DSD rate at DSD512 48khz, selecting the AOR = ticked, means it plays back at DSD512 44.1khz, thus provoking the popping.

Tentative conclusion - the R26, in Gustarender v1.3 at least, is great with 48khz but not great with 44.1khz rate family DSD. Maybe 48khz is the R26's 'native' DSD frequency if there is such a thing. Hopefully fixed with v1.4.

Could a HQP user with Gustarender v1.4 (and ideally someone with v1.3) & HQP please test these scenarios - well actually mainly scenario 2 which is the key one:

1. Source file 44.1khz, playback via HQP DSD256 or 512 48khz - AOR greyed - should be silent (no noise)
2. As per #1 - but with AOR ticked - noise/pop should occur on v1.3. I'm interested to see if this is fixed with v1.4.
3. Source file 48khz, playback via HQP DSD256 or 512 48khz - AOR greyed - should be silent (no noise)
4. as per #3 - but with AOR ticked - noise/pop - should be silent (no noise)

Thanks again @Odezra for sharing your iOS HQPD Control settings experience which I leveraged.

This is interesting. What’s confusing me still is that I get no popping across 44.1 or 48. In HQP on desktop - it’s set to dsd 44.1 x 512, but on the iOS app I change that 24576000.

 

[Jake2]

Interesting. I did the same thing (changed HQP desktop to DSD512 44.1khz, used a 44.1khz file with AOS greyed so output should be 44.1khz) then used the iOS app to select 24576000. No pops! Rate on R26 display is DSD24.5 = DSD512 48khz.

If I go back into HQP desktop settings, they are unchanged at DSD 512 44.1khz. Edit - it seems the iOS remote control app is only temporarily overriding HQP desktop's settings but doesn't change them. If I restart playback from Roon on the desktop after closing the HQP desktop app leaving settings unchanged at the 44.1khz rate family, the pop happens, and the rate on R26 display is DSD22.5 = DSD512 44.1khz.

So looks like the top rate you are selecting is a 48khz one, so is consistent with my theory. Try selecting one down on the iOS app, 22579200 and I got the pop = DSD22.5 displayed on the R26.

 

[Dandoudou]

I don't understand why you are having these pops.
It was happening with 1v3, but I don't have any, neither with Roon nor HQP, since I upgraded to 1v4.
I'm using NOS on, and Direct DSD.

 

[Jake2]

I don't understand why you are having these pops.
It was happening with 1v3, but I don't have any, neither with Roon nor HQP, since I upgraded to 1v4.
I'm using NOS on, and Direct DSD.

I'm still v1.3. Just home from holiday, so now can upgrade, but a little hesitant.

DSD Direct ON for me too. Do you mind checking scenario #2 with your v1.4 if that's not too much hassle - I'd be much obliged - assume you'd have noticed, but appreciate the positive confirmation.

 

[Dandoudou]

Do you mind checking scenario #2 with your v1.4 if that's not too much hassle - I'd be much obliged - assume you'd have noticed, but appreciate the positive confirmation.

I don't mind checking, but I did not understand scenario 2.

As per #1 - but with AOR ticked - noise/pop should occur on v1.3. I'm interested to see if this is fixed with v1.4.

What do you mean by "AOR ticked"?

 

[Jake2]

I don't mind checking, but I did not understand scenario 2.


What do you mean by "AOR ticked"?

I defined the term a couple of rows above = Adaptive Output Rate box in HQP desktop.

 

[Dandoudou]

I defined the term a couple of rows above = Adaptive Output Rate box in HQP desktop.

I upsampled a16-44 track to DSD512, and there was no pop both with AOR ticked and not ticked.
HQP rate limit being at 48 x512.