is it worth sidegrading from a a26 to a r26? am using a lcd-5 with a ferrum stack and i find the a26 to be a bit flat sounding even though i appreciate its width and detail.
GUSTARD DAC-R26 Balanced Decoder R2R+1Bit Dual Native Decoding Music Bridge
- Thread starter m-i-c-k-e-y
- Start date
PhazeCrive
100+ Head-Fier
The popularity differences of the A26 and R26 boards would lead you to think R26 is better--well, it definitely looks better. In my own system, it sounds as if the treble is toned down a bit. The "detail layer" of the 1266 I am used to hearing is somewhat washed down, but still there. Still detailed, but not poppingly apparent as it can be on DS dacs. There is a bit of depth with this dac and nice bass punch. My 1266 TC has never thundered like this before. Detail is in the same ballpark as A26, just not as sparkly up top.
Of all the reviews I watched, they all came to the same conclusion: A26 wider and more airy, R26 deeper, more spacious and has better tones. It would serve you well as an endgame or something to hold you off till you get a higher end DAC.
A DAC that could do both the detail and space/tones would be ideal but that'll cost ya lol.
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Yup, tomorrow.
Whats going to be new in this update? Im using the tidal and no roon from page 1. All seems rosy.
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Wiki you mentioned 192 kHz mqa max sample rate for you tidal connect release but 352.8 seems to work just fine.
I have a USB C hub which has a Rj45 port amongst other usb and card slots. I think that should do the trick? I was intending to use that to have a wired connection.
Do you find much benefit keeping your HQPlayer machine on the clean side. I was contemplating doing another FMC for my NUC running Roon ROCK and the Mac that will be running HQPlayer.
Infoseeker
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks for this. To add to the dischssion:
I want to add that my Gustard A22 (ak4499) can also be described as wider & airy. Haven't tried the A26 though, seems may be redundant for me.
A22 for me needs less-sparkly less-airy amps for synergy. So works best with my Bryston BHA-1 amp. My FluxLab FA-10 on the other hand, that amp isn't as ideal a pairing for it if you got bright headphones.
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I didn't even know that files with such a sampling rate were available from TIDAL. For such files, 1GB of RAM would be optimal. Unfortunately we have 120MB and in this case disabling Roon support will definitely increase the buffer.Wiki you mentioned 192 kHz mqa max sample rate for you tidal connect release but 352.8 seems to work just fine.
Infoseeker
Headphoneus Supremus
Qobuz also has crazy high res files that you can stream. Qobuz has it without all the MQA drama as well.
Tidal has just started relatively later.
Personally, listening to MQA files from Tidal, I had the impression that they sound compressed, as if they lacked detail. This topic has already been discussed in this thread. Fortunately for Roon users, there is a choice with or without MQA, maybe only 44.1 but still no MQA. Unfortunately, Tidal connect does not allow this.
Infoseeker
Headphoneus Supremus
The nice thing about the Qobuz versions, they are flac and pcm streams. No propietary formats.
I liked Tidal till I saw the truth from Goldensounds about MQA. I won't go back to them or consider it until I know I can listen to PCM and no MQA. So I'm on Qobuz via Roon and very happy.
rodthebod
100+ Head-Fier
This USB C hub with RJ45 should be ideal. I haven't tired the Hqplayer machine on the dirty side to compare, but having used the FMC modules to change from electrical cat5/6 to optical for isolation of any electrical noise this treatment should protect the HQplayer from being on the dirty side. Keep in mind that using a linear power supply on the clean side switch is important, if you are using the HQplayer on the dirty side then you will not be benefiting from that cleaner LPS.
As I have mentioned before using a wi-fi extender with a RJ45 port to take traffic from the router effectively isolating the dirty from the clean side is of more importance in my experience. This gives you a bigger hit on performance, ie more detail, space around instruments and just less hash in the mix as if a veil is lifted.
Hope this helps.
