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

[ericx85]

When you connect it directly to the PC, you create between the two devices a new network that is not connected to the router.
The only thing that is important: do the players on your PC see the renderer on the A26, and can stream music to it?

Nope, only if I connect the A26 to the router.

Doesn't show up at all in Roon. In Audirvana Studio, if the A26 is connected to my router, it shows up under "Ethernet 2" which is what my Aquantia modem is referred to. The other LAN modem on the PC is an Intel modem that Audirvana sees as just "Ethernet" without the number 2. Gustard Renderer never shows up when the A26 is plugged directly to the PC.

I also tried connecting the A26 into the Aquantia modem and completely disconnected the internet from the PC. Did not work that way either. Windows must be blocking something I think.

 

[Dandoudou]

It's possible that something needs to be set on the PC, and I don't remember what.
I use Windows occasionally, and I don't have a PC at home at this moment to look closer.

 

[ericx85]

No worries, appreciate the help you gave regardless. It works through the router at least. I was just curious if I'd get a more stable connection going directly to the PC.

 

[Dandoudou]

No worries, appreciate the help you gave regardless. It works through the router at least. I was just curious if I'd get a more stable connection going directly to the PC.

The benefit of connecting the endpoint directly to the PC is to get a better sound quality.
The first is to avoid streaming through the router, because it can increase jitter.
The second is that the private network between the PC and the endpoint is isolated from the remaining of the Ethernet traffic. It's a one way stream.
Once you manage to do it, you can check if you hear an improvement or not.

 

[gammi]

Speaking of FMC and audiophile Switches, if your streamer has WiFi, do me a favor and connect your Streamer/Transport to WiFi and report back if it improved SQ or not.

I take power and signal hygiene quite seriously by having a Niagara 3000 and 3 hypsos PSU and a SOTM sNH-10g switch in my system and i tried also FMC.

I found out yesterday that by connecting the streamer/transport to WiFi bumps up the SQ.

It took me so long to find out because WiFi has kind of stigmata in the HiFi community and i was blindfolded by the narrative that WiFi is bad.

So yeah, maybe it applies only to my streamer but in case your streamer has WiFi please give it at least a try, it costs you nothing.

Can think of WiFi like isolators that are often found in USB input circuits in DDCs, it's an air gap that stops noise from propagating.

 

[Neslo1108]

FMC - possible simplification.... it's main purpose is to have it 100% electronically and galvanically seperated with fiber. I found this module from Ubiquiti - SFP / SFP+ to RJ45 Adapter (UACC-CM-RJ45-1G) but not sure if also seperate it completely. This is in order to avoid FMC boxes but just having a switch with SFP ports. Anyone having knowledge about this adapter?

Another question: Does anyone know the clock frequency inside R26 (see picture - Gustard Femto clock 201.103) in case I want to go direct to root of the clock and change that instead of an external one.

 

[sajunky]

Can the R26/A26 use it's LAN input when the ethernet is plugged directly to the PC? Or does it need to be connected to a router/streamer that's connected to the PC? I did get LAN working by connecting an ethernet to my router, but was curious if I could just make a direct connection to the PC since mine has 2 ethernet ports using 2 different ethernet modems. I have the A26, but this thread is much more active and the dacs are similar aside from being r2r/DS.

Good idea, it can be an exciting project. As @Dandoudou correctly said, it is possible, but because this connection a is complete different network, it needs to be initialised. Both PC and A/R26 streamer expect connect to the DHCP server which is typically on the home router. In this case there is no DHCP server, so all network parameters have to be assigned manually on each device. The required parameters for IPv4 are:

- IP address
- destignation address
- network mask

Only when the LAN segment Class A/B/C is prepared devices can see each other. There are other parameters that affect performance. It is how I set LAN printers on the Microsoft Workgroup, otherwise printers tend to dissappear from time to time.

I don't know what is required on the IPv6 network. If you want an assistance how to setup IPv4 on a dedicated link, PM, but you will have to find a place where is a relevant setting on Gustard, I don't have one.

If Gustard do not have manual settings on the menu, there is an option to install DHCP server on the PC for this network adapter.

 

[camrector]

FMC - possible simplification.... it's main purpose is to have it 100% electronically and galvanically seperated with fiber. I found this module from Ubiquiti - SFP / SFP+ to RJ45 Adapter (UACC-CM-RJ45-1G) but not sure if also seperate it completely. This is in order to avoid FMC boxes but just having a switch with SFP ports. Anyone having knowledge about this adapter?

Another question: Does anyone know the clock frequency inside R26 (see picture - Gustard Femto clock 201.103) in case I want to go direct to root of the clock and change that instead of an external one.

That’s the best way to do it. You could pull it and test it or maybe a product number is under the sticker.
I’d avoid external at all costs.

 

[Lucus]

I want to share feedback about a cheap tweak that is of a great value. It's not related to the R26, but I don't know where to speak about it, so I'll do it here.
It's about a model of super tweeters from Taket.
@bodiebill2 made me discover a model named BatPure, and the French site that sells it. BatPure costs only €55.
I received the supertweeters today, and hurried to install them.



This is my quickly-made temporary installation:



The result is surprising. More micro details, separation between instruments, a huge sound stage (though mine was already impressive thankfully to my LessLoss Firewalls)… It's a big upgrade for a mini prize.
This is a review in English about the BatPure, and I fully back what the reviewer says:

Just for me to understand: These are supertweeters working from 20000 Hz onwards, but a DAC (and especially a ladder DAC) does not have any info beyond 20 THz: How comes you can hear something ?

 

[gammi]

Can the R26/A26 use it's LAN input when the ethernet is plugged directly to the PC? Or does it need to be connected to a router/streamer that's connected to the PC? I did get LAN working by connecting an ethernet to my router, but was curious if I could just make a direct connection to the PC since mine has 2 ethernet ports using 2 different ethernet modems. I have the A26, but this thread is much more active and the dacs are similar aside from being r2r/DS.

As answered by others, there is a way to make this work.
I suspect it would be worse however. Would you rather have your DAC have a direct electrical connection to something with a 500W+ PSU, CPU, GPU, RAM, disks etc all making noise or a simple low power device running off low noise 12V DC? The router acts like (but not exactly) an isolator from your PC's noise.

 

[Dandoudou]

As answered by others, there is a way to make this work.
I suspect it would be worse however. Would you rather have your DAC have a direct electrical connection to something with a 500W+ PSU, CPU, GPU, RAM, disks etc all making noise or a simple low power device running off low noise 12V DC? The router acts like (but not exactly) an isolator from your PC's noise.

Not at all. All you have to do is to put the FMCs and the switch between the PC, and the streamer. In this case, the LAN input of the A26.

 

[Jake2]

It's possible that something needs to be set on the PC, and I don't remember what.
I use Windows occasionally, and I don't have a PC at home at this moment to look closer.

@Dandoudou & @ericx85 It sounds like you are describing a need to “bridge” a LAN connection across from @ericx85 ‘s windows PC to his A26. Creating a network bridge is recommended by a number of folk over at Audiophilestyle as a way to improve the quality of the network connection between server and streamer. My basic understanding is the computer is actually establishing its own separate 1-1 LAN with the connected device (a much quieter network with only one type of traffic), and then this is bridged to the wider LAN, with the computer acting as a virtual switch.

I tried and failed to setup a network bridge in my Mac Mini M1 to my R26, so I can give you no guidance other than suggesting you Google how to set one up for your Win OS.

@gammi to address ethernet borne noise he could insert optical or other galvanic isolation between the PC and the A26. So one could get the benefit of both the quieter dedicated network and galvanic isolation. In fact, I suspect this may be additional explanation for why wifi bridges sound good to many.

Edit - just realised he has an A26, amended,

 

[Dandoudou]

I tried and failed to setup a network bridge in my Mac Mini M1 to the R26, so I can give you no guidance other than suggesting you Google how to set one up for your Win OS.

I also did not succeed with the M1 Mini.
There's a way to do it with the GentooPlayer Host, if you use a USB/RJ45 Ethernet adaptor to have a second Ethernet port.
I have to check how it works.

 

[Dandoudou]

Just for me to understand: These are supertweeters working from 20000 Hz onwards, but a DAC (and especially a ladder DAC) does not have any info beyond 20 THz: How comes you can hear something ?

Good question.
It's worth searching to better understand how a super tweeter works.

 

[gammi]

Not at all. All you have to do is to put the FMCs and the switch between the PC, and the streamer. In this case, the LAN input of the A26.

I agree adding an FMC would isolate noise but he was asking about directly connecting PC to DAC with a LAN cable. Directly implies there's nothing in-between, including an FMC.

If you're adding an FMC I suspect it doesn't matter too much if you go direct from PC or through a router since in both will be isolated from router/PC noise. So unless the router is somehow corrupting the data signal, they should be the same.