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

[ohcrapgorillas]

You should revisit the internal streamer now with FMCs. It’s a different ballgame.

My thoughts exactly.

Just quickly going back and forth between the two with Emma Ruth Rundle's Marked for Death, my original comment stands. LAN streamer is improved and is no longer smoothed over, but now I hear a brightness/forwardness that weren't there before. Her vocals and snares occasionally have a bite to them from the LAN streamer that I'm not used to and don't care for. I still feel that the Pi2AES has better fine detail retrieval and has a more consistent stage. The Pi2AES is also smoother, but not in a 'smoothed over' way.

I will do some more testing after dinner. I should admit that I was using different HQPlayer settings for the LAN streamer (768 kHz, LNS15) vs the Pi2AES (192 kHz, NS9). To be totally fair, I should keep the sampling rate and dithering the same.

EDIT: Even with more testing, my observations above still stand. These are subtle differences but the Pi2AES is the better source for my setup.

 

[sajunky]

I will do some more testing after dinner. I should admit that I was using different HQPlayer settings for the LAN streamer (768 kHz, LNS15) vs the Pi2AES (192 kHz, NS9). To be totally fair, I should keep the sampling rate and dithering the same.

Also try at a native sample rate (without HQPlayer, just bit-perfect). Smoothing (noise shaping) is not good for evaluatiing sound quality. When you finish, you can go back with HQPlayer settings, if you like such sound... or switch to Holo Audio DAC which has noise shaping integrated.

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

Also try at a native sample rate (without HQPlayer, just bit-perfect). Smoothing (noise shaping) is not good for evaluatiing sound quality. When you finish, you can go back with HQPlayer settings, if you like such sound... or switch to Holo Audio DAC which has noise shaping integrated.

I got the Gustard R26 before I got HQPlayer, so I listened to the R26 quite a bit without HQPlayer, both OS and NOS. The sound quality is better with HQPlayer.

I can't afford Holo Audio DACs.

 

[sajunky]

I got the Gustard R26 before I got HQPlayer, so I listened to the R26 quite a bit without HQPlayer, both OS and NOS. The sound quality is better with HQPlayer.

I talk of using a proper testing method and I mentioned that after testing you can return to your favourite HQPlayer settings. I don't try argue on what you prefer.

 

[venomas200]

I got the Gustard R26 before I got HQPlayer, so I listened to the R26 quite a bit without HQPlayer, both OS and NOS. The sound quality is better with HQPlayer.

I can't afford Holo Audio DACs.

I was try HQPLAYER, but my nuc I7 16 GB RAM it's to slow to HQPLAYER. I can't use all filters, unfortunately this with better SQ

 

[Buckminster]

For sure! Anyone that’s interested just PM me
Any program that has a convolution engine.
Just email me the measurements and your mic calibration file.
I’ll PM you

Shoutout to @camrector and echoing @BShaw : this is a generous offer for a fantastic service. If you have a measurement mic laying around, you should consider taking him up on it while he's still snowed in and before he changes his mind.

I'd done a handful of convolution filter creation attempts using just REW and they were OK, but they still had problems where they'd excel in some areas but be too heavy handed in others, leading to an overprocessed feel. Plus, they did nothing with phase.

I'm a believer that Focus Fidelity in Cam's hands is a much better approach as the refinement it has brought to my system in a challenging room is subtle but unmistakable: rogue bass frequencies are tamed, two different frequency responses from my speakers are equalized, and imaging is more focused. I'd equate the overall improvement to a solid component upgrade. Thanks, man!

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

I was try HQPLAYER, but my nuc I7 16 GB RAM it's to slow to HQPLAYER. I can't use all filters, unfortunately this with better SQ

Are you using PCM or DSD? PCM should take very little processing power and is where the R26 really shines. I was able to run all but the most demanding filters on a Raspberry Pi 4 at 4x oversampling (176.4/192 kHz) with HQPlayer OS before I switched to using hqplayerd on my media server. An i7 should do just fine with PCM, I'm running an i5-10600KF in my media server.

And in any case, the most demanding filters aren't necessarily the best sounding.

Shoutout to @camrector and echoing @BShaw : this is a generous offer for a fantastic service. If you have a measurement mic laying around, you should consider taking him up on it while he's still snowed in and before he changes his mind.

I'd done a handful of convolution filter creation attempts using just REW and they were OK, but they still had problems where they'd excel in some areas but be too heavy handed in others, leading to an overprocessed feel. Plus, they did nothing with phase.

I'm a believer that Focus Fidelity in Cam's hands is a much better approach as the refinement it has brought to my system in a challenging room is subtle but unmistakable: rogue bass frequencies are tamed, two different frequency responses from my speakers are equalized, and imaging is more focused. I'd equate the overall improvement to a solid component upgrade. Thanks, man!

I am really excited to try this. I am looking everywhere for my UMM-6... I can't find it my apartment is not large, either. I know it's around here somewhere.

 

[camrector]

I was try HQPLAYER, but my nuc I7 16 GB RAM it's to slow to HQPLAYER. I can't use all filters, unfortunately this with better SQ

You should have no issues with that NUC.
HQplayer has filters and features on there that no commercial made cpu processor can play. There isn’t a human on earth that can use HQplayer to its fullest potential yet. So don’t let that hold you back.
Your computer has more power than mine and I have no issue using 90% of HQplayer.

 

[Brummle]

I never got HQ Player to work with Roon either.. Gave it up..

 

[camrector]

Shoutout to @camrector and echoing @BShaw : this is a generous offer for a fantastic service. If you have a measurement mic laying around, you should consider taking him up on it while he's still snowed in and before he changes his mind.

I'd done a handful of convolution filter creation attempts using just REW and they were OK, but they still had problems where they'd excel in some areas but be too heavy handed in others, leading to an overprocessed feel. Plus, they did nothing with phase.

I'm a believer that Focus Fidelity in Cam's hands is a much better approach as the refinement it has brought to my system in a challenging room is subtle but unmistakable: rogue bass frequencies are tamed, two different frequency responses from my speakers are equalized, and imaging is more focused. I'd equate the overall improvement to a solid component upgrade. Thanks, man!

Awesome to hear and thank you!!

 

[Stellabagpuss]

Awesome to hear and thank you!!

Guess it's my turn to show some love to Camrector, and without repeating the same points as Buckminster again, he has done a sterling job on some FIR filters for Jriver, so many thanks for sorting.
I am lucky to have a fairly good measuring room, but Cam sorted and smoothed the lower end frequencies, and sorted timing timing and phase errors, not a massive difference, but a noticable improvement, this is partly down to my room.
Thanks again Cam...!

 

[camrector]

O

Guess it's my turn to show some love to Camrector, and without repeating the same points as Buckminster again, he has done a sterling job on some FIR filters for Jriver, so many thanks for sorting.
I am lucky to have a fairly good measuring room, but Cam sorted smoothed the lower end frequencies, and sorted timing timing and phase errors, not a massive difference, but a noticable improvement, this is partly down to my room.
Thanks again Cam...!

awesome man!! Super happy to help!

 

[PitBul34]

Check it out )) Golden Oak cabinet for my R26

 

[venomas200]

You should have no issues with that NUC.
HQplayer has filters and features on there that no commercial made cpu processor can play. There isn’t a human on earth that can use HQplayer to its fullest potential yet. So don’t let that hold you back.
Your computer has more power than mine and I have no issue using 90% of HQplayer.

Your setting?

 

[venomas200]

I never got HQ Player to work with Roon either.. Gave it up..

You must clock on HQ player network Access, after that on roon must add IP adres your pc where hq has been instaled