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

[sbgk]

there's pictures online on how to wire xlr to rca, that's what I did

 

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

.

Just get ordinary RCA interconnects and use the single ended outputs on the R26. No need to make life more complicated.

This.

 

[audio integrity]

.


This.

Thanks - I am with you that it is the most straightforward solution. The reason I asked the question, for context, is numerous reviewers of the DAC suggested the balanced output was implemented better than the RCA. I guess your point is the difference is likely minor or nonexistent?

 

[BShaw]

The main thing is that balanced output is 5v, twice the voltage of RCA. You’re most likely overloading the single ended circuit causing distortion and clipping.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

I'm using the Aune XC1 OCXO clock with a generic RG400 cable

The Leo Bodnar GPS clock is very popular on this thread, is very effective & inexpensive

Thank you, I was particularly interested in Afterdark, they also have a nice sale going on which includes free shipping.

 

[LarsHP]

Anyone using afterdark clock with R26?

What are the clocks you would advise ?

The built-in clocks are top performers. However, if you insist trying to upgrade, please get a proper DDC (digital to digital converter) and use the IIS / I2S input.
External 10MHz clocks are not made for home use, but for use in pro settings, synchronizing several digital units.

 

[LarsHP]

Hello,
um 2 things, if you use XLR on the Gustard you have to invert the phase depending on where you live.
It depends on whether you are using a US or European XLR cable.
For European cables you have to invert the phase in the Gustard's settings, not for US cables.
(...)

Wow! Thanks for mentioning this. I have never heard of this difference before.

As long as both the source and amp use the same standard, we should be fine (right?), but if they use different standards, the phase will be inverted!
Gustard R26 has an option to invert phase. I didn't think it was because of this.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

The built-in clocks are top performers. However, if you insist trying to upgrade, please get a proper DDC (digital to digital converter) and use the IIS / I2S input.
External 10MHz clocks are not made for home use, but for use in pro settings, synchronizing several digital units.

Thanks
But my source is LAN, so DDC is out of question.

 

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

I guess your point is the difference is likely minor or nonexistent?

Sorry for being very short of my answer.

There is generally no advantage to using a balanced output with a single-ended adapter to connect to a single-ended input compared to just using a standard single-ended cable. Here’s why:

1. Signal Path Still Becomes Single-Ended
When you use an adapter to connect a balanced output to a single-ended input, only one leg of the balanced signal is used (typically the positive leg). The noise-rejection benefits of the balanced signal are lost because the connection becomes single-ended at the adapter.
2. Potential Signal Level Issues
Balanced outputs typically have higher signal levels (about +6 dB more) than single-ended outputs. Using an adapter may reduce the signal properly to match the single-ended input, but this doesn't improve sound quality or noise rejection.
3. No Noise Cancellation
The key advantage of a balanced output (noise rejection via differential signaling) is nullified because the single-ended input cannot process the inverted signal required for noise cancellation.
4. Grounding Complications
Depending on the design of the adapter and equipment, grounding mismatches could introduce hum or noise instead of reducing it.

Using a balanced output with a single-ended adapter is only advantageous if:
- The balanced output has inherently better circuitry (e.g., cleaner signal) than the device’s single-ended output.
- The adapter maintains proper impedance matching and grounding.

In Short: For a connection to a single-ended input, a standard single-ended cable is simpler, less prone to grounding issues, and usually performs just as well as using an adapter from a balanced output.

 

[sbgk]

you don't need an adaptor, just configure the wire to the pins in an XLR connector as required, it's easy to do and easy to swap out the xlr-rca for rca-rca for listening comparisons. I thought rca-rca sounded flatter compared to xlr-rca for R26 to amp

 

[LarsHP]

Thanks
But my source is LAN, so DDC is out of question.

In that case I see no possible upgrade regarding clock jitter. A 10MHz external clock can't and won't improve jitter performance. See the link in my previous post.

 

[LarsHP]

Wow! Thanks for mentioning this. I have never heard of this difference before.

As long as both the source and amp use the same standard, we should be fine (right?), but if they use different standards, the phase will be inverted!
Gustard R26 has an option to invert phase. I didn't think it was because of this.

Okay. After researching this topic further, it appears that this confusion ended about 1990 where the US standard was dropped and the Japanese / European standard has been used since.

In other words, with contemporary gear this isn't an issue, but if we have an old amplifier using the American standard and, for instance, a modern DAC, then the phase will get inverted. Otherwise, there's nothing to worry about.

 

[Deleeh]

Okay. After researching this topic further, it appears that this confusion ended about 1990 where the US standard was dropped and the Japanese / European standard has been used since.

In other words, with contemporary gear this isn't an issue, but if we have an old amplifier using the American standard and, for instance, a modern DAC, then the phase will get inverted. Otherwise, there's nothing to worry about.

If you have a US vintage amplifier as an example and you connect it to the Gustard, you need to know that you need a US polarised XLR cable.
If you use an EU cable, the phase will be constantly out of phase, even if you use the R26 or other dac's where you can invest the phase.
Because the EU and US cables have different polarity.
This means that even if you buy an LTA or Schiit amplifier or something else that was made in the USA and is used in the EU, you will also need a US XLR cable, not an EU XLR cable.
Unfortunately, very few people realise this and end up wondering why it sounds strange or otherwise.
You have a shift and displacement, what belongs on the left is on the right and vice versa when music is played.
Alternatively, you can also reverse the polarity of an EU cable yourself, which is also possible and can be quickly re-soldered to US, it does not have to be a US purchased XLR cable, just re-soldered to it.
Then the phase on the R26 in RCA and XLR out is always correct and you can forget about it.
If you switch to XLR, the RCA is shifted and vice versa.
If you connect pin 1 to pin 3 or bridge it, everything is fine and both phases are the same RCA and XLR. Then the phase on the Gustard must be set to disable.
This is less complicated than it,is more confusing.

 

[LarsHP]

If you have a US vintage amplifier as an example and you connect it to the Gustard, you need to know that you need a US polarised XLR cable.
If you use an EU cable, the phase will be constantly out of phase, even if you use the R26 or other dac's where you can invest the phase.
Because the EU and US cables have different polarity.
This means that even if you buy an LTA or Schiit amplifier or something else that was made in the USA and is used in the EU, you will also need a US XLR cable, not an EU XLR cable.
Unfortunately, very few people realise this and end up wondering why it sounds strange or otherwise.
You have a shift and displacement, what belongs on the left is on the right and vice versa when music is played.
Alternatively, you can also reverse the polarity of an EU cable yourself, which is also possible and can be quickly re-soldered to US, it does not have to be a US purchased XLR cable, just re-soldered to it.
Then the phase on the R26 in RCA and XLR out is always correct and you can forget about it.
If you switch to XLR, the RCA is shifted and vice versa.
If you connect pin 1 to pin 3 or bridge it, everything is fine and both phases are the same RCA and XLR. Then the phase on the Gustard must be set to disable.
This is less complicated than it,is more confusing.

My understanding is that you are wrong regarding regular XLR cables being different in the US and Europe/Japan. The cable pinout is and must be the same for both standards.

It is true however, that there have been made special XLR cables that swap the phase ("hot") and inverted ("cold") specifically for use with mixed units (Euro standard source to US standard amp for instance).

 

[BShaw]

My understanding is that you are wrong regarding regular XLR cables being different in the US and Europe/Japan. The cable pinout is and must be the same for both standards.

It is true however, that there have been made special XLR cables that swap the phase ("hot") and inverted ("cold") specifically for use with mixed units (Euro standard source to US standard amp for instance).

I did this accidentally 6 months ago in a hurry to finish some cables, took me weeks to figure out what was wrong (one xlr cable was soldered with inverted phase). Drove me to tears!