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

[gonga84]

Do you mean that the channels are swapped? That's not uncommon, as there are different configurations for different manufacturers, and Gustard did the annoying thing by creating their own.
Don't confuse this with the channels being out of phase, which means that positive and negative on one or another channels are reversed.

Yup, exactly right. The channels are swapped. I don't know which configuration is right with the R26 + Red.

 

[SpursForEver]

Hi guys, I didn't find a suitable answer to my question so I will explain and hope for an answer. I have a Gustard R26. A month ago I bought a Holo Audio Red to try the II2 input on the Gustard. Everything sounded right except yesterday I found out that the left and right channels are inverted. I tried pin 3 set to on configuration or pin 2 and 3 set to on. No difference. Through USB connection the channels are correct. Can anyone help? Which is the correct pinout?

You win nothing by using I2S. It's just expectation bias and a waste of time to enjoy music.

 

[Currawong]

ALT1 according to the Holo Red manual.

 

[gonga84]

Yup, that did it. Channels are normal now. Thank you very much for your help @Currawong

 

[Caspian36]

I'm blown away by this DAC. I started off feeding it from my cd player. I now use tidal and roon via ethernet using built in streamer. Upgrading the ethernet stream with FMC, N18 pro on clean side made an unreal improvement. I recently added a Leo Bodnar world clock to feed the R26 and N18 pro and the soundtage is massive and crystal clear. I don't think there's anything else I can improve on. Amazing

 

[mango lassi]

I'm blown away by this DAC. I started off feeding it from my cd player. I now use tidal and roon via ethernet using built in streamer. Upgrading the ethernet stream with FMC, N18 pro on clean side made an unreal improvement. I recently added a Leo Bodnar world clock to feed the R26 and N18 pro and the soundtage is massive and crystal clear. I don't think there's anything else I can improve on. Amazing

I’ve gone down a very similar path and also thought “there’s probably nothing left to improve”, but a few changes made a bigger difference than I ever expected:

Adding a Laiv Harmony µDDC between my streamer and the R26 (via I²S) was a game changer. Even though I was already using NAA and clean power by NFC filters, the re-clocked I²S signal brought more precision, depth, and air to the soundstage, and the improvement in separation and spatial layering was instantly noticeable. The internal streamer is good, but the µDDC pushed things further.

Another surprise: Upgrading the HDMI cable from a basic Oehlbach to an AQ Vodka 48 (for I²S connection) enhanced scale and background blackness, suddenly the stage felt “unlocked,” like something had been holding it back before.

I also experimented with fuse tuning — used a HiFi-Tuning Supreme³ Copper in my amp and Silver/Gold in the R26. I used to think this was snake oil, but now in my system, the changes were not subtle: more stage height, better focus, and improved tonal smoothness.

Finally, mechanical isolation (stone platform + ceramic feet) helped eliminate low-level grain and brought out even more nuance and microdetail. Again, more than I expected.

 

[gonga84]

Just to clarify, you are doing streamer via IIS to Laiv uDDC, then IIS out to R26?

 

[SpursForEver]

How does spatial layering, low-level grain and stage height manifest itself? How does a fuse change "stage height"? Did it alter the physical position of the sound transducers?

 

[mango lassi]

Just to clarify, you are doing streamer via IIS to Laiv uDDC, then IIS out to R26?

Yes, exactly, I'm using a WiiM Pro via coax into the Laiv Harmony µDDC, and then I²S out from the µDDC to the R26.

That combo works beautifully. The µDDC reclocks and isolates the signal, and feeding the R26 via I²S really brings out its full potential, much better precision, layering, and spatial realism compared to direct coax or LAN input.

@SpursForEver
From my own experience, replacing standard fuses with HiFi-Tuning Supreme³ models didn’t “move” sound sources physically, but it changed how clearly and cleanly spatial cues are rendered. In particular:

• Stage height increased because upper frequencies became more refined and less grainy, allowing ambient reverb and spatial reflections to “rise” more naturally.
• Low-level detail became easier to follow — subtle decays and trailing harmonics gained more air and separation.
• Layering improved because transients were better outlined; instruments didn’t smear together but stayed locked in their respective spatial “zones”.

I didn’t expect these effects, and I was sceptical at first. But after optimizing everything else in my chain (power, cables, isolation, source), the fuses brought the kind of subtle yet audible difference that adds realism, like swapping from a good standard HDMI to something like AudioQuest Vodka 48.

No, the fuse doesn't alter transducer position — but it affects noise, transient behaviour, and microdynamics, which your ears and brain interpret as spatial clarity.
If your system is already well-dialed in, these changes can be surprisingly noticeable.

 

[SpursForEver]

How does spatial realism manifest itself?

 

[mango lassi]

How does spatial realism manifest itself?

Spatial realism means the music doesn’t just come from the speakers — it fills a three-dimensional space:

• Instruments and vocals have clear position in width, depth, and even height
• You can hear the room or venue, not just sounds, but the space around them
• The stage feels stable and believable, like you're really there

Once it’s right, your brain stops thinking about speakers, it just hears a scene.

 

[SpursForEver]

 

[mango lassi]

No worries, it’s easy to laugh when you haven’t heard it for yourself. But once you do, you might be surprised what your ears were missing.

 

[Deleeh]

I don't do it quite like my colleague here, but in a similar way.
My discarded PC serves as a streamer (Rooncore) which is connected to the network thanks to Roon.
The main Pc receives the USB signal that goes to the Singxer Su 2 DDC, which then goes to the R26 via I2S.

What others say about I2S I can confirm my impressions are the same although I have a lower quality DDC than what the market currently offers.

Here I found something else that is cool:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/streamers/gustard-s26-black-p-20498.html
I think the S26 also looks very interesting for music collectors and technically it also looks good, great work.

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/streamers/ustars-audio-c19-p-20733.html

These are 2 devices that would relieve the main Pc if you mainly want to use Roon or something similar.
Integrate it into the network after it has been configured.
The Ustar can do a bit more with free operating systems with additional possibilities to set it up as Roon core or server or simply install Gentooplayer on it and acts directly as an external streamer that only needs to be connected with I2S, coax or AES to the Dac.
The UStar has become quite popular in the French community, might be worth a try.

 

[Stellabagpuss]

I'm blown away by this DAC. I started off feeding it from my cd player. I now use tidal and roon via ethernet using built in streamer. Upgrading the ethernet stream with FMC, N18 pro on clean side made an unreal improvement. I recently added a Leo Bodnar world clock to feed the R26 and N18 pro and the soundtage is massive and crystal clear. I don't think there's anything else I can improve on. Amazing

Which Leo Bodnar clock, l'm running the new LBE-1610 10MHZ clock, l was running their GPS Precision clock, the 1610 is superior on all levels