Gustard bypassed the stock ESS filters and developed their own with the help of a hardware DSP by Analog Devices. Non-oversampling, native 1-Bit DACs are all sounding like thisadding so much flow and effortlessness, like gently pouring music into my eardrums, instead of forcibly pushing it. In my case, FAST was more to my liking. JavaScript is disabled. Gustard R26 Discrete R2R DAC - R2R+1Bit XMOS DSD512 PCM768kHz LDAC Balanced K2 Clock Decoder with Remote Control(Black) In Mint condition. You are choosing either its internal clocking system - which is already a very high-performance one, or an external 10 MHz clock generator (like their C16 or C18 units). Like the X26 PRO before it, R26 Discrete uses a custom built Ultra-Low-Noise Clock Synthesizer which was called K2, integrated into a jitter reduction architecture. I'm adding a Gustard R26 DAC to my current system which consists of: Hegel 190, Dynaudio 34s, Bluesound Node 2i, NAD C546BEE, REL T/7x, and a Synology NAS (500 cds ripped to FLAC files). Special discount for WRT Cable. Select options. If there is already a thread please go ahead and delete this one. If a Trafomatic Primavera or Enleum AMP-23R follows, regardless of the headphone that would be used, youll be getting punchy bass lines even with old smoky jazz or blues. It is a native 1-Bit DAC that supports DSD signal decoding in its entirety; without converting it to PCM. Gustard bumped that resolution so high, that I no longer feel a gap in between it and the X26 PRO. When Gates of Istanbul by Loreena McKennitt (Qobuz / Tidal) started playingI was surprised that R26 felt airier, dwelling deeper compared to the already exceptional sounding Gold Note DS10 Plus Streamer/DAC/Preamp. and he brought up the Gustard R26. Just let go cxn v2beautiful dac and streamer and got the r26. My stereo setup is on the neutral side of things, so I could determine whats going north or south, and I immediately felt a better flow and a higher midrange presence when R26 was added, bringing a fuller-bodied tonality into a dead-neutral setup. It was only by a hair bigger sounding to the already excellent Gold Note DS10 Plus, but I immediately felt a higher engagement factor and a more prominent sub-bass delivery. R26 is not the usual small and lightweight fellow, this one fights in the heavyweight division, so you should expect a bigger and heavier box. In a loudspeaker setup it was easier getting the feel of its soundstage size, depth and pin-point location (imaging) of the notes all around and thats why it was used in two distinct setups. SHENZHENAUDIOcan only refund the original purchase price. There wasnt a single musical genre that R26 didnt do wellsomething that I can rarely write about chip-based converters as of late. Share Reactions: ToddRaymond, sajunky and FredA. Months passed by and I tried the very best units of Singxer, Topping and SMSL and yet, X26 PRO was still sitting on a pedestal as the true ruler of delta-sigma DACs coming from China, that wouldnt cost you a small fortune. I like their knurly metallic texture and I like their elevation (not too close to the table) for a better ventilation and I also like their padding - that should absorb micro-vibrations coming from within its electronics. Theres a voltage regulation stage before and after those caps, that will further clean up the power delivery. I am simply moving up the expenditure tree and want to try something considerably more expensive. I never felt that something was lacking or missing from R26 Discrete s performance, on the contrary - it proved that great sonics can be had for less if we spend our income wisely. The unit itself was cuddled with soft foam on both sides and theres an accessory box put on top. I dont see compromises and I dont see copy/paste, only high-quality components that will certainly leavy a Big mark when music will start doing its mojo. R26 also acts as a streamer with uPnP and Roon services. Truth to be told, I wasnt impressed by the entry level Gustard units, their X16 and A18 were lacking nerves in the bass and I didnt find them having a good tonal balance, lacking midrange presence and a natural treble delivery. Too many DACs> Too many amps> Too many headphones, Not a fan of aesthetics. Gustard unveils with its DAC-R26 an absolutely exceptional digital to analog converter. I never tried making it look better or worse, its not in my nature. When Gustard updated their website two months ago with a mysterious new flagship device that swapped ESS 9038 PRO chips with ladders of resistors working in a fully balanced configurationI stopped from whatever I was doing and started translating every single word from Chinese to English, so I could better understand its inner workings. Theres a better flow of the notes and this is exactly what makes it so different and ever so slightly more special sounding to me. R26 Discrete, as X26 PRO before it can reach 5V via XLR and 2.5V via RCA which in remote cases can have beneficial effects not only in a stereo setup, but also in a headphone setup, squeezing more power from the amplifier that follows. Killing In the Name (Qobuz / Tidal) started playingI literally jumped from my chair, as theres no way I could get similar bass riffs from the usual DACs that are sitting on my table. Sold by Aoshida HiFi-US Returns Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. The following days, I succumbed and accepted the fact that X26 PRO was the very best Delta-Sigma oversampling DAC that Ive tried at my place, that wont break the bank, forever changing my preconceptions about chip-based converters, especially about their limitations. You can access its menu via its remote control as well. Lost-in-transit requests must be submitted to. Postings are free for hobbyists. If oversampling DACs can sound amazing below two grand, why ladder DACs cant do it too? Unit price / Functions and features: Use AKM's flagship DAC chip AK4499EQ. It did not have the same weight as my Denafrips Ares II with the exception of very low frequencies. JavaScript is disabled. PCM Filter, 3 positions: Fast (default), Mid or Slow. Mid bass, was lean. Another highlight of R-2R ladder DACs and quite probably the biggest reason you might invest in such a digital creature is a very different midrange rendition. Rocks an all-discrete analog output stage, Theres an overkill power supply, filtering and regulation stage as well, The nicest clocking system Ive seen thus far, Noise and distortion free unit, its dead-silent unit it any situation, Considerably clearer and more detailed sounding to R-2R ladder DACs of the same price bracket and the difference wasnt small, Massive, huge and holographic sounding at all time, layered and well-spread around the listener, Incredibly transparent sounding, focusing on things playing in the background felt as a childs play. How to get a residence permit in Germany. It's been available since September or so and am just wondering if anyone has one and what their thoughts are about it? Yes, this is quite a romantic and smooth sounding DAC, but it has so much character, a freedom of expression and a different view. From the ones that Ive tested lately, only several SMSL devices were increasing the noise floor. Switching to R26, theres an immediate bump in naturalness and weightit was so obvious, that Im already questioning myself if we should continue this blind test. Everything felt pure fun, without missing on small details and never lagging behind in terms of speed. Congratulations to the team, it was fully deserved! K2 can work with either its internal femto-second clock or with external 10Mhz Clocks, such as their C16 or C18 generators and there are many other such units, even of a higher quality. I have no idea why Im still putting this chapter in my DAC reviews, but feel free to skip it if you please. Please take note, that volume will be bypassed and maxed out once you engage it! Gustard has entered into the Discrete R2R game with its latest R26, a high-end Discrete R2R Desktop DAC. In two weeks time, I tried finding some cons and I tried it hard. Apart from swapping ESS 9038 PRO chips with two resistor ladders that added an additional FPGA, I find them very similar looking on the inside, which is a good thing. It seems that Odin heard my prayers and Gustard heard them too, as finally theres no longer a mini-CD in the package. They lack preamp functionality & volume control. I find it meatier and richer sounding than a Musician Aquarius and while these two share a lot of traits in common, R26 felt by a hair more organic and freer like listening to unamplified music. I found these two more alike than different and thats works in favor of the R26, as it is by about ~3 times cheaper to the DS10 Plus powered by PSU-10 Evo. When you use these links we may receive commission from ensuing purchases. But still need to be convinced 100% that it will work with Roon. Its digital board and clocking system are looking way better than most DACs coming from China and youll be surely getting one of the cleanest and noiseless performances that Ive heard in a headphone or stereo setup. After powering it on, every morning Im again surprised by how engaging and fun it sounds, while never messing with technicalities or bumping the notes into each other, messing them into a bowl of sounds. The Gustard R26 R2R DAC is the first R2R to build in the Master Clock with i2S hdmi inputs, MQA full decoding via USBand accepting10M Master Clock inputs from Giesemann 10M Master Clock. Last, but not least, the transient response guy felt on top of the mountain with the R26 Discrete, which felt mean sounding, delivering painful uppercuts in the lowest octaves. It is equipped with the latest-gen XMOS XU216 USB receiver chip. Make it in the top 5 best units I tried and that should tell you how I honestly feel about it. A New Point Of Reference - Gustard R26 Discrete R-2R Ladder DAC Review Sandu Vitalie Aug. 28, 2022 Sources My Video Review: I have a long history of reviewing all kinds of DACs, starting with regular chip-based, software-defined FPGA DACs and finishing with the ancestors of modern digital-to-analog converters that are called R-2R ladder DACs. As an epilogue, I think I just found an upgrade path for owners of chip-based oversampling converters that want a different flavor, never skipping or overlooking the technical performance and I see it as a clear upgrade path for all entry to mid-level R-2R units. Neither were sharp or rolled-off, but there was less bite and more texture on the R26. It is so hard to buy these days not being able to listen to anything first so I too have been scouring the internet for feedback. Double boxed is already a standard procedure, ensuring a safe delivery to your front door. Its last name comes from discrete components (transistors, resistors and diodes that are sitting inside) that replaced limited op-amps. Property prices in Germany from 2,000 /m. R26 is obviously built at much higher standards and at this size and weight, I would be surprised if it wouldnt block all types of noise, regardless if their inception points. Another heavy rival from Gustard, A26, comes out after the top-ranking R26! $1,649.99 USD 100% Authentic Guarantee Lowest Price Guarantee Members who purchase earn 8245 Rewards Points, And Two-year Warranty. I have tried plenty of units in any of these segments, including a substantial number of R-2R units that had unique traits and unforgiving weaknesses, but I could never omit their different way in dealing with natural harmonics. Ive heard hollow and veiled sounding R-2R converters that had little to no transparency and depth, but R26 seems like a very different animal, zooming in and out with so much ease, that I dont see the point of (much) pricier R-2R converters anymore. -135dB at higher frequencies rising to -120dB in the bass. Loreenas voice was piercing the veil, shushing gently and beautifully into my ears. Even if it doesnt have an actual line amplifier circuit, its powerful output stage was felt immediately, sending deep tremors, pushing down on my shoulders with a higher force, getting a higher density and more colorful sound palette, while still adding a sense of spatiality in between the notes. It outplayed and outgunned my beloved Matrix Element X without the right to appeal at less than half its price! 23 54 Jan 15, 2023 #1 I'd bought the Gustard R26 during the Black Friday sale on Amazon.com. I was a kid loving and collecting cassettes, spending all my pocket money on new records and Im somehow still doing it, one way or another. RT @freestyle_fe: GUSTARD DAC-R26 http://freestyle20.blog92.fc2.com/blog-entry-648.html 26 Jun 2023 09:57:23 Gustard X18 Dac - Digital To Analogue Converter. I expected a massive unit that would weight a ton and curb my back and thats exactly what Ive got, but it no longer looks like a Tiger I tank, as X26 PRO did for me. Expect a world-first review for the Rockna Wavedream ULTRA somewhere next yearbut until that happens, lets focus on down to earth units like the one that I will be testing today. A discrete R-2R ladder DAC Gustard R26 claims high-performance thanks to a carefully planned R-2R ladder architecture. Unit arrived to the USA from China in 6 days! Not a single Denafrips, Musician, nor the newest Schumann ladder DACs have volume controls, but once you go past a certain price point, several options will be appearing like mushrooms after the rain, rocking dedicated preamp circuits from the likes of Holo Audio, Rockna Audio and many others. I was told that these are stereo ladders that use the highest precision resistors, meaning that we are dealing with a fully balanced unit from input to output. I tried comparing them with other ladders previously seen on Rockna, Audio-GD, Denafrips, Musician and on many other brandsbut these arent looking familiar to me, suggesting a custom design built from the ground up. I cant wait to put it under a magnifying glass, so lets hit some eardrums! The low end started blossoming after a week. Something NEW is Coming, Stay up to date! Big words from the DACMan, but how does it sound more exactly? Dynamics were always playful and a joy ride at all times, Full-bodied, organic and natural sounding, carries a warmer tonality, Covers the frequency response in full, without rolling off anything, A wide selection of digital inputs, including a 10Mhz clock input and an Ethernet port, Could still be improved with external Clock Generators and/or external DDCs, The highest bang for buck Ive experienced thus far, You wont find a user manual in the package, DACs: Gustard R26 Discrete, Gustard X26 PRO, Chord Electronics Dave, Rockna Wavelight, Audiobyte HydraVox & HydraZap, Musician Aquarius, Gold Note DS-10 Plus & PSU-10 EVO, Ferrum ERCO, Shanling EM7, DAPs: Hiby RS6, RS2, FiiO M17, M11 Plus ESS, Shanling M7, M6 Ultra, Headphone Amps: Trafomatic Primavera, Trafomatic Head2, Enleum AMP-23R, Ferrum OOR + Hypsos, Flux Lab Acoustics Volot, Burson Audio Soloist 3X GT, several Topping, SMSL & Gustard units, Integrated Amps: Enleum AMP-23R, Burson Timekeeper 3i, Power Amps: Benchmark AHB2 (x2), Burson Timekeeper 3X GT (x2), Chord Electronics Ultima 5, Loudspeakers: KEF Reference 3, Reference 1 Meta, Sound Of Eden Crescendo UNO, Full-sized headphones: Hifiman Susvara, HE1000SE, Arya Stealth, Audeze LCD-5, LCD-4, Sennheiser HD800S, Erzetich Phobos V2021, Phobos V2018, Erzetich Mania, Kennerton Rognir, Magni, Gjallarhorn, Vali, M12S, Apos Caspian, Sendy Peacock, Apollo, Aiva & others, IEMs: FiiO FH9, FH7, FA9, FD7, Meze Rai Penta, LittleDot Cu KIS, Kinera Skuld, 7Hz Timeless & others, Interconnects: QED Reference (x2), Topping TCX1 (x2), Speaker cables: Kimber PR8, Audioquest Type4, Power Cables: Isotek EVO3 Premier (x3), iFi Audio SupaNova (x2), Balanced Isolation Power Conditioners: PLiXiR Elite BAC1500 (stereo setup), Elite BAC400 (headphone setup). W. Gustard, . Everything felt harder and more expressive, like the band wanted to capture a rawer and a more authentic version of this tune. Turn it on if you want to bypass its internal interpolating FIR filters, working more like a NOS (Non-Over-Sampling DAC), sending the data stream directly to the R-2R resistor ladder. When Hey Eugene! Giesemann Clock 10M Reference Master Clock - Audiophilestyle.com Edition. To my right sits the undefeated champion for about a year now wearing silver shorts, please give a round of applause for the Gustard X26 PRO! DSD Direct, 2 positions: OFF (default) or ON. I am thinking about replacing my Naim box with the Gustard R26 to simplify my system some. DACs: Gustard R26, Pontus 2(for sale) + Iris(for sale), Bifrost 2, Modius . X26 PRO outperformed even the Matrix Audio Element X - which was more than double its price, but more feature packed which saved its day. In the first room, you can spot two shielded & encapsulated 50W linear transformers, these are quite big and very heavy and you can certainly feel their weight on that part of the case. Musical notes will be taking a clear form, while sounding like real music at the same time. Neutral tuned setups like mine will be getting a much-needed presence and soul, changing their tonality upside down, adding richness into your listening space and dopamine into your blood stream. Enterprise Dealer accounts are reserved for Banner Advertisers. It is clear to me than R26 Discrete is not only an amazing goose-bump machine, but a very technical sounding unit as well, merging everything I want a high-end DAC to be. To determine if your order is eligible for shipment to PO boxes or an APO/FPO address, please contact SHENZHENAUDIO Support. In most cases, we will issue your refund in the same way you made the original purchase. Quick View. This is why we constantly negotiate with existing shipping partners for lower rates and actively test new couriers for potential opportunities. Was blown away by how it sounds! Even the lateral heatsinks are so much cooler looking now. Description Specifications Reviews Q&A Shipping Warranty Gustard R26 is a discrete R2R ladder DAC that promises exceptional performance with precisely designed R2R ladder architecture. After trying a bunch of R-2R ladder DACs from the house of Denafrips, Musician Audio, Audio-GD, Rockna Audio and MSB Audio, from affordable to end-game units, I formed a very solid picture about how these units are performing. The R26 is a great investment if you love listening to music which sounds natural, big, authoritative, highly detailed and most enjoyable. Home Music Servers, Computers and Streamers. On its front panel youll find a standby button to the left, a large monochrome OLED screen in the middle and on the right theres volume wheel with a button in the middle, that will change digital inputs once short pressed or access its user menu once long pressed. MSRP: $1649.99 Asking Price: $1395.00 Box: Included. If an item weighs more than 9 pounds, we wont be able to ship to these addresses because of our current courier agreements. High-end electronics are slowly becoming modern furniture and I personally like when they blend together with their surroundings and I can certainly see that on the R26 Discrete. After trying every single DAC released by Gustard and sharing my experiences with you, I didnt know what to expect when their massive X26 PRO landed on my table about a year ago. Followed by a Trafomatic Primaverasometimes I am getting too much bass definition and impact and mind you, Im staying with a pair of Hifiman Susvara on my head, which arent known to be incredibly alive and impactful. Ive put another week in testing it in a stereo and headphone setup and for a good measure, I also compared it with its twin brother X26 PRO. The usual RCA and XLR outputs are present and those are fixed or variable, so it can be used as a preamplifier if you please. If I would nitpick a littlethat would be about its cheap plastic remote, which isnt doing it justice and, in their stead, I would release a metallic remote control as an extra accessory down the road, exactly as Topping did with their RC22 remote. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund. With discrete componentssky is the limit; nothing can limit their application and the imagination of engineers that are using them and thats precisely why in high-end audio youll never see a single op-amp. Saturday at 6:31 PM. Indeed. If you tried only chip-based converters by now, then youll be surprised (gently speaking) by the immediate change. Alasvery few chip-based converters fully mastered this skill. Lastly, I wanted to see with my own eyes those splendid looking R-2R resistor ladders. JavaScript is disabled. Hefty and bold, punchy and visceral sounding with bass intensive music, amazing transients and quick shifts in dynamics! DACs, Streamers, Servers, Players, Audio Interface, Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator, Terminator Plus FPGA firmware upgrade review, Waversa EXT-LAN Reference and Streamer - My Take, Grimm MU1 vs Aurender N30SA vs Taiko Audio, Orchard Audios New PecanPi+ DAC and Streamer Feature AKMs Latest Flagship Chips. Considering its custom nature and everything that makes it tick, it shouldnt come as a surprise that Ive got a natural and a life-like presentation, bringing forth a feeling of ease and rightfulness. It gets the right intensity, weight and decay, just enough to feel that this is how treble needs to be rendered. It sounded what it was reviewed exactly (natural, fuller, staging, etc. If you have any feedback, suggestions, or problems with the courier of your shipment, please feel free to submit a support ticket via the "Contact Us" button below. Overall, I still find X26 PRO an exceptional sounding unit in every possible way, it is still one of the most technical and highly engaging sounding chip-based converters. Volume will be bypassed and maxed out once you engaged it, so again, take care when changing these settings if you are using power amplifiers like I do. Sale. Sale price $649.99 USD Regular price. A few minutes later, Hanuman by Rodrigo y Gabriela (Qobuz / Tidal) started wildly playing and I again jumped from my listening chair. Theres a vertical daughter board in between the second and third room that Gustard labeled as CPLD or Complex Programmable Logic Device that houses its Streamer/Renderer, the digital receiver (XMOS XU-216), the Bluetooth chipset, the Clock management and a second order PLL. is it worth considering upgrading from X26 Pro to A26 or R26? There is a much wider monochrome OLED screen in the middle that has a better visibility when used in a stereo setup from a longer distance. Covid-19 Shipping Delay Notice The best looking Gustard unit to date, it has the perfect size, weight and style, Still built like tank, but its more refined looking from every angle. Please keep in mind that these are rough estimates and shipments can be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, like postal strikes or severe weather. Top 10? This year 2022, most DAC in the market is introducing the new 10M Master Clock input for audiophiles who wants the best sounding whille unlock the performance on R2R DAC. If an item weighs more than 9 pounds, we wont be able to ship to these addresses because of our current courier agreements.To determine if your order is eligible for shipment to PO boxes or an APO/FPO address, please contact SHENZHENAUDIO Support. Just saw at audiophonics that gustard has a R2R DAC with roon support and airplay. Please read conditions below. when new listings are found, 2023 HifiShark.com - terms and conditions of use - privacy policy - cookie statement, Hifishark.com uses cookies to improve your experience. It does look rather good in performance though. R26 was pulling more information from my tunes, while arranging everything on individual shelves and providing a better control of the low-end delivery. Take care if youre using power amplifiers, as those will blast full power into your speakers. #1. Making clean, detailed and fast sounding R-2R ladder DACs is extremely difficult, time consuming and costly, as usually these units need a custom FPGA that will solve of the errors made by the ladders. This one uses an R2R architecture using discrete components of very high quality and perfectly optimized to offer exceptional sound performances. Discrete 8 Channels Hybrid I/VPower Conversion Circuitfor R2R, Excellent Linearity with S/N Ratio is exceeding >122dB, 1x USB-B1x I2S via HDMI LVDS1x Coaxial1x Bluetooth 5.01x AES/EBU1xOptical1x BNC. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns. Two arrays are used, one for each channel, in a fully balanced configuration while . Ill go and say it out loud, that this is one of the fastest sounding R-2R ladder DACs that Ive tried to this day and its one of the most impactful one as well, as it somehow reminds about the kick of the Rockna Wavelight and Audio-GD R7, which were always explosive and mood-lifting. Such is the life of the DACMan and since I couldnt stay and do nothing, the next day I started shooting emails left and right and it didnt take me a long to see a reply from none other than Aoshida Audio that once again obliged and sent me a review unit. Keep this in mind. The Discrete pushes forward all the smallest nuances and micro-details that I know for a lifetime, popping so naturally all around my tunes and it feels great experiencing delicate intricacies. All original Packaging, Free shipping Lower 48. 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?
Spring Break Camp 2023 Springfield Mo,
The Executive Branch Of Florida Is Headed By,
Walla Walla Va Patient Advocate,
Articles G