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Gustard R2R streamer dac

Looks like a it could be a winner. Would like to put it against my Teac NT-505 which was one of the more pleasant audio surprises I've had. Great sounding piece of gear but greater is always welcome.

A quick search doesn't confirm 100% that it's Roon Ready but if/when it is I'd gladly give it a spin and see what it can do.
 
"Network connectivity
The DAC-26 benefits from a network connectivity thanks to its RJ45 port. It supports UPnP, AirPlay and Roon Bridge protocols. It will allow you to enjoy your music stored on your network devices."
The Chinese site says the new version is also MQA-ready. "More protocols in the future": I hope for LMS, but still not sure if I would hear any difference :D
 
OK, so it arrived this week. It needed a some fiddling with the LMS UPnP plugin, but now it seems to work fine. It even has MQA now (noticed some Tidal entries show MQA on the screen).
I run it straight into the resistor ladder (allegedly NOS) and enjoy the placebo effect. It sounds nice, soft and clear.
I'll run it for some weeks and then compare it to SB Touch. Probably they sound the same :D
It has an internal SD card which obviously contains the protocol files (Roon, Apple and UPnP). Some guy at head-fi already hacked it a bit. It has an ARM7 processor for the streaming an maybe someone clever fits the LMS protocol, too
Edit: Found the word in English now: immediate. It sounds immediate.
 
It looks to be well made but if I recall it didn't measure anywhere near as good as a Holo. If they are only going to have one coax SPDIF connection I would certainly prefer BNC instead of RCA! I don't think the I2S input has configurable pins - which would be useful to some.
 
It was some DSD measurement that made the asr crowd lift their eybrows, regardless of the numbers being well below what a human can hear. I just use the Ethernet input so I don't know.
 
leroyd said:
So has any phishie pulled the trigger on this DAC yet?
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I did, but will run it for a week more before I bring out my SBT:s for comparision :)
It sounds OK and works fine with the UPnP plugin for LMS. See my post above.
 
Zombie said:
I did, but will run it for a week more before I bring out my SBT:s for comparision :)
It sounds OK and works fine with the UPnP plugin for LMS. See my post above.
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Thanks for the reply and I Look forward to your comparison. Any idea would there be any issues using a feed from an Innuos Zen via USB to this DAC?. I am currently using a Primare DAC without difficulty
 
No idea. There is an USB input so probably fine. Haven't read anything negative about the USB input anyway. You could even compare the streamers then.

Edit: Btw, the bass from the R26 is definitely better. Can't hear much difference, if any, between the phono and XLR outputs. Not that I expected that, but...
 
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Any more feedback on either the X26 or R26? I see the R26 now supports MQA which has tipped it into first choice over the X26 for me.
I’m working out of the country until Christmas so wont be ordering one for a month or so but I’m yet to see a review that is less than gushing about the R26’s performance.
I also understand that the Gustard U18 (DDC) doesn’t support MQA through i2s, can anyone confirm/deny this?
 
Took delivery of one of these today and given my technophobia, was very surprised that I managed to get it up and running with my innuos Zen via USB. Next thing is to check if it has the latest firmware, but no idea how to figure this out. Any suggestions?
 
leroyd said:
Took delivery of one of these today and given my technophobia, was very surprised that I managed to get it up and running with my innuos Zen via USB. Next thing is to check if it has the latest firmware, but no idea how to figure this out. Any suggestions?
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Is there a reason to use the Zen with it being that its an all in one streamer/dac?

I sent mine back of these, its a nice unit for the price, but couldn't compete with what I already have, albeit a huge price difference, so for a more budget system this is a really good unit.
 
flutteringwow said:
Is there a reason to use the Zen with it being that its an all in one streamer/dac?

I sent mine back of these, its a nice unit for the price, but couldn't compete with what I already have, albeit a huge price difference, so for a more budget system this is a really good unit.
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The reason is that all my CD's are ripped onto the Zen.
 
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