Gustard R26 Discrete R2R Decoder MQA Native DSD DAC with Streamer/Renderer PCM768K DSD512 XU216 K2 IIS Decoder(Black)

This is not the first DAC I have owned, but it almost certainly will be the last.Looks: Very nice, although as others have mentioned, it kinda sorta resembles the profile of an early 1990s VCR machine.Build: Very, very high for the price. This is SOLID and has a reassuringly high weight and sculpted texture.Yes, the lid was popped off (with considerable difficulty I must add). The internals have a high standard of components and build. Dual transformers, high speed rectifiers, discrete components (although they are SMT making after market mods quite difficult).The RCA jacks seem to be of high quality.Ergonomics: The front-panel menu options are in a very small, dim font that is difficult to adjust with the scroll wheel, but since realistically they will only be set up once, then that is not a big deal. Apparently there is a firmware update released at the beginning of March 2023 that enlarges the font size. Although my unit was purchased and shipped at the end of March, it has the older firmware.Since there is no Wi-Fi, firmware updates must be done via connection to a PC-something I have not yet done.Inputs: All types are offered. My only mild complaint is that to use the streaming function, you MUST have a hard-wired LAN input. The rear antenna apparently is for BluTooth and NOT Wi-Fi. For those in older houses that are not LAN wired, this may be a deal breaker. In this sense the streamer is more of just a LAN input (that requires ROON), rather than a true streamer.IIS is nice for those very few who may use it.Of more interest to me is the ability to harness an external clock. I may well try some circa $300 Clock from AliExpress to test out, and if there is any improvement, trade it up for a circa $700 higher spec one.Outputs: Both RCA single ended and XLR balanced. I am not sure if the balanced outputs are true balanced, or just recreated from single ended ones (I suspect the latter).Sound: After my initial set-up, I neglected to see that the 'Attenuation' option on the menu was in the 'ON' position, which really dropped the output by 10dB. This resulted in having to turn the gain of the preamp way up, and more importantly robbed dynamics, vitality and bass extension. After a few hours, I knew that SOMETHING had to be improperly configured and eventually defeated the attenuation option.After this was done, the sound quality was very high. As many others have noted, there is a space between instruments and lots of separation and depth. In the early stages the highs seemed a little muted, but with run in-they are coming back. The bass is usefully extended and fairly nimble-although not in the upper tier bracket. I would say that although the bass extension is true, there may be some missing bass harmonics-that depending on your system and especially your speakers may not even be an issue. At some point in the very near future I intend to insert my $20k CD player and compare it with the R26. I expect that some of the absolute shortcomings of the Gustard may then be spotlighted.But I must say, the DAC I was using before was a highly rated$1400 device, with a built in analog volume control The Gustard is much, much MUCH better then this in every possible sense. I can now listen to an enjoy music, instead of just streaming background music-which is what I had been doing for the last 3 years.Overall, I think the R26 will serve admirably in most systems up to the $30k plus ceiling. True full-range speakers however may show some of its minor shortcomings at the LF end. My speakers for instance are measurably flat to 20 Hz and I can tell some lack of bass overtones. Maybe an external clock will fix this-time will tell.EDIT...I did get around to comparing the R26 with my $20,000 two-box, 50 lbs CD player. The Gustard is better in every way. If this is not an ultimate endorsement, then I do not know what is.EDIT #2 (or how to get even more out of the R26)I found that the R26 is enormously sensitive to what it sits on. Putting a set of Herbie Labs Tenderfeet was one of the biggest VFM upgrades I have done in a long time. The bass now is very deep and textured, what was not the case when the R26 was simply stacked on top of my preamp using its standard feet. If you have this player, or are thinking of buying one, these Tenderfeet really should be considered as part of the purchase.Replacing the stock fuse with the $25 or so Gustard fuse was also a cost effective upgrade, although there will be naysayers who pooh-pooh how any fuse can influence the sound quality.Adding Gustards own U-18 D2C converter was also a large improvement, but in different ways. The already wide sound-stage got even wider, but more importantly deeper with much more apparent front-to-back layering. This also allow you to use the IIS input via an HDMI cable. The advantages of the IIS include the fact that the R26 clock is automatically slaved to the superior clock of the U18...but ONLY if you select the IIS option.Adding external clocks can also offer even further sonic improvements. But from my experience, only add a clock AFTER you have already got the U18 in place. I bought two levels of the LHY clocks...the OCK-1 and the OCK-2. The former offered very subtle improvements that with this player are probably not particularly cost effective. The $700-ish OCK-2 clock was a more overt improvement, adding extra detail in the HF and further enhancing the front-to-back layering. Do not cheap out on the 50-Ohm coax cables. The LMR-400 is a perfect match, and seems to further improve the sound quality compared to some generic RG cable.FINAL update...use the very best interconnects you can afford!!!! I was using some very decent pure silver interconnects that run around $150 or so. Based on reputation I got a set if 'fake' Audioquest Dragons from Ali Express... $420 for a 0.75 m pair. The audible results were spectacular. Bass is now MUCH deeper and very well controlled.Coloration is now banished and vocals hang in free space and really sound live, in the room.And there is a whole wealth of microdetail that has been unmasked.I now consider these Dragons to be an essential part of the chain and should be factored in the price. These Dragons gave a much greater improvement than $1300 worth of external clocks and D2D converter.

I haven't heard any DACs that are more expensive but this is well worth the price tag. I found all of the reviews throughout the interwebs to be pretty accurate. Clear highs and mids. Bass is not punchy. Huge sound stage that has depth. Build quality that matches price tag. You don't need to play lossless audio to enjoy music. This DAC has me falling in love with my CD's again.A few negatives, batteries not included. Cheap remote. There is also a noticeable hum from the transformers I presume.

I give the DAC five stars for inputs and features, but 3 stars for sound. The sound is just too lively and bright for my liking. Does this DAC have more clarity and modern features than my current DAC? Yes. Can I sit and listen to this DAC for more than an hour? No. It's fatiguing if you are sensitive to the treble range and don't want music information overload. I know this is a technically great DAC but my ears and listening enjoyment are what matters. I returned the DAC for these reasons.

Prior to @50 hours of burn in time, I felt the DAC was lacking especially at it's price. Then came the burn in threshold that made me a believer! All the stellar reviews could not have been wrong, and they weren't. The DAC is both detailed and musical which is the proper balance that most audiophiles are looking for. I am a CD guy only, but nice to know that I have a high quality streamer when I want to take the plunge.

First, this is a great DAC. All the positive/superlative reviews here and elsewhere are well warranted. EXCEPT. . . .I have the R26 connected via XLR to a Benchmark LA4 Preamp and a CODA #8 amplifier (400 watts). I have tried USB (wired) and WI-FI via the LAN connection. In both cases I use an Apple IPad to control both the QOBUZ and Apple Music streaming APPS. XLR cables are from Benchmark: USB and Ethernet cables from DH LABS.I have used the LAN, USB and the Optical connections. The USB and Optical inputs work flawlessly; the LAN/Renderer can’t seem to play (streaming QOBUZ and APPLE MUSIC) more than 30 minutes without stuttering/buffering issues. I have 3 other components on my network and they all work w/o buffering issues. I have used 2 different LAN cables —CAT 6 and CAT 8–the problem is still there. I had the COMCAST technician look at my network; he could not find any problems with my network. He gave me a loaner Modem/router to substitute for my own. All the other components connected to this new modem/router work properly except for the R26 LAN connection.After doing some research online, apparently, the issue with the LAN/Renderer is noted by many owners of the R26. That forum for headphone lovers is the primary source for reviews and issues with the R26 on the internet. And the LAN/Renderer problem is the predominant issue with this DAC.I have contacted SHENZHEN AUDIO, noting the problem I’m having and the steps I’ve taken to fix the problem, and my resulting conclusion that the R26 LAN input/Renderer is defective. Like I said, “This DAC IS BRILLIANT, so I have asked SHENZHEN AUDIO for a replacement that is not defective. I will post the result of request of SHENZHEN AUDIO.UPDATE: The guy at SHENZHEN suggested that I install firmware 1v4. The issue above was resolved once I updated firmware 1v3 to 1v4. But updating the firmware was not easy. It took me one week to successfully update the firmware. Now BRILLIANT with 1v4. Changing my 4 stars to 5.

Will not take updates and Roon Crashes