Gustard A26 DAC & Streamer Review

[sarumbear]

Actually, believe I underscored that your point was pointless. Ten builders build an form of an instrument and because of wood inconsistencies, design nuances, construction and finish processes...they are all going to sound different, like themselves, what sound better is a value judgment of the player, not the some test graph.

You are comparing apples to oranges. Instruments are made to sound different, audio equipment, at least the non-effect types, are made not to sound different, hence the term Hi-Fidelity.

 

[amirm]

Your filter descriptions don't match those in the menu or here from the manual:

I shortened the descriptions but otherwise I went by what the menu said.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

You may want to learn more about Roon. It’s not just a media player like Foobar, nor just a server like DLNA. It’s a distributed master-slave music system.


How do you propose the Foobar interface be utilised on a DAC, or streamer?

Thank you, something to that effect was explained earlier by another kind member, with my thanks.
Thank you too.

 

[Billy Budapest]

That unit has some style to it, unlike most gear out today.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Although I still think Gustard should use its namesake as its symbol.

 

[Ra1zel]

You mean the one that was incorrectly measured on ASR and actually looks like this (standard ESS minimum phase fast roll-off filter):

Thanks for informing me, could you provide more context as to why it was incorrectly measured?

 

[Powell2199]

I assume A26 will work with JRiver DLNA?

 

[PeteL]

What’s different with this device?

I know I partially answered this before but I didn't have the information.
So yes since you mentioned Ipad and by extension Ios devices. You could install mconnect. and have access to the streaming services and control your playback wirelessly trough the UPnP protocol. It will set you back an extra 5.99.

 

[sarumbear]

I know I partially answered this before but I didn't have the information.
So yes since you mentioned Ipad and by extension Ios devices. You could install mconnect. and have access to the streaming services and control your playback wirelessly trough the UPnP protocol. It will set you back an extra 5.99.

But you can do that with free apps on an iPad that feeds a much cheaper DAC. There’s still no benefit of a streamer in this device.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

But you can do that with free apps on an iPad that feeds a much cheaper DAC. There’s still no benefit of a streamer in this device.

An dis-used Android phone, with a copy of Neutron media player , setup as UPNP end point, can be connected to ANY DAC, and bit-perfect streaming can be achieved that way.
I have tried this, and so far I have not hit any issues.
Cost is nothing! setup, easy.
No DAC really needs to have streaming.
24/192 bit-perfect streaming is possible, does anyone need more?
Furthermore, Neutron DSP is second to none, so even EQ and room correction can be implemented at each point, in different rooms.
Any software player can stream to that.
There are other cheap options too.
Many.

 

[PeteL]

But you can do that with free apps on an iPad that feeds a much cheaper DAC. There’s still no benefit of a streamer in this device.

Yes if you want to walk to your dac. Sorry I have a feeling you are not fully getting what a streamer is. That”s the whole Idea, the device that host your player application don’t have to be connected to your DAC. If this workk in your use case that have your computer or Ipad physically connected toyour DAC, ok, you don’t need a streamer. But many of us do!

 

[PeteL]

An dis-used Android phone, with a copy of Neutron media player , setup as UPNP end point, can be connected to ANY DAC, and bit-perfect streaming can be achieved that way.
I have tried this, and so far I have not hit any issues.
Cost is nothing! setup, easy.
No DAC really needs to have streaming.
24/192 bit-perfect streaming is possible, does anyone need more?
Furthermore, Neutron DSP is second to none, so even EQ and room correction can be implemented at each point, in different rooms.
Any software player can stream to that.
There are other cheap options too.
Many.

Not understanding what you mean. If your DAC is not on the network (any-non streamer DAC). How are you connecting to this DAC trough UPnP?

 

[Highvolt60]

I shortened the descriptions but otherwise I went by what the menu said.

OK, I see you have them out of order (Gustards #1 "sharp roll off" is your #2).
Will you test the sound modes ?

 

[mdsimon2]

Thanks for informing me, could you provide more context as to why it was incorrectly measured?

I don’t know the specifics but the hypothesis is that the windows resampler was engaged resulting in a much steeper filter, see here for discussion -> https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...sl-do100-review-stereo-dac.34198/post-1196224. The measurement I posted came a few pages later and can be found here -> https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...sl-do100-review-stereo-dac.34198/post-1196836.

Michael

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Not understanding what you mean. If your DAC is not on the network (any-non streamer DAC). How are you connecting to this DAC trough UPnP?

You can add streaming to any DAC, using a Wiim or better still the method I mentioned or many other ways.
For very little money.
The streaming function of this product is a nice feature, but the same performance can be had for half price.
Say a DX7 pro plus and a Wiim, or an old Android phone, setup, connected to it, hidden out of sight.
Or were you guys talking about something else.
You never have to go to your DAC physically. You can stream to it using UPNP from any device.

 

[Snoopy]

You can add streaming to any DAC, using a Wiim or better still the method I mentioned or many other ways.
For very little money.
The streaming function of this product is a nice feature, but the same performance can be had for half price.
Say a DX7 pro plus and a Wiim, or an old Android phone, setup, connected to it, hidden out of sight.
Or were you guys talking about something else.
You never have to go to your DAC physically. You can stream to it using UPNP from any device.

Since when does Wiim support roon and NAA for HQPLAYER?
And a android phone wouldn't work either.


The DX7PRO wouldn't work with DSD if you want to use the headphone amp.
And the 9038 pro chip has no DSD direct mode like the Gustard A26.

So you wouldn't get exactly the same for half the price.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Since when does Wiim support roon and NAA for HQPLAYER?
And a android phone wouldn't work either.


The DX7PRO wouldn't work with DSD if you want to use the headphone amp.
And the 9038 pro chip has no DSD direct mode like the Gustard A26.

So you wouldn't get exactly the same for half the price.

I said performance , didn't say features.
A Roon streaming to this device is more convenient , hence it is a nice feature.
A DX7 pro plus, with 24/192 streaming capability, has performance iwhich s somewhat similar.
Since I don't believe in DSD, MQA, HQplayer . . . I did not consider any of those.
But hey, if you do, then you have a point.

 

[sarumbear]

Yes if you want to walk to your dac. Sorry I have a feeling you are not fully getting what a streamer is. That”s the whole Idea, the device that host your player application don’t have to be connected to your DAC.

It seems I am missing something. How can you remotely control this streamer?

 

[PeteL]

It seems I am missing something. How can you remotely control this streamer?

The DAC Streamer is connected to your LAN. It get's his music either from a computer on the same network, a media server on the network or the cloud, like for internet streaming services. you install an UPnP app on your phone. You have a wifi access point at home. The phone don't have the music, but it tells the streamer to go access files, or to search for something, or to launch a Tidal or such.

 

[Zaurux]

I don't have DSD test signals. Actually I do but don't trust them.

There seems to be a firmware bug: no difference between "narrow" and "wide" DSD fitters (to be confirmed).

On the clock input, I was wondering about the receiver... fully sine/square compatible or more sine (like Teac).