Gustard A26 DAC & Streamer Review

[bequietjk]

totally toroidal <3

Gustard smashing it with this dac.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Thanks @amirm for another great review. Happy to see Gustard’s implementation of Roon Bridge in the A26. BTW, for those asking, RAAT means Roon Advanced Audio Transport.

 

[Music1969]

Hum. Seems like I imagined it.

Gustard A26 DAC Roon Ready?

The info regarding the Gustard A26 DAC seem to imply the unit is Roon Ready, but I can’t find it in the Partner list. Any updates on this?

community.roonlabs.com

Specs from @Audiophonics also say "Roon Bridge", which I assume act the same as "Roon Endpoint"...

Roon Bridge is something that anyone can load to any support Linux OS

You don't need permission from Roon.

Roon Ready would allow you to control the digital vol control from Roon and other things - needs Roon to have it and test and certify

Its all explained on Roon support pages. Roon Tested, Roon Ready, Roon Bridge

 

[dogmamann]

What is wrong? Topping should sound the same

 

[dogmamann]

Can you provide a link to a product with comparable features and performance for a significantly lower price?

$1,500 for the features and performance this product provides, along with its aesthetics and build quality, seems about right to me. Couple this with a pair of Genelecs or Neumann KH150 speakers and a universal disc player and you've got an elite, state-of-the-art sound system for a hair over $5,000.

Aesthetics is subjective. It doesn’t look good imo. As long as it works, build quality doesn’t matter as it should sit on a rack, it’s not a device which one would carry around test its metal quality. Performance : most entry level dacs from topping and smsl has the better performance. Add a NUC based streamer on both of them. You get more capability for half of its price.

 

[SuicideSquid]

Aesthetics is subjective. It doesn’t look good imo. As long as it works, build quality doesn’t matter as it should sit on a rack, it’s not a device which one would carry around test its metal quality. Performance : most entry level dacs from topping and smsl has the better performance. Add a NUC based streamer on both of them. You get more capability for half of its price.

Having features integrated into a single unit and having good aesthetics and build quality may not matter to you, but it matters to many and adds value. You're not obliged to buy it but saying it's a ripoff is ridiculous. It almost feels like you're doing a parody of what subjectivists think ASR is - "A cheap Topping DAC has similar SINAD so just buy that". They're not comparable products.

 

[Trell]

What is wrong? Topping should sound the same

You're missing that this unit has streamer functionality as well as more connectivity than the Topping E30 II, for instance. If you don't need that just move on to something else that better fits your needs.

 

[voodooless]

You're missing that this unit has streamer functionality as well as more connectivity than the Topping E30 II, for instance. If you don't need that just move on to something else that better fits your needs.

The point is that you can buy a separate steamer for much the less and with tge E30 (or equivalently prices DAC) and end up with the about same functionality and audible performance for about a 5th of the price.

 

[Fledermaus]

What about "proven threshold of audibility" then ?

 

[voodooless]

What about "proven threshold of audibility" then ?

I bet for most people the actual threshold will be 20 to 40 dB worse. Good luck ABX’ing these two!

 

[MacCali]

Can you cast a little light on that statement? Thanks. (My avatar is French, so go easy on me... lol)

I think he’s confusing measurements to SPL, that’s what I got from this

 

[Trell]

The point is that you can buy a separate steamer for much the less and with tge E30 (or equivalently prices DAC) and end up with the about same functionality and audible performance for about a 5th of the price.

Sure you can and no one claimed otherwise, as far as I can see.

But the same type of argument can be made for several other products. For instance, I’ve Genelec monitors and subwoofer that has builtin DSP for room EQ where that could be done more cheaply using software on a PC, never mind getting a much cheaper non-Genelec subwoofer. I’ve even RME ADI-2 DAC FS where I use the onboard dynamic loudness, tone controls, as well as PEQ for my headphones. That could also be done cheaper using software on a PC. Yet still I prefer not to have extra boxes or software running on a PC, even though that would have been cheaper by far.

This streamer/DAC is not for me but I for sure can see why someone would buy it.

 

[Nkam]

https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/ap...preting-thd-measurements-think-db-not-percent

this is pretty good

 

[Deleted member 51584]

BTW, the suggestion for the line came from comments in my last youtube video on "speed reading DAC measurements." I always say that -115 dB so folks suggested I draw a line to make it clear.

The loudest acoustic instrument is the pipe organ. Probably the most famous, and one of the loudest, is the Muller organ at St Bavo in Haarlem, just outside Amsterdam. It is a truly gargantuan building and organ. When I first heard it, I was 50 yards away OUTSIDE the building. I may get a chance to listen to it next Sunday, we will be in the area.

I am listening to a recording of that very organ. I maxed out at 84dB in a room 18' x 14'. The lowest I could go and actually hear anything was around 35dB. It is a very quiet room. The walls are triple lined with a -60dB acoustic system that costs $50 per sqm. I could just hear a UPS van go down the road, the glass in my windows is rated -40dB compared to normal glass. It weighs a ton and wasn't cheap.

The only speaker that I know of that can do 130dB accurately are rated 132dB. They are installed in the main studios at Capitol. They are limited to 116dB to prevent injury. They cost well over $100,000 for a pair. Each channel has 4.825w of amplification. My amplifier is 200w.

https://pmc-speakers.com/keyclients/capitol-studios

I don't really care if that guy has AES tattooed on his forehead, 130dB SPL and 115dB dynamic range is so far away from real life, I wonder what relevance measurements or judgement using those parameters are worth. I'm probably the 57th person to express this concern. Meanwhile, I'm very much enjoying the Muller organ at human listening levels.

 

[voodooless]

But the same type of argument can be made for several other products. For instance, I’ve Genelec monitors and subwoofer that has builtin DSP for room EQ where that could be done more cheaply using software on a PC, never mind getting a much cheaper non-Genelec subwoofer. I’ve even RME ADI-2 DAC FS where I use the onboard dynamic loudness, tone controls, as well as PEQ for my headphones. That could also be done cheaper using software on a PC. Yet still I prefer not to have extra boxes or software running on a PC, even though that would have been cheaper by far.

If you pretend a PC is free, you are right. Last time I checked it’s not.

 

[Trell]

If you pretend a PC is free, you are right. Last time I checked it’s not.

I assumed you’ve an existing computer connected to the DAC. If you bought a new computer solely for the new DAC, and only to be used with the DAC and nothing else, then I would include that in the total cost.

My PC is 10 years old but I didn’t include that it as it is a sunk cost when I bought the Genelecs or the RME ADI-2 DAC FS.

Now, if I had bought a license for Dirac Live to run on my PC I would of course include that in the total cost.

I already own a measurement microphone but it’s unlikely that I would include that one in the total cost.

You see where I’m going with this?

 

[dogmamann]

You're missing that this unit has streamer functionality as well as more connectivity than the Topping E30 II, for instance. If you don't need that just move on to something else that better fits your needs.

I don’t think everyone here is planning on buying everything that’s being reviewed. We are just sharing our impressions of every product. So I think I am free to share my view on this product just like everyone. I don’t have to just move on.

 

[dogmamann]

Having features integrated into a single unit and having good aesthetics and build quality may not matter to you, but it matters to many and adds value. You're not obliged to buy it but saying it's a ripoff is ridiculous. It almost feels like you're doing a parody of what subjectivists think ASR is - "A cheap Topping DAC has similar SINAD so just buy that". They're not comparable products.

This should sound identical to the topping e30. It’s not a ripoff as it’s worse. I said the same thing can acheieved for way less. That’s it

 

[voodooless]

I assumed you’ve an existing computer connected to the DAC.

Many people don’t want a PC in their listening room, that includes me. That’s why streamers are so popular.

You see where I’m going with this?

In general yes, but I still think it’s a false equivalence. You can’t replace your your Genelec stuff with something one fifth of the price and get equivalent performance. Also the convenience that your system gives you won’t improve with your proposed alternative. While a cheap streamer and DAC gives you basically interchangeable (and in some cases identical) convenience.

 

[Trell]

… So I think I am free to share my view on this product just like everyone. I don’t have to just move on.

No one claimed otherwise.