Gustard R26 R2R DAC with roon

[nerekan]

got my R26.
please tell me how and where to see what version of the firmware is installed?

 

[Idleman2009]

got my R26.
please tell me how and where to see what version of the firmware is installed?

Please keep us posted with your first impressions as I am also intending to buy one.

 

[nerekan]

Please keep us posted with your first impressions as I am also intending to buy one.

first impressions are positive, previously used Oppo HA-1, gustard x16, gustard x26pro.
Compared to the x26pro, the r26 a little more detail, the separation of instruments is much better,
but the low frequencies are more restrained (probably needed a longer listening time).

 

[nerekan]

got my R26.
please tell me how and where to see what version of the firmware is installed?

The developer answered me:
Store the firmware of Gustarender - our streaming system.
It can be viewed from an application such as Roon Bubbleupnp
as shown in the image below.

Spoiler: image

 

[A Surfer]

Good lord, there are no possible audible differences at this level of engineering. The X16 and many DACs before it were already audibly transparent. How on earth are people hearing differences? Stories we tell ourselves.

 

[nerekan]

Good lord, there are no possible audible differences at this level of engineering. The X16 and many DACs before it were already audibly transparent. How on earth are people hearing differences? Stories we tell ourselves.

please don't worry.
in the under $500 category, the X16 is definitely in the top ten.

 

[Idleman2009]

first impressions are positive, previously used Oppo HA-1, gustard x16, gustard x26pro.
Compared to the x26pro, the r26 a little more detail, the separation of instruments is much better,
but the low frequencies are more restrained (probably needed a longer listening time).

Thank you Nerekan, I am worried about what you are saying about low frequencies. Can you revert your feedback after some days of burning ?

 

[nerekan]

Thank you Nerekan, I am worried about what you are saying about low frequencies. Can you revert your feedback after some days of burning ?

necessarily.
maybe low frequencies are a feature of my perception, my preferences and my setup.
denon 9200 headphones are a little accentuated on low frequencies.
my acoustic monitors Focal Trio11 are more studio than audiophile.
it's all damn subjective, but from the first minute, for me there is no doubt - the R26 is a step up.

 

[Idleman2009]

necessarily.
maybe low frequencies are a feature of my perception, my preferences and my setup.
denon 9200 headphones are a little accentuated on low frequencies.
my acoustic monitors Focal Trio11 are more studio than audiophile.
it's all damn subjective, but from the first minute, for me there is no doubt - the R26 is a step up.

thank you

 

[Spurs27]

thank you

I think the bass was improved with the R26.

 

[BillyKueek]

Different, VERY encouraging, but too soon to tell. . . .
Just took delivery of R26. Some first, very prelim impressions.
Starting in a main rig (not my desktop - to follow later): Krell 320e, PSAudio BHK Sig Pre, Wilson bookshelf's, Roon Nucleus
Prior and A/B dac's - Bryston, Oppo Sonica, Esoteric, SMSL m400 AKM chip
Unboxing - weighty and well built unit just from feel of it. good finish work, screws, feet, etc. very solid. like it.
Agree that front aesthetics more akin to 90's set-top box rather than serious piece of audio gear. Prefer X26Pro casework. Not my 'look' but bought it for go, not show.
Display and menu are. . . . .bad. Highest brightness, 8, barely visible in well lit or sunny room. And its OLED - good contrast but more limited brightness.
Menu font is needlessly small and compressed - crazy difficult to read. And why with all that screen real estate?! Big miss, Gustard.
You'll need a 5-year surgical residency at Johns Hopkins - toggling and selecting menu items is micro-surgery.
Lettering just so small and jammed (crammed) into ridiculously small area. For what?
Scroll wheel is not my pref either - too sensitive, lacks traction, and awkward spinning small wheel w finger . . . just not an easy, tactile nav tool.
Powering up - my US shipped unit arrived set to 220 so be sure to reset two/both power switches in rear to 110 if US.
I'll pause here to say, despite a very unfriendly user interface, things get more interesting when we hit play
But first, getting connected.
Downloaded GR26 Owner Manual and boy is it minimal. Tells you nothing about getting connected to network, Roon, USB devices. . . . .or pluto and St. Louis for that matter.
Your flying solo on connectivity matters.
Fortunately Roon will eventually find the R26, or at least that was my 'whew' experience.
Running Roon nucleus. Connected R26 via LAN to Nucleus. Nucleus didn't see the R26 when searching for devices after multiple tries and toggles, so rebooted Nucleus and Roon, waited and waited, and finally Roon found the Gustard R26.
Have no idea what others were saying about what works and not in NOS, DSD - just tried and failed w menu setting enough times until, voila, music.
And here it does get damn interesting.
Note this is out of box, stone cold, R2R music play so take my early impressions w a grain of salt until I have the 100-200 burn in hrs in rear view mirror.
And, just as important, hear how it plays with other audio gear.
All that said, first listening impressions tell me this is an entirely different piece of gear from my chip dacs. And not subtly so.
My chip dacs can be very detailed, articulate, and dynamic. Soundstage can be fairly expansive (depending on gear). Sometimes they can even be 'musical' re. flow and timbre. . . . . until I hear the R26. Mind you, out of the box.
There is just soooo much musical info being pumped out. Top end, crazy detailed and articulate. Mid is still congested. And at first all sounded thin w little bottom end.
Then I switched to music w more bass end. . . . and the bass lept out at me. Again, not (hopefully yet) as articulate as I would want, but the R26 can definitely do bass.
I realize I'm burying the headline just now getting to what makes this unit so 'promising'. I'm no pro reviewer but I'll try to describe what I'm hearing bc it is quite special.
First is the amazing separation and detail of notes, vocals, instruments - you start (need that burn in) to hear an amazing amount and separation of musical info. Top to bottom, side to side. Some is scary 'from nowhere' clear, detailed, never heard it before. Top end definitely not rolled off as some suggest w R2R - this is a detail monster, same as the reviewer said. Just as important, that detail has no sharp, glassy, glaring edges. Just massive amounts of musical info. What I'm waiting for from burn in is to hear this info flow more freely - for now it feels like the R26 is trying to push too much info through too small a pipe. If that makes any sense. Waiting for a wider pipe from dac to speakers.
Second is what I think most of us are looking for from an R2R - analog, tube-like air and decay around the notes. Out of box I'm definitely hearing early hints of that floaty 'air'. Just hoping after burn in that will come on even more. Will even say that after listening now for ~3hrs. I'm confident this piece of kit will deliver just what I was looking for. And at a great price too. Pontus II? Haven't heard it so no clue how they(or any other R2R) compare. And, of course, system matching, your room, and your music are huge variables too.
So, long note on first impressions but I too was scouring internet and youtube for reviews other than the 2 we've all seen. One thing I will totally agree with from these reviews, this dac is a detail monster. I can't imagine it leaving any 1's or 0's on the disc.
I'll try to write more, if nobody is minding the long-winded notes, after burn-in.
Day one - buyer's remorse or grin?
100% grin so far. Had no Idea my dac's were leaving so much music behind on the disc.
Yeah, Gustard R26 is the real deal.
YRMV

It is amazing, even when it was off the box. My delivery arrived at almost 10pm at night so I only wanted to hook it up to make sure it works as it should because my bedtime is 9pm. But, I listened to it for 4 straight hours, it was just brilliant! I switched amps, I pulled out all my headphones and everyone of my headphones sounded so much better. Too tired, I went to sleep but woke in 2 hours and listened to it for another 4 hours. Even my entry level headphones like 6XX, Sundara, Fidelio X1S, Focal Elegia sounded much much better. I am at a loss for words, this R26 Is superb, it’s my Best Buy so far And it’s staying. Due to its footprint. I will have to remove the monitors, mounted lights, mics and everything on my desk to re-arrange everything because this DAC is here to stay. This is not easy for me due to my disabilities but I have to do it. I’d learned that measurements are one thing, how the gear sounds to me is more important for me. I have not heard many dacs but this is the best Id heard. I am now planning to makeover my whole room and include a good pair of speakers with whatever i need so I can listen to the R26 on speakers too.

 

[gonzoznog]

It is amazing, even when it was off the box. My delivery arrived at almost 10pm at night so I only wanted to hook it up to make sure it works as it should because my bedtime is 9pm. But, I listened to it for 4 straight hours, it was just brilliant! I switched amps, I pulled out all my headphones and everyone of my headphones sounded so much better. Too tired, I went to sleep but woke in 2 hours and listened to it for another 4 hours. Even my entry level headphones like 6XX, Sundara, Fidelio X1S, Focal Elegia sounded much much better. I am at a loss for words, this R26 Is superb, it’s my Best Buy so far And it’s staying. Due to its footprint. I will have to remove the monitors, mounted lights, mics and everything on my desk to re-arrange everything because this DAC is here to stay. This is not easy for me due to my disabilities but I have to do it. I’d learned that measurements are one thing, how the gear sounds to me is more important for me. I have not heard many dacs but this is the best Id heard. I am now planning to makeover my whole room and include a good pair of speakers with whatever i need so I can listen to the R26 on speakers too.

It's worth it, bud! The R26 sound incredible through speakers due to it's imaging, detail and wide sound stage.

 

[xeizo]

@BBG It was nice of you to write a review; some will find it useful for sure. It was low to call it word salad, not everyone is a super writer. However, it reads mostly like shiny new toy syndrome: the latest is always the greatest. Give it some time and go back to your old sources, maybe they don't hide the details like you think, but it was you being excited over having the Gustard being able to discover new things in familiar music. The human mind is way more powerful in deceiving than most realize.

 

[migo77]

R26 has one big (for me) flaw, music playback stutters when playing HighRes music like MQA. ;( It does with LAN and USB input too. I've tried UAPP app on Android which played without problem on X26Pro over one year and tried native Windows Tidal app with the same result.

 

[iovlui]

New Firmware is available (ver 1.4)

歌诗德官网 | 驱动下载

www.gustard.cn

 

[migo77]

New Firmware is available (ver 1.4)

歌诗德官网 | 驱动下载

www.gustard.cn

I've tested that 3 days ago and didn't solve stuttering issues for me unf.

 

[misterdog]

I've tested that 3 days ago and didn't solve stuttering issues for me unf.

How is your unit with proper hi-res files played locally ?

 

[migo77]

How is your unit with proper hi-res files played locally ?

I've got stuttering today when playing 192k PCM local files with Upplay app on my Linux desktop too unf. What bothers me most is that USB input is affected by this too. USB input on X26Pro was working without problems for me.

 

[misterdog]

How is it if you reboot the unit with 192k input, some devices seem to suffer when the input signal changes.

I use JRiver normally, but tried Plex recently which caused clicking on 192kHz.

 

[migo77]

How is it if you reboot the unit with 192k input, some devices seem to suffer when the input signal changes.

I use JRiver normally, but tried Plex recently which caused clicking on 192kHz.

Relay clicking during sample rate freq. change?