Gustard R30 Review

[James. B. Lansing]

Disclaimer: This is a subjective review of the Gustard R30, shared while we wait for measured results.

Hi everyone,


I thought I’d share some early listening impressions of the new Gustard R30 DAC. Please note up front: this is a purely subjective review based on my own system and ears. I know ASR is measurement-driven, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing Amir (or someone else) publish a full set of measurements on the R30 when available. Until then, I wanted to contribute something for those who are curious about how it sounds in a real-world setup.


This post is only intended for members interested in subjective impressions — if that’s not your thing, feel free to skip. For those who are curious, I’ve compared the R30 with the R26, X30, and Denafrips Terminator II in my reference system, and I’ve included listening notes across different genres (jazz, vocal, and electronic) as well as direct comparison sections.


Hopefully some of you will find it useful or at least an interesting placeholder until the hard data arrives. I’ll be just as keen as everyone else to see the measured performance when it comes out!

Link to review: https://audiophileshop.com.au/blogs/news/gustard-r30-review

 

[JSmith]

how it sounds

What do you mean how it sounds? DAC's are not meant to have a sound...

There is already a thread here too;

M

'New Gustard R30 Flagship DAC/Streamer'

Aug 9, 2025

This seems to be quite fresh, an update to the R26. https://www.erji.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2376860&extra=page=1

• mocenigo
• Replies: 120
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

It's stupidly priced as well at $3600;

GUSTARD R30 Discrete R2R Network Streaming DAC

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

SINAD @5V;

JSmith

 

[James. B. Lansing]

What do you mean how it sounds? DAC's are not meant to have a sound...

There is already a thread here too;

M

'New Gustard R30 Flagship DAC/Streamer'

Aug 9, 2025

This seems to be quite fresh, an update to the R26. https://www.erji.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2376860&extra=page=1

• mocenigo
• Replies: 120
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

It's stupidly priced as well at $3600;

GUSTARD R30 Discrete R2R Network Streaming DAC

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

SINAD @5V;

View attachment 473990


JSmith

Thanks for your feedback

 

[KeithR]

A review of a Gustard DAC by a Gustard dealer is conflicted. The Denefrips Terminator II ceased production by Denefrips 3 years ago.

 

[James. B. Lansing]

A review of a Gustard DAC by a Gustard dealer is conflicted. The Denefrips Terminator II ceased production by Denefrips 3 years ago.

Thanks for your valuable feedback..

 

[Svend P]

Thanks for your valuable feedback..

All DACs sound the same. Try comparing blind and level matched next time.

 

[SorenTyson]

LOL, takes guts to post such verbiage on ASR
Kudos to James. There must be something wrong with the Mustard DACs if they produce such differences from the same bits.

 

[CaptainTuttle]

Disclaimer: This is a subjective review of the Gustard R30, shared while we wait for measured results.

Hi everyone,


I thought I’d share some early listening impressions of the new Gustard R30 DAC. Please note up front: this is a purely subjective review based on my own system and ears. I know ASR is measurement-driven, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing Amir (or someone else) publish a full set of measurements on the R30 when available. Until then, I wanted to contribute something for those who are curious about how it sounds in a real-world setup.


This post is only intended for members interested in subjective impressions — if that’s not your thing, feel free to skip. For those who are curious, I’ve compared the R30 with the R26, X30, and Denafrips Terminator II in my reference system, and I’ve included listening notes across different genres (jazz, vocal, and electronic) as well as direct comparison sections.


Hopefully some of you will find it useful or at least an interesting placeholder until the hard data arrives. I’ll be just as keen as everyone else to see the measured performance when it comes out!

Link to review: https://audiophileshop.com.au/blogs/news/gustard-r30-review

I prefer to measure music, rather than listen to it. But to each his own.

 

[venar]

i will never buy a dac with 97db SINAD!
I will stick with my X30(+26db)

 

[Deleted member 79552]

What do you mean how it sounds? DAC's are not meant to have a sound...

There is already a thread here too;

M

'New Gustard R30 Flagship DAC/Streamer'

Aug 9, 2025

This seems to be quite fresh, an update to the R26. https://www.erji.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2376860&extra=page=1

• mocenigo
• Replies: 120
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

It's stupidly priced as well at $3600;

GUSTARD R30 Discrete R2R Network Streaming DAC

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

SINAD @5V;

View attachment 473990


JSmith

Here in AU no joke it costs $5,400. For a DAC.

 

[JSmith]

Here in AU no joke it costs $5,400. For a DAC.

I know... can't help but feel the OP is shilling here too, owns an online retail store in AU that is a distributor for this product. There is already another user thread, so to me this should be in the desperate dealers sub-forum at best or simply deleted, @RickS.


JSmith

 

[RickS]

I know... can't help but feel the OP is shilling here too, owns an online retail store in AU that is a distributor for this product. There is already another user thread, so to me this should be in the desperate dealers sub-forum at best or simply deleted, @RickS.


JSmith

Amir renamed Desperate Dealers subforum to Audio Industry so this thread is already in correct place.

 

[Svend P]

Bonjour à tous,

J'ai le R30, j'avais le X30, j'ai eu le Pontus 12th, le TEAC UD701, j'ai toujours le topping x9, et je trouve vraiment le R30 très agréable.

Étant musicien, je trouve rarement les mêmes sensations de réalisme du live à l'écoute d'un matériel hifi.

Avec le R30, je ressens beaucoup d'émotions et à plein de moments, je me dit "ah ouiii, ça sonne bien".

Alors peut importer que certaines ne concernant que les mesures, car souvent, une distorsion est agréable à entendre.

Rien à voir avec les DAC, j'ai eu 2 Benchmark AHB2.

Je les ai revendus parce que je trouvais qu'il manquait toujours ce petit quelque chose qui fait que l'on prend du plaisir.
Voilà mon avis.

Cordialement,

Alain

Please post in english next time.

"
Hello everyone,


I have the R30, I had the X30, I’ve had the Pontus 12th, the TEAC UD701, I still own the Topping X9 – and I really find the R30 very pleasant.


As a musician, I rarely experience the same sense of live realism when listening to hifi equipment.


With the R30, I feel a lot of emotion, and many times I find myself thinking: “ah yes, this sounds good.”


So it doesn’t really matter that some things are only about measurements, because often a certain distortion is actually pleasant to listen to.


Unrelated to DACs – I’ve had two Benchmark AHB2.


I sold them because I always felt there was something missing, that little extra that makes listening truly enjoyable.


That’s my opinion.


Best regards."

 

[IronPyrite]

What do you mean how it sounds? DAC's are not meant to have a sound...

There is already a thread here too;

M

'New Gustard R30 Flagship DAC/Streamer'

Aug 9, 2025

This seems to be quite fresh, an update to the R26. https://www.erji.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2376860&extra=page=1

• mocenigo
• Replies: 120
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

It's stupidly priced as well at $3600;

GUSTARD R30 Discrete R2R Network Streaming DAC

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

SINAD @5V;

View attachment 473990


JSmith

There are a variety of conditions which affect the sound of a DAC. The algorithms used to convert digital information to analog affects the sound. Oversampling vs. no-oversampling (especially as it relates to volume attenuation) affects the sound. The opamps and/or the discrete elements used in the analogue outputs affect the sound.

We expect all DACs to interpret a basic sine wave identically (e.g. your graphic). However, instruments and voices are not sine waves, and the layering of multiple instruments and voices are even more complex, and the processes of dequantization of non-sine wave bits to analogue is not the same across DACs. Some algorithms will interpolate more loosely resulting in a smoother sound, while others will interpolate more rigidly, resulting in something more clinical sounding.

The lack of objective measurement doesn't mean differences don't exist. In the 1800's, we could only say "this color of red is darker than that one," but in more modern times we have RGB values to quantify those differences. The forum posters of the audiosciencereview of the 1800's may have stated "we have no way to objectively measure the different colors or red, therefore these color differences must not exist, with other forum goers scratching their heads, knowing their own observations might be proved out by better measurement technology for objective comparison.

If will be interesting to see how AI is used to objectively quantify the gooey mish-mash of subjective conversation found in other forums.

 

[JSmith]

quantify those differences

I didn't say there weren't measurable differences... those differences are rarely audible.

However, instruments and voices are not sine waves

Hence multi-tone.


JSmith

 

[Caléo]

All DACs sound the same. Try comparing blind and level matched next time.

I had the opportunity to compare the Rme Adi 2 pro with the Gustard R26 on pretty bad speakers, Kef Ls50, with a Benchmark ahb2.

I didn't only perceive a difference between the dacs, but we felt like two different speakers where playing.

Seems like the R26 was smoother in the upper part, bass and mid section clearly reinforced.

Front forward centered presentation with the RME, "around the wall" feeling with the Gustard (I can even tell something was missing in the center of the scene). Really surpris surprising feeling.

We are used to make blindtest with my friends during listening sessions. We didn't even need to think about it so much the difference was indisputable.

The R26 was lacking resolution in the bass, clearly. The soft trebles were confortable, as the LS50 are already "upper part centered".

I have considered that all dacs sounded the same and were a waste of money for naive people. That day, I had an egoache and my comprehension has changed for ever.

 

[voodooless]

I have considered that all dacs sounded the same and were a waste of money for naive people. That day, I had an egoache and my comprehension has changed for ever.

Let me guess, the R26 was in NOS mode? Then you're listening to a broken DAC... And probably you did no level matching, no blind testing: already confirmed.

What do you mean how it sounds? DAC's are not meant to have a sound...

There is already a thread here too;

M

'New Gustard R30 Flagship DAC/Streamer'

Aug 9, 2025

This seems to be quite fresh, an update to the R26. https://www.erji.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2376860&extra=page=1

• mocenigo
• Replies: 120
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

It's stupidly priced as well at $3600;

GUSTARD R30 Discrete R2R Network Streaming DAC

shenzhenaudio.com: professional headphone, earphone, amplifier, dac, decoder, hifi player, cable supermarket. you will find good price here.

shenzhenaudio.com

SINAD @5V;

View attachment 473990


JSmith

All of this hardware and money to just barely break Redbook... WTF

Amir renamed Desperate Dealers subforum to Audio Industry so this thread is already in correct place.

Given this thread, he may want to rename it back...

 

[Caléo]

Let me guess, the R26 was in NOS mode? Then you're listening to a broken DAC... And probably you did no level matching, no blind testing: already confirmed.


All of this hardware and money to just barely break Redbook... WTF


Given this thread, he may want to rename it back...

Level matching yes. As you read, I m used to blind test with my team. Here there was no necessity, the difference was as big as changing speakers. Thing that doesn't happen when we switched on Topping D50 and RME Babyface, we didn't notice any concrete difference between those 3 dacs (+ RME Adi 2 Pro).

 

[Caléo]

Level matching yes. As you read, I m used to blind test with my team. Here there was no necessity, the difference was as big as changing speakers. Thing that doesn't happen when we switched on Topping D50 and RME Babyface, we didn't notice any concrete difference between those 3 dacs.

Let me guess, the R26 was in NOS mode? Then you're listening to a broken DAC... And probably you did no level matching, no blind testing: already confirmed.


All of this hardware and money to just barely break Redbook... WTF


Given this thread, he may want to rename it back...

I forgot to say something : with the RME Adi 2 Pro, I use the toslink output to drive the Gustard. One time the volume matching is done with the external dac preamp section, I can switch between both directly without changing câbles or leaving the sweetspot. No interruption during the listening, switch works instantly. It permits solid comparisons.

 

[voodooless]

Level matching yes. As you read, I m used to blind test with my team. Here there was no necessity, the difference was as big as changing speakers. Thing that doesn't happen when we switched on Topping D50 and RME Babyface, we didn't notice any concrete difference between those 3 dacs (+ RME Adi 2 Pro).

Level matching, hoe done?

NOS mode engaged?

Even if true, the one DAC that sounds different to all of the others is for sure the one that is the most inaccurate.