I went from ares 2 to r26 and what a difference it made! I’m not even exaggerating, it elevated my whole system to new levels I never thought a dac could. Happy to see all the trustworthy reviewers loving it too.
@@doifeellucky speed, clarity, soundstage, instrument separation, transients, bass control, resolution and air were improved on with the r26. It’s a whole different level.
This DAC replaced my Terminator II. Tonal verisimilitude was equally convincing between the two DACs in my system - but the R26's soundstage dimensions were more expansive. Resolution was much better as reported here versus the Venus 2. The Terminator was fed I2S via a Hermes DDC, the R26 gets I2S via a Singxer SU-6 DDC and slaved to a LHY OCK-2 master clock. I think results widely vary with different gear/systems obviously. For me the only DAC I've owned and had in my system that I prefer is my Lampizator Baltic 4 tube DAC - and that DAC is $7K USD. Simple math will tell you the R26 is a good buy, but as Tarun has said, and I agree, results will be system dependent and will ultimately depend on your sonic preferences, hearing ability, music genres you prefer, etc. As always Caveat Emptor.
Hello Michael , I see you comment on every r26 review , do you work for Gustard,😂. I’ve recently purchased a pathos inpol Heritage and feeling it’s showing the weakness in the r26 . Sounds a little underwhelming. I was looking towards the Terminator Dac , can you honestly say it’s not as good as the r26. Thanks
@Nathan hifi if you read what I write carefully, you will figure out I'm doing my best to share what my experience has been with this DAC in my system because I'm trying to save people money - this is a d*** expensive hobby if you haven't noticed 😆. That all said, Tarun has a different take on the R26's sonic signature. Also, apparently, it seems the R26 might not be your cup of tea. Different strokes for different folks. If you have the $, a Terminator is a damn fine DAC, buy one and see for yourself how it compares in your system and then share your experience so maybe you can help someone else make a better purchase decision. The internet definitely needs more people doing that than the trolling that's seemingly become the norm.
Hey Michael, thanks for sharing this detail. I have a Pontus 2 (fed via a good SoTM source over USB). I am considering adding the Sinxer you mentioned. I hear very good things - and at the price it’s exceptional. Did it make a huge difference with your Terminator/Venus? Did the external master clock make a further difference? Let me know your thoughts. Are you also running the same clock signal to your streamer/network switch? (Both of mine accept MC signals but I havent’ played with that yet)
@Alex Herceg the LHY clock and the Singxer DDC feeds the R26, the two DACs I was comparing were the R26 and the Terminator II, not the Venus (Tarun used his Venus II as a comparison in this video). The Terminator was fed by a Hermes DDC, it didn't need a clock as its internal one is excellent, indeed the Hermes was slaved to the Terminator. Yes, the Singxer makes an appreciable sonic improvement, but unfortunately it is not compatible with the LHY clock and my switch does not have a clock input.
For me the R26 replaced a Denafrips Ares 2 and my immediate impression was how much more detail was in the music and a realization of how much I had been missing. The other big thing for me is that it does not really favor any particular music genre. I realized that with the Ares I was listening to more accoustic and music based around vocal performance as that was where it sounded it's best. Rock, metal and electronic had been neglected as the Ares did not suit those genres sounding slow and thick. The streamer section is clean and very serviceable, probably in the ballpark of a Bluesound node but I find my Zen stream to sound a bit more detailed and lively. Great review from Tarun, as usual.
Thanks Tarun. Been an R26 owner for four months. Lovely DAC, especially using LAN and Roon - the best. I sold my Venus and Lumin U2 Mini based on R26 hype and liked the idea of money in my pocket and a one-box solution. Fast forward, I honestly admit that the R26 is a slight decrease in *some areas of the sound, mainly vocal realism. However, I have since upgraded my speakers (DeVore) and amplification (T+A) and those differences have narrowed. I don’t miss my Venus-Lumin combo. It was overpriced. I took the money and bought better speakers. It’s basically a wash now. What a journey this has become! Keep listening
@@bdmcn Cool, yes I'd been eyeing the A200 to pair with my Athena pre and R26. The A200 has some trickle down power supply tech from T+A's HV series. Interesting that you're a tube user and really like it.
@@Wharariki I will say there are things I’m starting to realize are missing: top-end shimmer/sparkle, mid-band textures, some realism … it’s been a good experience simply because the A200 gives me better layering and soundstage.
I really enjoy my R26, great review! One thing to point out is that even though the Venus has better bass weight and a bit better soundstage, its twice the price.
I’m sure there are trade offs too, denafrips dacs are pretty soft sounding in general, and that presentation doesnt work well in all set ups. R26 is more middle ground that way, and will work well in more systems imo
@@radiofreealbemuth i had this dac for over a year, compared to similarly priced it has good depth. Once you go higher end (not necessarily more expensive alot of great dacs that are older) the depth doesn’t seem as nearly as great.
Listened to this review on my R26! Thanks for putting this together. I highly suggest you try the LAN input, it's a noticeable improvement over USB. The R26 doesn't have USB isolation so noise can be an issue. Both noise and jitter is not an issue over LAN whereas it is for USB.
Gustard R26: seriously a giant killer. I’m currently comparing it with with PS Audio DirectStream dac that used to cost $7k and I find stark differences. PSA DSD is pretty resolving but not as resolving as R26 and R26 has sweeter midrange while DSD plays way too safe in the midrange. Both have similar bass tone and texture. For me (kef r3 and Yamaha as1200) tonally DSD is no match for R26 and DSD is usually compared to Denafrips Terminator! On top of it, R26 keeps getting better with break-in. I only wish it looked better. Thank you for introducing this amazing DAC, Tarun!
I have r26 for 4 months now and I'm absolutely love this dac so much detail clarity big sound stage I use it as roon end point and sound is amazing you don't even need external ddc when you use roon endpoint it's my end game dac very well done gustard.....
A really interesting (I mean that in the most complementary way) review... My impressions, from some of the more thoughtful audiophile Facebook groups etc, is that most people claiming "giant killer" are those that have upgraded from SMSL or TOPPING etc. I really liked the nod to the VENUS, as in, "hold on son, you've got a way to go yet"... Still, it's pretty rare that an "outstanding" is given by this particular, honest and trusted reviewer.. Thanks Tarun! 👍😁😁👍
Qutest obviously , Thanks Tarun for amazing video … your simplicity in review makes at least my future choice of equipments easy .. can’t thank you enough.
Loved the review! Certainly sounds like an R2R that is right up my alley. A review of the Gustard A26 would be really interesting. Another option I would like to see is the Soekris.
Great review! I have this piece and am hearing it the same way you are. With it being an R2R, I was expecting more body and warmth. It's a bit more clinical than I had expected.
Clinical, I’m not hearing that at all, maybe a bit more matter of fact but not clinical, still has warmth and spatial cues of a classic r2r. Not soft like soup like the ares 2 though lol
Hi Tarun - I'd much like to see you turn your attention to either the Border Patrol DAC SE-i or the Lab 12 Reference DAC. The Border Patrol DAC is interesting because its measured performance isn't stellar but the sound belies the numbers. I've owned one for years. The Lab 12 has generated some positive comment online as a tubed ladder DAC. Granted that both of these products are a bit obscure. Thanks for the excellent Gustard R-26 review. You've a way of describing sound quality that invariably has me thinking "yes, I understand what you mean".
@@abritishaudiophile7314 The founder of the company is British-born Gary Dews. He's an exceptionally nice person. It might be worth the try but I take your point. All the best - Gary.
Thanks Tarun, I’d like you to review the Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DAC. Relaesed last year it is the updated version of the Bifrost 2. There is an official UK stockist (although stock is often slow to arrive from the US where it is made). It is available for £850 and I am split between that and the Ares II. The bonus of an easy warranty makes the Schiit a very appealing option, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it from a sound perspective.
Thank you Mr K. The U.K. distributor wasn’t keen to send me anything to review. I have Scott McGowan’s email. It may be time to contact him again when my schedule clears 😊
Thanks for this Tarun, for me the R26 is probably the best DAC under £2K. I only replaced it with a Metrum Jade with DAC3 modules. The R26 performance goes even higher when fed via I2S from the Gustard U18 USB bridge/DDC.
Did you also use it as a Roon endpoint, (thru Ethernet)? I'm curious if the U18 is worth it, as I find the sound quality exceptional already, when using Roon/LAN..? :)
@@jmp622 Roon provides a 100% stable flow of very high quality sound, using ethernet! Far better than USB directly to the R26. (I haven't tried a high quality DDC though.) Apparently, Fibre media converters between the router and the R26 gets rid of most noise coming from the router, cables etc, and enhance the experience even further. I've ordered FMCs so Im really looking forward to test this! 🤗
@@5starmaniac I am trying Roon. Down side is leaving my MacBook constantly connected. I’m not pulling trigger on Roon nucleus at this point. With nucleus do I need to have hard drive for it? I do not download files, so is the hard drive serving any other purpose?
Thank you Tarun. Killer review as always. Most likely my next dac. I had AudioGD and Denafrips in the past and i have a TDA1540 dac now. It will be fun to compare it with R26.
Tarun, we all thank you once again for the excellent review ! Chi-fi DAcs unfortunately, is something not everyone can audition in audio stores, and especially for some of the ... 'unlucky' ones (fi myself) who happen to live on a Greek island, away from the hifi / hiend audio happenings of Athens :) A few months ago i watched your video review of the Denafrips Ares II. Would be great to hear from you also your thoughts of the all new 12th edition, as well as the also new Gustard A26.
I am very VERY happy with A26 and of course curious if I should demo R26. I’m frankly exhausted of demoing units but have FOMO. THE R26 is just $150 more but would hate to ship unit back go thru break in only to find minor differences.
Really nice to see another reviewer gives credit to his fellow pro. Guys, I love both your vids, you both implant your personal style and approach. Keep up the great work :)
As always your reviews are comprehensive and well articulated. While somewhat off course (albeit related, DAC-wise) if you have a chance to review the Ares 12th, I definitely wouldn’t dismiss it outright based on how much press the Ares II has already garnered. Having lived with the Ares II in my system (Musical Fidelity M5si, LS50 Meta, and Paradigm sub in a nearfield setup) for over a year and recently upgrading to a Ares 12th + Denafrips Iris via I2S (the newly added connection on the 12th, source being a Mac Mini running Roon/Qobuz), the difference (with approx 300 hours burn in time) has shaken me from the once-impressed-now-complacent experience of the Ares II to realizing that the new 12th + Iris (via I2S) is absolutely something special. And yes, this addresses Ares II shortcomings of bass quality/quantity, soundstage depth/width, evenness of delivery, and detail retrieval all to a margin that is not subtle.
The Spring 3 remains a great DAC for the money. Especially, if you need the optional balanced analogue preamp. The build is better on the Spring 3 and I suspect they are sonically similar. Be happy with what you have ordered 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks Tarun, you're quite right. I'm delighted. Aesthetics and engineering appeal is all part of it, and on those fronts I have nothing to complain about. I very much expect the sound to match its other qualities.
I've had the Denafrips Pontus 12th for 6 months now, and have been happy with it, especially once the FPGA firmware upgrade had settled. However, I had recently begun to feel that detail and "attack" were missing a touch, so on the basis of this review and others, I decided to give the R26 a go, having seen it at a very keen price. And wow, even after only 3 days it's already trampling over the Pontus. Musical detail (as opposed to just "detail") has very obviously improved. Also, the "air" and ambience/space around instruments that many mention is there. This last part had worried me a little as I associate air and detail with treble excess. The last thing I want to do is internally brace myself due to sibilance and brittle cymbals. But no, not here. Just music. Bass weight feels a little less, perhaps, but that's it. Run-in has only been three days, as I said, and that's playing music during the day, and burn-in system tracks at night with the amp off. I'll give it another week or two for it to settle then will try moving my AfterDark OCXO clock from my ethernet stage to the R26. Will be interesting to see where its impact is the greatest.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 , I realise this is outside most peoples' scope of ambition, but I've just attached my existing AfterDark King 10MHz (sine) clock to the R26. I'm struggling to conjure the words to describe the jump in SQ as a result. Every facet of the sound has improved by an order of magnitude. It's huge. If going from the Pontus to the R26 was going from a 4 to a 5 - adding the clock brings it to a 7 or 8. And this really is not hyperbole. Granted, this is a £1000 piece of hardware with an additional £700 LPS (Plixir Elite), itself powered from an Isotek mains bar. The BNC cable is a semi-rigid from Cybershaft. Some will say it's absurd to pay more for the clock and LPS than for the DAC, but the proof is in the pudding. I doubt I would get anywhere near this if I'd spent the entire lot on a self-contained DAC (the Venus?)
I replaced my Ares II with the R26 and experienced the drop in sound stage depth, holographicness, and tonal balance that you allude to in the review. However, I stuck to the R26 as I listen to a lot of pop and electronic music where the detail retrieval was spectacular. I have managed to get back most of the SS depth and holographicness by hooking up the R26 to a Tripp Lite 1000HG medical grade isolation transformer.
Hi Tarun - love the channel. Great review - for what it’s worth I have this dac and have found you can squeeze a little extra performance out of it by using the LAN, and separately the NOS modes sound with via external upsampling via hq player. I have no issues with Jazz, classical etc. The dac is a great all rounder for the money. The streamer does have offer a positive impact on the sound quality versus say usb which is not galvanically isolated Using it with the Buchardt sk400 mkii’s and the r26 (based on your previous reviews) and there is great synergy there
Thanks for a reasonable and fair review. I see a lot of pumping for this R26 online. When I compared the R26 with built in streamer against Aries 12th, Ladder Schumann and Pontus II fed by a PI 4 I2S connection I found it scored at the bottom of the list. The sound was slightly veiled and lacked the dynamics of the others. Not a huge difference but enough to be easily distinguished.
Sounds like my cup of tea. Would like to here that with acdc"s back in black . Hells bells with a bit of crossover cranked well up can make your hair stand on end.
Thanks for your review of the R26, I am really tempted by this dac. I would love you to review the A26 as well, as another reviewer said he preferred it to the R26. Decisions decisions!
Thanks Tarun. How about some dacs under £500. Maybe include Geshelli Labs J2 with AK chip. Only because Randy at cheapaudioman loves it so much. Thinking of buying it myself. As you probably know, they are a small company in the USA selling headphone amps and dacs direct to consumers. Or any other budget dacs you like.
This Dac made me leave Denafrips. I found it better than my Pontus2 and the Venus 2 I was auditioning. Wasn’t expecting that!! The streamer functionality is amazing. And the LAN input is by far the best sounding input this DAC offers. 👏🏻 I find it crazy that nearly every reviewer hasn’t touched the streamer/LAN. There is not another R2R dac on the planet with this feature set. Why would you leave that alone!!?? Mind boggling.
@@cameronrector178 hello I have the r26 but I use a Mac mini m1 with Roon streaming tidal /qobuz . Does the LAN input work from Mac to Dac or from the router. As my router is quite far away and don’t have a cable long enough.
@@redleather100 yes you can. I highly recommended you grab 2 Fiber media convertors. They will strip ALL noise off your Ethernet and you can run ridiculously long lines. Best $100 tweak for networked audio.
I bought one. I think the key line from your review is 'once I accepted the presentation', this can't be understated. I was moving from a Mojo 2 to the R26. I am only 4 days in of owning, so I accept there may be further improvements. However initially I was somewhat disappointed. In factory settings the R26 has a lower tone than my Mojo 2, in fact I would say the tone is wrong. Dusty Springfield sounded like she’d taken up smoking, and trumpets had lost the shrill and attack. I initially thought, is this the R2R sound? I did some reading about how R2R dacs worked and realised that much of this can be solved by switching from OS to NOS. In NOS mode you skip the R26’s internal digital FIR filters (which to my ears lower the tone of the sound), in addition switch PCM filtering to fast, which slightly increases the level of detail. With these changes in place I was able to hear a sonic improvement from the Mojo, is it 3x improvement? No, but that’s not how the 95 percentile works. Hopefully this will be useful to someone. Thanks for all the good work Tarun.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the reply, I will follow your sage advice. I can't help feeling Gustard would save themselves from a lot of returns if they mentioned the burn in process in the manual. I'll check back in a week or so and let you know how I get on.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 After an additional week I was ready to send it back, as I could still best it with the Mojo 2. I gave it another week of 24x7 with a signal, and last Sunday I decided for fun and because I hadn’t tried it to use the LAN input. The burn in had started to have a positive impact on the sound, but the LAN input was quite shocking. I know you didn’t try it during your review, but my days the difference is substantial. The sound was so open and clear, I am listening to songs that I’ve heard a million times and they sounds different (in a good way), instruments were very realistic and the texture on vocals are sublime. I think the biggest gift from the LAN is timing, due to the nature of TCP/IP there’s no jitter, and the Gustard has a very good clock, coupled with the timbre that a R2R dac is able to deliver this combination is fantastic. Once my Sugden is up to full power I can sit there listening all day (and have). I will stand by the tone of the Gustard and maybe all R2R dacs is slightly thicker (I was describing it as lower previously but perhaps that’s not accurate), and you have to be on board with that, but if you are and after I’d say 300 hours of burn in, you’re in for a real treat. I have settled on enabling NOS with a fast filter, I think that suits the Sugden best. Thanks again Tarun for the perseverance advice.
Ahhh,, ABA Friday,, 💖🥰💖. As always a top shelf review from the master reviewer. ⭐ Reviews of the Schumann Ladder and Musician Pegasus DAC,s would be interesting. Cheers, thanks and have the best of weekends Tarun,, 🍻😎👍👍
Hey Tarun - thanks for reviewing this! It’s all over the forums, Facebook groups and the like. At this (and higher) levels it’s about learning your personal taste, which you speak to quite well. I compared my own Pontus 2 directly against a Spring 3 (L2) (coincidentally the exact same unit you reviewed), and the May DAC. They were more resolving, but as you point out they do lack a bit of that warmth and richness - although both were excellent. I recently listened to a Chord Dave - which does to my ears seem to walk a very fine line between detail and richness. Super resolving and yet engaging. I would love to see that DAC in the mix on your channel (I am sure a Patron could lend you one.. haha). I also think sources get overlooked here. When I upgraded to my Pontus 2, shortly after I upgraded my BlueSound Node 2 to an SoTM SMS-200 ultra neo. The result was as dramatic as the DAC change. A DAC can only work with what you feed it - your Aurelic is a great benchmark of performance, and I do think folks overlook that because transports are 1) not cheap 2) not as cool as a DAC or an amp. Anyway hope these comments are helpful! Thanks as always; it’s great to see how your channel has evolved over the past couple of years :)
Great review as always. Sounds like a brilliant compromise for the best of both worlds to be honest. I personally really like top end details, despite being more of a bass hound in my earlier day's. Amazing really how China is really stepping up their game, few years ago China Hi-fi was to be the subject of ridicule and wasn't really taken seriously at all, quite the turnaround.
Hi Tarun, Thanx once more for the great review. I was trying tons of DACs in the area of 1000 Euro (RME, VMV, Schiit, etc) but wasn‘t really happy with the sound also the more affordable R2Rs (Ares 2, musician) are in my opinion not allround enough and missing the snappiness of e.g the VMV D1 SE. Then I stumbled across the R26, which almost makes all sorts of music sound good (and it is a pain to find good gear if your are listening to all genres). And reminded me that the old British philosophy of investing in a very good Frontend still holds true also in the digital domain. The R26 needs a lot of burn in - initially I found it slow especially for electronic music, but this has changed over time. However I am missing some bottom end and find it too detailed. But this is mainly due to matching issues with my slightly leaner sounding system. That‘s why I will follow your recommendation and try the Pontus. I would love you to review the Musical Fidelity M6x which has a similar price tag as the Pontus and sounded very impressive, with a very realistic presentation. Even though a very good implementation of the ESS chips, it could at times sound slightly harsh. But I think for some systems (maybe more the rather laid back ones) the Musical Fidelity could be a great choice. Would love to hear your take on the MF. Keep up with your fantastic work.
Would be great if you could review the Musician Aquarius which beat the Pontus in a direct demo and test by another reviewer so would be a good test for the Venus. Otherwise the Musician Pegasus which beats Ares 2 according to pretty much everyone, should be a good test for Gustard R26. ps> Your review on this Gustard R26 has clarified things a lot as the original reviewer who rated it so high is into electronic music, whereas more audiophiles tend to lean towards jazz and vocals.
Great review. Your last remark, regarding the type of music (jazz, vocals), leads me to think that this is not the DAC for me. I am considering the Terminator II 12 ed. So... regarding your request, yes please consider reviewing it.
Thank you Giovanni. System matching will influence preferences between the R26 and Venus II as much as anything. Acoustic, vocal centric, jazz and classical recording sound thinner on the R26 than the V II with diminished soundstage width and depth. The R26 is more resolving of details though. In the end it come down to personal preference 😊
@@TriAmpHiFi It replaced a Aune x8, with the sparkos opamp. My system further consists of first watt f5 and focal 807v speakers. the DAC wsa my most notable update so far. And I went from vista spark to the f5. It gave me more clarity, soundstage deepness and smoothness most notably. I listen to a lot of rock, metal punk and electro. But I do mix in some blues, jazz, acoustic and classical. I plan on adding a doge 8 preamp with upgraded tubes and eventually change my speakers to either voxativ or sonus faber. For now I run the R26 as a preamp too.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I did, and I agree with your findings. 1100 truely was a bargain for this DAC, Although the remote buttons are mixed up and the streamer stopped working after 5 days (I still need to reinstall the driver but dont have a linux computer at hand, windows couldnt updat e the streamer)
@@reptidan Lol, yeah I can see the upgrade. That should balance out your system. And the Doge8 should be real nice too. I'm always curious about the signal paths we choose to build our systems along. Thanks. ( 'gimme funk or reggae instrumentals with brass) 🔈🔉🔊
Tarun, great review thank you. Answering your question please review Soekris dac 2541. It is also available as motherboard for DIY-ers and is beloved by electronic digger's community. I am super fancy to hear your comparison to the gear you compared to GustardR26... My Best!
Cheers Tarun, I had been hovering over one of these for the last couple of months but have now ordered it. Will be connected to my Roon Rock NUC via ethernet. How long before I feel the rest of my system needs to be upgraded 😆 well if your going to go from a cheap Topping DAC may as well go 'all in'. I was looking originally at an ares 2 (enya?) with some sort of Roon endpoint but then I thought maybe the 12th-anniversary ares then I'm already not far of this, cost-wise with a separate endpoint as well. I'm turning 50 this week. Nothing like spoiling yourself eh?
@A British Audiophile I now have this and have it all set up. My days what a sound. Your review was spot on, but after trying the USB and LAN as an endpoint from my Roon NUC core I can honestly say that the LAN sounds better again. Can't wait to get more hours playing to burn it in more. Straight out of the box, it's amazing. Cheers Tarun.
The SMSL SU-10 seems to be a considerable upgrade from earlier SMSLmodels. Might be worth reviewing and comparing / contrasting with R26. Thanks for the fine reviews.
The SU-10 is one of the best DAC in the market but you won't hear any difference with the SU-1... The fidelity of the SU-1 is already well above your listening capability. In engineering, the ADC / DAC is a well mastered technology, it's becoming on the commodity level... This Gustard R26 is good, but not better than the SU-1 (the DAC part).
Another great video with well reasoned arguments and concise information. My system comprises PrimaLuna Evo300 integrated amp, Rega Planar 3, Lindemann Limetree Network II, Marantz CD6002 CD player, Nakamichi LX3 (circa 1983), and Klipsch Palladium P-37F floor standing horn mounted speakers. Overall I am very satisfied with the sound given the room dynamics. I recently added several IsoTek power cords (Initium on the Marantz and (importantly) a Premier on the amp)....WOW! mind-blown and what a difference - improved musicality, staging, depth, space, details, and so on. No looking at an iterative upgrade to further improved sound details, lower noise floor, improve stage, etc. So am considering an upgrade to the DAC/Streamer (currently Lindemann) and am looking at the Auralic Altair G1.1 and trying to stay within a budget of up to $AUD5000 (UKP2600, USD3400). Given my system (tube amp) my questions are: 1. am I better off with a discreet R2R ladder DAC OR a digital DAC?? 2. merits of a combo DAC/streamer versus discreet components?? 3. brands/models of DACs you feel would be best/better suited to my system. Thanks in advance and will appreciate any insight you can offer. Cheers Tony
Hello, apart from reviewing Chinese Made DAC's, you should try to listen to some others, made in europe. I sugest the french Total d1-core DAC (the first on the line), the danish Soekris dac2541 or the serbian Audial S5 DAC.
Wonderful review as always, thoughtful and detailed and balanced (very British :)) approach. Might I recommend you review the Sonnet Pasithea if you have not already. Cheers.
Hello! The Chord Dave dac would be interesting to review since it claims to be the best dac in the world ... I am a fan of the Chord company and personally think that the R&D department do a really good job and their products are very well engineered and designed and offer performance in some areas where simply other manufacturers just copy one another...
Hello Tarun thanks again for another excellent review! I would love to see you review the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM DAC as well as the Schiit Yggdrasil. Oh and one more the Gustard A26.
It will be interesting if you reviewed the Schumann Ladder DAC since price wise it’s pretty close to Gustard R26. Also the new Gustard A26 could be worth the review too. I hear it’s a little more transparent than the R26 but the A26 is not an R2R dac like the Schumann
Schumann sounds more like a r2r dac and R26 sounds like a akm dac. schumann gut much better bass. Real hard impact...midrange is thicker and got sparkle. but upper department goes off...against my smsl vmv d2 the schumann looses clearly in the resolution department....the r26 comes close...maybe 95%. The schumi got 85% of it. Schumann is a little bit harsh...the recording quality is importand. But all good dacs are doing this thing. all testet with gustard u18 ddc because every dac was improved with the ddc in clarity, dynamic and life compared to usb only. The vmv d2 playes more elegant and refined...realy hi end sounding...no stress and fairly smooth for a delta sigma dac. The schumann plays more natural, realistic and with thicker midrange...everything got more body to it. The r26 is exactly in between...but it goes towards the delta sigma...but bass is the worst of all 3...thats a fact. treble/ resolution /detail 1. VMV D2 2. R26 3. Schumann Midrange / thickness and body or weight and also voices 1. Schumann 2. R26 3. VMV D2 Bass punch / deepness and control 1. Schumann 2. VMV D2 3. R26 Musicality / Real sounding Music with most flow 1.Schumann 2.R26 3. VMV D2 layering overall separation from the music performance 1. VMV D2 2. R26 3. Schumann Over all 3 different sounding dacs...in some departments realy close to each other. my system: Accuphase Pre C2120 power cord is nordost Frey 2 Accuphase Amp is P4200 power cord is nordost Tyr 2 Speakers 804D2 Speaker cable nordost Frey 2 and nordost reference jumpers Power comes from a PS Audio P5 power plant with a Tyr 2 power cable. DAC nordost Frey 2 power cord DDC Gustard U18 nordost Brahma power cord Pre, Dac, and ddc are in the nordost distribution block qb 4.2 and this get power by a nordost Brahma power cord. also 2 qk1 are in the block. Nordost Valhalla 1 xlr for dac - pre and a nordost Tyr 1 xlr for pre - amp. Streamer is ifi zen streamer with the upgrade power supply and sticks in an nordost qx4 together with a nordost qv2. streamer gets ethernet by nordost heimdall 2 ethernet cable and sends it via nordost heimdall 2 usb cable. For ddc to schumann and r26 i used a nordost blue heaven hdmi or nordost heimdall 2 aes. For the D2 i only uesd the aes cable because i²s changed the sound signsture of the dac. room treatment is relay good as well as the set up. rice warm sounding and chill room.
@@mehmetcamat4458 one more thing to the schumann sound signature...there are lows, mids and treble...in between is not much...the D2 is everything of all, just more balanced over all. hard to discribe, it just more simple sounding than my d2 akm. i would realy like to hear the A26...if its that much improved to my vmv d2 dac with a single akm 4499 chip with real good op amps instead of descrete components.
@@mehmetcamat4458 Me to...but first i wanna sell one of my two dacs...but i am not sure if should keep the d2 or the schumi...schumi is realy rich and warm sounding...but evwrytging else is not the same like the D2...thats tough one. The schumann ia made by Musician Audio...they got the Draco, Pegasus and the Aquarius...but 3500€ is a big step from 1300-1500. But look at the inside...wow. comes close to denafrips. But for that amiubt of monay you can buy a Venus...hmmm.
After watching and reading many R26 reviews I'm still not convinced this will be my first R2R DAC. It would be nice to have the clarity together with the warmth and fullness ..maybe this is just not possible, the fact that I'm liking the timeless design of Denafrips 10 times more is not helping 🙂 Luckely I'm still enjoying my D70s and who knows what will pop up next..good review but a little shorter as usual 😉
You now have me interested. As I said in Bristol Hifi show, I'm looking for my happy ever after retirement system and this may be worth examining as my DAC. Thanks again again for your excellent reviews
Splendid review once again Tarun! - also nice to see that you wait a bit with some of the - perhaps less relevant - features. Personally I think that it is probably a great DAC, but too many features are there that I would most certainly not use, and I am a minimalist. A great DAC to review is the Musician Pegasus - I would really be interested to see where you place it; I have one - and I think that it aims for the people that like a good no nonsense NOS R2R DAC - but it 'secretly' aims for the people that have a musical taste for, well pop, rock and metal, so recordings/masterings that are often a bit compromised.
I'm into a variety of music from acoustic to jazz to rock and some others as well. I find the R26 to be very well rounded and produces an excellent soundstage. A vast sonic landscape while maintaining resolution. I tried the D1se but for me, it just fell short. I agree the screen could have been designed better but other than that, I find no shortcomings. The fact that is has the ability to be a Roon device out of the box makes it an even better value.
I auditioned it just a view hours...but my short conclusion is. its more like a delta sigma dac with a akm 4499 chip but also al little bit more towards a r2r dac sound signsture. maybe this weekend i will test it again...lets see
Hmmmm….Tarun….being a enthusiastic follower of your channel, and knowing your tastes & experiences, this review gives me great, meaningful perspective about how this Gustard R26 fits into my DAC landscape (Pontus II, here). I did not hear you say it…but I am guessing that you are keeping your Venus II (?)….and since I have similar tastes as you my DAC upgrade path may include a Venus 12th Anniversary Edition! 😀 (I am looking for fuller midrange and musicality more than ultimate clarity). Now…to totally fill out the "Attainable DAC Landscape", we thinks we need YOUR perspective on how the new Gustard A26 with dual AK4499EX chips (the new chip on the block) fits into all of this ! 👍🏼😅
Thank you Bob. I shall ask Shenzhen Audio if the will be willing to send me the A26 to review when my schedule clears. You are right the Venus II is going nowhere 👍
Hi Tarun, thanks for guiding music enthusiasts with your insightful reviews! I started with the Chord Mojo's , moved to the Ares Enyo. Did like the analogueness of the Denafrips but did miss the clarity and resolution of the Chord dacs. The Ares seem to chew off a bit of the top-end too! I have the R26 in now , after considering your as well as other reviews and it does make up in detail, clarity and does not roll of the top-end as does the Denafrips Ares. I would expect the performance to improve considerably after burn in. I bought my R26 from The HiFiCat based in China. They take care of VAT, customs and is part of the advvertised cost. I bought mine for £ 1360.00 and was delivered in ten days. Looking forward to your further reviews. Thanks again!
I do like your channel. I like the way you explain things. I like that you look inside the product. As you said, the Gustard layout is just draw droppingly neat. It may be time you took the scariest leap. If you want the channel to grow,...........think you know what I am going to say. Vinyl. Each year vinyl sales are on the increase and I am a vinyl lover. When you buy physical media, it's not just about the music. It's about the feel and touch. It's about the artwork on the sleeve. It's about the annoying part of cleaning and looking after the product and building a collection. Please give it some thought. 👍
Thank you Peter. That is something that I have discussed quite a with my Patreons. I have decided that I would like to rebuild my vinyl collection and get a turntable but it will have to wait until I can get into my dedicated room so that I can leave a turntable permanently setup 👍
Hello Tarun. Here's my request: Audio Note DAC 0.1x for the budget conscious, or the DAC 1.1x. I hear they very musical and hard to beat for the money. Since they are a UK company, it might be easier to get your hands on one of them. Thanks for the review, and the heads up. I've had my eye on the R-26, but I am looking for a more musical DAC. I am staying away from anything clinical. An easy on the ear dac is the name of the game as far as I'm concerned. Cheers!
Even though I think this is just another flavor of the month product the Chinese really are knocking the ball out of the park. They are so innovative and are going more high end. They have all bases covered now, from entry level to relatively high end with modern audio products. They are keeping interest in audio alive for future generations.
@@itk2493 nothing to do with the quality of the Hi-Fi which I’m sure is very good. Everything to do with the fact that China politically is becoming increasingly hostile to countries is the pacific region, western values and democracies, and basic freedoms and human rights within China. In China “there's really no distinction between private companies and the state".
@@chewy560 Without getting political i'd trust the Chinese, the Russians, in fact anyone over the USA. They are no freedoms and rights anywhere. I bet you also wore yoru mask and stayed at home because the state you to do so🤣😂
I'd like to see reviews of smsl su-10 and the vmv d2. Also, the a26 seems like a good alternative vs the r26 from gustard themselves and the lader schumann seems like a very good dac also.
Hi Tarun. Thank you very much for the review, I was very curious to know your opinion about the R26. I would like to see your Ares II 12th Anniversary and the Ladder Schumann reviews.
I almost forgot: there’s a DAC company: 432evo that creates DAC and it’s tuned to 432HZ=A . Very interesting. Melody Gardot’s Currency of Man was recorded tuning the A music note at 432 Hz. It might be interesting to see a review on this one as well 😊
Hi Tarun, I agree with your assessment of the R26. I've had it in my system for about 4 months now and want to share an observation with you. I heard from others on various forms about a tweak that improves the sound of a lot of units. It seems that the factory over-tightens the screws on the chassis and this enhances vibrations of the circuit board. Try loosening the screws on the bottom and back a half a turn or so. For myself and others, this increased the detail and tone to surprising levels. Happy Listning, xpsvwino
Stellar review. Concise presentation. Cool, calm and very informative. I have what I consider a modest but solid system. This thing blew my mind. Walked into my partner's office, smiled gleefully and nodded yes. The search is over...at least for now. Thank you.
Not much into DACs but it will be interesting to learn more about the two new Cambridge Audio DACs that were introduced recently. Granted they are for a more entry level audiophile but still, how it would compare to others at a similar price may be beneficial.
You asked for future DAC review suggestions … how about the Mola Mola Tambaqui. Also, I remember in your 2023 “preview” video, you mentioned the Innuos Pulse streamer, if that comes about, I’m very interested in hearing what you think about it in comparison with your Aries G1.1
Hmmm well spent my DAC budget on a Aeris 12th this desember. In the end of day i am going to continue being proud of it, was not an easy grind at work to get to the point of justifying the cost to myself. Also considering the price gap i have more room for other upgrades with the 12th
The Ares II remains my favourite DAC for the money to this day. The 12th Ann version is currently running in in my second system. If it has improved on the Ares II then I think you have spent wisely. Enjoy your DAC 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I do, paired with middle priced Croft Acoustics separates thanks to your video and with Ian. Speakers are Funktion One F81 Speaking of, when are you going to become the fist person on the internet to speak about my speakers? No one touch any Funktion One compact line reviews and tbh the company don't care about marketing much. But out of all the youtubers out there, you are the one that makes the most sense to try and get some.
Thanks for the great review which I think added differentiated perspectives on fit and match with music genres and other pieces of equipment such as amps and speakers. I went from “nothing” to an RME ADI-2 when embarking on headphone track. I later got the Gustard R26. With the RME I prefer my Denon AH9200 headphones Liston sing to pop and country but with the Gustard and external (cheap) headphone amp I much prefer my Sennheiser HD820 for jazz and classical music. I would recommend reviewing Gustard A26 which I’m considering in another rig.
Hi Tarun, thank you very much for this great review! It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the Merason Frerot DAC and the Graham Slee Majestic DAC.
Hi Tarun, I really think it is now time to bring the Chord Qutest (back) on te table for comparison. With good powersupply (like Farad Super3 for example). In the high end setups you now have at home, I think you will be surprised what it’s capable of (clarity, but also 3D soundstage…)
Thanks Tarun for your as usual considered and balanced review. I have an R26 which is my first R2R DAC, prior to which I had only had Delta Sigma DACs. So great to get your perspective from having listened to many DACs, as to where the R26 sits on the spectrum of DS to R2R. Do you mind me asking what DDC and/or R26 internal streaming protocol(s) (eg. Roon or UPnP) you used with the R26, as anecdotally at least over on HeadFi the latter do not all perform equally well. A limitation of its modest streamer hardware and firmware implementation perhaps. For what it is worth I have found very satisfying improvements to the palpability of the R26's vocals and its soundstage depth and width when using its internal HQ Player NAA renderer/streamer by adding an external clock (the LHY OCK-1) and a high quality switch (LHY SW-8). I speculate that part of this may be due to the external clock likely improving the temporal precision of both the R26's DAC and streamer sections. I've had further improvements still from adding a second switch upstream and little grounding boxes throughout the front-end digital and network chain - less glare, a blacker backgound and a more calm and organic presentation. Many other users have found similar benefits from using fibre media convertors to add galvanic isolation before feeding ethernet to the R26. I have no idea whether the R26 is more sensitive than your average DAC/streamer to improvements to the upstream digital chain, but very sensitive it certainly is. Although I doubt my R26 would now be mistaken for a Denafrips I feel it has taken a step or two in that direction in terms of tonal weight and presentation if not outright warmth per se. To be fair I imagine the Denafrips DACs and/or external network streamers would also benefit from similar tweaks, though this might manifest a little differently. Just my 10p from my experience in case it aids others. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Jacob. I didn't use the internal streaming module in the R26. I prefer to stream from my Auralic Aries Mini. It has been reported that the internal streamer is comparable to the Bluesound Node in sound quality but not in the UI. I ran the signal through my Denafrips Iris DDC and the IIS into the R26. This was noticeably better than direct via USB, optical or coax 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the clarification Tarun. I too found the R26’s I2S input, in my case from a Gustard U18 or Singxer SU6 DDC fed USB via an Ifi Zen Stream, better than direct via USB, optical or coax. However I find the internal streamer to sound better still in my setup (R26 externally clocked, HQ Player via R26 NAA renderer, LHY Audiophile switch etc). It really is surprisingly good - very, very good indeed. I don’t doubt the internal streamer can be bettered via an I2S source by using even higher end USB & I2S cables and/or external network streamer - but my experience and that of folk who have clearly bettered it via I2S tells me that wouldn’t be a cheap exercise.
I’d be interested in seeing you review a coupe of the Schiit multibit DAC’s, the Bifrost 2/64 and Yggy OG would be good. I own the Bifrost 2 and think it’s a great unit and a cut above the generic d/s chip dacs out there, considering the 2/64 upgrade for it - so would be keen to see your thoughts on how close it is to the Yggy, or perhaps an R2R instead.
Been curious about this for a little while now. Seems to be generally well received, and comes in at a fair price with ton of features. I think your comparison to the Denafrips DACs gave me a sense of what to expect from the R26. As for future reviews, would like your take on an Audio-GD DAC.
Certainly sounds worth a listen! Sound aside, numbers and code are a horrible way of naming products, and secondly, this DAC looks much better inside than out (really enjoy 'under the bonnet'). I do wonder if in future DACs could be more upgradeable (software and/or hardware) - rather than chasing technology with another expensive box. Thanks for the review, good to hear your voice back on song!
Thanks for the balanced review of a hyped product! I'd love to hear your verdict on the Ares 12th; is there a valid reason for it in the Denefrips range?
Nice Review Tarun. You’ve moved me towards the Venus II. I think it’ll warm up my very resolving ATC 19 actives. However the Gustard sounds cracking for the price.
Interesting video, enjoyed greatly. The amount of dacs available is a minefield for me. Names that I have never heard of, obviously specialists in their particular field. I would love to see a video of what dac(s) could be recommended as an upgrade in an 'everyday' sort of system. I don't consider myself an audiophile by any standards but I do consider myself a music lover and have always had a 'reasonable' sort of hifi system. Currently using an audiolab 6000a in a Home Theatre 7.1 system with a denon x3700h and a emotiva a2 power amp, my source being a xonar essence stx in my media centre pc.
First of all thank you for this well balanced review. I have only one question: why, why did they not make this a ‘pure’ dac? No gimmicks, just the connections and the digital conversion to analogue. Now you are getting a converter with an addition, the streamer that, in my opinion, is more of a marketing solution.
I take it your opinion is not based on first hand experience? The performance of the internal streamer is one of the best things ahout this DAC in my experience owning the DAC. The R26 internal streamer fed via its HQ Player NAA has comfortably bested my Zen Stream (w IFI power X) and Gustard U18 combo with good USB and I2S cables. R26 internal streamer has more layered and natural sound with a more expansive soundstage. The quality of the streamer takes a big jump when a quality switch or FMCs are used. Many Headfi users have found this. To be fair some users do prefer using other inputs but they are a minority who tend to have either higher end streamers like say the Ifi Neo Stream or high end USB sources like a JCAT XE USB card with SOTM motherboard + a U18. I.e. it is an expensive exercise to improve on the R26 internal streamer when fed Roon or HQP.
@@Wharariki thank you for your reaction. For me it is exactly the fact of being able to choose, in this case, the streamer. I love it that I can combine my pre-amp from company x with the power amp from company b with the speakers of combine z etc, etc, etc. That is my point and reading all the reviews you see that that is being done. I mean are you buying everything from one company being an audiophile?
@@SuperGuper01 I too like the freedom to optimise each step in the chain, pre/power etc. The choice with the R26 to use an external or its internal streamer remains yours and mine. My point was the high value embodied in the R26's streamer that I and many other users wrongly assumed would be just an afterthought for a DAC that already represents remarkable performance at its pricepoint.
Heard about this brand a few years ago and all positive!! Stick a different badge on it and It could easily be a 5k dac! And its a streamer to!! What's not to like!!?? ;)
I went from ares 2 to r26 and what a difference it made! I’m not even exaggerating, it elevated my whole system to new levels I never thought a dac could. Happy to see all the trustworthy reviewers loving it too.
Thank you for sharing your experiences Rob 👍
What exactly did it change and why did you feel the need to change in the first place?
@@doifeellucky speed, clarity, soundstage, instrument separation, transients, bass control, resolution and air were improved on with the r26. It’s a whole different level.
@@robk5745 Thanks. My current setup probably isn’t good enough to really notice those things. I’ll upgrade my speakers and amp first.
When using as Roon end point with MQA FILE, the unit displays OFS 176 4x rather than MQA 1764x. What’s the difference. Remove DSP and MQA will display
This DAC replaced my Terminator II. Tonal verisimilitude was equally convincing between the two DACs in my system - but the R26's soundstage dimensions were more expansive. Resolution was much better as reported here versus the Venus 2. The Terminator was fed I2S via a Hermes DDC, the R26 gets I2S via a Singxer SU-6 DDC and slaved to a LHY OCK-2 master clock. I think results widely vary with different gear/systems obviously. For me the only DAC I've owned and had in my system that I prefer is my Lampizator Baltic 4 tube DAC - and that DAC is $7K USD. Simple math will tell you the R26 is a good buy, but as Tarun has said, and I agree, results will be system dependent and will ultimately depend on your sonic preferences, hearing ability, music genres you prefer, etc. As always Caveat Emptor.
Hello Michael , I see you comment on every r26 review , do you work for Gustard,😂.
I’ve recently purchased a pathos inpol Heritage and feeling it’s showing the weakness in the r26 . Sounds a little underwhelming.
I was looking towards the Terminator Dac , can you honestly say it’s not as good as the r26.
Thanks
@Nathan hifi if you read what I write carefully, you will figure out I'm doing my best to share what my experience has been with this DAC in my system because I'm trying to save people money - this is a d*** expensive hobby if you haven't noticed 😆. That all said, Tarun has a different take on the R26's sonic signature. Also, apparently, it seems the R26 might not be your cup of tea. Different strokes for different folks. If you have the $, a Terminator is a damn fine DAC, buy one and see for yourself how it compares in your system and then share your experience so maybe you can help someone else make a better purchase decision. The internet definitely needs more people doing that than the trolling that's seemingly become the norm.
Thank you for sharing your experiences Michael 😊
Hey Michael, thanks for sharing this detail. I have a Pontus 2 (fed via a good SoTM source over USB). I am considering adding the Sinxer you mentioned. I hear very good things - and at the price it’s exceptional. Did it make a huge difference with your Terminator/Venus? Did the external master clock make a further difference? Let me know your thoughts. Are you also running the same clock signal to your streamer/network switch? (Both of mine accept MC signals but I havent’ played with that yet)
@Alex Herceg the LHY clock and the Singxer DDC feeds the R26, the two DACs I was comparing were the R26 and the Terminator II, not the Venus (Tarun used his Venus II as a comparison in this video). The Terminator was fed by a Hermes DDC, it didn't need a clock as its internal one is excellent, indeed the Hermes was slaved to the Terminator. Yes, the Singxer makes an appreciable sonic improvement, but unfortunately it is not compatible with the LHY clock and my switch does not have a clock input.
For me the R26 replaced a Denafrips Ares 2 and my immediate impression was how much more detail was in the music and a realization of how much I had been missing. The other big thing for me is that it does not really favor any particular music genre. I realized that with the Ares I was listening to more accoustic and music based around vocal performance as that was where it sounded it's best. Rock, metal and electronic had been neglected as the Ares did not suit those genres sounding slow and thick. The streamer section is clean and very serviceable, probably in the ballpark of a Bluesound node but I find my Zen stream to sound a bit more detailed and lively. Great review from Tarun, as usual.
I sold my Zen stream since the streamer in the R26 using Roon is so good.
Well said, found the same impressions going from ares to r26. My whole system elevated past expectations with the dac upgrade!
Thank you for sharing your experiences Andrew 👍
Well, no surprise here, and more expensive piece of gear is always supposed to outperform the cheaper one.
Ares ii is just ok.. There are many DAC's better
Thanks Tarun. Been an R26 owner for four months. Lovely DAC, especially using LAN and Roon - the best. I sold my Venus and Lumin U2 Mini based on R26 hype and liked the idea of money in my pocket and a one-box solution. Fast forward, I honestly admit that the R26 is a slight decrease in *some areas of the sound, mainly vocal realism. However, I have since upgraded my speakers (DeVore) and amplification (T+A) and those differences have narrowed. I don’t miss my Venus-Lumin combo. It was overpriced. I took the money and bought better speakers. It’s basically a wash now. What a journey this has become! Keep listening
Which T+A amp did you purchase?
@@spigdon The A200, 125 wpc. It’s super linear, transparent…. really holographic. And I’ve been a tube amp owner throughout my journey.
Thank you Brian. Great to learn about your experiences 😊
@@bdmcn Cool, yes I'd been eyeing the A200 to pair with my Athena pre and R26. The A200 has some trickle down power supply tech from T+A's HV series. Interesting that you're a tube user and really like it.
@@Wharariki I will say there are things I’m starting to realize are missing: top-end shimmer/sparkle, mid-band textures, some realism … it’s been a good experience simply because the A200 gives me better layering and soundstage.
I really enjoy my R26, great review! One thing to point out is that even though the Venus has better bass weight and a bit better soundstage, its twice the price.
That is true. Well said 😊
I’m sure there are trade offs too, denafrips dacs are pretty soft sounding in general, and that presentation doesnt work well in all set ups. R26 is more middle ground that way, and will work well in more systems imo
Can I ask how is the soundstahe depth? It seems people are polarized on it. Some say it has great depth, whereas some say it's lacking depth
@@radiofreealbemuth i had this dac for over a year, compared to similarly priced it has good depth. Once you go higher end (not necessarily more expensive alot of great dacs that are older) the depth doesn’t seem as nearly as great.
Listened to this review on my R26! Thanks for putting this together. I highly suggest you try the LAN input, it's a noticeable improvement over USB. The R26 doesn't have USB isolation so noise can be an issue. Both noise and jitter is not an issue over LAN whereas it is for USB.
Thank you. I hope you enjoyed the review. I liked the IIS through a DDC the best 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 That is the whole point to these newer DACs in my mind. II2 is the purer connection! 👍🏼
Gustard R26: seriously a giant killer. I’m currently comparing it with with PS Audio DirectStream dac that used to cost $7k and I find stark differences. PSA DSD is pretty resolving but not as resolving as R26 and R26 has sweeter midrange while DSD plays way too safe in the midrange. Both have similar bass tone and texture. For me (kef r3 and Yamaha as1200) tonally DSD is no match for R26 and DSD is usually compared to Denafrips Terminator! On top of it, R26 keeps getting better with break-in. I only wish it looked better. Thank you for introducing this amazing DAC, Tarun!
Thank you for sharing your experiences 👍
Update: I also hear some hiss from speakers when DSD is connected. Nothing at all when R26 is on.
I have r26 for 4 months now and I'm absolutely love this dac so much detail clarity big sound stage
I use it as roon end point and sound is amazing you don't even need external ddc when you use roon endpoint it's my end game dac very well done gustard.....
Thank you for sharing your experiences AP 😊
@alirez do you use the app to control the volume for you use this with Roon? And does it work well?
Can I ask how is the soundstage depth?
A really interesting (I mean that in the most complementary way) review... My impressions, from some of the more thoughtful audiophile Facebook groups etc, is that most people claiming "giant killer" are those that have upgraded from SMSL or TOPPING etc.
I really liked the nod to the VENUS, as in, "hold on son, you've got a way to go yet"...
Still, it's pretty rare that an "outstanding" is given by this particular, honest and trusted reviewer..
Thanks Tarun! 👍😁😁👍
Thank you for the kind words my friend. Very kind of you to say 😊👍
Qutest obviously , Thanks Tarun for amazing video … your simplicity in review makes at least my future choice of equipments easy .. can’t thank you enough.
Thank you Atri. Much appreciated 😊👍
Thanks for the video, Gustard A26, a within-brand comparison between R2R and chip-based
Thank you. I shall request it when the schedule clears 😊
Loved the review! Certainly sounds like an R2R that is right up my alley. A review of the Gustard A26 would be really interesting. Another option I would like to see is the Soekris.
Thank you Ryan 😊👍
Haha! The same idea about Soekris came to my mind... greetings!!!
Prudent, accurate, realistic review as always. Thanks!
Thank you Sean 😊👍
Hope that the Gustard A26 is on Your review list :) Also a biger toe to toe comparison of R2R dac's would be appriciated !
Thank you. That has been a popular choice and I shall request it for review when my schedule clears 😊
Great review! I have this piece and am hearing it the same way you are. With it being an R2R, I was expecting more body and warmth. It's a bit more clinical than I had expected.
Thank you Paul. It definitely sits on that side of the spectrum 😊
Clinical, I’m not hearing that at all, maybe a bit more matter of fact but not clinical, still has warmth and spatial cues of a classic r2r. Not soft like soup like the ares 2 though lol
Hi Tarun - I'd much like to see you turn your attention to either the Border Patrol DAC SE-i or the Lab 12 Reference DAC. The Border Patrol DAC is interesting because its measured performance isn't stellar but the sound belies the numbers. I've owned one for years. The Lab 12 has generated some positive comment online as a tubed ladder DAC. Granted that both of these products are a bit obscure. Thanks for the excellent Gustard R-26 review. You've a way of describing sound quality that invariably has me thinking "yes, I understand what you mean".
Thank you Gary. I am not sure if I can get the Border Control DAC here 🤔👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 The founder of the company is British-born Gary Dews. He's an exceptionally nice person. It might be worth the try but I take your point. All the best - Gary.
@@garyalexander5686 thank you Gary. I will reach out 🙂
Thanks Tarun, I’d like you to review the Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DAC. Relaesed last year it is the updated version of the Bifrost 2. There is an official UK stockist (although stock is often slow to arrive from the US where it is made). It is available for £850 and I am split between that and the Ares II. The bonus of an easy warranty makes the Schiit a very appealing option, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it from a sound perspective.
Thank you Mr K. The U.K. distributor wasn’t keen to send me anything to review. I have Scott McGowan’s email. It may be time to contact him again when my schedule clears 😊
Thanks for this Tarun, for me the R26 is probably the best DAC under £2K.
I only replaced it with a Metrum Jade with DAC3 modules.
The R26 performance goes even higher when fed via I2S from the Gustard U18 USB bridge/DDC.
Did you also use it as a Roon endpoint, (thru Ethernet)?
I'm curious if the U18 is worth it, as I find the sound quality exceptional already, when using Roon/LAN..? :)
Thank you. I found my Denafrips Iris DDC make quite a bit of improvement through IIS too 😊
@@5starmaniac I don’t use ROON yet. In what way does using Roon connection to R26 make a difference.
@@jmp622 Roon provides a 100% stable flow of very high quality sound, using ethernet!
Far better than USB directly to the R26. (I haven't tried a high quality DDC though.)
Apparently, Fibre media converters between the router and the R26 gets rid of most noise coming from the router, cables etc, and enhance the experience even further.
I've ordered FMCs so Im really looking forward to test this! 🤗
@@5starmaniac I am trying Roon. Down side is leaving my MacBook constantly connected. I’m not pulling trigger on Roon nucleus at this point. With nucleus do I need to have hard drive for it? I do not download files, so is the hard drive serving any other purpose?
Thank you Tarun. Killer review as always. Most likely my next dac. I had AudioGD and Denafrips in the past and i have a TDA1540 dac now. It will be fun to compare it with R26.
Thank you buddy 👍
Tarun, we all thank you once again for the excellent review !
Chi-fi DAcs unfortunately, is something not everyone can audition in audio stores, and especially for some of the ... 'unlucky' ones (fi myself) who happen to live on a Greek island, away from the hifi / hiend audio happenings of Athens :) A few months ago i watched your video review of the Denafrips Ares II. Would be great to hear from you also your thoughts of the all new 12th edition, as well as the also new Gustard A26.
Thank you. The Ares II is here running in 👍
I am very VERY happy with A26 and of course curious if I should demo R26. I’m frankly exhausted of demoing units but have FOMO. THE R26 is just $150 more but would hate to ship unit back go thru break in only to find minor differences.
@@jmp622 I hope to find out for myself at some point 😊
I enjoyed your review, especially the comparison with Venus II. Cheers! 🍻
Thank you buddy 👍
This guy is the reason I bought the r26 😂🎉
Really nice to see another reviewer gives credit to his fellow pro. Guys, I love both your vids, you both implant your personal style and approach. Keep up the great work :)
I've had the R26 basically since it came out. It's an End Game R2R DAC at a reasonable price competing with TOTL DACS
Thank you for sharing 😊
As always your reviews are comprehensive and well articulated. While somewhat off course (albeit related, DAC-wise) if you have a chance to review the Ares 12th, I definitely wouldn’t dismiss it outright based on how much press the Ares II has already garnered.
Having lived with the Ares II in my system (Musical Fidelity M5si, LS50 Meta, and Paradigm sub in a nearfield setup) for over a year and recently upgrading to a Ares 12th + Denafrips Iris via I2S (the newly added connection on the 12th, source being a Mac Mini running Roon/Qobuz), the difference (with approx 300 hours burn in time) has shaken me from the once-impressed-now-complacent experience of the Ares II to realizing that the new 12th + Iris (via I2S) is absolutely something special. And yes, this addresses Ares II shortcomings of bass quality/quantity, soundstage depth/width, evenness of delivery, and detail retrieval all to a margin that is not subtle.
Thank you for the kind words James. The Ares 12th is currently here running in in a secondary system 👍
I have a Spring 3 currently being built for me... this review makes me a little reflective about that!
Save your money and buy this and apply the difference towards the bliss. Just sayin...
The Spring 3 remains a great DAC for the money. Especially, if you need the optional balanced analogue preamp. The build is better on the Spring 3 and I suspect they are sonically similar. Be happy with what you have ordered 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks Tarun, you're quite right. I'm delighted. Aesthetics and engineering appeal is all part of it, and on those fronts I have nothing to complain about. I very much expect the sound to match its other qualities.
I've had the Denafrips Pontus 12th for 6 months now, and have been happy with it, especially once the FPGA firmware upgrade had settled. However, I had recently begun to feel that detail and "attack" were missing a touch, so on the basis of this review and others, I decided to give the R26 a go, having seen it at a very keen price. And wow, even after only 3 days it's already trampling over the Pontus. Musical detail (as opposed to just "detail") has very obviously improved. Also, the "air" and ambience/space around instruments that many mention is there. This last part had worried me a little as I associate air and detail with treble excess. The last thing I want to do is internally brace myself due to sibilance and brittle cymbals. But no, not here. Just music. Bass weight feels a little less, perhaps, but that's it.
Run-in has only been three days, as I said, and that's playing music during the day, and burn-in system tracks at night with the amp off.
I'll give it another week or two for it to settle then will try moving my AfterDark OCXO clock from my ethernet stage to the R26. Will be interesting to see where its impact is the greatest.
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 , I realise this is outside most peoples' scope of ambition, but I've just attached my existing AfterDark King 10MHz (sine) clock to the R26. I'm struggling to conjure the words to describe the jump in SQ as a result. Every facet of the sound has improved by an order of magnitude. It's huge.
If going from the Pontus to the R26 was going from a 4 to a 5 - adding the clock brings it to a 7 or 8. And this really is not hyperbole.
Granted, this is a £1000 piece of hardware with an additional £700 LPS (Plixir Elite), itself powered from an Isotek mains bar. The BNC cable is a semi-rigid from Cybershaft. Some will say it's absurd to pay more for the clock and LPS than for the DAC, but the proof is in the pudding. I doubt I would get anywhere near this if I'd spent the entire lot on a self-contained DAC (the Venus?)
Hello
Which DAC did you end up keeping?
Thank you
I replaced my Ares II with the R26 and experienced the drop in sound stage depth, holographicness, and tonal balance that you allude to in the review. However, I stuck to the R26 as I listen to a lot of pop and electronic music where the detail retrieval was spectacular. I have managed to get back most of the SS depth and holographicness by hooking up the R26 to a Tripp Lite 1000HG medical grade isolation transformer.
That is great Vijay 👍
Sounds like a smart move.
That's the (green) guy.
Hi Tarun - love the channel.
Great review - for what it’s worth I have this dac and have found you can squeeze a little extra performance out of it by using the LAN, and separately the NOS modes sound with via external upsampling via hq player. I have no issues with Jazz, classical etc. The dac is a great all rounder for the money. The streamer does have offer a positive impact on the sound quality versus say usb which is not galvanically isolated
Using it with the Buchardt sk400 mkii’s and the r26 (based on your previous reviews) and there is great synergy there
Thank you Derek. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Thanks for a reasonable and fair review. I see a lot of pumping for this R26 online. When I compared the R26 with built in streamer against Aries 12th, Ladder Schumann and Pontus II fed by a PI 4 I2S connection I found it scored at the bottom of the list. The sound was slightly veiled and lacked the dynamics of the others. Not a huge difference but enough to be easily distinguished.
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
ua-cam.com/video/BYTlN6wjcvQ/v-deo.html
Sounds like my cup of tea. Would like to here that with acdc"s back in black . Hells bells with a bit of crossover cranked well up can make your hair stand on end.
Cool 😎
Thanks for your review of the R26, I am really tempted by this dac. I would love you to review the A26 as well, as another reviewer said he preferred it to the R26. Decisions decisions!
Thank you 😊
Thanks Tarun. How about some dacs under £500. Maybe include Geshelli Labs J2 with AK chip. Only because Randy at cheapaudioman loves it so much. Thinking of buying it myself. As you probably know, they are a small company in the USA selling headphone amps and dacs direct to consumers. Or any other budget dacs you like.
I second this!!! Would love a cross pond opinion on the J2 AKM version
If I can get hold of one here. That would be cool 😎
I vote for the J2 AKM too: < €400 (with shipping and tax), smaller box and a lot less component :)
Great review, as always.
@@willemvdg9557 thank you 👍
Thank you, Tarun. I so thoroughly enjoy your reviews. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you my friend 😊👍
This Dac made me leave Denafrips. I found it better than my Pontus2 and the Venus 2 I was auditioning.
Wasn’t expecting that!!
The streamer functionality is amazing. And the LAN input is by far the best sounding input this DAC offers. 👏🏻
I find it crazy that nearly every reviewer hasn’t touched the streamer/LAN. There is not another R2R dac on the planet with this feature set. Why would you leave that alone!!??
Mind boggling.
Tarun Is not the First Who noticed that this dac Is a bit light in the bass region. May i ask you what you think in this regards? Thanks
@@Moonloop76 Bass definition is better and Tarun agrees. Bass weight is fantastic using the Lan input this Dac (which no reviewer seems to use)
@@cameronrector178 thanks!
@@cameronrector178 hello I have the r26 but I use a Mac mini m1 with Roon streaming tidal /qobuz . Does the LAN input work from Mac to Dac or from the router. As my router is quite far away and don’t have a cable long enough.
@@redleather100 yes you can. I highly recommended you grab 2 Fiber media convertors. They will strip ALL noise off your Ethernet and you can run ridiculously long lines.
Best $100 tweak for networked audio.
I bought one. I think the key line from your review is 'once I accepted the presentation', this can't be understated. I was moving from a Mojo 2 to the R26. I am only 4 days in of owning, so I accept there may be further improvements. However initially I was somewhat disappointed. In factory settings the R26 has a lower tone than my Mojo 2, in fact I would say the tone is wrong. Dusty Springfield sounded like she’d taken up smoking, and trumpets had lost the shrill and attack. I initially thought, is this the R2R sound? I did some reading about how R2R dacs worked and realised that much of this can be solved by switching from OS to NOS. In NOS mode you skip the R26’s internal digital FIR filters (which to my ears lower the tone of the sound), in addition switch PCM filtering to fast, which slightly increases the level of detail. With these changes in place I was able to hear a sonic improvement from the Mojo, is it 3x improvement? No, but that’s not how the 95 percentile works. Hopefully this will be useful to someone. Thanks for all the good work Tarun.
Hi Rich, the R26 need a ridiculously long burn-in time. Put a signal through it continuously for a week and then judge results 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the reply, I will follow your sage advice. I can't help feeling Gustard would save themselves from a lot of returns if they mentioned the burn in process in the manual. I'll check back in a week or so and let you know how I get on.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 After an additional week I was ready to send it back, as I could still best it with the Mojo 2. I gave it another week of 24x7 with a signal, and last Sunday I decided for fun and because I hadn’t tried it to use the LAN input. The burn in had started to have a positive impact on the sound, but the LAN input was quite shocking. I know you didn’t try it during your review, but my days the difference is substantial. The sound was so open and clear, I am listening to songs that I’ve heard a million times and they sounds different (in a good way), instruments were very realistic and the texture on vocals are sublime. I think the biggest gift from the LAN is timing, due to the nature of TCP/IP there’s no jitter, and the Gustard has a very good clock, coupled with the timbre that a R2R dac is able to deliver this combination is fantastic. Once my Sugden is up to full power I can sit there listening all day (and have). I will stand by the tone of the Gustard and maybe all R2R dacs is slightly thicker (I was describing it as lower previously but perhaps that’s not accurate), and you have to be on board with that, but if you are and after I’d say 300 hours of burn in, you’re in for a real treat. I have settled on enabling NOS with a fast filter, I think that suits the Sugden best. Thanks again Tarun for the perseverance advice.
Ahhh,, ABA Friday,, 💖🥰💖.
As always a top shelf review from the master reviewer. ⭐
Reviews of the Schumann Ladder and Musician Pegasus DAC,s would be interesting.
Cheers, thanks and have the best of weekends Tarun,, 🍻😎👍👍
Thank you Irene. So very kind of you 👍❤️👍
I see a Gustard in my future… Thank you again Tarun for another enlightening review. Top notch!
Thank you .Much appreciated 😊👍
Hey Tarun - thanks for reviewing this! It’s all over the forums, Facebook groups and the like. At this (and higher) levels it’s about learning your personal taste, which you speak to quite well. I compared my own Pontus 2 directly against a Spring 3 (L2) (coincidentally the exact same unit you reviewed), and the May DAC. They were more resolving, but as you point out they do lack a bit of that warmth and richness - although both were excellent. I recently listened to a Chord Dave - which does to my ears seem to walk a very fine line between detail and richness. Super resolving and yet engaging. I would love to see that DAC in the mix on your channel (I am sure a Patron could lend you one.. haha). I also think sources get overlooked here. When I upgraded to my Pontus 2, shortly after I upgraded my BlueSound Node 2 to an SoTM SMS-200 ultra neo. The result was as dramatic as the DAC change. A DAC can only work with what you feed it - your Aurelic is a great benchmark of performance, and I do think folks overlook that because transports are 1) not cheap 2) not as cool as a DAC or an amp. Anyway hope these comments are helpful! Thanks as always; it’s great to see how your channel has evolved over the past couple of years :)
Hi Alex, great to learn about your experiences. Mine pretty much match yours. Thank you for the support 😊👍
Great review as always.
Sounds like a brilliant compromise for the best of both worlds to be honest. I personally really like top end details, despite being more of a bass hound in my earlier day's. Amazing really how China is really stepping up their game, few years ago China Hi-fi was to be the subject of ridicule and wasn't really taken seriously at all, quite the turnaround.
Thank you. There are some great Chinese brands these days 😊
Hi Tarun,
Thanx once more for the great review. I was trying tons of DACs in the area of 1000 Euro (RME, VMV, Schiit, etc) but wasn‘t really happy with the sound also the more affordable R2Rs (Ares 2, musician) are in my opinion not allround enough and missing the snappiness of e.g the VMV D1 SE.
Then I stumbled across the R26, which almost makes all sorts of music sound good (and it is a pain to find good gear if your are listening to all genres). And reminded me that the old British philosophy of investing in a very good Frontend still holds true also in the digital domain.
The R26 needs a lot of burn in - initially I found it slow especially for electronic music, but this has changed over time. However I am missing some bottom end and find it too detailed. But this is mainly due to matching issues with my slightly leaner sounding system. That‘s why I will follow your recommendation and try the Pontus.
I would love you to review the Musical Fidelity M6x which has a similar price tag as the Pontus and sounded very impressive, with a very realistic presentation. Even though a very good implementation of the ESS chips, it could at times sound slightly harsh. But I think for some systems (maybe more the rather laid back ones) the Musical Fidelity could be a great choice.
Would love to hear your take on the MF.
Keep up with your fantastic work.
Thank you Bernd. Very much appreciated and great to learn about your experiences 🙂👍
Thank you Tarun, another outstanding review.
Thank you Vernon. Very much appreciated 😊👍
Would be great if you could review the Musician Aquarius which beat the Pontus in a direct demo and test by another reviewer so would be a good test for the Venus. Otherwise the Musician Pegasus which beats Ares 2 according to pretty much everyone, should be a good test for Gustard R26.
ps> Your review on this Gustard R26 has clarified things a lot as the original reviewer who rated it so high is into electronic music, whereas more audiophiles tend to lean towards jazz and vocals.
Thank you Connor 😊
A credit to your previous videos that I knew what most of the parts inside were and that they were well implemented on this unit. Thanks!
Thank you BC. That is a great compliment 😊👍
Great review. Your last remark, regarding the type of music (jazz, vocals), leads me to think that this is not the DAC for me. I am considering the Terminator II 12 ed. So... regarding your request, yes please consider reviewing it.
I didn’t understand that comment as well. All I listen to is Jazz and acoustic. This Dac beat out the Venus 2 I was auditioning.
Thank you Giovanni. System matching will influence preferences between the R26 and Venus II as much as anything. Acoustic, vocal centric, jazz and classical recording sound thinner on the R26 than the V II with diminished soundstage width and depth. The R26 is more resolving of details though. In the end it come down to personal preference 😊
I love this DAC. Found a new one for €1100,-. Made an insane improvement to my system! Curious to find what you think!
What dac did it replace & was it the only change?
Thank you for sharing. I hope you enjoyed the review 😊
@@TriAmpHiFi It replaced a Aune x8, with the sparkos opamp. My system further consists of first watt f5 and focal 807v speakers. the DAC wsa my most notable update so far. And I went from vista spark to the f5. It gave me more clarity, soundstage deepness and smoothness most notably. I listen to a lot of rock, metal punk and electro. But I do mix in some blues, jazz, acoustic and classical. I plan on adding a doge 8 preamp with upgraded tubes and eventually change my speakers to either voxativ or sonus faber. For now I run the R26 as a preamp too.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I did, and I agree with your findings. 1100 truely was a bargain for this DAC, Although the remote buttons are mixed up and the streamer stopped working after 5 days (I still need to reinstall the driver but dont have a linux computer at hand, windows couldnt updat e the streamer)
@@reptidan Lol, yeah I can see the upgrade. That should balance out your system. And the Doge8 should be real nice too.
I'm always curious about the signal paths we choose to build our systems along. Thanks. ( 'gimme funk or reggae instrumentals with brass) 🔈🔉🔊
Looks like a winner! Great review… thank you!
Thanks for watching 👍
Tarun, great review thank you. Answering your question please review Soekris dac 2541. It is also available as motherboard for DIY-ers and is beloved by electronic digger's community. I am super fancy to hear your comparison to the gear you compared to GustardR26... My Best!
Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion 👍
Cheers Tarun, I had been hovering over one of these for the last couple of months but have now ordered it. Will be connected to my Roon Rock NUC via ethernet. How long before I feel the rest of my system needs to be upgraded 😆 well if your going to go from a cheap Topping DAC may as well go 'all in'. I was looking originally at an ares 2 (enya?) with some sort of Roon endpoint but then I thought maybe the 12th-anniversary ares then I'm already not far of this, cost-wise with a separate endpoint as well. I'm turning 50 this week. Nothing like spoiling yourself eh?
Enjoy your new DAC James. I don’t think you will be disappointed 🙂
@A British Audiophile I now have this and have it all set up. My days what a sound. Your review was spot on, but after trying the USB and LAN as an endpoint from my Roon NUC core I can honestly say that the LAN sounds better again. Can't wait to get more hours playing to burn it in more. Straight out of the box, it's amazing. Cheers Tarun.
The SMSL SU-10 seems to be a considerable upgrade from earlier SMSLmodels. Might be worth reviewing and comparing / contrasting with R26. Thanks for the fine reviews.
Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion 😊
The SU-10 is one of the best DAC in the market but you won't hear any difference with the SU-1... The fidelity of the SU-1 is already well above your listening capability. In engineering, the ADC / DAC is a well mastered technology, it's becoming on the commodity level... This Gustard R26 is good, but not better than the SU-1 (the DAC part).
Another great video with well reasoned arguments and concise information.
My system comprises PrimaLuna Evo300 integrated amp, Rega Planar 3, Lindemann Limetree Network II, Marantz CD6002 CD player, Nakamichi LX3 (circa 1983), and Klipsch Palladium P-37F floor standing horn mounted speakers. Overall I am very satisfied with the sound given the room dynamics. I recently added several IsoTek power cords (Initium on the Marantz and (importantly) a Premier on the amp)....WOW! mind-blown and what a difference - improved musicality, staging, depth, space, details, and so on. No looking at an iterative upgrade to further improved sound details, lower noise floor, improve stage, etc. So am considering an upgrade to the DAC/Streamer (currently Lindemann) and am looking at the Auralic Altair G1.1 and trying to stay within a budget of up to $AUD5000 (UKP2600, USD3400). Given my system (tube amp) my questions are:
1. am I better off with a discreet R2R ladder DAC OR a digital DAC??
2. merits of a combo DAC/streamer versus discreet components??
3. brands/models of DACs you feel would be best/better suited to my system.
Thanks in advance and will appreciate any insight you can offer.
Cheers Tony
Thank you Tony. I currently have the Altair G1.1 in for review. That review should help to address some of your questions 😊
Hello, apart from reviewing Chinese Made DAC's, you should try to listen to some others, made in europe. I sugest the french Total d1-core DAC (the first on the line), the danish Soekris dac2541 or the serbian Audial S5 DAC.
Thank you for the suggestion 😊
Wonderful review as always, thoughtful and detailed and balanced (very British :)) approach. Might I recommend you review the Sonnet Pasithea if you have not already. Cheers.
Thank you kindly. I appreciate the suggestion 😊👍
I like you to review the DACs based on the new AK4499EX chip:
- Gustard A26
- SMSL SMSL D400EX
- Topping E70 Velver
Thank you 😊
Hello! The Chord Dave dac would be interesting to review since it claims to be the best dac in the world ... I am a fan of the Chord company and personally think that the R&D department do a really good job and their products are very well engineered and designed and offer performance in some areas where simply other manufacturers just copy one another...
Thank you for the suggestion 🙂
Hello Tarun thanks again for another excellent review! I would love to see you review the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM DAC as well as the Schiit Yggdrasil. Oh and one more the Gustard A26.
Thank you. I appreciate the suggestions 👍
Hi Tarun, the DAC I would like you to review is the DAC in the Hegel 390.
Thank you Richard 😊
It will be interesting if you reviewed the Schumann Ladder DAC since price wise it’s pretty close to Gustard R26. Also the new Gustard A26 could be worth the review too. I hear it’s a little more transparent than the R26 but the A26 is not an R2R dac like the Schumann
Schumann sounds more like a r2r dac and R26 sounds like a akm dac. schumann gut much better bass. Real hard impact...midrange is thicker and got sparkle. but upper department goes off...against my smsl vmv d2 the schumann looses clearly in the resolution department....the r26 comes close...maybe 95%. The schumi got 85% of it.
Schumann is a little bit harsh...the recording quality is importand. But all good dacs are doing this thing.
all testet with gustard u18 ddc because every dac was improved with the ddc in clarity, dynamic and life compared to usb only.
The vmv d2 playes more elegant and refined...realy hi end sounding...no stress and fairly smooth for a delta sigma dac.
The schumann plays more natural, realistic and with thicker midrange...everything got more body to it.
The r26 is exactly in between...but it goes towards the delta sigma...but bass is the worst of all 3...thats a fact.
treble/ resolution /detail
1. VMV D2
2. R26
3. Schumann
Midrange / thickness and body or weight and also voices
1. Schumann
2. R26
3. VMV D2
Bass punch / deepness and control
1. Schumann
2. VMV D2
3. R26
Musicality / Real sounding Music with most flow
1.Schumann
2.R26
3. VMV D2
layering overall separation from the music performance
1. VMV D2
2. R26
3. Schumann
Over all 3 different sounding dacs...in some departments realy close to each other.
my system:
Accuphase Pre C2120 power cord is nordost Frey 2
Accuphase Amp is P4200 power cord is nordost Tyr 2
Speakers 804D2 Speaker cable nordost Frey 2 and nordost reference jumpers
Power comes from a PS Audio P5 power plant with a Tyr 2 power cable.
DAC nordost Frey 2 power cord
DDC Gustard U18 nordost Brahma power cord
Pre, Dac, and ddc are in the nordost distribution block qb 4.2 and this get power by a nordost Brahma power cord. also 2 qk1 are in the block.
Nordost Valhalla 1 xlr for dac - pre and a nordost Tyr 1 xlr for pre - amp.
Streamer is ifi zen streamer with the upgrade power supply and sticks in an nordost qx4 together with a nordost qv2.
streamer gets ethernet by nordost heimdall 2 ethernet cable and sends it via nordost heimdall 2 usb cable.
For ddc to schumann and r26 i used a nordost blue heaven hdmi or nordost
heimdall 2 aes. For the D2 i only uesd the aes cable because i²s changed the sound signsture of the dac.
room treatment is relay good as well as the set up. rice warm sounding and chill room.
@@heinzbecker691 thank you Heinz for this detailed clarification
@@mehmetcamat4458 one more thing to the schumann sound signature...there are lows, mids and treble...in between is not much...the D2 is everything of all, just more balanced over all. hard to discribe, it just more simple sounding than my d2 akm.
i would realy like to hear the A26...if its that much improved to my vmv d2 dac with a single akm 4499 chip with real good op amps instead of descrete components.
@@heinzbecker691 yes I am also curious about the A26 actually I am kind of planning to buy one
@@mehmetcamat4458 Me to...but first i wanna sell one of my two dacs...but i am not sure if should keep the d2 or the schumi...schumi is realy rich and warm sounding...but evwrytging else is not the same like the D2...thats tough one.
The schumann ia made by Musician Audio...they got the Draco, Pegasus and the Aquarius...but 3500€ is a big step from 1300-1500. But look at the inside...wow. comes close to denafrips. But for that amiubt of monay you can buy a Venus...hmmm.
After watching and reading many R26 reviews I'm still not convinced this will be my first R2R DAC. It would be nice to have the clarity together with the warmth and fullness ..maybe this is just not possible, the fact that I'm liking the timeless design of Denafrips 10 times more is not helping 🙂
Luckely I'm still enjoying my D70s and who knows what will pop up next..good review but a little shorter as usual 😉
Thank you. It is hard to get exemplary resolution and warmth 😊
You now have me interested. As I said in Bristol Hifi show, I'm looking for my happy ever after retirement system and this may be worth examining as my DAC. Thanks again again for your excellent reviews
I don’t think many will be disappointed with this one. Thanks again 😊👍
When you look inside a DAC like this, you can only marvel at the work that has gone into it.
It is impressively put together 😊
Splendid review once again Tarun! - also nice to see that you wait a bit with some of the - perhaps less relevant - features. Personally I think that it is probably a great DAC, but too many features are there that I would most certainly not use, and I am a minimalist.
A great DAC to review is the Musician Pegasus - I would really be interested to see where you place it; I have one - and I think that it aims for the people that like a good no nonsense NOS R2R DAC - but it 'secretly' aims for the people that have a musical taste for, well pop, rock and metal, so recordings/masterings that are often a bit compromised.
Thank you my friend. I would like to review the Pegasus 😊👍
I'm into a variety of music from acoustic to jazz to rock and some others as well. I find the R26 to be very well rounded and produces an excellent soundstage. A vast sonic landscape while maintaining resolution. I tried the D1se but for me, it just fell short. I agree the screen could have been designed better but other than that, I find no shortcomings. The fact that is has the ability to be a Roon device out of the box makes it an even better value.
Thank you for sharing your experiences 🙂
I auditioned it just a view hours...but my short conclusion is. its more like a delta sigma dac with a akm 4499 chip but also al little bit more towards a r2r dac sound signsture.
maybe this weekend i will test it again...lets see
Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 👍
Hmmmm….Tarun….being a enthusiastic follower of your channel, and knowing your tastes & experiences, this review gives me great, meaningful perspective about how this Gustard R26 fits into my DAC landscape (Pontus II, here). I did not hear you say it…but I am guessing that you are keeping your Venus II (?)….and since I have similar tastes as you my DAC upgrade path may include a Venus 12th Anniversary Edition! 😀 (I am looking for fuller midrange and musicality more than ultimate clarity).
Now…to totally fill out the "Attainable DAC Landscape", we thinks we need YOUR perspective on how the new Gustard A26 with dual AK4499EX chips (the new chip on the block) fits into all of this ! 👍🏼😅
Thank you Bob. I shall ask Shenzhen Audio if the will be willing to send me the A26 to review when my schedule clears. You are right the Venus II is going nowhere 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks so much for the feedback, Tarun! 👌🏼
Hi Tarun, thanks for guiding music enthusiasts with your insightful reviews! I started with the Chord Mojo's , moved to the Ares Enyo. Did like the analogueness of the Denafrips but did miss the clarity and resolution of the Chord dacs. The Ares seem to chew off a bit of the top-end too! I have the R26 in now , after considering your as well as other reviews and it does make up in detail, clarity and does not roll of the top-end as does the Denafrips Ares. I would expect the performance to improve considerably after burn in. I bought my R26 from The HiFiCat based in China. They take care of VAT, customs and is part of the advvertised cost. I bought mine for £ 1360.00 and was delivered in ten days. Looking forward to your further reviews. Thanks again!
Thank you Marshall. Great to learn about your experiences 👍
I do like your channel. I like the way you explain things. I like that you look inside the product. As you said, the Gustard layout is just draw droppingly neat. It may be time you took the scariest leap. If you want the channel to grow,...........think you know what I am going to say. Vinyl. Each year vinyl sales are on the increase and I am a vinyl lover. When you buy physical media, it's not just about the music. It's about the feel and touch. It's about the artwork on the sleeve. It's about the annoying part of cleaning and looking after the product and building a collection. Please give it some thought. 👍
Thank you Peter. That is something that I have discussed quite a with my Patreons. I have decided that I would like to rebuild my vinyl collection and get a turntable but it will have to wait until I can get into my dedicated room so that I can leave a turntable permanently setup 👍
Hello Tarun. Here's my request: Audio Note DAC 0.1x for the budget conscious, or the DAC 1.1x. I hear they very musical and hard to beat for the money. Since they are a UK company, it might be easier to get your hands on one of them. Thanks for the review, and the heads up. I've had my eye on the R-26, but I am looking for a more musical DAC. I am staying away from anything clinical. An easy on the ear dac is the name of the game as far as I'm concerned. Cheers!
Thank you Rega Man. I appreciate the suggestion and will reach out to Audio Note when my schedule clears. The R26 is on the clinical side 😊
Tarun, thanks for the review. The Mytek Liberty 2 gets my vote for future testing.
Thank you Richard 🙂
Another great review, Tarun. I will check out the R26. I'll even forgive you for the "sound quality" section, which flags up as "sound quantity" 😉
Thank you. I missed that typo 😂
Even though I think this is just another flavor of the month product the Chinese really are knocking the ball out of the park. They are so innovative and are going more high end. They have all bases covered now, from entry level to relatively high end with modern audio products. They are keeping interest in audio alive for future generations.
Yes, Chinese brands certainly seem to have cornered the DAC market below £5k 🙂
Still wouldn’t buy a Chinese made Hi-Fi component, no matter how good it sounded.
@@chewy560 🤣😂Stuck in the past.
@@itk2493 nothing to do with the quality of the Hi-Fi which I’m sure is very good. Everything to do with the fact that China politically is becoming increasingly hostile to countries is the pacific region, western values and democracies, and basic freedoms and human rights within China. In China “there's really no distinction between private companies and the state".
@@chewy560 Without getting political i'd trust the Chinese, the Russians, in fact anyone over the USA. They are no freedoms and rights anywhere. I bet you also wore yoru mask and stayed at home because the state you to do so🤣😂
That's a beautiful topology. Very nice. Great review . Happy valentines day 💓. Have a great day. 👍
Thank you Trey 👍
I'd like to see reviews of smsl su-10 and the vmv d2. Also, the a26 seems like a good alternative vs the r26 from gustard themselves and the lader schumann seems like a very good dac also.
Thank you José 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 oh and also the schiit bifrost 2/64. 😀
Hi Tarun. Thank you very much for the review, I was very curious to know your opinion about the R26.
I would like to see your Ares II 12th Anniversary and the Ladder Schumann reviews.
Thank you Paulo. The Ares 12th is here running in 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 👍😀
I almost forgot: there’s a DAC company: 432evo that creates DAC and it’s tuned to 432HZ=A . Very interesting. Melody Gardot’s Currency of Man was recorded tuning the A music note at 432 Hz. It might be interesting to see a review on this one as well 😊
Thank you Hamid. I shall check it out 👍
I am looking forward to Gustard A26 review and also their U18 DDC. Thank you for an excellent review.
Thank you 😊
Hi Tarun,
I agree with your assessment of the R26. I've had it in my system for about 4 months now and want to share an observation with you.
I heard from others on various forms about a tweak that improves the sound of a lot of units. It seems that the factory over-tightens the screws on the chassis and this enhances vibrations of the circuit board. Try loosening the screws on the bottom and back a half a turn or so. For myself and others, this increased the detail and tone to surprising levels.
Happy Listning,
xpsvwino
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
Ты че несёшь 😂
Thanks for your informed reviews. I would like to see a review of ifi and Cambridge Audio DACs.
Thank you 😊
Stellar review. Concise presentation. Cool, calm and very informative. I have what I consider a modest but solid system. This thing blew my mind. Walked into my partner's office, smiled gleefully and nodded yes. The search is over...at least for now. Thank you.
That is great 👍
It's really great to hear some down to earth opinions, too much flattery going on on UA-cam...
Thank you for watching 😊
Not much into DACs but it will be interesting to learn more about the two new Cambridge Audio DACs that were introduced recently. Granted they are for a more entry level audiophile but still, how it would compare to others at a similar price may be beneficial.
Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion Scott👍
Please review the Audio GD R27HE
Thank you 😊
You asked for future DAC review suggestions … how about the Mola Mola Tambaqui. Also, I remember in your 2023 “preview” video, you mentioned the Innuos Pulse streamer, if that comes about, I’m very interested in hearing what you think about it in comparison with your Aries G1.1
Thank you. I plan to work my way up to the Tambaqui. I am hoping the Pulse will be coming soon 👍
Hmmm well spent my DAC budget on a Aeris 12th this desember.
In the end of day i am going to continue being proud of it, was not an easy grind at work to get to the point of justifying the cost to myself.
Also considering the price gap i have more room for other upgrades with the 12th
Small Room Audio actually preferred the 12th over the R26.
The Ares II remains my favourite DAC for the money to this day. The 12th Ann version is currently running in in my second system. If it has improved on the Ares II then I think you have spent wisely. Enjoy your DAC 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 What other components do you use with it? 2510 and…… ?
@@doifeellucky yes, the 2510 and a good pair of speakers 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I do, paired with middle priced Croft Acoustics separates thanks to your video and with Ian. Speakers are Funktion One F81
Speaking of, when are you going to become the fist person on the internet to speak about my speakers? No one touch any Funktion One compact line reviews and tbh the company don't care about marketing much.
But out of all the youtubers out there, you are the one that makes the most sense to try and get some.
Thanks for the great review which I think added differentiated perspectives on fit and match with music genres and other pieces of equipment such as amps and speakers. I went from “nothing” to an RME ADI-2 when embarking on headphone track. I later got the Gustard R26. With the RME I prefer my Denon AH9200 headphones Liston sing to pop and country but with the Gustard and external (cheap) headphone amp I much prefer my Sennheiser HD820 for jazz and classical music.
I would recommend reviewing Gustard A26 which I’m considering in another rig.
Thank you Carl 👍
Hi Tarun, thank you very much for this great review! It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the Merason Frerot DAC and the Graham Slee Majestic DAC.
Thank you Vicente 👍
Hi Tarun, I really think it is now time to bring the Chord Qutest (back) on te table for comparison. With good powersupply (like Farad Super3 for example). In the high end setups you now have at home, I think you will be surprised what it’s capable of (clarity, but also 3D soundstage…)
I would lie to do that of Chord would send me one 😊
Thanks Tarun for your as usual considered and balanced review. I have an R26 which is my first R2R DAC, prior to which I had only had Delta Sigma DACs. So great to get your perspective from having listened to many DACs, as to where the R26 sits on the spectrum of DS to R2R.
Do you mind me asking what DDC and/or R26 internal streaming protocol(s) (eg. Roon or UPnP) you used with the R26, as anecdotally at least over on HeadFi the latter do not all perform equally well. A limitation of its modest streamer hardware and firmware implementation perhaps.
For what it is worth I have found very satisfying improvements to the palpability of the R26's vocals and its soundstage depth and width when using its internal HQ Player NAA renderer/streamer by adding an external clock (the LHY OCK-1) and a high quality switch (LHY SW-8). I speculate that part of this may be due to the external clock likely improving the temporal precision of both the R26's DAC and streamer sections.
I've had further improvements still from adding a second switch upstream and little grounding boxes throughout the front-end digital and network chain - less glare, a blacker backgound and a more calm and organic presentation. Many other users have found similar benefits from using fibre media convertors to add galvanic isolation before feeding ethernet to the R26. I have no idea whether the R26 is more sensitive than your average DAC/streamer to improvements to the upstream digital chain, but very sensitive it certainly is.
Although I doubt my R26 would now be mistaken for a Denafrips I feel it has taken a step or two in that direction in terms of tonal weight and presentation if not outright warmth per se. To be fair I imagine the Denafrips DACs and/or external network streamers would also benefit from similar tweaks, though this might manifest a little differently.
Just my 10p from my experience in case it aids others.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you Jacob. I didn't use the internal streaming module in the R26. I prefer to stream from my Auralic Aries Mini.
It has been reported that the internal streamer is comparable to the Bluesound Node in sound quality but not in the UI.
I ran the signal through my Denafrips Iris DDC and the IIS into the R26. This was noticeably better than direct via USB, optical or coax 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the clarification Tarun. I too found the R26’s I2S input, in my case from a Gustard U18 or Singxer SU6 DDC fed USB via an Ifi Zen Stream, better than direct via USB, optical or coax.
However I find the internal streamer to sound better still in my setup (R26 externally clocked, HQ Player via R26 NAA renderer, LHY Audiophile switch etc). It really is surprisingly good - very, very good indeed. I don’t doubt the internal streamer can be bettered via an I2S source by using even higher end USB & I2S cables and/or external network streamer - but my experience and that of folk who have clearly bettered it via I2S tells me that wouldn’t be a cheap exercise.
Thanks Tarun. More entries in the DAC rodeo. I guess my Pontus II is in no danger of vacating the premmises
My Pontus 2 got kicked to the curb quickly when the R26 showed up.
@@cameronrector178 As you please. I have tried to avoid joining the DAC of the month club.
@@fletchermunson6225Yes! I’m happy to be off that train now too!
Thanks Jim. Good to know that your Pontus II is safe. The R26 has better resolution but can’t match the tonal richness of the Pontus II 😊
I’d be interested in seeing you review a coupe of the Schiit multibit DAC’s, the Bifrost 2/64 and Yggy OG would be good. I own the Bifrost 2 and think it’s a great unit and a cut above the generic d/s chip dacs out there, considering the 2/64 upgrade for it - so would be keen to see your thoughts on how close it is to the Yggy, or perhaps an R2R instead.
Thank you. Tricky to get hold of here but I will try 😊
Been curious about this for a little while now. Seems to be generally well received, and comes in at a fair price with ton of features. I think your comparison to the Denafrips DACs gave me a sense of what to expect from the R26.
As for future reviews, would like your take on an Audio-GD DAC.
Thank you Min 😊
sp3000 is less technical but more pleasing and need no tweak/upgrade at all, its real buy plug play enjoy
sony is abt same quality as sp3000 but magically works very well with um ciems
or slightly better i guess
Please review Gustard A26 if possible. It has received great praise.
Thank you. I shall request it when my schedule clears 😊
Certainly sounds worth a listen! Sound aside, numbers and code are a horrible way of naming products, and secondly, this DAC looks much better inside than
out (really enjoy 'under the bonnet'). I do wonder if in future DACs could be more upgradeable (software and/or hardware) - rather than chasing technology with
another expensive box. Thanks for the review, good to hear your voice back on song!
Thank you. Definitely over the worst 👍
thank for another insightful review,as always. it would be great to hear your thought on earmen tradutto dac from serbia
Thank you 😊
Thanks for the balanced review of a hyped product! I'd love to hear your verdict on the Ares 12th; is there a valid reason for it in the Denefrips range?
In case you haven't seen it. ua-cam.com/video/bKXm8m62BmM/v-deo.html
I personally really like the Ares II.
Thank you Peter. The Ares 12th is currently here running in 😊
Nice Review Tarun. You’ve moved me towards the Venus II. I think it’ll warm up my very resolving ATC 19 actives. However the Gustard sounds cracking for the price.
Thank you Ajay 😊
Interesting video, enjoyed greatly. The amount of dacs available is a minefield for me. Names that I have never heard of, obviously specialists in their particular field.
I would love to see a video of what dac(s) could be recommended as an upgrade in an 'everyday' sort of system. I don't consider myself an audiophile by any standards but I do consider myself a music lover and have always had a 'reasonable' sort of hifi system. Currently using an audiolab 6000a in a Home Theatre 7.1 system with a denon x3700h and a emotiva a2 power amp, my source being a xonar essence stx in my media centre pc.
Thank you. I would like to review some more accessible DACs as well 😊
Can you review and compare this dac with new HoloAudio Cyan 2? It is also R2R dac, very interesting bare bone DAC only.
Thanks Tarun. I hope you will also review the A26.
I hope to 😊
Great review. Any chance to review Gustard A26 Dac?
Thank you. I shall request it when my schedule clears 👍
First of all thank you for this well balanced review. I have only one question: why, why did they not make this a ‘pure’ dac? No gimmicks, just the connections and the digital conversion to analogue. Now you are getting a converter with an addition, the streamer that, in my opinion, is more of a marketing solution.
Thank you. Some people want a complete digital front end solution for a desktop of where space is a premium 😊
I take it your opinion is not based on first hand experience? The performance of the internal streamer is one of the best things ahout this DAC in my experience owning the DAC.
The R26 internal streamer fed via its HQ Player NAA has comfortably bested my Zen Stream (w IFI power X) and Gustard U18 combo with good USB and I2S cables. R26 internal streamer has more layered and natural sound with a more expansive soundstage. The quality of the streamer takes a big jump when a quality switch or FMCs are used. Many Headfi users have found this.
To be fair some users do prefer using other inputs but they are a minority who tend to have either higher end streamers like say the Ifi Neo Stream or high end USB sources like a JCAT XE USB card with SOTM motherboard + a U18. I.e. it is an expensive exercise to improve on the R26 internal streamer when fed Roon or HQP.
@@Wharariki thank you for your reaction. For me it is exactly the fact of being able to choose, in this case, the streamer. I love it that I can combine my pre-amp from company x with the power amp from company b with the speakers of combine z etc, etc, etc. That is my point and reading all the reviews you see that that is being done. I mean are you buying everything from one company being an audiophile?
@@SuperGuper01 I too like the freedom to optimise each step in the chain, pre/power etc. The choice with the R26 to use an external or its internal streamer remains yours and mine. My point was the high value embodied in the R26's streamer that I and many other users wrongly assumed would be just an afterthought for a DAC that already represents remarkable performance at its pricepoint.
Heard about this brand a few years ago and all positive!! Stick a different badge on it and It could easily be a 5k dac! And its a streamer to!! What's not to like!!?? ;)
It is a very good DAC for the money 😊