Gustard R26 new R2R DAC

[EMINENT]

My bad, I forgot the last time I updated it didn't recognize so I had to try another usb c and it worked. If the R26 is off and you connect, a pop up should come up and ask you if you want to format. I clicked no/cancel, went to the installer and selected the generic storage device drive and clicked write. 

 

 

[botrytis]

This USB C cable works fine. The Gustard may be updated already.

[EMINENT]

On 8/29/2022 at 6:22 PM, botrytis said:

Well  if you use balanced cables, you have to set inverted to on, or you will be using the old US version of balanced connection. So he was wrong on that.

 

On 8/29/2022 at 6:45 PM, botrytis said:

He said you don't need to use  phase inversion but based on the manual, that is inversion for the pins, so if you want to use balanced, at least with mine, you better have it on, it is on pg 7 of the manual. He is thinking sound, not pins. Otherwise, it is very nice review. REALLY.

R26_manual_V1.27513.pdf 1.25 MB · 11 downloads

I am still not understanding this. I am using balanced cables and in the US. What is this all about? 

 

Btw, did you get these files downloaded? Did you turn it off completely from the back?

[bodiebill]

I am considering the R26, but hesitate due to a recent experience:

 

I just returned an SMSL VMV D2 DAC because I could not get it to play DSD over I2S from an Audio-gd DI-20HE (DDC), nor directly from an SD transport (SDTrans384). PCM does work well in exactly the same setup. Also DSD over USB works. Some other DACs I tried (Terminator, Pegasus, Holo Audio Spring 3) however all played DSD well over I2S.

 

I studied the pin layouts and they look fine -- which is confirmed by the fact that PCM plays well. One thing was different though: the D2 has a DSD flag either on pin 14 or 15. This flag (sometimes also called Mode) is missing on the DI-20HE. Now I was told (by Kingwa of Audio-gd) that since 2016 most DACs do not need this signal as they automatically detect whether the input is PCM or DSD. The D2 however keeps showing 44, 88 or 176 when I send it DSD64, 128 or 256, and there is just static noise from one speaker.

 

I am a little cautious as the R26 (assuming that it has the same layout as the X26) also has a Mode pin:

 

 

It is pretty hard to find good guidance for this on the web, so any advice will be appreciated.

[rafa]

3 hours ago, bodiebill said:

I am a little cautious as the R26 (assuming that it has the same layout as the X26) also has a Mode pin:

I think it is safely assume, as was no reason that Gustard didn't change I2S pinout comparing to them older audio stuff available on market.

[bodiebill]

16 minutes ago, rafa said:

I think it is safely assume, as was no reason that Gustard didn't change I2S pinout comparing to them older audio stuff available on market.

 

Thanks. So you are saying it is safe to assume that X26 and R26 have the same pin layouts?

The question then remains whether they can recognize and play DSD over I2S coming from a DI-20HE...

[bodiebill]

I have asked Gustard.

[rafa]

Well, problem is in Audio-GD – DI20HE. While there is no I2S global standard DDC's (like Singxer or Gustard does) should have pinout configurable. 

[Dandou]

11 hours ago, bodiebill said:

I have asked Gustard.

Hello @bodiebill , 

 

I connect my DI-20HE to Pegasus with a GUSTARD I2S cable without issues. 

I don't know if the compatibility of their cable with the DI-20HE would indicate a compatibility of their DAC. 

[rafa]

7 minutes ago, Dandou said:

ompatibility of their cable

Those cables are just standard hdmi cables

[bodiebill]

15 minutes ago, Dandou said:

Hello @bodiebill , 

 

I connect my DI-20HE to Pegasus with a GUSTARD I2S cable without issues. 

I don't know if the compatibility of their cable with the DI-20HE would indicate a compatibility of their DAC. 

 

Thanks, I also tried that yesterday with my Pegasus (almost sold), and here it also worked fine. I do not think the cable makes a difference, especially as the 2 cables I tried with the D2 both worked with PCM over I2S but not with DSD over I2S. With Pegasus everything worked.

 

Actually on the HeadFi forum somebody recommended:

"If you can force a DSD Flag pin to a level high, it will tell a DAC to interpret a datastream as DSD. Level 'high' is achieved by connecting a pin to the 5V power source by a resistor. It require DIY skills and may invalidate warranty."

Not that I will try that any time soon (famous last words).

[Dandou]

16 minutes ago, rafa said:

Those cables are just standard hdmi cables

Their cable is an I2S cable, though it can be used for an HDMI connection. 

It's the only I2S cable that my supplier (Audiophonics) has in its catalog, all the other are HDMI cables. 

[davide256]

15 minutes ago, Dandou said:

Their cable is an I2S cable, though it can be used for an HDMI connection. 

It's the only I2S cable that my supplier (Audiophonics) has in its catalog, all the other are HDMI cables. 

There is no standard pin out agreement for i2s. Best to refer to @gmgravesarticle on a device to remap pin out as needed

[Dandou]

13 minutes ago, davide256 said:

There is no standard pin out agreement for i2s.

You are right. 

I don't know why my contact in Audiophonics said that it's their only specifically I2S cable. 

[bodiebill]

11 minutes ago, davide256 said:

There is no standard pin out agreement for i2s. Best to refer to @gmgravesarticle on a device to remap pin out as needed

 

Link please?

 

Although my issue will not be solved by remapping as it is about the source device not sending a specific signal on any pin that the DAC is expecting on pin 14 or 15.

[rafa]

1 hour ago, Dandou said:

You are right. 

I don't know why my contact in Audiophonics said that it's their only specifically I2S cable. 

Because if they remove connections typical for video signal cable is no longer good for TV and then we could say it is "dedicated" for I2S.

Standard hdmi cable has 19 pins (connections) while I2S only needs few of them.

[Dandou]

You are right again. 

Even in their catalog, this cable was the only one specified as "I2S". 

A good cable, BTW. Now it is discontinued. 

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/cable-hdmi-hdmi-20/gustard-line-02-cable-hdmi-20-i2s-ofc-copper-gold-plated-15m-p-15667.html

 

No other HDMI cable in their catalog is specified as "I2S". 

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/cable-hdmi-hdmi-20-c-6266.html?orderby=price&orderway=desc&orderway=desc

 

 

 

 

[davide256]

19 hours ago, bodiebill said:

 

Link please?

 

Although my issue will not be solved by remapping as it is about the source device not sending a specific signal on any pin that the DAC is expecting on pin 14 or 15.

 

 

[bodiebill]

On 9/2/2022 at 9:36 AM, bodiebill said:

I have asked Gustard.

 

... and this is their answer:

"For R26, when DSD is played back from IIS port, a flag must be given at pin 15. Otherwise, the screen will always display PCM and cannot give the correct sample rate display."

 

Although they are only talking about 'screen' and 'display', I assume that -- as in the case of the SMSL VMV D2 -- neither will proper playback work in that case.

I will ask them about the possibility of an auto-detect option (like many other DACs have) via future firmware.

 

Now I will be shopping for an Audio-gd DAC with 10 MHz clock input. I am considering the R8HE MK2.

[bodiebill]

On 9/4/2022 at 8:59 AM, bodiebill said:

... and this is their answer:

"For R26, when DSD is played back from IIS port, a flag must be given at pin 15. Otherwise, the screen will always display PCM and cannot give the correct sample rate display."

 

Although they are only talking about 'screen' and 'display', I assume that -- as in the case of the SMSL VMV D2 -- neither will proper playback work in that case.

I will ask them about the possibility of an auto-detect option (like many other DACs have) via future firmware.

 

Now I will be shopping for an Audio-gd DAC with 10 MHz clock input. I am considering the R8HE MK2.

 

Just got confirmation ftom SMSL that neither an SMSL VMV D2 will play DSD via I2S from an Audio-gd DI-20HE (as I already found out): "Confirmed with engineer, it is not suitable with D2. And we suggest you use with USB input."

[davide256]

6 hours ago, bodiebill said:

 

Just got confirmation ftom SMSL that neither an SMSL VMV D2 will play DSD via I2S from an Audio-gd DI-20HE (as I already found out): "Confirmed with engineer, it is not suitable with D2. And we suggest you use with USB input."

Sounds like the wrong decision if you are prioritizing "native DSD over I2S" over "native SQ".  Does DSD over DOP not work with I2S?

[bodiebill]

6 minutes ago, davide256 said:

Sounds like the wrong decision if you are prioritizing "native DSD over I2S" over "native SQ".  Does DSD over DOP not work with I2S?

 

I am not. Native SQ is number one. However in my last few setups this is what sounded best to me. Maybe not in my next setup ☺️

 

DoP did not work either.

[joeling]

I bought the R26 primarily for ROON streaming but I have an issue with drop outs every once in a while. Very irritating. Is there any way to fix this ? Is there a way to figure out what firmware version is currently installed ? Maybe my unit does not have the latest. Thanks.

 

I installed the 5.4.5 version USB driver downloaded online for my CAS running WIN 10+ and it works now. The drivers that came with with the unit did not work out.

[botrytis]

Do not know. I know that 1.21 is the last one.

[botrytis]

Version 1.3 update is out and 5.5 USB drivers - listed in the gustard.cn website.