Attenuator – Three positions: Auto (default), Off, or On. In the default position, the A26 will enable its analog volume control if the volume is lower than -24dB, which should not lower its dynamic range. The OFF position disables the analog and digital attenuators outputting a fixed voltage, and the On position enables its volume control. Leave it at Auto if you are using it as a DAC and preamp combo, or disable it when used as a DAC-only unit. In the first room you can spot two encapsulated 50W linear transformers, which are on the heavier side. You can certainly feel their weight on that part of the case. One transformer is powering the analog section and the second one the digital section, which is an amazing design decision, something I already saw on X26 PRO and R26. For the A26, the left-to-right width is almost boundless. Only when piecing it together with the depth, it can be perceived that the front imaging is inching just a few steps closer.

The most important thing to know is that they sound more alike than different and I needed more than two hours to find all the smallest differences and nuances and this thought alone makes the X26 PRO an absolute steal. Just like what I said in the beginning, choosing between this and the R26 can be a daunting assignment if you have no clear preference for DAC architecture. I wasn’t able to compare the two directly in this review but it is clear that this version is capable of going head-to-head with some higher-priced gear. Gustard A26 Technical Specifications LPF is specifically designed for the AK4499EX using discrete devices. The final parameters of the circuit are adjusted with subjective listening. Different from ICs, discrete circuits provide the possibility to control every detail in sound and performance. But the parasitic effects introduced huge challenges to the development experience and the device's quality. It seems that as DAC only unit X26 PRO won several rounds, Element X won a few less, but most of them felt like a draw. As an outro for this comparison, I just found an upgrade path for Gustard A22 owners, for Topping D90 MQA, Aune S8, Soncoz SGD1, for all Matrix owners (except for Element X that is more or less the same), for Benchmark DAC3, Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ and SMSL M400 owners. X26 PRO performed like a true high-end DAC, brawling with the best there is, with a mid-fi price tag attached to it.

Enjoy your new dac and give us some impressions please. The A 26 should work well with my Elac bs 403 jet 5 tweeter. The stage allows the rich bass to not divide attention in a busy mix. What is more, with meticulous layering and dynamics to generate a realistic hall, it is easy to get deep into the finer details of the song without the A26 suggesting any snags. This will be a short chapter as it’s a very simple one. If you want to squeeze maximum performance out of it, then you will need to use its internal streamer via Ethernet. I used it via Roon, as I didn’t need to install additional third-party apps, I didn’t need to configure anything in particular and this is what I used the most while writing this article. It works with UPnP protocols, with HQ Player NAA and I’m told that additional protocols will be added in the future.

A26 is the flagship DAC coming from Gustard, and it’s a mighty good one too. Up until recently, I wasn’t a big fan of Gustard DACs, but their latest R26 definitely changed that in a big way. It was the first R2R DAC entry from Gustard and it was nothing short of stunning. Gustard A26 comes as a part of the same high-level tier but uses the flagship Asahi Kasei DAC chip instead of the R2R ladder. What does this mean for the sound and which one should catch your attention? Keep reading. Build and Connectivity What was quite amazing is that several amplifiers that aren’t known to be impressive when it comes to bass delivery and speed, X26 PRO awoke them from their deep sleep, giving a huge helping hand and the same can be said about mellow sounding headphones and loudspeakers. The best of Gustard with its overkill capacitance would infuse more positive vibes, more uplifting beats, that would cure even slow and boring setups. If you really need more slam, more body and a faster pace…I think I found a cure for the boringness of your setup. whereas ranging from -01 dB.....-10 dB......-20 dB is increasingly louder? If so, why isn't more dB's louder, as I would 'intuitively' think it would be? The glass strip decorating the front of the A26 now has a central OLED display. It looks better put together than the slightly right-biased display on the R26. Gustard also upgraded the UI by decongesting the settings menu for a less busy look. DSD Filter: has 4 positions, 47K, 50K, 60K and 70K. You are selecting the cut-off frequency for DSD files. If you want a crispier sound, go for 70K and if you like a smoother top-end, go with 47K. I felt it at 47K – its default positionThe Qutest is not completely designed from scratch though. Based on the original Hugo2 DAC/Amp the Qutest system is now a few years older than the A26 which uses the latest chips from AKM. In the end, A26 covered the frequency response in full, adding more energy in the bass and midrange while marginally lowering it in the treble.