All SDM native chip DACs such as AKM like the Gustard A26 and ESS DACs sound better with outboard conversion of PCM files to DSD. The PCM native R2R Gustard R26 on the other hand is way better with PCM705-768 and sounds broken in comparison when playing DSD.

Is running the Cyan with DAC correction highly demanding of processing power? I had tried the DAC correction pipeline with my Gustard A26 but it was very demanding of CPU, GPU, and using 96% of the 16GB RAM in my new gaming laptop that I bought just for this. With the cooling fan blaring. Even...

Holo Cyan https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hqplayer-impressions-and-settings-rolling-thread.968141/page-96#post-18154041

This youtuber thinks an external clock makes a huge difference with the R26 and found one for $100. I didn't try it yet.

I was encouraged by other expert users to try bit settings closer to the actual measured signal to noise capabilities of the Gustard R26. People were telling me that the operating theory of HQ Player, and measurements of the R26, predicted optimal settings as low as 16 bit. I find with listening...

My playback chain is laptop harddrive 44, 48, and 192 WAV files> i7 13th, nVidia 4060, 16GB DDR5 B(ut laptop cooling is obviously inferior to a liquid cooled tower)> HQ Player upsampled to 32/ 768 or DSD256> LAN RJ45 CAT6 (or USB via Supra Excalibur)> TP Link router> LAN CAT6 into the Gustards...

My playback chain is laptop harddrive 44, 48, and 192 WAV files> i7 13th, nVidia 4060, 16GB DDR5 B(ut laptop cooling is obviously inferior to a liquid cooled tower)> HQ Player upsampled to 32/ 768 or DSD256> LAN RJ45 CAT6 (or USB via Supra Excalibur)> TP Link router> LAN CAT6 into the Gustards...

All of my other DACs will be for sale. I can't believe I hear people talking about the R26 as being "polite" "soft" or "comfortable R2R" sounding. That thing slams with HQ Player upsampling PCM WAV files to 32/ 768. It is overall much better than my A26 can do on the best DSD direct settings...

I made various power consumption measurements right at the plug of my laptop with a KillAWatt meter. My laptop just coasting along with a browser open is cruising at 17 Watts, 1% CPU, 37% RAM. Briefly spiking to 37W when launching a new tab. HQ Player streaming Qobuz via HQP Client to DSD256/...

I am actually pretty happy with the sonics of the Gustard A26 via HQ Player conversion and direct DSD at 256 now that I have the LAN connection working. Even on the mid level HQP settings since my gaming laptop is running out of cooling to play well on the more demanding Sinc-m filters with 512+...

I am now in agreement that the Gustard A26 (and VMV D2R and probably all Delta-Sigma DACs) sounds better when converting my PCM files to at least DSD 256. Are there any types of DACs that sound their best when getting an HQ Player upsampled PCM signal instead? R2R DACs?

I went back to USB into the Gustard A26 to try the HQPlayer DAC specific correction pipeline again (which isn't available to select when connected by LAN), and find that the LAN sounds much better than the USB through what has proven with several other DACs, my best sounding USB cable. Supra...

Pure Silver 16 cores headphone cable from ebay are very transparent compared to the sliver plated 8 cores version from the same seller or the Youkamoo from Amazon. https://www.ebay.com/itm/115714280141?var=415976211065

Here is a good objective measurement comparison of USB cables which proves that they do color the signal.

My firmware shows as A115_131_247