R2R DAC FIGHT! - Denafrips Ares12th VS Gustard R26 - Who's gonna win?

#Denafrips #hifi #Gustard
Two excellent R2R DACS...Only one can reign victorious...ok...well maybe they both can...that said, hand on heart, I'd pick the Denafrips!
Tested with:
Luxman 595
Dynaudio Heritage Special
Wiim Pro
Atlas Superior Power Cables
Audioquest K2 Speaker Cables
High Fidelity RCA Interconnects
Zavfino Fusion MkII XLR Interconnects

[@SmallRoomAudio]

A couple of additional points for you: 1. Humming...The R26 did hum to begin with, which was blooming annoying! (And no, I don't have a ground loop!) I reached out to Gustard to ask them if the unit was faulty and they said to update the firmware...which I did (awful update client btw and not at all intuitive in my opinion - you can tell they aren't a software company!) Anyway, post firmware update and the Hum is almost gone! Bonkers! It's noisier than the Denafrips, but not audible from 4 feet away, so now a non-issue for me. 2. Uneven feet. You may have seen me complain in my KZbin short about the R26 having uneven feet, making the unit unstable. It doesn't have uneven feet, BUT having a heavy duty power chord in the back causes it to sit on three feet rather than four. Not a biggie to be honest, but worth mentioning.

[@michaelmityok1001]

Zero humming from my unit, and my heavy power cord does not unbalance my R26 partly because I have a damper plate on top of it, all sensitive source components like streamers clocks and DACs should have damper plates on them. Funny you didn't mention this power cord problem with respect to the Aries which is substantially lighter than the R26. Btw I have the Heritage Specials as well, amazing speakers that continue to surprise me!

[@SmallRoomAudio]

@@michaelmityok1001 I didn’t experience the power cord issue on the Denafrips, I think the positioning or height of the feet stop it from happening. Glad you are enjoying the R26, and absolutely agree about the heritage specials, great speakers - enjoy the music 😊

[@SmallRoomAudio]

@P T I love that song!

[@manodirivera6703]

@@michaelmityok1001 Zero humming or any issues on my r26 as well.

[@r423sdex]

If a £200 dac is beyond human hearing, is a £2000 dac even more beyond human hearing ?.

[@michaelmityok1001]

The R26 in my system beat my Terminator II - the Termi has been sold on. The only DAC I own currently that I prefer over the R26 is a Lampizator Baltic 4 that cost me $6K - and I only SLIGHTLY prefer it for timbral authenticity and resolution. FYI, my system is $60K, so differences between swapped components are instantly apparent. The R26 is the first component I've owned in this crazy $ hobby that truly deserves the "giant kilker" label. Pretty soon no one will need to spend big $ to get killer sonics, we truly are at the dawn of the golden age of hifi.

[@shawnpwatsons1]

Wonderful! Thank you.

[@MrBonger88]

Michael, what amp(s) , pre and speakers are you using ? Thanks

[@michaelmityok1001]

@@MrBonger88 amp is Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated, Lumin P1 streamer, B&W 805 D4 speakers, Transparent Super cabling, Puritan PSM156 power conditioner, lol I spent $4K on my ethernet/fiber streaming kit that feeds my Lampizator, people don't realize to get good sound from digital requires OCD-level of making sure the whole chain has been optimized.

[@MrBonger88]

@@michaelmityok1001 so true. I recently purchased a Jays Audio ethernet switch ( I forget the actual name) and upgraded the LPSU on my JCat usb XE card to a Farad 5v. Both solid improvements. I have an AfterDark fibre kit waiting to be auditioned once the switch and lpsu are broken in. The fibre kit has the Finisar converters that supposedly sound better than others. We shall see. Every little thing matters

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

The future of value based hifi is us using dsp corrected active room correcting setups that have no other boxes whatsoever. I now own a system composed of genelec SAM network. The GLM software allows me to make it sound like practically any sound signiture you could possibly think of. When we get presets to add order attenuated harmonic distortion through a dsp filter, the need for any "system matching" will be dead. The speakers will literally do everything from begining to end on a infinitely customisable dsp encoder. The only thing im missing from such a system is the presentation of horn loaded, planar, electrostatic, omnidirectional, open baffle and so on. I hope for the day were speaker design is the only thing we choose. No separate amp, dac, streamer, cables, fully programmable with every individual driver having its own amplifier dsp network that communicates with each other driver like what genelec uses. Dsp networks simply don't have the artifacts they did 10 years ago any more, and its only getting more advanced

[@veniceog]

I had the R26 from November to January, and the Ares II since mid 2019. The R26 was impressive at first, but its inadequacy was too glaring. As you say. the frequency response seemed hollowed out. It will dig real deep, but would miss a lot in the mid bass. Lean but can make the ground tremble. It was weird. The imaging and holography were off the charts, but that isnt why I listen to music in the first place. Its nice to have but I want a full sound first. Got rid of the R26, and bought a Denafrips Venus II. Quite happy with it. The Gustard R26 is like a beauty queen date that is a hairdresser by day. A great novelty, and nice to show off. Has some quirks. The Venus is the pretty girl in college thats on the track team. Great bod, good convo, and chill to live with :) Blusound Node 2i, Denafrips Venus II, Allnic L3000 preamp, Kinki EX-M7 amp, Devore Fidelity Gibbon X speakers.

[@christophergaus3996]

Nice, very helpful 😀

[@Maver1ck911]

What sample rate and inputs? Nos or OS

[@dancorlateanu2214]

that's not a fair comparison, though, Venus II is twice the price, it's somewhat natural that it performs better. as a side note, the RCA output sounds way better than XLR on Gustard R26, via XLR I observed the same hollowed out effect.

[@asheshchand3616]

​@@dancorlateanu2214I was wondering about RCA output performance of both R26 vs Ares, 'cause my Amp can take only RCA. Would you like to elaborate how it worked for your system?

[@dancorlateanu2214]

@@asheshchand3616 in my system RCA sounded much more natural with great midrange, while XLR had slightly better bass extension at the cost of terrible midrange performance. both cables pure silver

[@cameronrector178]

Interesting review. I feel you missed the best parts of these two DACs. The I2S input of the Ares 12th and using the LAN input to stream Roon on the R26. I sold my Pontus 2 and didn’t buy the Venus 2 I was demoing when I tried the R26. The airiness and weight of the music that the R26 had was unbelievable. I will say that it was very very close to the Venus 2 SQ wise, but is $1500 cheaper and has a rock solid built in streamer/renderer. To upgrade from the R26 you are starting at $5000.

[@marks.2909]

Sure ,..

[@slidetek]

100%. 2 years ago I fully expected there'd be a good chance with technology moving as fast as it has, I'd be replacing it. I did manage to get a Venus in my home to demo on my system, and was really impressed. My post divorce new build had a Topping D90, which is pretty good for the $. However, everyone was raving about the Holo May. I was getting ready to jump that way until I chatted with a chap who sold his for the R26. He said it wasn't better, but in A/B comparisons felt the differences were near negligible. He could then invest elsewhere. I decided for $1600ish it was well worth the gamble. at first, I was not impressed. The break in is longer than one would expect. I also don't need the streaming or preamp offered on the Gustard, but it's a huge bang for buck for those that could use it. But after a few weeks it really settled in and after a coule hundred hours was to my ear superior to the Venus in every way. Most complaints regarding the R26 are not there for me. My system is Focal Kanta No2's, BAT VK 3ix, BAT VK 200 and Aurender N100 streamer for digital front end. It's quite revealing and a bit of analog softness is appreciated. The build quality is amazing for the price, and wants for nothing sitting next to the Aurender. Totally convinced 2 years later I'd STILL need to spend 2-3X more to begin to compete.

[@MegaRockyk]

Great work thanks, I bought the denafrips ares 12th about 3 months ago and I'm very happy with it 😀

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Awesome - enjoy the music! 😊 👍

[@dajikbatarang1]

Great review! I did a head on comparison with the R26 against the Pontus 2. I preferred the R26 for almost everything except vocal texture. The Denafrips did a better job with that. In terms of soundstage, imaging, clarity detail and dynamics I preferred the R26. It goes to show how system dependant these comparisons are. The one thing I do agree with you on is the bass on the R26, my old chip DAC had more impactful bass than the R26. I did find the bass in the R26 to get significantly better after 200 hours.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you 😊

[@r423sdex]

Did you do the comparison blind and level matched ?

[@HailKingCeezer]

I feel like Denafrips is the better fit for Horn drivers/speakers set in NOS mode

[@varislew584]

Did you compare Denafrips with new firmware?

[@b00m3rh4nd_sol]

I love both of these DACS, but the R26 connected to an OCK-2 10Mhz master clock blows me away in NOS mode

[@BMW_108_M]

how easy is it to connect such a clock ? I have a R26 on the way and was wondering if i would go down the clock route as well

[@b00m3rh4nd_sol]

Check out LHY Audio and their OCK clocks@@BMW_108_M

[@MOWFWDU]

Thank you so much for this review! I just love the way you keep your perspective when you review components, extremely valuable when spending $$$.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you 🙏 😃

[@carlosalvarez7445]

This review helped me in my decision to get the Ares 12-1 and have been loving it. Now, I'm also very clear it isn't the greatest of all DACs in the market. But watching the video again, I was quite surprised with the comment that the soundstage is so narrowly restricted to the close surroundings of the loudspeakers because in my setting, which includes the Wharfedale Denton 85th anniversary loudspeakers, the soundstage extends to both side past the distance between the speakers which is near 3 m. To the back there is about 1.5 m to the wall and to the front the wall is about 4.5 m from the tweeters and myself sitting at about 3.5 m from the tweeters. If a track is well recorded and has good holographic properties, then the Ares 12-1 fills the space with a wonderful image and super wide, deep and high soundstage. The broad holographic nature of this DAC, plus the rich fullness of its a organic and natural sound are the features that I value the most about it. So I don't know if it is because of the space, the loudspeakers or their placement (not that my setting is better than that in the review, I doubt it), but I just want to let others know that the Ares 12-1 is perfectly capable of breath taking, wide, holographic soundstage. 😊

[@SmallRoomAudio]

I agree it can fill the space well, and everyone’s acoustics will be different. I guess my comment in the video is specifically in comparison to other dacs I’ve tried and the R26. I do love the dac for its value for money though, it’s truly excellent!

[@alexkane84]

Do blind ab testing than this pseudo placebo review. 99 percent of ab testers couldn’t tell the difference between a bluesound node and an Ares

[@gregbartley2475]

I was down to these two R2R’s before I read this review. A large soundstage is my first priority so I want with the 26. It does not disappoint in that department, it so enveloping. I personally don’t find a lack of low end dynamics or midrange clarity. I control it using Roon and imo they work very well together. In fairness, I haven’t heard the Aries. One example, On the Dunes by Donald Fagen, a track I’m extremely familiar with. It has to be heard through the 26 to be believed.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

The R26 sounds MASSIVE! Enjoy the music 😃

[@manodirivera6703]

Thanks for the effort making this review. I am the owner of R26 and I found LAN input with Roon superior to any other input, adding optical media device in front (cheap) LAN for galvanic isolation elevates this to another level, impact is higher than external quality clock. Also you forgot two major points to r26: remote control with volume/input selector and very good quality preamp inbuilt! Output impedance is much lower on r26 making it easier to match to any amp and less sensitive to cable length/ quality. Those two DACs are not in the same league IMO. Very long burn in time is essential, my unit still evolves in sound after 350+hrs, crazy I know and completely unexpected by me. Sound matures with burn in from "attractive" as you noticed, to "fluid and full", vocals get better for sure. But that my experience FWIW.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you for sharing, some great extra info 👍

[@giulianof8687]

Could you use the preamp function in NOS mode?

[@lucianobadoe36]

Good points. The burning time was essential in R2R DAC's. I experienced this with my Denafrips Venus 2. The firsts 350hrs was a sad time to listening music but just after 500hrs the sound was very good.

[@manodirivera6703]

@@giulianof8687 Unfortunately not. Attenuation works in digital domain that means DSD don't have volume control as well. Having said that I can`t hear any detrimental clues to sound to about -16dB, which is useful range. For critical listening defeating volume ('Fixed" output) is recommended and there is slight uptick in sound quality in my opinion.

[@davidwald2938]

My R26 arrives Tuesday and I already have a Neo Stream that I run via Opibox to my router/modem. I don't use Roon, rather dlna Qobuz and Tidal from the Neo. What connection should I use from the Neo to R26 to take best take advantage of the galvanic isolation?

[@earthoid]

It's all relative. The soundstage width and depth from my Ares 12th-1 is amazing when compared to the two chip-based DACs that I was using. I'm enjoying it very much because music sounds more musical now with vocals and instruments actually sounding lifelike. I haven't heard the R26 but based on your review I would probably like it too, the only issue being finding enough space for it in my rack.

[@michaelwright1602]

I have one for you to try, and it will not break the bank. Pick up a Cayin RU6 dongle DAC and a 4.4 TRRS to L/R XLR connectors. This little $250 R2R dongle DAC blew my mind when put up against the Ares II... I bet it would even best that Gustard.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Nice! I have a bit of a backlog to clear, but I’ll add it to the list! 👍 🎶

[@andreasmoller9798]

I really doubt that to be true

[@michaelwright1602]

@@andreasmoller9798 Give it a shot... $250 and you are in. ;-)

[@andreasmoller9798]

@@michaelwright1602 i just dont belive in it, if there was any truth to it more people would cover it, it wont beat the Ares ll and it wont hold a candle against gustard a26, maybe you just use speakers or amps that are not resolving, then it wont matter what dac you are using as your system cant reveal it

[@michaelwright1602]

@@andreasmoller9798 LOL! Ok, but many have reported the same, which was the catalyst to purchase mine. I used the RU6 balanced output to a pair of XLR cables, sounded incredible. But, I have since sold the RU6 so that someone else may enjoy it. And the Ares II is also gone, replaced with the Venus II 12th. And I just received their Athena preamplifier. The Model 5's never sounded so good!

[@titntin5178]

Good review, liked your clear cut style. I'm not particularly interested in a Dac right now, I use a Auralic G1 and will step up to a G3 when the time comes, but your clear delivery and conclusions were welcome. Earned my sub, I look forward to more !

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you for the kind comments 😊 👍

[@rhphotocdn]

Thank you for the review. Both DAC’s I’ve been interested in. This helps my choice a lot.

[@mw4609]

Video well done, agree with statements and sensibilities. Comparing these two DACs doesn't make sense, they're apples vs oranges. The Gustard has a streamer and volume control, while Ares2 is a dedicated DAC.

[@Villaboy78]

Awesome review showing the sub £2k dac battleground is now filling with serious contenders. Way different place than 5 years ago when the Qutest launched

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you 😊 It will be interesting to see if Chord respond with a killer new Qutest - let battle commence!! 😃

[@Krell666]

@@SmallRoomAudio So you'd pick one of these over the Qutest?

[@joenogueira2801]

As usual, this is another excellent review! Not only very pleasant to listen to, but you use a very down to earth presentation. In reference to your comments about adding a DDC, from my experience, the Denafrips Iris is inexpensive enough not to ruin anyone and it delivers a huge impact on the Ares. I suspect it would help other DACs as well... The new Ares 12th may benefit even more from the I2S connection, however I have no I2S on Ares 2 so that will have to wait. As a reviewer though this could be a good acquisition. Cheers! 🍷

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you very much, you are very kind 😃 🙏

[@latle111]

Great video. awesome dacs you have there. One thing I gotta note is many people have said the R26 is quite better when use as a streamer via the ethernet connection.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you and agree, that’s my favourite connection for the R26 too. 👍

[@r423sdex]

Where can I find the data to see if that's the case ?

[@minuteskill]

@@r423sdex There may not be data saying so beyond people's experiences. I myself try to look at all of the objective data that can be found and prefer it much more than all the long drawn out audiophile terms used for subjective impressions. To be honest, the best way to see the differences if the objective data does not get there is to A/B compare blinded. I really wish more reviewers would do such instead of simply giving their impressions when simply flipping a couple pieces of gear out the rack. If one cant discern blinded A/B with gear then its a waste of money that could be spent on speakers or room treatment or anything else that we can hear obvious real differences while blinded.

[@Chris._.B]

thanks David, you rock!

[@SmallRoomAudio]

That’s mega Chris, the super thanks is really appreciated! Literally just spent it on some baby formula!! 🍼 🌟 👍

[@johngutmanis3580]

Hi Dave, thanks for the review! I own the Ares12, it has a wider soundstage, and a smidge better high as comparison with the built in DAC of my McIntosh c50.

[@barrybrennan2135]

Thanks for the review - excellent presentation and comprehensive breakdown, very useful.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say 😃 👍

[@NeilBlanchard]

Oh - the Ares 12 lost one coax and one optical input vs the Ares II - bummer! The Ares 12 has a single toroidal transformer linear power supply; while the R26 has two toroidal transformers for the digital and analog sections. Thank you for mentioning the bass quality of these two DACs. My current reference (after having a Bifrost 2 and then an Ares II) - is the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM, with a good 12V 50W linear power supply. Bass and midrange dynamics are much better than either the Bifrost 2 and the Ares II - and much better detail and soundstage, as well. At a mere $250 ($50 more fore USB, and $50-100 more for a dovetailed wood case), plus about $100-300 for a good linear power supply - the Geshelli J2 AKM DAC *is* a giant killer, in my opinion.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

I’d love to try the Geshelli! 😃 👍

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@SmallRoomAudio They are a family business, and they are working full tilt to get through their orders - but they hopefully will be shipping new orders soon.

[@OlympicBruce]

Looking for a quality LPS for the Geshelli, what are you using?

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@OlympicBruce I have used several - 12V 25W is equivalent to the stock switch mode. I got mine from Ali Express - a BRZ HiFi unit. Even better is a 50W unit from the same brand, or if you need say 5V for your streamer, I am using a dual transformer unit that can have two different output voltages, that is a brand called Sigma11 HIFI. The 25W single 12V units are about $70-80 shipped (you have a choice of brand of the toroidal transformer it uses - the Talema brand is better quality). The dual output 12V 50W unit is about $85-103 shipped; and again there's a choice of the brand of the toroidal transformer. Be sure to select the correct input AC voltage you need. And the dual transformer/dual voltage 50W/50W unit is about $195 shipped. These are robustly built, and look like little amplifiers; with large heatsinks on each side. They barely get warm in my experience. There are US made units - effectively custom handmade units from Pine Tree Audio, that are more expensive. You will need to email them to get information on this option.

[@OlympicBruce]

@@NeilBlanchard Thank you very much for the kindness of such a thoughtful reply! It is a significant help to me as I navigate my way.

[@Acura1NSX]

The verdict is in... the Gustard R26 RULES! It will wipe the floor with most DACS under $5,000.00. Truly an unreal DAC for the price and a true giant killer. I am so impressed with the R26 in my $75,000 system. Truly extraordinary in the retrieval of details played with an expensive server.

[@marks.2909]

LOL,

[@DJMikeron]

I sent the gustard back , I can’t acknowledge the huge sound stage you were so exited about.

[@michaelwright1602]

A better review would have been the R26 vs the Pontus II. I have had the Ares II for a year now, I keep looking at other options, but simply cannot justify removing the Ares II from my system. Granted, there are better DACs out there, we all know that. What I did to kill that upgrade bug was to break out my Schiit Lokius EQ... A marked difference, livened things up quite a bit. Tone controls BABY! Just wish it had a loudness button. ;-)

[@SmallRoomAudio]

The Lokius is a great bit of kit! Would love to compare the Pontus 2, just can’t afford one at the moment!

[@michaelwright1602]

@@SmallRoomAudio I have yet to hear the Pontus II, but from others that have, yes, there is a difference in SQ. But have stated, not worth the upgrade for what little difference there actually is. Hence the Lokius, it really changed the entire dynamics of my all Denafrips system.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

@@michaelwright1602 . So I guess "A better review would have been the R26 vs the Pontus II" would be pointless then because it's "not worth the upgrade". Isn't that correct?

[@michaelwright1602]

@@TriAmpHiFi Actually, I went and picked up the Venus II 12th. It was of course better than the Ares II, but looking back, the diminishing returns issue reared its ugly head again. I think I will stand behind my original statement on this one, it was not worth the upgrade. I sold the Venus, and all of the Denafrips gear. A buddy turned me on to a PS Audio DAC, that is what I am using now.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

@@michaelwright1602 . Enjoy the music 😁

[@dariuszsalamon9441]

you should all get yourself audio-gd r8he mk2 and compare it to Holo, Denafrips, and Gustard your milage may vary because you all have different equipment but in my system I prefer it

[@johnbuchanan2147]

My simple system is a Bluesound Node 2i, Rotel A12 class A/B integrated, Definitive Technology BP8 tower speakers. I’m thinking of getting the Denefrips Enyo 15. Do you think I will get a noticeable gain in sonic performance?

[@reynard.fox101]

I auditioned the R26 at home for 5 weeks, and for some tunes it sounded phenomenal, but also quite irritating with many other tunes. I didn’t find it very natural and almost every track has drums far too forward, which seems to unbalance the sound. It’s a great DAC, but I sent it back and now I’m very happy with the Pontus II…. I just couldn’t cope with the intensity of a lot of the music, and my system isn’t bright. If you love it, good luck to you, but it wasn’t for me. It’s really easy to admire this DAC with some music, but in my opinion it’s hard to love it across the board So I’d certainly say that this review is accurate in terms of the R26 and I’m sure the Aries too ….

[@michaelcampbell9459]

What music genres did you feel it did not work as well as the Pontus II for and what are your speakers; is your room treated and well setup? Thanks

[@AjuVignesh]

Excellent Review :) Of the two, what would you recommend for Western classical music?

[@ysubman]

Great video! soekris dac2541 is also a great r2r dac, hope you can also review it and compare it to the ares and r26

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Awesome, I’ll be sure to check it out! 👍 🎶

[@gryphongryph]

Great video, first time viewer of your channel, the Gustard r26 was the Dac I was very interested in until I started reading about the sound quality quirks some people were hearing, have also been very interested in the Schiit Yggdrasil less is more, have you reviewed it ? If not, do you plan too, I read from people that know how instruments sound live that it is very good with tone and insight into the music, would love to hear your opinion on it. Keep up the good work. Ps.. great speakers you have.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you and welcome to the channel! 👍 I’ve heard the OG Yggy, but not the Less is More variant - although Jason and Schiit, if you are reading this - send me one!! 😃

[@User_not_found_403]

Thanks for doing this video. Great choice in picking these two because of the hype. I personally ended up justing getting the Ares 12th because of the smaller footprint. I think most r2r DACS in this price range are very comparable, I found the Ares 12th pretty similar to the Musician Pegasus. My next big question when I am ready is which higher tier DAC to upgrade to. Heard that Gustard A26 is very good at a reasonable price, or should I jump straight to a Holo May and be done with it...

[@SmallRoomAudio]

…start up that savings account 😉

[@User_not_found_403]

@@SmallRoomAudio yes, the price is....ouch. but will I be in audiophile heaven?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

@@User_not_found_403 Audio nirvana is a never ending pursuit…but it will definitely get you on your way!! 😃

[@tango_gru]

Did you get the Holo Audio May or still stuck with ares 2 ? If you are thinking about the Holo Audio May , then there is one more in the mix ANKit DAC 4.1 x.... around the same price as Holo Audio May but many people swear by its quality.

[@User_not_found_403]

@@tango_gru Tango small form factor is a high priority for me because of my small living space. Ares 12th was nice, but I upgraded to a Chord Qutest which sounds amazing and is even smaller. I can easily conceal it now for a great sounding and visually clean setup. I'm sure May is great, but would be too much clutter for me. I like max sound quality with minimal space.

[@Harvy75a]

I am waiting for the review of the new Denafrips Ares 15th

[@SHENZHENAUDIO]

Great review!

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you very much! Feel free to get in touch for more reviews! 👍

[@SpaceEncounter]

Great review! Unfortunately like all other reviewers of the R26 you‘ve missed to cover two important features - the streamer and I2S input. However, I found quite a number of comments where users struggled to get both working!

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you 👍

[@roderickdeleeuw2101]

Install the latest firmware and you’ll be off to the races. Older reviews don’t do it justice in that specific case anymore.

[@SpaceEncounter]

@@roderickdeleeuw2101 What‘s so special about this firmware for the R26?

[@roderickdeleeuw2101]

@@SpaceEncounter Tidal Connect works rather flawlessly now. Not sure about SQ as I didn’t do a lot of AB testing.

[@SpaceEncounter]

@@roderickdeleeuw2101 Honestly, I expected rather a configurable I2S input than a bug fix of Tidal.

[@giulianof8687]

I own Ares 12 th and in my opinion it is a steal. Next step, audio grade fuse

[@scottzahn3298]

Have you tried Octo Dac 8 Stereo? I can only find a few reviews but all exceptional. Stereophile rated it Class A and comparable to $15k MBL. My curiosity is peeked.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Do you know what, I’ve written to okto three times and they haven’t responded, so although I agree with you about the curiosity, there’s no way for me to know without buying one!

[@BubbaGeeSD]

I tested both with an I2S connection to the Denafrips from a PI 4 streamer and LAN connection to the R26. The Denafrips sounded much clearer and more dynamic. This review is not a fair comparison using an entry level Wiim streamer with coax or optical to the Denafrips when the R26 effectively has an I2S connection to its streamer (via internal main board architecture).

[@carlosr.2027]

How does a lumin d2 compress to ares 12th and r26

[@dougg1075]

Excellent review.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you 🙏 😊

[@vedranopancar3320]

Nice review. DAC to test is Audail S5... :)

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you 🙏 😃

[@Alex-tc6jg]

Have only just stumbled across this review so may be a little late but... Have you sold the Ares yet?

[@gamingandmusic9217]

does R26 require burn in? how many hours? does it improve a lot?

[@PKAPE004]

Just got my Ares12th-1, and have had a hard time distinguishing between OS and NOS. In some songs, I detected the OS having a bit more refined in detail.

[@zackw4941]

I have a question about the Wiim Pro that maybe you can answer. I'm using my two channel system for music and TV and it needs to stay GF friendly. Can the Wiim Pro pass through optical automatically, switch to streaming when you tell it to stream and then switch back to pass through on its own, when you're not streaming? I currently have a Wiim Mini and anintegrated amp with two optical inputs, so it's not an issue yet. But if and when I go to a discreet DAC, it will almost certainly need to switch inputs manually to integrate the Wiim and the TV. Thanks in advance if you can find this out for me! PS, if you want a discreet DAC with similar strengths to Denafrips, but more transparent and energetic, try some Audio-gd stuff :)

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Firstly - great question! Honestly I don’t know the answer as I haven’t tried it. If it doesn’t auto pass through, then Wiim might build it into a new software release as they are amazing at using consumer feedback. Maybe one of the community knows better than I do on this one!

[@zackw4941]

@@SmallRoomAudio I couldn't get a straight answer from wiim. If you have the device in your possession, perhaps you could test this functionality? Just put any optical source through the wiim and then on into a single input on a DAC. See if it will switch back and fourth from passing through optical and streaming on its own, or if you have to go in and manually change the settings. Thank you!!

[@angusflood6801]

Good review. Pity we couldn't hear them.

[@giulianof8687]

Thank you very much, you are a great reviewer!!!!

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Thank you very much 👍 😊

[@ianlamb2352]

I love EDM music and I would buy the Quetest but there’s just not enough inputs. Looking like the Gustard for me I think.

[@18yearsoldnot]

Is the gustard r26 in the same league compared to say a chord Hugo tt? I have the first version tt and sold my ares2 after goldensound said the nos mode was fake… but I kind of miss it because you could just leave it plugged in and the tt (version 1) you have to warm up for 45 mins because it runs off batteries… and then it sounds lush and detailed… but yeah… I want the ares 12th now for the convenience and relaxed and less detailed sound signature

[@dingbat19]

I know they are very different beasts but in the UK the price is similar between Qutest and R26 - which would you go for if you could only own one Small Room Audio ?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

I think it really depends on your music taste, can I have both?!!? Yes I know…get off the fence right? The Qutest might get an update sometime soon, so I think I might wait and see what gets shown at the Bristol HiFi show first, just in case they drop a new version of the Qutest!

[@jurynalivaiko4718]

Hi! Thank you for the review! You mentioned great alternatives within 1k-1,5k range...and mentioned couple of chip dacs - smsl su10..which is relatively new in the market...How would you compare smsl SU-10 to these two, particularly to ares 12, since they are pretty much in the same price range? thank you in advance! regards..

[@SmallRoomAudio]

I prefer the Ares 12th personally as it’s just got a lovely ease about the way it reproduces music. The SU-10 is a nice piece of kit though, if you are in the market I would try and audition both as the final choice could be system and music preference dependant.

[@jurynalivaiko4718]

@@SmallRoomAudio thanks for the reply! i am looking what could make music flow like a liquid, rather than reproduced by the amount of detail which does not "stick" together, like it would be forgotten to be harmonised. Something which is full bodied and not thin. Detail is important though, but I am not hyper detail freak - like it would be with happy DAC MAGIC owners. looking something which is not throwing everything in the your face and has layering and depth, with fair width. Have a good dynamic range and transparency. something what would make me cry, laugh, smile, has organic feel to the music "spitted out" and I guess has a "soul". The budget is around 1000gbp. So far I am aiming towards R2R dacs, but then saw the video of new SU-10 chip dac, which was praised by many. So i started to doubt my sort of "final" choice for R2R dacs, since sigma delta could perform so well now...yeep...thank you for your reply anyways!have a good evening!

[@mehmetcamat4458]

Now from chip DACs there is Gustard A26 which I hear is even airier than R26 and more attaching

[@jero1836]

Can you play FLAC files in folders on a USB stick directly into the USB port? I do this now with my Cambridge CXN and i like it that way. Its so convinient no computer nada.

[@briancampbell7712]

Can you please tell me the names of the two DACS That are head and shoulders above these you mentioned it at the beginning of the video something like tarmaki🤣...sorry tried hard to rewind and catch the name🤣

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Sure no problem - Mola Mola Tambaqui

[@briancampbell7712]

@@SmallRoomAudio what about the Musician Aquarius DAC ?

[@johnenglishIII]

I have Schiit Modi Multibit 3+, it's my first ever Dac and I'm intrigued what a higher level one would bring to the table. Would you say that the upgrade from a 200-300€ dac to the Denafrips would be significant or it's more of a diminishing returns scenario?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Age old question! I think diminishing returns is always present in HiFi, and your partnering equipment has to be of a similar level to hear a noticeable difference - BUT - in pure sonic terms, I do believe it’s a significant step up from the Modi - but upgraditus is a dangerous rabbit hole!! 😃

[@johnenglishIII]

@@SmallRoomAudio Gotcha, great answer, thank you.

[@bearclaw5115]

I had one as well. You can get significantly better sound than from that DAC. So the question is not 'diminishing returns' but what kind of sound do you want? Do you want better bass and detail/speed? Chip DAC's like Topping's got you covered. Do you want smoother vocals and larger soundstage? An R2R DAC might make sense for you. FWIW, I tried the Bifrost 2 and it was better than the Modi but not by a whole lot and sent it back. If I were you I'd try out 2 DAC's and see where that takes you.

[@18yearsoldnot]

If you’re using speakers, I’d say the best thing to upgrade is the room itself but if you can’t, change stands to wood (which is why floorstanders are good value because they practically have wooden stands built in)

[@user-ys4og2vv8k]

How about comparing these two to the Atoll MS 120?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Also a great choice, and certainly wins when it comes to plug and play streaming. As a pure Dac I would go with either of these two R2R options for a more dense and natural overall sound. However, there isn’t a huge leap between them, and as a preamp, streamer, dac combo - the MS120 is brilliant!

[@colindoyle9876]

We need another 10 years. Seems none do everything well

[@doifeellucky]

Great insight on these two DACs. How good does your system need to be to make it worthwhile to invest in a DAC at around £1000? Do you need to spend the same again on speakers and amp (so 3k total) or are you better off spending more on the speakers and amp first and getting one of these DACs later. To give you some context I bought a Mojo 2, again based on hype, and for me it offers negligible benefit with my Cambridge CXA60 amp (against the internal DAC) and Dali Zensor 3 speakers, or with my Hifiman Edition XS headphones or Moondrop Kato, also both overhyped, even just against a £10 Apple dongle. I’m contemplating an ‘end game’ system to replace my Cambridge and Dali, and am looking at something like the Neat Petite Classic, with something like an Exposure 3510 amp or the Rega Elicit Mk5 with the Ares and Wiim. Thanks for any feedback. Ideally I’d like to buy in stages so would want speakers that would not be too compromised with my existing gear. I hope your new arrival isn’t giving you too many sleepless nights.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

So many sleepless nights! Just doing the midnight bottle feed whilst I type this! That Neat system would be absolutely incredible! I’d upgrade in this order, speakers, amp, Dac, streamer, cables. Hope that helps, and enjoy building that system, let us know how it sounds when it’s finished! 👍

[@doifeellucky]

@@SmallRoomAudioThanks for the feedback on the order, much appreciated.

[@r423sdex]

Spend the money on speakers. You need to see the data of performance.

[@bearclaw5115]

First get your ears on some speakers. Find out who has got the sound you want. Then buy an amp that compliments your speakers (try two out at once, you'll have a preference). I'm concerned that you are finding some quality products to be over-hyped vs. a cheap dongle. If you can't hear much of a difference then maybe spending a lot of money on audio gear isn't a great move. And BTW, there is no end game! Audio is about trying things out and gathering impressions and buying the occasional new piece as you learn about what sound you like. Good luck!

[@beaucauchemar]

Appreciate the comparison! Especially with how much positive attention the R26 has been getting lately. Curious as to the approximate hours on each DAC when evaluating. I only ask since my Ares 12th (fed by a Denafrips Iris DDC via i2s) didn’t really thrill me until over a week and about 150 hours of constant playback when it started stealing my attention in all the best ways.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

They both had 200 hours before critical listening, I was aware of the changes people noted with time, so wanted it to be fair and representative 👍

[@kibreddy]

I find the NOS in my R26 unlistenable, its grainy and has low resolution. The three modes you are taking about is NOT oversampling, its the filters on the DAC. Gustard recommends the middle rolloff filter that you like, but personally I like the fast filter - it has better imaging.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

And that’s cool, everyone can have their own option! 👍

[@dancorlateanu2214]

fully agree, NOS is garbage. low resolution and dynamics for maybe 5% more natural sound.

[@cruise2023]

Having the RME adi 2 fs dac, happy with it but due to playing SACD with an outboard dac, it doesn't. So my thoughts was trading it for the Pontus II because it has i2s connection ( this can be used to hook up to your player and play SACD ) So I would be interested in a comparison with the R26 vs Pontus II ( both have i2s ) Is this possible ? Can I also mention if anyone has heard and compared them ? Of course now the Ares 12th has i2s and the Pontus coming out as the 12th edition as well, just to make it complicated. Thanks....

[@Hakku1403]

RME ADI 2 sucks for enjoying music

[@vadimvadimvasiliev5169]

I was hoping to compare the voices of these devices, because I heard the excellent work of Denafrips Ares. I'm not interested in empty talk.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

I’m not empty, I’m half full! 😉

[@csszabi8779]

I've SMSL VMV D1se DAC and Pi4+Pi2AES (DDC) streamer. I'd like to buy a better DAC: Gustard R26 or the A26. Until now I wanted to buy the Gustard R26. I think I'll take my streamer and listen to both in the store. If one of them is better than the D1se I will buy it. + the Gustard fuse and Gustard I2S cable.

[@simplereef4854]

I want a comparison between the Wiim and the chrome cast

[@fletchermunson6225]

I thought they originally had two SPDIF inputs on the ARES. Now missing?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Making room for the I2S I guess!

[@fletchermunson6225]

I suppose. I just dont find a lot of sources with anything but a SPDIF and an optical. Audiolab CDT and a Bluesound Node. I guess I'm not spending enough money.

[@Mark198d]

@@fletchermunson6225 i2s is gaining in popularity with the introduction of DDC units because many people are using their PC/Macs as transports. I'm like you where I use a streaming type outboard device (Squeezebox Touch) and a CD player (Marantz CD6004) to connect to the previous Denafrips Ares II/Enyo DAC which has two coax and two optical.

[@Nina_20xx]

Great review! Would you say that the Denafrips Ares 12th would be a big upgrade for the sound quality of my Bluesound Node?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Yes! 💯 💥 🙌

[@Nina_20xx]

@@SmallRoomAudio Thank you very much. Your Review was really helpful for me! 👍

[@markmullen6867]

Yes, it would be a definite improvement.

[@Nina_20xx]

@@markmullen6867 Thank you

[@goodsound4756]

I have a Bluesound Node 2i and ARES II was a significant upgrade in Sound quality.

[@LB-rq2ds]

Denafrips or topping e70 velvet ?

[@IrenESorius]

👍‍‍⭐👍‍‍

[@markw7303]

i dunno iv heard both now i would go r26 maybe against the holo dacs as an entry unit the denafrips all come up wanting , if your demoing on those speakers maybe that's why you feel a lack of foundation, however better then both of these and including the terminator is the sonnet line of dacs even the Morpheus has better tone and scale top to bottom also has a near perfect voltage based pre out which surpasses anything talked about here(i only really like the chord dave better) , the fact that pre amps are dead to me is the greatest joy in life , if you dont have impedance issues amp direct (especially on very high signal to noise ratio amps is the only way to go everything else is now a sad joke, unless you like wasting money on 6 k and up pre amps and twice the cabling there is not much comparison to be had,

[@dbrodbro1]

Vinshine is rolling out an FPGA firmware update for the Ares 2 now. May have to re-review.

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Unfortunately I no longer have an original Ares 2 to try with the new update. The 12th comparisons Vs the R26 are still valid though 👍

[@johnratcliffe6438]

​@SmallRoomAudio You're welcome to mine for a week. I live in Bucks. You near?

[@SmallRoomAudio]

@@johnratcliffe6438 That’s very kind of you to offer 😊 Unfortunately I have a review backlog that will keep me occupied until the summer! NAD M23, Harbeth VS Tannoy, Luxman D10x and some very cool Cyrus gear is all headed to review very soon! 👍

[@matsjohansson5664]

the sorec of my dac are the CD-player, so no streamer, and quality stremers cost atleast 1000$.

[@JTB--]

And the winner is???? The Gustard A26!! 😮

[@jvburnes]

To be fair, R2R dacs can be chip based.

[@PlaAwa]

yeah shame about that set-top box design

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Definitely going to split opinion! 😊

[@alirezapouyafard5750]

Get r26 and don't look elsewhere end game dac I came down from denafrips terminator plus

[@goodsound4756]

I won‘t sell my MSB DAC for this…

[@carlosr.2027]

How does it compare to the gustatd A26

[@Coneman3]

Audio Music DAC/1 is the true giant killer imo.

[@HungryEatNow]

Price point cloud your judgement

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Nope, does it cloud yours?

[@pjlett5688]

You are bonkers the R26 is much better

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Good word, I like bonkers! 😃

[@andreasmoller9798]

Clearly not r26 dosent seem better in all aspects

[@photosandclips9452]

How much vloggers with nothing in background.

[@connorduke4619]

Musician Aquarius beat Denafrips Pontus in a direct sound demo comparison by Pursuit Perfect Sound, and likely has enough in the tank to see off the Venus as well IMO. The Aquarius has OCXO clocks which neither the Pontus or Venus have. Then add a Puritan PSM156 to clean up the electricity and an LHY network switch before it and performance leaps up again.

[@carlosr.2027]

How does MUSICIAN PEGASUS compare to Pontus /ares 12th and r26

[@connorduke4619]

@@carlosr.2027 Pegasus plays higher resolving than Ares 12th but has softer transients than Pontus. Versus R26 I don't know for sure, probably fairly even.

[@HungryEatNow]

just base on price point? how sad...

[@mmorales508]

10 minutes talking about how they look 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@lanx0003]

It is a pity that none of these plays local files

[@laiguilleetlefeu3240]

R26 + U18 + Clock destroy almost any DAC. You can spend more but it's a nonsense to me...

[@svobodniy_hudozhnik]

Does it beat any Denafrips dac?

[@timc_2433]

Which clock?

[@laiguilleetlefeu3240]

@@svobodniy_hudozhnik i owned a Denafrips Pontus II + Iris DDC prior to this R26 DAC. No match between the two !

[@laiguilleetlefeu3240]

@@timc_2433 i plan to buy a better clock in the future but this one shows the difference anyway..

[@lapocasini1246]

Amazing..how would you describe the lower mids with this setup. Ive read some of the R26 thread and Im aware of just how impressive it can be with these optimizations. My one uncertainity is if it is slightly lean in the lower mids. Ive read this, but w burn in factors and people describing the DAC stock minus DDC, im not sure what to make of that criticism. Of course with the right speaker synergy that may not be an issue.

[@philipw7058]

I think comparing these two is unfair the r26 is a much more high level audio device and I have experienced both these dacs in a very expensive very revealing system unlike the one behind you I totally don’t agree with your preference

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Fair enough, different opinions are what makes the world an interesting place!

[@nicholasgotsis8155]

Way too much waffling on, took 9 min to get to the sound impressions