Gustard R26 vs hi end streamer

And you're certain that the sounds that you hear are coming from the R-26 and neither the Cambridge integrated or Cambridge streamer?  I've not read any reviews that indicate the issues that you've had.  

You should be able to switch inputs on the Gustard. I did it with my cd player and streamer. 

Are you sure that the Shanling will output through USB and coaxial at the same time?  Maybe try unplugging the USB cable from Shanling and see if coaxial works. I'm guessing, but it's worth a shot 

@alexberger I Googled the Shanling manual and it says "USB is set as priority for the system.  if you want to use a different digital output, please make sure USB Audio Output is not connected".

I2s would probably work, but you'd have to figure out the pinout connection.  I use a Gustard U18 ddc which converts USB to a Gustard type I2s output. 

The U18 wouldn't work in your case because you'd still be using the USB output. 

The sound quality of my R26 with my Innuos streamer was excellent.

I also tried the renderer/streamer in the R26 with Audivarna software. The sound quality was quite good, but I had issues with Audivarna. 

The R26 sounds best when using I2s or USB inputs, in my opinion.  The Cambridge only has coaxial and optical outputs if I'm not mistaken. 

I've streamed with the renderer in the R26 using Audirvana software. I certainly wouldn't call it awful. 

My son is using my R26 with a Cambridge CXA-60 integrated amp (also mine, lol).  He's using a Bluesound Node for a streamer.  It sounds really good, but he's got the system crammed into a small bedroom (less than ideal).  Speakers are Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 which are pretty nice for the money.  He has a huge cabinet between them and the speakers can't be pulled out into the room.  I'd like to hear the system in a larger room.

I don't know what your budget is, but I can recommend the Gustard X-30 dac.  It's pretty awesome.  I bought mine direct from Aoshida for $2,700 shipped.  They have a decent return policy.  If you return it, you would pay shipping to North Carolina and around $135 in PayPal fees. 

I'm using it with my Innuos Zen Mk3 streamer.

There are several positive review videos on the X-30. 

@lanx0003 I've had the X-30 for a couple of weeks.  Not really long.  If you go direct to Aoshida, they don't charge sales tax.  Amazon will. They are very good about replying to emails although their time is about 12 hours different.  I saved over $500 by purchasing direct (with the discount and tax savings). Normal price is $3,000 + tax.

I'll try to take a listen to the violin, but I haven't heard many real violins, so I don't know if I'll be a good judge for you.  I'm very familiar with other acoustic instruments as my mother and son are both musicians.  

@lanx0003 I'm listening to Maria Duenes and it sounds wonderful. I don't care for a lot of classical music, but this is something I enjoy. As I mentioned, I'm not a good judge of violin music, but it sounds great.

I wasn't trying to say anything negative about your Cambridge gear. They make great stuff. I own some. I bought my first Cambridge piece around 35 years ago. 

I didn't get great results hooking my cd player to the R26 using coaxial digital. I felt that the dac in the Denon DCD-1700NE sounded better. I bought a better coaxial cable and that closed the gap. I never tried optical.  But, that could be why the Cambridge streamer/dac sounds just as good as the R26..  I used the I2s connection on the R26 for streaming. 

Thanks for the music recommendation.

@lanx0003 I recall your post about clicking. Sounds like your R26 has issues. I think I'd send it back if you can.

It sounds like the Cambridge streamer sounds good.  My son's cxa60 has a built-in dac and it sounds really good.  Better than the dac in a Node. And your Cambridge is a big step up from the cxa60. 

This crazy hobby can be a real money pit. I don't want to spend your money for you, but I don't think you'd be disappointed with the X-30. It's as good as I'll ever need.  I could have sent it back to Aoshida, but I opted to keep it. 

@lanx0003 Makes sense.  Have you tried changing the filter setting on the R26?  I prefer the fast setting, but that isn't the default setting. Fast is the most detailed, but maybe not what works best in your system.  There is also a setting for NOS.  

@lanx0003 Interesting.  I've never felt that my R26 was bright.  I'm using a tube preamp, so that may help. 

I have various cables that have differing degrees of brightness.  A couple of them tend to soften the sound compared to others.  I don't know if you have any cable options to try?