Happy New Year all !
Currently listening to Audalytic (Gustard) AH90 - sounds sensational in DSD Direct with DSD 256x44.1k, ASDM7EC-ul, “Wide” DSD filter on the AH90, as Jussi recommends for the A26 DAC.
Under 100kHz bandwidth I would AH90 it beats Cyan2 on most measurements… Cyan2 frequency response roll-off starts earlier and can make everything sounds nice and warm. AH90 (and ADI-2 AKM) are much more extended in frequency response.
Above 100kHz bandwidth Cyan2 and even RME ADI-2 (AKM) have cleaner analogue output. You get what you pay for.
With the DSD Direct firmware that you must install yourself (request it from Gustard) you must set HQPlayer to DSD256x44.1kHz. As Jussi has mentioned for A26 DSD256x48kHz results give loads of noise and distortion, so avoid it.
For the DSD noise hump, as Jussi has said for over a decade, this is non-music/non-signal correlated noise. So you need to listen to decide.
All my measurements are with the LAN input - it has NAA 4.4 built-in, so you don’t need to add cost of a USB isolator. Just make sure you follow Jussi’s advice this past decade to use unshielded UTP ethernet cable as you can’t have any ground loop (this path anyway)
using sinc-S filter for its extended frequency response for measurements. When I listen I enjoy the default gauss-long/hires-lp filters.
It is definitely DSD Direct (with this correct firmware) because DSD256 direct vs non-direct look quite different and DSD256 non-direct and DSD128 non-direct look the same strangely. DSD256 direct and DSD128 direct look different, as they should. So I’m quite convince DSD Direct works correctly.
Cyan2 actually has a high IMD hump with CCIF vs level measurement. AH90 is one of the best I measured. My ADC (Cosmos) has its own IMD hump but Cyan2 boost the level of the hump around 30dB higher.
Which makes AH90 superb value for the price. Good job Gustard ! I’m definitely keeping this.
AH90 brand new is actually cheaper than the still very good used RME ADI-2 FS DAC (AKM), where I am. This makes it easy to recommend.
1kHz wideband shows DSD noise hump level more accurately than Pico:
The classic Jussi wider band sweep - clearly not as clean as Cyan2 and ADI-2 (AKM):
115dB SINAD (probably better in reality since this is my ADC limit I think):
No jitter - even better than my ADI-2 (AKM):
NID multitone is great:
Dual TDFD tones (NID) is great:
Triple tones (NID) great:
Frequency response with sinc-S filter very extended compared with Cyan2:
CCIF vs level: Small IMD hump but that is from my Cosmos ADC (ESS ADC) - most importantly hump is 30dB lower in level than Cyan2:
