Today, Marcus reviews the Gustard H26, which is a fully balanced discrete Class A preamp and headphone amplifier with up to 12W of output power. It is priced at $1149.99.
Disclaimer: This was sent to me as a sample in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. I thank Shenzhen Audio and Gustard for their support.
To read more about Gustard products we have previously reviewed on Headfonics, click here.
Note, that this article follows our latest scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
The Gustard H26 is the company’s latest flagship analog preamp and headphone amplifier priced at $1149.99. It joins their ’26’ range of modular desktop components including the A26 DAC previously reviewed by Jarvin and a P26 preamplifier.
Gustard has positioned the H26 as a high-end one-stop solution for headphones and traditional HiFi users.
There is something here for everyone, be it a balanced Class A discrete circuit, up to 12W of maximum power for headphones, and dedicated inputs and outputs for power amplifiers and DACs.
Performance-wise, it’s very resolving, holographic sounding, with a refined tuning biasing from neutral to natural, nothing too sharp or dry. The H26 is also surprisingly IEM-friendly but this beast is more for demanding headphones.
The competition is strong for solid-state desktop analog amplifiers, examples such as the Chord Electronics Anni, HIFIMAN’s Prelude, and the Ferrum OOR will give you valid alternatives.
You can find out how I came up with my H26 performance conclusion and how it stacks up against those 3 specific amplifiers in more detail below.
Features
The Gustard H26 is a desktop-sized fully-balanced discrete Class A preamp and headphone amplifier backed by two 50W toroidal transformers, one per channel.
It offers single-ended and balanced PO, LO, preamplification output, dual RCA, and 3-Pin XLR analog input for DACs and other source equipment where applicable.
I should add the fully discrete descriptor relates to no less than 8 pairs of power transistors with the pre-amp output using two directly-inserted LME49720 opamps that do not affect the headphone output.
All amplification circuit paths are powered independently meaning you can keep headphones and preamps turned on simultaneously or turn one off and keep the other on depending on your needs.
The H26, at least on paper, has some excellent output specs. It has up to a maximum of 12W balanced PO output power on a 32Ω load though there is a caveat with a further clarification that up to a maximum of 6W only for undistorted power.
I can only presume this is a measurement-related disclaimer though it’s unlikely you would ever need more than 6W at that impedance level for most headphone users.
For Utopia 2022 and Susvara owners, the sweet spot is more likely to be the H26’s 64Ω rating at a very healthy 7350mW down to just over 3W for Sennheiser HD 620S fans and around 1.5W for ZMF Headphones Atrium and HD 800 users.
With an additional user-controllable 2-gain stage, the H26 should be able to handle or drive almost any headphones currently available in the market today.
Design
The H26 is a beefy desktop amplifier requiring significant table or rack space. It measures 420mm wide x 360mm deep, 175mm tall, and around 6 kg in weight, (7 kg with its packaging).
You can buy it in 2 color schemes, black or silver with both finished with a fetching pattern type finish on the side panels. The silver version is more dual-tone since it retains the black accents to the side, front, and rear panels.
The unit does not get overly warm after multiple hours of use so while it is not a low-profile component it is quite stackable
For example, I currently stack the shallower but almost equally wide integrated Topping DX9 DAC/amp on top of the H26 and I would still classify it as a stable and aesthetically pleasing-looking pairing.
The H26’s aesthetics remind me of a mix of Schiit Audio’s Yggdrasil smoothed tall chassis mixed in with a more modern digital LED display and the matrix volume relay potentiometer dial to the far right.
This is minimalist, clean, and tidy yet imposing visual, and for old-school audiophiles, I dare say it might create an assuring ‘bigger is better’ feel.
Importantly, there is consistent system potential here with a design vibe from the H26 matching the rest of the Gustard ’26’ series of desktop components including the A26 and the P26. In short, a stack of all 3 will look very harmonious if you have the space for them.
I/O
The H26 has a wide range of analog inputs and outputs with clear labeling for each on the rear panel.
There is provision for 6.35mm, 4.4mm, and 4-pin XLR on the front panel for headphones and IEM output, as well as 2 balanced 3-pin XLR inputs and a set of dual RAC for single-ended analog line-in on the rear panel.
You also get a set of 4-pin XLR balanced and dual RCA SE for preamp output functionality.
When I said wide, I also meant physically wide because both SE and balanced sockets on the H26 are split per channel. That means if you have a tightly braided or co-joined IC, (cable), you might need to split them due to how far apart left and right connections might get.
Do take note, the H26 does have a regional voltage selector so ensure you have the right setting before you turn it on. In this case, ours is 220V which was my unit’s default setting out of the box.
If you need to swap out the fuse beside the AC socket, the H26 uses a 3.15A-rated version.
Controls
You have two ways to control the H26, via a AAA battery-powered lightweight plastic remote control or manually via a multifunctional rotary volume dial on the front panel.
The manual control of the H26’s menu mode is simple with a single press on the volume dial allowing you access to all the input options. Once selected rotate left or right to exit the menu mode.
There is another layer to access the H26 high and low gain modes which you access via a single longer press on the same volume dial.
The remote control is Gustard’s usual ‘company universal’, a device I have used before when reviewing the X16 and X18 DACs so I have a few of them lying around.
Thus, you can consider it more of a control suite that goes beyond the AMP functionality by also being able to operate some of Gustard’s DAC and streaming units.
You can switch between each component by pressing a DAC, amp, or streamer button at the bottom of the remote control.
All other options can be accessed via the remote control including menu navigation/selection, (directional and play style button pad), and volume control. You can switch between your input options with the navigational up button without directly accessing the unit’s menu.
Packaging & Accessories
Packing for the H26 is a fairly typical big brown ‘HiFi’ box but I commend Gustard for the provided level of protective foam inside to hold the unit safely because it is a fairly hefty device.
Beyond that, the accessories are neatly packed inside two miniature boxes including two AC cables with different plug configurations, the remote control, warranty cards, and the user manual.
Just note, that my two AC cables came with a 3-pin and UK 3-pin version with a fuse. I suspect if you are ordering for the US not only will your unit be set to 110V out of the box but it should also come with a 2-prong type A and/or B cable.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
