For Gustard R26...which bang for the buck: DDC or LHY OCK clock?

@kereru Ok. I'll skip the shorting caps unless I can confirm that it's a good idea.  Thanks for the reply. 

Does an external clock have any benefit if I'm not running multiple clocked digital components in the chain that need syncing? I know the easy answer is to try it and see, but ordering a $750 Chinese component to try is risky imo.

I have two r26 DACs, love them. On my desktop system I do use a Denafrips iris to clean up the signal from my Mac (USB to i2s), but if I was investing in an external clock it would be on my main system where I have CD (coax) and Chromecast puck (optical) into the r26. So that would just be bypassing the r26 internal clock, I don't understand how that would help. 

The Iris i2s does have a different i2s pinout than the Gustard that flips R/L channel which I correct at the Mac source, just FYI in case anyone was considering that pairing.

@kereru Well, FedEx came through. Hooking up the OCK-2 was straight forward. I'm connected from the sine output to the U18 and R26. I'm still cooking my $7.50 cables.  Lol.  I ordered better cables, but they didn't show up.

I'm not good at describing what I hear, but it sounds excellent. Big soundstage and 3D sound. Separation of instruments.  Excellent detail, but no sibilance. 

The first thing I noticed was how punchy the bass is. 

Things sound more real.  I'm very pleased. 

@sls883 Awesome! I think the R26 in particular benefits from a better quality oscillator, as its internal one is a little jittery in some tests I’ve seen. The differences you describe are typical of better temporal/time domain precision, soundstage and 3D/decay one might expect but the extent of the effect on bass is quite something isn’t it. Who’d have thought better timing would make bass more punchy and weighty. Expect longer decay tails and richer bass and midrange texture with better clock cables. Also a tweak to try in due course that has worked for me with every cable, cheap or more expensive, is to wrap the BNC plug/socket junction at both ends with about 1” copper foil tape with conductive adhesive - costs next to nothing but sounds like a solid cable upgrade.

@kereru Thanks again for your responses. You've been extremely helpful.