Holo Audio May DAC: The Digital-to-Analog Conversion Vanguard
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- Follow us and take a deep look and listen to the vanguard of PCM/DSD digital-to-anlog conversion, the Holo Audio May (the possibility of) R2R ladder DAC. Digital is finally a true pleasure!
Edit: 7 months have passed and I can confirm my impression. The May got better and better and now can award it a Gold Medal for its outstanding sonics, especially when used a high-quality balanced connection!
Holo Audio / Kitsuné Hi-Fi: www.kitsunehifi.com/product/h...
(EU) Magna Hi-Fi: magnahifi.com/holo-audio-may-...
#HoloAudio #Kitsunehifi #DigitalAudio 
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Edit: 7 months have passed and I can confirm my impression. The May got better and better and now can award it a Gold Medal for its outstanding sonics, especially when used a high-quality balanced connection!
Nice review! May I ask what streamer you are using with it?
My Mac with Audirvana
@@anadialog how good is this dac
Awesome, thank you. Now I can rest easy knowing it's gold tier!
Really nice but you have to jump to the next level with the streamer you have many options.
The cheapest and one of the best is raspberry pie 4 with a good linear power supply and a oehlbach copper/silver USB c cable for the power. Sonicly this combination is as good as the innuos mini. Even without the linear power supply it's 10x better than Mac,pc with audirvana. I know because I use to use it. I still have the software on my PC.
+If you like tweaking you can add modules for i2s or others.
2. Buy the ifi streamer + linear power supply. This is the best value for someone who doesn't want to tweak.
After the streamer update you'll feel the change with CD quality music. DSD is obvious but making CD quality better is really where better DACs shine in my opinion. And for that you need a streamer of quality.
Or a CD drive like the audiolab 6000cdt. Dedicated CD transport with a good power supply and a design optimize to squeeze more of a CD than any blueray player can. 👍🏾
I love seeing this kind of limitless high end equipment. Thank you for showing this, even if many of us will only get to see it in someone else's system.
Thank YOU Andy!
just copped the holo audio cyan r2r DSD version DAC . IM so damm happy and impress by it ! so GOOD :)
Very nice piece of Hi-fi ! In the world of improvment i have considered buying a dedicated streamer, in place of my Macbook pro/audirvana. What a huge difference when listening to a AURALIC Aries G2 (feeding a RME dac adi 2 FS). I also tried a dragonfly red (works fine with the auralic) and the same huge difference occured vs Mac/Audirvana. So this experience convinced me that the digital part handling the internet signal feeding a dac has a big influence on the dac performance.
R2R is the way to go! I have sold my Chord dacs and went with the Denefrips. I have achieved wonderful sound now and not looking back!
Bravo!
Srajan Ebaen from 6moons said Denafrips sounds laid back compared to COS D10.
If you like R2R check out Metrum Acoustics and Sonnet Audio.... Both companies are owned by engineer Cee's Ruetenburg
@@jsmctch yep Sonnet DAC beats everything under 4000$.
@@vonBaronX The Sonnet Morpheus is a sleeper.
Cee's put it in a inexpensive case to keep cost down. I understand he has been working on a higher level DAC possibly with the streamer built in. Can't wait to see what that turns out to be.
A great review. I ordered my Holo May KTE last week to replace my Chord Hugo TT which is also a great DAC. I was just so impressed with the attention to detail and the dual mono design for both DAC and PS. It's going to sound great eventually in my system which uses Naim amplification and PMC speakers. I can't wait for January delivery!
Give some feedback...and remember, you need a very long burn-in for maximum quality! It almost 4 months for me...now it's a gold award.
No deviation! You got to love that! Thanks for your video. I learned a lot from it. My friend is always stressing about digital to analog conversion. I got a ways to go, but it’s something that I definitely would like to have someday.
Thanks man!
What a nice machine! Now I have something to dream about having. Someday, who knows...
Great video also I did notice a difference when I switched from a sigma Delta DAC to the Schiit Modi multibit R2R dac a couple years ago. I'm getting more of a warmer analog sound from the modi that's very pleasing especially for under $300 made in USA. My high-res DSD files are very limited anyway keep up the good work.
Cool!
One thing for sure. Holo DACs are insanely clean and precise in regards of their inside built. Pure DAC porn. Color of their board, order of parts, insane. Really.
True...
@ANA[DIA]LOG and EliasPOSEIDON: I THOUGHT this was a "porn-free" family-oriented website! I'm simply shocked LOL ! (TRUE CONFESSION time: I've ordered the Holo Audio "MAY" Kitsune Edition - plus their Holo Audio SERENE KTE preamplifier - meaning, I've succumbed to "Pure DAC porn" myself!) Thanks for your in-depth review, ANA(DIA)LOG! Love your devotion to and enthusiasm for all things audio, especially analog.
Nice review , I got over a dozen dacs in tje last year on me channel and the Burson 3x performace is mind blowing #
Thank You Sir. Ordered mine today, so excited, you helped push it over the line so you may want to avoid my wife for a while! Welcome to the digital dark side (not bought vinyl since the 80s). Cheers mate 😀
Based on all the positive review, impressive demo's and impressive specs and build quality of this Dac, I predict it is a "legend" in the making. Audiophiles will look back and remember when this Dac came out to well and truly shake up the Dac marketplace.
This digital glare comes from that linear power supply, which is much slower than switching power supplies (that are also noisier). Also, it comes from these compensatory tolerance circuits, which delay the signal (Hegel first introduced compensation to achieve purity of extremely low distortion, but people were not impressed - a lot of HD30 are being sold at around $2000 used in spite of its -150dB numbers).
Hi... one comment on burn-in. I bought a Holo May KTE and got it a few days before Christmas. It is my personal experience that 500 hours is not sufficient for burn-in. At least in my experience, it took 900-1000 hours before the soundstage, imaging, and tone really opened up started sounding truly beautiful and startlingly lifelike. Up until this point, I would get a day or two where it would seem to take a big improvement, and then there would be a regression in the soundstage, tone, and sound quality. There was a lot of ups and down for me, and then starting around 900 hours or so, everything really started gel in an incredible way. The transformation at this point has not been subtle. I can only say, whatever sound your hear and impressions you have of the Holo May KTE when listening at less than 900-1000 hours is only a facsimile of what it will sound like when it breaks in. You have to grind through the hours to get the payoff though. In my case, 39 days of 24x7 play. It seems insane to require that much, and YMMV, but this has been my experience with the KTE edition with all of the upgraded caps and fuses in them. When fully burned in, it is a truly magical and beautiful sounding source with realism that is startling and a beautiful, natural tone. Also, don’t skimp on the USB cable if USB is the source. I’m running a Shunyata Sigma USB, and it is worth every penny.
I agree, I had this impression immediately. I am an analog guy so I am afraid that I am still behind on those listening hours! Thanks for your feedback!
@@anadialog Fwiw, I've been feeding it music 24x7 for weeks. I keep my preamp off if I'm not listening to music, but otherwise always running music through it from my streamer on repeat. Also, on a tip from a discussion on Audiogon, I power it down for a couple hours every few days, which seems to help capacitor burn-in. It helps to log the days/hours because it's pretty easy to lose track otherwise. Any used Holo May KTE's that pop up will be from people who didn't grind through the oppressive burn-in, because when you hear it post-burn-in, it is truly bedazzling.
I am listening at time index "23:33 " into the video and the sound is very nice through my somewhat respectable steelseries arctis 7 headphones (for Zoom meeting): I do not own this particular album, but I am pleasantly surprised by the dynamic, the rich bass, accurate and natural sounding highs, very fluid sound - very vinyl-like sound.
I personally own a PS Audio DSD Sr., which is considered very close to vinyl, but I must admit that this Holo Audio DAC seems closer to vinyl.
Really impressive and enjoyable to listen to.
Nice!
VST SYNTH AND EQ PLUG-IN WORKING GREAT ? or just a color sound ?
New Record Day did the best honest test of this premium DAC …spin 💿..good old red book !
Feeding hi res and great audio signals is great …but can it’s awesome computational power do magic with a good 💿
I bought the Holo Audio Spring KTE DAC a few years ago when it was first released. It is hooked up to my Auralic Aries streamer via a AES connection. There is no way I’m going back to any delta sigma DAC after listening to this R/2R DAC in NOS mode. The only criticism I have is that the manufacturer should not have included any OS modes at all to save on the expense and complexity of the circuitry. Let me recommend the Auralic Aries streamer. What makes this streamer so great is that you can also connect an external Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive vis USB and beat any CD player on the market(with the Holo DAC).
Agreed about unnecessary complexity and extra AKM chips.
Mine should be here next week curious how it will compare to the Venus II I currently have
Hi....simply enjoy it!!!
Fortunately I have cloth ears, I agree it's a beautifully crafted product, with a beautifully crafted story line :) crazy price though really, I'm delighted with my £200 smsl DAC or my old TDA1541 based Arcam DAC. All good fun though if you can appreciate the difference... Rhodium plated IEC and audiophile grade fuses etc. Sigh :) love your videos though, love your passion :)
Not sure whether I should upgrade my questyle CMA 12 master dac (that is build in ) to the Holo may dac 🧐 perhaps I wouldn't even here a difference
What specific aspects get your ‘gold’ ratting, over the the units overall ‘silver’ rating?
Good question. I'll probably have to write down some notes to express each award. Well, in short, for Gold I want to just be blown away from the quality or fidelity of the sound. I rarely get that feeling, it gives me goosebumps and makes my hair stick up on the back of my head...I know this is not a technical explanation and I will do that in the future but now I just wanted to explain the emotion behind that. Obviously if the May's price tag was 2000$ for example it would have reached Gold as well. Going back to my old videos, for example, I would give a gold award to my Dual C844...simply outstanding!
Hi. Could you please remind us what did you use as a source for the SACD reading and what output did you use? As far as I understand, you used the I2S input so, does it mean you used an universal player like an Oppo? In other case, just the PS Audio can deliver I2S signal in their SACD transports. Thanks a lot.
There are a lor of players and transports that have a I2s output. Of course that does not mean that it will be compatible but in most cases it will. I did a recent video showing transports, most with I2s:
ruclips.net/video/Gl563onzwqU/видео.html
I am using an Audiocom Signature modified Oppo 105d with the HDMi output converted to I2s with this magic box: ruclips.net/video/KAqr8MP-in4/видео.html
Waiting for the comment: "Euro 5000 and doesn't even do MQA" ;) Great stuff and video Guido, thank you for sharing
Not doing MQA would be a dealbreaker for me.
🤣🤣🤣
@@keesvanwoerden2156 ... my DAC does MQA. With MQA on or off, the difference isn’t that much. I don’t miss it. A well recorded and mastered Redbook CD still sounds superb.
Indeed, but it's not the CD its the recording and mastering. Same for any other media. A good starting point will always sound good.
How did you connect your oppo (which one) via HDMI I2S to the DAC? Any converter in between? I have a Oppo BDP-105EU,would it pass-through DSD via HDMI with I2S format? Tkx
Here is the magic solution in a video I made: ruclips.net/video/KAqr8MP-in4/видео.html
Do you know if the Sony XA-5400ES will output a DSD signal from the HDMI connector to the May?
I can't 100% sure but any digital media spinner with an HDMI output can do that, BUT you need this to convert it to I2s: ruclips.net/video/KAqr8MP-in4/видео.html
Thanks for your great review! Based on your review and 7-month update, I have decided to order a May KTE. I do have a couple of questions for you...1) Is it true that May can get hot (really warm) if kept on for extended period of time? 2) Where do you think it performs best: a) headphone or speaker system. I have a very high-res rig but don't want to spend a ton for a dCS/MSB type DACs at the moment. Thanks again!
Thanks! 1) I never noted any abnormal heating 2) I am not sure what do you mean...why should there be a difference. Remember that the May has no headphone output
Hey guys, is it just me, but isn't watching this channel the best diversion from the pandemic!
Thanks for the review. I found it very well done. You mentioned that the Holo May DAC plays DSD files. Can you clarify if it will process signals from a SACD player as I have read that signals from a SACD cannot be processed by any other equipment as it is copy protected. Pardon the ignorance on my part and thanks in advance.
Search RUclips, they have tons of reviews on this DAC and most are better than this one.
What CD transport are you using with this DAC in order to make the best of I2S ?
I now sold the May and moved to this which accepts normal HDMI: ruclips.net/video/VKqMzj75FwU/видео.htmlsi=5QX0uqsu13ctQ-uE
I also did a comparison with the May here: ruclips.net/video/JKxqXUeFSg0/видео.htmlsi=PgVv8BDy71FtXtie
Did you connect Oppo blu-ray/sacd player via I2s with ordinary hdmi cable??
I2s is a protocol, it always uses a HDMI cable.
Hey dear Anadioalog I planned to make and high-end system but I have aquestion: is it possible do it without any cd-play but reproducing cds dvds audio etc. with a pc cabled to an dac directly this kind of solution can canes a problem out?
Sure, why not! Get a good reader!
@@anadialog thank you for your professional relay. In my future I'll buy a good cd reader linked to a wonderful dac(Doge 7 I decided at the moment) especially because I am sick of music with the 432hz frequency.
Grazie vivamente per la risposta e per il supporto che mi dai non solo alla mia cultura musicale ma anche al mio apprendinento dell'Inglese
Is it made in China or elsewhere?
Hi,
Thanks for your review. Ron with NRD reviewed this model and loves what it can do with time alignment and detail.
Silver definitely needs time to burn in as well as the unit. What preamp are you using. That can be a big factor too, but either way I'm sure yours will be phenomenal and you may have to give it a Gold 🪙. How are software updates handled? Have you followed up on if the volume function on the remote will be added in an update or why it was left out? Some may want to bypass their preamp to use.
I am using an integrated Primaluna. It is getting better but veeeeeery slowly....just like my Oppo. Software can be updated via PC if I don't go wrong. The remote is a model they use for several machines that is why it's made that way. Volume is fixed (and I prefer it that way) so I don't think that will take place. In any case Tim Connor is chatting on a number of my videos and he is from Holo Audio USA, you can ask him anything, he is very nice and knowledgeable.
Very nice review! Bravo! :-)
Just one question regarding I2S connection. From what I know I2S is not a common HDMI input/output, but it is a dedicated connection for dac and streamers (without a fixed/recognized industrial standard). How did you succeed to connect your Oppo player to the Holo DAC by means of the I2S? Do you need to setup pinout configuration of the Oppo and/or the dac? I'am asking because I have an oppo based SACD/bluray digital player (Primare BD32) and is not possible to connect by HDMI out (the secondary audio HDMI out, like for common oppo player) to the I2S input of my current DAC (a Topping D90). Thank you in advance.
Alessandro
I have a Phillips BDP9700 Bluray player, sadly DSD isn’t output from the digital connections. The bluray player only plays the DSD layer via the onboard DAC to the RCA, so I couldn’t use my external DAC. If you want to listen to DSD then there are ways of transferring the DSD to a hard drive using your Oppo. I’m using a budget Sony bluray player to extract the DSD files
Excellent question! I am making a dedicated video very soon on this....stay tuned! ;-)
@@anadialog Ooh, really look forward to that. I have limited experience with audiophile USB cables. I tried a custom cable, Audioquest carbon, Curious cable and I have an Elijah Audio Isolate CU cable. I believe separating or if possible having no 5v power in the USB cable makes a big difference. I look forward to your video
There is a way, stay tuned new video coming up.
May has selectable i2s pinout so should work with everything unless you have a really unorthodox layout
Would love a comparison between this and the tiny DACs built into headphone jack to USBC adapters that cost about £5
May I know this flagship dac is using which streamer ? And what cables are u connecting for best sq ? Cheers.
No streamer. I have a Peoject streamer but never use it. Only high quality physical media and some native DSD files. Cables are mainly OCC silver by Neotech. In any case now I am using a different DAC which outclassed the May: ruclips.net/video/VKqMzj75FwU/видео.htmlsi=3IfQEki8GrAai_Od
I also did a comparison video among the two: ruclips.net/video/JKxqXUeFSg0/видео.htmlsi=iKeLnGU7K5tvDdm2
I hear that under the non-oversampling (NOS) mode, May's predecessor Spring 2 will also play hi-res files directly including HQPlayer-upsampled 1.536M PCM and DSD1024 files, but none of them sounds as good or as natural as the CD quality (44.1Khz) files without upsampling. Would you compare the sound quality of hi-res files played directly under NOS vs. under the OS mode (AKM chip used) ? I also assme that native DSD files played directly under NOS do not sound as good as those played under OS mode? This is very important as I wonder if it is worth investing in a new R2R DAC in addition to the AK4499 DAC I already own.
The NOS mode was always the winning one for me, regardless the software.
@@anadialog Thanks a lot.
I currently have a few dacs. Including the may, and a 4499 dac, as well as others such as some ess and burr brown dacs.
The may leaves everything else in the dust
Just a question, the DSD via R2R conversion is a new feature of this version of Holo DAC? Because I remember in the old version was done by AK chips (correct me if I'm wrong)?
Yes, I think you are right because no other ladder DAC can do that
Can you connect the PS audio sacd transport Has I2S to Holo Audio?
If they are both i2s I would say yes, but ask them to be sure!
Thanks for the review, very in depth and interesting. May I ask you which is your digital source capable of read BD-Audio, SACD and have an I2S output ? Thanks
Oppo 105d. It is an Audiocom signature modified version but that does not change the issues with high-res material. You must use a hdmi out and this: ruclips.net/video/KAqr8MP-in4/видео.html
@@anadialog Thanks a lot, I've already seen your video after I posted my question. Your channel is very usefull to me, thanks a lot.
I'm curious if the oversampling done here is the same as what something like the Chord Hugo M Scaler does (it seems like it is), and if so, why is the Hugo Scaler so revered (and obviously utilized if you have it), while the oversampling option in the Holo is recommended to be disengaged.
Because it sounds worse and it relies on a (good) Akm chip, not the sofisticated R2R ladder circuit. Its like having a yacht but you just use its dinghy.
@@anadialog It is strange and a missed opportunity that Holo uses an inferior upscaler/oversampler in such a premium and expensive DAC. As you say, they used the dingy, which makes one wonder why they even made such an option at all. I mention a missed opportunity because a similar Chord set up costs about $10k with its M Scaler, whereas the Holo May DAC would be a potentially equivalent solution at "only" $5k. Even if the Holo were only 90% as good as the Chord set up, saving $5k would make it seem like a great relative value. Thanks for the quick response!
I see! I think they are really aiming at a good r2r and the upsampling is just to make everyone happy. The cook thing is that the May can do DSD over ladder, rare if not unique!
Just wanted to thank you for your Ricable, Italian made interconnect recommendation…Replacing all I/C’s, HDMI, USB and speaker wires. Reasonable prices for holographic soundstaging!
Great review! You helped sell me on this DAC. Also, I love the sound of the church bells in the background at 11:24. My Holo May is arriving soon! I can’t wait to try it out. Also I’m getting a tube pre amp to pair with it, the Atma-Sphere Mp-3, which is supposed to be really killer and punch way above its weight class for its price, just like the Holo May does. So I think they should make the perfect pairing. For headphones, I am looking at the WooAudio Wa-33 and the Abyss-1266 Phi TC to pair with the Holo May for desktop headphone listening.
Wow! Looks like an amazing setup throughout! Congrats!
Nice review thank you.
But Why do you tilt your head to the back ?
Thanks. Just a bad habit when talking to the camera.
What I mean is, how much better is it?
AK4137 is not a DAC, it's an ASRC (Asynchronous Sample Rate converter). This does up sampling when not in NOS mode. The discrete ladder DAC is always used for both NOS or up sampled audio.
¿Puedes recomendarme un multireproductor de CD, y SACD? Gracias por tu canal. Me encanta y aprendo mucho contigo. Gracias desde Madrid.
Thanks! They are out of production now but you can still find them in the used market: the Oppo 105 and 205...amazing players. I have the Audiocom signature modified version, which is quite expensive but even the normal versions are excellent.
Which USB cable are you running from the MacBook Pro to the DAC? I wonder if you need to upgrade your USB cable to experience the full potential of the DAC and award the DAC the gold standard. I’d recommend trying the Curious Cable USB, they may still offer a full money back guarantee if you don’t like it.
I am using the NeutralCable reference USB.
@@anadialog Did you compare the Neutral Cable with a normal stock USB cable or other brands in the same range and what are your main findings ? I assume you got it via www.neutralcable.it/en/digital-cables#ad-image-0 ?.
I got earlier an XLR cable of 1877phono after you mentioned this brand in one of your precious videos on cables (the type is 1877PHONO FUSION PURE XLR MKII modulation cable XLR-XLR (Pair) 1.5m) which sells for around EUR 290. Happy with the result (taking into account that XLR sounds louder and better than RCA in my setup).
However the USB cable neutral cable reference is double that price of the XLR. I doubt it does make a big difference compared to the QED Reference USB 1 to B I bought for EUR 120. Decisions decisions ...
Awesome details about the Dac really appreciate it. May I ask what amp did you use and did you use a pre-amp?
At that time I was using a Primaluna integrated amp. Here, for this comparison with the Terminator Plus, a Pass lab xa30.8 amp + xp22 pre combo: ruclips.net/video/RA25soROau4/видео.html
The msy dac is very good jut the Bricasti M3 with streamer board avpctuslly sounds a bit more cohesive
And real the KTE some may like a bit better but all the trickle down technologies they learned in Pro
Mastering studios really paid off and using the differential balanced XLRs is great
I highly recommend using the uptone audio Ethernet switch it truly is a plus.
Very nice ! I'm jealous :)
Skip windows entirely for an innuos streamer with it's linear power supply. Soooo much better ❤️
Cool, thanks!
Yes, innous zen streamers are quite popular with May dac owners
@@bimmer100timc but sincerely if you try DIY. A raspberry pie will get you further in quality for 10x less. It's not a joke. Specially when using i2s with the right modules and linear power supplies.
Is there a phase inversion button?
No unfortunately
I ve the old version and it's really good also and a more better price (1700 euros). As said the sound is more analogic and the music have incredible presence and femenine voices are wonderful.
A very good opción to upgrade your music equipment .
What you think of CHORD products?
Chord is another excellency, which develops its own circuits and designs. Probably one of the best out there. I never had any of their products though, just listened to them in other contexts so I can't be definitive untill I have tested something in my system.
Do you compare the Holo May with your Oppo and what is the verdict?
I must admit that the Oppo, which is a modified Audiocom signature version, stands the comparison. It loses, but it's not a night and day difference.
@@anadialog I've listened to Holo spring 1 dac and it sounds amazing! So calm and the same time detailed,near analog! Wait until it break in,and do the compare again! Congratulations for the qreat unit and awesome channel!
Ladder DACs also comes in chip version (eg TDA1741, BB1704, etc), but they are no longer made because they are more expensive to manufacture than delta sigma chip DACs. IMO, ladder DACs do sound better everything else being equal.
There is a new IC from TI DAC11001 (91001, 81001). 20bits, Sampling at 1MHz. One of them Shiit uses, but unsuccessfully, because of poor balance between THD and glitches. This is obvious, that Holo Audio first of all uses a calibration. I mean a program calibration, when one input code is replaced with another one that produces an expected signal with not ideal resistors. Because resistors on a market allow 13bits ladders only. Secondly, they own an interesting patent on SHA (sample and hold amplifier). Because it allows to solve the glitches problem.
that additional feedback network causes slowness and time domain smearing. the only way forward in R2R is high precision resistors.
Sacd:s would sound stellar.
I have a Burr brown dac in My 1200 dollar cd player..and it already sounds fantastic! I got it for 50🤣👌🏻
Compare it to the built in Mac dac with a dragonfly blk external dac!
You have to try the Sonnet Morpheus dac.
Has your Oppo had an I2S modification to the HDMI output? This looks a better design for the money compared to the top Denafrips models from China.
Next video I will discuss this topic. Stay tuned!
You are buying direct but not really getting a "direct" price. Denafrips does the same thing..They are pricey for how much their margins are cheap. I am sure it sounds great though. It has rav reviews. I just wish they were cheaper and passed on the savings more to the wester customer. You can get some really nice European dacs for this price level.
Does the May DAC sound better than your Technic turntable?
Whoa! It's like asking if it's better to drive a moped or a bicycle, the take you places but they are two different things. Moreover, the media is also very different and mastered differently. In any case I can say that my vinyl setup is by far better!
@@anadialog I’m not surprised. 😏 I’ve yet to hear digital sound better than vinyl overall.
Hello Guido: I have just ordered a Holo KTE May DAC. In your opinion, would the SingXer (KTE version) SU-2 USB to i2s Converter provide improved PC audio playback compared to connecting the PC laptop to the May DAC USB input as you have elected to do?
I also plan to connect my OPPO 203 HDMI audio output to one of the May DAC i2s inputs with the use of a (from China via ebay) HDMI to i2s converter box like you utilize. Is there a special setup / adjustment to the May DAC that needs to be made for this i2s connection to function properly as yours does for playback of SACDs and other Hi Res files thru the OPPO?
Many thanks,
Jimmy G. Latham
Hi James, congrats for your purchase! I wouldn't use the Singer bridge. It's not even passive and It will peobably alter the signal. USB is an excellent choice. Less is more. For your Oppo, yes, the box I suggest is decent, passive and does tye job. Obviously the Geerfab D.Bob would be better but its 1000$.
No Roon ethernet to I2S bridge available, this makes it impossible to hook up May Dac with the best quality and most direct way. Won't consider to buy May until I can find such device (in one piece, not chained by different devices from different vendors).
Great timing i need a new dac for My MacBook
How nice too see something chinese that keeps its promise.
So Much shit on eBay...
Does it have any latency?
They claim ultra-low latency...
I was seriously considering this, but went for the Jays DAC2 Signature at £2998 to go with my Jay's audio CDT3 Mk2. They are amazing. The May DAC may be a little better. An 'end game' DAC may be the Aries Cerat Helene at over £11k.
so many option in this space, my head is spinning. Aries Cerat Helene sound nice, but more than 2x as Holo May? At some point there is literaly not much you can do better, we should never forget to pay for what we still can hear. 8 Ladder-Dacs pro channel sounds great, don´t remember how much the Holo May has but at some point some brands are adding a 0 more behind the price to seem special. Same goes for Esoteric, Macintosh, TAD or MSB ...
No clue if all their stuff really is in a total different league against products from Holo, Denafrips, PS Audio. You got the stuff under 1k which can do amazing stuff, then you go to the below 10k and think they simply do it better and are worth it and you can´t make it better and then you see brands way over 10k. After some weeks of research I already have 100 browser tabs open 🤣
What is the op-amps it uses? When you power mode switch on can you change the voltage output should be able to from 3 to 1 volts ppv, have you tried it at 1 volts don't go to 3v if you haven't got a valve amplifier. How are you connecting it up through a preamp or straight to a power amp.
There is an Op Amp used for input stage and discrete component used for the output stage. The discrete output stage is working in pure class A. It’s BiPolar Junction Transistors, direct coupled.
This is taken from their website.
The manual says that the output from PCM is 2.9V and from DSD 1.45V. XLR is double. No, I have connected it to my integrated tube amp.
Gold metal list?
I do only a few reviews around the year so the list is very short. For now I gave gold only to the Luxman L-590AX MKIi
I can hear bell tolls in the background mate! reminds me so bad of my years in Italy when I was younger! Where are you from (aside from your accent)?
Florence!
@@anadialog there you go mate!!!
@@anadialog Allora, quelle campane a Firenze non sono economiche, false?
No, vere vere
Questo era 2 anni fa... nel frattempo, ne hai reovato uno migliore?
Ho testato and il Terminator Plus qui: ruclips.net/video/RA25soROau4/видео.html
E poi una cosina dell'Ayon che rivelerò presto. Nient'altro. Per ora non sento l'urgenza. Il DAC non è un componente fondamentale e questo è piuttosto buono. Ampli, pre, casse, testing, sorgente ecc. vengono prima. In ogni caso in futuro vedremo. Forse questo T+A che tutti sospirano...
I have the same DAC but with level 2 upgrade instead. Very impressive looking DAC but audibly not even comparable to my old Lavry DA924, if I could have heard it beforehand I would’ve never bought a DAC sounding like this.
I was told a huge part of Chinese Audiophile commmunity listen only to audiophile female vocal music. Guess that part of the reason why it does jot fit my music taste which focuses more on Classical, Electronics, Jazz and Rock.
Interesting
What about managing headroom for intersample clipping? Only few companies address this big issue in DACs. Most popular music is recorded to loud and according to my Lyngdorf TDAI many of them are overloaded 3dB or more. Typical DAC ignore this cliped samples which brings distortions.
Interesting topic. I don't know. Hope Tim chimes in. What do you mean by address...they filter or reduce the volume automatically?
Anybody compared Holo May to Terminator Plus ?
That would be a great comparison, but let's keep in mind that the T-plus is also 4000$ more.
@@anadialog . Holo May KTE 5k . Terminator plus 6.3k
True, I was looking at Singapore dollars! 🤣
Seams to be simular to my T+A 2000r streamer, very clear and transparent sound. If I would seeking for an upgrade I would prefer Lampizator DAC's
Serious question. What did you have before, and what is the difference?
Before this I had a ADI 2 Pro FS. The difference is mainly in the sound quality of the high-res material. As I said the sound is less "digital" and rich in detail with more complex music. The music I stream from Qobuz just opened up and sounded much better. I truly believe that this machine needs time, I know how OCC wore behaves, it takes time like the rest of tye descrite components. I am very curious to reassess my evaluation 3 or 4 months from now.
@@anadialog cool, thank you for taking the time to reply. Love your channel.
@@anadialog you should try using a dedicated streamer with the DAC. In my experience it made a huge difference over a laptop and audirvana.
I think you are probably right. Nevertheless, the computing power of a Mac Book Pro is not present in a streamer but the components are obviously better and hifi grade.
@@anadialog Audio doesnt need alot of computing power. The compute modules on a raspberry pi can handle high resolution audio with ease. There are other solutions with more computing power out there but certain schools of thought believe that a more powerful cpu introduces more noise. I cant comment on that since I dont have any direct experience. The only thing i can say was adding a streamer in lieu of a laptop made a significant difference.
After seeing the Zeos review, I'm interested in seeing other reviewers do similar testing. People are giving him crap but I don't see anyone else even attempting those sort of comparisons...I'm not buying the hype surrounding this unit. It is beautiful looking, however.
I trust Zeos..who buys a high end DAC in an audition on a foreign system ..and then god knows how long till they get it and install it.
Remember, Z said that it’s a good DAC ..when compared to other good DACs does it stand out ( commensurate with its price) ..so I believe that at around 2K you’re done.
@@carminedesanto6746 the fact that he didn't hear an immediate and obvious difference between the Holo May and an $800 DAC tells me it's not worth anywhere near the asking price.
I don't like how it looks but the sound seems pretty good!
R to R???
R/2R
I have the Holo Spring with level 3 Kitsune upgrades. I did a comparison to my other DAC's, Denafrips Ares series 1, SMSL M400 and Musical Paradise MP DP MK3 Deluxe with ESS9038Pro, Mundorf cap, Femto clocks and RCA tubes upgrade. After listening to Holo, SMSL and Ares I went back to the MP, which to my ears is the best. The Holo has an edgy sound, a bit accentuated at the top and bottom and it's a dry sound. The SMSL is smooth top to bottom and lacks the pizazz of the other DAC's, but it is a very nice unit. The Ares is not as dry as the Holo, has as big of a soundstage and is a bit more even top to bottom. The Ares signature is closest to the MP, but the MP just has a more holographic highly detail sound that's more engaging. The MP has tubes so I suppose that is the main difference in the depth of soundstage. The Holo is the least engaging of the three to my ears.
Thanks for your input! How long have you had your Spring?
@@anadialog A month, I'm second owner.
I see thanks.
Definitely worth giving the spring 2 or may a try. Spring 2 sounded very different to the original spring. And the may refines it even further.
Quite frankly the may has absolutely blown me away.
@@GoldenSound The key word is 'different'. While I like the Denafrips Ares very much, for example, it doesn't mean I would like the Terminator even more because it will have a different sound, and that sound may not be as pleasing to my ears. It's all unknown until you try them in your own system.
An award winning dac without the very basic function - Polarity. Just a joke.
OCC silver does not necessarily sound better than high purity copper. Most times, silver wire sounds too bright and detailed detracting from the music. I doubt Kitsune actually designed the caps that replaced the Vishay caps. They’re probably using a higher grade using off the shelf cap from another manufacturer.
Thinking the same thing, or at least hand picked for better measurements. However I think silver in the is case will bring up the speed of the DAC a bit, maybe a bit more punch? Let's say 2% punchier... lol. None-the-less I just pulled the trigger on it.
@@mesonto Let me know how it sounds. My audiophile buddies compared the silver and copper versions of the Spring DAC. They preferred the copper version.
@@JohnLee-db9zt And this is exactly what I would have prefered to be able to do... I miss the local dealers! I have purely made this purchase sight unseen and unheard on the backs of several great reviews. Including one guy in Toronto that used to work in a high five store that I frequented... Jay, home for most the time when I was in the store I did agree with him on what we listened to.
Nonetheless it's frightening to buy things when you haven't been able to audition them.
@@mesonto The US distributor is not an audiophile. His system is poorly setup and is completely inadequate for the May or Spring DAC. He jumped on the silver and “special” capacitor bandwagon, so he can make more profit. Audiophiles can’t stand having but the “best”. That’s my opinion.
@@JohnLee-db9zt John, don't tell me that! That's what I was thinking all along. However as I told you I bought the KTE version just hours ago. I have to hope that my system is revealing enough so I get at least 2% better performance? But maybe I just got sucker punched. But I guess I'll never know considering I bought it sight unseen and unheard. Sigh...
your wife must love you, best speakers and now this....lol
🙈
6N is 6 nines as in 99.9999%
I heard about this one!
I am not doubting you are getting better sound but the amount of $$$ people are throwing at DAC's nowadays seems a little crazy and could be spent more effectively (IMO) on other parts of the sound chain. For example: music streamer and power source. Right here is where the sound might be most easily improved. For example switching from a MacBook laptop to an iMac or mac mini for your music streamer will greatly change sound performance as I've found with my own experimentation. Obviously there are even better sources than a computer (but surprisingly this is what a lot of people use). Second, for that analog sound why not considering investing in a high end preamplifier? A really good preamp can do wonders for sound stage and can be chosen to suit ones preference. For example, pre-amp with tubes for less harsh digital sound. A general strategy: if you want to invest your $$$ don't spend it on the DAC (this also applies to other sources like TT) but put it into a more fundamental piece of equipment such as a top of the line integrated amplifier or even better integrated preamp/amplifier. I am not saying every DAC is created equally but I think a DAC in the $500-1000 range with a carefully thought out sound chain can sound amazing.
I agree, but you must consider people that already upgraded the rest of the chain and now they want to upgrade also their analog to digital conversion.
@@anadialog Fair enough. But I'm going to revisit this post in the future after I buy my 6-10K speakers and see if it makes sense to pay 6-10K for a DAC. I saw someone talking bout the Chord Dave which is almost 11K. I remain doubtful - but very open minded.
Wow, nice part but way too expensive for me. But thanks for the link for the European market. Unfortunately a few months too late. I needed XLR outputs for my Lake People G111 headphone amp. There would also be something for my wallet. Too bad. But as always, a really good video. Many thanks. That stays on my screen. Greetings from Germany
Thanks Dr!
I suggest that you reconsider playing music on your channel because I'm on a cell phone and the sound is not stunning. I'm sure it sounds a hell of a lot better in your listening room. I'm not trying to downplay the sound quality because I really can't tell what your music system sounds like. It's very rare that any of the other audio channels play music because of this factor. All I know is that it plays and not much more other than your description which is the most important part of consideration in a purchase. I will assume that they offer a trial period and refund. The absolute sound just reviewed and $72,000 Swiss DAC. And the reviewer says it sounds like analog. It had better for that price.
I know that it isn't good because its an ambient recording but I feel that a review is somewhat more complete with a run. In most cases I do a high-res rip (not lately though) but in this case it made no sense.
@@anadialog I was just surprised that other people who made comments were ready to jump on the bandwagon and was wondering if what I was hearing was the same as what they were hearing. I know that the sound on my cell phone can never replicate what you're hearing in your listening room and I also have heard on other subscription channels that they don't like to demo music because they realize that it's not setting a good example of what the equipment sounds like.
After many years of finally getting used to digital sound I started to play records again and I realized that my sheer laziness moved me away from the absolute best sound that my system can convey and that is vinyl recordings.
I really enjoy watching your Videos and I will continue to do so but I thought that I would throw my two cents in With regard to playing music. Keep up the great work
Sure, and I agree in principle! 👍 Glad to hear vinyl is your ultimate repro solution!
Interesting to listen to the not so silent background noises in your video as a headphone test : there are churchbells from 11'05" on :-). Also I understood you have to pay for rights to youtube if you pay some music so in that case no music might be better deal instead of distribution of the videos to patreon supporters as you see with other youtubers .... In any event thanks for the honest review with the additional comments you have convinced me not to change my RME ADI-2 DAC (not the pro model as yours), but instead spend the EUR 5000 on an upgrade for better speakers since I mostly play CD quality and some of that is poorly recorded (prewar blues), some MP3. My test is : if there is no clear upgrade for all my collection (no DSD files / streaming), then it's not for me, certainly not if it means spending EUR 5000.
My friend, for that money I'd get a Benchmark or Brooklyn DAC.
I considered that, but Bechmark has obsolete chips and by Brooklyn I believe you intend a Mytek DAC, and perhaps the Manhattan model. The fact that Atkinson ditched the Manhattan and took the May as his reference one me over. Mytek is the way to go if you need MQA IMO.
@@anadialog Benchmark Dac 3 is the Reference Dac at many manu studios and is a favorite of many audiophiles i know for its second to none implementation of the ESS chip most frequently used by professionals. It also holds its value much much better (like most end high USA products) and is Sterophile's class A+ DAC of the Year. The Chinese DAC may use a newer chip but has the tendency to color the sound (a big no no), making everything sound analog, as noted by Herb Reichert. Id give the Benchmark a try before committing to the May
@@jn3750 absolutely, I am not defending at al costs the May, I was just commenting on the models you mentioned. Remember that the May is a r2r DAC, no chips, only for upsampling. A good comparison are the Denafrips or Soekris etc.
@@anadialog Another problem with R2R DACs is that they usually don't measure exceedingly well, though they have the sound we analog fanboys love (I bought 2 R2R professional machines after watching your channel!). Also, Chinese companies like to use the latest chips (I also have the flagship Topping D90 which uses the much newer chip than the RME) but their implementations are not stellar. In numerous tests, the RME walks all over the Topping!
True! But Holo as others are trying to correct the connected issues. Obviously the downside if further manipulation of the signal
my dac in my 30 year old Japanese pionner pd91cd player sounds better than my rega dac .
May too Expensive, mass can get entry r2r with musician draco. Better than ares2 and has i2s hdmi.
The Best Dac.....is No Dac....😉
Yep
Yes...
Analog all the way for me baby!
@@anadialog Analog include all noise - you need tolerate something that not belong to music - your turntable will also give you some free noise + worn out poor signal(if listen a song for 100+ times)
Get rid off your Macbook pro, that was I used to use with a Singrex 6 and Holo Spring! I did not realise how shitty that sound until I tried a Allo digione signature with their linear power supply, and Volumio software(best sounding). When I used Macbook pro, I have tried all kinds of playback software: HQ player, Amarra, Pure Music, Audirvana and more, Audirvana sounded bright but lots of details, I barely use it. Amarra sounded best without upsampling. After I bought a Allo digione signature to try out, I cannot go back to Macbook anymore! and Allo digione is sooo cheap.
Thanks for the tip!
Yep, the noise that I didn’t notice with my MacBook Pro was gone with the Digione Signature too. But I’d recommend an Innuos if you want DSD, since the Digione doesn’t have a USB out therefore limited to SPDiF out
All that software bloat, strip down the os. Get could ge euphony or windows server
@@shahidyt Does digione have I2s output? Holo has i2s input, that should do dsd I guess, but never tried.
@@danlu8445 no, the Digione is coax, bnc and optical. I2S would be better, but be careful in equipment matching. I2S is delivered different depending on manufacturer I believe. I think more common is HDMI but I think in some cases ethernet cables. I don’t know too much about I2S, but I think the Denafrips Terminator has different I2S connectors so it is compatible with a wider range of I2S transports
The price is too high to my wallet... and for a DAC 😞
well if you're complaining about a made I China DAC that is actually pretty good for the price, don' t bother looking at the good EU and Japan made DAC's then, because your wallet will hate you a lot lot more...
If anyone wants to get me one, I'll gladly accept. :)
Goid ladder dacs need not be expensive, as Denafrips has demonstrated.
Well, the Terminator Plus isn't a couple of dimes actually, I also made a side by side review: ruclips.net/video/RA25soROau4/видео.html
Looking at their website, it’s disappointing to see no actual measurements or specifications for the DAC.
It’s like looking at a very expensive super car without any BHP, 0 - 60 or top speed data.
Check the forums, I found some interesting tests and measurements.
Yep. There is a full set of test bench measurements done from/on an easily findable forum.