HOLO Audio Spring DAC - R2R DSD512

[Bimmer100]

if a deal could ever backfire, this is the one. im pulling this deal after honoring too many customers requesting this deal to be honored from their orders they placed on the last month or two. so far we have lost 800usd in tefunds and mad zero sales on the level3 dac for this first day of the sale. this was strictly for usa custkmwrs only and i did not clearly state this unti now. so ive lost a lot of money based on my error. j honor my word, but all discounts end here. everyone wants a "deal" and we simoly cant afford to offer these deals to any more previous custkmers, especially those who are not usa customers. im sorry to inform everyone, but the combo deal will not be honored unless you are usa customer. and i will not honor this deal if you didnt place your order today or from this day forward. this is as rediculous as us offering oir black friday specials on rewuest. promotions are promotions, i cant be expected to honor any discounts just because the deal was missed or you ordered befoee the promotion began. for those international customers, ive absorbed a lot of coats already, and im sorry we cant offer the same level of service as we do to usa customers. Tha you to those whonunderstand this and are reasonable enough to see we are a small boutique company thay drspwrately trys to keep our level of customer service to be the best possible and within reason. Its just me and my wife that run KitsuneHifi and we are growing fast but let me remind you that we are still a small company. We do our best to offer the best customer service and keep each sale to be personal and unique experience to each customer. we try to build a relationship wirj each customer and earn their trust and respect. we really apologize tk those who expext more from us on this deal. but we are seriously considering to pull this chinese new year deal as its proven to backfire and instead become a serious loss for us. we had well over a dozen emails in the last two weeks requesting our price on the level 3 ro be reduced back to our 2016 pricing. so we did this, but will jor go lower than 2399. we thought making a combo deal available to those who are patient. singxsr is backed up ok orders as rhey are going through growing pains now. we wont have more inventory for a fsw more weeks in fact.those who buy a combo would get a discount their patience. but we cant offwr this to everyone demanding a discount and have the su1 shipped at amazon prime like speed. lol its just not going to happen. we will update our website tonight and are pulling this deal entirely. only the dac pricing will be reduced for he chinese new year. no more requests for special treatment, no more special requests in general. we habe had close to 4 dozen emails of this nature in the last week and sadly we simoly cant do this. we are truly sorry. its our fault for not being more clear about the rules of the discount. we just assumed our customers would understand its not something that applies ro previous orders. we do not have price matxh guaranteea and price protection plans. there! i said it. afrer honoring enought requests to lost nearly a grand, i have to end this. and if anyone thinks this is unfair, i will happily refund their money and cancel their existing orders. we do our best to process each order in the exact order they are received. nobody gets any special treatmwnt or discounts. everyone has to wait the same amount of time and we are transparent with our customers by keeping our communication open and clear by setting their expectations for delivery times.

we will honor the price of our dacs for the chinese new year, but combo deals will no longer be available for the reasons i explained above. the deal was sinply taken advatags of and i honored a few at first and realized how out of control this became. so i made this statement to end any more "deals" as we lost our ass on this promotion and would continue to lose a lot more if we let it go longer than the one day its been going so far! wow, we learned the hard way today.

but we want to thank all our customers for being so understanding and patient with us. we do our best to make eveyone hapoy, and in this case... we cant make everyone happy. and apologize to those who feel they "missed out" on this deal. so is life. we rarely offer deals. and this is a prime example of how bad they can turn out if i dont make sure that the details/terms and conditions need to be more clear and concise to those who read between the lines. but i can say this our oir very last discount on our KTE dac for the year of 2017. and no singxer discounts anymore either

[Bimmer100]

if a deal could ever backfire, this is the one. i am pulling this deal after honoring too many customers requesting this deal to be honored from their orders they placed on the last month or two. so far we have lost 800usd in refunds and mad zero sales on the level3 dac for this first day of the sale. this was strictly for usa customers only and i did not clearly state this until now. so ive lost a lot of money based on my error. j honor my word, but all discounts end here. everyone wants a "deal" and we simply cant afford to offer these deals to any more previous customers, especially those who are not usa customers. im sorry to inform everyone, but the combo deal will not be honored unless you are usa customer. and i will not honor this deal if you didnt place your order today or from this day forward. this is as rediculous as us offering oir black friday specials on rewuest. promotions are promotions, i cant be expected to honor any discounts just because the deal was missed or you ordered befoee the promotion began. for those international customers, ive absorbed a lot of coats already, and im sorry we cant offer the same level of service as we do to usa customers. Tha you to those whonunderstand this and are reasonable enough to see we are a small boutique company thay drspwrately trys to keep our level of customer service to be the best possible and within reason. Its just me and my wife that run KitsuneHifi and we are growing fast but let me remind you that we are still a small company. We do our best to offer the best customer service and keep each sale to be personal and unique experience to each customer. we try to build a relationship wirj each customer and earn their trust and respect. we really apologize tk those who expext more from us on this deal. but we are seriously considering to pull this chinese new year deal as its proven to backfire and instead become a serious loss for us. we had well over a dozen emails in the last two weeks requesting our price on the level 3 ro be reduced back to our 2016 pricing. so we did this, but will jor go lower than 2399. we thought making a combo deal available to those who are patient. singxsr is backed up ok orders as rhey are going through growing pains now. we wont have more inventory for a fsw more weeks in fact.those who buy a combo would get a discount their patience. but we cant offwr this to everyone demanding a discount and have the su1 shipped at amazon prime like speed. lol its just not going to happen. we will update our website tonight and are pulling this deal entirely. only the dac pricing will be reduced for he chinese new year. no more requests for special treatment, no more special requests in general. we habe had close to 4 dozen emails of this nature in the last week and sadly we simoly cant do this. we are truly sorry. its our fault for not being more clear about the rules of the discount. we just assumed our customers would understand its not something that applies ro previous orders. we do not have price matxh guaranteea and price protection plans. there! i said it. afrer honoring enought requests to lost nearly a grand, i have to end this. and if anyone thinks this is unfair, i will happily refund their money and cancel their existing orders. we do our best to process each order in the exact order they are received. nobody gets any special treatmwnt or discounts. everyone has to wait the same amount of time and we are transparent with our customers by keeping our communication open and clear by setting their expectations for delivery times.

we will honor the price of our dacs for the chinese new year, but combo deals will no longer be available for the reasons i explained above. the deal was sinply taken advatags of and i honored a few at first and realized how out of control this became. so i made this statement to end any more "deals" as we lost our ass on this promotion and would continue to lose a lot more if we let it go longer than the one day its been going so far! wow, we learned the hard way today.

but we want to thank all our customers for being so understanding and patient with us. we do our best to make everyone happy, and in this case... we cant make everyone happy. and apologize to those who feel they "missed out" on this deal. so is life. we rarely offer deals. and this is a prime example of how bad they can turn out if i dont make sure that the details/terms and conditions need to be more clear and concise to those who read between the lines. but i can say this our our very last discount on our KTE dac for the year of 2017. and no singxer discounts anymore either

wow, i apologize for my poor spelling- typing long replies on my iphone is a bad idea. terrible auto correct or lack there of...

anyhow... i wanted to add... jeff zhu is designing a DSD only r2r dac module for those who love their hq player and want to do dsd native. it will not support any pcm. it will be an example that we indeed can do true native/direct dad over a r2r network. the price point that everyone will find quite fair. you wont have to spend thousands to experience an r2r direct native dsd dac with no pcm conversion like people assume. we find this will be an entry level product yet high performance dsd dac for those who need to see and experience dsd direct over an r2r network. For those who do not know... our company motto is "time will tell..." and we believe over time we will earn the trust and respect from our customers and they will see the prodicts we offwr are indeed excellent audio products that hold up to their claims and far surpass other products on the market with ease. we are building our brand image in the usa and open to suggestions and value our customer feedback.

Jeff is hard at work on this and any new updates will be posted as i hear about them. will it be as good as the spring dac? no, but it will be stellar performance that you can expect from holo audio.

[Bimmer100]

Tim, could you please ask Jeff when he will fix loud pops during DSD pause/play, fforward, etc.?

Or there is no solution, due to Holo HW design limitation?

Problem observed in following scenarios:

mRendu (MPD/DLNA mode) ---usb---> Holo Spring

mRendu (MPD/DLNA mode) -> Singxer SU-1 ---I2S---> Holo Spring

 

Thank you,

Paul

It's related to the uRendu, and there is a thread about it. I believe Ted knows a bit about it. But there are some things being worked on. If you take the uRendu out of the mix, there are no pops at all. It's not the dac is what i'm trying to say It happens with SU1, and even MSB dacs, amongst many other dacs. A known problem still.

[Bimmer100]

Could you please ask Jeff if he is willing to do a PCM only R2R DAC module for users like myself, and many others that are PCM only, and have no need for DSD?

 

Thanks

Well, you're in luck. there will be a PCM only dac. and a DSD only dac. Both will have Two versions. One will be retail version that is ready to go and in a chassis (more info below). The other will be a DIY version that is open schematics and targeted to DIY crowd. Allowing some modifications of components even.

 

so this is absolutely fresh news for those of you in the market for budget. I believe these products will be VERY impressive. But they are budget based and will NOT have linear compensation like our Spring Dac. The are basically stripped down simply versions yet will sound incredibly good for their price point. We truly hope to see other manufacturers buy our dac modules and do away with the cheap off the shelf stuff so many companies are using. Our modules will be a major step up above the majority of the products on the market. These are scheduled to be available sometime this year

 

 

SO, one more exciting announcement is a step above these products. We are working on the Sabertooth 2 and the Mammoth 2. These products will be our middle priced products that simply will kick ass imho. The sabertooth 2 will be PCM only dac that simply will be incredible at it's price point, it also will have a preamp and headamp built in. The Sabertooth 2 will have the above mentioned PCM only module, and these all will be R2R based with HoloAudio's own excellent implementation of R2R sound. I'm positive these will be a big hit. I've got some rendering of our final design and we are not too far from a finishing point. I'm incredibly excited to release these to the USA ASAP. The mammoth KTE edition we currently have is just damn impressive for an amp as is. We are simply taking this amp and doing a few facelifts more than anything. As it will be very similar, yet in a new chassis that allows for a silver trafo to be installed (KTE Mammoth 2 edition only) and the mammoth 2 and Sabertooth 2 will have the HoloAudio brand image of the black/copper color chassis combo. This is our intent anyhow and hope everyone agrees on this. Also the Mammoth 2 and Sabertooth 2 will have the aluminum remote control that controls both units, which will stack on each other. The remote is very very cool for those who have not seen it. Everything functions incredibly well. We will have both Sabertooth and Mammoth at the Canjam Socal event, and who knows, if we are ahead of schedule we might even have the V2 models. Hopefully at the very least maybe some near finished sneak images.

 

so basically three new models coming soon!!! Mammoth2, Sabretooth2 and that evaluation board which can hold PCM module or DSD module.

 

 

i will post more information soon.

[Bimmer100]

I dug out the Sonore to do some fiddling today. As I got a new Dac in the mail today and am doing some comparisons again of burned in vs not burned in... anyhow. not the point. I wanted to see if the urendu was working. Many said they had some issues doing oversampling to DSD512. I immediately noticed I no longer could do PCM to DSD512 from Rune... very odd. But after fiddling a bit. I got everything working... i did update Rune manually with a reinstall, and downloaded a new version of HQplayer, mine was outdated as I don't use it very often. 3.13 I believe. it's 3.14.4 now. My specs probably are not ideal still, as PCM setting probably can be 384k, but oddly the settings seem really picky on HQ player and don't make much sense to me. I used to use HQ player by it self before using Rune, and play a few files.. after that start up rune and things seem to work as intended.

I am using the urendu with usb direct into usb of the Spring KTE dac. I don't have an SU1 if you can believe, all are out on loan and waiting for a large order to arrive this week or early next week.

 

The popping that happens from PCM to DSD is still apparent and still looking into some solutions.

 

I'm using Windows 8.1 Pro and Urendu is set to HQPlayer NAA mode.

[Bimmer100]

Tim, thanks for this information, it definitely helps!

 

What version of the uRendu OS are you running (displayed in Sonicorbiter)?

 

Gary

 

I am running 2.3

[Bimmer100]

 

These are slightly tweaked, but working very well right now. The pops still exist and that would need some find the source of this. It only has pops when i'm using the urendu. If just our signed drivers then all is fine.

[Bimmer100]

Hi Ted,

 

I noticed when I setup Auralic Aries (presumed it uses some kind of Linux based OS), I got click noise when switching from DSD64/DSD128 back to PCM or vice-versa. The noise becomes quite apparent like pop noise when switch from PCM or DSD64/DSD128 to DSD256 and back to it again. Every time when I try to play DSD256, I've mute the volume. Is there a way to fix this problem?

 

To my surprised, this issue is non-existent if I use Roon+Windows with the supplied Holo Spring certified Windows 10 drivers.

 

That's because this is a linux issue or possibly linux +HQ player issue. The pop noise won't happen otherwise if you use our Signed drivers. There is more testing to narrow it down. But are pretty sure why this is happening. I'm PM'ed some to explain what we have found, and getting the support to fix this will be next.

Linux could be fixed is the developers write code to detect DSD correctly. It is technically possible. And hope everyone can work together to get a fix for this. I have another customer i'm talking with who said he got a custom linux support kernel for the SU1 and i'm trying to find if it's fixed. Anyhow, more testing is needed.

 

-----

 

SU-1 added to Linux github. Anyone running a device on Linux like the microrendu will need to add this patch to their code. I've forwarded this to Singxer Dev and hope to hear back from them soon, the USB ID is slight diff than F1, and want to confirm this.

USB id of the F1 is 2bb1:3086 and the USB id of the SU-1 is 20b1:3086

 

not sure if this is a typo, or supposed to be different. Waiting to hear back from Singxer.

https://github.com/lintweaker/xmos-native-dsd/commit/bb0fee4a79bb87e4031d335c243c4e7a35028846

[Bimmer100]

23 hours ago, barrows said:

I have the DIYINHK as well, while it works well, IMO it needs re-clocking for best performance as the output from the XMOS chip comes with somewhere around 200 pS of jitter, regardless of how good the NDK clocks are.  this is a well known situation with the XMOS chips.  Additionally, if the Holo uses the masterclcok feed at all, that also comes from the XMOS chip rather than directly from the NDKs onboard, so the Masterclcok is also jittered.  It is too bad DIYINHK did not allow for a direct feed from the NDK clocks to the output...

Of course, i am not sure how the Holo handles the I2S feed once onboard the DAC: does it use the I2S based masterclock, or does it re-clock to its own local clock?

 

This was an interesting question and asked Jeff to comment on this one. Here is his reply.

 

Jeff Zhu's quote:

"Correct. The signal generated by xmos can’t be used directly. It must be re-clocked. Also the galvanic isolation chip on the usb module also generates a lot of jitter. Another thing need to be noticed is the connector between the module and mother board. The contact impedance of that connector can be up to few hundred milliohm. When this impedance is inserted to the ground between mother board and daughter board. Any variable current through this impedance will cause a “ground bounce” and that ground bounce is essentially make the reference ground to be noisy. Then the noisy ground will generate a lot of jitter. That jitter can be ‘us’ grade. Far more than the ‘fs’ and ‘ps’ grade. So if you see any oscillators on the daughter board, no matter how expensive it is. It will be a rubbish clock though that connector down to the mother board.

 

You can see Spring put the main clock on mother board. And we use that main clock re-latch the signal from usb module. So, no matter what kind of jitter is generated by xmos chip, or galvanic isolation chip, or the ground bounce of the connector. It will be re-clocked and follow the performance of that oscillator. No waste.

 

A right implementation is the essence of design. I have saw a lot products are doing thing wrong but they use very expensive parts. Those are totally useless and simply waste of money. For example, when a 100 milliohm impedance going through a 5mA variable current. It will generate 500uV noise on ground. The ground is the reference point for all single ended signals. So that 500uV noise is directly modulated to the clock and became “huge” jitter.

 

The connector between the resistor ladder module and mother board is carefully selected. And we use multiple pins to reduce the impedance. And, the key part is we use some technique to make the current to be constant. Only a variable current can generated noise. If the current is constant. Then it simply became a constant value and not noise. So the digital algorithm of the resistor ladder module are specially design to make the current to be as constant as possible.  This is yet another “black magic” to be used on Spring."

[Bimmer100]

1 hour ago, Altabay said:

 

Thank you for asking this question.  I've been wondering myself after reading Jeff Zhu's comments relayed by Bimmer100 above.  On first reading I got the impression all input is reclocked, but upon re-reading I realized Jeff is talking about USB only: "The signal generated by xmos can't be used directly.  It must be re-clocked. (...) You can see Spring put the main clock on the mother board.  And we use that main clock re-latch the signal from usb module."

 

@Bimmer100, can you clarify?  Does the Holo Spring reclock the I2S signal?  Did Jeff Zhu ever state it clearly?

The Holo Spring takes in the MCLK signal via HDMI i2s. it does not reclock this signal. so the 575 crystek's in the KTE-SU1/SU1 are being used in full effect.

BTW, I may have a few KTE-SU1's for sale, i spent the whole weekend building a bunch and preparing one for those who have been patiently waiting.

 

[Bimmer100]

11 hours ago, Evo-No-Revo said:

This one has flexible connectors but only comes in 1 meter and up lengths.

 

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/wire/cable/supra-high-speed-hd5-v.2-met-s/b-hdmi-hdmi-cable-single/

 

      

 Supra makes this in 0.5M and up actually... and what I use in my own setup. Check Ebay. Some resellers do not carry the shorter length for whatever reason. Just look around. 

[Bimmer100]

ask the seller on ebay. he is the supra dealer in our area here.

[Bimmer100]

20 minutes ago, rickca said:

What ever happened to the DSD only DAC that Holo was talking about?

The HoloAudio Cyan will be released the end of this month. And will have a dsd only r2r module or pcm only r2r module. One or the other. Also will include a src in case you would like to listen to dsd converted to pcm. Or with pcm module would be pcm converted to dsd. Take note whatever is on the r2r module will sound at its best. 

This Cyan will include a balanced headamp built in, along with 1/4 output. It is finished in the same look as our spring Dac yet a smaller chassis overall. Pricing will be very affordable. Unlike the spring, there will be no linear compensation tech, and costs were cut to allow r2r of your choice for one of the two... pcm or dsd exclusive r2r.  Then USB module is with xu208 xmos. 

 

Preorders will be accepted very soon. 

 

So hope this answer your question. It's been a bit more work to finish this project and we are quite proud of how it's turned out. 

[Bimmer100]

On 8/5/2016 at 8:27 AM, orgel said:

 

Me too. It's perhaps worth re-emphasizing that the iFi micro iDSD is based on a Burr-Brown chipset, while the Spring DAC (and presumably the May) is R2R based. An R2R DAC that does DSD is a pretty rare bird, so that really piques my curiosity, especially since it's at an affordable (for me) price point.

 

Any plans to show the Spring and/or the May at RMAF?

 

--David

As far as I know, we are the only ones able to do dsd over r2r. And it's especially amazing on the spring since we proudly offer linear compensation. Imho the coolest feature without question. 

 

The may is still on the Dac drawing board... the Cyan has taken much longer for us to perfect. But we are happy with it! 

For those familiar with the spring, they will know when it's on OS mode it's running with the src... but not comparable to r2r with linear compensation (NOS)

 

te cyan will be NOS when using r2r, but does not have linear compensation. However the output is still quite nice and surpasses the majority of any r2r Dac on the market, even the very newest models Recently released. The Cyan has tremendous value!!!

 

but it's not really comparable to the spring. The power supply is not as advanced, the caps are not, etc. Many things were carefully planned to give maximum performance get required cheaper components to meet these goals. Nothing is per say, "cheap" or of poor quality, it's just not to the standard of the spring Dac. 

Its an moderate level piece of equipment. Yet will easily beat everything on the market in this price range. Oh will be very hard pressed to find anything better at this price range. We strive to bring ultimate bang for buck. And our customers can attest to this! 

 

I will def have one of these cyans in both pcm and dsd models. And will likely have the pcm model for my work shop Dac since it's nice and compact! And the amp is extremely capable! 

 

You can see the volume knob on the right, as it also allows choosing settings like high/low gain and nos or OS settings. An intuitive interface, and beautiful display like the spring Dac. 

 

Im sure everyone will be very happy with this HoloAudio Cyan. Those who want to get one on preorder, it will be mid October I will start with this. Along with unspublished special preorder special pricing.

 

so far we have about a 8/2 ratio of pcm/dsd interest. But if you are a serious dsd lover, it's truly special to hear dsd over r2r. Those with the spring will know this.

 

[Bimmer100]

17 minutes ago, guymrob said:

Hi @ted_b

I'm not sure I've posted this question before I own a Holo Spring level 2, can it support up to 768kHz PCM via I2S input, or even when using SU-1? Thanks

No

24/384 for pcm

or dsd512 native

[Bimmer100]

1 hour ago, jflemelin said:

A question regarding the Vishay output caps. Has anyone tried to upgrade them? I'm thinking about the Jupiter HT capacitors (same awg as the Vishay's), but it could be another brand. 

 

If Tim from Kitsune reads this: Have you considered this upgrade?

 

Thanks

 

JF

The short of it is.... don't do it  

that's my very strong recommendation and you can take it as you will. 

 

[Bimmer100]

 

We are now accepting orders for the HoloAudio CYAN. I've got the go ahead that they are not officially ready to ship. I can't wait to get my own for my desktop, however my wife will likely take mine once it arrives! it's a compact all in one solution that takes a small footprint on a desk. Discrete R2R with a very capable balanced Headphone Amp!  

 

However, for those who want the DSD module version... please note that it is ONLY a dac and does not have the headphone amplifier enabled... you may ask why???

Here is important note of information, the DSD signal is essentially cannot be digitally processed. So when a studio mixes the signals, it actually transforms/converts to PCM then do digital mix then transformed back to DSD. That's why DSD is accused in the audio industrial and potentially abandoned or less popular. Anyway, there are SACD available in market and it has a much higher bitrate than CD. So SACD is better resource still. Also, when you see a DSD dac chip that claims to be able to do digital volume control, then it must be transformed to PCM internally within the dac chip. Like ESS and AKM etc.. all their chips can support digital volume control in DSD. They actually transformed to PCM internally.

 

well DSD cannot have volume control...DSD is always @ 100% when in native... the amp would be at 100% volume all the time and will blow your ear drums or headphones IF we were to have an amp hooked up to the amp and volume control knob on the chassis..... so the headphone amp is not able to function. The Cyan with the discrete r2r DSD dac module is simply a pure discrete native DSD R2R Dac!!! no headphone amp... This version will be slightly less cost (approx 100usd cheaper) since we will end up not including the components for the headamp inside the chassis...yet the volume knob will be just decoration and no volume control function. For those who understand how DSD works, this doesn't need to be explained to why we have done this. Basically if you have volume control on DSD than the signal must be converted to PCM.  Our DSD dac module is pure native DSD and no conversion is done. Our discrete R2R resistor network is processing pure native DSD with NO conversion to PCM!   This DSD module version of the CYAN will be ideal for those who are DSD enthusiasts and want something quite special for a much more affordable price with excellent pure native DSD512.  The cyan will have the XMOS XU208 USB module as well.  Also a nice attractive remote control available  

Another interesting side note. The Cyan dac module is 28bit and due to the fact it has a digital volume control and the need for more bits will deliver optimal sound quality with zero compromise. The Cyan will surely impress everyone and I think it may be darn near impossibru to find a better dac/amp for the price which is targeted to be estimated in the range of 1000usd for PCM version and 100usd less for DSD version (no headamp) (final pricing will be announced begining of December/ This week!)

Anyhow, we expect to sell the PCM version of the Cyan as about 80% of sales since it will allow the quite capable balanced headamp to pair beautifully with the Discrete PCM R2R Dac module. And it will include an SRC(sample rate converter) that allows for DSD to play, however cannot compare to the quality of the Discrete R2R DSD dac module... It may be hard for some to choose which version they want to order... just get both if you can't decide!

 

 Full specifications of the Cyan will be released shortly. PLEASE NOTE: The Cyan does NOT have linear compensation like the Spring dac... Cyan Dac module is 28bit discrete R2R with digital volume control and NOS! beautiful analog like sound that flows effortlessly and with no fatigue.  Analog performance is approximately around 22bit and this is much higher than average NOS or OS R2R dacs on the market. This is a key feature for the Spring dac and one of the many reasons the Spring dac stands out on its own and capable of stellar sound quality. HOWEVER, we have worked very hard on the Cyan dac module and once we release specs you'll likely be quite surprised with its specifications and measurements of the dac and amplifier.  Personally i'm getting one of these for my wife and another one for my other office. This is a very compact neat and tidy solution for incredible value and sound quality all in one small chassis that won't take up much desktop space.  I'm getting a PCM version myself.  We should have a PCM Cyan and DSD Cyan available in the near future for reviewers and auditions.  Please contact us via our webisite if you are interested to preorder or discuss any details and questions. I've officially received an email from Jeff this morning saying they are now ready to ship!  

 

As of now there are no plans for any KTE versions of the Cyan. This is a dac/amp designed for moderate budget audio enthusiasts who are not willing to compromise on sound quality.. Both dac's are NOS and deliver very natural analog like sound with excellent detail and soundstage. But to clear up the most common question.... "How does this compare with the Spring dac?"   well.... the Spring dac is still on another level considering the Spring dac has Linear compensation and the Discrete dac module also has dedicated DSD r2r ladder dacs and dedicated PCM r2r ladder dacs. However it will be very hard to find another product that compares with the Cyan @ it's current entry price point!  The DSD version will be slightly less like i've stated and all official pricing will be posted on the website this week.

 

I'm sorry for the long reply. I've not had any time to reply to many of those who have asked me about the HoloAudio Cyan Dac/Amp.  We are EXTREMELY excited to release this product to everyone and are very proud of how it's turned out. We think everyone will see this as a real success.  This may be the first time anyone has been able to release a discrete NOS R2R dac with integrated powerful balanced headamp 

 

Thoughts?

[Bimmer100]

8 minutes ago, franz159 said:

What would be the process for pre-ordering?

As of right now, to get on the list pre order then please contact us directly from our website contact form and mention which version of the Cyan you would like to order, voltage, your full shipping address, phone number and an email so we can send you an invoice via PayPal. Later his week will will add the Cyan to our online store. But as of now you can get on list for the first batch of Cyans that we receive. Any questions ?

official pricing will be discussed via email. 

[Bimmer100]

1 hour ago, semente said:

Very interesting.

Can it be run as a NOS DAC?

It is a NOS Dac and sounds best this way

[Bimmer100]

26 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

Yes, of course. But the discussion was about DSD version. So it's a like two halves of Spring DAC split into two separate products. Which makes total sense to me. So far I've been using only DSD side of the Spring (apart from measuring the PCM side too). While I bet there are many people who have been doing pretty much the opposite.

 

 

Somewhat..... however the most important and impressive feature is not offered with the Cyan Dac Modules... no matter if you choose DSD or PCM dac modules.  The Cyan will not have the Linear Compensation that the Spring is so well known for and responsible for it's unique and impressive sound signature as well.  

 

But the Cyan have been painstakingly tuned to sound the very best a standard R2R NOS dac can sound... it's a 28bit Dac module and the Spring is a 24bit Dac module. However the Spring obviously doesn't need more since it's a fixed output and does not have digital volume control.

 

The Cyan will have the SRC or Sample Rate Convertor to allow for other formats as well as oversampling options.

 

To be direct and forward, I'm still trying to confirm the final specs for the Cyan DSD module and all it's specific specifications. I should get all this buttoned up and announced this week.  I just want everyone to be VERY CLEAR that the CYAN DSD module version will not have a headphone amp as it is disabled due to DSD not able to have volume control. Our R2R discrete dac is one of few to allow PURE NATIVE DSD over a high precision R2R ladder dac.  We are so very excited for our customers to give us feedback on this product.  To be quite honest, we have had some potential customers and general comments that have gone as far as to call us a liar when it comes to claiming that our Dac is able to do DSD native over an R2R network and no PCM conversion ever takes place.  Well, part of the the excitement about releasing this Cyan Dac is the DSD version which is a perfect solution for those who want to finally experience Native DSD in a new and different approach than with a traditional Delta Sigma 1bit dac.  We are quite happy with the results of  how DSD sounds over an R2R network.  The Cyan DSD module version is not as useful overall as our PCM model with the balanced XLR headphone amplifier.  However the real hardcore DSD enthusiasts will B-line right towards our HoloAudio Cyan DSD Dac.  Why not use this with roon and output absolutely everything to DSD512!  this would be an excellent solution... However don't forget to pair this with a very capable preamp, Amp or headphone amplifier. Personally I recommend the iFi Pro iCan Headphone amplifier as an end game solution....  AND, don't turn your nose up at this  as you'd be most surprised as how capable it is as a very good preamp as well! Seriously!

 

 

Anyhow. We are working on a list for the Cyan PCM and Cyan DSD  models...

 

those who choose the DSD model must full agree to the terms of sale, as oddly enough there are a lot of customers that assume the Cyan DSD will have a headphone amplifier and volume control... that is simply not the case.   The DSD model is targeted to have a price that should be approximately 100usd less than the Cyan.

 

Please do not quote me on any pricing at this time,  we only have a very rough range for the pricing. somewhere beyond a 1000usd is  estimated pricing for Cyan PCM, and will vary with some options we are still finalizing.

 

 

It's possible we may setup  an Audition of the Cyan PCM and Cyan DSD dac on this very forum. I'm hoping that maybe we can get some help organizing this and finding if there will be enough interest to support this Audition/Demo program.  For those who may be interested in this, please mention a short blurb about whether you would like to participate and if you have any suggestions and ideas to get this moving along as soon as possible.

 

The first 10 orders will receive a special gift as a thank you for supporting HoloAudio. Thank you everybody for your interest in our new exciting projects!!!

 

 

 

[Bimmer100]

47 minutes ago, barrows said:

@Bimmer100, A number of months back you suggested that there would be DIY conversion modules available from Holo, is this still planned, and is there any progress in this area?  I am mostly interested in DSD conversion modules.

When you say DSD conversion modules? What do you mean by this? Converting some particular product to use our Dac module? 

 

We talked about having the module that is being used in the Cyan as a diy product. Which will obviously require knowledge to complete a Dac project or Dac/amp project. 

 

I will confirm with Jeff again, but believe you can change the Cyan module from pcm to dsd, but not fully sure since there may be some other changes needed. I will look into this to see if they will be available to swap.

 

[Bimmer100]

1 hour ago, eternaldrake said:

Please forgive my ignorance, but what are the two inputs on the front end of the device? 4-pin balanced XLR and 1/4 single-ended? Or does the amp not support any single-ended output?

The two “outputs” on the front of the Dac are 4pin XLR balanced and 1/4” Single ended just like you said. 

[Bimmer100]

FYI. I have posted our new drivers for the HoloAudio Spring Dac. Improved performance with dsd and pcm.

version v4.35 available for download on our website now.  Please let us know tour thoughts on this new driver!

 

 

[Bimmer100]

44 minutes ago, pkane2001 said:

 

Thanks, Tim!

 

Is this different than than the 4.36 driver some of us have been using on the SU-1 thread? That one appears to be an improvement over the Holo Spring driver we had to use previously for native DSD512 support.

 

 

Very similar driver. But the singxer driver is for the Su1. And the Holo Audio driver is for the Spring Dac or the Cyan.  You can use both of these drivers at the same time so you can do an a/b comparison of be su1 via Hdmi i2s(with Singxer v4.36)or the usb Input of the spring Dac (with Holo v4.35) versions are different so both can be loaded at same time without conflict. The v4.35 has the improved latency and real-time feedback. Dsd is slightly improved as well as pcm. Go ahead and compare two new drivers and you likely will find the difference is the Version number only. Both are nicely improved for audible improvements.

 

the Cyan will have a nice improvement with these. My wife has really enjoyed the Cyan pcm and we have used our Utopia, z1r’s, he1000v2, echobox nomad iems, fidue a83 and surprised how nice the amp is even with sensitive iems.  I’ve yet to get a little time with the dsd module. I’m putting together the enthusiast edition Cyan with photos and specifications. It will have our kitsune badging and both ladder Dac modules, upgraded fuse and a few extras. 

 

Personally I’m excited about these new drivers since I can run both the KTE Su1 ddr (Hdmi i2s) and the spring Dac (usb) simultaneously without the hassle of uninstalling or reinstalling drivers.  

But a slight improvement can be heard. Personally I don’t believe the singxer drivers were as “dramatic” or improvement  as some have said/commented. But believe there is a small improvement on my system. Who knows, maybe it is a dramatic improvement depending on source and hardware in the usb chain. 

Imho if your usb chain is well sorted than these drivers should be very little difference. Like if you are using an uptone isoregen or iFi igalvanic 3.0 along with KTEsu1 ddr or with lps1 and Jcat Femto USB card etc. all these things can help. 

 

I want to test more with HQ player since there is still a known bug with dsd native sometimes not being iniated or started when Roon and Hq Player are connected and attempting dsd512 native.  I only have his issue when using HQ player with Roon. But if using Roon alone and internal DSD native within roon than there is never issues. I’m wondering if maybe some of my settings within Hq player might be causing this. I would like to pin point the issue and wondering if others have experienced this glitch? 

 

When I use Jriver and native dsd512 it never has any issues.

 

To reiterate, it only happens when HQ player and Roon are connected. All DSP in roon is disabled. HQ player is set to do dsd512, however I don’t have my specific settings handy at this moment. I know I’m using poly-sinc-xlr-2s

 

 

 

[Bimmer100]

38 minutes ago, GUTB said:

When are the DSD Cyans going to ship?

Some have shipped already. 

But as you know, it’s the holiday season and many won’t see the Cyan until after Christmas due to the massive rush in the postal service.  We can only do our best and get them out without compromising quality. We have already sold a tremendous amount