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HOLO Audio MAY DAC

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Diavolo

Diavolo

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Quadman said:

For those of you with this dac are you able to stream dsd512 via HQplayer to it with Linux or similar version of as your servers OS?

Although I prefer pcm/1.536mhz to dsd, I can do DSD512 with relaxed and less processor intensive filters since my music server's 10-core processor doesn't have the necessary 4.5-5ghz speeds needed to do the Asdm7ec modulator and I lack an nvidia graphics card to offload some of the work.  I'm using windows 10 with roon using hqplayer as an endpoint. I run usb directly to the May Dac from the server not over the network. 

 

Honestly, lately I've not been using the hqplayer as much.  The purity of 44.1khz played natively is quite lovely with no help from hqplayer. 

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GoldenOne

GoldenOne

Posted
Posted
57 minutes ago, Quadman said:

For those of you with this dac are you able to stream dsd512 via HQplayer to it with Linux or similar version of as your servers OS?

Yes. Dsd512/pcm 768khz both work fine from Linux and Linux based streamers. 

 

Dsd1024 and pcm 1.536mhz you need Intel hardware normally. As far as if you need Windows and the asio driver or if Linux will work, I'm not sure. 

https://youtube.com/goldensound

Roon -> HQPlayer -> SMS200 Ultra/SPS500 -> Holo Audio May (Wildism Edition) -> Holo Audio Serene (Wildism Edition) -> Benchmark AHB2 -> Hifiman Susvara

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Stevem324

Stevem324

Posted
Posted

I might place an order for the May but I have a question maybe someone here can answer.  I'm currently using a Bryston BDA3 DAC with its XLR outputs going to my balanced headphone amp and its RCA outputs going to my preamp for my speaker system.  Can the Holo May have both XLR and RCA outputs connected at the same time without degrading the sound quality?  Of course I will use only set of outputs at any give time.  I've seen comments about the Denafrips Terminator Plus stating that they recommend connecting only 1 set of outputs at the same time.  My Bryston has no issues with having 2 sets of outputs connected at the same time and I don't want to lose that capability.  I saw this same question asked by Punit on Oct 25th 2020 but no one answered his question unless I missed it.  Thanks!

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GoldenOne

GoldenOne

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, Stevem324 said:

I might place an order for the May but I have a question maybe someone here can answer.  I'm currently using a Bryston BDA3 DAC with its XLR outputs going to my balanced headphone amp and its RCA outputs going to my preamp for my speaker system.  Can the Holo May have both XLR and RCA outputs connected at the same time without degrading the sound quality?  Of course I will use only set of outputs at any give time.  I've seen comments about the Denafrips Terminator Plus stating that they recommend connecting only 1 set of outputs at the same time.  My Bryston has no issues with having 2 sets of outputs connected at the same time and I don't want to lose that capability.  I saw this same question asked by Punit on Oct 25th 2020 but no one answered his question unless I missed it.  Thanks!

May is fine to connect both outputs simultaneously.
The reason its not ideal on the terminator is that the denafrips dacs do not actually have an output buffer stage. This means they have very high output impedance (1250 ohms compared to the may's 54 ohm).

So long as the amp/preamp connected to it has a high input impedance this is likely not an issue. But still quite high. 
The issue comes in when two amps are connected. If for example two amps, one with a 10kohm input impedance and one with a 25kohm input impedance were connected, the terminator would see a load of 7142Ohm. ( https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/tools/parallel-resistance-calculator/ )

Meaning the impedance ratio for the terminator would be only 5.7 : 1 (generally accepted rule of thumb is that you want 10 : 1 at least), whereas the may would be 132 : 1. No issue at all.

https://youtube.com/goldensound

Roon -> HQPlayer -> SMS200 Ultra/SPS500 -> Holo Audio May (Wildism Edition) -> Holo Audio Serene (Wildism Edition) -> Benchmark AHB2 -> Hifiman Susvara

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Quadman

Quadman

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, GoldenOne said:

Yes. Dsd512/pcm 768khz both work fine from Linux and Linux based streamers. 

 

Dsd1024 and pcm 1.536mhz you need Intel hardware normally. As far as if you need Windows and the asio driver or if Linux will work, I'm not sure. 

Thanks GoldenOne, exactly what I was looking for.  My T+A Dac8DSD has older firmware that I cannot directly flash the newer firmware to handle DSD512 with Linux.  I am curious because I believe strongly that lower overhead OS systems sound better then heavy overhead OS (windows 10 with no optimizations).  I have never tried Linux based OS but would like to as I am about to build a new intel i7-10700K based server for this purpose.

 

Has anyone compared the T+A at DSD512 with the Holo May at DSD512 (or even DSD 256 with EC modulators).  I find it hard to believe the Holo could be much better than the T+A.  I get a very large, 3D, very palpable audio Hologram with my T+A.  A walk around soundstage with specific images located within, so real and so involving.  Spooky almost.

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Stevem324

Stevem324

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I just took the leap and ordered a May KTE version to upgrade from my Bryston BDA-3.  I've been considering the May for about 6 months and I also considered a Rockna Wavelight and the Denafrips Terminator.  I think the things that weighed in favor of the May (besides all the positive reviews) is that I read a some negative comments on SBAF about the Wavelight's single ended quality and that the balanced SQ is much better.  Since I use both the RCA and XLR outputs on my Bryston, both outputs need to provide great performance.  The Denafrips has issues with when both sets of outputs are connected so that eliminates it from consideration.  I've read all the great reviews for the May including here and I'm excited to get it.   I'm expecting to wait about 6 weeks to get it and hopefully it will end up being less.

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Diavolo

Diavolo

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Hiker said:

I once waited 8 months for a beautiful piano black Supratek tube preamplifier that I sold after using it for 5 months... 

If we're sharing 😁, I waited over 6 months for my Tekton Encore speakers to be delivered.  This was a few years ago, but I got serial #1 & #2 since I commissioned them to be made for me so I knew it was going to be a long wait because they weren't even finished being designed yet.  I still love them to this day. 🔊 

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Extreme_Boky

Extreme_Boky

Posted
Posted

I ordered my May DAC L2 from Wildism Audio HK. Jo was exceptionally friendly and quick in his replies; he was replying to my emails pretty much straight away as I was clicking on "send" button.

 

But the mazing thing happened when I ordered the DAC (from Hong Kong), and then received it in Sydney... after 4-5 working days. Stunning. Jo also found time to check the unit and confirm it was working correctly before he shipped it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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lpost

lpost

Posted
Posted

Does anyone know the differences between the Wildism versions and the KTE version?

 

I don't find much if anything on the Wildism version. I've emailed Jo Jo a couple days ago but have yet to receive a reply. I don't do Facebook so that's a non-starter for me.

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GoldenOne

GoldenOne

Posted
Posted

Kitsune uses 'kitsune capacitors' (unclear what this means) 

Wildism uses mundorf/audionote/jensen capacitors. 

 

Kitsune uses fox logos, wildism uses the wildism logo. (kitsune also puts a cover on the dac modules). 

 

That's pretty much it. 

 

I think wildism might do some extra changes on their wildism extreme edition as was the case on the spring but not sure. 

 

All other stuff like silver wiring changes etc are the same for both

https://youtube.com/goldensound

Roon -> HQPlayer -> SMS200 Ultra/SPS500 -> Holo Audio May (Wildism Edition) -> Holo Audio Serene (Wildism Edition) -> Benchmark AHB2 -> Hifiman Susvara

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Hiker

Hiker

Posted
Posted
47 minutes ago, lpost said:

Ouch. Just didn’t do it for you? Hope the hit wasn’t too bad.

 

I’ve made two sales over the 20 years in this hobby where I made money and oh so many I didn’t.

The preamplifier didn’t perform to the fan based testimonials in my opinion however it sure looked nice , also had a separate matching power supply not shown ,...

A124BF2B-C2AB-4304-A838-4B333C45BD28.jpeg

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scintilla

scintilla

Posted
Posted

Call me cynical if you will, but the L3 versions from any distributor look exactly to me just like a way for a distributor to increase their profit-per-unit over factory designs with essentially cosmetic additions that are characterized as proprietary "tuning" and "voicing" which is purported to be unique and vastly improving.  Nope.  Not buying it. Jeff already knew what he was doing when he designed the May and applying lipstick for an up-sell might be smart business for the distributors for the gullible, well-heeled or neurotic but it is hardly necessary at this maturity of design; those dac covers are magnetically permeable and also will not resist RF but they sure are pretty. You spends yer moneys and you takes yer chances.  Caveat emptor.

 

image.thumb.jpeg.a4a84e289e35c7e49a6d3042fc9b2a99.jpeg

 

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