HOLO Audio MAY DAC

[Toni-Mang]

in my point of view the technical engeneering is the same in all three levels, including the usb module....from an engeneering point of view, it is difficult to comprehend that the tuning will better the sound by the amount of money you have to pay for the delta. this startet with the kte selected board, which are all within a small tolerance anyway, and leads in silver wires befor pluged in transformers and voltage switches....i belive, that the sound might be different, but is it worth the money? you have to make your own decision here...

[Quadman]

9 hours ago, BrownMagic said:

What about the tonality? Which version would be the warmer or livelier one?

Warmer would depend on your system to a great degree.  They are just musical.  The KTE (or my L2 moded similar to a KTE) is more transparent, images deeper and wider in the stage are more palpable more 3D and there.  Just more information.  My speakers are 8.5' into the room so they can throw a very large wide and deep sound stage.  I listen almost 100% to DSD (512 or 256 w ec modulators) which really benefits from speakers placed like this.  This very large sound field is just filled with the most incredible and detailed sound, so natural, dynamic and real.  I have said numerous times I have a hard time turning this system off at night, it is so good, and so compelling.  Most listening sessions run 7+ hours and it is after 3am when I finally shut the music down.

 

The L2 is just a little bit less than the KTE, @Extreme_Boky has modded equipment for many year,s improving products he has bought to match his listening tastes a bit more.  I believe he has had his L2 since around Xmas and he has yet to open this dac and make any changes, it is that good. There is no urgency to change anything.  No need to move it to the top of his to do list.  Buyers have to decide if this incremental difference is worth $700 to them.  For many buyers of the May that $700 was the price of their previous excellent Chinese dac, so it is not an insignificant amount.  In the world of Uber hi-fi $700 is nothing.  If you can afford any May you will not regret your purchase decision.  They (all 3 levels) are probably the best dac you have ever heard.  Now lets go listen some more.

[lpost]

I keep thinking to myself when does the May L3 stop improving?! Mine just crossed 1400 hours and it took a nice tick up about ~1300 hours. Amazingly good.

[Flextreme]

On 5/13/2021 at 5:18 PM, Quadman said:

.  I have said numerous times I have a hard time turning this system off at night, it is so good, and so compelling.  Most listening sessions run 7+ hours and it is after 3am when I finally shut the music down.

 

This... 😂 

 

Been messing around with HQP for months, love it to bits. Finally have adsm7ec working without drops on dsd265x: the soundstage is simply glorious on my Susvara. Before I already enjoyed the Sinc L filter on PCM, now with DSD it is even more difficult put my Susvara away: every single minute with the May DAC has been thrilling, HQP took it to a stellar level. This hobby is genuinely addictive...

 

PS running Sinc-L with adsm7ec at dsd256x is quite masochistic: having to wait almost 20 seconds for your playlist to start, or when manually changing tracks.... It is totally worth it 😂

[TA75]

Guys can someone outline an easy but audiophile way to run a HQP rig for 2 channel system in a living room setting? I am considering pairing the may with an mscaler just for ease of use.. I am currently using an innuos streamer, music stored on the hard drive play better than the same file streamed from tidal/qobuz. Cheers for any help .

[luisma]

3 hours ago, TA75 said:

Guys can someone outline an easy but audiophile way to run a HQP rig for 2 channel system in a living room setting?

If you are asking for a non techie way of accomplishing this with "off the shelf" devices and without needing to access a computer I hardly doubt you will find any. I personally have helped others to experience HQPlayer sending them small PC's running the software, some users have decided the sound is so good that they can't turn back to their former systems (including known speakers manufacturers). I have done this at no cost just because I'm friendly, I don't sell PC's, I don't sell HQPlayer and I'm not associated with the industry at all but I provide no cost advice, you can take it or leave it.

I know this is OT here, just trying to answer @TA75 question.

 

[barrows]

3 hours ago, TA75 said:

Guys can someone outline an easy but audiophile way to run a HQP rig for 2 channel system in a living room setting? I am considering pairing the may with an mscaler just for ease of use.. I am currently using an innuos streamer, music stored on the hard drive play better than the same file streamed from tidal/qobuz. Cheers for any help .

Easiest way is probably to get a server from Small Green Computer which is already set up for running HQP embedded and  Roon, and then go from there.

[ted_b]

Good suggestions but I question the somewhat redundant combo of HQPlayer and Mscaler. 

[Extreme_Boky]

7 hours ago, TA75 said:

Guys can someone outline an easy but audiophile way to run a HQP rig for 2 channel system in a living room setting? I am considering pairing the may with an mscaler just for ease of use.. I am currently using an innuos streamer, music stored on the hard drive play better than the same file streamed from tidal/qobuz. Cheers for any help .

NUC 11 with low noise power supply and OS of your choice. Use RDC to connect to NUC 11 from anywhere, which will give you the best possible, on-the-fly control of HQ Player settings. 

 

 

[Hiker]

I’m thoroughly enjoying my May KTE dac and I hate to use this worn out phrase however the best I can do with my first cup of coffee in me is , I am re-discovering my favourite music . The dac is being fed ripped CDs out of a 432 Evo Aeon server..

 

Ive logged an estimated couple hundred hours onto it and just noticed in a article a recommendation from Tim 500 hours is preferred run in time ,,Im curious what changes in sound take place ? 

[TA75]

1 hour ago, Hiker said:

I’m thoroughly enjoying my May KTE dac and I hate to use this worn out phrase however the best I can do with my first cup of coffee in me is , I am re-discovering my favourite music . The dac is being fed ripped CDs out of a 432 Evo Aeon server..

 

Ive logged an estimated couple hundred hours onto it and just noticed in a article a recommendation from Tim 500 hours is preferred run in time ,,Im curious what changes in sound take place ? 

 

Awesome, still waiting for mine. All this talk on the 432 Evo.. Do people use it mainly in 432 tuning or normal?

[Hiker]

2 minutes ago, TA75 said:

 

Awesome, still waiting for mine. All this talk on the 432 Evo.. Do people use it mainly in 432 tuning or normal?

The EVO is fairly new also I haven’t farted around with the pitch settings yet however I sure like this server.

[TA75]

41 minutes ago, Hiker said:

The EVO is fairly new also I haven’t farted around with the pitch settings yet however I sure like this server.

 

Any chance you compared it with an Innuos?

[Hiker]

36 minutes ago, TA75 said:

 

Any chance you compared it with an Innuos?

Yes I had the Innuos Zenith and Phoenix, The Innuos components are , very , very good however personally and subjectively I prefer the 432 Evo Aeon. .

[BrownMagic]

@GoldenOne During your time with the May and Pi2AES, which input on the may did you prefer? The AES or the i2S? Thanks a lot.

[GoldenOne]

Still working on my may review, but, I'll now be able to include a quick comparison between level 2 and KTE :) 

[Hiker]

2 hours ago, GoldenOne said:

Still working on my may review, but, I'll now be able to include a quick comparison between level 2 and KTE :) 

GoldenOne may I ask your go to play list for evaluating components, i may have missed that information here and your YouTube channel anyway I very much appreciate and enjoy your work ! 

[GoldenOne]

9 hours ago, Hiker said:

GoldenOne may I ask your go to play list for evaluating components, i may have missed that information here and your YouTube channel anyway I very much appreciate and enjoy your work ! 

I don't typically have a playlist for testing as such. I just have a lot of songs that I'm fairly familiar with and will pick a few depending on mood etc.

BUT, a few that I'll ALWAYS play:
Motherboard - Daft Punk
Last Call - Plini
Breathe - Skinny Living
Bitch - Sir Woman
Merry go round of life - Grissini Project

[BrownMagic]

12 hours ago, GoldenOne said:

I'll now be able to include a quick comparison between level 2 and KTE :) 

Are KTE and Wildism Level 3 the same mods? 

[GoldenOne]

1 minute ago, BrownMagic said:

Are KTE and Wildism Level 3 the same mods? 

L3 and KTE were the same for spring 2 (and then wildism extreme edition was effectively 'level 4') but idk about the May. You'd need to double check with wildism.

Wildism doesn't sell KTE though, that's a kitsune thing. Their L3 is just called L3 but then they have WEE/L4 ontop instead. Though I don't think they've done a L4 for the may yet

[BrownMagic]

1 minute ago, GoldenOne said:

Wildism doesn't sell KTE though, that's a kitsune thing. Their L3 is just called L3 but then they have WEE/L4 ontop instead.

Thanks. Yes, I’m aware that KTE is Kitsune’s mod. I checked with Jo and he mentioned that Wildism only have level 3 which possibly is the equivalent to KTE. 

[GoldenOne]

1 minute ago, BrownMagic said:

Thanks. Yes, I’m aware that KTE is Kitsune’s mod. I checked with Jo and he mentioned that Wildism only have level 3 which possibly is the equivalent to KTE. 

Ah yeah that'll be exactly the same, just probably with no Fox logo :P
L1/L2/L3 are all done straight in the factory now, they're no longer mods done at the distributors so it'll almost certainly be identical

[BrownMagic]

2 minutes ago, GoldenOne said:

they're no longer mods done at the distributors so it'll almost certainly be identical

That’s great to know. Thanks for this. We are looking forward to your review. Very keen to know which is the best input for the may. Especially with the Pi2AES since it has both AES and I2S

[GoldenOne]

8 minutes ago, BrownMagic said:

That’s great to know. Thanks for this. We are looking forward to your review. Very keen to know which is the best input for the may. Especially with the Pi2AES since it has both AES and I2S

With PLL off the differences between inputs are about the same as on any other dac. 

But with PLL on, honestly they're soooooo similar regardless of source that I absolutely cannot pick any out in a blind test, whereas I can with PLL off.

Personally I'd go either I2S if you have a good source like pi2aes, or USB given as then you have no PLL Locking time, and the May L2/L3 USB module is crazy good. Also then you can do 1.536mhz from HQPlayer

I use USB myself

[Louie]

On 5/11/2021 at 12:04 PM, Extreme_Boky said:

Even though I like native sampling rates and May working in NOS, over anything upsampled, the 1.536MHz sounds better to me, compared to 768kHz (LNS15, poly-sinc-lp).

 

On the other note (the "good enough" point, where one should stop)... I have been playing recently with minute variations with the way the common returns in my Aleph J are wired - with some truly remarkable results. 

 

I think I'll never stop :)  But, I strongly believe that only one thing should be changed, at any point in time. AND, the change should be evaluated over the long period of time (a week at least). AND the best way to see if something sounds better, is to do your daily work while the music is playing in the background, and see if you are able to do your work, or you simply have to stop and listen... 

 

It is always desirable to have a reference point (it does not need to be better than what you are evaluating); for example an extra DAC and an extra AMP, just to be able to confirm, by comparison, that you are not going off the tangent at an inappropriate angle. 

@Extreme_BokyI am using HQPe -> NAA -> Holo May, I try to upscale my PCM 44.1 wav to higher rate thru I2S, it only play at 192K or lower only. Is it possible to upscale to 768KHz?