Holo Audio Serene Preamplifier

[GoldenOne]

Just now, Buffdriver said:

Does anyone know if the Holo May DAC is Roon approved?  Can I run a cable from a Roon Nucleus+ into the May DAC out to my pre-amp and get music?

Does anyone have this?

Thanks

A DAC does not need to be roon approved to connect to a nucleus.

 

You can connect any usb DAC to the nucleus so long as it is UAC2.0 compliant (which you'd struggle to find a modern DAC that wasn't)

[Buffdriver]

Thanks – I was told by an audio store owner and “expert” that unless the DAC was Roon Ready – you couldn’t.  And I see  that Holo Audio is Roon Tested, so it should work!

You use an HQ Player I see – I just want to go direct.  So, can I then still use the various modes on the May if I buy Hi-Res music from say Qobuz?  I do generally run NOS however.

[scintilla]

23 hours ago, musicman1 said:

 

I'm running balanced XLR and nothing I know of in HQPlayer can be changed to increase the gain short of using PCM Oversampling instead of DSD Oversampling or further increasing the Volume Max setting which people do not recommend.

You can add digital gain in the pipeline.  Go to "pipeline setup" in the "Matrix" pulldown menu and you will see a list of source channels with a gain window next to each.  For most sources you will be inputing to channels 1 & 2. Add a value to channel 1 and 2 to increase gain.  I have mine boosted by 12db for my tuner for example.  You can save configurations for differen sources and just load them before listening.  This is how you gain-match.

[musicman1]

44 minutes ago, scintilla said:

You can add digital gain in the pipeline.  Go to "pipeline setup" in the "Matrix" pulldown menu and you will see a list of source channels with a gain window next to each.  For most sources you will be inputing to channels 1 & 2. Add a value to channel 1 and 2 to increase gain.  I have mine boosted by 12db for my tuner for example.  You can save configurations for differen sources and just load them before listening.  This is how you gain-match.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Does changing these values impact sound quality at all besides increasing gain?

[scintilla]

No.

[1laraz]

Is anyone using the Serene with active ATC speakers? Which XLR output (with impedance of 3 or 40 Ohm) suits best given the ATC preamplifiers have 10 Ohm output impedance?

[scintilla]

I would stick with 3ohm.

[musicman1]

On 8/7/2022 at 8:08 PM, scintilla said:

I would stick with 3ohm.

 

The manual clearly states that's a headphone output. Not sure how big of a deal that is. From what I'm reading the amplifiers input impedance should be 10X that of the Preamplifiers output impedance. If the ATC amplifier input is 400Ohms or more I would think that would be fine if you used XLR2 output.

[yyz]

I have had feedback from an owner of the Benchmark LA4 and the Holo Serene saying that they are very similar with the Serene a touch warmer. I was going to buy a second LA4 from my new Livingroom system but I am now thinking of giving the Serene a shot. Mostly for the similar form factor, since it would physically match nicely with my Musetec 005 DAC. I would place the Serene on top of the 005.

 

Anybody else compare these 2 preamps?

[Cormorant]

1 hour ago, yyz said:

Anybody else compare these 2 preamps?

 

This reviewer compares the Serene to the Benchmark HPA4 (preamp + headphone amp):

 

https://alpha-audio.net/review/review-holo-audio-serene-level-1-voorversterker/

 

"The Holo Audio Serene Level 1 is even more transparent than our Benchmark Media Systems HPA4 and allows even more music to pass through as a result. A sobering observation. "

[GUTB]

From my prior experience with HOLO it seemed to me that they don't know how to make a good-sounding analog stage. They are in the "knows digital" camp of DAC-makers. So, what about this thing? Can anyone qualify the Serene vs other well-known pres like, for example, Audio Research? I'm always willing to give manufacturers a second chance.

[GerFod]

 

It's often better not to use dsp vol control as you end up sacrificing dynamic range. Whereas a preamp like the serene will have much higher effective dynamic range (I believe its 147dB for the may). Meaning with most dacs you can attenuate by 20dB+ before you actually start losing any dynamic range across the whole system. 

 

Whereas with dsp vol control you're losing it immediately. 

[Jtrimm1]

I have an Auralic Aries G2 streamer feeding USB to my Holo May KTE with a Shunyata Sigma USB cable, so a damn good digital source with one of the best USB cables out there.  On a lark, I turned of PLL on the May, and I have to say, I think I like the sound better with it off.  Imaging seems better, more details/decay and the sound a little more analog sounding.  I’ll keep it off for a while to do more extensive listening.  I’m curious if others have tried PLL Off and noticed any difference in sound.  You have to put it in configuration mode to flip the setting (directions on how to do this are in the manual)

[Cormorant]

From Jussi:

 

USB doesn't need any PLL because the clocking is at DAC side. PLL is only needed when DAC needs to regenerate clocks from external source (S/PDIF, AES or optionally I2S). Which is not the case with USB where clock is solely at the DAC side...

 

There's not much point in DAC regenerating clock from it's own clock with PLL. It would only degrade performance.

 

Original post is here:  

 

[musicman1]

For the Serene owners can you please provide feedback on what amplifiers you have paired it with and what results you have had? I was using my Serene for additional gain with my May KTE DAC when upsampling PCM to DSD via HQPlayer because of the 6dB gain loss. I'm no longer using HQPlayer and am considering pairing the preamp with a power amp. Another option I'm looking at is just purchasing a new integrated like the Luxman L-507Z.

[1laraz]

What input sensitivity of ATC 20 ASL Pro MkII active monitors matches best with the XLR 1 output of Holo Serene  (maximum amplitude 17 Vrms, output impedance 3 Ohm)?

The input sensitivity on ATC monitors can be set to 1V or 2V via switch and adjusted additionally for each of these positions from 0 to -6 dB via rear panel pot, so the total input sensitivity ranges from 1V/+2.2dBu to 4V/+14.2dBu.

[yyz]

On 4/27/2023 at 10:23 AM, musicman1 said:

For the Serene owners can you please provide feedback on what amplifiers you have paired it with and what results you have had? I was using my Serene for additional gain with my May KTE DAC when upsampling PCM to DSD via HQPlayer because of the 6dB gain loss. I'm no longer using HQPlayer and am considering pairing the preamp with a power amp. Another option I'm looking at is just purchasing a new integrated like the Luxman L-507Z.

The combo of the Serene,  CODA #16 amp with my Yamaha NS5000 speakers is great in my Livingroom. Though I think it is the very impressive Schitt Yggi+ Less is More DAC that is the secret sauce in this mixture. I was listening to Sinead O'Connor's A Drink Before the War and had shivers with this combo. I never heard it that good before. This is a pairing I am keeping long-term though my final item to get is the PlayBack Designs second or best DAC. The Yggi+ would go to my office system or vici-versa.

 

I have also heard the Serene with a PeachTree GAN400. Another good combo with the GAN400 not really at the same class as the Serene. I am using the GAN400 has a headphone amp for my RAAL SR1a and CA-1a in the office. I no longer own this amp but I am 100% sure that the KRELL Duo 175XD would sound amazing with the Serene. In fact, I may replace the GAN400 with the Duo 175XD or Duo 300XD (both used). Cost and size of the amp keep me using the GAN400.

 

I also own the Benchmark LA4 preamp and have switched the Serene and LA4 back and forth between the office and Livingroom systems. In fact, the goal was to use the Serene in my office. However, I sit a bit off-center and the Balance Control in the LA4 ends up with a better sound than the Serene. It is not just the Balance that attracts me to the LA4. It is also a bit sharper sounding than the Serene, which for my ears is a plus. 

 

The Serene and LA4 are rather similar sounding, with the Serene a touch warmer and the LA4 a touch clearer to my ears. Not selling either, though the idea of getting the Benchmark HPA4 preamp to easily incorporate my RAAL phones made me think I needed to sell one of the LA4 or Serene. The Serene was the one I would have scarified to make that work.

 

This week, I sold the very best headphone amp for the RAAL phones, the VM-1a. I want to get close to the sound of the VM-1a in a convenient manner. The following post explains what I figured out for both the LA4 and Serene. 

 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/raal-ribbon-headphones-srh1a.890603/page-465#post-17685298

 

 

[Audioman2023]

Hi,

 

Good forum.  I received my Serene KTE yesterday and now has about 15 hours on it.  It is being used with a May KTE and driving a Parasound JC5 using the XLR2 output (XLR1 sounded a little weird in the highs).  Prior to this, I was using a XLR volume attenuator by Goldpoint.  Although the Serene sounds good, I dont find it as dynamic as the Goldpoint.  The May KTE is a very fast dac making it very dynamic.  I think this aspect has been lost with the Serene KTE.  Now I dont know if it needs to burn in some more but I in reality I know having so many transistors and other components cannot compete with a single thin film resistor in the signal path.  The Serene has added some smoothness and some oomph in the sound but I do miss the dynamics of the May KTE with the Goldpoint.  Maybe my ears will adjust or I will move the Serene to a different system.  Right now I have a few 100 hours of burn in to perform before I decide.  I love the build quality, the remote, and ease of use not to mention no BS stuff like tone controls.  Im just not sure if I will keep it in my main system as with 15 hours of burn in so far, it cant keep up with how fast and dynamic the May KTE is. 

[Audioman2023]

Some additional aspects with the Serene KTE when compared to the Goldpoint with the May KTE as an input, the vocals arent as forward and the stereo separation is greater.  Everything sounds good on the Serene.  I have about 20 hours on it and still a long way to go for it to fully open up.  

[OPM]

I received my Serene KTE on Friday and have left it on ever since.

 

I'm very disappointed. This preamp is not transparent from the source, in my case a rme adi2. It loses a lot of body, the mids and highs are very advanced with a metallic sound. now the images are sharp and narrow. The dynamics also suffer.

 

When I take it out of the way and plug the rme back into the amp, everything sounds natural again, big, thick, and dynamic.

 

I honestly can't understand people saying this preamp is source transparent.

[Shadorne]

5 hours ago, OPM said:

I received my Serene KTE on Friday and have left it on ever since.

 

I'm very disappointed. This preamp is not transparent from the source, in my case a rme adi2. It loses a lot of body, the mids and highs are very advanced with a metallic sound. now the images are sharp and narrow. The dynamics also suffer.

 

When I take it out of the way and plug the rme back into the amp, everything sounds natural again, big, thick, and dynamic.

 

I honestly can't understand people saying this preamp is source transparent.

Are you sure you aren’t overdriving the Serene with a signal that is too hot?  This sounds so terrible that it suggests something about the setup or you received a dud.

[Audioman2023]

Try the other set of xlr outputs.  I had a similar issue with xlr1 but with xlr2, it sounds much better. 

[OPM]

Yes, I'm sure. I've even powered it at -5 dBU. the result is the same.

[OPM]

1 minute ago, Audioman2023 said:

Try the other set of xlr outputs.  I had a similar issue with xlr1 but with xlr2, it sounds much better. 

I use xlr2

[Audioman2023]

The Serene isnt transparent, not even with the May KTE dac.  With all those transistors and resistors in the signal path, it's impossible to be transparent.  The truth is that there is a significant difference between Goldpoint (single thin film resistor) volume attenuator and the Serene.  It has lost a lot of dynamics but I enjoy the more powerful sound and a heftier lower end with the Serene.  The music sounds more musical.