Absolutely fantastic review! I've had my may for a while now and would struggle to describe it better than you have. The presentation of space, timbre, and sheer REALISM from this dac is completely unmatched. Other stuff like the chord dave and even dCS dacs simply don't catch up to how convincingly real this dac portrays music.
I'm biased as I have the Holo Spring KTE DAC and love it... excited to watch your May KTE take. Also rep for CheapAudioMan.. I discovered him in November '20 and love his channel... Your between 2 speakers segment was golden!
I love it when American reviewers talk about moving speakers away from the wall. I live in the UK, my living room is smaller than the average US sofa. This is of course sarcasm. I need a bigger house, this may be my most expensive audio upgrade.
Hi Ron! What about many speakers designed to take place very close to the front wall behind them. Why speaking generally the same about all speakers to place them in the same way (further in the room), when most of the vintage ones sound the best next to the wall, and still outperform many modern ones whereever you put those? Sealed boxes, front ported ones and others, for example there are the Heybrook Hb-s, the flat driver: highend Sony APM-s (8, 6, 4, 77, etc.) and Technics Sb studio monitors (8, 10, M1, M2, etc.), Audio Note E...and a lot of others. I think audiophiles mostly like vintage gear, and there is no rule for all the same placement for all kind, it depends on the pair of loudspeakers you have.
Small "drawing rooms" can be found all over the world where space is at a premium. :-) Try a "near field" (or "mid field") listening arrangement. Added advantages: you can get away with less power, have fewer "room mode" problems and you will not upset the neighbors
If you got the cash, I recommend the Kii Three active speakers or the Dutch and Dutch 8c studio monitors. You can push those bad boys right up against a wall with no ill effects. They are designed to work well in small rooms. Also they give you full frequency range from 20 hertz to 20 khz so no need for a sub woofer.
Late to the comment thread but Injust wanted to thank you for your great review. It helped me make up my mind and I bought the Maj KTE. Had it for 8 months now and I have never been so pleased with another purchase. Its wonderful at everything. The only gripe I have is the phase lock loop, it takes up to 5 seconds to lock for each new record (or track if it has another sampling rate). You miss 5 secs from the beginning of each song. Yes you van turn it off but then its said to sound worse, and I enjoy music like never before. Being an engineer I also really appreciate the build quality, weight, internal layout and the obvious care that went into selecting the components. Dont think ill ever swap DAC! LOVE IT!! Thank you!
I traded in my Spring KTE Dac on the new May KTE ,( Holo offers a generous “trade-up” option).The Spring is awesome....the May has me enjoying the “music” more. Sounds so natural and 3D, I forget it’s digital. The May DAC is the most expensive purchase I have made on a single component....I am not sorry. Tim with Kitsune was very helpful and a pleasure to do business with. Thanks, Ron for the NRD channel, I have been a subscriber since the beginning. Kevin
I am in the same position that you were Kevin. I have the the original level III Spring DAC as well. Can you provide some feedback on the differences? I'm trying to justify in my mind the upgrade.
@@falconquest2068 I really enjoyed my Spring. If you like the sound signature of the Spring Dac, I would say the May offers just a bit more. More depth of stage, more width, more “separation” of channel, if that makes sense. The instruments seem to stand alone in very definite position. All done with a relaxed, natural pace. It all seems very natural. I am not a reviewer, and don’t mean to sound like one.... I did not A/B compare the two Dacs. As I said, I really liked the Spring. Is the May twice as good? I don’t know , (diminishing returns and all that), it is a step up, in my opinion. I wouldn’t have probably never spent the $ up front without the trade up offered. I saw the upgrade to my beloved Spring and couldn’t resist! The May clicks all the boxes in my system, raised the level. Sound is such a subjective, personal experience, that’s what is so attractive, obsessive about this hobby. I certainly can’t tell you if the upgrade is worth the cost... I can only say the May is a keeper in my set up. KEF LS50 Metas, SMC audio “signature “ amp and pre, Auralic Femto, (1st gen) streamer with X-Booster LPS and Cambridge transport. Audio Art cables. My smallish room is well treated with bass traps and diffusion.
@@kevinsilvernale6953 Thanks for the response Kevin. I not only enjoy the sound of the Spring but I also really like the looks. That bronze color is so rare in audio (not that looks are important of course.) I congratulate you on your upgrade.
@@commane21 yes... I know this flies in the face of standard “audiophile wisdom”. I recently sold my Spatial Audio M4 Triode speakers and replaced them with the new KEF LS50 Metas. The KEFs really reward quality electronics and are a great fit for my room. I may replace them with floor standers in the future if my plans for a larger space materialize, but for now, these stand mounts are sublime for a$2,300.00 investment, (with KEF stands and ISO-Accoustic Gaia feet)
I am about 2 weeks into it with the May KTE. I previously had been using a Yggdrasil (A2) for a couple years which I like very much & have moved it to a different rig. The step the May KTE brings to the table is staggering. The tracks where the Yggy would struggle a little to separate a crowded space is where I think the May excels as it's as if it has assumed control to put every instrument, sound effect, vocal in a separate space on the track so you get to hear all of it clearly. Sometimes audio components make a slight improvement or none at all to whatever you're replacing it with but the May is a major improvement from the Yggy which is no slouch in its own right. Holo recommends 500 hours for full burn-in...I honestly don't know how the sound could improve from where it is now but if this baby evolves to a greater level I'm ready. Hail to the May King.
I had the Yggy A2 as well. Very nice DAC, which can be end game for many. It makes a good measuring stick to compare cheaper and more expensive DAC's. I'd love to hear the May someday in my system.
You are correct 16/44.1 Red Book standard IS probably all you need, My son & I removed the 16bit oversampling chip known as a NOS conversion my 1980's Philips CD104 + I bought a reclocking chip set & fixed earthing issues, the result was so good my son did another NOS conversion + reclock etc for me on a CD104 I bought. These 2 CD104's running 14 bit as Philips engineers originally intended sound analogue but detailed and layered those who have heard them say preferable when compared to some CD players up to $2500. I appreciate this is a CD player but can be extrapolated to a DAC .
I took a chance based on your review and GoldenSounds review. I honestly was hesitant as I had a few DACs and for the most part they sounded similar to me. On some tracks the Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD sounded better with CDs. When I bought the Holo May KTE and connected it to my Sony, the sound was better by a bit but I was thinking I was right that DACs don't matter that much or I have tin ears. Then I hooked it up via USB to a music server and was totally blown away. The USD allows the DAC's clock to be the master. So to people that have the May or thinking of using the May do yourself a favor and connect the source via USB
Your finest DAC review yet. I wish you were at this level of description when you reviewed the Bifrost 2, but I'm glad you touched on it here. The Holo May is the money's-no-object DAC of my dreams.
Great review Ron! One of your best. On the DAC discovery journey myself and considering the Denafrips T2 as well as the dCS Bartok and new Lina. Now here is another contender with Holo May. Currently running the Denafrips Pontus with dCS Network Bridge DDC re-clocker and wondered which space I could achieve next. So exciting audiophile journey. Thanks again.
I've read most of the reviews on dacs under 10k for quite some time. It seems that this one stands out to most experienced audiophiles reviewing and listening to a lot of gear. This is my end game dac for that reason.
The May defeats most Dacs above 10k as well. If it was sold through a retailer like most hifi gear, it would be marked up to around 18k. And even then still be best in class.
Great review, Ron! I might be going for the Spring 3 KTE with pre-amp. It’ll be the most expensive component I’ve ever bought! It’s going to hurt! But “no pain, no gain” is a very reliable principle, even in hifi. I’ve baulked at components due to cost a couple of times, and I’ve always regretted it.
Great review. First, I love your introductory statements about the importance of speaker placement. So much performance is wasted if speaker placement and room treatments are not properly dealt with. I had the Terminator, and now have Terminator Plus and Gaia DDC. I'd love to compare May KTE in my system. In the sonic areas you highlight- decay, air, extension, sound stage depth and width and layering, when the Terminator Plus clock output is engaged to the upstream Gaia DDC, these specific sonic aspects are taken to a much higher level (and they are already stellar with just the Terminator Plus alone). If someone wants to send a May KTE my way, I'd be happy to compare for the sake of our knowledge base :)
he had made the review of the original terminator (non the T2 o Tplus).. so, it should be fine to compare the newest terminator II with the holo audio may
Ron this was your best review yet. Just want you to know I’ll likely never pay $5k for a single component but my BorderPatrol DAC just arrived earlier this week and so far I’m blissfully happy. Regardless, I loved learning about the Holo Audio May DAC and hearing your thoughts.
To me, the May KTE is an work of ART, every single aspect of SQ is perfect, and most importantly it always conveys the emotion of the music. Incredible. I now own the May KTE for 2 weeks, it is a piece of Art. Let me add some of my personal experience, which can be interesting for future owners. BTW; Really great perspective Ron, different from all the other reviews, this is refreshing. The may DAC USB implementation is first class, I run it directly connected to my electrical noisy AMD PC, connected with the Audioquest Carbon USB and a Audioquest Jitterbug. It is so good I hardly hear a difference with the stock USB cable. Many reviewers and owners report to get best results using a straightforward USB connection, without the need for expensive DDC or USB reclockers and active filters. Many even prefer the straight USB to IS2 and other inputs. To me that is a fantastic benefit of the May DAC because there is no need to invest additional hardware to get the best out of the KTE. Also, I love the fact that its output impedance is very low (about 50 ohm) in comparison to Denafrips for instance. My Topping A90 headphone amp only has about 2000 ohm input impedance. All Denafrips and Musician have an output impedance of 1250 ohm, which results in a considerably lower volume (-5db) with my A90 amp, it really felt I was missing out on dynamic headroom. The May should be compatible with most amps. The May balanced output voltage is actually pretty high, so typically the May will sound louder in comparison to many other DACs. Luckily my A90 amp does not have any issues with this. What an incredible dopamine monster this is. The one thing I did not appreciate (don't worry, this story has a happy ending, and seems to be exclusive to me, just do not make my mistake) was the burn-in process: First 4 days were bliss and pure excitement for what is to come, then 5 days of ‘hell’. Thing is, after the first 4 days, I wished for more energy in the treble. I got what I wished for. :) That day, within hours this KTE became physically extremely hot (way hotter than normal), and so became its sound, mostly harsh, 2d, flat and boring, and seriously tiring. What the F***. Ok, this is the burn-in process... But after 5 days it still was cold, harsh and tiring. I was genuinely afraid I had blown a Cap. Even went back to the dealer (so lucky to have the excellent Magnahifi only 45 min drive away) and compared my KTE to their Demo May Level II. The 'out-of-control' sound had already diminished a bit, unplugging the May for a couple of hours seemingly made a difference already. Even though my KTE was still sounding a little hot and unbalanced, I clearly prefered my KTE to the demo May L2. Conclusion, I needed to be patient. Back home, within 24 hours my KTE found its balance and magic again. The May 'burn in' process is a different beast for me, never experiencing such extreme changes in sound signature. Using 24/7 pink noise and maximum loudness mastered techno tracks, in hindsight, I do think now my burn-in strategy was too much for the May. This works excellent for speakers but probably not for r2r DACs. Long story short: use a variety of music and don’t try to force the burn in process, and once in a while, give the May a short break to cool down and settle. I'm so happy and grateful to experience IMHO this work of Art that the Holo Audio May KTE is. I look forward to the remaining 200 hours of burn in (500 is recommended?!). Also, before I got the May, I was wondering if the May has PRaT… Now I own the May KTE, and after 14 days of burn-in, I can safely say: it is incredible in PRaT department. Before I got into the serious headphone game this year, I had a complete NAIM range in my living room. Naim knows PRaT, is famous for it, let me tell you, the May KTE owns Naim in the PRaT department.
I was honestly a little scared before I got the May KTE, as I returned the excellent Pegasus Musician r2r DAC, because the one thing missing for me was PRaT (and Bass), especially on my A90 amp. Because the May soundstage is huge, I was wondering if it could sound 'distant' and too polite. I thought maybe this is typical for r2r DACs, but luckily the May proved me wrong.
How does it have PRaT? First off, the dynamic contrast is incredible in the complete frequency range, bass is supremely rich but also contoured and fast with slam. Percussion nicely jumps out the mix with perfect fast but natural transients, incredible detail, but never forcing it or fatiguing. All melodies flow with intent and joy, instruments have body and detail, PRaT is truly effortless, never forced. Fast music seems to sound faster, slow music seems even more relaxed.
Coming from the Topping D90 Dac, which is great VFM and fun to listen to, the May KTE really has fulfilled all I ever wanted from a digital source. I do not care about vinyl, but now I understand why an ‘analogue’ sound is so important to many audiophiles. If you loved music, and your budget allows it, this DAC is a must listen.
Never have I been blown away by an audiophile upgrade like the May KTE. It is almost magical in its musical delivery and so freaking perfect in all aspects of sound quality: detail, soundstage, imaging, PRaT, body, soul, dynamics, resolution, excitement, neutrality, calmness and musicality in all frequencies are simply unmatched. As a result, the KTE will emotionally connect you without any effort to the music; get a box of Kleenex, you May (pun intended) tear up when you hear your favourite music.
I’m a long time subscriber now. Loved your review and your entertaining description of what to listen for and how to listen. Really first rate. My question is about the doe-rae-me you need to buy this and surround it with the gear you need to hear what you’re describing. I’m also not sure my ear is sophisticated enough. My system is relatively hi end to me, but the most I’d spend on a DAC is the $700 I spent for Schiit Bifrost 2. I guess it’s diminishing returns...
CAM is the man! Ron thanks for playing along with him. It's great to have both of you reviewing gear. I'm going to sponsor a review with my custom speaker cables - wait for it. Hahahaha
Ron, I wasn't too sure about your channel, but you seemed like a solid guy, so I subscribed. I'm glad I did. While I thought your early reviews were OK, by the time of the elac unifi 2.0 review they became tight, organized and comprehensive. Really well done. Then I saw this review. Your explanation of soundstage made me realize what I was missing from my mytek brooklyn bridge. Long story short, modified the sumiko method with LOTS and am reveling in Norah Jones Daybreak. Got the performance (2/3 increase in soundstage depth) from my unifi 1.0 towers AND the transients. Apparently you need room for sustain and decay. Thanks a lot for your good work. Cheers! PS: can't wait for unifi reference.
There are two pairs of transformers in the power supply - the hand wound ones and the lower voltage ones in the blue finned cases. Four separate toroidal (generically in the shape of a torus) - for a DAC. Impressive! Between this review and Golden Sound, I am convinced. Since the first gen CDs that promised "perfect sound forever" - we have come a very, very, long way.
So just before the 17:00 mark. You said exactly what I feel and hear to be correct. I'm not using that DAC in the review BUT, I do have a cheapo S.M.S.L m500. Which I am NOT comparing to this DAC by any means. What I am getting at is, this DAC does its best work on 16/44.1. I routinely look at my speakers they are connected to. Which are Klipsch "The Sixes", and this DAC when I clearly hear beauty in the music track I'm randomly playing. It is MOST of the time, during playback of 16/44. There are tracks (I use Tidal) that are higher Q, all up to its max of 24/192. That do sound VERY good. However, more often than I would expect it to be. The CD quality track sounds FANTASTIC. From very low volume to all the way up. Much more often than any of the MQA files do. I fully believe you when you say, that DAC does its best work at 16/44. Because if this super lowend DAC sounds good at it as well. This Holo must be UNBELIEVABLE! :)
GREAT VIDEO. I enjoy your videos. Keep us informed for 2021. I want to hear this for myself I am on the hunt for a DAC. I wish Innuos would build an I2S output. The sound is amazing with this connection. I can speak to this from my own rig. Jay Audio CD transport taught me this valuable observation. My humble opinion.
I couldn't agree more Ron. If God forbid my record collection was lost, I wouldn't even attempt to replace it as the Holo is that good. This hooked up to the CEC transport is so natural sounding I could give up records, I would put it up against anything at any price. As for the Terminator, I don't think it's in the league of the Holo, I'd even give up the separate power supply & get the single chassis Spring KTE unit & you might be surprised how close it actually is.
Hi Ron, appreciate your angle on things, which is different from others. I found that a Puritan power conditioner (PS107-DC) also made a profound impact in my nearfield system with respect to soundstage, depth, layering and pitch black background (Harbeth P3ESR with Heed Elixir). So for me it is pretty clear that the quality and noise of the power supply also plays a big role in this when you have a revealing setup. This seems to be a killer dac, but unfortunately out of my budget as well. I hope you can compare the Spring as well!
Certainly there are the vast majority who have their speakers against the front wall by no choice of their own. That said, if you could hear a sound stage 30 feet deep with the layering that's possible, even from CD, some of you would be looking for a different house or putting up a free standing building near by. It has a way of changing your priorities, and empowering you to find ways to make it happen. For those who live in close quarters, get yourself an amplifier that can make speakers vanish, and listen near field in the center of your room. It is possible to toe -in speakers1.5 meters from your face, shut your eyes and become transported into a 3D space three times the size of your actual room. All it takes is a great source like this one, a great SET amplifier without negative feedback and the willingness to pull your speakers into the room for a night.
Happy New Year Ron. Love the very clear and articulate review. We come for the eloquent hyperbole. ;¬) Did you have a chance to try the Chord Hugo TT2 with the Upscaler? Would love to hear your reaction. Definitely with you that the network bridge or whatever feeds the DAC matters. Greetings to you and yours.
My first CD player sounded like it had a blocked nose compared to vinyl but that was better than others that sounded like tin cans. I never thought possible CD quality could ever catch up. This is great news.
Randy turned me onto your channel. I've been subscribed to him from the start. The Between the Speakers spoof you guys did was hysterical. Great improv! Your takes were genius, the whole concept was brilliant! You mentioned listening techniques in a previous video about speaker placement. I've been a stereo/audiophile 50 yrs. You understand LISTENING! great shout out to The Cheap Audioman! Btw you neglected Andrew Robinson!!
Thank you, I always wonder with digital there seems all to well trade-offs: sibilance, digital glare, listening fatigue, lack of bass/lower clarity, and cramped presentation with full complex music signal. Most seem to be immune to it.
Agreed on the 16/44.1 Redbook. It can sound outstanding. I've heard other file formats that also sound great, but none of them sound great only because of the file format difference. It was the humble, filterless/NOS DAC that finally brought to me good-sounding digital after years of suffering an acute case of digitalitis even with very pricey, widely well-regarded digital rigs; over-etched, hissing, tonally bleached, dynamically flat. Today, there's all kinds of great sounding digital; it's never been better. Also, agreed on what's upstream of the DAC, even a really competent DAC. DACs won't always just sort it out. For a long time I'd always used some kind of "jitter" filter, like an Audio Alchemy DTI Pro32, Genesis Digital Lens, or Monarchy DIP 24/96. I took these out of the chain as DAC input tech got better, but with a bit of experimentation more recently, changing DAC feeds did change the final sonic output. I also LOVE that you didn't do the all-too-routine bass/mid/treble thing. It may also be useful to expunge things like the "V-curve". There's much more to sonics and attempts at helpful sonic description. Nearly 40 years of "perfect sound forever" and we still haven't gotten there ever. Though it is getting better and better.
While I've not heard the Terminator or the May, I do own a Denafrips Venus II. And yes, I *do* hear the things you've mentioned: dimensional sound, decay in the time domain, ...the air, the blank canvas. Pitting the Venus II against the Holo Spring in my system showed just how much *more* the Venus adds to the soundscape than the Spring. I, like most probably, can't see myself spending the money on a flagship model (from either Denafrips, Holo Audio, or anyone else). But, considering how blown away I am/was with Venus II, I'd love to know what it is I'm missing. Use all the colorful language you want, Ron, there's just no substitute for what enters your ears (though I applaud your efforts to help folks critically listen).
Hi James. I also have Venus II DAC and I am pretty happy with sound, however, I never heard Spring DAC, but it was one of the last two DACs I was considering. So do you think I made a good decision? Can you please describe in what else (except for soundstage) was Venus II better? What about alleged "analog" sound of Holo audio compared to Venus II? Thanks.
The guy at "Passion for Sound" reviewed both Holo Spring and Holo May found a huge difference in favour of the May. One obvious reason is the Spring is a single "stereo" Dac and the May is a "dual mono" Dac. The huge difference is also audible on demo tracks in youtube.
Hey Ron, Great video. I was wondering if you are still planning on reviewing the spring Dac? I remember thinking I saw it in the background of one video and was wondering what is happening with that one? A great dac to review based on the pricepoint and it being kind of a mini-may.
Randy "The Cheapaudioman" is great and love the show. He got me over to this show which as cool as your stuff is these are dream things only and never would personally buy. However as you said Randy is reviewing things that I could buy. It's like yes the Ferrari is cool but I'm more like what's the best minivan I can get, lol. Both of you keep up the GREAT WORK!
@@Newrecordday2013 thank you! I love your channel and was considering the Denafrips Terminator as well as the May KTE. I'm taking your lead and placing an order for the May KTE.
I also would be interested in his review of PS Audio Directstream. I have a DirectStream Jr DAC and think it sounds wonderful...very close to analogue sound. Deep bass compared to many other DACs. Wonder how this May DAC compares. I also have Esoteric K-05 SACD and the DAC in there is also very good.
I owned a PS Audio DS. Particularly with the latest firmware released in 2021, it is an excellent DAC. When fully burned in, the Holo May KTE is a whole other level. See my separate comment on this video re: burn in experience.
Great review as always. Re;16bit 44.1; Peter Qvortrup (audio note) sites conversations with one of digital's key creators, and also experiments producing identical (as possible) DACs with different rates, in concluding 16bit 44.1 is indeed as good as it gets (with increased sample rates bringing a new set of 'problems'**). His blind panel championing a 12* bit DAC above an 18 bit. There are a few interviews/talks kicking about discussing this which give more accurate details. have posted on this before - seems a very little discussed topic (aside from 'more is better'!). *originally typed 14 bit - found interview - it's 12! **apparently going up 'loses dynamics, increases noise while increasing frequency response'. Going down; visa versa. '16/44.1 is the mathematical equilibrium (ergo best compromise) which cannot be changed'.
Have you tried the Terminator Plus?How does this DAC perform with DSD? I am currently using the Holo Audio Spring DAC with Jensen caps - a very good sounding DAC.
Hi Ron. really enjoyed your review of the May DAC. Keep it up! Also wondering when you will be releasing your Holo Spring 3 review video? I am on the fence about getting one and would love to hear your descriptions as well. Thanks!
That visual demonstration is what I experienced with the hugoTT2 and the mscaler stack, great explanation, good to know there is a alternative dac out there that has a similar presentation, because it gives me hope that maybe someday that level of performance may become actually affordable.
I very nearly ordered the May! I was so lucky I got the T+A D200 DAC instead. Both are excellent but T+A is newer and it sounds sublime on DSD with NOS.
I have an Aries II. I originally bought it for my desktop PC, but put it in my big system just to try it out. To make a long story short, I ended up selling my $6k DAC and keeping the Aries II in my big system as a result of this experiment. Now I'm searching for a higher end R-2R DAC. On the list: Terminator, Terminator +, Holo May DAC, MSB Discrete DAC. Any chance you'll get your hands on a Terminator plus or MSB Discrete DAC for comparison?
I have the Holo May KTE since Xmas eve and can say it is exactly as described in the review. I also had an Ares2 just try an R2R DAC before I spent more cash on a higher R2R. Compared to the Ares2 the May KTE has the higher treble, micro details, better soundstage and very fast response. Happy customer even though it was very pricey here in Australia.
Hey Ron, I also would like to know if you ever had the chance to listen to the Tambaqui! By the way, I don't know where I had my eyes that I only found your great TH-cam channel a few days ago. Your reviews are the best I have ever listened to or read, you are transporting extremely good what you like and dislike extremely well!
This describes a lot of the things I hear in my 29 year old Wadia 15 DAC (and don't hear in most of the other Sub 2000buck DACs I've owned or borrowed). The space in the room, and the difference between loud and silence and the speed with which it can transition. Mind you I suppose if you think about it that DAC was approx. 8000 dollars back in 1992 so it was more expensive than a lot of people would have spent on their cars back then!
It's nice that digital is finally catching up with old analogue. What we need is the guys with the reference turntables to digitise their rare mint collections. Way better than the remasters from 30 to 50 year old tapes.
Listened yesterday to the Audio GD R8 Mk2 and the Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE (level 3). And like you described, it has great 3D, staging, and very natural sound. The R8 mk2 is a fair bit cheaper, couldn’t match the Spring 3. Just like you, I am wondering if the Spring 3 level 2 comes close enough to the KTE level 3, so the price gap between the R8 and Spring 3 is smaller
I have no doubt this is king (especially under $5k), and if I won the lotto I'd have one on order immediately (along with a lot of other gear...). But I can't wrap my head around having a DAC that's more expensive than my speakers or amp (doesn't seem balanced). Since you already have a relationship with Schiit Audio wondering if you could review their Yggdrasil one day, at around half the price I don't expect it to beat this but many people love it for it's $2449 price. There's a lot of reviews online but most are 2-4 years old and there has been upgrades to the DAC (both analog output, firmware and USB input) since then. I don't think I've seen a review with all the upgrades... The only bad thing about reviewing one is most owners do say it needs to be powered on 7days+ to sound good (and when cold it sounds bad)
Having owned both Yggy v1 and v2, I think yggy v1 is better. V2 made it overall warmer, which wasn't good, because it was already a touch warm in v1 version. Yggy was competitive when it first launched too at $2500. It's overpriced now. I'd never buy it MSRP. Finding one used for $1500 is a good deal. There's still $1500 dacs you might like more than yggy even if you did find it used. Like Soekris 1541, used Prism Callia, few options
To me Time domain and decay rates in my own words is equivalent to "echo" for a lack of a better terminology. On one track Mindi Abair walks across the stage and one can literally hear the echos from her footsteps as she goes from the left speaker to the right while the next footstep introduces itself and the last echo of the previous one disappears. Wild. Another is a rain stick with glass beads. Most units will give you a general "SHHHH" sound while a great one will individually separate each glass bead as it's tipped over. Can't speak to an ultra unit but that what I'm getting from the synergy between my rig and speakers. It's not expensive bit it just simple works as one solid unit. Great review.👍
do you think you could take some sort of reference headphone and do a DAC comparison with that neumann binaural head you have? awesome review btw, I've been waiting for this one!
Kitsune? Holo? Is someone a spice and wolf fan??? Awesome breakdown of the gear. I may not ever spend $5k on a dac, but the information gleaned from this and details on similarly scaled gear goes a long way at how listening to gear up and down the scale can be approached and really helps expectation-setting when looking to purchase new gear.
@The Nash: - love your comment - HOWEVER, you might as well know that 'kitsune' is the Japanese word for 'FOX,' not 'wolf'. The Japanese word "Holo' has mythological references to wolves, being venerated in Japanese culture as a form of wolf deity, and she is ALSO a minor deity of harvests (is that where you make the connection with spices?) and is also known for shape-shifting.
Thanks for your very straight forward review. Obviously this thing really spoke to you. In your opinion what integrated amp would pair well with this dac?
this was amazing.... you seemed so sad at the end of the review. I'm sad that I can't afford it right now, also sad when the top has been reached!!!! PLEASE get the cheaper Spring and let us all know it it's close.
Darn, you scared me there for a moment...I was thinking, "I'm not that bad, am I?" Oh, Cheap Audio Man. Whew! LOL. Great video Ron, thank you for the subscribe this week! I love your visual illustration, just awesome.
I recently heard what you describe as pitch black backgrounds with my new NAD T778 streaming from Tidal and using the internal DAC. It was a WOW moment for me as I had never heard that before. With the NAD you get OLED TV level blacks! It blew my mind when I first heard that.
Checked out their website and the less expensive "Spring Dac" is very interesting. I'd love to see that DAC compared to the Denafrips or even the Schiit Bifrost.
Great review. I guess the real, more fair comparison would be the Holo Audio May against the Denafrips Terminator Plus. It is a definite step up from the base Terminator...albeit about a grand more.
Thanks for the GREAT review! Not sure whether I should get the HOLO May KTE or the new Denafrips Terminator Plus? Anyone got a chance to compare these two DACs? Dose the Denafrips Terminator Plus also have the PLL function that the HOLO May offers?
Absolutely fantastic review! I've had my may for a while now and would struggle to describe it better than you have. The presentation of space, timbre, and sheer REALISM from this dac is completely unmatched. Other stuff like the chord dave and even dCS dacs simply don't catch up to how convincingly real this dac portrays music.
Finding this comment by you here is like getting a delivery of the best DAC I can afford.
I've only got 213 hours on mine. Ron did a great job describing what this machine does. I understand it only gets better from here. Amazing.
You are saying that it is better than a BArtok dCS? Have you compared it face to face?
How do you think it can compare to a HUGO TT@ + M-Scaler?
@@trun1979 GoldenSound said in his review he prefers the May to the Dave and mscaler.
I'm biased as I have the Holo Spring KTE DAC and love it... excited to watch your May KTE take. Also rep for CheapAudioMan.. I discovered him in November '20 and love his channel... Your between 2 speakers segment was golden!
I love it when American reviewers talk about moving speakers away from the wall.
I live in the UK, my living room is smaller than the average US sofa.
This is of course sarcasm. I need a bigger house, this may be my most expensive audio upgrade.
I hear ya man!
Hi Ron!
What about many speakers designed to take place very close to the front wall behind them. Why speaking generally the same about all speakers to place them in the same way (further in the room), when most of the vintage ones sound the best next to the wall, and still outperform many modern ones whereever you put those? Sealed boxes, front ported ones and others, for example there are the Heybrook Hb-s, the flat driver: highend Sony APM-s (8, 6, 4, 77, etc.) and Technics Sb studio monitors (8, 10, M1, M2, etc.), Audio Note E...and a lot of others.
I think audiophiles mostly like vintage gear, and there is no rule for all the same placement for all kind, it depends on the pair of loudspeakers you have.
Small "drawing rooms" can be found all over the world where space is at a premium. :-) Try a "near field" (or "mid field") listening arrangement. Added advantages: you can get away with less power, have fewer "room mode" problems and you will not upset the neighbors
If you got the cash, I recommend the Kii Three active speakers or the Dutch and Dutch 8c studio monitors. You can push those bad boys right up against a wall with no ill effects. They are designed to work well in small rooms. Also they give you full frequency range from 20 hertz to 20 khz so no need for a sub woofer.
lol
Late to the comment thread but Injust wanted to thank you for your great review. It helped me make up my mind and I bought the Maj KTE. Had it for 8 months now and I have never been so pleased with another purchase. Its wonderful at everything.
The only gripe I have is the phase lock loop, it takes up to 5 seconds to lock for each new record (or track if it has another sampling rate). You miss 5 secs from the beginning of each song. Yes you van turn it off but then its said to sound worse, and I enjoy music like never before.
Being an engineer I also really appreciate the build quality, weight, internal layout and the obvious care that went into selecting the components. Dont think ill ever swap DAC!
LOVE IT!! Thank you!
Ron, this video is you at your best. Great work.
This is audiophile education, a rare thing.
I traded in my Spring KTE Dac on the new May KTE ,( Holo offers a generous “trade-up” option).The Spring is awesome....the May has me enjoying the “music” more. Sounds so natural and 3D, I forget it’s digital. The May DAC is the most expensive purchase I have made on a single component....I am not sorry. Tim with Kitsune was very helpful and a pleasure to do business with.
Thanks, Ron for the NRD channel, I have been a subscriber since the beginning.
Kevin
I am in the same position that you were Kevin. I have the the original level III Spring DAC as well. Can you provide some feedback on the differences? I'm trying to justify in my mind the upgrade.
@@falconquest2068 I really enjoyed my Spring. If you like the sound signature of the Spring Dac, I would say the May offers just a bit more. More depth of stage, more width, more “separation” of channel, if that makes sense. The instruments seem to stand alone in very definite position. All done with a relaxed, natural pace. It all seems very natural. I am not a reviewer, and don’t mean to sound like one.... I did not A/B compare the two Dacs. As I said, I really liked the Spring. Is the May twice as good? I don’t know , (diminishing returns and all that), it is a step up, in my opinion. I wouldn’t have probably never spent the $ up front without the trade up offered. I saw the upgrade to my beloved Spring and couldn’t resist! The May clicks all the boxes in my system, raised the level. Sound is such a subjective, personal experience, that’s what is so attractive, obsessive about this hobby. I certainly can’t tell you if the upgrade is worth the cost... I can only say the May is a keeper in my set up. KEF LS50 Metas, SMC audio “signature “ amp and pre, Auralic Femto, (1st gen) streamer with X-Booster LPS and Cambridge transport. Audio Art cables. My smallish room is well treated with bass traps and diffusion.
@@kevinsilvernale6953 Thanks for the response Kevin. I not only enjoy the sound of the Spring but I also really like the looks. That bronze color is so rare in audio (not that looks are important of course.) I congratulate you on your upgrade.
"The May DAC is the most expensive purchase I have made on a single component." Does this include speakers?
@@commane21 yes... I know this flies in the face of standard “audiophile wisdom”. I recently sold my Spatial Audio M4 Triode speakers and replaced them with the new KEF LS50 Metas. The KEFs really reward quality electronics and are a great fit for my room. I may replace them with floor standers in the future if my plans for a larger space materialize, but for now, these stand mounts are sublime for a$2,300.00 investment, (with KEF stands and ISO-Accoustic Gaia feet)
I am about 2 weeks into it with the May KTE. I previously had been using a Yggdrasil (A2) for a couple years which I like very much & have moved it to a different rig. The step the May KTE brings to the table is staggering. The tracks where the Yggy would struggle a little to separate a crowded space is where I think the May excels as it's as if it has assumed control to put every instrument, sound effect, vocal in a separate space on the track so you get to hear all of it clearly. Sometimes audio components make a slight improvement or none at all to whatever you're replacing it with but the May is a major improvement from the Yggy which is no slouch in its own right. Holo recommends 500 hours for full burn-in...I honestly don't know how the sound could improve from where it is now but if this baby evolves to a greater level I'm ready. Hail to the May King.
I had the Yggy A2 as well. Very nice DAC, which can be end game for many. It makes a good measuring stick to compare cheaper and more expensive DAC's. I'd love to hear the May someday in my system.
You are correct 16/44.1 Red Book standard IS probably all you need, My son & I removed the 16bit oversampling chip known as a NOS conversion my 1980's Philips CD104 + I bought a reclocking chip set & fixed earthing issues, the result was so good my son did another NOS conversion + reclock etc for me on a CD104 I bought. These 2 CD104's running 14 bit as Philips engineers originally intended sound analogue but detailed and layered those who have heard them say preferable when compared to some CD players up to $2500. I appreciate this is a CD player but can be extrapolated to a DAC .
I took a chance based on your review and GoldenSounds review. I honestly was hesitant as I had a few DACs and for the most part they sounded similar to me. On some tracks the Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD sounded better with CDs. When I bought the Holo May KTE and connected it to my Sony, the sound was better by a bit but I was thinking I was right that DACs don't matter that much or I have tin ears. Then I hooked it up via USB to a music server and was totally blown away. The USD allows the DAC's clock to be the master. So to people that have the May or thinking of using the May do yourself a favor and connect the source via USB
Your finest DAC review yet. I wish you were at this level of description when you reviewed the Bifrost 2, but I'm glad you touched on it here. The Holo May is the money's-no-object DAC of my dreams.
Great review Ron! One of your best. On the DAC discovery journey myself and considering the Denafrips T2 as well as the dCS Bartok and new Lina. Now here is another contender with Holo May. Currently running the Denafrips Pontus with dCS Network Bridge DDC re-clocker and wondered which space I could achieve next. So exciting audiophile journey. Thanks again.
"turds wrapped in razor blades" LMAO priceless. There should be a New Record Day coffee mug, shirt and posters etc!
Well You convinced me to buy a Holo May Kitsune Thanks I love it, truly amazing keep up the great reviews. thanks again
Excellent video. Was a fun experience to watch and absorb the information.
I've read most of the reviews on dacs under 10k for quite some time. It seems that this one stands out to most experienced audiophiles reviewing and listening to a lot of gear. This is my end game dac for that reason.
The May defeats most Dacs above 10k as well. If it was sold through a retailer like most hifi gear, it would be marked up to around 18k. And even then still be best in class.
@@connorduke4619 I agree
16/44.1 with good recording is marvelous...100% agree
Great review, Ron! I might be going for the Spring 3 KTE with pre-amp. It’ll be the most expensive component I’ve ever bought! It’s going to hurt! But “no pain, no gain” is a very reliable principle, even in hifi. I’ve baulked at components due to cost a couple of times, and I’ve always regretted it.
You won’t regret it.
Great analogy for the audio detail emerging across the spectrum with proper attention to aperture focus! Great review!
I love that you are one of the very few that review some high end gear! we need more of that! more 3-4 - 10k gear please!
Man this was beyond a product review. Thanks for the extra information and the visual representation. Well done 👊🏻
Where’s the divorce papers?
Thanks for the shout out to Randy... Think he does a great job, honestly a lot of your gear is out of my price range but love to watch anyway!
Great review. First, I love your introductory statements about the importance of speaker placement. So much performance is wasted if speaker placement and room treatments are not properly dealt with. I had the Terminator, and now have Terminator Plus and Gaia DDC. I'd love to compare May KTE in my system. In the sonic areas you highlight- decay, air, extension, sound stage depth and width and layering, when the Terminator Plus clock output is engaged to the upstream Gaia DDC, these specific sonic aspects are taken to a much higher level (and they are already stellar with just the Terminator Plus alone). If someone wants to send a May KTE my way, I'd be happy to compare for the sake of our knowledge base :)
Great review. Love the sarcasm as well! LOL! I like that it has separate power supplies and is fully balanced.
Ron, can you tell how close or distant is the Terminator-II from the Holo May.. is it 70, 80, 80% close to it ? Thanks and wonderful review Sr.
he had made the review of the original terminator (non the T2 o Tplus).. so, it should be fine to compare the newest terminator II with the holo audio may
Randy is hilarious. I LMAO watching you two between two speakers. Not sure how anyone didn’t get it. Keep it up!
Ron this was your best review yet. Just want you to know I’ll likely never pay $5k for a single component but my BorderPatrol DAC just arrived earlier this week and so far I’m blissfully happy. Regardless, I loved learning about the Holo Audio May DAC and hearing your thoughts.
Border Patrol is a fine drink in itself👍
@@vaneast411 thank you. Very happy with the BP DAC. Kept me up very late last night.
What a KICK-ASS review! You really know your stuff and have an extraordinary ability to convey it masterfully. Thank you.
To me, the May KTE is an work of ART, every single aspect of SQ is perfect, and most importantly it always conveys the emotion of the music. Incredible. I now own the May KTE for 2 weeks, it is a piece of Art. Let me add some of my personal experience, which can be interesting for future owners.
BTW; Really great perspective Ron, different from all the other reviews, this is refreshing.
The may DAC USB implementation is first class, I run it directly connected to my electrical noisy AMD PC, connected with the Audioquest Carbon USB and a Audioquest Jitterbug. It is so good I hardly hear a difference with the stock USB cable. Many reviewers and owners report to get best results using a straightforward USB connection, without the need for expensive DDC or USB reclockers and active filters. Many even prefer the straight USB to IS2 and other inputs. To me that is a fantastic benefit of the May DAC because there is no need to invest additional hardware to get the best out of the KTE.
Also, I love the fact that its output impedance is very low (about 50 ohm) in comparison to Denafrips for instance. My Topping A90 headphone amp only has about 2000 ohm input impedance. All Denafrips and Musician have an output impedance of 1250 ohm, which results in a considerably lower volume (-5db) with my A90 amp, it really felt I was missing out on dynamic headroom. The May should be compatible with most amps. The May balanced output voltage is actually pretty high, so typically the May will sound louder in comparison to many other DACs. Luckily my A90 amp does not have any issues with this.
What an incredible dopamine monster this is.
The one thing I did not appreciate (don't worry, this story has a happy ending, and seems to be exclusive to me, just do not make my mistake) was the burn-in process: First 4 days were bliss and pure excitement for what is to come, then 5 days of ‘hell’. Thing is, after the first 4 days, I wished for more energy in the treble. I got what I wished for. :)
That day, within hours this KTE became physically extremely hot (way hotter than normal), and so became its sound, mostly harsh, 2d, flat and boring, and seriously tiring. What the F***. Ok, this is the burn-in process... But after 5 days it still was cold, harsh and tiring. I was genuinely afraid I had blown a Cap. Even went back to the dealer (so lucky to have the excellent Magnahifi only 45 min drive away) and compared my KTE to their Demo May Level II. The 'out-of-control' sound had already diminished a bit, unplugging the May for a couple of hours seemingly made a difference already. Even though my KTE was still sounding a little hot and unbalanced, I clearly prefered my KTE to the demo May L2.
Conclusion, I needed to be patient. Back home, within 24 hours my KTE found its balance and magic again.
The May 'burn in' process is a different beast for me, never experiencing such extreme changes in sound signature. Using 24/7 pink noise and maximum loudness mastered techno tracks, in hindsight, I do think now my burn-in strategy was too much for the May. This works excellent for speakers but probably not for r2r DACs. Long story short: use a variety of music and don’t try to force the burn in process, and once in a while, give the May a short break to cool down and settle.
I'm so happy and grateful to experience IMHO this work of Art that the Holo Audio May KTE is. I look forward to the remaining 200 hours of burn in (500 is recommended?!).
Also, before I got the May, I was wondering if the May has PRaT…
Now I own the May KTE, and after 14 days of burn-in, I can safely say: it is incredible in PRaT department. Before I got into the serious headphone game this year, I had a complete NAIM range in my living room. Naim knows PRaT, is famous for it, let me tell you, the May KTE owns Naim in the PRaT department.
I was honestly a little scared before I got the May KTE, as I returned the excellent Pegasus Musician r2r DAC, because the one thing missing for me was PRaT (and Bass), especially on my A90 amp. Because the May soundstage is huge, I was wondering if it could sound 'distant' and too polite. I thought maybe this is typical for r2r DACs, but luckily the May proved me wrong.
How does it have PRaT? First off, the dynamic contrast is incredible in the complete frequency range, bass is supremely rich but also contoured and fast with slam. Percussion nicely jumps out the mix with perfect fast but natural transients, incredible detail, but never forcing it or fatiguing. All melodies flow with intent and joy, instruments have body and detail, PRaT is truly effortless, never forced. Fast music seems to sound faster, slow music seems even more relaxed.
Coming from the Topping D90 Dac, which is great VFM and fun to listen to, the May KTE really has fulfilled all I ever wanted from a digital source. I do not care about vinyl, but now I understand why an ‘analogue’ sound is so important to many audiophiles. If you loved music, and your budget allows it, this DAC is a must listen.
Never have I been blown away by an audiophile upgrade like the May KTE. It is almost magical in its musical delivery and so freaking perfect in all aspects of sound quality: detail, soundstage, imaging, PRaT, body, soul, dynamics, resolution, excitement, neutrality, calmness and musicality in all frequencies are simply unmatched. As a result, the KTE will emotionally connect you without any effort to the music; get a box of Kleenex, you May (pun intended) tear up when you hear your favourite music.
Also have the Pegasus and I think its sound is fantastic for an R2R with a small footprint. Your KTE story has me curious on the the next level up :)
What does the May have that the D90 cannot offer, in your opinion? Are the changes significant enough to justify such a huge price difference? Thanks
I’m a long time subscriber now. Loved your review and your entertaining description of what to listen for and how to listen. Really first rate. My question is about the doe-rae-me you need to buy this and surround it with the gear you need to hear what you’re describing. I’m also not sure my ear is sophisticated enough. My system is relatively hi end to me, but the most I’d spend on a DAC is the $700 I spent for Schiit Bifrost 2. I guess it’s diminishing returns...
Between New Record Day and GoldenSound, they have directly caused my wallet being placed on life support! Keep up the great work!
Did you get a May?
@@tomb375 Yes. It’s great.
@@bentonpixwhat was the proper Dac that you had?
@@ericelmore2742 I had a Topping DX7 Pro DAC prior to getting the May KTE .
Tell me about it!! My AMEX card spontaneously burst into flames after using some colorful language 😂
CAM is the man! Ron thanks for playing along with him. It's great to have both of you reviewing gear. I'm going to sponsor a review with my custom speaker cables - wait for it. Hahahaha
Thanks Kevin!
Ron, I wasn't too sure about your channel, but you seemed like a solid guy, so I subscribed. I'm glad I did. While I thought your early reviews were OK, by the time of the elac unifi 2.0 review they became tight, organized and comprehensive. Really well done. Then I saw this review. Your explanation of soundstage made me realize what I was missing from my mytek brooklyn bridge. Long story short, modified the sumiko method with LOTS and am reveling in Norah Jones Daybreak. Got the performance (2/3 increase in soundstage depth) from my unifi 1.0 towers AND the transients. Apparently you need room for sustain and decay. Thanks a lot for your good work. Cheers! PS: can't wait for unifi reference.
Awesome! Happy to hear this!
There are two pairs of transformers in the power supply - the hand wound ones and the lower voltage ones in the blue finned cases. Four separate toroidal (generically in the shape of a torus) - for a DAC. Impressive!
Between this review and Golden Sound, I am convinced. Since the first gen CDs that promised "perfect sound forever" - we have come a very, very, long way.
So just before the 17:00 mark. You said exactly what I feel and hear to be correct. I'm not using that DAC in the review BUT, I do have a cheapo S.M.S.L m500. Which I am NOT comparing to this DAC by any means. What I am getting at is, this DAC does its best work on 16/44.1. I routinely look at my speakers they are connected to. Which are Klipsch "The Sixes", and this DAC when I clearly hear beauty in the music track I'm randomly playing. It is MOST of the time, during playback of 16/44. There are tracks (I use Tidal) that are higher Q, all up to its max of 24/192. That do sound VERY good. However, more often than I would expect it to be. The CD quality track sounds FANTASTIC. From very low volume to all the way up. Much more often than any of the MQA files do.
I fully believe you when you say, that DAC does its best work at 16/44. Because if this super lowend DAC sounds good at it as well. This Holo must be UNBELIEVABLE! :)
GREAT VIDEO. I enjoy your videos. Keep us informed for 2021. I want to hear this for myself I am on the hunt for a DAC. I wish Innuos would build an I2S output. The sound is amazing with this connection. I can speak to this from my own rig. Jay Audio CD transport taught me this valuable observation. My humble opinion.
I couldn't agree more Ron. If God forbid my record collection was lost, I wouldn't even attempt to replace it as the Holo is that good. This hooked up to the CEC transport is so natural sounding I could give up records, I would put it up against anything at any price. As for the Terminator, I don't think it's in the league of the Holo, I'd even give up the separate power supply & get the single chassis Spring KTE unit & you might be surprised how close it actually is.
You mentioned that there is a real risk with "silver" involved. Can you please elaborate on that?
Hi Ron, appreciate your angle on things, which is different from others. I found that a Puritan power conditioner (PS107-DC) also made a profound impact in my nearfield system with respect to soundstage, depth, layering and pitch black background (Harbeth P3ESR with Heed Elixir). So for me it is pretty clear that the quality and noise of the power supply also plays a big role in this when you have a revealing setup. This seems to be a killer dac, but unfortunately out of my budget as well. I hope you can compare the Spring as well!
Ron,
You have come a very long way on every level. Proud of you man!!! Thanks for your hard work!
SUBSCRIBED!!
Thanks man!
Certainly there are the vast majority who have their speakers against the front wall by no choice of their own. That said, if you could hear a sound stage 30 feet deep with the layering that's possible, even from CD, some of you would be looking for a different house or putting up a free standing building near by. It has a way of changing your priorities, and empowering you to find ways to make it happen. For those who live in close quarters, get yourself an amplifier that can make speakers vanish, and listen near field in the center of your room. It is possible to toe -in speakers1.5 meters from your face, shut your eyes and become transported into a 3D space three times the size of your actual room. All it takes is a great source like this one, a great SET amplifier without negative feedback and the willingness to pull your speakers into the room for a night.
Happy New Year Ron. Love the very clear and articulate review. We come for the eloquent hyperbole. ;¬)
Did you have a chance to try the Chord Hugo TT2 with the Upscaler? Would love to hear your reaction. Definitely with you that the network bridge or whatever feeds the DAC matters. Greetings to you and yours.
My first CD player sounded like it had a blocked nose compared to vinyl but that was better than others that sounded like tin cans. I never thought possible CD quality could ever catch up. This is great news.
Randy turned me onto your channel. I've been subscribed to him from the start. The Between the Speakers spoof you guys did was hysterical. Great improv! Your takes were genius, the whole concept was brilliant! You mentioned listening techniques in a previous video about speaker placement. I've been a stereo/audiophile 50 yrs. You understand LISTENING! great shout out to The Cheap Audioman! Btw you neglected Andrew Robinson!!
Thank you, I always wonder with digital there seems all to well trade-offs: sibilance, digital glare, listening fatigue, lack of bass/lower clarity, and cramped presentation with full complex music signal.
Most seem to be immune to it.
have you ever heard a DCS Lina or Bartok, or the weiss 501, if so how do they compare to this May DAC ?
Awesome review. I can barely spell DAK
Hahaha! It’s French bro.
HA! I see what you did!
Daks in Australia is a slang term for your underpants. True story
@@tfj100 oh my!
Agreed on the 16/44.1 Redbook. It can sound outstanding. I've heard other file formats that also sound great, but none of them sound great only because of the file format difference. It was the humble, filterless/NOS DAC that finally brought to me good-sounding digital after years of suffering an acute case of digitalitis even with very pricey, widely well-regarded digital rigs; over-etched, hissing, tonally bleached, dynamically flat. Today, there's all kinds of great sounding digital; it's never been better.
Also, agreed on what's upstream of the DAC, even a really competent DAC. DACs won't always just sort it out. For a long time I'd always used some kind of "jitter" filter, like an Audio Alchemy DTI Pro32, Genesis Digital Lens, or Monarchy DIP 24/96. I took these out of the chain as DAC input tech got better, but with a bit of experimentation more recently, changing DAC feeds did change the final sonic output.
I also LOVE that you didn't do the all-too-routine bass/mid/treble thing. It may also be useful to expunge things like the "V-curve". There's much more to sonics and attempts at helpful sonic description.
Nearly 40 years of "perfect sound forever" and we still haven't gotten there ever. Though it is getting better and better.
LOVE THE TIME CODES published at the beginning!
Very interesting DAC, terrific review Ron!
Awesome overview of your findings and nicely presented 👍🏻
While I've not heard the Terminator or the May, I do own a Denafrips Venus II. And yes, I *do* hear the things you've mentioned: dimensional sound, decay in the time domain, ...the air, the blank canvas. Pitting the Venus II against the Holo Spring in my system showed just how much *more* the Venus adds to the soundscape than the Spring. I, like most probably, can't see myself spending the money on a flagship model (from either Denafrips, Holo Audio, or anyone else). But, considering how blown away I am/was with Venus II, I'd love to know what it is I'm missing. Use all the colorful language you want, Ron, there's just no substitute for what enters your ears (though I applaud your efforts to help folks critically listen).
Hi James. I also have Venus II DAC and I am pretty happy with sound, however, I never heard Spring DAC, but it was one of the last two DACs I was considering. So do you think I made a good decision? Can you please describe in what else (except for soundstage) was Venus II better? What about alleged "analog" sound of Holo audio compared to Venus II? Thanks.
The guy at "Passion for Sound" reviewed both Holo Spring and Holo May found a huge difference in favour of the May. One obvious reason is the Spring is a single "stereo" Dac and the May is a "dual mono" Dac. The huge difference is also audible on demo tracks in youtube.
Save up for an Audio Music DAC/1. Endgame DAC.
That was an amazing job on description. What a beautiful piece of eye candy that is. 👍✌️
Really nice review, good job. It would be interesting to see the results of applying the Chord Hogo M Scaler to the May KTE.
Fantastic review, thanks Ron!
What's the CD transport shown at the 11 minute mark (named around 11:10)? I didn't understand what it's called, and I don't see a link for it.
Ok it's apparently an Innuos Zenith. Possibly an Innuos Zenith Mark 3.
Great visual Explanation
Hey Ron,
Great video. I was wondering if you are still planning on reviewing the spring Dac? I remember thinking I saw it in the background of one video and was wondering what is happening with that one? A great dac to review based on the pricepoint and it being kind of a mini-may.
Randy "The Cheapaudioman" is great and love the show.
He got me over to this show which as cool as your stuff is these are dream things only and never would personally buy. However as you said Randy is reviewing things that I could buy.
It's like yes the Ferrari is cool but I'm more like what's the best minivan I can get, lol.
Both of you keep up the GREAT WORK!
Ron, it has been a few years. in your current opinion, is the May still the King?
Yup!!!
@@Newrecordday2013 thank you! I love your channel and was considering the Denafrips Terminator as well as the May KTE. I'm taking your lead and placing an order for the May KTE.
@@CobraChamp you ain’t gonna regret it!
I’m tiring of my Lampizator Big7 and computer servers would love to hear a review with the Jay’s audio transport into this dac
Did you ever review PS Audio Direct Stream? I recall you having it with the Bifrost 2. Was it too soft sounding and not enough detail?
I also would be interested in his review of PS Audio Directstream. I have a DirectStream Jr DAC and think it sounds wonderful...very close to analogue sound. Deep bass compared to many other DACs. Wonder how this May DAC compares. I also have Esoteric K-05 SACD and the DAC in there is also very good.
I owned a PS Audio DS. Particularly with the latest firmware released in 2021, it is an excellent DAC. When fully burned in, the Holo May KTE is a whole other level. See my separate comment on this video re: burn in experience.
Great review as always. Re;16bit 44.1; Peter Qvortrup (audio note) sites conversations with one of digital's key creators, and also experiments producing identical (as possible) DACs with different rates, in concluding 16bit 44.1 is indeed as good as it gets (with increased sample rates bringing a new set of 'problems'**). His blind panel championing a 12* bit DAC above an 18 bit. There are a few interviews/talks kicking about discussing this which give more accurate details.
have posted on this before - seems a very little discussed topic (aside from 'more is better'!).
*originally typed 14 bit - found interview - it's 12!
**apparently going up 'loses dynamics, increases noise while increasing frequency response'. Going down; visa versa. '16/44.1 is the mathematical equilibrium (ergo best compromise) which cannot be changed'.
A spring review would be great!
Have you tried the Terminator Plus?How does this DAC perform with DSD? I am currently using the Holo Audio Spring DAC with Jensen caps - a very good sounding DAC.
Hi Ron. really enjoyed your review of the May DAC. Keep it up! Also wondering when you will be releasing your Holo Spring 3 review video? I am on the fence about getting one and would love to hear your descriptions as well. Thanks!
That visual demonstration is what I experienced with the hugoTT2 and the mscaler stack, great explanation, good to know there is a alternative dac out there that has a similar presentation, because it gives me hope that maybe someday that level of performance may become actually affordable.
I very nearly ordered the May! I was so lucky I got the T+A D200 DAC instead. Both are excellent but T+A is newer and it sounds sublime on DSD with NOS.
I have an Aries II. I originally bought it for my desktop PC, but put it in my big system just to try it out. To make a long story short, I ended up selling my $6k DAC and keeping the Aries II in my big system as a result of this experiment. Now I'm searching for a higher end R-2R DAC. On the list: Terminator, Terminator +, Holo May DAC, MSB Discrete DAC. Any chance you'll get your hands on a Terminator plus or MSB Discrete DAC for comparison?
Nothing planned at this time for either of those DACs.
I have the Holo May KTE since Xmas eve and can say it is exactly as described in the review. I also had an Ares2 just try an R2R DAC before I spent more cash on a higher R2R. Compared to the Ares2 the May KTE has the higher treble, micro details, better soundstage and very fast response. Happy customer even though it was very pricey here in Australia.
Is the May in the same league as the Mola Mola Tambaqui? Detail retrieval and soundstage…
Hey Ron, I also would like to know if you ever had the chance to listen to the Tambaqui!
By the way, I don't know where I had my eyes that I only found your great TH-cam channel a few days ago. Your reviews are the best I have ever listened to or read, you are transporting extremely good what you like and dislike extremely well!
This describes a lot of the things I hear in my 29 year old Wadia 15 DAC (and don't hear in most of the other Sub 2000buck DACs I've owned or borrowed). The space in the room, and the difference between loud and silence and the speed with which it can transition. Mind you I suppose if you think about it that DAC was approx. 8000 dollars back in 1992 so it was more expensive than a lot of people would have spent on their cars back then!
Great analogy with the blue ball. Great!
It's nice that digital is finally catching up with old analogue. What we need is the guys with the reference turntables to digitise their rare mint collections. Way better than the remasters from 30 to 50 year old tapes.
Does the May sound better with XLR or RCA
Ron, what track was being played while I was focused on the blue bulb? I need to hear the whole thing.
Sub made because of this review and the Zen Mrk III in the background.
Listened yesterday to the Audio GD R8 Mk2 and the Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE (level 3). And like you described, it has great 3D, staging, and very natural sound. The R8 mk2 is a fair bit cheaper, couldn’t match the Spring 3. Just like you, I am wondering if the Spring 3 level 2 comes close enough to the KTE level 3, so the price gap between the R8 and Spring 3 is smaller
I have no doubt this is king (especially under $5k), and if I won the lotto I'd have one on order immediately (along with a lot of other gear...). But I can't wrap my head around having a DAC that's more expensive than my speakers or amp (doesn't seem balanced).
Since you already have a relationship with Schiit Audio wondering if you could review their Yggdrasil one day, at around half the price I don't expect it to beat this but many people love it for it's $2449 price. There's a lot of reviews online but most are 2-4 years old and there has been upgrades to the DAC (both analog output, firmware and USB input) since then. I don't think I've seen a review with all the upgrades... The only bad thing about reviewing one is most owners do say it needs to be powered on 7days+ to sound good (and when cold it sounds bad)
Having owned both Yggy v1 and v2, I think yggy v1 is better. V2 made it overall warmer, which wasn't good, because it was already a touch warm in v1 version.
Yggy was competitive when it first launched too at $2500. It's overpriced now. I'd never buy it MSRP. Finding one used for $1500 is a good deal.
There's still $1500 dacs you might like more than yggy even if you did find it used. Like Soekris 1541, used Prism Callia, few options
you really are the king of audio review video production
Joshua Valour sits at the throne my friend.
@@Newrecordday2013 No innerfidelity for ever 😃
Good stuff Ron!!
Holy crap? Better than the DAVE/M scaler combo?
That is serious business. Wow. I hope to try this DAC someday soon.
To me Time domain and decay rates in my own words is equivalent to "echo" for a lack of a better terminology. On one track Mindi Abair walks across the stage and one can literally hear the echos from her footsteps as she goes from the left speaker to the right while the next footstep introduces itself and the last echo of the previous one disappears. Wild.
Another is a rain stick with glass beads. Most units will give you a general "SHHHH" sound while a great one will individually separate each glass bead as it's tipped over. Can't speak to an ultra unit but that what I'm getting from the synergy between my rig and speakers. It's not expensive bit it just simple works as one solid unit.
Great review.👍
Thank you for the great video. I am very curious as to which headphone amp or (amps) did you use when listening to May KTE?
Great job Ronnie boy!!
Have you compared to Chord Qutest or Hugo, or even Dave?
Great work, thank you. I can't wait for a more reasonably priced trickle down version.
do you think you could take some sort of reference headphone and do a DAC comparison with that neumann binaural head you have? awesome review btw, I've been waiting for this one!
Kitsune? Holo? Is someone a spice and wolf fan???
Awesome breakdown of the gear. I may not ever spend $5k on a dac, but the information gleaned from this and details on similarly scaled gear goes a long way at how listening to gear up and down the scale can be approached and really helps expectation-setting when looking to purchase new gear.
@The Nash: - love your comment - HOWEVER, you might as well know that 'kitsune' is the Japanese word for 'FOX,' not 'wolf'. The Japanese word "Holo' has mythological references to wolves, being venerated in Japanese culture as a form of wolf deity, and she is ALSO a minor deity of harvests (is that where you make the connection with spices?) and is also known for shape-shifting.
Thanks for your very straight forward review. Obviously this thing really spoke to you. In your opinion what integrated amp would pair well with this dac?
this was amazing.... you seemed so sad at the end of the review. I'm sad that I can't afford it right now, also sad when the top has been reached!!!!
PLEASE get the cheaper Spring and let us all know it it's close.
Darn, you scared me there for a moment...I was thinking, "I'm not that bad, am I?" Oh, Cheap Audio Man. Whew! LOL. Great video Ron, thank you for the subscribe this week!
I love your visual illustration, just awesome.
Thank you!
Great review - well done
I recently heard what you describe as pitch black backgrounds with my new NAD T778 streaming from Tidal and using the internal DAC. It was a WOW moment for me as I had never heard that before. With the NAD you get OLED TV level blacks! It blew my mind when I first heard that.
Checked out their website and the less expensive "Spring Dac" is very interesting. I'd love to see that DAC
compared to the Denafrips or even the Schiit Bifrost.
I would as well!
Great review. I guess the real, more fair comparison would be the Holo Audio May against the Denafrips Terminator Plus. It is a definite step up from the base Terminator...albeit about a grand more.
Great stuff, Ron!
Thanks for the GREAT review!
Not sure whether I should get the HOLO May KTE or the new Denafrips Terminator Plus? Anyone got a chance to compare these two DACs? Dose the Denafrips Terminator Plus also have the PLL function that the HOLO May offers?
I have the same problem, i hope New Record Day can tell us
@@toyz2511 Most likely I'll get the Terminator Plus instead of May ^_^
Does CD rip sound different from the CD FLAC that I bought on Qobuz?
How’s does it compare to the Chord Dave with M scaler, my current dac?
Did you use CD playback direct thru I2S cable and connection?
If so please compare sound differences of coax SPDiF vs I2S ....
This is my end game DAC. One day. But for now, I will have to settle for something where the bar is a little lower