Congratulations on your review! The sense of detail that you output when detailing and comparing various DACs is just mindblowing! You are one of the most if not the most comprehensive reviewer online with regards to audio equipment. Congratulations is just not enough of a word to describe the level of gratitude that we have for all you do! Thank you!
This is the first review of yours that I've seen, and have to say it is impressive - thorough, detailed, and highly descriptive. The comparisons were particularly helpful. You put into words the sound experience you have felt far more eloquently than most others here on the tube, and I come away from it feeling like I was the one doing the listening ! Top effort.
I wish my Tradutto didn't sound so good, it would make it easy to replace it. I'm thinking the CEC DA5 to go with my TL5 transport. Not in a hurry though. Anyway, I watch all the dac reviews I'm interested in, but yours , i look forward to the most. Cool runnings
Got mine 3 days ago. I agree 100% with your description of the sound, you nailed it, Rich,detialed spacious, bass is with authority not boomy, and vocals sound so good and real, like they are in the room. not forward or edgy just sweet.
Here from Montreal to Serbia, all my kind regards to your openness, your fresh look on things and very informative reviews. I will certainly give this new DAC a closer look. And ohh yes, difficult times… and I like your t-shirt!
Love your reviews. Honest and straightforward with "hi end humor"; not over the top, and not a schtick or act; just well-timed HQ humor. THANKS! The remote's buttons are likely anodized aluminum, not brass...hopefully type 2 or 3. If type 1, the color can wear off rather quickly. Unit looks superb. Keep on keepin' it real!
I love watching your videos. You are so passionate about audio, just like this audiophile. It’s very refreshing. I learn so much from you. Bless your incredibly funny and your humor is much appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for all of your great reviews! Word of CAUTION, when I connected the Laiv to my Eversolo DMP-A8 via I2S using the auto "Laiv" mode, it FLIPPED THE LEFT AND RIGHT CHANNELS. I had to use mode 5 for it to map the channels correctly. I used an Audioquest Carbon 48 HDMI cable. This may have been just my unit(s), but this may not always be obvious to folks listening as it still sounded great, but some of my reference tracks have very clear Left and Right panning so it was immediately clear to me. Good news is if anyone else has not noticed this there is still another level for this DAC to go for you as it sounded better when I sorted this out. - John
Excellent review! I was shopping for a DAC in that $2700 price range that could "punch above its weight class". I ordered the LAiV Harmony DAC on a Saturday, I had it in my hands of the following Friday in the USA. It is exactly what I hoped for. A big step up from my existing DACs in every respect. Resolution, Dynamics, Refinement, and just a slight touch of sweetness. The user interface is very easy. I found that it really needs at least 100 hours of operation to "open up". Fresh out of the box I greatly preferred the NOS mode. After about 200 hours, As time has progressed, I find that I now very much prefer the NOS mode, clocked internally, rather than using the I2S clocking. You can really alter the sound with the various settings, so depending upon your system you can tune it. Highly recommended!
@@ekjellgren As time has progressed, I find that I now very much prefer the NOS mode, clocked internally, rather than using the I2S clocking. You can really alter the sound with the various settings, so depending upon your system you can tune it. Previous DACs starting with previous favorite: SPL Audio Mercury mastering DAC (AKM 4493 chip). The internal 120v discrete op-amps make a really robust and dynamic presentation. A really good sounding DAC. The only problem is that it has no I2S input. I was using AES. The AES output of the Singxer SU-6 is not at the same quality as the I2S output, so that holds it back at least a little bit. RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition. Wonderful features, but two limitations. The internal output stage seems weak compared to the SPL Audio Mercury, and also no I2S input. This is also an AKM chip unit. CraneSong Solaris studio DAC. This was the first commercially available DAC (to my knowledge) that included a sub-picosecond jitter clock. Also an AKM based chip, but it really brought new levels of jitter control to the pro audio community without needing an external clock. No I2S input. I loved this DAC for years, tested against Dangerous Music, Universal Audio etc. Competes sound quality wise with the RME. Universal Audio x16 uses the ESS Sabre 9068AS DAC chipset. Tons of studio features, Thunderbolt 3 connection only, although there is an AES, but not as the primary source. Greatly improved with external clocking by a GRIMM CC2 sub-picosecond clock.
it's great to see your progress from like 4 years ago or more? I follow your reviews since the beginning, very modest gear like FX and such but look at you today ! Bravo ! Not a customer for this one but like to see anything but Topping or SMSL or Xduoo or similar
Thanks for your support! I already answered your other question about A8. Unfortunately I can't help with this comparison since I haven't had the chance to hear Wandla.
This DAC has the functionality to chose which clock you want to use when connected via I2S. It would be great to get some feedback regarding your experience using both clocks and if there is any difference at all.
Thanks for another great review! Looks like this could be a great DAC to replace my Pontus 2. Currently I am running a Denafrips flagship Apollo amp and Athena preamp, with Tekton Double impact speakers. Pretty sure that my current DAC is a limiting factor in my system, however I was having a hard time considering spending another $5k plus to get a Terminator or Terminator Plus...so the Laiv DAC could be the perfect sweet spot for me to be satisfied long-term with all my gear. I also love the fact that it has a remote control, as well as a large, easily legible display that shows sample rate and bit depth.
While I can't comment on Denafrips DACs (I only had Ares II), you might want to look at 6moons review of Harmony DAC. Reviewer there owns Terminator+ and he actually slightly preferred this one in his system which led him to purchase it after the review was done.
@@iiWiReviews I read that, with great interest, because I currently have a Cen Grand deluxe, which was his preferred DAC until this one. Now I'm in a bit of a quandary...
@@SartajAnand I only have experience of the Cen Grand deluxe, so I can't offer any wisdom I'm afraid. The Cen Grand is brilliant but it's interesting learning that something half the price is as good or even slightly better....
I have a Pontus II. I don’t think this has the low end slam like the Pontus. I’m sending mine back because it stopped working before it broken in didn’t notice anything particularly better.
Thanks for the video. Not sure if you check out "do it yourself" kits or not but Ian Canada makes kits for dacs, streamers and class D amps for a fraction of retail prices. I got the Acoustic Invader power amp and preamp after your review. I'm very grateful for your reviews and your ears.
Thanks a lot for the review. It's informative. I saw the one Steve Huff made and he's so over the top about this DAC, he's comparing it to the Chord Dave and other DCS range DACs that cost 3 or 4 times the price. The problem is, that Mr Huff falls in love with gear and after some weeks you don't see it anymore on his shelfs. he seems like a nice guy but I suspect he's kind of a fanboy. I have the Audio Analogue AADAC and I love it, I don't have speakers, I listen only on headphones, STAX SRM-T8000 (amp) and STAX SR-009S. My previous DAC was the Chord QUTEST, and I still have at my desk at work the MOJO2 that I like very much. I would like to get this LAiV Harmony DAC, but I'm afraid it won't be that much better, or better at all than mine. On the other hand Mr Huff seems to say the LAiV reminds him of the Chord Dave, and that is appealing to me. What do you think ? Should I go for it ? I was pleased to hear that you are from Serbia, I just saw a documentary this morning on your country, I'm myself from Greek origin and I was born in Belgium. Thank you from Brussels
Hi from Belgrade! You currently have a very respectable DAC. The thing is that I haven't heard it so any attempt to give a good advice would be pure speculation on my side.
Excellent review as always. I do believe there is a similarly priced dac which can match it on most dimensions and most likely beat it on dynamic weight: Teac UD-701N for 3,000 Euro with dual mono design, four toroidal transformers and proprietary Dac chips. Would be greater if a friend can lend you that review as Teac tends not to loan their gear out I understand.
Great review of a well made DAC with one of the best displays in the market and a no boring design. I use a Gustard R26 DAC an I like the sound of these R2R DACs... If you use a Eversolo DMP 8 as a source and if you connect this with a network cable to your router or switch, you should try out the ifi LAN iSilencer as a noise filter and tell us about your experience with this. Greetings, Michael
You are so able to convey the sound with such precise words combined with you emotion. I want to hear this dac. I was going to buy a Terminator 2, however I am reconsidering
I went on a buying spree this month and ordered Geshelli Labs DAYZEE DAC and Sparkler-Audio model S512 "perceive" DAC. 1st run of products I will watch and wait.
Would using a EverSolo A6 as a Transport feeding into the LAiV Harmony be the right move? Thank You for your work on these reviews as I value your honesty.
It would sound very very good and it's a very fine pairing. That said, Harmony DAC is more transparent of the two and A6 would be the one setting the maximum soundstaging and tone richness limit in that pairing.
Excellent review. My preference is a combination dac/pre, I have owned several PS Audio dac/pres and for 3 years Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5. Every change I made to my system, be it cables, iso devices, graphene oxide on one connection at a time (but a PITA) clearly revealing that doing so was additive and easy to spot. MSRP then (~2016) $2700. This eliminates, additional cables, iso devices and shelving
@@mariodrv I know, right. But you need to understand that reviewers will, usually, only review whatever companies send them. So, maybe your question should be asked to the company who did the Pedja Rogics Audial S5...
Gustard is also more than a dac so it is even cheaper. Is the difference worth the price ? It can only be said once you compare both in your room, that's where the whole difficulty stands and you tried your best to explain it, thanks.
Now you have me wondering what a Modwright Analog Bridge might bring to the table when hooked up to the Laiv Harmony DAC. I wonder if it would provide Lampizator's image bloom with the Laiv's tonal density and bass impact.
Have you considered reviewing the Holo Cyan 2? I currently have a R26. Although I'm not 100% happy with it. It's not quite there for me. Feels more like a chip based dac with a little R2R flare. I had a Musician Pegasus for awhile, and miss some of the magic it had. I've found the Pegasus had better imaging, depth of stage, and natural decay. Also I've never heard such oustanding texture on the higher freqencies w/o sounding as sharp/detailed/OS. I just didn't care for the recessed mid range on the Pegasus. Vocals always seemed so far away in the staging. It also made my HD660's sound like it was serverly flat due to being underpowered (even though It's being driven by my Burson Soloist 3xp). It may end up being a top contender for future entry level mid tier R2R DAC compairsons in that price range. Seems the design philosophy was to put R&D into the interal architecture and no expenses spent on anything other than making the best type of true NOS R2R dac for the money. With that aside. Love your content and reviews, and what you constantly give to the coumminity. I've found you're my go to person for a oustanding objective, and honest takes on your reviews. Looking for the positives for whomever might enjoy those attrabutes. While not overly trashing the negatives, to allow the viewer to make the call on that sacrafice. No other reviewer gives me the final confidence needed to buy a product without hearing it yet.
Please compare this to this other new R2R DAC: the Aero DAC from Linear Tube Audio. It has tubes in the output stage and the power supplies are a combination of linear and switching, because all linear is not necessarily best for sound quality
Enjoyed the review -- but will be sticking with my R26 if only because one has to draw the line somewhere as regards price. Incidentally, I got the R26 (it was traded in or open box) for around £350 cheaper than new. The dealer offered a 3 months return guarantee, which is enough IMHO to ascertain whether it's in perfect working order -- and I think it is.
Thanks for the review....ugh...I was gonna call it quits after toying with all the entry-level R2R Dacs, I settled on a chord quest and LHY battery power supply because of the great sound in tiny footprint. This one is the one that may pull me back in because I've always wanted to know the next tier but not pay next tier prices.
One headphone reviewer said high end Chord has more power. This appears more Chord-like in comparison he said but the price will get a lot of looks (listens).
Well I bought one for my main system and it's amazing. Still burning in, but it gets better each day. Large soundstage, holographic, detail, separation, layering. Just awesome. For my secondary system though, I'm still keeping an eye out for interesting musical dacs. Would love to see you get one of those Audial S5b dacs for review that is based on the vintage TD1541A dac chip with some type of internal R2Rish design. Would love to see how that compares to the modern dacs you've experienced and reviewed to get a reference point. Some say it beats $30K dacs.
Great review as always, personally I love the black and gold look,plus the other styling details, the remote looks great as well , the inside build quality puts many other manufacturers to shame,seems like fantastic value also.
Thanks. I agree about black and gold. It looks very stylish in real life, in my opinion... And build quilty together with internals commands respect. It's clearly not "yet another DAC".
Great, hype for a new brand (I’m sure it’s deserved) might finally make the used prices of other in vogue R2-D2 dacs, come down to be more in line with “normal” depreciation for hifi 😅
Excellent review. After also watching and listening to some sound demos (Virtual Hifi) from your Polish fellow reviewers at Soundbews and Virtual Hifi I definitely believe that this is an excellent dac. However the value cost is not a bargain, just competitive at its level. To my ears, the Laiv compares to the Holo Spring 3, which retails for $3,100. Most importantly it's not even close to the R26 cost to quality value. The R26 delivers 90% of the sonic quality of the Laiv, it includes a streamer/renderer at the retail of $1,650 and it goes sometimes on sale for $1,500. Yes the Laiv is a very good dac. Nonetheless, I would personally upgrade my own R26 for a used Holo May dac, which will soon likely be on the market for around $3k.
There were 2 used Holo May KTE that sold on US Audio Mart in the past few days for $4200 and $4500 USD (plus fees). Both sold within 1 day of listing at that price.
I wonder how it compares to a Kitsune Cyan 2 JUST in sound. The Cyan 2 does not match in features but it's about the sound. Plus, there is always the Schiit Yggy+ GS2 for around $1600 USD. It's good to have lots of choices! :-) (I also love Lampizator but I will never have that kind of $$ but it is all good by me! :-)
No. Eversolo can't work two inputs at once like that. And I will say this no matter how difficult it might be to hear for some. You wouldn't like to use it that way even if you could. Eversolo's preamp section would seriously limit the performance of this one. It's just not that good of a preamp. I mentioned it in my own DMP-A8 review (in my opinion, that section was overhyped).
Thanks for a great review. As always you are on point. Same with the Arendal 1723 THX review. I now have a pair of the Arendals. Would you say this DAC pairs well with the Arendal or would the Holo Cyan 2 be a better match with my Vincent hybrid amplifier? Thanks.
Thanks for another enthusiastic review! Just wandered if you tested RCA Single and Balanced outputs and if there is any noticeable sound difference between the two? The reason that I am asking is that some revivers noticed the discrepancy in sound, depending on the output, with DENAFRIPS ARES II 12th-1.
Yes I tested both and balanced sounds better. But that's very much expected since my preamp and amps are also fully differential designs and all of them sound better when that kind of connection is used. There's no going around it.
@@iiWiReviews My problem is that I own a Musical Fidelity A1001 amp and I love the way it sounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the balanced inputs. I would seriously consider getting the Laiv Harmony DAC but for the thought of spending that sort of money and not being able to enjoy it's full benefits, would just make me feel frustrated... Anyway, thanks for your prompt reply!
@@dusantomic9983 I don't know about the LAIV, but the Ares 2 has a fairly simple balanced -> unbalanced internal converter using only one op-amp. I use a diy balanced to unbalanced converter instead. I used the RCA outptuts for a long time and they still sounded amazing relative to other DAC's!
I find this a very good question because I also own an amp with only rca inputs and I suppose there are a lot of people who are in the same situation (don´t forget all tube amps). There are so many dacs with balanced outputs that nobody seems to care about testing and reviewing the unbalanced ones anymore.. I therefore have often the same doubt to buy something which performs maybe sub optimal in unbalanced mode.
Very informative review. I was very interested in the comparison between the R26 and the Harmony, since I own the R26 myself. What would be an even more interesting comparison would be to compare the Harmony with the similarly priced Gustard R26/U18 combo, which significantly lifts the performance of the R26, especially when the IIS interface is used. I also own both LHY clocks..the OCK-1 and OCK-2 that I have tried with the R26/U18 combo. The clock in the U18 is so good that it takes the OCK-2 to improve on it, as the OCK-1 didn't offer any meaningful improvements over the bare U18. The R26/U18/OCK-2 combination is very close in price to straight Harmony!
@@RogRogs I didn't try the Bodnar clock for a couple reasons....Firstly, the need to provide an external power supply opened up the can of 'which one'. And also it has only a single output, while I need at least two outputs for the R26 and the U18. And maybe a third one, if I get an LHY switch. Certainly the published phase noise spefications of the Bodnar clock are very impressive.
@@rontoolsie The Precision GPS Reference Clock has two outputs & ATM I'm just running it powered via a USB cable from my music sever & it sounds great, although I have plans to power it from my BreezeHiFi LPS (from Ali) which will hopefully improve the SQ further. There's an interesting thread on "The Audio Standard" all about it.
@@RogRogs I think you will find that the clock is very sensitive to the quality of power you give it. Very recently I tried a new high spec 'fuse' in my OCK-2 clock, replacing the generic 1A fuse. And the improvements were immediately evident, and bigger than those obtained even putting similar fuses in my monoblocks, which are far more power hungry than the master clock.
@@rontoolsie Thanks for the tip - I'm making a voltage regulator box with 2 x LT3045 voltage regulators from ldovr, so hopefully the DC supply from the LPS should be squeaky clean!
Good review ! I do hope you continue to review other products as well as you have a rather unique and fresh approach to reviewing audio products and do not seem to be entirely consumed with the hype train OR the usually marketing BS that is reflective of so many others. Good on you that you actually compare products as well. This helps us place the device in a tier and can understand what to expect from a device at a given price point. Many American reviewers are afraid of being sued by large corporations by posting ANY kind of critique, and therefore play games with words or dance around the subject... or even worse... they just love everything they review and it's all awesome.... which is useless to us as discriminating buyers. I do hope you keep these reviews going. thank you !
Also beats the Holo May in another review by your Polish colleague. I notice it already has depressions on top for stacking a preamp/headphone amp and a streamer.
Thank you for your good reviews ( this and others ). I looked at the product page, and read his DAC only does up to DSD256, so this is a complete no-go for me, unfortunately
I haven't tested anything from Denafrips except Ares II so I can't make this comparison. Srajan from 6moons website compared Harmony to Terminator+ so you might check out that review. If his impression is to be believed then Harmony should be an upgrade to Pontus... But that's really a lot of guessing and no experience on my side.
I was really looking forward to your impressions on the Harmony. Thanks for comparing it to the Gustard R26! Any insights between these 3 DACs: Laiv Harmony, Cen. Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe and Audio-GD R7HEMK3? I'm looking to upgrade from the R26.
I own and love both but the Harmony is on another level. Even more detail than the Mojo2 with much deeper soundstage and a lovely live quality that is difficult to describe. Just more magic I guess.
Srboljuba thanks to your reviews, I know that R2R DACs are worth interest and that you use them yourself - e.g. Guststard R26. 1. How do you assess the durability of the R2R design - after all, they are based on a ladder of resistors selected within a very narrow resistance tolerance. Do you notice any problems with non-linearity over the years - mainly due to the current resistor tolerance? Nonlinearity causes distortions. It can also cause audible distortion at the interface of the ultrasonic range, which reduces sound quality. Denafrips Terminator boasts, for example, that it guarantees resistor parameters within a tolerance of 0.005%. Maybe one of the reasons for using the modular structure of the LAiV Harmony DAC is to easily replace the resistors with a new set in order to maintain the original parameters and not just upgrade the device? 2. If your reference DAC is the Lampizator Baltic 3, would you consider reviewing a much cheaper DAC: the Lampizator-licensed Fezz Audio Equinox? Maybe thanks to your review it would also be an opportunity to enter the Hi-End level for your viewers? 3. Are you considering reviewing Topping's flagship new Delta-Sigma DACs DX9 and SMSL-SUX as well as SMSL's newest R2R design DAC: VMV D3?
1. Resistors are passive and very stable electronic components. Some older and cheaper designs used to be sensitive to temperature change, but new technologies and materials have overcome that problem in recent years. So I don't believe that any R2R DAC will ever going to exhibit any instability caused by that. On the other hand, electrolytic capacitors in the power supply are most prone to losing their value over time. Still, those are probably good for 10+ years when we're talking about this level of quality. Also, aged capacitors are an easy and cheap fix even for a local electronics repair shop. All in all, an R2R DAC without network capability and too much software onboard that could go wild should be one of the longest-lived components of your system. 2. I wasn't aware that model even existed, there are so many of them every year. I'll take a look. 3. I'm trying to get SU-X in for a review and I hope it will happen but it's still too early to tell for sure. Haven't been thinking about DX9 so far. An educated guess is that it will probably match the performance of the D90 III and A90D stack but save you some money in the process. If you only need a DAC, I wouldn't be looking into the DX series, standalone DAC models always outperformed it at the same point - a big and powerful amp takes a big chunk of the available budget.
Quetest sounds clean and spacious. Laiv Harmony is even more spacious and has much fuller tonality and richer tone timbre. Greater punch too. To my ears, Harmony DAC is a clear winer.
A8's DAC performance is slightly below Gustard R26. While that's very decent on its own, it sounds kind of flat next to Harmony, both in terms of space and dynamics.
Ladder Schumann is of Denafrips' school of sound. Meaning it has big, natural, analog-like sound. It's also softer and blurier, not matching the resolution, layering, and tone separation of Harmony DAC.
Great review, like your t-shirt with written 'go green' too bad it is in chocolate color (just kidding), I wish it comes in green color also. Anyway nice t-shirt and always love your reviews 🙏🏽😊
I hope this doesn't sound like Denafrips Terminator which I don't like very much. Sounds edgy and clinical/technical to my ears. I hope is more like Holo - dens, highly musical..
Oh great Lord of the DACs, thanks for this review. Do you have plans to review the new Holo Audio Cyan 2? It would be great to have a comparison between the two.
Your review is as always honest, transparent, understandable, funny and simply…GREAT! Thank you so much for that!!!🙏🏻
Congratulations on your review! The sense of detail that you output when detailing and comparing various DACs is just mindblowing! You are one of the most if not the most comprehensive reviewer online with regards to audio equipment. Congratulations is just not enough of a word to describe the level of gratitude that we have for all you do! Thank you!
100% this guy is fantastic. He could stay at my house and give them the keys anytime of the day very trustworthy.
This is the first review of yours that I've seen, and have to say it is impressive - thorough, detailed, and highly descriptive. The comparisons were particularly helpful. You put into words the sound experience you have felt far more eloquently than most others here on the tube, and I come away from it feeling like I was the one doing the listening ! Top effort.
Here's the review I've been waiting for. Thanks a lot for the comparisons and details. I can't wait to order.
I wish my Tradutto didn't sound so good, it would make it easy to replace it. I'm thinking the CEC DA5 to go with my TL5 transport. Not in a hurry though. Anyway, I watch all the dac reviews I'm interested in, but yours , i look forward to the most. Cool runnings
Thanks for watching and contributing continuously. Cheers
Got mine 3 days ago. I agree 100% with your description of the sound, you nailed it, Rich,detialed spacious, bass is with authority not boomy, and vocals sound so good and real, like they are in the room. not forward or edgy just sweet.
Here from Montreal to Serbia, all my kind regards to your openness, your fresh look on things and very informative reviews. I will certainly give this new DAC a closer look.
And ohh yes, difficult times… and I like your t-shirt!
Your sense of humor is appreciated. Lord of the DACs was priceless.
Count DACular 😂
Great review. LOVE your genuineness and down-to-earth style!
Love your reviews. Honest and straightforward with "hi end humor"; not over the top, and not a schtick or act; just well-timed HQ humor. THANKS!
The remote's buttons are likely anodized aluminum, not brass...hopefully type 2 or 3. If type 1, the color can wear off rather quickly. Unit looks superb. Keep on keepin' it real!
Hvala za još jednu odličnu prezentaciju! Cenim vaš rad i napor da nam približite aktuelne audio hifi proizvode.
I love watching your videos. You are so passionate about audio, just like this audiophile. It’s very refreshing. I learn so much from you. Bless your incredibly funny and your humor is much appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for all of your great reviews! Word of CAUTION, when I connected the Laiv to my Eversolo DMP-A8 via I2S using the auto "Laiv" mode, it FLIPPED THE LEFT AND RIGHT CHANNELS. I had to use mode 5 for it to map the channels correctly. I used an Audioquest Carbon 48 HDMI cable. This may have been just my unit(s), but this may not always be obvious to folks listening as it still sounded great, but some of my reference tracks have very clear Left and Right panning so it was immediately clear to me. Good news is if anyone else has not noticed this there is still another level for this DAC to go for you as it sounded better when I sorted this out. - John
Where you able to contact Laiv to exchange? I'm interested to hear how you resolved it. Thanks.
Excellent review! I was shopping for a DAC in that $2700 price range that could "punch above its weight class". I ordered the LAiV Harmony DAC on a Saturday, I had it in my hands of the following Friday in the USA. It is exactly what I hoped for. A big step up from my existing DACs in every respect. Resolution, Dynamics, Refinement, and just a slight touch of sweetness. The user interface is very easy. I found that it really needs at least 100 hours of operation to "open up". Fresh out of the box I greatly preferred the NOS mode. After about 200 hours, As time has progressed, I find that I now very much prefer the NOS mode, clocked internally, rather than using the I2S clocking. You can really alter the sound with the various settings, so depending upon your system you can tune it. Highly recommended!
What were your existing DACs if you don't mind?
@@ekjellgren As time has progressed, I find that I now very much prefer the NOS mode, clocked internally, rather than using the I2S clocking. You can really alter the sound with the various settings, so depending upon your system you can tune it.
Previous DACs starting with previous favorite:
SPL Audio Mercury mastering DAC (AKM 4493 chip). The internal 120v discrete op-amps make a really robust and dynamic presentation. A really good sounding DAC. The only problem is that it has no I2S input. I was using AES. The AES output of the Singxer SU-6 is not at the same quality as the I2S output, so that holds it back at least a little bit.
RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition. Wonderful features, but two limitations. The internal output stage seems weak compared to the SPL Audio Mercury, and also no I2S input. This is also an AKM chip unit.
CraneSong Solaris studio DAC. This was the first commercially available DAC (to my knowledge) that included a sub-picosecond jitter clock. Also an AKM based chip, but it really brought new levels of jitter control to the pro audio community without needing an external clock. No I2S input. I loved this DAC for years, tested against Dangerous Music, Universal Audio etc. Competes sound quality wise with the RME.
Universal Audio x16 uses the ESS Sabre 9068AS DAC chipset. Tons of studio features, Thunderbolt 3 connection only, although there is an AES, but not as the primary source. Greatly improved with external clocking by a GRIMM CC2 sub-picosecond clock.
@@DigitalGrease so as I understand you uae Harmony with Su-6 ddc right? Which input? I2S?
@@yellow_noise3 Yes indeed, I2S, using an Audioquest Carbon HDMI.
I'm hoping you review the new Holo Cyan 2 and compare it to this Harmony DAC. I enjoy your work! And have no problems with the nose .
Yes this would be a great theme!
it's great to see your progress from like 4 years ago or more? I follow your reviews since the beginning, very modest gear like FX and such but look at you today ! Bravo !
Not a customer for this one but like to see anything but Topping or SMSL or Xduoo or similar
❤❤❤ I really love this guy very intelligent, and his vocabulary of describing sounds is off the charts. You are Lord of the rings.😂😂😂
Thanks!
Thanks for your support! 👍
Another great and honest review,, just placed my order.
You are one of the best,thank you for all your work!!
Lord of the DACs lol. Love it.
Not usually a fan of gold accents, but I love the design. That knob in the corner is awesome.
Superb review! Your depth of knowledge made known in probative, most understandable presentation style is quite gratifying! Thank you, sir and kudos!
Srboljuba,
great review as usual - thank you very much.
Glad you like it and thanks for your support!
Thanks! One more question if I might; How does it compare to the Ferum Wandla?
Thanks for your support! I already answered your other question about A8. Unfortunately I can't help with this comparison since I haven't had the chance to hear Wandla.
@@iiWiReviews yes you did. Thus the “One more question“ reference. Thanks again! 🙂
This DAC has the functionality to chose which clock you want to use when connected via I2S. It would be great to get some feedback regarding your experience using both clocks and if there is any difference at all.
Thanks for another great review! Looks like this could be a great DAC to replace my Pontus 2. Currently I am running a Denafrips flagship Apollo amp and Athena preamp, with Tekton Double impact speakers. Pretty sure that my current DAC is a limiting factor in my system, however I was having a hard time considering spending another $5k plus to get a Terminator or Terminator Plus...so the Laiv DAC could be the perfect sweet spot for me to be satisfied long-term with all my gear. I also love the fact that it has a remote control, as well as a large, easily legible display that shows sample rate and bit depth.
While I can't comment on Denafrips DACs (I only had Ares II), you might want to look at 6moons review of Harmony DAC. Reviewer there owns Terminator+ and he actually slightly preferred this one in his system which led him to purchase it after the review was done.
@@iiWiReviews I read that, with great interest, because I currently have a Cen Grand deluxe, which was his preferred DAC until this one. Now I'm in a bit of a quandary...
@@cheeky1664 What are your thoughts on the Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe? I'm torn between choosing it or the Laiv Harmony or the Audio-GD R7HEMK3...
@@SartajAnand I only have experience of the Cen Grand deluxe, so I can't offer any wisdom I'm afraid. The Cen Grand is brilliant but it's interesting learning that something half the price is as good or even slightly better....
I have a Pontus II. I don’t think this has the low end slam like the Pontus. I’m sending mine back because it stopped working before it broken in didn’t notice anything particularly better.
Thanks for the video. Not sure if you check out "do it yourself" kits or not but Ian Canada makes kits for dacs, streamers and class D amps for a fraction of retail prices. I got the Acoustic Invader power amp and preamp after your review. I'm very grateful for your reviews and your ears.
Looking forward for the preamp from this company! And your review of it!
Thanks a lot for the review. It's informative. I saw the one Steve Huff made and he's so over the top about this DAC, he's comparing it to the Chord Dave and other DCS range DACs that cost 3 or 4 times the price. The problem is, that Mr Huff falls in love with gear and after some weeks you don't see it anymore on his shelfs. he seems like a nice guy but I suspect he's kind of a fanboy. I have the Audio Analogue AADAC and I love it, I don't have speakers, I listen only on headphones, STAX SRM-T8000 (amp) and STAX SR-009S. My previous DAC was the Chord QUTEST, and I still have at my desk at work the MOJO2 that I like very much. I would like to get this LAiV Harmony DAC, but I'm afraid it won't be that much better, or better at all than mine. On the other hand Mr Huff seems to say the LAiV reminds him of the Chord Dave, and that is appealing to me. What do you think ? Should I go for it ?
I was pleased to hear that you are from Serbia, I just saw a documentary this morning on your country, I'm myself from Greek origin and I was born in Belgium.
Thank you from Brussels
Hi from Belgrade! You currently have a very respectable DAC. The thing is that I haven't heard it so any attempt to give a good advice would be pure speculation on my side.
@@iiWiReviews Thank you for your honest response. I wish you a nice weekend.
Excellent review as always. I do believe there is a similarly priced dac which can match it on most dimensions and most likely beat it on dynamic weight: Teac UD-701N for 3,000 Euro with dual mono design, four toroidal transformers and proprietary Dac chips. Would be greater if a friend can lend you that review as Teac tends not to loan their gear out I understand.
Very informative review! You have a great sense of humor at the end! Thanks
Thank you very much as always for the video. Cheer up and greetings.
Great analysis of the tonal differences between the DAC's.
Nice detailed description,I want one!
Denafrips Venus 12th and Holo Audio Spring 3 are direct competitor pricewise
Great review of a well made DAC with one of the best displays in the market and a no boring design. I use a Gustard R26 DAC an I like the sound of these R2R DACs...
If you use a Eversolo DMP 8 as a source and if you connect this with a network cable to your router or switch, you should try out the ifi LAN iSilencer as a noise filter and tell us about your experience with this.
Greetings, Michael
You are so able to convey the sound with such precise words combined with you emotion. I want to hear this dac. I was going to buy a Terminator 2, however I am reconsidering
This is definitely one of the more beautiful and premium looking DACs on the market. Will look great in a stack!
Great 👍 review, thanks 🙏 !
I went on a buying spree this month and ordered Geshelli Labs DAYZEE DAC and Sparkler-Audio model S512 "perceive" DAC. 1st run of products I will watch and wait.
Very nice spring time feel kind of review.
I wish to hear dac with Laiv topology and your Lampucera tube buffer. Could it sound even better?
Thank you!❤
Interesting. I am not into r2r dacs. But this review makes me courious!
Would using a EverSolo A6 as a Transport feeding into the LAiV Harmony be the right move? Thank You for your work on these reviews as I value your honesty.
It would sound very very good and it's a very fine pairing. That said, Harmony DAC is more transparent of the two and A6 would be the one setting the maximum soundstaging and tone richness limit in that pairing.
Excellent review. My preference is a combination dac/pre, I have owned several PS Audio dac/pres and for 3 years Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5. Every change I made to my system, be it cables, iso devices, graphene oxide on one connection at a time (but a PITA) clearly revealing that doing so was additive and easy to spot. MSRP then (~2016) $2700. This eliminates, additional cables, iso devices and shelving
How come you haven't rewiewed your countrys own Pedja Rogics Audial S5 yet?
They haven't sent it to him...
@@marcusbrsp
How attentive of you Sherlock.
@@mariodrv I know, right.
But you need to understand that reviewers will, usually, only review whatever companies send them. So, maybe your question should be asked to the company who did the Pedja Rogics Audial S5...
great review!! 🙌
Gustard has released the X30 model. If you ever review it, it would be interesting to see how it compares to this Laiv Harmony DAC.
Also from Montreal, great review 👍
Its alway good to see competition!
Gustard is also more than a dac so it is even cheaper. Is the difference worth the price ? It can only be said once you compare both in your room, that's where the whole difficulty stands and you tried your best to explain it, thanks.
Incredibly articulate...BRAVO!
Not sure this will compete with the DAC’s in my ARC Ref CD9 but still sounds like an affordable step up for many.
Now you have me wondering what a Modwright Analog Bridge might bring to the table when hooked up to the Laiv Harmony DAC. I wonder if it would provide Lampizator's image bloom with the Laiv's tonal density and bass impact.
Have you considered reviewing the Holo Cyan 2? I currently have a R26. Although I'm not 100% happy with it. It's not quite there for me. Feels more like a chip based dac with a little R2R flare. I had a Musician Pegasus for awhile, and miss some of the magic it had. I've found the Pegasus had better imaging, depth of stage, and natural decay. Also I've never heard such oustanding texture on the higher freqencies w/o sounding as sharp/detailed/OS. I just didn't care for the recessed mid range on the Pegasus. Vocals always seemed so far away in the staging. It also made my HD660's sound like it was serverly flat due to being underpowered (even though It's being driven by my Burson Soloist 3xp). It may end up being a top contender for future entry level mid tier R2R DAC compairsons in that price range. Seems the design philosophy was to put R&D into the interal architecture and no expenses spent on anything other than making the best type of true NOS R2R dac for the money.
With that aside. Love your content and reviews, and what you constantly give to the coumminity. I've found you're my go to person for a oustanding objective, and honest takes on your reviews. Looking for the positives for whomever might enjoy those attrabutes. While not overly trashing the negatives, to allow the viewer to make the call on that sacrafice. No other reviewer gives me the final confidence needed to buy a product without hearing it yet.
I am planing to review Cyan 2 soon. Hope it can be at the end of the month.
Please compare this to the Holo Cyan 2.
Excellent review.
Please compare this to this other new R2R DAC: the Aero DAC from Linear Tube Audio. It has tubes in the output stage and the power supplies are a combination of linear and switching, because all linear is not necessarily best for sound quality
Wonder how wonder how it compares to the Black Ice tube dac
I bow to you, oh lord of the DACS! 👍😂👍
Excellent work my friend 👍😁👍😁
I have a LAiV Harmony on order to possibly replace a Denafrips Iris/Pontus II combo. Would I gain anything by using the Iris DDC with the Harmony?
Yes, my Iris 12th improved the sound quality of both my Ares 12th and Pontus II 12th-1.
source= Apple Music
How does this compare to the TEAC UD 701-N?
Enjoyed the review -- but will be sticking with my R26 if only because one has to draw the line somewhere as regards price. Incidentally, I got the R26 (it was traded in or open box) for around £350 cheaper than new. The dealer offered a 3 months return guarantee, which is enough IMHO to ascertain whether it's in perfect working order -- and I think it is.
Thanks for the review....ugh...I was gonna call it quits after toying with all the entry-level R2R Dacs, I settled on a chord quest and LHY battery power supply because of the great sound in tiny footprint. This one is the one that may pull me back in because I've always wanted to know the next tier but not pay next tier prices.
One headphone reviewer said high end Chord has more power. This appears more Chord-like in comparison he said but the price will get a lot of looks (listens).
Well I bought one for my main system and it's amazing. Still burning in, but it gets better each day. Large soundstage, holographic, detail, separation, layering. Just awesome. For my secondary system though, I'm still keeping an eye out for interesting musical dacs. Would love to see you get one of those Audial S5b dacs for review that is based on the vintage TD1541A dac chip with some type of internal R2Rish design. Would love to see how that compares to the modern dacs you've experienced and reviewed to get a reference point. Some say it beats $30K dacs.
Thanks for your review, always interesting to hear comparisons with Gustard R26, which I have. What power cord were you using?
Great review as always, personally I love the black and gold look,plus the other styling details, the remote looks great as well , the inside build quality puts many other manufacturers to shame,seems like fantastic value also.
Thanks. I agree about black and gold. It looks very stylish in real life, in my opinion... And build quilty together with internals commands respect. It's clearly not "yet another DAC".
@@iiWiReviews agreed,
Great, hype for a new brand (I’m sure it’s deserved) might finally make the used prices of other in vogue R2-D2 dacs, come down to be more in line with “normal” depreciation for hifi 😅
Excellent review. After also watching and listening to some sound demos (Virtual Hifi) from your Polish fellow
reviewers at Soundbews and Virtual Hifi I definitely believe that this is an excellent dac. However the value cost is not a bargain, just competitive at its level. To my ears, the Laiv compares to the Holo Spring 3, which retails for $3,100. Most importantly it's not even close to the R26 cost to quality value. The R26 delivers 90% of the sonic quality of the Laiv, it includes a streamer/renderer at the retail of $1,650 and it goes sometimes on sale for $1,500. Yes the Laiv is a very good dac. Nonetheless, I would personally upgrade my own R26 for a used Holo May dac, which will soon likely be on the market for around $3k.
Competes with the May KTE from reviewers.
There were 2 used Holo May KTE that sold on US Audio Mart in the past few days for $4200 and $4500 USD (plus fees). Both sold within 1 day of listing at that price.
I wonder how it compares to a Kitsune Cyan 2 JUST in sound. The Cyan 2 does not match in features but it's about the sound. Plus, there is always the Schiit Yggy+ GS2 for around $1600 USD. It's good to have lots of choices! :-) (I also love Lampizator but I will never have that kind of $$ but it is all good by me! :-)
Can you hook the dac to the eversolo to use as streamer and then the eversolo back to the dac to use the preamp as well?
No. Eversolo can't work two inputs at once like that. And I will say this no matter how difficult it might be to hear for some. You wouldn't like to use it that way even if you could. Eversolo's preamp section would seriously limit the performance of this one. It's just not that good of a preamp. I mentioned it in my own DMP-A8 review (in my opinion, that section was overhyped).
Again, valuable context for your audience! That’s good, no great context. ✌️
Thanks for a great review. As always you are on point. Same with the Arendal 1723 THX review. I now have a pair of the Arendals. Would you say this DAC pairs well with the Arendal or would the Holo Cyan 2 be a better match with my Vincent hybrid amplifier? Thanks.
Love the look , especially the display.
Great review! Could you reach out to the UK based SW1X? I believe their entry level dac would be a great comparison.
Cyan 2 would be a good competitor.
Thank you. I bought it.
Good choice. Enjoy it!
does d90iii or su-x do anything better than harmony?
Is it a natural and musical sounding DAC? Thanks
Thanks for another enthusiastic review! Just wandered if you tested RCA Single and Balanced outputs and if there is any noticeable sound difference between the two? The reason that I am asking is that some revivers noticed the discrepancy in sound, depending on the output, with DENAFRIPS ARES II 12th-1.
Yes I tested both and balanced sounds better. But that's very much expected since my preamp and amps are also fully differential designs and all of them sound better when that kind of connection is used. There's no going around it.
@@iiWiReviews My problem is that I own a Musical Fidelity A1001 amp and I love the way it sounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the balanced inputs. I would seriously consider getting the Laiv Harmony DAC but for the thought of spending that sort of money and not being able to enjoy it's full benefits, would just make me feel frustrated... Anyway, thanks for your prompt reply!
@@dusantomic9983 I don't know about the LAIV, but the Ares 2 has a fairly simple balanced -> unbalanced internal converter using only one op-amp. I use a diy balanced to unbalanced converter instead. I used the RCA outptuts for a long time and they still sounded amazing relative to other DAC's!
@@peterlarkin762 Thanks!
I find this a very good question because I also own an amp with only rca inputs and I suppose there are a lot of people who are in the same situation (don´t forget all tube amps). There are so many dacs with balanced outputs that nobody seems to care about testing and reviewing the unbalanced ones anymore..
I therefore have often the same doubt to buy something which performs maybe sub optimal in unbalanced mode.
Very informative review. I was very interested in the comparison between the R26 and the Harmony, since I own the R26 myself.
What would be an even more interesting comparison would be to compare the Harmony with the similarly priced Gustard R26/U18 combo, which significantly lifts the performance of the R26, especially when the IIS interface is used.
I also own both LHY clocks..the OCK-1 and OCK-2 that I have tried with the R26/U18 combo.
The clock in the U18 is so good that it takes the OCK-2 to improve on it, as the OCK-1 didn't offer any meaningful improvements over the bare U18.
The R26/U18/OCK-2 combination is very close in price to straight Harmony!
Agree it would be a more interesting comparison. Have youtried the Leo Bodnar GPS clock? I've had very good results with it & my R26.
@@RogRogs I didn't try the Bodnar clock for a couple reasons....Firstly, the need to provide an external power supply opened up the can of 'which one'. And also it has only a single output, while I need at least two outputs for the R26 and the U18. And maybe a third one, if I get an LHY switch.
Certainly the published phase noise spefications of the Bodnar clock are very impressive.
@@rontoolsie The Precision GPS Reference Clock has two outputs & ATM I'm just running it powered via a USB cable from my music sever & it sounds great, although I have plans to power it from my BreezeHiFi LPS (from Ali) which will hopefully improve the SQ further. There's an interesting thread on "The Audio Standard" all about it.
@@RogRogs I think you will find that the clock is very sensitive to the quality of power you give it. Very recently I tried a new high spec 'fuse' in my OCK-2 clock, replacing the generic 1A fuse. And the improvements were immediately evident, and bigger than those obtained even putting similar fuses in my monoblocks, which are far more power hungry than the master clock.
@@rontoolsie Thanks for the tip - I'm making a voltage regulator box with 2 x LT3045 voltage regulators from ldovr, so hopefully the DC supply from the LPS should be squeaky clean!
Very happy with my Pontus II but this one sounds impressive. You heaped more praise than Darko…who…eh…hem…beat you to the gate! 😀
Ah those Darko and Sandu, they just couldn't let me have this one. Now I'll never become the lord of the DACs. 😤
@@iiWiReviews…and Tarun beat you on The Auralic Vega!!! 😮
Well, I simply can't get mad at him with that lovely accent, can I? 😄
Not much better than the pontis too if at all
Good review ! I do hope you continue to review other products as well as you have a rather unique and fresh approach to reviewing audio products and do not seem to be entirely consumed with the hype train OR the usually marketing BS that is reflective of so many others.
Good on you that you actually compare products as well. This helps us place the device in a tier and can understand what to expect from a device at a given price point.
Many American reviewers are afraid of being sued by large corporations by posting ANY kind of critique, and therefore play games with words or dance around the subject... or even worse... they just love everything they review and it's all awesome.... which is useless to us as discriminating buyers. I do hope you keep these reviews going. thank you !
Also beats the Holo May in another review by your Polish colleague. I notice it already has depressions on top for stacking a preamp/headphone amp and a streamer.
Which review? That is the comparison i am looking for
@@stijnvanderlooy5311 th-cam.com/video/w36Nu7egr2M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=c9MhKKDgdYoFqDDp
@@stijnvanderlooy5311 www.youtube.com/@VirtualHiFi/videos
@@stijnvanderlooy5311 can't link it because of the nazi algorithm. But the channel has virtual and hifi in it's name
Off to the Goolag! Big Totalitarian Tech.
no volume control on that one. So only through music app ?
Thank you for your good reviews ( this and others ).
I looked at the product page, and read his DAC only does up to DSD256, so this is a complete no-go for me, unfortunately
It has been reported to play DSD512 by a popular reviewer who confirmed this.
@iiWiReviews is Laiv Harmony dac your new reference dac your setup? 😊
Great review. Great nose. Keep the reviews coming.
One question, should I sell my Denafrips Pontus II 12th and purchase the LAIV?
And what about Holo May?
I haven't tested anything from Denafrips except Ares II so I can't make this comparison. Srajan from 6moons website compared Harmony to Terminator+ so you might check out that review. If his impression is to be believed then Harmony should be an upgrade to Pontus... But that's really a lot of guessing and no experience on my side.
I was really looking forward to your impressions on the Harmony. Thanks for comparing it to the Gustard R26! Any insights between these 3 DACs: Laiv Harmony, Cen. Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe and Audio-GD R7HEMK3? I'm looking to upgrade from the R26.
How is it compared to mojo 2?
I own and love both but the Harmony is on another level. Even more detail than the Mojo2 with much deeper soundstage and a lovely live quality that is difficult to describe. Just more magic I guess.
Srboljuba
thanks to your reviews, I know that R2R DACs are worth interest and that you use them yourself - e.g. Guststard R26.
1. How do you assess the durability of the R2R design - after all, they are based on a ladder of resistors selected within a very narrow resistance tolerance.
Do you notice any problems with non-linearity over the years - mainly due to the current resistor tolerance? Nonlinearity causes distortions. It can also cause audible distortion at the interface of the ultrasonic range, which reduces sound quality. Denafrips Terminator boasts, for example, that it guarantees resistor parameters within a tolerance of 0.005%.
Maybe one of the reasons for using the modular structure of the LAiV Harmony DAC is to easily replace the resistors with a new set in order to maintain the original parameters and not just upgrade the device?
2. If your reference DAC is the Lampizator Baltic 3, would you consider reviewing a much cheaper DAC: the Lampizator-licensed Fezz Audio Equinox? Maybe thanks to your review it would also be an opportunity to enter the Hi-End level for your viewers?
3. Are you considering reviewing Topping's flagship new Delta-Sigma DACs DX9 and SMSL-SUX as well as SMSL's newest R2R design DAC: VMV D3?
1. Resistors are passive and very stable electronic components. Some older and cheaper designs used to be sensitive to temperature change, but new technologies and materials have overcome that problem in recent years. So I don't believe that any R2R DAC will ever going to exhibit any instability caused by that.
On the other hand, electrolytic capacitors in the power supply are most prone to losing their value over time. Still, those are probably good for 10+ years when we're talking about this level of quality. Also, aged capacitors are an easy and cheap fix even for a local electronics repair shop. All in all, an R2R DAC without network capability and too much software onboard that could go wild should be one of the longest-lived components of your system.
2. I wasn't aware that model even existed, there are so many of them every year. I'll take a look.
3. I'm trying to get SU-X in for a review and I hope it will happen but it's still too early to tell for sure. Haven't been thinking about DX9 so far. An educated guess is that it will probably match the performance of the D90 III and A90D stack but save you some money in the process. If you only need a DAC, I wouldn't be looking into the DX series, standalone DAC models always outperformed it at the same point - a big and powerful amp takes a big chunk of the available budget.
Hey !!! I know it’s been some time since you have reviewed Chord Qutest. How does the sound compare to Laiv based on pure sound keeping features aside
Quetest sounds clean and spacious. Laiv Harmony is even more spacious and has much fuller tonality and richer tone timbre. Greater punch too. To my ears, Harmony DAC is a clear winer.
Thank you for your service to the Hifi Community. You have a great nose!
Thx for another interesting review. You mentioned the A8. How was its DAC compared to the Harmony? A6?
A8's DAC performance is slightly below Gustard R26. While that's very decent on its own, it sounds kind of flat next to Harmony, both in terms of space and dynamics.
Nice if you can compare this with the Ladder Schumann for which you had similar thoughts.
Ladder Schumann is of Denafrips' school of sound. Meaning it has big, natural, analog-like sound. It's also softer and blurier, not matching the resolution, layering, and tone separation of Harmony DAC.
@@iiWiReviews many thanks for your esteemed opinion.🙏🏻
How does this DAC process DSD?
One bit at a time.. 😅
can you review the gustard x30 soon
Great review, like your t-shirt with written 'go green' too bad it is in chocolate color (just kidding), I wish it comes in green color also. Anyway nice t-shirt and always love your reviews 🙏🏽😊
would be cool to compare it with oversampled Dave, Kitsune Holoaudio and Schiit Yggy LIM
I hope this doesn't sound like Denafrips Terminator which I don't like very much. Sounds edgy and clinical/technical to my ears. I hope is more like Holo - dens, highly musical..
Is it better than Denafrips Venus II ?
Oh great Lord of the DACs, thanks for this review. Do you have plans to review the new Holo Audio Cyan 2? It would be great to have a comparison between the two.