I would like to hear your opinion and comparsion of mola dac.

I'm keen to try the mola mola too!

I have the Yggy and TT2, Yggy cannot compare to TT2, sorry for saying that…

It's all a matter of personal preference so no apologies needed 🙂 and I do agree. Yggy is great, but TT2 is on a different level

There's definitely some truth to that and it depends on what people expect and value from headphones/speakers. I find that I consistently like the same DACs on my speaker setup that I like with my headphones

So glad you liked it!

Always have to keep an open mind 🙂

Thank you! Glad you liked it

No sweat and my pleasure 🙂🙂

That's really well stated. There's rarely a right or wrong / good or bad in this hobby. It's all preferential and also depends on the other pieces in the system.

@@PassionforSound Yep, it is about synergy and if that can be achieved then it;s an OMG, HC, WTFJH experience.

Thanks Monty. You too!

Thank you, Chris! Happy holidays to you too! 🎅🤶

So glad I could help. To be clear, I think May is brilliant, but Spring is vastly overrated IMO.

@@PassionforSound Thank you.

Haha. Now that would be interesting - a digital to analog and psychic converter.

Glad you like the channel. Unfortunately, I have limited space and a small child. Neither is conducive to having large amps and speakers around. Maybe in the future...

So glad you found it useful 🙂

@@PassionforSound I did and I also wanted to say that I love the room you have for filming your videos. The lighting and setup is quite awesome. :)

Thank you for letting me know. It's taken a long time to get it where it is now and I'm happy with the results 🙂 I actually just added a print of one of my photos in that blank section of wall on the left so you'll see that in the videos coming soon too

@@PassionforSound. Of course. You’ve done a great job and I look forward to your extensive review of the DCA STEALTH once you get it of course to test. :)

I'm very keen to try the Pontus and Terminator too. Enjoy your Pontus II!

Thank you! It kind of snuck up on me after all that! 🙂 I've got a celebratory giveaway coming in the next video though...

So glad I could help. I think you've made a fantastic choice that can be your centre-piece in your audio chain for years to come

Hope you like it then 🤞

Glad you liked the review! Thanks for the sub!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it

Thank you 🙂

Haha. That's Passion for Steam 🤣

Thanks Karl! I'll see if I can get a Dave across my desk in 2022. I appreciate the support - thank you!

Haha. Yes, luckily no real trains were harmed in the making of this review. Glad you appreciated the honest opinion. No doubt some will perceive it differently to me, but I definitely expected a lot more after hearing the rave reviews.

I can't compare it to a Gungnir unfortunately, but I will compare to Bifrost 2 which Jason Stoddard considers a mini Yggy (and with good reason it turns out)

Glad you're enjoying your Spring!

I would’ve bought the May except for the price…so the spring is the next best thing….

If you're looking for future Dac suggestions from the Holo/Chord path here is a short list you may see as steps above: Berkeley Alpha Ref2 Lampizator Golden Gate 2 Totaldac d-1 Nagra HD Mola Mola Tambaqui Rockna Wavedream Waversa WVDac Aries Cerat Kassandra II Audio Note Dac 5 Aqua Formula hd rev 2

If you're looking for something in a similar tier as the May/Chord here is a short list: Berkeley Alpha Ref (OG) Lampizator Amber 3 Nagra Classic Waversa Dac3 mk2 Rockna Wavelight Aqua La Voce S3 Concert Fidelity Dac Sonnet Morpheus

Thanks Ace! I think the Spring would make good sense at secondhand prices or with more energetic headphones and I understand the 1266s to be a bit that way, but haven't heard them yet.

@@PassionforSound yet at a certain point system synergy becomes as important as the component’s technical ability.

System synergy is definitely important when playing with multiple products at the same general level of performance for sure

I'm glad I could help and I think you've made the right decision! Enjoy! 🙂

Are you allready using the signalist hq player? It has upsampling that mimics the m-scaler. Maybe just untill you saved enough?😅

@@tdfmike3915 I’m ripping the M scaler benefits already he he he he

My pleasure! It was possibly an over-correction of the hype at the time, but I still feel the same about them: May is excellent as a standalone DAC and Spring is still overpriced IMO.

Thanks Randy! I thought it illustrated the point nicely 😉

Sounds like a wonderful setup you tried. Thanks for sharing your experiences and confirming what I heard. It's always nice to know I'm not making this stuff up 🙂

That's really interesting, Alex. Do you find the TT2 too aggressive or something? Which headphones do you have?

@@PassionforSound I think I just feel TT2 a little bit dry, especially with the build in amp, I'm using ZMF Verite Closed or Arya Stealth version, which headphones you used in your review?

@@PassionforSound I think my feeling is really subjective, because as you know Spring is really huge in size, I can't put them side by side on my desk to do a AB test, I just use them in different room for different occasions... I will find some time to do a comparison again with the tracks you used in your review

I definitely agree that the TT2 can sound a bit drier. I did my testing with a mixture of the Elites, Susvaras and Verite Open (and maybe others). I can definitely understand people preferring the smoother tonality of the Spring, but I like the extra energy and detail from the TT2. Some of it could depend on musical tastes too.

@@PassionforSound Agree, I find myself enjoy Spring more on some old Chinese pop vocals, which mostly were not quite good recorded, and Spring is more forgiving for those tracks, but if I'm listening to classic music, I prefer TT2 for more detail

It's a shame I didn't have a good I2S source to try at the time

Hi Khiem, thanks for commenting and letting me know it's you! That's great info for others using / trying the Spring. Thanks for sharing that experience!

You need to get the very latest USB module. That makes a huge difference in how the USB input sounds.

Glad you liked the review 🙂 I'm hoping to try more Denafrips gear soon. Hopefully some of them can impress me more than the Ares 2

Glad you're enjoying the Spring! Thanks for sharing your experiences

My pleasure. The May is a brilliant DAC, but the Yggy OG is still my preference over the Spring and therefore at the price point it's one of my top recommendations

@@PassionforSound have you tried a decent ddc with the yggy to see if it can come close to the may? Would be interesting

I only had the May for a short time so didn't compare directly, but I have a DDC with the Yggy now and it still doesn't match the TT2 so it also wouldn't match the May. I love the Yggy, but it's not on the level of that next tier of performance

@@PassionforSound that’s fair, you get what you pay for! Happy listening!

You too 🙂🙂

I have the Spring KTE for 3 months now, and after testing many high end dacs recently in my system, I can definitively say is the best dac I've heard so far including the May as well. I'm guessing this reviewer may have received a defective unit, because, is super resolving, the separation is simply amazing, and the sound balance is fantastic.

I'm very comfortable that it wasn't a defective product. It's more likely a question of the products used with the DACs and also whether you're using speakers or headphones. There are a number of R2R DACs which are incredibly popular with speaker users, but which I haven't particularly liked in my dedicated headphone system. Ultimately, if you're happy with what you've got, that's great and we might just have different tastes. To your point, Recce, it's great that you could try a few different DACs and choose the one that suited you most.

As you clearly stated, it must be the products used with the dac. Because I've tried many hi-end dacs lately and one of the strengths of the Spring 3 dac is separation and depth, as well as a very well balance natural sound.

Were you using speakers or headphones, Nicolas? I believe the speaker experience might be very different

The Yggy OG is great and the gains in spending more are definitely diminishing! As for DDCs, I hope to review the SU-6 DDC in 2022 so stay tuned and I'll try it across multiple DACs like the DO200, D90SE, Yggy and TT2

The May is wonderful - good choice!

@@PassionforSound Btw, an interesting claim by British reviewer GoldenSound (kzfaq.info) is that the May's + HQ Player upsampler beats Chord Dave + MScaler, whilst still respecting the Chord Dave as a very capable Dac. Of course that does require a PC acting as a front end, although the May's PLL circuit appears to protect it from computer jitter.

The May's PLL isn't a unique technology from them. PLLs are in every DAC around AFAIK including basic, ESS chip DACs. I don't think I would agree with Golden given that the TT2 without M-Scaler is already better than the May (IMO) although they are close. Also, as you said, HQ Player requires a PC so you can't get the benefits from a CD transport or standalone streamer, plus the HQ Player interface is overcomplicatsled for many people - there are SO many settings to consider and play with. I'm not saying it's a bad setup, but I think there's a heavy dose of personal preference and perhaps bias (I don't know so I'm just speculating) in that conclusion. The May is great without doubt, but I don't see it being better than the Dave or TT2 so much as equal but different at best.

@@PassionforSound My impression is folk who rate resolution and dynamics highest tend to prefer Chord and folk who prefer tonality and soundstage (i.e. "British sound") tend to prefer Holo Audio. The May's PLL is of unusually high quality in that many reviewers cannot hear the difference between feeding it I2S or USB which is not true of most other PLL circuits. Agree HQPlayer is more of a hassle, although GoldenSound has published his recommended settings for it for the May. GoldenSound himself established his reputation when he famously debunked MQA sound quality some time back in a way that no one has convincingly contested his analysis since. As for Holo Spring 3 I have watched five positive reviews of it on youtube even though all admit the May is clearly better. They all say Holo Spring 2 was rather soft on transients but Spring 3 was significantly updated with May trickle down tech (esp, improved PLL circuit). Spring 3 also plays DSD which Schitt can't, has a less cantankerous warm up time, better PLL circuit, better build quality and along with the optional active preamp trickled down from the highly rated Serene is appealing to me in it's budget range for those practical reasons.

The best thing about this hobby of ours is that there's room for all different opinions and preferences and products to suit too. I definitely like the May a lot, but I do feel that the Spring 3 KTE was disappointing for its price.

Thanks for the sub! Glad you find my music references relatable 🙂

Glad I could help! That Bartok review was interesting, wasn't it? I'm hoping to audition one for myself at some point to see if I agree with GS.

But GoldenSound clearly prefers the May KTE over Chord DACs, so what did you really learn? You have to listen yourself and make up your own opinion.

Yes, auditioning for yourself is always best. Alternatively, find reviewers you consistently align with (either agreeing or disagreeing) and use that as a reference

I have a Gustard X26 Pro as well. I'm very happy with the DAC. I was looking at Spring 3 because of all the talks about it. but had an eerie feeling which was addressed by Lachlan's video today. Great job Lachlan! Love your reviews, always!

Sounds like you've still got a great setup and part of this hobby is the journey to work out what we really love. 🙂

Apparently the X26 beifits from a good DDC. I understand your frustration with jumping on too many hype trains, it's all valuable experience though.

I'll be reviewing the SU-6 DDC in the coming months of that's of interest 🙂

@@SubjectE57 I'm tempted to jump on another possible hype train after watching Joshua Valour's recent review praising the new Abyss Diana TC. The Diana TC checks all my boxes. For now though I'm going to hold off until I watch/read more reviews.

Thanks Leigh! I've never reached out to them so I might do that and see what we can arrange.

I definitely agree that synergy and preferences are an important factor, particularly when comparing the May and TT2. I do believe the Spring is a bit overhyped, but it's still a lovely DAC for those that maybe specifically want a smoother, more mellow sound.

I've had no experience with Esoteric yet and don't know if I have access to loan/demo gear, but I'll gladly look into it.

Hi Jos, glad you liked the review and the train footage I found. As for the other comparison, I'm not sure there's much point comparing the two setups because, to me, the TT2 is already better than the May so the Dave should be even better again (and if not, I'd just be recommending the TT2 again). The addition of the Serene might change things a bit of it's adding its own character to the sound, but I'd probably be better off reviewing the Serene on its own then so as not to confuse matters as to which component is parting which qualities. I appreciate the suggestion and hope this doesn't come across as dismissive. Just sharing my thoughts so it makes sense why I might not do that, but suggestions are always welcome and considered. 🙂🙂

@@PassionforSound There are SO many variables which can (and do) come into play when trying valiantly, as you, Lachlan, are doing with all your reviews, to fairly and honestly evaluate audio equipment, and clear away as much as possible the B.S. surrounding it. Your biggest contribution to us readers and viewers seems to me to be that you are wiping away as much as humanly possible all the hype that can, like heavy smoke from a fire obscuring our view, make it impossible to honestly, with a clear head and open mind, appraise equipment such as the Holo Audio MAY KTE. It's as if we audiophiles, with respect to our susceptibility to over-blown hype, are trying to safely drive our cars in a very heavy downpour whilst handicapped by a pair of broken windshield wipers. It becomes impossible to see the road ahead or to either side. Hype can have that much of a blinding effect on our ability to make truly rational buying decisions. You are putting a new pair of WORKING windshield wipers (plus a fresh coat of Rain-X) on our blinded windshields, allowing us once again to see the audiophile road ahead far more clearly, DESPITE our having to navigate our way through an enormous deluge of HYPE! We stand a far better chance of reaching our destinations safely.

You could still be missing out. He used the Burson Grand Tourer as the headphone amp to pair with the May. A different amp could noticeably change the way it sounds.

That's true that amps can change the way it sounds, but I also tried the DACs with the Sparkos Labs Aries, Bottlehead Mainline and Elekit TU-8200R with no change tou preferences on any of them. If anything it reaffirmed my views because none of those amps are as transparent as the GT and therefore make the Spring sound more muted and the May was largely unaffected so the gap between the May and TT2 remained. I think the TT2 is still the best choice for both sound quality and value for money (DAC, preamp and headphone amp)

@@PassionforSound Hey, thanks for the response. What headphone would you say you used the most in this comparison? Was it the Meze Elites?

@@PassionforSound And I did purchase the GT after watching your review, and I must say, it is an amazing sounding amp. I absolutely love the amp.

Glad you're enjoying the amp! I used the Elites and Susvaras about equally I'd say. I also had the Lirics, Verite Closed and Verite Open during the time I was auditioning the Holo DACs

Thank you, Juan! That's really interesting about your experiences with the May. I was very impressed with it on my system so it's great to see some other experiences that people can consider before making any purchases

Great review, nice insights! The ‘chain dependence’ though is spot on: in my system the Spring 3 - level 2 outperforms the Yggi LIM for sure in terms of overall balance and flow.. at my neighbor’s system it is a different experience: the Spring sounds dull and boring where the Yggdrasil opens up the music. That’s way you can never totally rely on reviews. Trust your ears 👍🏻

@@vincentvdvelde Thanks Vincent! Very interesting comment regarding the Spring and Yggi in different settings - and useful for those like me who live in places where auditioning is impossible and all sales are final. I am keeping the May because it's the best I have had, by far!, but ONLY after changing my preamp and rolling some good old tubes (and geting lucky, I guess). I will keep the Serene cooking in the rack for a few more months and give it another try. What a wonderful hobby or ours, isn't it...

I definitely agree that one review is never enough to make a good decision because system synergy and personal taste can definitely play a part when the differences are only minor. Glad you're enjoying the Spring!

@@BrentLeVasseurYou are absolutely right Brent. After lots of hours (lost count, just kept them going for weeks while at work ) all undesirable aspects went away, completely! At the same time, all good traits got even better. I cannot be happier with the May and the Serene now. In my experience as a bit of a gear head, I think they are an incredible value. M.y good old (and expensive) tube pre is now boxed up and stashed away for good. Thanks for your comment.

100%! We can only ever discuss what we like and why (hopefully with comparisons for context). It's so important to get to know a reviewer's preferences and how they align with your own. For the record, I do think the May is a brilliant DAC.

There's a lot of truth in this! There are some notable exceptions, but they're just that - exceptions. I think it's quite telling how quickly a lot of these "best DAC ever" type devices don't get talked about within 5-6 months of the initial hype.

@@PassionforSound True, and its funny how people talk up DACs they've never heard. I have a simple Eversolo A6, I use it for transport only into a Michi P5 preamp. The background is black ink, the vocals sublime and the instruments are 99.9% as good as I've heard on any system at any show (I have ATC's). Yet people say the A6 is 'night and day' to the master or the new wider model. Without even bothering to sample the other models I can tell you the difference would not be night and day and It would be very hard to tell the difference. A nice, neat data transfer with low jitter is what you want and all you need and the A6 achieves that very well. People lose their heads, you can't make it sound better with fancier equipment, it's just data.

Yes, hyperbole is all too common in this hobby 🙂

Unfortunately, it seems the fact that I didn't rave about their DACs made Holo Audio a bit grumpy so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a Bliss demo unit from the local distributor ☹️

Just need to mention one more point, about Spring 3 is lacking detail compare to schiit ygg, that is impossible to my understanding. The "more detail" you heard from YGG could be its harmonic distortion since the measurement of ygg show that(schiit does their own honest maesurement report), but lower THD doesn't mean it sounds bad.

Hi Max, they're very good points about the R2R being more expensive to produce. For me it is all about the sound quality produced and not the technology used which is why I favour the Yggy OG. There will also always be personal tastes and system synergy to consider so if you're enjoying the sound and you're happy, that's all that matters. 🙂

@@maxjiang9663 THD is not a 100% related to what information you hear. There are a lot more variables at play than a simple number.

The Yggy is definitely worth considering. I'll be reviewing it early in 2022. As for the M-Scaler question, it can't output its maximum sample rate to non-Chord DACs so I wouldn't recommend the pairing and therefore didn't bother to test it. Also, the results from the M-Scaler are fairly predictable so it's less about the quality of the DAC being maximised in any way and more just about the M-Scaler providing the same benefits on any DAC

You've chosen a great DAC. Despite preferring the TT2, I do very much like the May. I did most of my testing with USB and always seek to maximise the potential of each device I review (without resorting to applying modifications or major external tweaks)

@@PassionforSound My Bad, I ass - umed that at 26:45 when you said that you compared both units with BNC cables, I thought that the May might have sounded better had you done the comparison with USB. I do have a different use case than you and as you stated, different features are useful depending on the application. I already have a headphones amp, a Oppo HA1 paired with PM1 phones. (used for only late night duties) This also served as my first DAC (and a gateway drug into hifi). I have to use USB as my server/streamed (Aurender ACS10) only provides USB out. This is fed into a Oppo UDP205 Bluray which I'm using as a DAC until the May arrives, which is the final piece of the puzzle. The May will then feed a Luxman c700u/m700u pre and power amp driving a pair of Magnepan 1.7's and a pair of REL T5x's. I guess I'm expecting a "next level" of performance out of my system when the Oppo goes back to showing movies and the May takes over. Looking forward to finding out.

Hope you experience the leap you're looking for!

@@PassionforSound Just got the May this morning. What a coincidence that I was feeling too sick to go to work all of a sudden. I have to say that I'm truly happy with it. It totally fixed the sibilance problem my system had and unexpectedly gave a great boost to the bass of my Magnepans. This came just in time as I was about to buy a pair of REL t5x's as I was never satisfied with the bass side of things. I wouldn't say I now have ALL the bass I want but I'm getting quality bass over quantity. The thing that I relate most to the reviews I have seen is that it's not fatiguing. This is thankfully true. It is said that it needs a few hundred hours burn in time, WHAT? It gets better than this?

So glad you're enjoying the May! They're a brilliant DAC. I can't comment on burn-in because my demo units were already used. It'll be interesting to see how much change you actually notice. Burn-in is real, but I think the impact of it is often wildly overstated and most changes will occur quite early in the burn-in process IME

Sounds like a great setup. The May KTE is a brilliant DAC.

@@PassionforSound it is .. but i agree with you that my Hugo2 .. on some tracks i prefer .. so i will be looking for a Used TT .. or maybe a Dave .. but i have yet to hear a Mola Mola .. would love a direct comparison video .. of a chip based DAC .. for a system with a May .. to be a super detailed DAC

I'd love to try a Mola Mola too. Maybe on 2022...

@@PassionforSound hi have you ever tried the Lush ^2 or ^3 USB cables .. i have had the ^ 2 in a past set up .. sold it to a friend when i no longer needed it .. have had the ^3 running since i got the May .. The Intona Professional version USB just showed up .. and while it cost double in price .. they are both going to be kept .. they are very different Lush is well Lush .. and Intona is really kinda freaking me out .. i have been going back and forth between the 2 for hours .. it needs some hours on it .. but this is a detail oriented cable top to bottom .. never heard anything this revealing

Thanks for letting me know about them..I haven't heard of those before so I will check them out if I get the chance

Glad the review was helpful! I wish I had a Qutest here to compare to the Yggy because it's very hard to know if either is better or if they're just comparable. I wish I could help more, but I honestly don't know - the Yggy is probably not doubling the performance of the Qutest given that it's a fair way behind the TT2 still (as you'd expect at the price). I'm looking forward to trying the other Denafrips models too - 2022 should see at least one of those models on the channel

@@PassionforSound Thank you!

There's definitely nothing wrong with the Spring. I just think the Yggy OG offers better value for money performance because they're on par or perhaps the Yggy is a bit better (this will be somewhat preferential) and it's cheaper

@@PassionforSound thanks Lachlan, I never got to try that one. One things for sure never discount Chinese at this quality, as some American and British people do.

Absolutely! Making judgements about products based on their origin is a mistake IMO. China have invested a huge amount in their manufacturing capabilities and often have better capabilities than other countries. Likewise, countries like the USA and UK have their fair share of crappy products too

I'll see if can do something in the future. The challenge with it is that I don't only use one setup for testing. I'll generally use 2-3 headphones at a minimum and 2-3 amps for a DAC review like this one. I do use just one setup for my note taking part where I describe the comparisons, but that's just to illustrate what I've heard across multiple setups.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with the Spring, Joel! So glad you're enjoying it and that you got it at a great price.

Glad it was helpful. The May would still be an excellent choice even though I think the TT2 is slightly better. If you're only looking for a pure DAC, the May sounds wonderful. I do hope to get to the Terminator 2, but don't know exactly when I'll get there.

How do you like the Jay's CDT. I love the looks, but £2.5K is a lot. Worth it?

@@johnratcliffe6438 It's built as well as it looks and the playback quality adds better transparency with transients, imaging, and timing. I love it.

@@rdoogie71 Did you compare it to any other CDTs? I have mailed Willow Audio, who distribute in the UK, to see if a home demo can be arranged.

@@johnratcliffe6438 I was able to compare it to a Cambridge CXC V2 , a Pioneer Elite universal player, and a Marantz Ruby. I preferred the Jay's.

Hi Henrik, I don't test with just one setup which is why I don't list a setup - it would be too long and complex. Also, I tested these DACs with the Soloist GT (not the basic Soloist) and Sparkos Labs Aries so $2.5k and $3k amps as well as the Bottlehead Mainline and Elekit TU-8200R.

@@PassionforSound Thanks for the clarification.

Glad you found it helpful! I'd have loved to compare all three Yggy flavours, but shipping costs, parts costs and COVID in general got in the way. In the upcoming Yggy OG review, I have compared the Bifrost 2 and Yggy in detail. Hopefully that's some help 🙂

@@PassionforSound Yes, very helpful, thanks! Looking forward to your comparison of the BF2 and Yiggy. When will you be releasing that review?

It's up on KZfaq, currently available to patrons only, but not long until it is released into the wild (about 1-2 weeks away IIRC)

@@PassionforSound The waiting is the hardest part! In a nutshell, would you say the difference in cost to go with the Yggy is well worth it?

Yes and no (not trying to be obtuse). The BF2 is incredibly good for the money. The Yggy is definitely better, but it's also huge. For me, if you have the space and the budget and you're looking for a DAC that can easily be endgame then go for the Yggy. It's not the best DAC I've heard, but it's really good enough that you could stop seeking more IMO

This review was with headphones, but having tested with both, I've found that headphones and speakers reveal the same things about the products in the source chain and headphones actually provide greater insight about things like resolution and detail retrieval because they're not working to overcome the room acoustics.

Hi Glen, glad you're liking the channel! I tested the XLR outputs of the TT2 for the Susvara review and found no significant difference if using the same cable. You might actually find that the wire used for the twin XLR connections might be imparting the favourable qualities because (if I recall correctly) Rob Watts actually runs everything (including speakers) from the 6.3mm outputs because they're a more direct, simple signal path and therefore preferable. Personally I heard no noticeable difference when the same wire type was used for XLR and 6.3mm.

​@@PassionforSoundhmm... I believe I read somewhere that chord doesnt believe in balanced designs. If you need balanced anything you dont have enough power for your (perfectly clean) single ended signal😂

Yep. Chord are among a number of companies who favour a good single ended amp design over balanced because it can create a simpler and more transparent signal path. For the record, I think it all comes down to each individual circuit as I've heard fantastic balanced designs too.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I believe both of these DACs had already been fairly well used by the time they reached me. Probably not 1000 hours, but I'd also highly doubt the validity of those claims. Burn-in is definitely real, but in my experience the vast majority of any impact from burn-in will happen quite early with only subtle differences evolving after that. I agree that R2R and NOS are all about tonality which is why I do prefer these over most delta sigma DACs I've heard. They just don't stack up (to me at least) when compared to Schiit's Multibit approach or Chord's WTA filtering and high tap approach. I hope to review the Pontus and Terminator in the future 🤞🤞

@@PassionforSound Disclaimer: I ordered a May which will come in January, so I did quite a bit of research before the purchase. Also this is just an opinion based on the opinion of others. Some believe that the choice of amp can make a difference in the details of the May and Spring, using the Burson may not have the best synergy. That being said, some people on forums recommended even more expensive amps.

There's no doubt that system synergy is real and important, but I used multiple amps including the Soloist GT, Sparkos Labs Aries, Bottlehead Mainline and Elekit TU-8200R (modified). The reality is that it's often about personal tastes and preferences. A system synergy that I think is perfect may still not appeal to others and that's totally fine. If people say review X is wrong because they didn't use amp Y it's a bit misleading because it all comes back to personal preference which are inevitably variable from one person to the next

@@PassionforSound The burn-in in May is difference. It sounded great out of the box but the first 100 hours or so the sound change all over the place. Sometime its better sometime its worst. After about 200-300 hours it start to get stable and then continually improves. Now the more I listen to it the better its get. This is the only gear I have that do this to me and needed this much burn in. Even my tube amplifier burn in quicker than the May. If you look inside the May then its kind of make sense why it needed a lot of burn in. There seems to be a lot of power filtering and large capacitors inside. Holo May is also the only DAC I can think of that has 4 transformers. We do know that these can change the sound characteristics quite a bit as electricity is being passed through them.

All fair points, but I believe these units were well used before arriving with me.

The Yggy OG is great and responds really well via the AES input from a DDC (I use the SU-6)

Hi Ganesh, I can't make that comparison because the May was only on loan. However, I also didn't choose to explore the HQPlayer route because the TT2 was better to my ears without any upsampling so you could equally buy a TT2 and use HQPlayer to get even better results. I still think the May is a wonderful DAC and for those who don't need the pre-amp or headphone amp capability of the TT2, I'd always recommend the May as a great choice.

Got it, thanks. Also if you can get hold of Rockna wavelight DAC which is comparably priced then please share your thoughts on them as well, looking forward to that. According to the HQPlayer team, HQp works well only with certain DACs i.e. many Holo & TotalDAC models and few other DACs. I didn't ask the technicalities on why only certain DACs are recommended to be paired but this is a confirmed positioning from HQp team. I know it might sound bit unintuitive :-) but it seems to be the case. May out of the gate is good but does not live up to the hype considering my preference but when HQp adds to the mix then this completely extracts every bit of May's and the song's potential. Sorry, didn't mean to talk about an up-sampler in this DAC section but thought it is relevant to share it

No problems at all! All conversation is welcome anywhere 🙂🙂

I'm not certain, but it is a demo unit that had been with another reviewer before me and likely had also been used by Hugo from Indie HiFi before he sent it out. I doubt it has any more significant improvement to show and it sounded excellent at it was.

That's an interesting (and probably fair) conclusion you've drawn about the TT2 and the GT, but I do think it's very close to the TT2 rather than your understandable conclusion from this video. There are soany variables to consider when reviewing or listening to multiple devices at once and the May + GT combo is a bit different than the TT2 + GT combo. The GT is a slightly punchier sounding amp than the TT2 amp so it is still different, but I do rate them on par and use the GT quite a lot still even though I have the TT2 so that's a good indicator of the quality. As to your question, the Qutest will be a nice upgrade over the Bifrost 2. I can't speak to the D1se as I haven't yet been able to try it. The TT2 is still the best DAC I've tried for the price, but it might be redundant getting a DAC and amp when you have the GT. The Holo Audio May KTE would definitely be another recommendation. If it wasn't clear from this review, I think it's a great DAC for those who already have an amp.

@@PassionforSound thanks for the clarification. I really do appreciate you taking the time to respond to my questions. I know you must be FLOODED with them. Your commitment to your community is not lost on me! This is one one of the reasons I went with your recommendations. Your passion (no pun intended) really shines through! I think I am going to grab the Qutest next week, test it out, settle on the DAC that pairs the best with the Meze / GT, and then enjoy the setup for many years to come. The upgrade from the A90 to the GT was not subtle! It was an improvement on every level. Much more than any DAC I added. To think… this upgrade path was sparked by your Elden Ring HP video! 😁

So glad I've been able to help and especially through a video that nearly didn't get made! 🙂🙂

The May is a top tier DAC so it will definitely scale along with better amps (and the Bliss might best the Soloist GT - I'm not sure). That said, other DACs like the TT2 will also scale with better amps so adding a different amp won't change things in any absolute ways. In short, May is definitely excellent and deserves to be considered alongside the other great DACs on the market, but I don't see it as definitively better than the equivalent competition regardless of the amp used.

@@PassionforSound Thanks for the thoughtful response! Makes sense

I think every system has its own cables synergies so this is true for any DAC where choosing the right interconnects can bring the best out of each different device. For example, I really like the Supra Sword interconnects on the Schiit DACs, but the Curious XLR on the TT2.

That's not really fair to say. The holo audio dac uses very very expensive materials and has proven you only get a little more performance but it jacks up the price by thousands more. Silver isn't beneficial at all as copper already conducts more than enough. I agree occ copper is better than ofc but even that doesn't matter because the industry standard is ofc copper and having a tiny piece of cabling that's expensive isn't going to change that the product overall is built with plain copper.

@@V1ralB1ack let me tell You i know many audiophiles that for 2% in sound quality inmproovement of example dac, source, amp can kill You 😄 and belive me when you have all chain audio (amp, dac, cables, speakers in system thet is very revealing) at very high level you will here the difernce bitwin better caps, occ silver etc inside dac, source, speakers etc. Other thing - This 2% of improvement is giving 2% more emotions. Thats how it works in audiophile world. But personally in holo spring lvl2 vs lvl 3 is more diffrence then 2% i think much like 15 %(for my scale, for my ears, for my connection to what i hear) but once again you need to have very good all audio chain, very revealing. Peace ✌

@@michalryszawy Wouldn't it be better to spend the money on better major components and maybe better speakers than having 1 perfect component?

I think Mike's point is about optimising the whole chain. I definitely agree that balancing the quality across across the whole source chain is more valuable than a single perfect component though

Completely accidental 😂

Based on many people's suggestions, the May might sound a bit better with upsampler inputs, but the M-Scaler isn't the ideal source for this because it's severely limited when used with non-Chord DACs. The May is definitely an outstanding DAC whether you're using it with upsampled content or not so I think you can buy with confidence and then decide later if you prefer upsampling via Audirvana or just the bit-perfect output

Haha. I take no responsibility for your wallet!

I'm keen to try the Dave properly (I've only used it at shows) and the Terminator too. Hopefully in 2022 I'll get the chance

I don't think anyone should say the May is definitively better than the Dave or TT2. Preferable for some people? Sure, but not unequivocally better. The Gumby is great! I had an old original Gumby before Unison and A2 (I upgraded it to the Gen 5 USB)

Mind if I ask how the twenty is vs the gumby? That dac interests me but its hard to find any info on it tbh

I'm assuming "twenty" is an autocorrect of either Yggy or TT2. In both cases I'd say that the more expensive DAC is better based on my old experiences with the Gumby (A1, USB Gen 5). The current Gumby with Unison and the Analog 2 module should be excellent and likely extraordinary value for money.

@@PassionforSound ah, no. I was asking yorman about his experiences with the ayre QB-9 Twenty. Sorry about the confusion there

@@eskamobob8662 It is good very good

I don't recall, David, but it was likely a Singxer SA-1, Burson Soloist 3XP or similar

There is a bit of a gap - I agree. The Qutest is one obvious option, but is limited for inputs and outputs. I think Yggy would be my other choice, but if I2S is important, you'd have to look elsewhere. I'm hoping to be impressed by either the Pontus II or the Musician DACs at this level...

I haven't heard the Bricasti to comment - sorry!

Thanks Carlos! I didn't bother trying it because the M-Scaler provides predictable benefits regardless of the DAC you feed it into. I.e. better spatial details, more depth in the soundstage and a smoother but still detailed and textured sound.

Sometimes the terms we use to describe things can mean different things for different people (and there's no right or wrong). Glad you shared your impressions though because it might help others. For the record, I do think the May is an outstanding DAC!

This leads into the whole oversampling discussion. Obviously, he doesn't perfer NOS sound. Spring 3 has none, May is limited. I wonder why he didn't run either through the Mscaler in his review? Or perhaps why he didn't use hqplayer. This is why the holo products can go up to 1.5m taps as an input because quite frankly, oversampling should be done externally with a product desinged for it. The May only does it because of the AKM chips inside had that functionality, but it is marginal at best. Also realize, that the amps he is using aren't in the same category as these products so it's ability to highlight the diffrerences should be taken into account. I have questions about the Burson (love them) chain being. Perhaps trying it on other amps may show something else. He has AAS, forgot which one, looks like a Pendant(?) behind him. What is interesting is he is the first reviewer to really call out a huge difference between the Spring and the May. This is surprising, even to Kitsune which makes me think that there may be something else going on. Not to take anything away from the Yaggy. It is a good device, but like the Chord it has better oversampling built in than either of the Holo products and without taking that into consideration or adjusting for it, I understand his views, but depending on your setup your milage will varry. Personally, I would rather spend $250 for hqplayer than $5k for an mscaller, but that is just me.

Hi Roger, you're making a bunch of incorrect assumptions here. I tested the DACs using the Burson Soloist GT and Sparkos Labs Aries - both top tier headphone amps. The amp behind me is a Bottlehead Mainline, not an AAS amp - it's excellent, but not as good as the other two I mentioned. The reason I didn't test the Holo DACs with the M-Scaler is because it completely changes the cost of the system. As I showed on screen and discussed, due to the need to invest in an amp for the Holo DACs (not needed with the TT2), the cost of adding an M-Scaler takes it into a different category. It's also a non-ideal setup due to the limited output from the M-Scaler to non-Chord DACs. Finally, the same upsampling that will improve the Holo DACs will improve other DACs too like the TT2 for example. Suggesting that a DAC needs extreme upsampling to sound it's best basically means that people are forced to spend more than the list price to get the performance they're expecting. That's a drawback to me, particularly if the other options at the same price sound great with no added fuss or expense.

Hi Marco, I tried both. Which would you say do you prefer?

@@simonprice2923 the tt2 is gaaaaawn 😜 that says it all.

I'd love to try one and compare. I just don't have 10k to spare 🙁

I'm keen to try the Musician DACs so I'll see what I can do

@@PassionforSound thank you 😄

It's not uncommon for my opinions to differ from GS. It's a good idea to check out some other reviews of ours on products you're familiar with to decide which of us has similar tastes to you.

I tried reaching out to Sonnet a while ago, but they were unwilling to discuss any kind of demo unit or reviewer pricing because they apparently already have review units going to people via Head-Fi tour or similar setup. That's interesting about the need for a DDC. I'm not particularly a fan of products that need "help" to sound they're best. That's where products like the Chord and Schiit DACs (to name just two that I'm familiar with) are so good. They'll sound great from any input. I plan to compare the Bifrost 2 with the Yggy OG when I review it soon so that might also help with your decision making

Why is going against hype enharently good?.....

Glad you liked the review! I only really use filter 1 for TT2 on its own or filter 2 when using the M-Scaler (both incisive). Filters 3 & 4 might provide a hint of smoothness, but they don't change the presentation of the sound enough to match the fullness of the May. I personally think you're making the right choice by keeping the TT2 (I really wanted to prefer the May just for something different) and I'd recommend getting the extra warmth/fullness further down the source chain with your amp or transducers because you can never regain that extra detail that the May loses compared to the TT2, but adding some richness is easy to do.

@@PassionforSound awesome thanks. Were you using the stock BNC cables? I'm thinking of trying out Moon Audios black dragon BNC cables

I was using the Wave High Fidelity BNC cables. I haven't tried the Moon Audio Cables.

@@PassionforSound serious stuff. Worthy upgrade to stock bnc would you say? Or would it be better to invest in a LPSU

Both are worthy upgrades, but I'd probably go for the BNC cables first

I did try the XLR outputs and felt that it made no noticeable difference. I agree that the Susvaras need a warmer/richer amp to be their best. TT2 is just too dry/neutral for the Susvaras IMO

I haven't tried the Terminator 2 - sorry!

No

I only tried the Level 3 KTE in both cases. I might be able to arrange another look at the May levels at some point.

@@PassionforSound KTE is the TOTL Build for all of the Holo Audio Dac's and based on my experience with them the upcharge is worth the money.

@@PassionforSound Thank you for the info

I absolutely think the TT2 competes on those factors. "Traditional" DS designs using ESS, AKM, Cirrus Logic chips, etc. definitely fall short in those areas, but the TT2 (and all Chord DACs) are designed very differently despite technically being DS. I feel like the May produces a little more space perhaps, but the tonality, resonance and texture of the sounds are a little better from the TT2 so both are excellent and on par with (for me) the TT2 being slightly better due to having just that touch more accuracy on the tonality and texture/micro details

@@PassionforSound Thank you very much for your reply. I have been considering saving for a May but my issue with it would be that I wouldn't want to spend any more money on my set-up (that would be a huge expense on its own) and as you've rightly pointed out in your video, the May would require an amp alongside it that would be good enough not to hold it back... All of a sudden the TT2 looks like a better option, I just wasn't sure about how close these two products are to each other, i.e. if the May offers something that the Hugo's digital processing simply cannot match (some people claim the May is uncannily life-like). Also, there are people who claim that the May is even better than the Dave which would imply that the TT2 is not in the same league.

Having spent the time I did with the May and TT2 side-by-side, I really don't get the assertions that the May is somehow superior to the Dave when it only just matched the TT2 to my ears. It's possible that people aren't taking into account factors like system synergies (how well the DAC and amp suit each other sonically, which headphones are used, and even the interconnects used) so it's absolutely possible that an optimised May is better than a TT2 or Dave, but the reverse would also be true that an optimised TT2 will be better than a non-optimised May. Something else to consider is whether they are using headphones or speakers for their listening. I haven't tried the May with speakers so it's possible that alters things. Finally, as for the processing side of things, remember that it's ALL digital audio so both DACs are processing the data (and heavily). The May is often cited as sounding best with upsampled audio from HQ Player while the TT2 is doing much the same thing internally (although HQ Player is theoretically more powerful). Rob Watts' design of the Chord DACs is all about maximising the accuracy of the analog waveform - i.e. ensuring precise reconstruction from the samples to the sound. I think we sometimes feel like R2R DACs are somehow keeping things more analog, but the reality is that it all comes from a set of samples so the more precision and processing that goes into the reconstruction process, the better. I don't say this to suggest that the TT2 is automatically better in that regard so much as to say that when we're talking digital audio, more processing might actually be preferableand shouldn't be seen as a negative.

@@PassionforSoundIt's always a pleasure listening to and reading your opinions, but I must say it is doubly so now that I've spent a while on the Head-Fi forum where there are at least a few individuals who seem hell-bent on defending their preconceived notions of what's right and wrong in the audio world :) You're right about the consensus being that the May truly spreads its wings when used with the HQ Player. My understanding was that a truly NOS DAC like the May has less digital processing involved as it doesn't oversample by default and as such doesn't need to deal with as many issues as a D/S DAC (noise etc.). On top of that, because it has a natural high-frequency roll-off it inevitably produces a slightly different sound which is liked by some and perhaps for one reason or another sounds more realistic to some people (well, there's nothing particularly interesting about the roll-off but if the smaller amount of digital processing results in more life-like sound then I thought that this could be a game-changer). Following from that, I would think that an ideal situation would be a NOS DAC with oversampling via software such as HQ Player, because: 1. It gives you the option to experience NOS whenever you feel like it (unavailable on other types of DAC); 2. You get a more pure base sound which you then oversample with highly customisable software). As I've said, I've not experienced any of this so I have no idea how this theory translates into reality and whether all this hassle is worth it. Because of my limited budget, I am considering getting a TT2. My headphones are also easy to drive and this combo takes care of any potential questions like "Is my amp good enough?", "What if I used different interconnects?" :) I thought that I would first check with you, however, to see how big or small a potential gap is between these devices. To be fair, it would need to be pretty big for me to want to save so much more money to get a May AND an amplifier. Especially since it's possible to get a TT2 second-hand at a decent price. I have a D90 now and an Ares II - the Ares II makes me miss the D90's resolution and precision while the D90 lacks the "time domain" of the Ares and sounds a bit lifeless/soulless. Instead of being happy with both devices they have made it almost impossible for me to enjoy either of them, hehe, which just means that I've learnt somehing new and it's time for a vertical, as opposed to a horizontal, change. I hope that I won't be disappointed with what the TT2 brings to the table. :)

If you want a balance point between the D90 and Ares II (that's better than both), it's very hard to go wrong with the TT2. As you say, avoiding the issue of interconnects and DAC/amp synergy is a huge bonus too. Keep in mind that you can get the same HQ Player benefits with the TT2 as you can with the May (even though they process the incoming signal differently). The May has a slightly fuller, slower (not in a bad way) sound, but I can't imagine anyone being unhappy with either so I think you're making a great choice.

I'd actually really like to try the Anni too so I'll see what I can tee up...

I feel like the Spring definitely fits this description in relation to the Yggy OG. The May has a better sense of energy to me and is a DAC that I really like. If not for the TT2, the May is what I would own. I definitely think the Spring was overhyped.

These were demo units that had been reviewed by at least one prior reviewer and likely listened to by Hugo from Indie HiFi as well. Which is to say that I don't know for certain, but there would have been plenty of time to get through the major changes of burn-in (if needed) because the majority of change happens early in the process.

​ @Robert M: I read from one commenter's post on another KZfaq audiophile review of the Holo Audio MAY that HIS experience with his MAY KTE DAC was such that it took him the better part of 900 (yes, NINE-HUNDRED) hours' worth of break-in-time before his MAY finally cleared the break-in goal posts and began sounding, to his ears, remarkably and sublimely MUSICAL, to the point where listening to music moved him to tears. His MAY had THAT much of an emotional impact on his listening experience. He very clearly stated that, when getting a MAY, we "have to GRIND OUR WAY through the lengthy break-in process" before we can truly begin to appreciate what the MAY can do. Here, copied/pasted, are his own words: Jeff Trimm9 months ago (edited) - in response to "THE KING IS CROWNED - HOLO AUDIO MAY DAC REVIEW" - on KZfaq by NEW RECORD DAY (Ron) "Fantastic review! I'm a new Holo May KTE owner, and I think you nailed it. One comment to current and prospective owners on burn-in: I bought a Holo May KTE and got it a few days before Christmas, 2020. It has been my personal experience that 500 hours is not sufficient for burn-in. At least in my experience, it took 900-1000 hours before the MAY's sound-stage, imaging and tone quality really opened up & started sounding truly beautiful and startlingly lifelike. Up until this point, I would get a day or two where it would seem to make a big improvement, only to regress in sound-stage, tonal and sound quality. There were a lot of ups and downs for me, and then starting around 900 hours or so, everything really started to gel in an incredible way. The transformation at this point has not been subtle. I can only say that whatever sound you hear and impressions you have of the Holo May KTE when listening to it when it has undergone fewer than 900-1000 hours of burn-in, is only a facsimile of what it will sound like after it has truly and finally broken in. You have to grind through the hours to get the payoff though. In my case, 39 days of 24x7 play. It seems insane to require that much break-in time, and YHMV (Your Hourage May Vary), but this has been my experience with my KTE edition with all of its upgraded caps and fuses inside it. When fully burned in, it is a truly magical and beautiful-sounding source with a realism that is startling, coupled with a lovely natural tone. Also, don’t skimp on the USB cable if USB is going to be your source. I’m running a Shunyata Sigma USB cable, and it is worth every penny. Also, per the review, the quality of the streamer, Ethernet cables, and even the network switch all have non-trivial impacts on the sound. I have a SotM switch/cabling running into an Auralic Aries G2. The resolution of the Holo May KTE is such as to make audible the positive impact of all of these up-stream upgrades. Anyway in summary, when getting this device brand-new from the factory, be sure you grind through the burn-in hours, potentially 1000 of them, to unlock the ultimate sound-capability of this beguiling DAC, at least in its KTE form. Don't pass judgment until after you have done the leg-work, and then be prepared to be gob-smacked. The transformation in those last 100 hours is magical." End of copied/pasted report.

yeah - it would be great to see a Draco (and Pegasus) review on this channel. It is good that the Holo Audio hype train is tamed a bit too.

I'm keen to try the Musician gear. I think Aoshida have them so I'll check in and see what's possible. I also agree that R2R is often preferable to delta sigma. Only Schiit Multibit and Chord DACs offer the same type of benefits IMO

The TT2 is still the easy winner here because the DAC and preamp stages are outstanding even without the HP amp.

@@PassionforSound Thank you👍

Hi Lachlan. A couple of days ago I eventually bought the TT2 in part also thanks to you. I'm very, very happy so far😊One more question if you don't mind. If you had the chance to compare, did you find the XLR outputs better sounding than the RCA ones on the TT2? My active speakers have both XLR and RCA inputs, I presently use a pair of RCA's from the TT2 in to the speakers since I don't have a pair of XLR yet. Any thoughts on this? Thank you very much

Another thing, do you think that a LPSU added to the TT2 will improve sound quality over the stock one? Sorry and thanks

So glad you're enjoying the TT2. I haven't found any difference between the RCA and XLR outputs. I believe Rob Watts actually favours the single ended outputs (6.3mm and RCA)

Glad you liked the review. I haven't heard the Merason Frerot - sorry.

Elites and Susvara mostly, but also Meze Liric, Verite Open, Verite Closed and probably some others too that I've forgotten.