2. digital
  3. 159610-3674

Holo Audio May DAC

Just read a very nice review of this in Stereophile this month and after doing some research it looks like this one could be a very nice option for me.  
https://kitsunehifi.com/product/holo-audio-may-dac/
  
It's made in China I think (or could be Taiwan?, and yes, I am very well aware that these are two very different countries. ;)), and employs a direct to consumer model to keep the price as low as possible.  This does not worry me after purchasing a Jay's Audio transport from Vinshine Audio and having zero issues.  

Just curious if anyone here has heard one or purchased?  I'm very intrigued.  I know the Denafrips Terminator is another highly regarded DAC with a similar ordering model, but costs a couple grand more than this one.  Considering that one as well.

Thanks
128x128snackeyp
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
@jtrimm Congrats, that all sounds exceptional.  I wish I'd been able to hang onto mine longer to ride out the burn in process a bit more. 

Damn forced moves.  Everything's about to go into storage for 3 months or so.  Because of that, I likely wouldn't have been able to get up to 500 until after the pandemic was over (god willing) and at that point the resale market is going to be dead as everyone shifts their surplus income from equipment to travel.  
snackeyp's avatar
snackeyp OP
455 posts
 
@jtrimm Nice write-up!  As I wrote previously, the digital end of my system has taken a back seat to my analog set up, so I really haven't focused on burn time.  I think I should maybe leave my system running while I'm not around to give it the time required.  Great to hear that it has made a difference for you.
Cheers,
Peter
jtrimm
10 posts
 
@snackeyp FWIW I’ve kept mine running 24x7 for 3 weeks, even when my preamp is off and no sound is coming through the speakers- DAC is still playing music 24x7.

Also, I’ve noticed multiple regressions in sound quality along the 500 hour burnin path... ie. sound is improving, and then takes a step back, sometimes for a few days.  It’s frustrating and makes you doubt everything about the process.  However, when it all comes together towards the end of burn-in, the transformation in sound is not subtle, and completely transformative.

Also, I suspect, and will confirm with a few hundred more hours of play, that 500 hours is not a hard and fast rule on when things reach their pinnacle...
jriggy's avatar
jriggy
563 posts
 
Another break-in tip for those slower to ‘get there’ materials, like teflon... This may seem unconventional or even weird to some, but I got this from a designer years ago... During the break-in process, every two or three day power the unit down for 5 hours +/-. Evidently letting the caps discharge for a time like this can actually speed up the process some and even out the rollercoaster some. 
jtrimm
10 posts
 
@jriggy Thanks for that... I’m going to try it.
More to discover