Holo Audio May DAC
I am not sure about sound quality impact but you can adjust volume using Roon. I’ve experimented with it briefly but not critically since I have a preamp and my Lampizator also has volume control. Seemed ok for minor volume changes but I'm not sure I would want to rely on Roon as my primary volume control. |
I have a Big 7 that is about 6 years old. I really think it very nice especially with good tubes. I have KR Audio’s RK 300b tubes with an RK rectifier, which really help to bring it alive. I’m always curious about something else but it is hard to imagine something markedly better, but I haven’t tried. I am streaming with an Innuos Zen Mk III and have been very happy with it, especially running in experimental model using Squeezelite. I am interested in a 432 Evo Aeon, which I’ve heard great things about and I also find that what is upstream of the daC is very important. |
Also curious on anyone's experiences or thoughts about the KTE vs Lampizator. I'm actually very happy with the sound I'm getting with my current set up but the question is "What am I missing?". I would have been blissful in my ignorance, but hard to ignore what I'm hearing about the KTE now that I've discovered it. - I'm thinking they sound different, how much would depending on the system.My best guess would be Lampy would have the "lit up from within" sound, and Holo May more solid state type of sound. |
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audionutjeff
What is your sound preference for a DAC? It can be easy to recommend the May or Dave based on it. |
I pulled the trigger on the Chord DAVE. It checked the boxes for design, pedigree, consistently rave reviews, descriptions of its sound fitting my needs, and really cool looks! Also a big shoutout to Scott at Verdant Audio. A terrific dealer that made this decision easier for me. Reports to come when DAVE moves in! |
I appreciate everyone's contributions to this post. Based on that, technical measurements at Stereophile and ASR, and other great reviews, I ordered a KTE May yesterday. The May will replace a Berkeley Alpha Series 2 with USB converter. I recently sold my analog set up (SME 30/2 w Series V; Soundsmith Hyperion; BAT P10SE Superpak) to focus on digital (Qobuz + Roon). The Berkeley is good, but I hope the May takes it to another level! I will update when I get the May and have a chance to break it in for >500 hours. |
Wow you are replacing a $25k DAC with a $5k DAC. I definitely want to read the comparison! The May is on my list as well, but I have a modded Gustard U20, so definitely expect an improvement.@achipo I would also like to read the comparison. $5k is still too much for me, if someone can make an equally good dac and shave off another 80% of the price then we're talking. I can dream, can't I? |
$5k is still too much for me, if someone can make an equally good dac and shave off another 80% of the price then we're talking.Yes, you can dream. That's what this hobby is all bout, isn't it? There are several DACs at the $1K price point that will provide 95% of the SQ that the May DAC offers. Denafrips Ares II is a very good choice for about a grand. The Schitt Gungnir is another. I'm sure there are others. My quest began with DACs in this ($1K) price range. After owning some of them I was prepared to spend $10-20K on my next DAC when I discovered the May DAC. After purchasing the MAY and owning it for nearly a year I am still satisfied and have no interest in upgrading. Thinking how I might very well have ended up spending $10K or more additional to buy one of the Super DACs makes me feel very good about my purchase. I'm not saying I will never upgrade, but this DAC is very special and I plan to hold onto it for the next several years. |
Wonder if the Sonnet Morpheus dac would compete with the May dac. Looks very interesting and can be use as a pre as well. https://www.sonnet-audio.com/Morpheus.html |
@headphonedreams I have the AudioMirror Tubadour III SE (fully loaded) that some compared favorably with the Halo May. I actually bought the AMT3SE over the Halo May because a guy selling the Halo May decided to keep the AMT3SE instead after comparing the 2 of them. He may have posted earlier on this or another Halo May thread. I took the 30 day home trial for the AMT3SE and never returned it. I love my AMT3SE with my RAAL SR1a headphones into a KRELL K-300i integrated. Sonic perfection with this combo. However, I recently got a new DAC that I like more than the AMT3SE on my 2 channel floor standers. It is the $1500 Gustard X26 Pro. It is sonically a nice blend of my Benchmark DAC3B and the AMT3SE. |
@branislav Hi there, I believe I'm the person being referred to above. See p3 of this thread for my full comments, but here's the key paragraph of comparison. Feel free to ask for further details. Also, when I bought my AM, it was indeed a 2-week (or maybe 10 day?) trial period, although I asked for a bit of an extension and Vlad granted it without any hesitation. "The May is extremely clean and extended with great tonality across the frequency range. It paints an amazingly tall and wide picture across my soundstage. The AM-T3SE is a little less even handed, but provides more body and "meat on the bones." It shrinks the soundstage more between the speakers, but also draws more depth and 3-dimensionality. It's obvious to me that both are superb dacs." |
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SE will probably sound better, because I don’t believe Holo use "dual" discrete banks of R2R resistors per channel to get true balanced. I think they are single bank of R2R resistors per channel for the SE output, then probably a SE to balanced opamp to get pseudo balanced output. So far the only one I know that uses dual R2R banks for true balanced out put is MSB flagship models and Soekris top models Soekris models True balanced dual R2R resistor banks per chanel https://ibb.co/bFCR0pY Single Ended R2R resistor banks per chanel https://ibb.co/LQQ0dBJ Cheers George |
My Holo May arrived 2 days ago, now burning in. It was worth the wait. I'm using USB input and balanced output to an Allnic preamp. I guess that the single ended output is ok but I've always preferred the balanced connection with my gear. Is it true that the May is not truly balanced? My PS Audio DSD will be up for sale pretty soon. Even with upgraded output transformers and the newest firmware, the DSD doesn't stand up. Maybe I just prefer the sound of r2r DACS over chip based dacs? I don't know. |
@tinear123 thanks. I am currently using a Lampizator Amber 3 with my LM SET amp. I want to either upgrade to the Lampizator Baltic 3 or the Holo May. Lampi's have a certain house sound that is palpable and vivid but possibly a little too much at times. I have owned a couple of lower end R2R's before (Denafrips Ares and an Audio-GD) and recognize that the typical R2R sound is quite different from the Lampizator house sound, but not entirely sure to what degree the Holo May bridges that divide. Guess there is only one way to find out ... |
nquery72 posts I think I could be wrong here. Just found this pic (beautifully made btw) which shows the Holo May "may" have the correct amount of R2R resistors per channels (red) to be balanced from the R2R dacs to outputs, but there seems still to be many opamps between it and the outputs, I count 6 per channel. Uses a 1uf coupling cap which maybe for the SE output? = -3db at 3hz with even down to 20k load, -3db at 6hz with 10k load https://ibb.co/3yyqzV2 The balanced output "may" also be direct coupled and uses one of those opamps as a dc servo. While I’m at it, here the power supply no switchmode (smp) rubbish here. https://ibb.co/JymQ9Mc Cheers George |
Well after waiting for the May to arrive, and listening periodically over the last ~500 hours, I'm happy to report that the May is hitting its stride. I've done most listening in NOS mode which has fleshed out nicely during burn in. I listened a few brief times over the break in period to OS, and it definitely does not sound as good as NOS. I wonder, however, what actually happens during the break in process, ie the DAC chips used in OS are different than the ladder DAC circuit that I've used for nearly all of the break in. I discovered this morning that 88.2 files cannot be played in NOS, so I listened in OS. Just wondering what if any improvement to expect if I burn in the OS circuits? Also, is there any way to run NOS on 88.2 files? |
So I have acquired a slightly used Holo May ( 200 - 300 hrs in mint condition) and have been listening to it for the past few days, comparing it to my Lampizator Amber 3. I am on the fence so far to be honest. Earlier in this thread, more than one person suggested that the May would be a sideways move from Lampizator DAC’s and I am beginning to agree with this. While it’s incredible detailed, accurate, with a black background and neutral to a fault, it doesn’t have the full, 3-dimensionality, or organic sound of the Amber 3. No doubt it’s technically superior in every way - but it’s just not as *pleasant* to listen to, is more forward sounding, and very unforgiving of poor recordings - etched and bright at times. I will let it run for a couple of hundred more hours before re-evaluating. |
@nquery I'm looking forward to hearing your future findings. I have not experienced harshness, etched or overly detailed sound from mine. I have not heard this experience from others either, so it is a curious thing. Break-in could be a part of it but for me, I did not hear those characteristics during break-in of my unit. After 600+ hours on mine I can say that it is more refined than when it was new, but the improvement is not night and day. From the moment I unboxed mine and plugged it in it has sounded great. I am wondering about choice of cables, source, or other factors to explain what you are hearing. Or, as another said, perhaps the comparison to tubes is revealing your preference in sound signature. Either way, let us know what you find. Happy listening! Peter |
A few days later and what I have done is create an A/B setup with Roon playing to two endpoints as a grouping, one going to the May and one going to the Lampizator. Each of which is connected to different inputs on my Line Magnetic 805ia SET amp. Same PEQ (but no upsampling!) is applied to both endpoints in Roon with the headroom adjusted slightly differently to level match the volume within 0.1db. So now all I have to do is flick the input on the amp to switch between the two while live - the changeover is absolutely imperceptible in both volume and timing. (One of the cool things you can do with Roon). There is very little between the two much of the time. The May possibly has a slightly wider, taller soundstage and thus instrument separation, but does not have as much depth and thus less 3-dimensionality to instruments. The May is a bit clearer with more bite (particularly the bass), and has a bit more air to the sound. (i.e. frequency extension no doubt better). Tonally, the May is really neutral across the entire frequency range whereas the Lampi has a bit of that tubey mid-range bloom and richness. The Lampi is a bit rounder and fuller. Timbre is a toss-up. Punchiness is a toss-up. Detail a toss-up. May has a wee bit more PRAT, Lampi a wee bit more romantic. May a bit more forward than Lampi. Nothing really surprising here given their topologies and builds. My LM amp is rolled with best-of-class tubes such that it’s extremely clean/punchy/dynamic - dare I say almost solid state like (but still with that SET magic). Speakers are very neutral/revealing Spendor D7.2’s. The May and D7.2’s might just be a too much of the same ilk, or maybe I just prefer the slightly smoother/fuller/organic sound of the Lampi tube DAC with my system, giving up very little in other sonic measures. When I first plugged in the Lampi after owning a Schiit gumby I had a huge wow moment and was surprised by how much better it was. Not so with the May, though the gap was obviously not as big. But I do get why many think that the Holo May is a reference level DAC. Still going to let the May run with music for another week or two before deciding. I do think it has improved a bit since I first plugged it in 100 hrs ago. Will follow up again in a week. |
