Holo Serene vs Denafrips Athena (anyone compared these preamps?)


Holo Serene vs Denafrips Athena (anyone compared these preamps?). They are in the same ballpark price, both look well made.
smodtactical
I am also interested in the Holo Serene preamp, as I have the May KTE DAC.  Except the one YouTube video review by GoldenSound, there just isn't much info available online yet.
Nonoise, as it relates to the first video, my initial experience with Athena is similar fronting a Benchmark Dac3-L into a Denafrips Hyperion.  Inserting Athena between the two is a mind bending experience.  Everything is better, bigger, sharper, more textured.  Lows have depth, separation, and allow easily followed focus on individual instrument timber’s that dac direct only hints at.  The highs go on forever yet are never aggressive.  Both low and highs just have this long lasting, see into, quality.  Everything, including vocals and backgrounds, are ust in its place such that when the music gets really busy it’s like a panorama of sounds, a bit psychedelic, in a good way.  With Athena in the loop, the Dac3 sounds as if a much, much better dac than when run direct.  Go figure as Athena shares many of the design considerations of the Wyred and Holo.  Whatever Athena is doing, it’s wickedly good fronting some Zu DW’s…