Holo Audio
Spring DAC - Level 3 - "Kitsune Tuned Edition" (+)
This was not a DAC I had any knowledge of when I built my original audition list. In fact I only heard about it a couple, or three, months ago. Despite my level of audition-fatigue and general leaning away from adding any new units to my audition list, I elected to add this unit on the basis that it was doing something in it's implementation I hadn't seen tackled elsewhere.
In this case, that's "Linear Compensation" and I'll talk more about that in the proper review.
Since I got more time with the Spring DAC, I have also written a full-blown "review" of the unit. I'll link to that from here, but will keep this particular entry to more of the "impressions" and "summary" type posts I've made so far.
Initial Thoughts/Findings:
- The Spring DAC is, for me, at it's best with PCM content and operating in NOS (no-oversampling) mode.
- XLR outputs run at 5Vpp, so if comparing to Yggdrasil you'll want to want to level match carefully before auditioning.
- Build and fit/finish are very nice, solid and heavy.
- This is the first R2R DAC that implements "Linear Compensation" that I'm aware of (more details in my full review).
Listening:
Comparisons are ALL with Yggdrasil, unless otherwise stated. And non-Yggdrasil comparisons are based on audio-memory and extensive listening notes and, while I believe they are accurate, should be taken more as impressions than absolutely definitive statements.
- Soundstage and Imaging are impressive and pronounced.
I think the overall soundstage it projects is a little wider and deeper than is actually realistic, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing with headphones.
In a speaker setup it was a bit too wide compared with Yggdrasil, and didn’t project height as well as Schiit’s unit.
- Out-resolves Yggdrasil, with better attack and faster transient response in NOS mode.
The difference isn’t huge, but it is noticeable, particularly with plucked-strings and some percussion work. In NOS mode there is more detail, faster attack and better transient response than the oversampled Schiit DAC renders.
In oversampling mode, Yggdrasil
does pull ahead of OS mode on the Spring here.
- Excellent tonality and balance; gives a little/takes a little depending on whether you’re in OS or NOS mode. Not wet, but not dry, a little immediately obvious (and highly seductive) “sweetness” to the sound, yet it doesn’t come across as colored somehow.
I find Yggdrasil quite neutral, possibly as it’s the DAC I use the most right now.
Vocals are projected and rendered beautifully, instruments are entirely believable, everything is cohesive and it is very easy to simply get lost in the music.
- The best NOS DAC I‘ve heard so far.
Doing another round with the Metrum Pavane might sway me there, but from memory and my notes I prefer listening to the Spring DAC to the Metrum unit.
Pavane had an effect I described as “glow” to its presentation, which I’d describe as “sweetness” with the Spring DAC.
- DSD Playback
This is simply the best DSD playback I’ve so far experienced.
While, to date, DSD has not been my thing (I’ll elaborate in another post), the Spring DAC gave an impressive showing here and resulted in my more than doubling the size of my DSD library.
- You buy this DAC to run in NOS mode!
While the Spring DAC is an enjoyable listen in all modes, it’s easily at its best in NOS mode. If you switch to oversampling replay then detail/resolution suffers a little, the soundstage gets compressed, presentation loses some of its engaging “sweetness” but softens a little as well.
If you’re always going to use oversampled replay and don’t need DSD replay then Yggdrasil is, for me, a better choice.
In other words, if you already know that NOS DACs aren’t your thing, then there are definitely other units you need to include in your auditioning.
- Choice of input matters; in decreasing order, I’d rank the inputs as follows:
I2S > AES >= COAX >= TOSLINK > USB
I used a Singxer SU-1 to feed the I2S input and this gave the best overall results. The USB input benefitted from the use of a JCAT Isolator but even then didn’t reach the levels of the AES or I2S interfaces.
Summary:
This is a really impressive unit, that I find entirely musical and engaging and that I want as part of my system. To that end,
I am buying myself one.
While I wouldn’t give up my Yggdrasil for the Holo Audio unit; I wouldn’t do the opposite either.
The Spring DAC is, I feel, entirely competitive with Yggdrasil, while offering some options that Schiit’s unit doesn’t (choice of NOS and OS mode, as well as first-rate DSD playback).
Very much worth an audition, a worthy addition to my shortlist and something of an upset to my process here (see follow-up post).
