[arnaud]

From your post yesterday, I read it that I needed to use HQP directly to be able to use 1.5MHz OS filters as Roon is capped to about half of this.

I did manage to use HQP from Roon with ~748kHz OS filter.

On the other hand, for the life of me, I could not figure out how to visualize my library (after scanning in desktop version) nor connect to Qobuz from HQP Client so gave up as it just feels so complex, shall I say ... convoluted (puns intended).

No biggie as I really like the sound I get from NOS anyhow.

cheers,

arnaud

 

[GoldenSound]

From your post yesterday, I read it that I needed to use HQP directly to be able to use 1.5MHz OS filters as Roon is capped to about half of this.

I did manage to use HQP from Roon with ~748kHz OS filter.

On the other hand, for the life of me, I could not figure out how to visualize my library (after scanning in desktop version) nor connect to Qobuz from HQP Client so gave up as it just feels so complex, shall I say ... convoluted (puns intended).

No biggie as I really like the sound I get from NOS anyhow.

cheers,

arnaud

No I just meant that you can't output 1.536mhz from roon itself, either by playing a 1.536mhz WAV file if you have one or via the internal Roon Oversampling.
Roon itself can only output upto 768khz to a device.
But you can use roon -> HQP -> DAC at 1.536mhz no problem as roon is effectively outputting to HQP itself at 44.1khz. It's HQP that is doing the 1.536mhz output not roon itself.

 

[arnaud]

But you can use roon -> HQP -> DAC at 1.536mhz no problem as roon is effectively outputting to HQP itself at 44.1khz. It's HQP that is doing the 1.536mhz output not roon itself.

ok, I think I'm back with you... I'll give this another try.

 

[gancanjam]

As far as I know, Roon is the easiest route to take to use HQp as it has a setting to add HQp. Agree with Goldenone

EDIT:
On OS to higher rates, I found PCM 768Khz HQp OS with Holo May NOS setting is more than adequate to have a great experience, PCM OS can be achieved in a commodity PC itself. When I OS to higher rates / DSD I saw the signature getting bit different like more refined but I didn't saw a big boost in the SQ.

Like many of you did , I also did felt like I need a PHD to make HQp work ..LOL

 

[thecrow]

Now approaching 50 hours of burn in with my MAY Level 3 and I am hearing my first noticeable change tonight (be it because of the burn in, me getting adjusted to it, how my dinner is sitting in my stomach tonight, or the fact that the washing machine is not on, etc).

The “digital” edge (which was never over bearing) has nicely softened somewhat to smooth those edges a nice and noticeable amount.

Not a massive change but a nice one.

 

[ericx85]

Havent had much experience with roon/hqp. Is it worth using over Audirvana studio with r8brain upsampling? Havent been able to find much comparison. One thing for sure I believe is I think Audirvanas upsampling with r8brain can only do up to 786k on the May

 

[eee1111]

Havent had much experience with roon/hqp. Is it worth using over Audirvana studio with r8brain upsampling? Havent been able to find much comparison. One thing for sure I believe is I think Audirvanas upsampling with r8brain can only do up to 786k on the May

I use audirvana but ditched it when it became a subscription service. I went to roon+HQP and haven't looked back. If the trade off from audirvana to roon+HQP is going from 768 to 1.5 I think its worth it.

When I got 1.5 working I knew it was better to my ears.

I vote yes. Its worth it for 1.5mhz. Also worth it in general. Prefer roon to audirvana.

 

[ericx85]

Apparently I had to do a firmware downgrade to do 1.5m, but sadly my pc doesnt like it so have to stick with 786 (ryzen/am4 sytstem for those curious)

 

[Danmellinger]

Apparently I had to do a firmware downgrade to do 1.5m, but sadly my pc doesnt like it so have to stick with 786 (ryzen/am4 sytstem for those curious)

There's a new USB2.1 module you can get from your Holo dealer that is 1.5m compatible with both Intel and AMD.

 

[arnaud]

There's a new USB2.1 module you can get from your Holo dealer that is 1.5m compatible with both Intel and AMD.

I'm probably running into the same issue:
- My may dac has the original USB module
- I can do Roon>HPQ(OS 705.6kHz)>May
- Anything above shows up in Roon but the playback won't start and input sample rate change isn't displayed on the dac's front panel

I'll keep evaluating at 705.6kHz OS rate but, so far, it feels like the Spring>May upgrade was way more noticeable than NOS > HQP OS filters.

There are a few things irritating me with HQP besides the interface:
- it appears to lock the dac, I can't switch back to Roon > May without rebooting the May which I don't like to do
- there's a pretty noticeable lag between the roon command (play / pause / play) and the HQP, perhaps just because of the long filters used

I want to like this but I have a naggy feeling I will stick to Roon > May (NOS) eventually and save me 300USD for something else as the FOMO is quite working now .

re. Audirvana vs. Roon, I also ditched A3.5 when they made all the enhancements / bug fixes contingent on migrating to the subscription model. Roon UI leaves everybody else in the dust and is priced right to me...

cheers,
arnaud

 

[MatW]

In roon I'd use precise linear filter, max rate 'power of 2'

The pcm upsampling is pretty decent but I'd avoid the dsd upsampling.

Why do you recommend the precise linear filter? Simply a personal preference? Or some reasoning related to how these filters work? Same question for choosing power of 2 over max pcm rate?

 

[thecrow]

Small update on my May burn in (72 hours now).

I was planning to not plug in my metrum hex dac for a few weeks but i was tempted to so as to do a quick comparison on soundstage depth.

I plugged in the metrum dac for about 20 mins. Remember I called this a musical, natural, analogue sounding well layered dac.

Fairly immediate impression is the upper mids and top end are smoother/cleaner on the May than the hex. So a win there.

But the Metrum has this tone that is round and it may well be the cause or at least assist/facilitate a sound that has more depth in front of me.
That depth is a stage like a round ball or oval placed in front of me that allows for left and right sound as well as this tone that resonates and allows music to come from various layers in front of me allowing for more space on a 3D level.

It’s not a tone like a swirling around the stage but like a hot chocolate with more depth, weight and luxurious chocolatey indulgence, but not overdone or too thick or too dark a chocolate (at least I know what I mean)

Two examples where this was nicely audible was Willie Nelson’s “Don’t get around much anymore” and Paul SImon’s “50 ways to leave your lover”

Hope there is some sense to what and how I have described this.

Hoping this depth will open up on May with the burn in process.

May still offering a clean, lively, balanced, open (but more 2D) detailed sound

 

[thecrow]

Small update on my May burn in (72 hours now).

I was planning to not plug in my metrum hex dac for a few weeks but i was tempted to so as to do a quick comparison on soundstage depth.

I plugged in the metrum dac for about 20 mins. Remember I called this a musical, natural, analogue sounding well layered dac.

Fairly immediate impression is the upper mids and top end are smoother/cleaner on the May than the hex. So a win there.

But the Metrum has this tone that is round and it may well be the cause or at least assist/facilitate a sound that has more depth in front of me.
That depth is a stage like a round ball or oval placed in front of me that allows for left and right sound as well as this tone that resonates and allows music to come from various layers in front of me allowing for more space on a 3D level.

It’s not a tone like a swirling around the stage but like a hot chocolate with more depth, weight and luxurious chocolatey indulgence, but not overdone or too thick or too dark a chocolate (at least I know what I mean)

Two examples where this was nicely audible was Willie Nelson’s “Don’t get around much anymore” and Paul SImon’s “50 ways to leave your lover”

Hope there is some sense to what and how I have described this.

Hoping this depth will open up on May with the burn in process.

May still offering a clean, lively, balanced, open (but more 2D) detailed sound

Just an add on:

Tonight I replaced the audioquest diamond usb cable with my previous audience au24 se usb cable that has a warmer (mids) tilt and that brings back some tone and balance towards where my preferences generally have laid in the past that swapping dacs took away.

There was another member that mentioned to me a month ago that their diamond cable was not ideal for them with the May - that may prove the same for me (and others).

As always YMMV, and just my 2 cents

 

[Tubewin]

Just an add on:

Tonight I replaced the audioquest diamond usb cable with my previous audience au24 se usb cable that has a warmer (mids) tilt and that brings back some tone and balance towards where my preferences generally have laid in the past that swapping dacs took away.

There was another member that mentioned to me a month ago that their diamond cable was not ideal for them with the May - that may prove the same for me (and others).

As always YMMV, and just my 2 cents

I'm considering getting the jcat signature usb cable to replace my aq diamond. Wonder how it compares with the audience au24 se.

 

[nwavesailor]

Gonna dip a toe in the Holo DAC 'spring' with a 3 KTE.
If it is as good as some say (and is better than the TT2 / MS) I'll go for the May