[amix]

I highly doubt Steve Huff even know what Hqplayer is...

Why so?

 

[betula]

A generic question regarding this DAC (and maybe all Holo DAC's for that matter): is the Cyan less appealing/"useful" to users who are PCM-only/do not use things like HQPlayer? Or is that an overly broad generalization?

That's a broad generalization.
Most Cyan 2 buyers are not even on Head-Fi and probably don't even know what HQ player is. Yet they are happy.

 

[dericchan1]

That's a broad generalization.
Most Cyan 2 buyers are not even on Head-Fi and probably don't even know what HQ player is. Yet they are happy.

You don’t need to be on Head-Fi to have access to hqplayer. There are probably a few hundred hqplayer related threads on audiophilestyle forum, roon hqplayer section of the forum……

 

[betula]

You don’t need to be on Head-Fi to have access to hqplayer. There are probably a few hundred hqplayer related threads on audiophilestyle forum, roon hqplayer section of the forum……

I know that. Yet I doubt more than 5% of Cyan 2 customers use HQ player.

 

[dericchan1]

Why so?

Or Steve Guttenberg…

 

[dericchan1]

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/holo-audio-cyan-2.14351/

Check out some of the measurements done by atomicbob at SBAF on pcm and spdif in balance out, excellent performance as well.

 

[JjB067]

A generic question regarding this DAC (and maybe all Holo DAC's for that matter): is the Cyan less appealing/"useful" to users who are PCM-only/do not use things like HQPlayer? Or is that an overly broad generalization?

I use the Cyan2 almost exclusively for PCM with modest upsampling to 176.4 kHz. Sounds great and beats any other DACs I have on hand. I have dabbled a bit with DSD using a Shanling ET3 CD Transport, this can upsample to 768 kHz PCM or even to DSD512 outputting over I2S. So even a basic CD or a ripped FLAC file can be upsampled in the ET3 at will and played directly into the Cyan2. Incidentally a standard HDMI cable works fine for this, no problem with incompatible pinouts. So if you don't want to go down the apparently daunting HQPlayer route, you can use a device like this to try out different amounts of upsampling or to compare PCM to DSD. Currently I seem to prefer the upsampled PCM sound, the DSD is quite strange to me. Of course the HQPlayer route is much more comprehensive and tunable.

 

[dericchan1]

I use the Cyan2 almost exclusively for PCM with modest upsampling to 176.4 kHz. Sounds great and beats any other DACs I have on hand. I have dabbled a bit with DSD using a Shanling ET3 CD Transport, this can upsample to 768 kHz PCM or even to DSD512 outputting over I2S. So even a basic CD or a ripped FLAC file can be upsampled in the ET3 at will and played directly into the Cyan2. Incidentally a standard HDMI cable works fine for this, no problem with incompatible pinouts. So if you don't want to go down the apparently daunting HQPlayer route, you can use a device like this to try out different amounts of upsampling or to compare PCM to DSD. Currently I seem to prefer the upsampled PCM sound, the DSD is quite strange to me. Of course the HQPlayer route is much more comprehensive and tunable.

I can’t agree re Hqplayer being daunting to be honest. The system can be set up in a few clicks in less than 5-10 minutes, and something like a $80 raspberry pi 5 can run it for dsd256 and pcm 1536, it even have qobuz built in so you don’t even need a streamer

 

[jcn3]

I can’t agree re Hqplayer being daunting to be honest. The system can be set up in a few clicks in less than 5-10 minutes, and something like a $80 raspberry pi 5 can run it for dsd256 and pcm 1536, it even have qobuz built in so you don’t even need a streamer

he was agreeing with you . . . he said apparently daunting (i.e. he meant some may find it daunting).

 

[dericchan1]

he was agreeing with you . . . he said apparently daunting (i.e. he meant some may find it daunting).

Yup and I am saying it really isn’t

 

[Erick Muller]

I know that. Yet I doubt more than 5% of Cyan 2 customers use HQ player.

We're a niche within niche indeed, but imho it's worth it even tho I'm running a not so high end system, I can hear the difference and I not considere my self to be a really well versed audiophile.

 

[LXMc]

We're a niche within niche indeed, but imho it's worth it even tho I'm running a not so high end system, I can hear the difference and I not considere my self to be a really well versed audiophile.

There are a number of upgrades I've done where I have not heard the changes or improvements others have claimed, but even with a DAC that only hits 192khz and no dsd, I can hear an improvement with hqplayer. It's still subtle but there. Very curious to hear what a DAC like the Cyan can do with it.

 

[bunn3y]

I'm curious if there will be a partner amplifier for the Cyan 2 DAC in the works for Holo sometime in the future? I would be alot more keen to have a full system.

 

[kopczas]

Just turned on my Cyan 2 for the first time and wow, this is not just minor upgrade from Pegasus.

 

[Carbon44]

I'm curious if there will be a partner amplifier for the Cyan 2 DAC in the works for Holo sometime in the future? I would be alot more keen to have a full system.

Hey Bunn3y!

In December I have asked Tim at Kitsune. He told me there was no plans for an Azure 2 or other equivalent compact Holo Audio amplifier planned, unfortunately.