[AudioMan2013]

You could try something like the ifi spdif purifier perhaps. That's not too expensive and does a decent job.

May pll will take care of the rest.

As to external clocks, the issue is that whilst WORD clocks can sometimes provide an improvement over a DACs internal clock, not many companies actually do this as it requires two different clock rates. DCS is an example of a company that does.

Most other manufacturers are using 10Mhz clocks which for audio performance is quite frankly an incredibly bad idea as its not mechanically possible for them to improve jitter performance and they can only ever make things slightly worse

I was drooling at the Stanford Labs 10Mhz atomic clock standard. So would a reclocker with a 10Mhz input with a reference clock standard not improve jitter? I was considering this as a next year purchase but if you say it wont improve jitter, then I will forget it. Im new to this level of jitter control so there is a lot for me to learn.

The ifi spdif purifier doesnt seem to have an optical input. But will output it. DCS is nice but way out of my price range.

I was going to try optical toslink in and optical toslink out from my RME adi2 pro fs but today I wasnt feeling well so it will possibly be tomorrow. I use the RME to digitize vinyl into dsd256 and it does a phenomenal job. I power it with a large 12v lithium battery and the results were mind blowing. It will be interesting to see how it impacts the May.

 

[GoldenSound]

I was drooling at the Stanford Labs 10Mhz atomic clock standard. So would a reclocker with a 10Mhz input with a reference clock standard not improve jitter? I was considering this as a next year purchase but if you say it wont improve jitter, then I will forget it. Im new to this level of jitter control so there is a lot for me to learn.

The ifi spdif purifier doesnt seem to have an optical input. But will output it. DCS is nice but way out of my price range.

I was going to try optical toslink in and optical toslink from my RME adi2 pro fs but today I wasnt feeling well so it will possibly be tomorrow. I use the RME to digitize vinyl into dsd256 and it does a phenomenal job. I power it with a large 12v lithium battery and the results were mind blowing. It will be interesting to see how it impacts the May.

It would not no.

10Mhz clocks were created so that in broadcast situations primarily, lots of devices that also needed to be running for long periods of time could all be kept in sync long term. Last thing you want it your sound gear running 0.002% faster than your camera gear and over time getting out of sync.

But they were never intended to improve jitter performance and mechanically cannot do that.

10Mhz cannot be divided by either 48khz or 44.1khz. And when you use an audio device with a 10Mhz clock, you're still using your devices own clock just with a pll running to speed it up/slow it down to match the speed of the 10mhz signal. But because you can't divide the 10mhz signal cleanly you have to use a fractional Pll and it's inherently impossible for these to be perfect. As a result a 10Mhz clock can at very best be exactly the same as using no clock and in most cases will be worse to a varying degree.


This isn't the same with external word clocks. Those are clocks running at a direct multiple of 44.1khz or 48khz and so in many instances they could even directly replace the clock in the DAC itself.

With the May for example you can disable the pll and then the DAC just runs directly off the clock signal from the I2S connection.

 

[AudioMan2013]

It would not no.

10Mhz clocks were created so that in broadcast situations primarily, lots of devices that also needed to be running for long periods of time could all be kept in sync long term. Last thing you want it your sound gear running 0.002% faster than your camera gear and over time getting out of sync.

But they were never intended to improve jitter performance and mechanically cannot do that.

10Mhz cannot be divided by either 48khz or 44.1khz. And when you use an audio device with a 10Mhz clock, you're still using your devices own clock just with a pll running to speed it up/slow it down to match the speed of the 10mhz signal. But because you can't divide the 10mhz signal cleanly you have to use a fractional Pll and it's inherently impossible for these to be perfect. As a result a 10Mhz clock can at very best be exactly the same as using no clock and in most cases will be worse to a varying degree.


This isn't the same with external word clocks. Those are clocks running at a direct multiple of 44.1khz or 48khz and so in many instances they could even directly replace the clock in the DAC itself.

With the May for example you can disable the pll and then the DAC just runs directly off the clock signal from the I2S connection.

Correction, the ifi Purifier 2 does have an optical input. I will try my RME first and if I dont like the results then will try the ifi. It is low cost. I use some of their power noise cancelling products and they work well.

Thank you for the explanation for the 10Mhz clocks. I will forget about that idea.

Can a DDC such as a Denafrips Gaia improve jitter on their I2S output port connected to the May? I know that the May's PLL circuit is very good and only want to purchase a good DDC with an optical input if it will improve things. If you know of any other high end DDC, please let me know. I think the May will be my end dac and I can focus on improving jitter.

 

[Mavwong]

Correction, the ifi Purifier 2 does have an optical input. I will try my RME first and if I dont like the results then will try the ifi. It is low cost. I use some of their power noise cancelling products and they work well.

Thank you for the explanation for the 10Mhz clocks. I will forget about that idea.

Can a DDC such as a Denafrips Gaia improve jitter on their I2S output port connected to the May? I know that the May's PLL circuit is very good and only want to purchase a good DDC with an optical input if it will improve things. If you know of any other high end DDC, please let me know. I think the May will be my end dac and I can focus on improving jitter.

With May you can just try using a clean source. If you are streaming do head over to Gentooplayer tread in audiophilstyle page 198. Many have great success with Red as streamer (using gentooplayer + diretta) or RPI as streamer + Red as DDC.

 

[OrenT]

All right...let's say you have a Holo May KTE and a Zenith MK3 streamer as source.
You have one SR purple fuse.
And one SR master fuse.
In which device would you place each one?
I prefer not to start trialing and erroring.
Thanks.

 

[incredulousity]

Master in DAC is the usual recommendation. I’m not sure if that’s based on anything rational, but it seems to me that as a DAC produces an amplified analog signal, whereas a streamer just outputs bits, that the DAC might benefit most from the fuse voodoo.

It’s not any sillier than any other explanation for why fuses make a difference…

Yes. I like fuses.

 

[Quenya]

GoldenOne, I understand the May is both a R-2R ladder DAC when playing PCM and a Delta-sigma DAC when playing DSD. What do you prefer to play on the May and why?

Edit: Any input is of course welcome, not only GoldenOne's.

 

[OrenT]

Anyone else finding the May (KTE) a bit too "polite" with the Susvara for heavy metal?
Thinking of either going back to the TT2 or switching to the Utopia 2022.
I used to own the Utopia 2020 and did love its slam.

 

[EMINENT]

GoldenOne, I understand the May is both a R-2R ladder DAC when playing PCM and a Delta-sigma DAC when playing DSD. What do you prefer to play on the May and why?

Edit: Any input is of course welcome, not only GoldenOne's.

This is likely decided by your setup. Many like either. I prefer DSD with my transducer.

 

[thecrow]

Anyone else finding the May (KTE) a bit too "polite" with the Susvara for heavy metal?
Thinking of either going back to the TT2 or switching to the Utopia 2022.
I used to own the Utopia 2020 and did love its slam.

For heavy metal - I would say go back to the path of the utopias first rather than changing back to the tt2. Due to the punch/energy the utopia has.

 

[Fox88]

Anyone else finding the May (KTE) a bit too "polite" with the Susvara for heavy metal?
Thinking of either going back to the TT2 or switching to the Utopia 2022.
I used to own the Utopia 2020 and did love its slam.

I don't have a Susvara but the 1266 with the May is amazing for heavy metal.

 

[Vangelis]

All right...let's say you have a Holo May KTE and a Zenith MK3 streamer as source.
You have one SR purple fuse.
And one SR master fuse.
In which device would you place each one?
I prefer not to start trialing and erroring.
Thanks.

I’m all about starting upstream. I heard equal improvement from a Purple in both my PhoenixNet and Zenth SE and greater than in my DACs. Your KTE already has an upgraded fuse. I would Master the Zenith. They are direction fuses, from the tunneling but if you don’t want to fuss with comparing the directions of each fuse, don’t worry, even if you initially get the direction wrong, the path will reform in a few week.

 

[OrenT]

I’m all about starting upstream. I heard equal improvement from a Purple in both my PhoenixNet and Zenth SE and greater than in my DACs. Your KTE already has an upgraded fuse. I would Master the Zenith. They are direction fuses, from the tunneling but if you don’t want to fuss with comparing the directions of each fuse, don’t worry, even if you initially get the direction wrong, the path will reform in a few week.

Thanks.
Actually i'm already purpled up on the Zenith and the Phoenix recloker.
And i've mastered up on the May

 

[Vangelis]

Thanks.
Actually i'm already purpled up on the Zenith and the Phoenix recloker.
And i've mastered up on the May

Did the May appreciate the Master fuse? Big change?

 

[OrenT]

I can never answer these questions
I don't regret buying the master but everything sounded good before and still does now. I find "remembering" sound quality to be challenging.