[GoldenSound]

@GoldenOne
When can we expect your review?

I won't be doing a video review of the RED but will have a writeup on https://goldensound.audio
Will try to finish it this week but have a couple videos I'm trying to finalise asap so might be a bit longer

TLDR though: It's the best performing digital source I've tested, matched only by the Rockna Wavedream NET.
That plus a really comprehensive and flexible featureset thanks to swappable OS, ability to be used either as a DDC or a streamer, plus every possible output basically, makes it really hard to find any reason to get something else unless the RED is out of your price range.

The only thing I wish was different or at least optional was the colour. The RED does actually look really nice in person, but, I would have preferred the option for a black or black/copper colour.

 

[FooFighter]

You can run HQP NAA
Not sure if the stock OS image does it, need to try that. But RopieeeXL is working fine atm

Additionally, 1.536mhz works fine via USB out. It's just I2S that can only do 768khz.

Wow, really?
You are talking about Red now and not the Mano?
Cause my statement was referring to the previously praised Mano Streamer and I just looked up its description.

Regarding Red I assumed though that 1,5Mhz isn't working at the moment no matter which output and I ve read that also on some Red description where they said that Holo is working on removing this constraint by modifying the Linux kernel
E.g
https://www.kitsunehifi.com/product/holoaudio-red-ddc-network-streamer/
[...]notice: Red can support up to DSD512 and PCM768K by I2S. USB is limited by linux kernel and also support DSD512 and PCM768K right now we are working on a new kernel that should support DSD1024 and PCM1536K in future release.[...]

Or is that restriction only present in the stock firmware kernel and not in e.g RopieeeXL?

 

[GoldenSound]

You are talking about Red now and not the Mano?

Yeah I'm talking about RED, sorry, didn't read up

Regarding Red I assumed though that 1,5Mhz isn't working at the moment no matter which output and I ve read that also on some Red description where they said that Holo is working on removing this constraint by modifying the Linux kernel

I've not actually tried it with the stock OS yet. But yeah with RopieeeXL for example it's working fine at 1.536mhz.
I2S is limited to 768khz but this is a limitation of how the current external I2S LVDS method works, not the RED hardware specifically.

 

[McPh1st0]

What's the stock OS btw?
I assume one can load picoreplayer (and any other Pi4 OS) on the Red?

 

[tomita]

Have you also tried the Farad powered Mano MK3?

 

[OneEyedHito]

deleted. Redundant.

 

[George Hincapie]

I won't be doing a video review of the RED but will have a writeup on https://goldensound.audio
Will try to finish it this week but have a couple videos I'm trying to finalise asap so might be a bit longer

TLDR though: It's the best performing digital source I've tested, matched only by the Rockna Wavedream NET.
That plus a really comprehensive and flexible featureset thanks to swappable OS, ability to be used either as a DDC or a streamer, plus every possible output basically, makes it really hard to find any reason to get something else unless the RED is out of your price range.

The only thing I wish was different or at least optional was the colour. The RED does actually look really nice in person, but, I would have preferred the option for a black or black/copper colour.

Have you auditioned the Sonore Optical Rendu? If so, how does that compare?

 

[George Hincapie]

I won't be doing a video review of the RED but will have a writeup on https://goldensound.audio
Will try to finish it this week but have a couple videos I'm trying to finalise asap so might be a bit longer

TLDR though: It's the best performing digital source I've tested, matched only by the Rockna Wavedream NET.
That plus a really comprehensive and flexible featureset thanks to swappable OS, ability to be used either as a DDC or a streamer, plus every possible output basically, makes it really hard to find any reason to get something else unless the RED is out of your price range.

The only thing I wish was different or at least optional was the colour. The RED does actually look really nice in person, but, I would have preferred the option for a black or black/copper colour.

And are you buying one for yourself? Or are you going to use something else?

 

[arpasquill]

It's the best performing digital source I've tested

Well I do feel MUCH better about having ordered one now!

 

[joseph69]

That plus a really comprehensive and flexible featureset thanks to swappable OS, ability to be used either as a DDC or a streamer, plus every possible output basically, makes it really hard to find any reason to get something else unless the RED is out of your price range.

The Red can't be used as both, a streamer & DDC...it's either or only?

 

[iguoh]

I won't be doing a video review of the RED but will have a writeup on https://goldensound.audio
Will try to finish it this week but have a couple videos I'm trying to finalise asap so might be a bit longer

TLDR though: It's the best performing digital source I've tested, matched only by the Rockna Wavedream NET.
That plus a really comprehensive and flexible featureset thanks to swappable OS, ability to be used either as a DDC or a streamer, plus every possible output basically, makes it really hard to find any reason to get something else unless the RED is out of your price range.

The only thing I wish was different or at least optional was the colour. The RED does actually look really nice in person, but, I would have preferred the option for a black or black/copper colour.

Better than the Pi2Design Mercury V2?

 

[Zaurux]

TLDR though: It's the best performing digital source I've tested, matched only by the Rockna Wavedream NET.
That plus a really comprehensive and flexible featureset thanks to swappable OS, ability to be used either as a DDC or a streamer, plus every possible output basically, makes it really hard to find any reason to get something else unless the RED is out of your price range.

The only thing I wish was different or at least optional was the colour. The RED does actually look really nice in person, but, I would have preferred the option for a black or black/copper colour.

As I mentioned before, what is the comparison of Red Hollo vs Zen Stream (pure USB) ?
For the moment, iFi audio has not upgraded its kernel, not even to the level of the Neo and so the limitation is still to DSD256 (while most of the new dacs and R2Rs, exceed it).

For me the ideal would be a Red Holo under PiCore NAA as an endpoint HQPlayer (PiCore - best player for RPI4 with NAA OS).
Is the improvement in SQ vs ZS (limited) worth the investment (for USB use) ?

 

[FooFighter]

As I mentioned before, what is the comparison of Red Hollo vs Zen Stream (pure USB) ?
For the moment, iFi audio has not upgraded its kernel, not even to the level of the Neo and so the limitation is still to DSD256 (while most of the new dacs and R2Rs, exceed it).

For me the ideal would be a Red Holo under PiCore NAA as an endpoint HQPlayer (PiCore - best player for RPI4 with NAA OS).
Is the improvement in SQ vs ZS (limited) worth the investment (for USB use).

Cannot talk about the hardware benefits but software wise you already mentioned the bit rate constraint.
So in that regards Red will surpass Zen Stream for sure.
Alternatively you can use any of Miska's recommended NAA clients without limitations - I am for example using Intel Atom Mini PC "Upgateway" with NAA custom image

 

[Zaurux]

Cannot talk about the hardware benefits but software wise you already mentioned the bit rate constraint.
...

Yes, the difference can only be in the bitrate limit but in terms of hardware, for NAA, I have not tested anything as efficient as Zen.
The Red Hollo would allow to go further ?
I haven't had a Mano ULTRA mkIII, but the ZS beats an Allo Sig + shanti under PiCore NAA (or an Rpi4 + USB clock + iFi filters & PiCore) by a short head.
My ZS runs on 7.5v at 408Mhz.

 

[chipvn]

I found below Red block diagram from Stereonet forum which provide more info about the Ethernet / USB implementation by Holo. If this info is correct, then at least there is better clock for the USB I/O on the Red than the one on the CM4.

Although the Red clocks might not be as high grade as the clocks on the Spring of May, it might be as good as the USB clock on the Allo USBridge Signature or the IFI Zen Stream.