[stuck limo]

Hey all, does anyone have a way to get a hold of Kitsune HiFi that isn't through the contact me thing on their page. I have sent two messages and gotten no response. I ordered my Spring about a month ago and have heard nothing from them other than one auto response upon initial order. I'm a little concerned about spending so much money and having such a hard time getting a response from them. I certainly understand that the website warns of a 4-6 week wait for your order, but I still don't think replying to an email is too much to ask.

He's buried in support emails right now. He's a one-man shop and he's doing all or most of the Customer Service on his own, so he's definitely not ignoring anyone with emails. He just can't get through them fast enough.

 

[rmsanger]

Need your help.... I have the Holo Spring 1 KTE Dac and am looking for my first streamer. All the reviews and data I’ve ready suggest the best options would be a streamer with an I2S output then AES would be second followed by USD with something like a SU-1 KTE to input into the Spring. I’d like to avoid the SU-1 if possible and get a dedicated streamer with I2S.

I’ve also been told that I2S is not a universal standard so I could get a streamer with I2S output and the Spring with I2S input may not be compatible. If so do I need to ask Tim @ Holo which streamers are compatible or do I need to ask the steamer manufacturer their I2S standard they use?

Secondly I’m also struggling to find an affordable streamer with I2S output (plenty have USB, COax, and some even AES) but I2S seems to be a very limited especially at somewhat affordable levels. Are there any streamers you can suggest to you have used?

I’m looking a few different ones but have no clue (don’t care about Roon btw):

$2k option - https://www.cocktailaudio.com/home/sub01.php
$900 option - https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/omnia-s1/?v=7516fd43adaa
$1k option - https://magnahifi.com/mano-ultra-music-streamer-high-res/

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Need your help.... I have the Holo Spring 1 KTE Dac and am looking for my first streamer. All the reviews and data I’ve ready suggest the best options would be a streamer with an I2S output then AES would be second followed by USD with something like a SU-1 KTE to input into the Spring. I’d like to avoid the SU-1 if possible and get a dedicated streamer with I2S.

Pi2AES works great and really gets the holo sound up a notch with i2s .

 

[eee1111]

Need your help.... I have the Holo Spring 1 KTE Dac and am looking for my first streamer. All the reviews and data I’ve ready suggest the best options would be a streamer with an I2S output then AES would be second followed by USD with something like a SU-1 KTE to input into the Spring. I’d like to avoid the SU-1 if possible and get a dedicated streamer with I2S.

I’ve also been told that I2S is not a universal standard so I could get a streamer with I2S output and the Spring with I2S input may not be compatible. If so do I need to ask Tim @ Holo which streamers are compatible or do I need to ask the steamer manufacturer their I2S standard they use?

Secondly I’m also struggling to find an affordable streamer with I2S output (plenty have USB, COax, and some even AES) but I2S seems to be a very limited especially at somewhat affordable levels. Are there any streamers you can suggest to you have used?

I’m looking a few different ones but have no clue (don’t care about Roon btw):

$2k option - https://www.cocktailaudio.com/home/sub01.php
$900 option - https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/omnia-s1/?v=7516fd43adaa
$1k option - https://magnahifi.com/mano-ultra-music-streamer-high-res/

just went through the same thing

retired the spring 1 KTE for a Holo MAY

Focusing only on I2S is a chore.

 

[stuck limo]

Purchased mine March last year, here is the spec of the mod from our convo if you havent asked already. Just based on the spec of the mod, also the kitsune one does not publish any info about their mod. So ive gone for the extreme.

Has anyone compared the real version to this modded version?

 

[rmsanger]

It's not blatantly simple, and there is nothing even approaching a standard. The most common pinout using an HDMI connector is the one established by PS audio. Basically, every product that provides i2s out does so in its own way, and uses connections that were not designed for this purpose. There's a thread on DIYAudio that covers a similar use case, and includes pinout diagrams for anyone interested in trying.

Using i2s over a cable, rather than directly soldered in the DAC, is a pretty niche thing. The Singxer SU-1 has dipswitches to modify the pinout, though thankfully the Holo audio uses the PS Audio pinout, which is the most common.

Audio-GD and the offramp both use the RJ45 method.

Any ideas if this product will work with Holo Spring KTE?

https://apos.audio/collections/brand-spotlight-smsl/products/smsl-sd-9-hifi-network-music-player

 

[eee1111]

Just hooked up holo May and played Alice In Chains unplugged in New York

absolutely amazing

all I got to say to people is clean up your sources. If you are sending music to your expensive dac through a laptop or a Mac mini you are just wasting money. I sent my music through a laptop for years and now got a server with battery supply and opticalrendu. Optical rendu might be the secret sauce

my god all my headphones became godly once I cleaned up my sources

we are talking about insane leaps in sound quality

I tried out the optical rendu with the spring 1 KTE and loved it. Now the holo May has blown it away. Taking the SU1 out of the chain and just straight USB from Rendu.

 

[Smallpie]

Just hooked up holo May and played Alice In Chains unplugged in New York

absolutely amazing

all I got to say to people is clean up your sources. If you are sending music to your expensive dac through a laptop or a Mac mini you are just wasting money. I sent my music through a laptop for years and now got a server with battery supply and opticalrendu. Optical rendu might be the secret sauce

my god all my headphones became godly once I cleaned up my sources

we are talking about insane leaps in sound quality

I tried out the optical rendu with the spring 1 KTE and loved it. Now the holo May has blown it away. Taking the SU1 out of the chain and just straight USB from Rendu.

That’s funny because Alice In Chains unplugged was my first album I listened to when I got my spring Dac. No Brother just floored me!

 

[Delta9K]

Order in, Spring 3 KTE...

 

[RogerHuston]

Order in, Spring 3 KTE...

First reviews should be interesting. Interested in a Spring 3 + Bliss to power a SUS. Curious how close the Spring is to the May.

 

[rmsanger]

The initial feedback is the Spring 3 KTE is 90% of the May and 95% of the performance of the Serene. If that is indeed the case then for $3500/shipped it's a bargain. I just don't have the spare change at this point to buy it and prices will be going up shortly. This pricing is for initial pre-orders and they said expect prices to rise...

 

[Nicolas Yance]

First reviews should be interesting. Interested in a Spring 3 + Bliss to power a SUS. Curious how close the Spring is to the May.

Me too, Im planning on getting a May lvl 1/2 or a spring 3 KET. For the Titanic 2 USB upgrade.

The initial feedback is the Spring 3 KTE is 90% of the May and 95% of the performance of the Serene. If that is indeed the case then for $3500/shipped it's a bargain. I just don't have the spare change at this point to buy it and prices will be going up shortly. This pricing is for initial pre-orders and they said expect prices to rise...

Sadly I'm gonna miss the sale prices. Especially for the May dac which has a great discount.

 

[Delta9K]

The initial feedback is the Spring 3 KTE is 90% of the May and 95% of the performance of the Serene. If that is indeed the case then for $3500/shipped it's a bargain. I just don't have the spare change at this point to buy it and prices will be going up shortly. This pricing is for initial pre-orders and they said expect prices to rise...

I did not select the pre-amp option as I will be using this piece in a head-amp signal chain and did not feel I would leverage it. I can apply that savings towards the amplifier budget.

 

[KenMan85]

Really considering the spring 3L2. Such a decent price for a holo dac

 

[xtr4]

Really considering the spring 3L2. Such a decent price for a holo dac

I would recommend to shell for the KTE just for the Titanis USB module. Unless you already have a great DDC, the USB implementation is really good, even direct from PC. The Level 2 doesn't have that.

I own the Holo May, just for reference.