Holo Audio Spring R2R DAC

[Larry Man]

So does the hum issue only happen when you purchase EU model from Magnahifi and use in the US? Or Kitusni units have had this issue as well? When that happens, did Magnahifi send replacement unit to the US and who paid for shipping?

I'm thinking about buying from Magnahifi and I'm in the US because of Kitsuni's wait time. But if Kitusni units are less likely to have the hum issue and when that happens Kitusni will have a smoother replacement experience, I'd wait and just buy from Kitusni.

My Spring 3 Level 1 and KTE are EU Spec'd and were both from Magna Hi-Fi. I have no humming issue with them in Canada. And i believe that the only difference between the EU Spec and US Spec is the amprege rating of fuse Holo Audio used respectively. The AC voltage can be easily switched for intended region using the toggling switches besides the power supplies inside the unit

 

[Mkoll]

So does the hum issue only happen when you purchase EU model from Magnahifi and use in the US? Or Kitusni units have had this issue as well? When that happens, did Magnahifi send replacement unit to the US and who paid for shipping?

I'm thinking about buying from Magnahifi and I'm in the US because of Kitsuni's wait time. But if Kitusni units are less likely to have the hum issue and when that happens Kitusni will have a smoother replacement experience, I'd wait and just buy from Kitusni.

Well my Kitsune Spring 3 KTE has the hum. Wait time was about 5 weeks. Will be seeing soon how Kitsune's customer service is and will keep this thread updated.

 

[ShangriLa]

My Spring 3 Level 1 and KTE are EU Spec'd and were both from Magna Hi-Fi. I have no humming issue with them in Canada. And i believe that the only difference between the EU Spec and US Spec is the amprege rating of fuse Holo Audio used respectively. The AC voltage can be easily switched for intended region using the toggling switches besides the power supplies inside the unit

Well my Kitsune Spring 3 KTE has the hum. Wait time was about 5 weeks. Will be seeing soon how Kitsune's customer service is and will keep this thread updated.

Thanks guys. So it seems the likelihood of humming happening doesn't have to do with where the device is purchased then? The main thing is when that happens, how the retailer will handle it. Hope things work out well for you @Mkoll.

 

[KotBegemot]

My Spring 3 Level 1 and KTE are EU Spec'd and were both from Magna Hi-Fi. I have no humming issue with them in Canada. And i believe that the only difference between the EU Spec and US Spec is the amprege rating of fuse Holo Audio used respectively. The AC voltage can be easily switched for intended region using the toggling switches besides the power supplies inside the unit

Larry Man Hello,

With your Holo Spring 3 KTE have you had instances of screeching digital noise that some dacs produce and that has been reported in case with Holo Spring or May models as well? I have had such cases happened with my Macbook- sourced set up and few dacs. Thanks!

 

[koso]

Larry Man Hello,

With your Holo Spring 3 KTE have you had instances of screeching digital noise that some dacs produce and that has been reported in case with Holo Spring or May models as well? I have had such cases happened with my Macbook- sourced set up and few dacs. Thanks!

In what scenario this noise occurred? In certain frequencies, or only on specific input?

 

[KotBegemot]

In what scenario this noise occurred? In certain frequencies, or only on specific input?

When I put upsampling in my Macbook Pro audio settings to 32 - 768 some dacs produced horrible screeching noise.... The remedy has been to lower the upsampling to 32-352. The only dac that played 32-768 perfectly was Aune S8 , I guess their software code is very well written and stable .

 

[Larry Man]

Larry Man Hello,

With your Holo Spring 3 KTE have you had instances of screeching digital noise that some dacs produce and that has been reported in case with Holo Spring or May models as well? I have had such cases happened with my Macbook- sourced set up and few dacs. Thanks!

HI KotBegemot,

Yes, Jos@Magna Hi-Fi has reported my sound issue to Holo Audio team when i pair Spring KTE with JCAT USB XE card when oversampling. And initially Holo Audio developed quickly V31.30 firmware to hopefully adress my sound issue but it was better and innocently i thought that has solved the problem. Because after V31.30 firmware was used, it took more than 5 straight hours to replicate the nasty sound. So Jos patiently replied to me and he continued his communications with Holo Team on my issue.

I believe that the screeching digital noise you are talking about is the same kind of noise i had with Spring 3 KTE & Musician Pegasus (but only when connecting with JCAT USB XE and when the Sampling rate is set to higher than 32 Bit/96kHz in Windows 10 Sound Settings though ... No such issue when Spring 3 KTE connecting with my PC's own USB ports with any sampling rates. And i had no such issue as well with the USB module of my Level 1 Spring 3 before). When playing/streaming music intermittenly the music turned into very high pitch static sound for 10 to 15 seconds and then back to normal. It could happen more than dozen times per day. I have also consulted Marcin@JCAT and see if any Spring 3 KTE+JCAT USB XE users reported to him the same issues and Marcin said no. Jos@ Magna Hi-Fi has been relentlessly following up with Holo Audio tech on the sound issue i am having and he managed to get me another new firmware Version V31.32 this morning to try. I am not sure if this firmware will be applicable to KotBegemot's case, I will try this new firmware today on my set and update if it solves mine.

@ShangriLa, when talking about pre & after-sale customer services, Jos and his Magna Hi-Fi Team deserve all credits ! I will not be hesitate buying from Magna Hi-Fi !

 

[ShangriLa]

@ShangriLa, when talking about pre & after-sale customer services, Jos and his Magna Hi-Fi Team deserve all credits ! I will not be hesitate buying from Magna Hi-Fi !

Thanks, that's good to know. The only concern is should I run into issues that is hardware related and cannot be fixed by a firmware update (like the humming issue?) how would the replacement and shipping cost be handled? Perhaps I can reach out to them and ask.

 

[Larry Man]

Hi All,

I have been enjoying my causal testings on these two system tweaks with my lovely Spring 3 KTE since last weekend and i'd like to share my impressions with you. These could be of your interests and hope you find them useful as future upgrades !

Again these are subjectively based on my own listening preferences and my own PC-Audio sound system, and they are just very brief feedbacks about these products. By the way I was still using the firmware version V31.26 at the time of testing, to ensure my Spring 3 KTE works properly with JCAT USB XE PCI Express card.

There we go ...

Furutech NCF Clear Line AC Optimizer

Wow ... i must say that i was so impressed by it and i think every system of music lovers deserve this little tweak ! The level of improvement in details and focus were perceived by myself only once from before. That was the time when i upgraded my speaker cables from Audioquest (AQ) Rocket 88 to current AQ Robin Hood Bi-Wire Combo (Zero+Bass). The feel of sound improvement was also like upgrading from an OEM suspensions of your car to a highly sports-tuned setup and the hanlding of music flow feels so smooth and clear cut. The overall sound of my system now feels cleaner and i can hear more sound effects. The damping coils built in this cylinder shaped device contribute to the resonance absorbing effcts very well. Simply plugged it in to the available AC outlets of my AQ Niagara 1200 and the magic goes on. When i tried unplugging it from my AQ N1200, I could very much convinced myself to better leave it plugged in and never touch it

I was so doubtful about how this little plug could improve the sound quality of my above average AC power setups (I use mainly Audioquest Tornado HC & Source + Synergistic Research Foundation power cords). The results i obtained from this little magical tweak is totally worth it (Retail $250 USD) and the price is only at a small fraction of the cost of upgrading power/speaker cables. I have tried to plug it in to the vaccant outlet of the same wall outlets of my AQ Niagara 1200, but i found the result was much more obvious when it was plugged in directly to the AQ Niagara 1200. Most professinal reviewers mentioned that more of these plugs can be added to your AC chains and received incremental improvements. I am very satisfied with the improvements from this little plug. To me, this is not at all snake oil and it is a great investment


Synergistic Research Purple Quatum Fuse

Many of us are very familiar with the outstanding performance of SR Orange fuses, i went with an extra step ahead and upgraded to the newest and best SR Purple fuses ! You have to be a believer of Audiophile fuses to continue reading ... just kidding I just received them today so proper run-in is required to explore the most out of this tweak. There were some visible signs of the Graphene treatment on the surface of the Purple fuses, some graphene residules from treatment processes can still be seen. I installed Purple fuses on my Spring 3 KTE, McIntosh C49 Preamp and McIntosh MC312 Power Amplifier, i left the linear power supply alone this time it has Orange fuse in it still.

With exact same setups, the modest improvements from Purple fuse over Orange fuse can be heard right away. I felt that a little more sound staging developed further and deeper from my usual sweet listening spot (this may not be a good thing in some cases though, depends on your own setup, i had to reposition my speakers and seat a little to accomodate the larger sound field but overall it's fun doing so). The effect was felt like i was re-arranged to a pricier seating in a concert hall which is more closer to the stage and the performer. Also, the low end details could be heard even better in lower sound volume. And the bass notes are very well managed as well. Overall result is positive with only 1 hour of listening into it. After proper run-in the sound field should be opened up even more (This is where the Orange fuse perform the best ! ) In my opinion investing the extra $40 in retail price over the Orange is fully worth it.

Both of these little products are keeper for me

Happy Music Listening Everyone

 

[Larry Man]

Thanks, that's good to know. The only concern is should I run into issues that is hardware related and cannot be fixed by a firmware update (like the humming issue?) how would the replacement and shipping cost be handled? Perhaps I can reach out to them and ask.

Better ask Jos for those warranty related inquiries. He responds to emails actively.

Cheers

 

[barbz127]

I had a Spring 3 Level 1 for about 2 weeks, later sold it and upgraded to Spring 3 KTE mainly in favor of the Titanis 2 USB Module. The Titanis 2 USB on the KTE model without doubts sounds better than the regular USB in Level 1 and Level 2, but the Holo's designed regular USB module still sound fantasic and better than most consumer DACs in the current market

Hi Lary Man
Any chance you could share any other comments on how the l1 and kte compared?

Thankyou

 

[Larry Man]

Hi Lary Man
Any chance you could share any other comments on how the l1 and kte compared?

Thankyou

Hi barbz127,

Spring 3 Level 1 is a solid performer and it's a great buy for its price (If you don't need a remote control). Despite it does not spec'd with HoloAudio selected capacitors, the level 1 sounds excellent and even better compare to current lower priced R2R DACs and main stream delta-sigma DACs with ESS Sabre ES9038 Pro or AKM4499 Chips in the market. It is very stable and noise free playing music with the regular Holo Audio USB module. I have tried Level 1 and level 2 side-by-side with exact same setups, i honestly couldn't tell any difference in sound between the two. Level 1 is built with exactly the same cabin as other variants and majority of parts are shared with the KTE model. Those are all quality parts implemented. And the fuse can later be upgraded without efforts to your choice (i strongly recommend Synergistic Research Orange) to obtain more "opened" sound field. For those who doesn't feel like spending too much money, Level 1 is the best choice. In Asia the level 1 has the highest number of inquiries for your info.

The KTE is a different animal, it bites much harder than Level 1 & Level 2 indeed. When playing louder or more bass-intensive music you can tell instantly from the slamming effects ! You pay for higher price tag of KTE for a higher grade power transformer with Silver connecting wires and better performing DAC modules. These upgrade parts are keys to even higher tier sound quality. The Holo Red Nano fuse is not that great compare to Synergistic Research fuses based on my own experience so you can replace them later to audiophile fuse to get more "opened" sound. In my opinion the overall performance of KTE is roughly 30-35% better than Level 1 and level 2 thanks to the valuable Titanis 2 USB module, its performance is fantastic and somehow even better than connecting via I2S (Spring 2 does not have option of this great USB module so I2S does a better job for best sounding). So select Spring 3 KTE you can save at least $500 from your pocket on adding a "Digital Interface" and a Nice "HDMI" cable. I like my Spring 3 KTE very well, except it does not have the onboard Oversampling feature like on May Dac or Spring 2. For KTE you pay for what you get and it's worthy investment.

Hope these help !

 

[koso]

Thanks, that's good to know. The only concern is should I run into issues that is hardware related and cannot be fixed by a firmware update (like the humming issue?) how would the replacement and shipping cost be handled? Perhaps I can reach out to them and ask.

Just for your info. Replacement and shipping cost for my Spring 3 KTE unit was competely free for me, all managed by Magna Hi-Fi. They send me return label (for DPD parcel service), so all I had to do was to take package to the nearest DPD pick up center. In 10 days the new unit was delivered (also for free).

 

[Mkoll]

Hi All,

I have been enjoying my causal testings on these two system tweaks with my lovely Spring 3 KTE since last weekend and i'd like to share my impressions with you. These could be of your interests and hope you find them useful as future upgrades !

Again these are subjectively based on my own listening preferences and my own PC-Audio sound system, and they are just very brief feedbacks about these products. By the way I was still using the firmware version V31.26 at the time of testing, to ensure my Spring 3 KTE works properly with JCAT USB XE PCI Express card.

There we go ...

Furutech NCF Clear Line AC Optimizer

Wow ... i must say that i was so impressed by it and i think every system of music lovers deserve this little tweak ! The level of improvement in details and focus were perceived by myself only once from before. That was the time when i upgraded my speaker cables from Audioquest (AQ) Rocket 88 to current AQ Robin Hood Bi-Wire Combo (Zero+Bass). The feel of sound improvement was also like upgrading from an OEM suspensions of your car to a highly sports-tuned setup and the hanlding of music flow feels so smooth and clear cut. The overall sound of my system now feels cleaner and i can hear more sound effects. The damping coils built in this cylinder shaped device contribute to the resonance absorbing effcts very well. Simply plugged it in to the available AC outlets of my AQ Niagara 1200 and the magic goes on. When i tried unplugging it from my AQ N1200, I could very much convinced myself to better leave it plugged in and never touch it

I was so doubtful about how this little plug could improve the sound quality of my above average AC power setups (I use mainly Audioquest Tornado HC & Source + Synergistic Research Foundation power cords). The results i obtained from this little magical tweak is totally worth it (Retail $250 USD) and the price is only at a small fraction of the cost of upgrading power/speaker cables. I have tried to plug it in to the vaccant outlet of the same wall outlets of my AQ Niagara 1200, but i found the result was much more obvious when it was plugged in directly to the AQ Niagara 1200. Most professinal reviewers mentioned that more of these plugs can be added to your AC chains and received incremental improvements. I am very satisfied with the improvements from this little plug. To me, this is not at all snake oil and it is a great investment


Synergistic Research Purple Quatum Fuse

Many of us are very familiar with the outstanding performance of SR Orange fuses, i went with an extra step ahead and upgraded to the newest and best SR Purple fuses ! You have to be a believer of Audiophile fuses to continue reading ... just kidding I just received them today so proper run-in is required to explore the most out of this tweak. There were some visible signs of the Graphene treatment on the surface of the Purple fuses, some graphene residules from treatment processes can still be seen. I installed Purple fuses on my Spring 3 KTE, McIntosh C49 Preamp and McIntosh MC312 Power Amplifier, i left the linear power supply alone this time it has Orange fuse in it still.

With exact same setups, the modest improvements from Purple fuse over Orange fuse can be heard right away. I felt that a little more sound staging developed further and deeper from my usual sweet listening spot, it was felt like i was re-arranged to a pricier seating which is more closer to the stage and the performer. Also, the low end details could be heard even better in lower sound volume. And the bass notes are very well managed as well. Overall result is positive with only 1 hour of listening into it. After proper run-in the sound field should be opened up even more (This is where the Orange fuse perform the best ! ) In my opinion investing the extra $40 in retail price over the Orange is fully worth it.

Both of these little products are keeper for me

Happy Music Listening Everyone

On the Spring 3, did you only replace the one fuse on the back near the power cord input? Or did you replace others as well?

 

[Larry Man]

On the Spring 3, did you only replace the one fuse on the back near the power cord input? Or did you replace others as well?

I only replaced the one on the back of IEC Inlet near the power cord. I am not aware of other fuses inside of the Spring 3

Are there indeed more than one fuse in Spring 3 ? Please advise me Thanks