[rafabro]

USB > SU-1 > I2S > Holo is sounding as good or better than Coaxial > Holo.  Maybe it's my imagination and I always thought coaxial is king. 

Nothing is better than I2S.

 

[BlakeT]

   
What usb to spidif converters have you used? Currently thinking about picking up the Ifi iLink and using it with a regen. What do you think will result in better SQ?
 
PC > Intona > Regen or
 
PC > Regen> Ifi iLink

 
Bel Canto RefLink, Bel Canto uLink, Ar-T Legato, Berkeley Alpha, Breeze DU-U8 XMOS with Talema upgrade, Gustard U12... I may be forgetting one or two.  I had them all at the same time (except for the Breeze and Gustard), did head to head comparisons and sold off all of them but my favorite, the Berkeley and I also kept the Breeze DU-U8for the office.
 
My usb converter reviews/findings are buried in the "15 digital to analog conversion shootout out thread" started by Elberoth on CA forum.  That was a few years ago and since that time a few cheap and cheerful Chinese units have popped up in the scene as well as Mutec and Yellowtec.  
 
 
With respect to your question, I've not tried the iLink so couldn't say, but Intona + Regen (or Wyrd Remedy) is a good combo.  I slightly preferred the Wyrd to the Regen.

 

[BlakeT]

A couple months ago I wasn't thinking about going NAS, but might be worth it to switch over from my DAS.  Seems like the uRendu would be the last piece of the source journey.  Rendu > Spring > amp.  Anything upstream of the Rendu like a ifi u-iUSB3.0?

 
Airport Extreme located in another room> wireless > Airport Express > Cat 6a > microRendu (using Roon mode and powered by the Uptone LPS-1) > Sonore/Cardas hard usb adapter > Berkeley Alpha (using AES to my DAC).

 

[guymrob]

​I've some questions after I've auditioned Holo Spring DAC

In NOS mode: How do the DAC takes care of the noise central around 44.1kHz sampling frequency? If I understand correctly, over-sampling(8x typical) is supposed to the shift the sampling noise to a higher band and make analogue/digital filtering less aggressive. If such noise is not filter out, it may get into power amps; this may cause instability and sometimes over-heating.

In OS mode, what is the over-sampling factor applied for PCM and DSD? 2x, 4x or 8x of its native sample?

Conversion mode: OS PCM mode means works like OS mode for PCM but DSD is converted to PCM on the fly?
OS DSD mode means works like OS mode for DSD but PCM is converted to DSD on the fly?

Thank you for your quick reply

 

[ericr]

The Level 1 that I ordered on Black Friday arrived yesterday. But I'm away this week for combined business / holiday trip. Looking forward to listening to it next.week!

 

[lukeap69]

The Level 1 that I ordered on Black Friday arrived yesterday. But I'm away this week for combined business / holiday trip. Looking forward to listening to it next.week!

Hope you can enjoy your trip thinking your Holo Spring is waiting for you...

 

[DecentLevi]

  Nothing is better than I2S.

Well I just had my first I2S experience at home, with some interesting results - connecting the SU-1 via Wyrd to my Gustard X12 DAC (since my Holo Spring DAC is still pending). At first I tried it with DSD files, and for some reason it was coming through as 44.1 PCM on the 12S connection which resulted in a very back-row, non- detailed presentation, lacking in bass and with a channel imbalance. Strange though because all other connections between the SU-1 and/or Wyrd to my DAC including USB, RCA-coax and AES all came through as native DSD, except for the 12S cable downconverted it greatly. I wonder if this is due to my chosen I2S cable, the Gustard X12 itself, or maybe a defect with my SU-1?
 
Anyway where I was really blown away was with I2S's performance with normal PCM recordings. It took the already splendid AES/EBU connection to a whole new level of realism, layering, detail and bite / dynamics... just when I didn't think it could get any better than the AES/EBU connection, I was blown away once again! Well I'm officially now a 'believer' in the power of I2S with audio fidelity, but just hope there's nothing wrong with my system so a future Holo Spring purchase would still work with DSD using I2S... and in the meantime if anyone can help me troubleshoot why I'm not getting native DSD via I2S (with Foobar + Wyrd + SU-1 + X12 DAC) that would be extremely helpful. Thanks
 
PS, here was the I2S cable I used (went with HDMI since I2S cables were not find-able online).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX45R7345
Also this one happened to be slightly thin. Also would you say I would get even better fidelity out of thicker I2S cable?

 

[dmance]

I had a four hour audition/comparison recently with a holo. We went PC laptop USB to MP-U1 to Intona to DAC. For those unfamiliar, the MP-U1 inserts a LDO regulated battery into the USB. With this combo we had unprecedented musicality...The bits were perfect(of course) and there was zero intrusion of analog noise to the DAC.
I would highly recommend this setup if you are using USB.

 

[Energy]

 
PS, here was the I2S cable I used (went with HDMI since I2S cables were not find-able online).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX45R7345
Also this one happened to be slightly thin. Also would you say I would get even better fidelity out of thicker I2S cable?
 

 
I recommend the Silverback S6 HDMI cable. Thicker will have better shielding and improved signal integrity. Would help with jitter. You can also go for WireWorld HDMI cables such as Chroma, Ultraviolet, or Starlight. I wouldn't invest in something super expensive, as it's job is to simply carry data. A nice shielded one will be more than plenty.
 
Make sure to run the cable as short as you can. If you're using 1.5FT, see if 1FT would work. Personally mine is 0.5FT as my Singxer SU-1 sits right on top of my Spring. The shorter, the better the signal.

 

[rafabro]

  PS, here was the I2S cable I used (went with HDMI since I2S cables were not find-able online).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX45R7345
Also this one happened to be slightly thin. Also would you say I would get even better fidelity out of thicker I2S cable?

It's some crap, not series audio cable. I'm using Audioquest Carbon 0.6m and really recommend it.
I was testing Forest, Cynamon & Wireworld Starlight 7 + some cheap cables eg. Kumho etc.
Only Starlight 7 has the same level of detail but is to bright for me. Carbon makes difference. Is better balanced.
 
I2S/HDMI makes bigger difference than USB cable.

 

[mock-up]

Stripped down Spring with first ever tube output!
http://dastereo.ru/t/holo-audio-spring-dac-r2r-dsd512/2075/2976?u=dmitre

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I just bought an ifi tube buffer..uses 5670 tubes which allows me to use the tubes i have for my mhdt labs dacs.

 

[Slow_aetk]

Sorry if the question has already been answered.
 
What is the resolution of this DAC in bits, compared to Bimby 16 bits, Gumby 18 bits and Yggy 21 bits?

 

[WNBC]

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/holo-audio-spring-digital-analogue-converter-r2r-dsd512-29319/index2.html

I think 24 bits according to this discussion on computerphile

 

[Nada]

  Sorry if the question has already been answered.
 
What is the resolution of this DAC in bits, compared to Bimby 16 bits, Gumby 18 bits and Yggy 21 bits?

 
Resolution as defined as above by bit depth is best indicted by measurements. For example a DAC may claim to do 32bit decoding but measurements light only reveal an extra 6dB of resolution of  24bit tone below a 16bit signal = 17bits.
 
Holo specs have not been independently confirmed as far as I know. If you believe the manufacturer (I never do) the noise floor is below -125dB which is fine and indicates resolution in bits is limited below 21bits.  Anyone got an oscilloscope and a Holo?
 
Perhaps what matters more is what can be heard. Which DAC reveals more nuances that add to musical emotion and enjoyment?