Always a fan of your videos, but not sure why I ddint get a notification for this until today 😢 Anyways great review! I found a used Holo Spring 2 KTE for 1500 and love it! Using it with my Rogue M180s and a borrowed PS Audio Gain Cell Pre, to both Klipsch Cornwall IVs and Magnepan 1.7s is astonishing. In a way so realistic and natural, too much so sometimes. Sound stage is much wider. Gonna try HQ player soon. If youre good with HQ Player, you may wanna try their Holo Red Streamer. Not many reviews of it but from what Ive heard, it does play music up to the highest limits of Holo Audio gear and would be a fun little project :)

No such thing as “burn-in” for a DAC.

Note the preamp is built into the signal path. Therefore, it isn't possible to remove it. Setting the volume to 94 duplicates normal line level input of 4 volts (balance).

China overpriced shit

LOVE the looks & build….but waaaaaay tooooo complicated for me. I am just going to keep smiling with my Volumio Rivo > Iris > I²S >Denefrips Pontus II!!! I just use my set-up for streaming Qobuz via a self-built Roon Server for stereo playback. That’s it…. and it is so enjoyable. I do not need a remote for the DAC…. SIMPLE is better sometimes… COOL review…but I have no FOMO!!! 😅 (you sound like you DO!!! 😀)

HQPlayer Desktop performs much better on same hardware if run on Linux. The delay in buffering/latency is no problem there. Offloading to GPU (NVIDIA) for compute also assists if CPU not up to task. Prefer up-sampling to DSD myself and with DSD ladder lower output (half of PCM) and HQPlayer default -3dB attenuation you will notice the need for more preamp gain. My combo consists of a Holo Audo Spring 3 KTE with Holo Audio Serene KTE side note : HQPlayer 5 has added some DAC corrections for specific DAC's

too much money!😭😭

No power button on the remote? No thanks

Hey 👋 I once also owned the Spring 3 KTE and though it sounded great the PLL issue with it locking in was really annoying to me, especially when playing the next track in cue and it being of different resolution, I would constantly lose the first two to three seconds of the next track to be played. YES-I know I could have turned this function off but then why have it! In the end it was a deal breaker for me and since moved it forward.

Hey Mr chips, im.a new subscriber. Are you from the Toronto GTA?

Nice but at close to $7,000 here it’s a bucket load of cash for a DAC.

Hello and thanks for the interesting review, please add comparison with H390 internal DAC that will probably interest many of us

I use both. Mainly HQplayer upsampled to DSD 512 using sync L for higher bitrate files and Sync Ll for redbook with ASDM7EC V3 modulator. I occasionally change back to NOS for older rock/pop.

Great Review🏆21:32 There is no POWER button bc R2R dac's are better served being left powered on 24/7. They don't draw much power while idle. Just don't let Greta Thunberg know or she'll send her climate activist after you to toss soup & paint all over your gear :P I watched your review of the Denafrips Venus II a while back and came close to purchasing it bc they do actually have a service center about 1hr away from me but I ended up going w/ the Spring 3 KTE w/ the PreAmp instead. I swap back and forth between my Spring 3 & Chord Qutest, neither of which needs a DDC as I use USB for my setup. My Chain: Roon Core (i7-13700K + RTX-3090 64GB Ram) > Roon Bridge/Ubuntu (Beelink EQI12 Mini PC, Intel Core i3-1220P) > Qutest & Spring 3 > GoldPoint DAC Selector Switch > NobSound AMP Selector Switch > Cayin HA-3A or Burson 3X GT or Ferrum Oor + Hypsos > Any of the following: ZMF Caldera LTE (Redheart), Atrium LTE (Koa), Vérité Closed (Sapele), Meze Elite & Empyrean | Sony MDR-Z1R | Focal CMG | Senn HD58X, 580, 600, 6XX, 660. My Roon Core is my HTPC and kept in another room to mitigate noise while the Roon Bridge PC is silent & produces less heat output (damn Texas HEAT is brutal at times). Could have gone w/ a Pi but considering the cost of Pi's these days vs an i3 PC, the i3 PC was a no brainer. Not to mention I've heard reports of Roon Bridge on Pi's can have issues w/ drop outs and often times needs to be reset. Furthermore for anyone considering the Holo May, the Spring 3 will get you to about 90% performance of the May. I went w/ the Spring 3 KTE bc of space as the May is twice the size and cost bc the May KTE (fully loaded) is about twice the price.

I have the Cyan2 and the Spring2kte. Idk about the spring 3 tho. But for my case, I personally would say they’re very different tuned. Cyan2 packs more energy, attack and a deeper stage, while Spring2 sounded more soft and laidback and a better layered imaging also a wider and taller stage. I tested them with speakers 😃

You have a Steelcase Gesture 🔥😛🔥

I2S was developed as an internal link and it relies on the clock of your source. That's rarely a good thing unless your streamer is better than your dac. The USB in on the Spring 3 is it's best input. Talk to Tim. It's taken from the MaY and uses the Spring 3's oven controlled clock for timing. It's why you just leave it on or in standby.

The Holo May has upsampling, but that was due to their AKM chips. Remember the factory burned down and to save money they decided to have just a NOS dac. Also, in talking to customers, most folks used HQ player anyways, so that's why they went without it.

Try NOS on the latest 2023 Denafrips firmware.... 🙂 Cheers!

Tim is awesome, great guy and really helpful!

It's a great dac for the money. I had mine for 2 years. I went up to the MA3 and while I like the technical clarity of the MA3, I miss the punchiness of the Spring 3.

Great review and video! I bought my Spring3 KTE with PreAmp option here in Asia and it is a great DAC! There was a dramatic improvement in sound quality after an initial 50 hours which I was greatly relieved! I have my WIIM connected via optical and I only get a one time PLL lock when selecting optical, and I am using a Amazon basic cable. Maybe a future video you can list your playlist? Looking forward to your next video!

re: cyan; were you saying that the Cyan 2 needs a DDC and/or streamer, but the Spring 3 has better USB?

Surprised that the optical input was so bad

Very good review. Enjoy your sense of humor! Thanks.

That fox was adorable!!!!

Nice!! Are you doing Audiofest?

Thanks for sharing

Great video. Thanks. How much are you still lovin those Cornwall’s ??

Great review. I currently own the Spring 3 kte, which replaced my Venus 2.... And I also bought a Cyan 2 to compare to the Spring. I also use HQplayer to upsample everything to DSD....always. HQplayer definitely takes time to sort out, especially to get your settings right. I would say most people need more than even a couple months to really get comfortable with it.... And know what settings work best on their system. And when you get it right, it really does make a difference.... And there are literally hundreds of combinations you can pick from. Admittedly though... You need a decent computer to do all the combinations. But you save yourself money from needing to buy an expensive streamer.... So there's that.

Will I be running into you at Toronto audio fest?

It's a pity that the transformer hum isn't audible in the video. If you really want to know what effect the DC-block has on audio quality, it would serve you better to do some measurements, like THD, slew rate, noise floor, etc.

is it good with the wiim data output (24/192)?

Hi, thank you for this great rerview. I am looking for an integrated amp for my ATC SCM19 V2, but don't want to rocks my pocket. Currently Hegel H300 (250w) or Hegel H190 (150w) are available in my local used-market, and the prices are very close. I am struggling whether to choose H190 or the high-power H300. The music I prefer is vocal, country, and leisurely music. Hope I can get your advice. Thank you in advance.

Got poly/ mojo2 combo and an iPhone 15, they work great together no white sound also even when I use only the Mojo 2 without Poly trough USB-C ports everything sounds great

Its not value for money at all . Stop misleading people or i get u blocked an locked .

Mine does the same shit on SPDIF wit a pc... So, they are full of BS. It's not the cable, it's not the iphone, it's Chord Electronics. Also why everybody in the comments calls this white noise?! It's just a horrible noise. My ears were ringing for a good half an hour after.

We appear to be brothers from anothers mother. I as well chose the Cornwall IV, the patricians choice of a history loaded horn driven speaker hand built in Hope, Arkansas USA. God prosper and long live well.

I bought the cable and it's no longer malfunctioning, thank you very much! I have a question that I'm not sure if you can answer. Does the Mojo 2 connected to the Lightning port of the iPhone 14 Pro Max sound worse than when connected to an iPhone or iPad with a USB-C connection? When I connect it to the iPad Pro, I get the feeling that my headphones sound a bit better. I connect it to the iPad with the same charging cable that Apple includes in the box.

It’s been a life saver in cataloging my flag files.

I've heard the originals many times. The metal horns were harsh and shouty. I admit that the IV are *FAR* superior. They addressed and eliminated all of the frequency response issues. The detail comes through more cleanly, completely and smoothly now than in the past. They have ditched the inferior poly tweeter and crossovers for modern, tight tolerance parts and it sounds that way. All the strengths of the older models, none of the weaknesses. They don't shout or get peaky. They aren't your father's cornwalls. The cornwall sound more like real music than boutique high end speakers do. Those speakers mitigate and soften reality. The cornwall IV deliver realism.

"I just asked the company for it, and they sent me one" lol. Guess I never thought of trying that method. 🤔 Norah Jones, man? 😴

Yo, what them KEFs?

I've gone down the rabbit hole of trying to buy separates three times instead of just going with the Hegel. Can't explain why, the H390 is a no brainier, yet instead of just buying it, I keep falling into the trap of thinking I can do better with separates. Of course, you now have a huge problem with synergy with different systems and trying to match separates is nearly impossible from just reading reviews. In the long run, you'll end up spending more money anyway. I'm a slow learner, obviously. 😒

Hello mr.chibs! your video review always helps me a lot when i choose new gears. Always thankful about it. I am headphone only environment audiophile. I have , Austrain Audio the composer, zmf atrium, erzetich charibdis. Maybe buy tungsten in near future. My current DAC is schiit audio gumby(a2). I am now considering to get one of holo audio DAC but never tried holo DAC before so its hard for me to choose one. IMHO, it is more difficult to detect the difference between decent dac(cyan2) and super high-end dac(like may) in the head-fi only system when they are compared with speaker system. So i am hesitating to spend over 4k usd for just one DAC. For now I'm happy with my gumby dac but the reason I'm buying a new DAC is that if the tube amp only supports the rca input, gumby's rca output is far worse then xlr output(bass is gimped) Thus I'm considering about whether to move on to schiit audio yggy(bigger dac) or holo dac (cyan2 or spring3) to solve this problem. Do you have experience with yggy or gumby? Can you compare them with cyan2? if you don't, I'd like to ask how much can cyan2 perform well when compared to its bigger brothers(spring, may) at the headphone-only listening environment. Thank you for reading my long concern hope you could help me.

Very entertaining and informative, more content please!

So, what about the May? Do you love it? Is a review coming? Hope so...😊

I have a fix - a) TV > Eversolo > switch to RCA output > amp .. for watching TV b) Eversolo > Cyan > amp .. for hifi - ALSO I can just not even bother switching to the RCA’s for TV output if I’m being lazy.

Waiting for someone to say “just go buy a Topping D10 - all DACs sound the same”😂

I'm at 12" but I haven't heard anything except build quility that makes this thing better than my Quad 909. A/B class with good components, ok. I like my quad. it's all about the first watts, which are class A in the 909.