HOLO AUDIO BLISS KTE AMPLIFIER REVIEW. Delivering on 3 years of promises in a 10kg chassis?

[@mr.dynamite2543]

Your reviews are FIRE my man. The content, camera work, everything. You have a remarkable way of expressing what you're hearing that really resonates with me. Your reviews are a much welcomed respite from the usual. In my opinion, CMA is the benchmark for reviews and the standard by which others should be measured. Well done.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Thank you for the very kind words, I’m glad you enjoy the review style, welcome to the fam 🐅

[@nick62876]

@@ConvinceMeAudio I'm eager to see your review of the Felix euphoria 20th anniversary .

[@amaya897]

Compared Bliss Level 1 with KTE, the difference is smaller than between May KTE and level 2. KTE has very slightly clearer highs but slightly more congested high mds than level 1, probably due to silver wiring. But again the difference is almost not there, you really need to analytically listen to both units next to each other to pick it up. Go with level 1 don’t waste the money on KTE and rather invest it in May or a new headphone :) Bliss is a wonderful amp and a bargain at 3k.

[@nunoferraz5426]

You are certainly one unique man... love the approach.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Welcome to the fam 🐅

[@elhijueputa8423]

So I pulled the trigger on the Bliss KTE about 4 weeks ago and just received it 2 days ago. I let the unit warm up for a couple of hours before plugging in my ZMF Caldera and my initial reaction was a huge smile on face! Coming from the Burson Soloist 3X GT AMP, immediately it sounded as if I plugged my headphone into a tube AMP in that it feels so much more open with a hint of warmth to it. Not to mention the imaging, placement of instruments and details feel so much more refined and the control it has on all parts of the frequency range..👌. The holography is also spectacular in this AMP with sounds coming at me from all directions.. it literally feels as if I purchased a new and better headphone but no, it brought out performance in the Caldera that I did not realize it had! So far its been an absolute treat listening to all my favorite tracks again. Hans Zimmer Live in Prague 2017 is an absolute marvel. This is definitely a major step up from the Burson AMP which up to now was my favorite. Paired with my Gustard R26 DAC, this is an absolute joy! I hate to use the term endgame but I honestly think I am done with gear... not to mention I still have the Woo Audio WA22 AMP which I intend to pre-amp the Bliss to see what can happen... I used it as a pre for my Burson AMP which was awesome. Back to the music! Cheers!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Wonderful, if it’s a brand-new unit, it’s only going to get better into the 200 h mk Lovely 🐅 hours

[@elhijueputa8423]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Yes brand new. Crazy to think it can get better!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@elhijueputa8423 oh, you have quite a ways to go, trust me it’s going to get better and significantly, make sure it has plenty of room to breathe and you can just leave it on It usually kicks in about 250 hours and the utterly opens up sounds insane

[@georgekucy2108]

Looking forward to a Holo May/Bliss stack vs Ferrum Oor/Hypsos/Wandla stack comparison if at all possible. Slightly different price range, but I think that would be greatly appreciated by your audience. PS Wonderful reviews.

[@grayfox198]

This is an awesome review! Well all your reviews are very very good I still don't understand how you have 4.5k subs I'm pretty sure you'll blow up soon! Keep up the amazing work!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Thank you for the kind words it’s very much appreciated 🐅

[@aceofspades6667]

Love the bliss and the Holo brand.

[@aceofspades6667]

Perhaps as a follow up review on this you could compare bliss vs serene as a pre amp functionality to monoblocks and 2 channel as well as to powered monitors. Separately how does the performance change when you add the serene to the chain between May and bliss? Can you put the bliss in power amp mode and bypass internal volume stage to use only serene pre ? Finally perhaps a comparison of the hp output performance of serene vs bliss.

[@inn3B]

Hi CMA, I picked up the Bliss for the Susvara today. Your "painted picture" described the sound perfectly down to the smallest detail. The test listening was therefore no surprise. This is the first amplifier I've had with an end-game feeling. The treble is (unfortunately) very restrained, but with a little EQ it responds very well and brings in some sparkle at the top. All in all, the best equipment I can get in this price range. The power reserves are enormous. The impulse fidelity and spatiality are unrivaled (at this price). The first time you simply listen to music without picking out any flaws in the sound.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Give it 250 hours breaking. Don’t switch it off as long as it briefs properly. Trust me when you get back to it everything will change

[@Jimmy34008]

I now have a Holo Bliss, thank you for doing this review I watched it a few times on my run up to purchasing. This amp has changed everything for me. About 60 hours in and I am in love already. Things changed for me between 20-40 hours, The gift that keeps on giving Cheers CMA 😀

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Congratulations, it’s superb 🐅

[@hermannschmidt9788]

The Audeze LCD-5 with the Bliss is a fantastic combo. It is highly addictive. Even the preamp beats the Benchmark HPA4 with ease, let alone the headphone amp. I own both devices and the Bliss left the HPA in the dust. A true endgame amp.

[@nick62876]

hi just purchased the euphoria 20th anniversary and using a holo cyan dac and the zmf verite and yes yes yes the best combo cant wait for your review for the felix euphoria good job my friend love your work .

[@abehaile2659]

How do you like the Feliks euforia? My ZMF atriums just arrived and I'm on the fence between the euphoria Evo and this Holo Bliss

[@davidstein9129]

His descriptions of what this DAC. sounds like & does well is spot on. Great job.

[@LuckyX2]

Great review and excellent timing, I just got my Bliss today. Only have listened for an hour or so but already have had the cliche "hearing things I haven't heard before" experience multiple times now on tracks I've listened to for years. Only tried with Lirics so far but already noticed they have fuller bass compared to with my Wilsenton R800i tube speaker amp and any hint of sharpness/harshness they had before is gone. Amazingly it does this without that added bass being boomy/loose and without losing any detail in the highs from removing their sharpness, as I said, I'm hearing even more detail than I ever have before.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Congratulations, you’re in for a treat over the next four weeks

[@mortcola]

My exact system - plus Expanse, Utopia '22, and a family of Grados. Bliss is another audio realm entirely. This review nails it. Its intoxicating and more informative, with more moments of pure live-music illusion than I've ever had before.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Superb stack ❤️🐅

[@mortcola]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Been having fun. I ordered my first megabuck headphone CABLE recently (full disclosure, I've been the beneficiary of cables from industry contacts), the Double Helix (DHC) Chimera, for my Susvara. The Susvara's old fashioned 2.5mm socket makes it hard for some connectors to stay in, but Peter at DHC just re-terminated it for a better grip, and, for all the measurement-devotees who randomly challenge me to discern coat hangers from fibonacci-sequence-cubed winding patterns of nano-scale enameled silver and copper filaments in neat USA-made textile sheaths, I'll say.... yeah, this expensive wire conducts music better! This damned wire is delivering both greater volume than the stock cable and a well-respected mid-priced cable, as well as a rather obvious boost in bass attack and the fundamental tone and overtones of both acoustic bass, tenor sax, and some cool ride cymbal spectra.... But I'm just a little excited with my audio toys at the moment. Have a good evening, all! You especially, ConvinceMeAudio!

[@heyguyslolGAMING]

Tyvm for the review. Been on the fence about replacing my Oor+Hypsos. I'm almost done paying off my Caldera Redheart so after that I can start working towards a Bliss.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Excellent, it’s a nice upgrade from OOR

[@dangeorgecommunications]

A sweet selection of Chord Electronics' UK-made hi-fi on that desk!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

😎 it’s a party ❤️🐅

[@jinglechen641]

I’m sold by watching this review. Seriously thinking about placing an order… regret clicking this review 😂😂

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

😂🐅❤️ welcome to the fam 🐅 This place is extraordinarily dangerous for your wallet

[@jinglechen641]

@@ConvinceMeAudio btw really nice storytelling and presentation, I loved every bit of it

[@ninhbac04]

First reviewer on youtube to release bliss review thank you!

[@JTB--]

Been waiting for this one. Considering getting the Bliss and selling my Burson Soloist 3XP

[@MistaLova-Lova]

Please don't take this as an opinion for or against the Bliss, because I have no idea how it sounds, but as a fellow Soloist 3XP owner, before making that decision make sure that you're getting the most out of your Soloist first. Getting a Supercharger for it and putting it in "headphone power amp" mode (by-passing the volume control) makes it sound so much more natural and life-like than in its stock form. 🙂

[@JTB--]

@@MistaLova-Lova Hi. I do like the Soloist 3XP and do have the Burson Super Charger 5A. I'm doing the bypass now. I've got the new Gustard A26 DAC. Should be interesting

[@MistaLova-Lova]

@@JTB-- Oh, you need to try it. Using its Muse chip-based volume control, it sounds a bit "weird". A little bigger and more holographic, perhaps, but it feels very artificial. A good "wow" effect but tiring in the long run. When I had a look at the measurements in turns out that the volume control actually takes away a lot of the dynamic range and introduces some distortion. I'm not a measurement person myself but in this case it explains the difference in sound. What you need to do is select the gain first (if your headphones are quite sensitive then Low might be sufficient because in fixed mode it will put through the full power of this particular gain), get out of the menu and then press the menu button for 12 seconds (the one to the right of the volume knob). It will then "click" and display a symbol on the screen, it's now by-passing volume control. Be careful though - you'll need to control the volume elsewhere. In my case I can do it through my DAC, you could also do it through a pre-amp if you have one or using software (Roon/HQPlayer). Although, in that last instance, I probably wouldn't risk it as a software glitch could result in full power being sent to your headphones. The difference is staggering. Now it sounds like what I imagined a Class-A amplifier would sound. Full, natural, tactile, authoritative. Makes you want to reach out and touch music. 🙂

[@MistaLova-Lova]

​@@JTB--Hehe, I can see that you edited your post instead of replying to mine. Fantastic, give it some time and let me know what you think. I have a Gustard X26 Pro so a similar DAC. I run it in NOS mode with HQPlayer-upsampled signal fed into it, PCM converted to DSD as that sounds way better to my ears on a Delta-Sigma DAC. With the Burson in by-pass mode things sound sublime.

[@JTB--]

@@MistaLova-Lova I'm listening now in the Bypass/HP Power Amp mode. It sounds really good with the A26. Nice Bass and Soundstage. I'm using the Hifiman HE1000 V2 Stealth Magnet and the Bass is pumping, Drums are rocking listening to The Aristocrats "Sweaty Knockers" song. I'm going to try the Auteur Classic and RAD-0 next. Thanks for the tip. I'm a firm believer in diminishing returns and I'm confident the Bliss is excellent but not worth $2K more than the Soloist 3XP with Super Charger 5A. I'm also a bit turned off by the Heat and Size of the Bliss. I appreciate CMA pointing that out. Soloist 3XP fits in my modest setup beautifully on top of a Schiit Lokius tone control

[@davidstein9129]

I love the story towards the end of this vid. Audio critics/ mostly tools of the consumer hifi industry, don't read me bedtime 😴 stories at the end of their videos Good work.

[@mat.b.]

great job on this review

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

To our newcomers, welcome to the old crew, welcome back. I have been advised, it’s only the holo DACs, that comes in three variants. L -KTE only for Bliss - Serene Thank you for all the support,

[@andrespoblete6783]

Looking for this comment , yesterday I was bought in it and i can not found the three options 😅

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

If you already own the CMA 15, it’s good, but that unit was really designed to be a all in one and not to be used in separate components et cetera. The DAC does very well it’s not too bad but it’s still ESS and Delta sigma I would put a spring to extreme edition spring, 3 KT, personally with bliss But I have run CMA 15 with the LTA and Shang Senior LOL before two and it was fine but if you’re planning to buy the CMA 15 for that specific purpose I recommend some other ones because you already have the amplifier that’s a nice unit by itself to use by itself

[@snmdair]

My Bliss arrives in about 2 to 3 weeks. Really looking forward to it.

[@abehaile2659]

How are you enjoying the bliss? Have you paired it with any dynamic headphones?

[@snmdair]

@@abehaile2659 Yes, AO, AC, and Bokeh. I've had the amp for a little over a year paired with a Spring 3 and it's a great amp. I like the AO, AC more on my tube amp, but if my tube amp goes south tomorrow as long as I still have the Bliss I would still be a happy camper.

[@KenMoreira]

the only amp to date that makes me consider selling my Trafomatic Head 2

[@LSDScreen]

This is an extremely heartening review.

[@gordonfreeman4491]

Great review. You should try some of the LTA amps; I would love to hear your opinion.

[@jan.tovarnak]

A week ago I ordered Feliks Euforia Evo to complete my amp collection by a great OTL - the other amps I have are Headamp GS-X Mini and ADL Svetlana 2 (transformer coupled tube amp, excellent one at that, if you ever wanted to try something less known I can wholeheartedly recommend amps from Analog Design Lab from Korea). Now seeing your review of this new powerhouse from Holo Audio I'm starting to consider getting new Bliss KTE (it will look nicely together next to my Spring 3 KTE) and perhaps sell GS-X Mini. However since I don't have Susvaras nor AB-1266 (I guess hardest headphones to drive that I own are Abyss Diana Phi and perhaps ZMF Caldera and Senn HD800s) I'm kind of hesitant whether it would be that much of an upgrade over GS-X Mini that would warrant the upgrade. Have you ever owned GS-X Mini and if yes, how would you stack it against Bliss KTE in terms of sound with headphones that both of those amps can drive excellently (obviously GS-X Mini is going to get the shorter end of the stick with Susvaras because of the power but let's say with Calderas it could be much more level playing field)? Anyway loving your videos and review, I just watched your review on Susvaras and I have to say that the quality of your videos and reviews have improved greatly - you earned yourself another subscriber!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

❤️🐅 thank you for the kind words, and welcome to the fam Actually, it’s a very big leap forward in regards to the GSX mini when bliss is concerned, I reviewed the Dynalo many years ago. It’s an incredible product based on the GSX mini design. It will be a very big upgrade like I stated in the review you can go from .23 ohms in ear monitors all the way up to SUS, I have ZMF Cal here right now and I’m not joking. Bliss replaced the Benchmark, you will not be upset. But I will say this ZMF loves a woarm sound synergy you might before the GSX minibus performance is no doubt

[@mortcola]

I can't guarantee you anything, but my Bliss KTE has made every headphone in my batch sound new and better. It almost feels as if it "knows" how to get the most out of a particular headphone. That's silly, of course, but there's not a can of any kind, from Susvara And 1266TC to Focal Utopia and Grado PS500e.... incisive and extended as hell, but there's not a grating or muddy sound to be heard, unless the recording stinks. I was using an amp I loved, and still do - the Bryston BHA-1. While the latter really lacks nothing in absolute terms, being refined, punchy, transparent, and able to handle headphones even above their rated specs due to a few nice design features..... the Bliss is just in another league. Would you believe the Grado GS3000X resolves midrange and bass-transient micro-details the Utopia '22 doesn't seem to notice? a 150% price difference too. Don't get me wrong, I love the Utopia, it has a visceral, musically informative and seductive way about it, and it too is better in every way thru the Bliss than through any other amp in the house. The difference between the headphones re their ability to track little details in a mix, or in a symphony orchestra, was clear on the Bliss, faintly audible on the Bryston, which itself was the equal of the Woo WA5-LE in resolution, though a bit tighter in the bass and mid-treble, and understandably drier in the mids. Good groove too. But the Bliss does it with an almost disturbing capacity to recreate texture, instrument/singer body and shape, instruments easily "appearing" behind or way off past the limits of the cans, but its lighting quick, muscular while still highly nuanced, and boogies fully... percussion especially takes on a new level of pleasure. Complete dimensionality and mouth-feel, uncompromised.

[@MistaLova-Lova]

Watching the review, I was waiting for you to compare against Chord's internal amps which some people praise so much (I've never heard them). I had a hunch that the Bliss would make them sound less "digital" as in my audio journey I've come to realise that discrete and Class A components tend to sound much fuller and life-like. I think that products like the HQPlayer, the Bliss and either the May or a D-S DAC with a NOS or DSD-Direct mode (e.g. Gustard X26 Pro and Gustard A26) make Chord products only good choices for people who value the plug-and-play feature over everything else. What a great time to be an audio enthusiast 😃

[@dantedford2952]

Thanks for this review! Now I have a choice to make. Given the price point and specs it would be interesting to hear comparisons to the Pass Labs HPA-1

[@cry0n1cs4]

Just found your review and very thorough, thank you. I am new to this world and purchased the HD800S on a sale. Currently running a JDS Labs Element 3 into a PS5 for gaming but now I want to focus more on music. I am considering the Bliss KTE and curious how/if it would alter the sound signature of the HD800S? I love the wide sound stage and the separation of instruments, especially with jazz and blues music. I'm hoping the Bliss would expand on this and provide a little more warmth. Located in Australia and extremely difficult to audition so would welcome your thoughts.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

It will exponentially be better, but if you take my advice, I recommend investigating and using that money for a tube amp Cayin ha300 mk ii used It’s insane, check out both the HD 800 S and the cayin reviews on the channel you’ll get a much better idea of what’s happening and where you can go

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

And welcome to the fam 🐅

[@zhenyu1024]

Weiss DAC 502 mk2+ Holo bliss are my combination of drive Susvara，it's sounds very satisfied

[@dennisfrancis1126]

Excellent and very thorough review. I also have the Serene KTE pre and May KTE DAC. I’m able to power my Audeze LCD-5’s “directly” from the rear XLR outputs of the Serene (as mentioned on Holo’s web site & in their specs - using an adapter). This works quite well, sounds fantastic and I’m able to reach fairly high volume. My question then, considering this - do I even need the Bliss? Just don’t want to drop $3k large on something I might not even need, in my particular set up. Many thanks again & keep up the great work!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I think the answer might be your own question, if the set up you have already, you feel drives your headphones fine and that’s the only headphone you have in mind and you’re good to go You’re okay with the adapter situation stay where you are , I absolutely love the SERENE, as a headphone amp I use it myself In fact, it’s tone balance might be the best I’ve ever heard in a amp What bliss is a headphone amplifier through and through And has at least four times the power of the SERENe With current power supply et cetera to match also it’s 85% of the pre- of serene So you could sell your pre-and just buy that instead?

[@hugosottomayor]

Thank you very much for the excellent and clear reviews. Does Holo Audio May gain anything from Holo Audio Red ?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Logically, no, apart from being able to use i2s and decoupling from your source, but sonically and in the real world. Yes, sounded better to me by quite a bit and decoupling from my Mac was always a good thing. Thanks very much appreciated, may review is on the way I know it’s late by about a year

[@hemispherecompensation]

I'd say the Bliss performs pretty well out of the box. I remember reading on HeadFi that Holo recommend keeping their devices on (even if no music is playing), so that's what I've done. But as for "burn-in", I don't really care for it - I have 24hours "burn-in" and the Bliss sounds pretty good to me. My dealer recommended 400hours burn-in, but I won't reach that even in 2 years.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Never believed it too, don’t care for it either LOL, seeing as it’s on all the time it will break in if it has to anyway But it really changes, like a lot The stage becomes in Normas textual information improves you will get there, while you listen

[@one-rv2bx]

Great video. What has been your profession outside this reviewing endeavour?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Personal trainer nutritionist, bodybuilder on the pro circuit

[@ramlord6669]

When it is about amps which are capable to drive the Susvara...what is about your announced review of the ifi pro ican signature? 🙃 I was very excited by your review of the ifi pro idsd months ago and I am still hoping you will review them as a stack and perhaps compare it to Chord TT2 and the Holo stack etc. I am interested into purchasing the ifi pro stack, but without your review I am not convinced 🤗 And now I am also infected by you with the Holo stack...yet I will have to hear these too. Thank you for your compelling reviews. I love them!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

First and foremost, thank you so much it’s very much appreciated Like yourself, I have been waiting for ages, I’m very interested in that product but there was not one available in the UK for review from IFI. Up to now But I will reach out again. They are very accommodating when it’s available, I would love to see how it’s stacking up. I will have another discussion with them

[@ramlord6669]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you for your response 😍 I am very happy to read, that you are still chasing ifi to rip away the pro stuff from their very talented hands. I think in the upper mid-price region, it is the most interesting stack beyond Chord and Holo.

[@morlic]

Thanks!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

A heart felt thanks for the support The CMA teem

[@Stephenwongdirectimaging]

I love my holo audio spring 3 dac

[@canibiteyou8980]

Beautiful amp, just dont bother with KTE, even Magna HiFi confirms there is next to no difference to Level 1 :)

[@hemispherecompensation]

Sonic differences, if any, probably very subtle. However, on the Bliss I would probably stretch just that little extra because re-sell is probably easier.

[@canibiteyou8980]

​@@hemispherecompensation Would be basically half a grand extra for a cnc fox :)

[@roybenz187]

Thanks for the review. Been waiting for this :-) Considering changing my moon 430ha for bliss. Using moon 680D dac. Have you heard the moon430ha? How would it compare to the bliss?

[@jollywild9963]

Great review. Thank you. Is it possible that you make a video of the CMA Fifteen?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Thank you, it’s very much appreciated, yes mate it’s completed it’s edited it’s on Patreon at the moment I believe we have roughly 20 reviews completed and edited, and I released for over the last 10 days and there are 16 on the way

[@jollywild9963]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Sounds really good. Can't wait to see it. 😃

[@everettedl]

Super helpful review! If you have AHB2 in monoblock for Susvara, would the Bliss be better than the Serene as a preamp if you intend to use other headphones as well in your opinion?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@everettedl it’s the economical option. The pre-is better than the one inside the bliss, obviously, but it’s more convenient to just use bliss Might as well save yourself a fair bit of cash, but remember the Bliss will add quite a bit of coloration compared to serene

[@everettedl]

@@ConvinceMeAudio That's a really good point about adding coloration. Might be better to use a well known pre and headamp like HPA4 or just see what the Serene can do as a headamp.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@everettedl check out the serene review on the channal it makes a fantastic headphone amplifier with a white adapter

[@everettedl]

@@ConvinceMeAudio I just watched it again. Somehow I missed your comment on the Serene as a headamp haha. Thank you for your help dude!

[@inn3B]

Have you ever heard the Prelude by Hifiman? You say that the Bliss sounds "like an evening in the moonlight" and less bright. The Prelude was clearly too restrained in the upper frequencies for me. If the Bliss is similar, this amplifier would probably not be an option for me.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Apologies, I can’t say I have, I don’t have much experience with their amplifiers, except their big boy, energiser for a very short stint

[@markhershberger9477]

Thank you for the great review. I’ve also got the May KTE, and ZMF Verites (O and C), and so I second steedbar’s inquiry about the Bliss with the Verites if you still had one around?? Thanks!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I currently have the VO here at the moment Thank you, I appreciate it Glad you enjoyed the review

[@abehaile2659]

30:51 are you still planning to review the euforia evo? Thank you for the great work!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

It’s already filmed, just waiting to be edited. We are almost caught up now. I think there’s only five videos left in the backlog. It will be coming with May-kte and the rest.

[@abehaile2659]

@@ConvinceMeAudio lovely. Can't wait. Subscribed 🙏🏾

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@abehaile2659 thanks for the support, deeply appreciate it, welcome to the fam 🐅

[@tomwalker7629]

Great review. Just like your Chord review. So which should I go with: the chord Hugo tt2/m-scaler with ZMF Verity Closed Back or the Holo May/Bliss with Susvara?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Oh bloody hell, the latter If you can reach for it, it’s considerably more expensive

[@tomwalker7629]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Thanks

[@tomwalker7629]

@@ConvinceMeAudio PS: I would love to see you do a review of the T+A HA 200 headphone amp/dac if you ever get your hands on one.

[@roybenz187]

@@tomwalker7629 +1

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Thank you very much for the support it’s very much appreciated❤️🐅

[@hiviber]

Great review as always. Why they make it so hard to buy ? You should negotiate a deal for your audience. :). Where did the folks that have buy ? Seems like the L1 is the deal for 10% less?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

All the locations to purchase is in the description for parts of the world,

[@Chicob1944]

Awesome review! Why do some people say this cannot fully drive Susvaras?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

It’s basically very simple, they have been testing SUS with mono block benchmarks like we have here or AIC, 10 Riviera or head trip, that’s a completely different category. Remember SUS. I swear has no ceiling and will show you whatever equipment you throw at it, but bless that fine don’t worry.

[@Chicob1944]

@@ConvinceMeAudioI see. Thank you. Can they drive the Susvaras as well as the Ferrum OOR + HYPSOS? Is it close enough?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@Chicob1944 no mate, it’s better by quite a ways, more impactful, less smooth, and sticky, sounding better detail, retrieval better stage, far better synergy with SUS

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@Chicob1944 stick with that set up for LCD5. It’s good here if you can get an M scaler and Dave

[@Chicob1944]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you so much. Just ordered the Holo Bliss KTE. Excited to hear it :)

[@johenkay1129]

Thinking about getting the holo bliss or the 9i-906 "Silver Fox" Headphone Amplifier. I've heard that the holo bliss has difficulty driving the susvara to it's full potential. Slightly flat sounding and less bass control with the bliss.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Bliss drives SUS perfectly in this category below 5K, but please don’t chase the Dragon in regards to driving SUS, I have tested it with a 50 K system. 40 K system 35K system all the way down and the bloody drivers keep on giving and keep on yielding more results. Pick a point and be happy LOL

[@johenkay1129]

@@ConvinceMeAudio I'm talking headphone amps. What headphone amp have you tested with the Susvara that was the best regardless of price. I'm not talking about speaker amps.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@johenkay1129 wells audio Headtrip has been the absolute best, then maybe mass cobo 465 Lina from dcs sets nicely in the middle for tonality

[@Chicob1944]

@johenkay1129 I have the Silverfox. It's very powerful and fun, but sound is quite smooth and I find details are masked.

[@johenkay1129]

@@Chicob1944 I see, have you tried it with the Susvara's?

[@Peace_Guard]

Do you have any plan to review T+A DAC 200? Seems to be the newest potential contender to the Holo NOS. 'ANA[DIA]LOG' preferred it to May on his system (with both in NOS). Also toutet by 'Steve Huff Photo & HiFi' as better than Dave, Weiss 501/502 & Lina. But both are not necessarily headphone channels. It would be perfect to get an opinion of a HP person, who also has a current preference of Holo.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I must admit, I’ve been hearing a lot of things, I hope so, and shortly

[@johenkay1129]

Hey I love your reviews, do you have a power distribution chain/conditioner that you use?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I have integrated the IFI power station and supernova cables across the systems

[@johenkay1129]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Ah I see. I have a ifi power station and a few supa nova and nova cables. I have since upgraded to two puritan psm156's and a mix of zenwave, neotech, ricable invictus, and ultimate power cables. The upgrade from ifi power station to the psm156 is gigantic. If you ever get the chance to demo a psm156, I would highly recommend it. Thanks for the reviews.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@johenkay1129 certainly, I’ve been hoping for some units to come in for review before settling on a proper power conditional, Niagara, 5000 is on my radar two This is at the moment, a stop gap to be fair, and it has already made quite a big difference here Hopefully some decent accessories will come in because we are running some pretty high-end equipment and thank you for the kind words I appreciate it

[@johenkay1129]

@@ConvinceMeAudio The psm156 could outclass the audioquest to be honest.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@johenkay1129 y I will definitely have a look into it. Thank you for the suggestion.

[@gerritfridericksohn4627]

This guy is quite the salesman. Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

[@DJCrazyNights]

Hi great review. Do you think the Gustard R26 Discrete R2R MQA DAC would pair well with the HOLO and the Susvara?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Unfortunately, that unit has not come in for review yet, but quite a few people in our community has one on their desk, and it’s supposed to be pretty great. I really should get around to this manufacturer

[@DJCrazyNights]

Thanks for the quick reply :) Will my Susvara's have enough base response to listen to pop and rock music with the HOLO?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@DJCrazyNights bWith Bliss? Most certainly, it’s a very punchy amplifier, very satisfying. But the DAC will play quite a large role in tonal density of weight As I mentioned previously, I don’t have experience with that specific one, so I can’t say, but wavedream and May are great

[@DJCrazyNights]

Thanks for the suggestions on the dac's but they are out of my price range do you have recommendation at the $1,500 range to pair with the HOLO Bliss?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@DJCrazyNights r26 a26 are definitely good suggestions. Another one might be groove from Wales audio which I believe is about 1500 for level two, some of these are not bad or the DAC3B from Benchmark. You could always look for a used Hollowspring to extreme addition

[@soundeq5859]

what the difference between KTE and level1, is one more warmer than the other, is it worth it to get the KTE versus the level1, I saw a comment above, but would like to have more input in the differences

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Unfortunately, like I stated in the review, every unit from holo we have had here have all been KTE. I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison to be able to see if it’s even worth the upgrade.

[@tuathadedanann195]

Does this also have a pre out as well? If so how does it compare with the top tier dac/preamps?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

It does Both RCA, and XLR, I would say it’s fantastic, but it’s about 20% behind serene kte

[@tuathadedanann195]

@@ConvinceMeAudio oof thats too far. imagine how this would sound if the dac and pre were as good as the best

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@tuathadedanann195 there will be others that would argue that the pre-is like only 5 to 10% better in the serene Under rigourous testing, I have found it not to be the case I’m not too happy with the pot versus the serene for cleanliness in the upper 80% of the pot et cetera, but it’s still outstanding. Don’t get me wrong and I don’t think you need an external pre-by any means, but serene still has a place and it’s still the best pre-I have personally heard up to now

[@tuathadedanann195]

@@ConvinceMeAudio does the Aperio have a pre-in so that you can use your own dac/amp and just use their unit as headphone plus high voltage driving stage?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@tuathadedanann195 both, you can use the streamer and internal DAC, Or pass through your own DAC In a studio environment or for a two channel set up But no fixed output, just pre-

[@RyuMasterEX]

Low z or high Z? To me it sounded very similar to low gain vs high gain. Low z was very warm focused on vocals. High z sound taller, much more treble and overall balanced throughout to me on my brief listen. Bear in my mind I was using 200ohm headphones

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I will be honest with you it depends on the headphones and sometimes it doesn’t correlate to the low impedance high impedance thing LOL sometimes on low impedance headphones I actually prefer high

[@freddymand]

Hey CME, Did you prefer the Bliss with the May versus the Bliss with Chord TT2 / MScaler?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Most definitely, even as a chord combo the may yields better results

[@YTjuanchicod]

Holo May or Chord Dave for competitive gaming?

[@hanaemori7599]

I owned tt2 not long ago and caldera open, do you think holo bliss have synergy with tt2 as dac?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@hanaemori7599 yes, it’s not bad at all, but May is better where synergy is concerned

[@hanaemori7599]

@@ConvinceMeAudio thanks for the fast reply! I really holding myself and look up for ppl that use tt2 and holo bliss to made up my mind

[@gio.b8808]

Do you think that the Bliss beats out the LTA Z10 for the under $10,000 price range?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

After testing for five months, no very different, but no chance actually LTA is the big step up next This is what happens when units come in randomly at different times unfortunately, but LTA is an absolute freaking monster It does require a better DAC to shine I’m using lampizator so remember if you’re careful with your shopping, you can buy me and Bliss together for the same price used This is still incredible though, at that price point, I don’t think you can beat it

[@gio.b8808]

@ConvinceMeAudio hmm interesting... i was under the impression that the bliss would be better than the Z10 from the reviews i've seen of both, but that's valid. I still gotta hear both before pulling the trigger, but i'm loading up to get my Abyss AB1266 TC setup with the holo may, hifi rose rs 130 streamer, and either the Z10 or the bliss for the amp. I'll probably end up going with the Z10 tho, it seems like a better match for the TC as well.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@gio.b8808 TC on Z 10 has been the best pairing. I’ve heard up to now it takes a long time to break in properly though no it’s not even close actually it’s the next class up

[@nick62876]

can i please ask, how long would you warm up a holo audio ladder dac before you listen to it would you keep it powered on? , cheers koji.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

My holo stuff never get switched off it’s on 24 seven But if it’s broken in after six hours, it’s not bad, usually 24 hours

[@nolly485]

Hope you can answer this for me. You said you tested the MScaler and Dave Dac combo going into the bliss and the Holo May Dac going into the bliss but there was not much between them sound wise. Can you confirm the May was not using hqplayer to upsample? Asking this as l am looking to move from my MScaler Dave and getting May and Bliss.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

M scaler works with me, but only up to 384 There is no way to use the full capability of the M scaler with May up to 768, at the moment, due to the dual data cable required, the best performance boost for me is HQ player you can assemble up to 1536 But yes, the M scaler does work nicely with me and gives it a nice kick

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Yes, it would’ve been using hq player

[@nolly485]

Thanks. I was asking about the comparison in the both DACs being used into the bliss amp using the full upsample from Dave MScaler going into the bliss amp.You said the both DACs sounded great being used into the bliss so wanted you to confirm if the may was using hqplayer upsampling as if not then the may is competing with the MScaler Dave without even using upsampling.Am I correct?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@nolly485 for that I think you need to check out the original review of the DAC. I did two years ago, it will give you the best in-depth analysis

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@nolly485 yes, they were both pushed to their limits using HQ player and M scaler

[@hemispherecompensation]

There are only two variants, Bliss L1 and KTE.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Yes, thank you, this comment was actually addressed in the previous one, that was possibly referring to the DACS, I think we got the wrong info sent to us

[@fastsnail3568]

How does Bliss compared with Zahl HM1 when paired with Holo Audio May?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Bliss a touch warmer, lush and grandiose HM1 incisive, neutral, superb control I prefer bliss But I break this down in the review, just jump to the right section in hm1 review part2

[@johnratcliffe6438]

First!

[@JTB--]

Nope... 2nd 😁

[@johnspy12345]

At 34:50 mins, just to clarify do you mean that the TT2 without the mscaler powered by the Bliss sound incredible? But if the mscaler is there it makes it sound “delta sigma fake”?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I think I might of convoluted the sentence it was very late at night shooting, the unit has an all in one with the aid of the internal amp I believe Versus the DAC out of the unit into bliss with M scaler

[@dzemoski45]

Bliss or Feliks Envy?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Tubes versus solid state, and one being 2 1/2 times the price of the other I think this is a personal preference thing LOL

[@samsonchauchau2522]

How's the comparision between Bliss and Serene in speaker system?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Serene I think has about 10% in performance levels, Doesn’t give off ever, so slight touch of euphoria and warm SERENE is liquid crystal glass molten gold But if you already own bliss, I think it’s utterly pointless investing in this pre-simultaneously, unless you have cash to burn But it is marginally better in that scenario, yes 100%

[@ZachiFriedman]

Background music WAY too loud, so hard to hear the reviewer speaking :( PLEASE change that in the future as the review content was very good, and it is a shame it was annoying to watch!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Hey bud What equipment were you using headphones or speakers wise to get this result, we thoroughly test the videos. Obviously being an audio channel in regards to the mixing, and I’ve had no other comments yet, so I’m definitely intrigued. Thank you for checking out the review I appreciate the kind words, welcome to the fam 🐅

[@ZachiFriedman]

@@ConvinceMeAudio I used laptop speakers. MacBook air. To clarify, some of the time it wasn't too bad but other times it drowned the voice track. Thanks again for the informative review and for taking the time to read my feedback!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@ZachiFriedman unfortunately mate, that’s Apple mixing for you, it’s down to the laptop

[@steedbar]

How does this amp do with ZMF dynamics like Verite. Don't think you said anything about ZMFs unless I missed it.

[@canibiteyou8980]

Using it with Verite Open, sounds terrific. Having a HA-3A (rolled tubes), Bliss is almost as warm but slightly more clear, got bit more punch in the mid bass and has similar musicality to that tube amp. Waiting for my Caldera right now, pretty sure Bliss will be a perfect driver for them.

[@udirub]

Is it as fun as the Oor?

[@adewolf]

How does this compare with the Flux volot for the Susvara headphones?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

F10?

[@DJCrazyNights]

Is the bass response as strong with the bliss as it was with the Enleum 23r?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Midbass, certainly subbase, I think 23 pushed a bit harder not having them side-by-side and doing it from memory is very sketchy

[@xxxrangeridxxx]

Will you be reviewing the 1266 in the future?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Review is already completed and on Patreon, it will be coming shortly

[@xxxrangeridxxx]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Nice, looking forward to it. Recently found your channel and really enjoy your reviews.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@xxxrangeridxxx thank you so much I appreciate it, welcome to the Femme 🐅

[@xxxrangeridxxx]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Thanks! Btw, did you ever do a May KTE review, that's another one I'm looking forward to hear your thoughts on.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@xxxrangeridxxx it’s still in progress

[@Jamie-666]

Want.

[@DJCrazyNights]

How did the Susvara's sound with the tube pre on the bliss.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

A tuch more holographic and a bit more euphoric tones in the mid range

[@DJCrazyNights]

Thanks for the reply 😊

[@marcusloo767]

what is the lore reason you always wear shades? (got my bliss months ago i love this shit)

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Do you know I’m blind right? And the vision I have, or whatever, is extraordinarily sensitive to light, and studio lights are very bright.

[@marcusloo767]

@@ConvinceMeAudio ahhh didn’t know until now lol

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@marcusloo767 it’s very difficult to tell even without shades, LOL good thing I suppose

[@davidstein9129]

Why does this guy keep reminding me of how much this stack costs? Its pompous, annoying..it has nothing to do with the fine audio reproduction that this DAC is capable of. Also, what's with the creepy, ominous and intimidating music track ? Also, please loose your shades..Its creepy looking on you and absolutely detracts from your vid presentation.

[@calypsopiter]

I think most people here like and appreciate Koji and his style just the way he is. Gear price also makes the difference for most of the people. As for the shades, check the other comment, his vision is impaired.

[@elhijueputa8423]

I have the Woo Audio WA22 and use it as a pre to feed my Burson Soloist 3x GT SS AMP... its fucking amazing.. just wondering how much better it would be with Bliss

[@elhijueputa8423]

So I pulled the trigger on Bliss.. looking forward to putting my ZMF Caldera on it!!! Hoping this is a worthwhile investment!!

[@cancerparty]

Koji, coming from XIAUDIO Formula S and Powerman, would you say Bliss can drive Susvara better? Thanks! Love the new logo btw 👍

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Thank you very much. It’s very much appreciated, that’s a good question. I’m not familiar with this unit myself but I’ll do some digging and see what we come up with.

[@cancerparty]

​@@ConvinceMeAudio thanks man! I'm considering downgrading from Envy to Bliss to power Susvara and 1266. But I still have my XIAUDIO stack. If there's little difference then I should keep the XIAUDIO, is my thinking. may is the DAC, btw. All the best 🙂