LAiV Harmony DAC is a beast!!!

Laiv Harmony DAC goes for $2700 and this is my review. Read my written reviews with scores at iiwireviews.com/
Official webpage: www.laiv.audio/harmony-dac
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00:00 Intro
00:59 About Laiv
02:17 About Harmony DAC
07:36 Sound
12:24 vs Gustard R26
14:53 vs Lampizator Baltic 3 and Lampucera
18:41 S tier product?
19:38 Final thoughts
Room test system:
Eversolo DMP-A8, Allo DigiOne Signature
Lampucera DIY DAC, Gustard R26 DAC: bit.ly/3XLyNCF
Acoustic Invader PREAMP (Fulcrum version): acousticinvader.com/
Dual Mono Acoustic Invader amps (IcePower 1200)
Spirit Wind Speakers: • High End 2-way speaker...
#hifi #audiophile #dac #stereo

[@larryh9525]

Your sense of humor is appreciated. Lord of the DACs was priceless.

[@BogdanWeiss]

Count DACular 😂

[@Cirillion]

Your review is as always honest, transparent, understandable, funny and simply…GREAT! Thank you so much for that!!!🙏🏻

[@exlipse123]

Congratulations on your review! The sense of detail that you output when detailing and comparing various DACs is just mindblowing! You are one of the most if not the most comprehensive reviewer online with regards to audio equipment. Congratulations is just not enough of a word to describe the level of gratitude that we have for all you do! Thank you!

[@stephencosta6814]

100% this guy is fantastic. He could stay at my house and give them the keys anytime of the day very trustworthy.

[@karlhinchliffe4920]

This is the first review of yours that I've seen, and have to say it is impressive - thorough, detailed, and highly descriptive. The comparisons were particularly helpful. You put into words the sound experience you have felt far more eloquently than most others here on the tube, and I come away from it feeling like I was the one doing the listening ! Top effort.

[@francois3684]

Here from Montreal to Serbia, all my kind regards to your openness, your fresh look on things and very informative reviews. I will certainly give this new DAC a closer look. And ohh yes, difficult times… and I like your t-shirt!

[@user-jd5rq6vw3o]

Here's the review I've been waiting for. Thanks a lot for the comparisons and details. I can't wait to order.

[@michaelsparrow4798]

Great review. LOVE your genuineness and down-to-earth style!

[@paulhester8086]

Love your reviews. Honest and straightforward with "hi end humor"; not over the top, and not a schtick or act; just well-timed HQ humor. THANKS! The remote's buttons are likely anodized aluminum, not brass...hopefully type 2 or 3. If type 1, the color can wear off rather quickly. Unit looks superb. Keep on keepin' it real!

[@scottbennett3119]

Very informative review! You have a great sense of humor at the end! Thanks

[@marcob.7801]

Superb review! Your depth of knowledge made known in probative, most understandable presentation style is quite gratifying! Thank you, sir and kudos!

[@bagrubmeister4973]

Another great and honest review,, just placed my order.

[@juliancrun]

Thank you very much as always for the video. Cheer up and greetings.

[@radomirvuckovic517]

Very nice spring time feel kind of review.

[@slavkorodic1333]

Hvala za još jednu odličnu prezentaciju! Cenim vaš rad i napor da nam približite aktuelne audio hifi proizvode.

[@garymalone547]

Lord of the DACs lol. Love it. Not usually a fan of gold accents, but I love the design. That knob in the corner is awesome.

[@robanderson6173]

Thanks for the video. Not sure if you check out "do it yourself" kits or not but Ian Canada makes kits for dacs, streamers and class D amps for a fraction of retail prices. I got the Acoustic Invader power amp and preamp after your review. I'm very grateful for your reviews and your ears.

[@jos5067]

Great 👍 review, thanks 🙏 !

[@sloboat55]

I wish my Tradutto didn't sound so good, it would make it easy to replace it. I'm thinking the CEC DA5 to go with my TL5 transport. Not in a hurry though. Anyway, I watch all the dac reviews I'm interested in, but yours , i look forward to the most. Cool runnings

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks for watching and contributing continuously. Cheers

[@net_news]

great review!! 🙌

[@zzezzobike]

it's great to see your progress from like 4 years ago or more? I follow your reviews since the beginning, very modest gear like FX and such but look at you today ! Bravo ! Not a customer for this one but like to see anything but Topping or SMSL or Xduoo or similar

[@stephencosta6814]

❤❤❤ I really love this guy very intelligent, and his vocabulary of describing sounds is off the charts. You are Lord of the rings.😂😂😂

[@neosystas]

Great review of a well made DAC with one of the best displays in the market and a no boring design. I use a Gustard R26 DAC an I like the sound of these R2R DACs... If you use a Eversolo DMP 8 as a source and if you connect this with a network cable to your router or switch, you should try out the ifi LAN iSilencer as a noise filter and tell us about your experience with this. Greetings, Michael

[@Zoomerland]

You are so able to convey the sound with such precise words combined with you emotion. I want to hear this dac. I was going to buy a Terminator 2, however I am reconsidering

[@williammilligan1451]

Thanks for your review, always interesting to hear comparisons with Gustard R26, which I have. What power cord were you using?

[@SuperMcgenius]

Also from Montreal, great review 👍

[@grommie]

Thank you!❤ Interesting. I am not into r2r dacs. But this review makes me courious!

[@connorduke4619]

Excellent review as always. I do believe there is a similarly priced dac which can match it on most dimensions and most likely beat it on dynamic weight: Teac UD-701N for 3,000 Euro with dual mono design, four toroidal transformers and proprietary Dac chips. Would be greater if a friend can lend you that review as Teac tends not to loan their gear out I understand.

[@edogawa5203]

I'm hoping you review the new Holo Cyan 2 and compare it to this Harmony DAC. I enjoy your work! And have no problems with the nose .

[@juanpablovasquez6776]

Yes this would be a great theme!

[@chengo51]

Gustard is also more than a dac so it is even cheaper. Is the difference worth the price ? It can only be said once you compare both in your room, that's where the whole difficulty stands and you tried your best to explain it, thanks.

[@toddt5562]

Thanks for another great review! Looks like this could be a great DAC to replace my Pontus 2. Currently I am running a Denafrips flagship Apollo amp and Athena preamp, with Tekton Double impact speakers. Pretty sure that my current DAC is a limiting factor in my system, however I was having a hard time considering spending another $5k plus to get a Terminator or Terminator Plus...so the Laiv DAC could be the perfect sweet spot for me to be satisfied long-term with all my gear. I also love the fact that it has a remote control, as well as a large, easily legible display that shows sample rate and bit depth.

[@iiWiReviews]

While I can't comment on Denafrips DACs (I only had Ares II), you might want to look at 6moons review of Harmony DAC. Reviewer there owns Terminator+ and he actually slightly preferred this one in his system which led him to purchase it after the review was done.

[@cheeky1664]

@@iiWiReviews I read that, with great interest, because I currently have a Cen Grand deluxe, which was his preferred DAC until this one. Now I'm in a bit of a quandary...

[@SartajAnand]

@@cheeky1664 What are your thoughts on the Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe? I'm torn between choosing it or the Laiv Harmony or the Audio-GD R7HEMK3...

[@cheeky1664]

@@SartajAnand I only have experience of the Cen Grand deluxe, so I can't offer any wisdom I'm afraid. The Cen Grand is brilliant but it's interesting learning that something half the price is as good or even slightly better....

[@jackfalco5351]

I have a Pontus II. I don’t think this has the low end slam like the Pontus. I’m sending mine back because it stopped working before it broken in didn’t notice anything particularly better.

[@SartajAnand]

I was really looking forward to your impressions on the Harmony. Thanks for comparing it to the Gustard R26! Any insights between these 3 DACs: Laiv Harmony, Cen. Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe and Audio-GD R7HEMK3? I'm looking to upgrade from the R26.

[@cezarygoclowski2069]

Srboljuba, great review as usual - thank you very much.

[@iiWiReviews]

Glad you like it and thanks for your support!

[@bclu7343]

Its alway good to see competition!

[@jaroslavfricek7772]

Thanks for wonderful review ❗️👍 What amp would you recommend with it?😊🙋‍♂️

[@capelight52]

Incredibly articulate...BRAVO!

[@thepickyaudiophile]

Great, hype for a new brand (I’m sure it’s deserved) might finally make the used prices of other in vogue R2-D2 dacs, come down to be more in line with “normal” depreciation for hifi 😅

[@user-ml8qr3ch2u]

Now you have me wondering what a Modwright Analog Bridge might bring to the table when hooked up to the Laiv Harmony DAC. I wonder if it would provide Lampizator's image bloom with the Laiv's tonal density and bass impact.

[@PhillioDoede]

Great informative and entertaining review. Out of my price range right now but its always interesting to see a new player on the scene. One question though.... where do you think your system needs to be for a DAC like this and what you are comparing it to make sense? I've watched a few of your older videos where you are running KEF LS50s as your daily speakers but I'm assuming the rest of your gear has surpassed that level by quite a bit. Currently the LS50s and DIY 8" full range TL towers as different as they are are my benchmarks for speakers.

[@dougg1075]

Love the look , especially the display.

[@skiiizo]

Thanks a lot for the review. It's informative. I saw the one Steve Huff made and he's so over the top about this DAC, he's comparing it to the Chord Dave and other DCS range DACs that cost 3 or 4 times the price. The problem is, that Mr Huff falls in love with gear and after some weeks you don't see it anymore on his shelfs. he seems like a nice guy but I suspect he's kind of a fanboy. I have the Audio Analogue AADAC and I love it, I don't have speakers, I listen only on headphones, STAX SRM-T8000 (amp) and STAX SR-009S. My previous DAC was the Chord QUTEST, and I still have at my desk at work the MOJO2 that I like very much. I would like to get this LAiV Harmony DAC, but I'm afraid it won't be that much better, or better at all than mine. On the other hand Mr Huff seems to say the LAiV reminds him of the Chord Dave, and that is appealing to me. What do you think ? Should I go for it ? I was pleased to hear that you are from Serbia, I just saw a documentary this morning on your country, I'm myself from Greek origin and I was born in Belgium. Thank you from Brussels

[@iiWiReviews]

Hi from Belgrade! You currently have a very respectable DAC. The thing is that I haven't heard it so any attempt to give a good advice would be pure speculation on my side.

[@skiiizo]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you for your honest response. I wish you a nice weekend.

[@juanpablovasquez6776]

This DAC has the functionality to chose which clock you want to use when connected via I2S. It would be great to get some feedback regarding your experience using both clocks and if there is any difference at all.

[@teknolojigundemi]

Denafrips Venus 12th and Holo Audio Spring 3 are direct competitor pricewise

[@cheeky1664]

I bow to you, oh lord of the DACS! 👍😂👍 Excellent work my friend 👍😁👍😁

[@user-cl5bb7ji7q]

I have a LAiV Harmony on order to possibly replace a Denafrips Iris/Pontus II combo. Would I gain anything by using the Iris DDC with the Harmony?

[@user-jd5rq6vw3o]

@iiWiReviews is Laiv Harmony dac your new reference dac your setup? 😊

[@AQUPAS]

This is definitely one of the more beautiful and premium looking DACs on the market. Will look great in a stack!

[@nolly485]

I can not seem to find anything on their website that says about the USB input if it has Galvanic Isolation?

[@User_not_found_403]

Thanks for the review....ugh...I was gonna call it quits after toying with all the entry-level R2R Dacs, I settled on a chord quest and LHY battery power supply because of the great sound in tiny footprint. This one is the one that may pull me back in because I've always wanted to know the next tier but not pay next tier prices.

[@IronHorsey3]

One headphone reviewer said high end Chord has more power. This appears more Chord-like in comparison he said but the price will get a lot of looks (listens).

[@kevinusta7534]

Great review! Could you reach out to the UK based SW1X? I believe their entry level dac would be a great comparison.

[@wric01]

Cyan 2 would be a good competitor.

[@jimmygup]

Thx for another interesting review. You mentioned the A8. How was its DAC compared to the Harmony? A6?

[@iiWiReviews]

A8's DAC performance is slightly below Gustard R26. While that's very decent on its own, it sounds kind of flat next to Harmony, both in terms of space and dynamics.

[@poulthomsen5042]

Hi. Can you please make a review of the Okto Research Dac8 stereo? From what I hear it's a really overlooked dac.

[@MrGiglh]

Great review, like your t-shirt with written 'go green' too bad it is in chocolate color (just kidding), I wish it comes in green color also. Anyway nice t-shirt and always love your reviews 🙏🏽😊

[@DSor1]

Thanks for yet another great review. Out of curiosity, did you try the Harmony with the acoustic invader preamp (not fulcrum) or the ladder Bach? Goran from AA can also upgrade the acoustic invader to Jentzen Superior caps. Part of me thinks it'd be great, but i am wondering if it'd could be too much of a good thing getting a highly resolving DAC, and pair it with a preamp that although it'd run in class A, it'd be more open, transparent and resolving. I am a sucker for holographic soundstage, imaging, resolution, tone and texture (and who isnt?😅). Thanks so much! Loving the work you are doing!

[@iiWiReviews]

I tried it with Fulcrum and Bach, but not with baseline AI preamp. But I don't see any potential problem with the pairing that you're asking about. Both components are very revealing but not in an analytical and dry kind of way. That said, I know for a fact that you have an awesome DAC already. 😉

[@DSor1]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@joenovak6393]

Would using a EverSolo A6 as a Transport feeding into the LAiV Harmony be the right move? Thank You for your work on these reviews as I value your honesty.

[@iiWiReviews]

It would sound very very good and it's a very fine pairing. That said, Harmony DAC is more transparent of the two and A6 would be the one setting the maximum soundstaging and tone richness limit in that pairing.

[@GadZookz]

Great description! You mentioned connecting it to the Eversolo A8. Did you compare it to the DAC in the Eversolo also or are those DAC chips automatically disabled?

[@iiWiReviews]

A8's DAC performance is slightly below Gustard R26. While that's very decent on its own, it sounds kind of flat next to Harmony DAC, both in terms of space and dynamics.

[@IronHorsey3]

Such valuable context for your audience. 👑 of the DACs and this one may be on the ethereal side of the DAC world, I hear. (But don’t know vs a Chord Dave.) I’m on a RME ADI-2 with high quality tube mono blocks. You hit that technical combo dead on.)

[@avro66]

Great review as always, personally I love the black and gold look,plus the other styling details, the remote looks great as well , the inside build quality puts many other manufacturers to shame,seems like fantastic value also.

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks. I agree about black and gold. It looks very stylish in real life, in my opinion... And build quilty together with internals commands respect. It's clearly not "yet another DAC".

[@avro66]

@@iiWiReviews agreed,

[@007EnglishAcademy]

Great review. Great nose. Keep the reviews coming.

[@mariodrv]

How come you haven't rewiewed your countrys own Pedja Rogics Audial S5 yet?

[@marcusbrsp]

They haven't sent it to him...

[@mariodrv]

@@marcusbrsp How attentive of you Sherlock.

[@marcusbrsp]

@@mariodrv I know, right. But you need to understand that reviewers will, usually, only review whatever companies send them. So, maybe your question should be asked to the company who did the Pedja Rogics Audial S5...

[@temp7774]

$3k+ DAC market is heavily congested with awesome products. This no-name Chi-fi brand certainly has a very steep mountain to climb.

[@pdcragin33]

Thanks!

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks for your support! 👍

[@johncallaghan3097]

Enjoyed the review -- but will be sticking with my R26 if only because one has to draw the line somewhere as regards price. Incidentally, I got the R26 (it was traded in or open box) for around £350 cheaper than new. The dealer offered a 3 months return guarantee, which is enough IMHO to ascertain whether it's in perfect working order -- and I think it is.

[@mikelautermilch8939]

Please compare this to this other new R2R DAC: the Aero DAC from Linear Tube Audio. It has tubes in the output stage and the power supplies are a combination of linear and switching, because all linear is not necessarily best for sound quality

[@mizujunior2519]

How does this compare to the TEAC UD 701-N?

[@JingoLoBa57]

Not sure this will compete with the DAC’s in my ARC Ref CD9 but still sounds like an affordable step up for many.

[@MarcoGrande-ge5ib]

Is it better than Denafrips Venus II ?

[@maudifi]

Oh great Lord of the DACs, thanks for this review. Do you have plans to review the new Holo Audio Cyan 2? It would be great to have a comparison between the two.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

Can you hook the dac to the eversolo to use as streamer and then the eversolo back to the dac to use the preamp as well?

[@iiWiReviews]

No. Eversolo can't work two inputs at once like that. And I will say this no matter how difficult it might be to hear for some. You wouldn't like to use it that way even if you could. Eversolo's preamp section would seriously limit the performance of this one. It's just not that good of a preamp. I mentioned it in my own DMP-A8 review (in my opinion, that section was overhyped).

[@IronHorsey3]

Again, valuable context for your audience! That’s good, no great context. ✌️

[@dusantomic9983]

Thanks for another enthusiastic review! Just wandered if you tested RCA Single and Balanced outputs and if there is any noticeable sound difference between the two? The reason that I am asking is that some revivers noticed the discrepancy in sound, depending on the output, with DENAFRIPS ARES II 12th-1.

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes I tested both and balanced sounds better. But that's very much expected since my preamp and amps are also fully differential designs and all of them sound better when that kind of connection is used. There's no going around it.

[@dusantomic9983]

@@iiWiReviews My problem is that I own a Musical Fidelity A1001 amp and I love the way it sounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the balanced inputs. I would seriously consider getting the Laiv Harmony DAC but for the thought of spending that sort of money and not being able to enjoy it's full benefits, would just make me feel frustrated... Anyway, thanks for your prompt reply!

[@peterlarkin762]

@@dusantomic9983 I don't know about the LAIV, but the Ares 2 has a fairly simple balanced -> unbalanced internal converter using only one op-amp. I use a diy balanced to unbalanced converter instead. I used the RCA outptuts for a long time and they still sounded amazing relative to other DAC's!

[@dusantomic9983]

@@peterlarkin762 Thanks!

[@justasimplefox]

I find this a very good question because I also own an amp with only rca inputs and I suppose there are a lot of people who are in the same situation (don´t forget all tube amps). There are so many dacs with balanced outputs that nobody seems to care about testing and reviewing the unbalanced ones anymore.. I therefore have often the same doubt to buy something which performs maybe sub optimal in unbalanced mode.

[@josch614]

Thanks for another great review! My R26 is feeling the pressure... I'm still running the Allo Digione Sig - following your advice - as source. What would be an appropriate source for the Harmony? Thanks!

[@iiWiReviews]

Keep DigiOne Signature, but try the GentooPlayer OS with Ramsystem option engaged. Then sit back and enjoy the sound that beats streamers that are priced in thousands of USD.

[@josch614]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you very much indeed! 😊 If you ever visit Freiburg/Germany...

[@psysword]

How is it compared to mojo 2?

[@davidrivera2165]

Excellent review. After also watching and listening to some sound demos (Virtual Hifi) from your Polish fellow reviewers at Soundbews and Virtual Hifi I definitely believe that this is an excellent dac. However the value cost is not a bargain, just competitive at its level. To my ears, the Laiv compares to the Holo Spring 3, which retails for $3,100. Most importantly it's not even close to the R26 cost to quality value. The R26 delivers 90% of the sonic quality of the Laiv, it includes a streamer/renderer at the retail of $1,650 and it goes sometimes on sale for $1,500. Yes the Laiv is a very good dac. Nonetheless, I would personally upgrade my own R26 for a used Holo May dac, which will soon likely be on the market for around $3k.

[@nolly485]

Competes with the May KTE from reviewers.

[@GeorgeMietus]

There were 2 used Holo May KTE that sold on US Audio Mart in the past few days for $4200 and $4500 USD (plus fees). Both sold within 1 day of listing at that price.

[@cezarygoclowski2069]

Srboljuba thanks to your reviews, I know that R2R DACs are worth interest and that you use them yourself - e.g. Guststard R26. 1. How do you assess the durability of the R2R design - after all, they are based on a ladder of resistors selected within a very narrow resistance tolerance. Do you notice any problems with non-linearity over the years - mainly due to the current resistor tolerance? Nonlinearity causes distortions. It can also cause audible distortion at the interface of the ultrasonic range, which reduces sound quality. Denafrips Terminator boasts, for example, that it guarantees resistor parameters within a tolerance of 0.005%. Maybe one of the reasons for using the modular structure of the LAiV Harmony DAC is to easily replace the resistors with a new set in order to maintain the original parameters and not just upgrade the device? 2. If your reference DAC is the Lampizator Baltic 3, would you consider reviewing a much cheaper DAC: the Lampizator-licensed Fezz Audio Equinox? Maybe thanks to your review it would also be an opportunity to enter the Hi-End level for your viewers? 3. Are you considering reviewing Topping's flagship new Delta-Sigma DACs DX9 and SMSL-SUX as well as SMSL's newest R2R design DAC: VMV D3?

[@iiWiReviews]

1. Resistors are passive and very stable electronic components. Some older and cheaper designs used to be sensitive to temperature change, but new technologies and materials have overcome that problem in recent years. So I don't believe that any R2R DAC will ever going to exhibit any instability caused by that. On the other hand, electrolytic capacitors in the power supply are most prone to losing their value over time. Still, those are probably good for 10+ years when we're talking about this level of quality. Also, aged capacitors are an easy and cheap fix even for a local electronics repair shop. All in all, an R2R DAC without network capability and too much software onboard that could go wild should be one of the longest-lived components of your system. 2. I wasn't aware that model even existed, there are so many of them every year. I'll take a look. 3. I'm trying to get SU-X in for a review and I hope it will happen but it's still too early to tell for sure. Haven't been thinking about DX9 so far. An educated guess is that it will probably match the performance of the D90 III and A90D stack but save you some money in the process. If you only need a DAC, I wouldn't be looking into the DX series, standalone DAC models always outperformed it at the same point - a big and powerful amp takes a big chunk of the available budget.

[@shdr55]

you do a great job thx

[@danieleturrin5625]

Hi! Can you review the SMSL VMV D1SE2?

[@mightybenaiah9076]

I'm wondering if you have any amp suggestions that might pair well with this dac. Is it better suited to class AB, D, or tubes for instance? Is the acoustic invader amp up to the task? I always wonder how important the amplification is when you have such end game resolution and detail. I think the quality of the preamp would be more important, but I may be wrong. Thank you!

[@iiWiReviews]

Harmony DAC is very neutral and natural sounding. It doesn't demand any particular tonality to be paired with in my opinion. Amp should pair well with the preamp, the stage it is connected to directly and needs to be compatible impedance-wise. These days I'm using two Acoustic Invader amps (IcePower 1200 for each channel) and it's a powerhouse that works great with high-quality preamps like Acoustic Invader Fulcrum (flagship preamp) and EAR Yoshino tube preamp too for example. So they're up to the task in my opinion.

[@mightybenaiah9076]

@@iiWiReviews thank you 😊

[@GadZookz]

Thanks! One more question if I might; How does it compare to the Ferum Wandla?

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks for your support! I already answered your other question about A8. Unfortunately I can't help with this comparison since I haven't had the chance to hear Wandla.

[@GadZookz]

@@iiWiReviews yes you did. Thus the “One more question“ reference. Thanks again! 🙂

[@kempfand]

Thank you for your good reviews ( this and others ). I looked at the product page, and read his DAC only does up to DSD256, so this is a complete no-go for me, unfortunately

[@nolly485]

It has been reported to play DSD512 by a popular reviewer who confirmed this.

[@carlosamlgo4863]

Hola,los que te seguimos un poco sabemos que te gusta R26 por -2000€ y el Su10 por -1000 en cuanto a dacs.Pero en cuanto a amplificadores ,cual seria el que mas te gusta por -1000( hablan muy bien del Aune 17 pro,pero se calienta bastante) y por -2000€.Gracias y un saludo

[@iiWiReviews]

Hi, Aune S17 pro is my favorite headphone amplifier up to 1000, and also the best I ever reviewed because I didn't really do headphone amps above 1000.

[@gmb7606]

Hi, is the dac better than your own selfmade one? In terms of natural sound?

[@IronHorsey3]

Probably a tough comparison because he built a typune DAC based on that Baltic Lampizator? So he addressed it in that way.

[@YTjuanchicod]

How do you compare it in terms of ping point imaging with those top tiers competitors?

[@iiWiReviews]

It's excellent with pinpointing because of that focus I was mentioning. Big soundstage + great focus = great pinpointing ability. Better than others I compared it too.

[@scottbennett3119]

Is it a natural and musical sounding DAC? Thanks

[@RogRogs]

Another great review, but the DAC's too expensive for me & I'm really happy with my Gustard R26 after the upgrade I just installed. It's a GPS clock by Leo Bodnar & it really takes the R26 to another level! It's definitely worth it IMHO & I'd love to see you try it! Maybe the R26 would then be a match for your Lampucera! ;)

[@jansimon1597]

Interesting about this clock. What's the biggest difference you could feel?

[@RogRogs]

@@jansimon1597 Hi - in my system, there were improvements in all areas, dynamics, clarity, bass extension. I noticed more attack from percussion, could understand lyrics better & could hear basslines I hadn't heard before - soundstage increased in width & depth too. If you search for "R26 & Leo Bodnar Clock" you can find a thread on The Audio Standard with many people's experiences of this upgrade - there seems to be a special synergy between the R26 & this (relatively) inexpensive clock.

[@Boiler272]

Hi Srboljub. Is a video on your custom made DAC still up on YT? Regards?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes it is, but it has plenty functional limitations compared to modern commercial DACs kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3nOk2SoaN2FrJIsi=-cY1LNztd_3gcn15

[@Boiler272]

Cheers!

[@rontoolsie]

Very informative review. I was very interested in the comparison between the R26 and the Harmony, since I own the R26 myself. What would be an even more interesting comparison would be to compare the Harmony with the similarly priced Gustard R26/U18 combo, which significantly lifts the performance of the R26, especially when the IIS interface is used. I also own both LHY clocks..the OCK-1 and OCK-2 that I have tried with the R26/U18 combo. The clock in the U18 is so good that it takes the OCK-2 to improve on it, as the OCK-1 didn't offer any meaningful improvements over the bare U18. The R26/U18/OCK-2 combination is very close in price to straight Harmony!

[@RogRogs]

Agree it would be a more interesting comparison. Have youtried the Leo Bodnar GPS clock? I've had very good results with it & my R26.

[@rontoolsie]

@@RogRogs I didn't try the Bodnar clock for a couple reasons....Firstly, the need to provide an external power supply opened up the can of 'which one'. And also it has only a single output, while I need at least two outputs for the R26 and the U18. And maybe a third one, if I get an LHY switch. Certainly the published phase noise spefications of the Bodnar clock are very impressive.

[@RogRogs]

@@rontoolsie The Precision GPS Reference Clock has two outputs & ATM I'm just running it powered via a USB cable from my music sever & it sounds great, although I have plans to power it from my BreezeHiFi LPS (from Ali) which will hopefully improve the SQ further. There's an interesting thread on "The Audio Standard" all about it.

[@rontoolsie]

@@RogRogs I think you will find that the clock is very sensitive to the quality of power you give it. Very recently I tried a new high spec 'fuse' in my OCK-2 clock, replacing the generic 1A fuse. And the improvements were immediately evident, and bigger than those obtained even putting similar fuses in my monoblocks, which are far more power hungry than the master clock.

[@RogRogs]

@@rontoolsie Thanks for the tip - I'm making a voltage regulator box with 2 x LT3045 voltage regulators from ldovr, so hopefully the DC supply from the LPS should be squeaky clean!

[@stevenelson7440]

Would you choose this dac over the eversolo A8?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes. This one is better than Gustard R26 which is slightly better than A8 too.

[@FukemStudios]

Great Review!!!

[@mjmonjure]

One question, should I sell my Denafrips Pontus II 12th and purchase the LAIV?

[@mjmonjure]

And what about Holo May?

[@iiWiReviews]

I haven't tested anything from Denafrips except Ares II so I can't make this comparison. Srajan from 6moons website compared Harmony to Terminator+ so you might check out that review. If his impression is to be believed then Harmony should be an upgrade to Pontus... But that's really a lot of guessing and no experience on my side.

[@bengleason508]

Thank you for your service to the Hifi Community. You have a great nose!

[@beslemeto]

$2700 i acceptable,but with the VAT and customs fee it becomes a bit too much... 😢

[@chadalexander292]

Yeah, none of this music being made not worth spending that kind of money.. don't want to hear nothing that bad.

[@beslemeto]

@@chadalexander292 Well there is tons of amazing music you can listen,but that kind of price for a DAC...I mean come on you need to buy an amp,preamp,source and spekaers as well right? Pfff! My whole damn system costs £2000.I am sure this is a fantastic DAC,but it should be priced like the Gustard R26 at least not like $2700+VAT and more...

[@georgevasilakis1347]

@@beslemetoκραυγαλέα λάθος το σκεπτικό σου, τι θα πει για ένα DAC δεν συμμετέχει στην αλυσίδα, δεν διαμορφώνει τον ήχο και μάλιστα σε πρωτογενή χώρο όπου όλα τα υπόλοιπα προσπαθούν να αναδείξουν ακριβώς αυτό; Εξ άλλου τι σημασία έχει ποσο κάνει το δικό σου σύστημα, υπάρχουν αλλά που ικανοποιούν τον ακροατή με τα μισά και αλλα με πολλές δεκάδες χιλιάδες περισσότερο. Η πηγή πρέπει πάντα να είναι η κορυφαία στο σύστημα και το DAC μαζί με το player είναι πηγή, αν δεν δώσει αυτή στοιχεία τι θα αναδείξουν τα υπόλοιπα; Δεν ξέρω αν είναι καλύτερο αυτό το DAC από το άλλο που γράφεις δεν το έχω ακούσει, εσυ που λες ότι θα έπρεπε να κάνει όσο το προηγουμενο το έχεις ακούσει αν ναι δικαίωμα σου να λες την άποψη σου αν όχι μην μας βάζεις σαν κριτήριο την αξια του δικού σου συστήματος είναι παντελώς άστοχο. Τέλος για να μην παρεξηγηθώ και εγώ θέλω να φτιάξω κάτι αξιόλογο με τα λιγότερα χρήματα όταν αυτά εν πολλοίς καθορίζουν την ζωή μας αλλά εδώ θελουμε να μάθουμε μόνο το ποιο μηχάνημα είναι καλύτερο από κάποιο άλλο μετά εμείς προσωπικά θα αποφασίσουμε αν θελουμε να δώσουμε τα οποια χρήματα απαιτούνται. Δυστυχως πολλά είναι υποκειμενικά αλλά χωρίς μέτρο, ακροάσεις και συμβουλές από κάποιον που μπορούμε να εμπιστευτούμε δεν γίνεται, τα χρήματα είναι κριτήριο απόλυτο αλλά για τον κάθε ένα ξεχωριστά όποτε γίνεται αυτόματα υποκειμενικό όποτε δεν πρέπει να αναφέρεσαι έτσι η πρέπει να διευκρινίζεις ως εξης: Εγώ το έχω ακούσει αλλά δεν συμφωνώ με τον ριβιουερ δεν είναι καλύτερο είναι απλά διαφορετικοτερο και θα έπρεπε να κοστίζει όσο το R26, αυτό είναι το σωστό.

[@wojciechczupta9185]

would be cool to compare it with oversampled Dave, Kitsune Holoaudio and Schiit Yggy LIM

[@xstensl8823]

your description mirrors my Pontus.

[@bobb.9917]

Very happy with my Pontus II but this one sounds impressive. You heaped more praise than Darko…who…eh…hem…beat you to the gate! 😀

[@iiWiReviews]

Ah those Darko and Sandu, they just couldn't let me have this one. Now I'll never become the lord of the DACs. 😤

[@bobb.9917]

@@iiWiReviews…and Tarun beat you on The Auralic Vega!!! 😮

[@iiWiReviews]

Well, I simply can't get mad at him with that lovely accent, can I? 😄

[@jackfalco5351]

Not much better than the pontis too if at all

[@WorldView22]

At this price it must be compared to the superb Denafrips Pontus II 12th-1 ($2.5K).

[@kmnaniak]

IMHO hype train shall start about Wandla Goldensound Edition or Holo Cyan 2

[@cbmore28]

How does this DAC process DSD?

[@erics.4113]

One bit at a time.. 😅

[@D1N02]

Also beats the Holo May in another review by your Polish colleague. I notice it already has depressions on top for stacking a preamp/headphone amp and a streamer.

[@stijnvanderlooy5311]

Which review? That is the comparison i am looking for

[@D1N02]

@@stijnvanderlooy5311 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWSZf6htmsylaK8si=c9MhKKDgdYoFqDDp

[@D1N02]

@@stijnvanderlooy5311 www.youtube.com/@VirtualHiFi/videos

[@D1N02]

@@stijnvanderlooy5311 can't link it because of the nazi algorithm. But the channel has virtual and hifi in it's name

[@IronHorsey3]

Off to the Goolag! Big Totalitarian Tech.

[@kattarhindu451]

Nice if you can compare this with the Ladder Schumann for which you had similar thoughts.

[@iiWiReviews]

Ladder Schumann is of Denafrips' school of sound. Meaning it has big, natural, analog-like sound. It's also softer and blurier, not matching the resolution, layering, and tone separation of Harmony DAC.

[@kattarhindu451]

@@iiWiReviews many thanks for your esteemed opinion.🙏🏻

[@akhilvijayan2933]

Hi, could you please suggest the best amplifier under €450 that can be used with the Allo Boss 2 player streamer DAC? I was impressed by your review of the same DAC and have already ordered it. Presently I am uding the HiFiBerry DAC Pro +, so I've decided to upgrade the system. Thank you

[@iiWiReviews]

If you're OK with not having a remote (desktop use basically) then please take a look at Topping PA7 amplifier. If remote is needed then SMSL AO200 MKII is my next suggestion for consideration. Both are highly neutral sounding and you can find video reviews here on the channel.

[@akhilvijayan2933]

Thank you so much ❤. I think I will go for AO200. I already saw the review of mentioned amps. Thank you again😊

[@cygnus720s2]

How would you rate this dac against the eversolo dmp-a8 dac?

[@iiWiReviews]

A8's DAC performance is slightly below Gustard R26. While that's very decent on its own, it sounds kind of flat next to Harmony, both in terms of space and dynamics.

[@fletchermunson6225]

A comment abut your nose? Absolutely aerodynamic. At my age I'm beginning to outlive my more handsome contemporaries. Genetic compensatory factors.