There's something I really like about utterly, unnecessarily large devices. I thought the May was big, but it looks like a cell phone next to a microwave.
@subbot80773 жыл бұрын
This. Massive boxes with pretty internals will never cease to win my heart. Bonus points if it's actually two boxes stacked on top of each other
@mrtunapie66533 жыл бұрын
Me too... Big, over engineered, and heavy as hell.
@mounirehab2 жыл бұрын
Don't forget the MAY external power supply ...
@ericstefko48522 жыл бұрын
I picked up the May KTE based on a number of reviews with your's being the final decision maker. It took a while before it started hitting its stride, it is now starting to melt my brain. Thanks for all your effort. honesty and detail of your reviews
@JWForce10593 жыл бұрын
You've touched on it in previous videos, but if you don't already have it planned, it would be very interesting to watch a video with your thoughts and know-how on aspects between DACs that measure well and DACs that don't measure as well but are perhaps more perceptually pleasing. Schiit engages in this conversation with their products, most recently their new Yggdrasil line.
@maybecrazy78352 жыл бұрын
I have seen these second hand in the UK for under 4k. I know there are variants of it, but I have heard this DAC several times in various systems and it's never failed to make me smile and get lost in the music. It might be my next DAC.
@amaya8974 ай бұрын
Certainly not signature. Wavedream can go that low yes.
@rafael67693 жыл бұрын
the listing of different songs is genius for viewer retention btw, its worth watching just for that
@markg37893 жыл бұрын
For the price of a brand new small car here in OZ I would expect close to absolute perfection. The fact that it doesn't even have USB galvanic isolation or programable i2s input, has a very hot output level that can be problematic when matching with existing amps or integrated amps, together with the timbre and other sound nitpicks you highlighted.....must surely make this an extremely poor value proposition. I'll "slum it" with something like a Holo Audio Spring or May thanks and put the savings away for an all expenses paid overseas holiday that I may or may not be able to take one day 😉
@MrIgor2k3 жыл бұрын
Ever tried it in your system, if you have something that can match this high performance electronics? Or you are deciding to buy components based on youtube and on line reviews without prior listening…
@latle1113 жыл бұрын
The inside is more beautiful than the outside IMO. If it had a see-through glass plate where the inside is visible, it would be gorgeous.
@feverSoundHK3 жыл бұрын
this Rockna DAC really rocks
@ysubman3 жыл бұрын
hi 國仁
@chris2923 жыл бұрын
How much does it cost
@calaf_7253 жыл бұрын
@@chris292 Something like 12.000 usd for the balanced version? I think the reviewer mentioned it at some point but i go by memory here.
@ksy763 жыл бұрын
Hi Gwok Yan! Hi Hong Kong!
@ohno-ohno-VW3 жыл бұрын
May be you can rock it more with the Mutec reclocker 🤣
@veniceog3 жыл бұрын
I lol’d on the critique of the D90. Its spot on. Its perfect, perfectly boring. Very impressed with this review, the balance between measurement, perception and taste. The use of measurements also is more insightful than the gaslight reviewers.
@astorbeijer94243 жыл бұрын
I will never be able to afford this, but I aspire to purchase the remote control one day 😍
@benjamink.62866 ай бұрын
Superb review - thank you! Can be said whether there will be a review of the mentioned MOLA MOLA dac (soon)? It would be very interesting. It’s a praised dac with basicly no existing reviews.
@Zurvv3 жыл бұрын
If the firmware is up to date the i2s settings ("pinout") can be changed.. "when changing inputs (HDlink1 or 2) , you can press RPT key [on the remote] to change between Rockna mode (HDlink1r) and PS Audio mode (HDlink1p)"
@audiotalk61552 жыл бұрын
As usual, great review! If it can’t get the vocals or timbre spot on, on every song, it’s a no go. No hesitation. I could never get past that. I appreciate this review. Without hearing it, the May seems like the DAC to beat based in the reviews I’ve watched. Cheers.
@suryapramoddev3 жыл бұрын
I'm awaiting for the review of dCS Bartok
@chris2923 жыл бұрын
Yess! Me to
@MartinHAndersen3 жыл бұрын
Same here. I had it on trial for a week and I should have bought it
@LuxAudio3893 жыл бұрын
Any plans on reviewing the Audiobyte Hydra stack(zap, hub, and DAC) made by Rockna's sister company.
@marks.29093 жыл бұрын
What a good review ,.A+
@ZZ-yv5ux3 жыл бұрын
Could you review Aqua Fomula and some MSB DACs? Really interested in seeing you review these high end R2R DACs.
@aceofspades66673 жыл бұрын
Rockna makes a great product! It’s going to be above Spring 3 KTE likely on the same level as May KTE. Mola Mola, Aires Kessandra, Berkeley Alpha 2, MSB diamond levels of performance.
@KenMoreira3 жыл бұрын
Guess I should sell my spring 3 kte lol
@alexandergourlay95013 жыл бұрын
Have had the Spring KTE and now have the Rockna basic model. No brainer upgrade. Found the Spring a bit mushy. Be curious to hear the May if it's picked up the transient fidelity and is on par with the rockna.
@michalryszawy2 жыл бұрын
@@alexandergourlay9501 hi. Did You have Spring 3 KTE ?
@frankmonroe96963 жыл бұрын
I think you should premiere more often. It gives non-patrons an idea of what's next, while still enabling patrons to view your content early. A proper win-win in my eyes.
@kovy689 Жыл бұрын
Pretty sure AudioGD r2r dacs are a better value…
@audiorick841 Жыл бұрын
You mention getting a Tambaqui for review. Would absolutely love to hear your opinion on it. In have a May KTE and hesitant to go to the Tambaqui. Hope you review it!
@shanestephenson84233 жыл бұрын
G'day mate lol not sure if fake Aussie accent is a real Aussie but I am😁. Really enjoyed this video in fact enjoying all the content your producing ATM. Of course it helps that I'm into DAC's in a rather large way. Getting a little old school now I admit but I have a luxman da-06. It's difficult to know where to jump to next as I'm starting to get interested in a move up from there. I'm getting interested in r to r ladder DAC's but just need a decent comparison between what I have and what the next step up Is. Keep up the great work I am a subscriber and love the channel.🎧😁👍
@fenellamckenzie44343 жыл бұрын
That's a British accent
@tarekbahri20083 жыл бұрын
I would love it if you could source these dacs and review them: Mola Mola Tambaqui Aqua La Scala MKII Lampizator Pacific
@Benvos3 жыл бұрын
Love the dacs you’re managing to get in, Rockna has been on my list, the wavelight though. Interested to know once you’ve got through all of those dacs you mentioned which is your favourite for electronic music.
@SkywhiteChannel3 жыл бұрын
Another fantastic review. Thank you.
@TheIpadfanatic3 жыл бұрын
I realize I am preaching to the choir, but the audio analyzer put you into a different category of audio channel's on KZbin. The combination of graphs plus the discussion of genre listening and the analysis is so UNIQUE. Well done sir! [TL;DR] if you are reading this comment, please consider subscribing and joining his Patreon to get direct access if you need to get a question answered. I have used that feature extensively and it has helped me immensely.
@ionutzxpo2 жыл бұрын
hi guys, they are using some programable extreme low jitter,high stability and very high performance clocks ;)
@mindbendernine3 жыл бұрын
@5:34 - "Size isn't everything, it's how you use it..." LOL
@mmmadog3 жыл бұрын
100 people watching and none of us can afford what we are watching.
@GoldenSound3 жыл бұрын
I made the vid and I can't afford it XD
@duranarts3 жыл бұрын
@@GoldenSound hmm
@aceofspades66673 жыл бұрын
Just found one on us audio mart used for $12k USD but Holo May can be had for $4k USD
@oinkdoink57353 жыл бұрын
You can get the the lowest model which is about $5500usd.
@aabuahro2 жыл бұрын
Great reviews love your channel! I think this type of DAC excels in EDM music , try some tipper music on it. I have the same timbre issue with my current DAC, I was wondering if the timbre issue is dac related or maybe the streamer signature sound, that would of been a nice test.
@asc59072 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the upload verry informative. It would be great if you could review the "Metronome le dac". I would love to know how it compares to the Rockna or holo dacs.
@AH-wr1ir2 жыл бұрын
outstanding review.
@georgispeleo73642 жыл бұрын
I would drill a hole in my knee to listen to your review of Musetec 005 and Musician Aquarius!
@latle1113 жыл бұрын
First of I just wanna say, wonderful channel, love it. I just have a simple question that is a bit long for the sake of clarity. I have a lovely sound system and my question is what should my source/transport be for sound quality? In one of your video you said a gaming computer is terrible as a source and unfortunately that is what I have, PC (usb) -> dac. Will a dedicated source be a noticeable improvement? and what should I get for a source? I've heard very mixed result about the soundnode. Thanks.
@wabbasMEpern2 жыл бұрын
No. If you are really worried just buy a $100 DDC.
@auggysimcity Жыл бұрын
do you have a large collection of cds or do you stream...?
@latle111 Жыл бұрын
@@auggysimcity I stream, 0 cd haha. Anyway this question is old and I've learned more and gotten an answer now. But thanks for replying anyway.
@pennfootball713 жыл бұрын
Another fantastic review. Will be curious how you like the Mola Mola
@mustardchan45413 жыл бұрын
would love to see a review of the SMSL VMV D1se DAC. I recall you saying it was one of your favorites.
@konna2003 жыл бұрын
Same here! This unit is so so much over my price bracket that i have to sell my kidneys or kick my family out! LoL!
@nnnnoob3 жыл бұрын
Where's your review of the d90se. I want to know more about why you don't like it. Other reviewers seem to like it a lot.
@goodsound47563 жыл бұрын
It’s great that you have some big brands DACs coming up. I only wished that there was a Linn device amongst them.
@divertiti3 жыл бұрын
Really looking forward to the Bartok, Tambaqui and Discrete reviews
@Cyzer013 жыл бұрын
Great reviews, keep it up! Someone please send this gentleman the Audio GD Master 9 and DI-20 HE.
@bomuliu21708 ай бұрын
Great video! How dose it compare to the Dave and m-scaler?
@midlandaudiox-change31652 жыл бұрын
this isnt the latest version also this wasnt supplied by the manufacturer or the distributor these items date from 2017 the latest version was started production in august 2021 and so much has changed to this fabulous Ladder dac along with that the wave dream net in its new version is nothing like what you have reviewed i have informed Nicolai about this review and UT video and guess what the remote is now a Gold Note PLASTIC remote
@genmaicha_3 жыл бұрын
going to create a DAC with a remote shaped like a hatchet just for mr goldensound here
@James-dg8oz3 жыл бұрын
If you prefer R2R, would suggest throwing Aqua Formula into the ring for review. It is a great DAC.
@lloyddelossantos67253 жыл бұрын
Any chance of reviewing the audiobyte vox/zap combo ?
@youtubiers3 жыл бұрын
Goldensound, were you going to review the Gustard X26 Pro dac? I saw you put measurements on SBAF
@DueM3 жыл бұрын
Agree entirely on the smsl su8 verdict, it's an in your face unit i got a cheap stack to replace a klipsch heritage dac/amp that was flaky. It's good for video games but music sounds incredibly forward and harsh on it.
@nitraM321 Жыл бұрын
Rockna's web site says the output is 7 volts on the edition model, but 10 on the signature you are testing here
@divertiti3 жыл бұрын
Have you heard the Tambaqui? If so, how does it compare?
@pnddesign2 жыл бұрын
Great ! I have the iris dcc + pontus ii. Now I wonder about using a masterclock like the denafrips Aether would do ..
@christosthomidis56363 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the great review. Is it possible to do a video/review about hqplayer? There isn’t much info out there about this software and I believe it would be of interest to many people as it can be a low cost upgrade.
@jameshope77663 жыл бұрын
Hi. I watch your videos for the honesty and objectivity. Really love what you’re doing. However, I’m not an electronic engineer and I find some references are lost on me. I’m not asking you to dumb it down too much, but if you’re going to use acronyms or very technical jargon, please give it a sentence of explanation so I can at least do the research myself online. Thanks.
@smoloms3 жыл бұрын
i love your reviews. it’s like Zeos, but mature. still love zeos but this is 👌
@bomt6973 жыл бұрын
Love these vids but its a little hard to follow. Would you consider making a video breaking down all the universal components to DACs and Preamps. Stuff that would help the newbies be better informed when buying HiFi audio equipment?
@Finn_2187_Binks2 жыл бұрын
Dude, you gotta check out the hanz bheekhuyzen channel for the technicals.
@mrfrosty33 жыл бұрын
Never heard of them. I don't remember seeing any of these in Dixons.
@peterlarkin7623 жыл бұрын
Ye I checked Argos AND Tesco, none in stock.
@marionthethird3 жыл бұрын
Please review your Benchmark amp.
@97invaderzim3 жыл бұрын
does size matter? I think yes If they were bigger I'd be even more tempted to buy them
@majicogarcia84175 ай бұрын
For 7 Grand, the chips better have Platinum instead of gold. At the very least, solid copper construction of the case.
@oinkdoink57353 жыл бұрын
Goldensound, question for ya. I've been using my Pi2aes for the past 12 months and it's such an amazing ddc for the price but I'm looking for something better.. Do you think the audio-gd DI-20He is a step up in sound quality even if it's using the amanero usb input? thanks!
@maxguerrero5562 жыл бұрын
How does the Rockna compare to the Berkeley Reference 3? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
@tonyd99983 ай бұрын
How would this pair with APERIO?
@fluffed_coyote14873 жыл бұрын
Would it be possible for us to get a video about your Rune setup?
@no-man_baugh3 жыл бұрын
If you're looking for some really good edm music to play for demo, might I reccomend CFCF My local collage radio station has been playing stuff from their latest album "Memorylane" and I honestly just mention them just to get them a shoutout also The Ants's Stories About Killing and anything by Mort Garson would be nice to hear
@noob9103 Жыл бұрын
rockna wave dream can not convert dsd internally? manual says it play dsd 512.
@ericstefko4852 Жыл бұрын
It is my understanding that it will convert the DSD to PCM and then play it over the R2R ladder. It doesn't keep it in the DSD domain. The Holo May has 2 converters a PCM one and a dedicated DSD one
@alexandergourlay95013 жыл бұрын
Reading between the lines - May vs the Rockna stack. For guys into EDM, rock, funk, metal - where transients (prat) and macro are critically important, vs the timbre. Rockna wins ?
@thomastoochal2133 Жыл бұрын
Seems like it from the video critique. What people who are interested in this unit should remember, Goldensound makes a slight criticism of the timbre compared to other high end dacs. For 95% of the planet, purchasing this unit will be an improvement in every category. The timbre on the Rockna is still better than on my Topping or Cambridge. It’s all relative I suppose.
@nikkonkde9 ай бұрын
I’m curious how it compares to the terminator plus.
@KuroshKhalili2 жыл бұрын
When will you compare it to terminator plus?))
@ericstefko48522 жыл бұрын
It would be great if you could get your hands on a Bryston BDA-3
@chefsteve83813 жыл бұрын
Now i just gotta find a desk 10 meters long
@kyron423 жыл бұрын
Interesting accent. It sounds like a combination of a Home County and RP.
@kyron423 жыл бұрын
The hybrid filter looks a bit like the ifi GTO filter.
@chefsteve83813 жыл бұрын
More than likely is, just in a bigger box....
@kyron423 жыл бұрын
Can you recommend a sub $500 DAC or is that below your attention level.
@GoldenSound3 жыл бұрын
Soncoz sgd1 is my fav
@kyron423 жыл бұрын
@@GoldenSound thanks I've just watched it. I like to have a fair bit of Slam so in might go well with MT604. It looks very good and I don't want to get shiit because in Australia schiit cost a shitload of money.
@Jaykay5863 жыл бұрын
@@kyron42 try iFi's Zen DAC V2 if you have not already done so...
@chefsteve83813 жыл бұрын
@@kyron42 topping E 30 works for us humans !
@kyron423 жыл бұрын
@@chefsteve8381 or SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK II. $165 AU. Free delivery
@nunoferraz54263 жыл бұрын
Hope you will.compare to holo may.
@mikelm2223 жыл бұрын
Good review - thanks. Not the DAC for me I think.
@truckerallikatuk3 жыл бұрын
I'm more of a fan of monochrome displays that aren't white. Amber and greenscreens are so highly under-rated for visibility.
@chris2923 жыл бұрын
How good is it
@TheCangle3 жыл бұрын
Join the discord for some early impressions of his
@chris2923 жыл бұрын
@@TheCangle I did
@wojciechczupta3 жыл бұрын
does it come near Dave+Mscaler?
@ptg013 жыл бұрын
$17K DAC ? Hmmm... Definitely for the top 0.00001%.
@kingjongun72953 жыл бұрын
this does good brrrr?
@chefsteve83813 жыл бұрын
And good $$$$$$$$$$$
@Burevestnik9M7303 жыл бұрын
since Gustard is better for 10th of the price, I'll go with Gustard
@chris2923 жыл бұрын
How do these sound
@kovy689 Жыл бұрын
Pretty sure AudioGD r2r dacs are a better value…
@chrisguygeezer2 жыл бұрын
I'm sure this gear sounds amazing, but it looks so industrial. And it'll be superceded in 24 months. It's what happens with digital hardware, it just becomes out of date two years down the line.
@mkwilson38 Жыл бұрын
This model has been around since like 2014, I believe, and has gotten periodic upgrades.
@iheartcomps3 жыл бұрын
In a blind test u couldn’t tell the difference guaranteed
@matthewhilty42093 жыл бұрын
What brand is that DAC ? Said nobody ever. That branding is obnoxious.
@indigocrystalknight88642 жыл бұрын
The BRAND NAME is "ROCKNA" and the MODEL NAME is "WAVEDREAM".
@ohno-ohno-VW3 жыл бұрын
Nadia Comăneci grade 👍
@Castraball3 жыл бұрын
Facut in Suceava
@milosevicbojan0725 күн бұрын
The output is too strong,it's obvious. It's sound like you recording audio cassette or CD and put too strong level,you know, when pick matters or vu matters goes to red zone
@Fruggggg3 жыл бұрын
DUCKS IN
@peterlarkin7623 жыл бұрын
Stuck between a Rockna hard bass
@ayc8683 жыл бұрын
On the conclusion, you speak to fast on Dave. if you can describe again about relate to Dave, thanks
@Burevestnik9M7303 жыл бұрын
Maybe 12000 red blood cells
@chris2923 жыл бұрын
Hey man
@Burevestnik9M7303 жыл бұрын
MIDI sounding
@Richbroth3 жыл бұрын
May > rockna
@Maxime-ho9iv3 жыл бұрын
To have listening impressions not preceded by measurements is underwhelming.
@cjay23 жыл бұрын
Hey video maker, just a suggestion: Don't put messages on the screen that need to be read by the viewer whilst you're talking. No one listens to what you're saying whilst reading, or the smart ones don't read the message (there's less of those). Just saying.
@mkwilson38 Жыл бұрын
Weird complaint, as it’s a regular practice for good content creators to augment -and sometime correct- their info with on-screen text. These smart ones you mention will pause the vid to read the message if they need to 😉