Holo Audio May KTE Dac

[olivier]

Does anybody know how to deal with the Locking delay using spdif?
Yes, you can turn PLL off but in my system using PLL and spdif is far better than usb and spdif without pll. with PLL turned on i don´t hear the beginning of the songs, really annoying...
Mostly i hear red book quality
Thanks
olivier

 

[ICUToo]

As far as I know, you can’t shorten the delay, in less you turn it off, but I think it mostly occurs when you change input formats?
I leave it on because it sounds great- HQPlayer takes this DAC to spectacular heights. Really fabulous.
I input a 3 second delay to catch the start of the songs

 

[Tuckers]

Any clock change will cause PLL to have to re-lock on my with my Nvidia Shield Video Streamer which I am currently going in AES from USB. I've also tried USB in and Optical on that source and it doesn't fix the issue. The AES DDC is a Singxer SU-2 KTE so it should clean up any clock problems but it doesn't. This is a pain, because the clock pretty much changes every time you pause or stop a video for about two seconds. Sometimes I turn off PLL so this doesn't happen with this source. The quality of the video source material is 90% of the time inferior enough that you wouldn't notice the difference with PLL on or off.

But with my Roon Endpoint that is very high quality, I don't get that kind of delay, except with when switching to DSD it is about 1/2 a second and a light pop.

When I first got the May, I tested it with PLL on and off (just very quick switching between states) and I didn't hear enough of a difference with it on or off so I left it off. I've done a lot of work with cables, power delivery and grounding since then. And I recently did a comparison with several day comparisons, and the PLL gave it a leap forward in terms of liquidity, spaciousness, tone etc. So now I keep it on pretty much all the time.

I talked to Tim at Kitsune about this problem. I suggested that a improvement would be to allow you to switch PLL on and off for each input. This would solve my problem. He said it was a very good idea, but not something that could be fixed in firmware. The PLL issues are by far the biggest issues users report with the May, I'm sure future versions of the product will deal with this somehow.

 

[olivier]

Thanks guys. I get the pop with USB-Connection. SO perhaps HQ-Player could be the way to go.
Using a Cambridge blu ray player as a streamer there is no problem with PLL as it doesn´t loose lock after changing songs. But with a Zen Streamer using an USB Stick for example it locks every song...and music really shines with Zen Streamer and PLL...
Using a Mutec Reclock inbetween its getting better with locking behaviour but sq is not so good as directly from Zen Stream into May

 

[Tuckers]

Thanks guys. I get the pop with USB-Connection. SO perhaps HQ-Player could be the way to go.
Using a Cambridge blu ray player as a streamer there is no problem with PLL as it doesn´t loose lock after changing songs. But with a Zen Streamer using an USB Stick for example it locks every song...and music really shines with Zen Streamer and PLL...
Using a Mutec Reclock inbetween its getting better with locking behaviour but sq is not so good as directly from Zen Stream into May

This works and sounds wonderful as a Roon and HQ-Player streamer, I doubt you would need another reclocker in circuit: Stack Audio Link II.

 

[ICUToo]

Sorry, just to make it clear: HQPlayer sounds fantastic, but does nothing to speed PLL lock. In fact, it is much slower as the source has to do some maths before play starts.

 

[olivier]

Sorry, just to make it clear: HQPlayer sounds fantastic, but does nothing to speed PLL lock. In fact, it is much slower as the source has to do some maths before play starts.

I understand, but with delay i don´t miss the beginning of the songs. in parallel i will try to improve the usb feed

 

[audioarcher]

For those May owners that use Hqplayer, and play DSD files, there is a new setting that makes DSD sound awesome. At least in my system. Under DSD sources click the DSD direct box, and then select Xfi under DSD-DSD conversion. I am using FIR as the integrator.

Curious if others with the May DAC like this setting as well?

 

[audioarcher]

Any clock change will cause PLL to have to re-lock on my with my Nvidia Shield Video Streamer which I am currently going in AES from USB. I've also tried USB in and Optical on that source and it doesn't fix the issue. The AES DDC is a Singxer SU-2 KTE so it should clean up any clock problems but it doesn't. This is a pain, because the clock pretty much changes every time you pause or stop a video for about two seconds. Sometimes I turn off PLL so this doesn't happen with this source. The quality of the video source material is 90% of the time inferior enough that you wouldn't notice the difference with PLL on or off.

But with my Roon Endpoint that is very high quality, I don't get that kind of delay, except with when switching to DSD it is about 1/2 a second and a light pop.

When I first got the May, I tested it with PLL on and off (just very quick switching between states) and I didn't hear enough of a difference with it on or off so I left it off. I've done a lot of work with cables, power delivery and grounding since then. And I recently did a comparison with several day comparisons, and the PLL gave it a leap forward in terms of liquidity, spaciousness, tone etc. So now I keep it on pretty much all the time.

I talked to Tim at Kitsune about this problem. I suggested that a improvement would be to allow you to switch PLL on and off for each input. This would solve my problem. He said it was a very good idea, but not something that could be fixed in firmware. The PLL issues are by far the biggest issues users report with the May, I'm sure future versions of the product will deal with this somehow.

If the TV you have the Nvidia Shield on has an optical output, try connecting it to the May instead of the Nvidia. My TV is an LG and it holds the sample rate at 48khz no matter the original signal. Your TV will pass the Nvidia hdmi sound out of its optical out. Works for me here. Worth a shot.

 

[Tuckers]

If the TV you have the Nvidia Shield on has an optical output, try connecting it to the May instead of the Nvidia. My TV is an LG and it holds the sample rate at 48khz no matter the original signal. Your TV will pass the Nvidia hdmi sound out of its optical out. Works for me here. Worth a shot.

Yeah, I should try that! I haven't yet because I don't have a long enough optical cable on hand.

 

[ACHiPo]

Are any of you Holo Audio May KTE users using Shunyata USB cables? I'm thinking of significantly upgrading my server from an Aurender to a Taiko Extreme, which may benefit from an upgraded USB cable (I'm using the Intona Premium USB now with an Intona galvanic isolator)

 

[olivier]

Are any of you Holo Audio May KTE users using Shunyata USB cables? I'm thinking of significantly upgrading my server from an Aurender to a Taiko Extreme, which may benefit from an upgraded USB cable (I'm using the Intona Premium USB now with an Intona galvanic isolator)

Hi yes i do have a Venom USB cable, really good! Almost solved my locking problem...in my system almost as lovely as with locked coax. with red book quality flacs

 

[ACHiPo]

Hi yes i do have a Venom USB cable, really good! Almost solved my locking problem...in my system almost as lovely as with locked coax. with red book quality flacs

Thanks @olivier . That's a great endorsement. I'm looking further up the chain at either the Sigma or Omega.

 

[audioarcher]

Are any of you Holo Audio May KTE users using Shunyata USB cables? I'm thinking of significantly upgrading my server from an Aurender to a Taiko Extreme, which may benefit from an upgraded USB cable (I'm using the Intona Premium USB now with an Intona galvanic isolator)

No, but would like to hear your impressions if you decide to buy one. Big fan of Shunyata Everest, and power cables. Have not tried their other cables yet.

Love to hear about the Taiko Extreme on a May too.

 

[olivier]

Thanks @olivier . That's a great endorsement. I'm looking further up the chain at either the Sigma or Omega.

Would also be interested in hearing them. Or a Final Touch usb

 

[Gjo]

Sure. I use the Wavedream.NET only as a endpoint because it sounds better than using it as a Core as well. I am guessing it sounds better, because the processor in the Wavedream.Net has to do much less processing when used just as an endpoint.

Yesterday, I tried an experiment whereby I used the Wavedream NET as a Core+Endpoint and connected it to my Bricasti M3 DAC via AES, and alternately as a Core only whereby I used the Bricasti M3 as the Roon Endpoint (via LAN input) with the NET as Roon Core.

The networked Bricasti M3 DAC as Roon Endpoint via LAN sounds significantly better.

 

[audioarcher]

Yesterday, I tried an experiment whereby I used the Wavedream NET as a Core+Endpoint and connected it to my Bricasti M3 DAC via AES, and alternately as a Core only whereby I used the Bricasti M3 as the Roon Endpoint (via LAN input) with the NET as Roon Core.

The networked Bricasti M3 DAC as Roon Endpoint via LAN sounds significantly better.

Not surprised. Using the Wavedream Net as just a core seems like a waste, money wise. Can you get your hands on another computer to use as a core?

 

[Gjo]

Not surprised. Using the Wavedream Net as just a core seems like a waste, money wise. Can you get your hands on another computer to use as a core?

I have a Roon Core installed on a 2018 MacMini i3, but comparing requires deauthorizing Roon Core on the Rockna and reauthorizing Roon Core on the MacMini. A bit of a hassle, but doable.

 

[audioarcher]

I think in order to use the Wavedream Net as an endpoint, you have to set it to Hqplayer Naa. This means you would have to have Hqplayer on your Roon core machine. This way you are still using the Roon interface, but outputting the signal through Hqplayer. This is how I do it on mine, feeding the May dac. Your MacMini is probably a little under powered to fully utilize Hqplayer, but as long as you don't use some of the more demanding filters, it would be ok. Personally I don't prefer to upsample with Hqplayer, but still use it because it still sounds better with no filters on the May.

 

[Gjo]

I think in order to use the Wavedream Net as an endpoint, you have to set it to Hqplayer Naa.

I reauthorized Roon Core on my MacMini, and the Wavedream NET shows as an Audio Device.