Holo Audio - Spring DAC - Level 3 - "Kitsune Tuned Edition" - Impressions & Reviews

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Torq, Nov 7, 2016.

  1. GoldenOne

    GoldenOne Friend

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    Can confirm it has power button on the front.

    Buttons from left to right:

    Power
    Mute
    Menu
    Left (used to cycle through menu options, or lower preamp vol when not in menu)
    Right (used to cycle through menu options, or raise preamp vol when not in menu)

    Can hold the Menu button whilst powering the DAC on to enter the 'startup menu' which allows you to invert polarity, turn PLL on/off, and swap I2S input layout.
    (Can't do these when device is on)
     
  2. Delta9K

    Delta9K New

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    The Spring 3 I have is the KTE w/o pre amp. However, a pal of mine has the KTE with pre amp and was also wondering about the option to bypass the pre amp. Here is the response he received from Tim @ Kitsune

    "Technically there is no bypass, however when volume is set to 94 it’s equivalent to bypass or a fixed signal. Hope this is helpful

    Best
    -Tim
    KitsuneHiFi and HoloAudioUSA"
     
  3. windcaller

    windcaller New

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    Before i get spring3 KTE, i asked jeff using taobao app it is possible bypass preamp section and he said it can't.
    So i bought it w/o preamplifier module for future.
     
  4. Zimmer266

    Zimmer266 Facebook Friend

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    The nomenclature is a bit of a challenge. I presume the Holo Spring in house currently is a Holo Spring 1, level 3/KTE version. In other words, the best last of the Holo Spring 1, now discontinued. Three or four years old?

    Have to admit, I don't care. I haven't owned that many pieces in my life built to this standard, or sounding this warm, detailed and emergent from a silent background. Especially in NOS. I am still reeling from the leap, and have a hard time imagining a Spring 3, or a May. OXJY9443.JPG

    I may need to buy the preamp, simply because it is named Serene.

    For the moment however, all of my systems sound as good as they ever have. Peace be with you all.
     
  5. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Do you have source software where you could apply some upsampling? 2x upsampling for 44.1 or 48 source material with a decent upsampling filter into Spring NOS is worth checking out. For me, Spring 1 KTE, and even Spring 2 KTE, can sound slightly smeared — if tonally glorious — on lower sample-rate source material. Above 88.2, no need IMHO, although some Spring fans upsample a lot more with HQPlayer and swear by it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2021
  6. Zimmer266

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    I do appreciate the suggestion. I will give hqplayer a try.
     
  7. Mfgillia

    Mfgillia New

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    Any update when your review may come out?
     
  8. Mfgillia

    Mfgillia New

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    Oh! Its already out for us special patreons of the best audio channel on YT. :)
     
  9. GoldenOne

    GoldenOne Friend

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    Video is now up and public
     
    • Like Like x 11
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  10. DSK666

    DSK666 New

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    @GoldenOne

    Sorry if I missed it in the video review but when you described the performance differences between the Spring 3 KTE DAC/Preamp and the May DAC, was this May>Serene vs Spring 3 (internal preamp) or were you setting Spring 3 volume to 94 and using software volme control for both May and Spring 3 to compare?
     
  11. lagadu

    lagadu Facebook Friend

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    Can't speak for the spring 3 but the difference between USB and I2S from my pi2aes in my spring 2 was surprisingly significant. I couldn't tell it apart from AES though.
     
  12. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    It == USB or it == I2S?
     
  13. Michael Kelly

    Michael Kelly MOT: Pi 2 Design

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    And can we assume I2S is better than USB?
     
  14. RedLipstick

    RedLipstick Acquaintance

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    That is my experience too with spring 2, switching to the pi2AES with I2S was just obviously better than usb no doubt about that.
     
  15. lagadu

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    I couldn't tell AES from I2S, USB sounds blunted compared to them.
     
  16. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Was there ever a consensus on balanced vs single ended outputs. Is SE gimped like on some of the Schiit DACs?
     
  17. KC-130

    KC-130 New

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    I own a Spring 3 KTE with preamp. An earlier post quoted Tim (KitsuneHiFi) stating that a volume level of 94 on this model is equivalent to a bypass of the internal preamp. If so, does that imply that any volume level below 94 is just attenuating the DAC output and it's only above the level of 94 where the preamp is employed ?

    Most often, I set the HQ Player (or any other player) to near-max volume on my Mac and then fine tune the volume using the preamp remote control. But in that scenario I do not get anywhere near the volume level of 94. The preamp is typically set to a 60-ish volume level and is plenty loud. Do I receive any benefit from the internal preamp at those volume levels ?

    A 2nd question:
    Does anyone know the output impedance of RCA & XLR on the Spring 3 KTE with preamp ?
    Without the preamp I think the value is around 200Ω but I doubt that is the same output impedance when the preamp is installed. The online specs only indicate that the preamp was derived from the Serene. The Serene has output impedances of: 20Ω RCA, 40Ω XLR-2, and 3Ω XLR-1. The XLR-1 is quite suitable for headphone use on the Serene and I want to determine if the XLR output on the Spring 3 KTE with preamp may also be suitable for headphone use.
     
  18. Skymountain

    Skymountain New

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    Could someone tell where the fuse is located on the Spring 3 Dac and what specs are needed for the fuse? If it is located identically and has the same specs as the Spring 2 Dac, then I would replace it there as well
     

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