Holo Audio Cyan 2

I would be curious why you choose to impose such restrictions on yourself? It’s like you know what sound best yet you choose not to do it…

 

I do think with the recent dac analog output correction feature of hqplayer, even using a rpi 5 running hqplayer in pcm upsampling sounds v pretty close to dsd playback

 

The short answer is nothing

As I say in that thread, Holo's are "half a dac" - NOS pure and simple with all the pro's and con's on full (audio) display. That said in my opinion (not just because of bias I maintain because I own one ) the Cyan 2 is not 'bad' with only moderately upsampled PCM (say 2x so 88/96) particularly in a HP situation - it did not sound broken like the PS DS did with PCM to its I2S (remember, we did not hear it on its other inputs) . Maybe it did to @Pocomo & others, it just sounded "boring", relatively flat, closed in, etc.

Since I have the Supernaut loaner I spent a little time today A/Bing the Cyan 2 vs Yggdrasil A2 > Supernaut > Atrium open. Both were being fed 4x (176/192) PCM, up-sampled with HQPlayer (sinc-Mx filter), the Cyan 2 via USB and the Yggdrasil via Pi 2 Design Mercury via AES. I stand by my original assessment that they are more or less equal (side grade), mostly just different on a headphone rig such as this. I can't say what my assessment (Cyan 2 vs Yggdrasil A2) would be on @Erroneous or any other speaker rig however.

However, when I switched the Cyan to DSD (HQPlayer to 256) the Cyan sounded much more "real" spatially, placement was better, detail was improved (mostly because of spatial improvement I think) - it leaped ahead of itself on PCM and the Yggdrasil A2 in these qualities and I prefer this way no doubt about it...

 

Actually pcm 1536 can be run in a rpi5 with dac correction and in my case also with audiolense convolution for room correction and it’s very close to dsd playback. It was definitely not the case with pcm before the new dac correction. Miska has done corrections by comparing analog signal output and align the pcm and dsd so now it does sound much closer between pcm and dsd and between dsd256 vs dsd512…

but the dac correction can only apply to starting with pcm 352k and up. So lower sampling rate like 192 won’t activate the correction

 

Well, your on to something here. I'm just one test track A/Bing between DSD 256 vs. PCM 1.536 with this dac correction on and it is a step or two towards the spatiality/placement/detail of DSD, but it is not there...maybe 36.7%, or 46.8934%...

What it does do is bring some of the PRAT back that is gets converted into an "etherealness" with DSD. @Erroneous, remember the conversation you and I had about this particular drawback with DSD to Holo dacs? This might be a middle road solution. Would be curious what you (or anyone else)think with your May & speaker setup, so add this to your list of things to do

 

Well if your pc can run it I would suggest to test dsd512 with dac correction. I used to always prefer dsd256 being the cleanest sounding settings of all. I am starting to like dsd512 with the dac correction and settings to 5EC super 512fs, noise floor is quite comparable to dsd256 but the mids has a slightly more distant compared to dsd256 which is a bit more forward.

 

In chasing the ultimate performance it might be useful to pause and reflect on how good the Cyan 2 sounds for being an R2R with stellar performance metrics while yet costing only $1200 US.

I've gone the Dante DDC route to spdif or AES input on the Cyan 2 and find my listening sessions with it quite satisfying.

Those not wishing to use some of the VST plugins I incorporate into my playback system might be well served by the Pi 2 Designs products.

 

Simple. My office setup is limited to non wifi-enabled sources, so I (right now) am limited to a DAP as source via USB. Sounds archaic/stupid but that's the hand I'm dealt working in a highly secure (and mostly just cumbersome) IT environment.

 

How do I enable DAC correction?

 

Can you get a $80 rpi5 connect to an usb flash drive and run hqplayer on it?

 

That's what I'm trying to ascertain... But there's a point where fiddling with a cobbled up source running on Linux presents more idiosyncrasies for actual playback and adding new music where a DAP via USB (even with crappy android UX and bugginess) is a more "pleasant" experience. Or, I could stick with a "whole" DAC.

 

In HQPlayer Embedded, it’s on the Matrix page under Post-process. I guess there’s some similar place in the Desktop version?

It shows nothing for me, though (nothing can be chosen in the drop down), as I don’t have a supported DAC.

 

If you are using desktop version.
its under the "Matrix" menu
First you have to enable by checking the top left box, then on the bottom, there is a box for "correction", check to enable, then in the drop down menu, there are options for Holo May, Spring and Cyan 2. select "Holo Cyan 2".
Click OK

The minimum sampling rate you can do dac corrections would be 352khz for PCM and any DSD rates

 

This is all very interesting. I have been digging into HQplayer and have it up and running, and it's fun to tinker with. For my use case, the Cyan2 may be a better fit than the Yggdrasil+ GS that I currently have; it's still in the return window for a few more days.

Most of what I listen to are DJ sets, and I can only get 44.1 or 44.8 Lossless from Apple Music. The rest is 256 AAC at 48000 from SoundCloud. I am currently running it all through HQplayer with VAC. Computer power for HQplayer is a non-issue.

Any thoughts?

 

Its a great dac for a lot of genres, for day to day 44.1 is very good on the cyan 2, if you are getting fancy the up sampling does add a little more but I personally didn't feel I needed it.

Now, that is just for pcm to x16+. When it come to pcm-dsd up sampling it adds a little different presentation and I don't think I would prefer it for the typical Boiler Room, hoer.berlin, kexp, Greendaroom. But instead for the From The Basement, Tiny Desk, Colors.

 

Thanks for the input Gazney. I do listen to some boiler room sets, but most are from the festivals or tracks directly from the artist. Artists like Richie Hawtin, Adriatique, Joyhauser, Bart Skils, Charlotte DeWitt, Boris Brejcha, Sven Vath, Speedy J, Hardfloor, Sasha and Digweed, the list goes on and on

 

I feel like I fell into the HQplayer rabbit hole trying to lift this material up. I do really like the Yggdrasil, but I am wondering if I could get a little more pushing it all into DSD with a larger up-sample. It's all very new to me, so thanks again.

 

The cyan 2 works really well with hqplayer, especially when you enable the “dac correction” profile specific to the Cyan 2. To me it’s a clear step up in tonality, mids clarity with the dac correction on.

for electronic/dance music or pop/rock - my choice would be the shorter lower tap counts filters - poly gauss, poly sinc short mp/lp, xtr short lp/mp…

for jazz, instruments, opera and classical… try the longer filters with higher tap counts that extends the highs a bit more - sinc Long, sinc Medium, MGA. Recently I like to use the half band HB variants of filters for really good recordings…

I have been on dsd256x48 before the dac correction as it sounds the cleanest, with a touch more forwardness. However with the correction i am finding dsd512x48 to be pretty good as well, you gain a bit more clarity in the mids compared to without correction, but its a bit more distant compared to the forwardness with dsd256.

choice of modulators depend on the material you listen to as well - light sounds a touch sharper in transient, a touch brighter, bass a tiny touch tighter; super is a more refined sound, a touch more relaxed, smoother, warmer/darker background…

ymmv, have fun experimenting

 

Thanks!

I have been reading everything I can find about the filters, and it's all good fun. Today I am trying/using poly-sinc-short-lp.

 

Is the Cyan 2 a DAC you need to leave on, to keep warm, 24/7? What do you Cyan 2 owners do?