Holo Audio Red

Part of the issue is the Redbook standard and the way things changed and evolved. Mastering engineers just went with the times of dead space after the song. The Redbook nerds decided was created before anyone really used it, so they came up with solutions before there were actual problems. They tried to think ahead. Like they also added the emphasis curve and index marks, which are both obsolete now. I still have a vintage Magnavox player that reads index marks and emphasis. Although all CD players read the negative space if there.

If it makes you feel any better, there are probably way more CD's without negative spaces in-between tracks than there are without.

 

There are more things in heaven and earth...

Very little of my music collection consists of live "songs". Proper gapless playback matters to me for classical music, where it usually involves separate movements played attacca, or more infrequently long single movement pieces where the producers have broken things up into tracks at tempo changes rather than have one long hour-long track; and for mixed electronic music, where the alternative is again one long 60-80 minute track. In classical music, proper pre-gaps also matter since a longer pre-gap is usually inserted between separate works on one disc.

If you listen only to pop music, I suppose none of this matters.

 

To get back to the subject at hand...I am quite enjoying the Holo Red. When I first received it, I loaded Volumio on it and the change was quite stark. People keep talking about the transients and the lack of fatigue. It seems to remove the muck and reveal the clarity. I pause to say "add clarity" because I think devices like this can't really "add" anything, but it does make a difference on the sound.

I tried the USB as a DDC and it does sound slightly different, even if the CM4 is using the same USB module. The USB had a lively sound to it, but also with some blunted transients. Maybe I need to listen to more tracks. But this was also with foobar2000 in exclusive mode. I just now realized I had not even installed the WASAPI plug-in.

So yes, I am once again using foobar2000. It seems I also tried Gentooplayer with the Red and I found the UPnP was similar of that to Volumio, but I knew it was the only way for Diretta. So after figuring Gentoo out and what not, I did the trial of Diretta and it did not make a stark difference at first. However after listening and then going back to UPnP, there was some inner detail you can tell that was not there before and just a lack of haze. It was if there was just a little more separation in instruments. Now Gentooplayer and Diretta come with wild prices...69€ for GP and then 99€ for Diretta, but it is kind of worth it. This beats any transport I have heard if not the closest to a transport.

We might need a different thread for Diretta, because really anything that can run on Gentoo player can work. Essentially it is a virtual ASIO audio out of your computer and the installed Diretta on the Red receives the stream. Setup is pretty easy as anything that can install ASIO driver can work, which I think is only Windows and Linux at the moment.

 

Lol brah! you did it with the gentooplayer/diretta. We can't help ourselves wondering by leaving any percentage of improvement on the table.

 

I'm running gentooplayer on two rpi's, one is the host and the other the diretta target. Its crazy and to much nerd for me, but I do think it sounds good. I would prefer to get something like the holo red to dumb down my process a little as operating multiple rpi's can get frustrating.

 

I Holo Red runs mostly on an CM4, which is a stripped down Pi4 for use in devices, same as what is in the Mercury. The only thing is that the Red is using USB output.

 

There's already a diretta thread if you want to continue there.

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/diretta-thread.13918/page-2

 

Holo Red just in today. Compared to my nicely tuned pi2aes what stood out immediately was more balls/drive, a lack of compression and better articulation and weight in the bass. I always thought the bass was the worst part of my system but with a different source that may no longer be true. It's still breaking in I think, tonality is a bit crispy and pretty rough in the top end right now. More in a few days!

 

Stock OS?
And at what output.

I have found that as a DDC the Red can sound different than when streaming as well as different OS's can sound different. I think it is important to make note of these. Some, like me, only use AES out, but I know some use I2S and use up-sampling.

I will say the USB input is interesting, but not quite as good as just streaming. Streaming just sounds very flowy and effortless, but USB sounds mor aggressive sounding, but also somewhat soft around the edges. It still is good and makes Unison sound quite hazy.

 

Mine responded nicely to the addition of an SR Purple Fuse, which I got at a 30% off promotional sale here in the US. Well worth the price...

 

It's stock OS, the most recent version, I2S into Wavedream Edition.

I'm going to have a go at getting symphonic mpd running on it as I don't particularly like using squeezelite/LMS. I think it might be a bit complex as it's not a Pi4 but a Compute Module. Will report back if I get it going.

 

I have that exact setup.
Red was better (to me) than the usual suspects in a “similar” price point: Pi2Design Mercury, iFi NEO Stream, Red and I forgot the other one.

Also, ditto on the USB input sounding different (slightly worse overall, but still very good) than the streamer. USB is sharper sounding, a bit more glassy, with an otherwise smooth sounding AudioQuest Coffee USB cable.

 

Thanks, I did wonder how it stacked up against the mercury!

Are these the right I2S settings: ALT1 default on the Red and "p" mode on the Wavedream? I can't find the Wavedream pinout but I gather "p" is PS Audio which looks like the default pinout on the Red

 

None of my transports work natively with the Rockna. The best I get is reversed L-R channels with the Red. I just swap the XLR and RCA cables on the Rockna since I’m only using I2S.

 

According to this doc there are two possibilities that should work:

Holo in I2S ALT1 mode, Rockna in I2S r mode, reverse L and R cables (sound like what you are doing)
Holo in I2S HOLO mode, Rockna in I2S p mode (what I do, works fine)

This is assuming the Rockna correctly implements the PS Audio pinout in p mode...

 

I did not require L/R swap with ALT1 + Rockna R for me, I was on Edition with FW version 4.8. The real fun is getting the Red to work with Directstream Mk1...

 

I'm in P mode actually, but the channels are still reversed. It's been the case with the Pi2AES, Mercury and NEO Stream as well, so I think it's something with my DAC (or its current firmware: it shows "4.80xe" when booting up)

 

After a little while listening to the Holo Red vs the PI2AES, I2S to the Wavedream Edition:

The Holo definitely has a more precise sound with clearer soundstage placement, beefier macrodynamics and less hash and haze in the treble. It is subtle and there is not that much in it, but it is definitely there.

However, against that, the Holo as it has settled in has moved to a sound which is somewhat more smoothed-over than the PI2AES, like some low level microdynamics are being lost, it's just a bit less engaging. I think it might be software - I have only managed to get the stock software to work on the Holo so far. Will keep plugging away and see if I can get something else to boot!

 

I feel like that smoothness is just a lack of that Pi2AES hardness/harshness (digititus?), not necessarily a deficiency in technicalities.

 

Harshness or actual content? Is it present on multiple tracks/albums or just some? All frame rates or just some? Please elaborate and yes, obviously I am not a disinterested observer!