Holo Audio Red

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by RestoredSparda, Jan 27, 2023.

  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I mean, even if the RED didn't exist and you asked Tim what sounds best between USB and AES his answer would be USB. And that may be true on his DACs. So the answer actually might have nothing to do with the RED.
     
  2. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    All the Red’s outputs are top notch. I’m using both USB (Audial S5 and Vinnie Rossi L2 DAC) and I2S (Wavedream) and these DACs never sounded better.
     
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  3. internethandle

    internethandle Almost "Made"

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    I agree that Holo/Kitsune is likely to recommend USB since they usually recommend USB for their own DACs. I do think the other likely salient point is that the Yggdrasil has a particularly good AES implementation and/or it gels well with the rest of the Yggdrasil's sound signature/circuity. Horses for courses, though, there are folks with a moar better USB upstream nervosa (myself included) who prefer Unison with their Yggdrasil, and as others pointed out the advantage with the RED is that you can just swap around on the fly to see what you prefer, anyway.
     
  4. Greg121986

    Greg121986 Almost "Made"

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    So am I the only one who had issues with Holo Red USB to Schiit Unison USB, as I noted in this post? I have not tried since and I believe there were 2 updates to the Red since then, so I guess I should check again to see if it is still showing the same issue.
     
  5. SPAZ

    SPAZ New

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    I ended up ordering the Holo Red last night after reading the feedback from this thread. I have the Pi2AES which is actually pretty great but I've decided to change things up in my setup. @Greg121986 I suspect the Red will take some time to be delivered but I can try and connect it directly to the Unison USB on my Yggdrasil to test for any issues when it comes in.
     
  6. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    so w the red, i gotta use a fancy ass ethernet cord... all the time? no wireless streaming... at all? what abt those wifi dongles, no good?
     
  7. RestoredSparda

    RestoredSparda Friend

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    You gotta lay some cable.
     
  8. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    solid. Sorry to derail thread, but if I ever thought abt getting one, what’s a good price-to-perf Ethernet cable to use w the Red, without getting into too much nervosa at the router end?
     
  9. winders

    winders boomer

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    Any Cat 6 (unshielded) cable is fine....
     
  10. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Use any UTP like Cat6 from blue Jeans and don’t look back.
     
  11. internethandle

    internethandle Almost "Made"

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    Yep, Blue Jeans.

    The latest audiophoolery obsession at ORFAS places like What’s Best Forum is purchasing cables and components “treated” by “Quantum Science Audio”. In the case of their $2500+ Ethernet cable, it’s literally just Blue Jeans Cat6 that they “quantum” treated. Can’t make this stuff up:

    https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/qsa-lanedri-series.36078/page-15#posts
     
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  12. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Yeah but let's be real, some people here don't seem to have a problem paying $7K for a Studio or Stellaris or $5K for a Wavedream for what is admittedly only those last few percentages of resolution. To the average person it's all absurd and we're all dumb for spending more than $100 on a piece of gear.

    In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, but even he needs to get his eyes checked sometimes.
     
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  13. internethandle

    internethandle Almost "Made"

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    Oh absolutely, it’s all a matter of perspective. If you’re in the hobby long enough you can easily lose sight of how the average person views purchasing an HD660 or whatever as being insane, much less a Stellaris. It’s good to get that reality check at times.

    If anything this kind of thing gets my goat because I feel somehow a part of it as an audiophile (rather than viewing myself as a “good audiophile” vs the “bad” ones), and it seems to me to make it that much harder to make the case to a “normie” that some of this gear is a worthwhile investment if people are just blatantly slapping quantum stickers on another manufacturer’s gear at a large profit. I don’t have a lot of problem with people with yacht money spending yacht money, but it’s harder to swallow quantum Blue Jeans vs. something like a Taiko Extreme.

    In the end though, my frustration is not really very productive - this kind of segment of the market will always exist and has always existed, it really isn’t worth getting my knickers in a knot about it. Basically just pointing out that you can get the latest and greatest zomgbbq Ethernet cable for a fraction of the price by paying BJC directly, assuming you don’t get FOMO about the treatment.
     
  14. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    Just get 2 short Bluejeans ethernet cables and isolate with 2x FMC + fiber in between.
    I like the Cisco SFP-10G-AOC fiber with built-in SFPs (like this one).

    You can get by for < $120 and will get some peace of mind about router/switch noise getting into your system (unless you trust that ethernet's built-in galvanic isolation is all that's needed).
     
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  15. winders

    winders boomer

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    I guess it depends on the rest of the chain. I am going from Ethernet to the Holo Audio Red out USB to the Holo Audio May KTE. I tried I2S and, if anything, USB sounded better and I don't have to deal with the PLL sync issues. I am using a well grounded NetGear GS108 that is low noise according to measurements. I don't see how fiber or some audiophile switch would help here.....
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2023
  16. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    You can get Ethernet to wireless adapters online, I got one to try to make the Rockne Hyrda Z wireless before I realized that the power supply wasn't working. it seems pretty simple.

    @caute
     
  17. zottel

    zottel Friend

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    Not sure if I’m mixing up stuff, but wasn’t I2S the one with the separate clock signal, and USB Audio requires a PLL?
     
  18. winders

    winders boomer

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    You're mixing things up. With USB, the May KTE uses its own clock as master and the PLL does not come into play. I have a May KTE....and as I said previously, I have tried it with the Red using both I2S and USB. Why do you think I would get this wrong?
     
  19. zottel

    zottel Friend

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    Ah, now I understand. I didn’t know that the May is a reclocking DAC, so I was confused about why, with a USB signal, no PLL would come into play.
     
  20. winders

    winders boomer

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    What clock is used depends on the input....it's standards based. The May is not a "reclocking DAC".
     

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