Best native DSD DACs for use with HQPlayer?

I like the rock install on the 10700 it performs well with my 330k track library. And while I got the M1 mini to potentially run as a roon core I do use it as a backup to my aging MBP 2018

Not sure about the DAC correction function what does that do and is it needed for dsd on the hollo May or cyan2?


This is working with DSD512 :slightly_smiling_face:

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It improves correctness of the analog output quite a bit. I would strongly recommend it for Holo Audio DACs too.

You donā€™t want to consider Spring 3 between those two products?

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Somewhat sneaky question for @jussi_laako - of currently supported DACs, which correction profiles make the most, and least, difference???

Usually on better DACs they make bigger difference and on worse ones lessā€¦

But I have not made any specific ranking thoughā€¦

Huh, simplistically I would have thought it would be the reverse. i.e. there is more opportunity to correct on worse dacs.

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Spring 3 L3/KTE with the preamp fitted might be a strong contender to save some money.

I assume the DAC correction feature is an optional upgrade?

I own a iFi Neo Stream which is based on a BB DSD1793 pure DSD converter chipset. It has been measured by Stereophile here.
Does anyone have a view on how the iFi Neo Stream compares to the Holo Cyan 2 or other DACs discussed in this thread?

The DSD256 measurements should be better than those PCM44.1k input by Stereophile.

How much better not sure, I would love to measure one if someone locally had one for me to borrow.

Iā€™m using from Holo Audio the May KTE, the Cyan 2, the Bliss and the Red (seems, that Iā€™ve become a fan boy :upside_down_face:ā€¦)
My meaning: If you use only one source and this will be USB, than you can spare a lot of money in buying the Cyan 2. This DAC is really not far away from the May KTE in using HQPlayer through USB ( I2S, I wouldnā€™t use with the Cyan 2; with the May I canā€™t hear any difference in USB or I2S, but Iā€™m a physics and donā€™t change fuses in awaiting for a better SQ).
If you donā€™t want to use the DAC with only the USB in, then I can strongly recommend the May KTE. But I would never use the internal oversamplings (they are sounding for me terrible).
For the Cyan 2 and May youā€™ll need (if you donā€™t want volume control through HQPlayer) a pre.
If you are using also cans, the Bliss is here a really good one, but Iā€™m using here primarily my Primare PRE35 Prisma for handling much more resources.

Cool, I took a Cyan 2 :slight_smile:

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As measurements at around -140dBV are always critical and depend very much on the test setup, I asked my colleague Raimund from the T+A development dept. to double check the DAC200 noise spectrum when connected directly to the source without an external isolator. Here is the result from the T+A lab:

As can be seen, there is some small amount of USB packet noise, but even without an external isolator it is very low at around -135 dBV. This is considerably lower than in Jussiā€™s measurement.

According to my experience, it can be helpful to connect the chassis of the source device to the DAC200 chassis with a low impedance ground lead. This in some cases will lower the noise by a couple of a few extra-dBs. Just try it outā€¦

DAC200 output spectrum with chassis to chassis ground lead

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In your measurement THD is notably higher though. So I assume this is from the PCM converter side? Did you check it out also at the same DSD256 rate I was using? Or the PCM side running at 705.6/768k input? Because it will affect the packet noise. You should always test with all input formats you support.

Instead of this, I rather go with the isolator, because trying to design such grounding layouts in a multi-device environment can be tricky.

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The measurements were done with a DSD256 input signal.

k2 is at -100dB (0.001%) which is a normal figure for the DAC200. k2 can be adjusted in DAC200 and at the factory it is not set to minimum but to a value about 6dB above k3. We do this because according to our experience such a spectrum with dominating k2 sounds most natural and more ā€œharmonicā€ than a spectrum dominated by the 3rd (or any other higher) harmonic.

Absolutely no objection from my side against using an isolator. I only wanted to point out that the noise performance of the DAC200 is not bad - even without an external isolator.

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Just to mention:
The measurement in your reply shows the noise without the additional ground lead. Adding this lead can give a further improvement (as shown in the second measurement). This was just meant as a hint for all those having no isolator to just try the ā€œtrickā€ with the additional groundā€¦

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Interesting that it is about 20 dB higher in your case, than in mineā€¦ (~ 0.0001%)

That result just looked so much more like the PCM side:

The T+A DAC 200 is a great converter, especially with DSD.

I also wouldnā€™t have thought that the Intona isolator 7055-C would make any difference. Especially when USB comes directly from the computerā€™s I/O panel. In my system and with my ears, I experience a clear improvement in sound.

I have just published a review: Wie kann ein USB Isolator von Intona den Klang verbessern? ā€“ Grigg Audio Solutions

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Hi Jussi.

I know in the past, Topping has given ordinary results with HQP, and has not been on your recommended list.

Have you had any time with the d90 3 discrete (R2R rather than DS) with native DSD, or the joint venture Holo/Topping DAC?

Great review of the Intona and USB Audio. Couple of questions:

  1. why do you think that the NanoPi sounded better than MSI motherboard even with the Intona? If noise differences are neutralized and jitter irrelevant (Async USB)
  2. Did you hear any subjective improvements with the Intona USB cables vs others?

Many thanks

to 1) My NanoPi NEO3 is very low-noise and uses NAA from HQPlayer. It is also powered by a very low noise linear power supply FARAD Super3. This endpoint is completely galvanically isolated from the audio PC via fiber optic cables.

to 2) No, not yet. But I will certainly do that. Otherwise whereā€™s the fun in that? :joy: