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HOLO Audio Spring DAC: Affordable discrete R2R Multibit Dac, could be a winner.

Many manufacturers are going back to R2R Multibit d/a conversion, a good portion of audiophiles are saying it sounds better than the cheaper d/a conversion of Delta Sigma, (1 bit), Bitstream, Saber. etc.
And it says it uses dual R2R’s Multibits to support DSD natively!!? 

Product Description:This new DAC.”Spring” is the first design of a new era, a milestone for HOLO Audio’s own Jeff Zhu. It’s a full discrete R2R type of audio decoder and does not have off the shelf-DAC chip! This is a bespoke custom-designed core DAC module and truly a breakthrough with technology for any DAC chip today. The Spring is here to achieve new heights, new dynamics and simply a full spectrum of audio to please the aural senses. This Dac has been called the poor mans Total Dac / MSB / Wavedream / Chord Dave Etc. It plays with the big boys.

https://kitsunehifi.com/product/springdacbase/

Looks amazing inside for $1,700. Schiit Yaggi better watch out!!!!



Cheers George
128x128georgehifi
pixelplay
14 posts
 
I am a end user in hong kong , mine is a level 3 version (but my jensen cap is still on the way), and i have option to upgrade the audionote silver isolate transformer which in front of the digital in, which make huge improve over the cheap one inside, before that i am a metrum pavane owner, i am very happy with pavane , it provide a very smooth and organic sound , strong and defination bass, sell it because to save some money, and for the holo spring performance, it really close to pavane but not better, but consider the price , it almost outclass similar competitor, and i am waiting for my jensen to make a final judgement

Hi Gary, are you able to elaborate on the Audionote silver transformer option as I am in the process of ordering. Thanks, Greg
gary9413
8 posts
 
My hong kong dealer tell me that, most digital device , there is a digital isolation transformer locate before the digital in/out ( aes, bnc, coaxial), many company use very cheap one $ few cents, and i upgrade it to us$170 audionote pure silver transformer, but it is only benefit in these 3 digital in , useless if u use usb or i2s, the transformer pic in blow

http://upload.review33.com/2ndhand/201609/201609021240305730.jpg
pixelplay
14 posts
 
Ah I know which you are talking about, thanks for the info.
Im very interested on your thoughts beyond your earlier comments on its sound as there is just so little information on this dac. Have you got the Jensens installed?

Thanks again for your time and thoughts.
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
986 posts
 
as i know , AK4137 is only for SRC, it is bypass in the nos mode

nos mode should be optimal for pcm as I have found with my own Esoteric dac(N-05 which uses the AK 4490 chip) set at no upsampling plus pcm filters off.

Looks like for dsd, the Spring dac needs to be switched out of nos mode to OS(oversampling) or OS DSD mode as stated in the CA forum thread. This is similar to the Esoteric dac.
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
986 posts
 
Getting a bit confusing here, "discrete dsd" vs. native dsd........

From Jeff Zhu, the dac designer :-

"If Spring works in ’NOS’ mode. There is no oversampling, no conversion, just the original data doing the final digital to analog conversion..........I just explain how Spring can do ’discrete DSD conversion’. Actually it is like DCS and CHORD. If you looking to DCS and CHORD’s pcb, you will find ’discrete DSD conversion’ is also using
switches and precision resistors, like resistor ladder dacs. So, no matter it is ’discrete DSD conversion’ or ’discrete PCM conversion’, they all use the same discrete devices. Just work in different architecture. That makes possible to combine these two modes in one device."


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