Holo may lte vs denafrips terminator 2 vs musetec da005

I'm a bit confused by the review provided by @dbb. The referenced review says:

"I fed both dacs via computers (an Asus mini and an Asus laptop) because I had two. Thus I could do quick comparisons by preamp input switching. I recently bought an Ifi Zen Stream network bridge/streamer which, after some frustration, I hooked up via ethernet cable."

These are relatively noisey/cheap sources to compare expensive dacs with.  Not remotely in the same performance category as the dacs.  No mention of the quality of the cabling.  Are we talking a $5 ethernet cable or Audioquest Diamond?

If someone with an end-to-end great system made the comparisons, I'd find the results more useful.  You're always held back by the weakest link in the chain, especially when it is the source.

At least @dbb described his equipment he was reviewing with.  Too many don't.  And he was certainly thorough and articulate!

@dougthebiker

Yes, the computer sources were, as explained in the review, used because I had two which facilitated quick A/B comparisons. (I mentioned the Zen Stream only to confirm that network bridges do indeed make an significant improvement. I have since learned that an optical setup is even better.) If I had two high quality network bridges I would have used them. This topic was discussed before.

I think most would say that the dacs were under equal burdens by essentially receiving the same digital signal. Each dac got the same amount of noise. No doubt the dacs would sound better if fed by SOTA sources, but this doesn’t mean that the conclusions would be different. My goal was not to get the best sound out of each dac, but to compare them in a reasonably fair way using the same quality signal via usb, then through the same system.(I would not describe my system as SOTA, but it is more than adequate to the task.) I swapped the cabling I used and could not hear a difference, so the same conclusion holds.

While I can't offer any listening perspectives on Holo or Denafrips the 005 hasn't any defects I've been able to discern in aprox. two years of ownership. I've been through quite a  number of general system upgrades, mods, and streaming network changes over this time. I can only say 005 is extremely revealing dac in that it exposes every single little change. It has never sounded sterile, cold or clinical in the way that some extremely revealing dacs can, especially Sabre chip dacs. While I'd not describe it as warm or excessively forgiving, too resolving for that, it has always presented with the sense of real live performers in room. Try as I might I cannot attribute a flavor to this dac, certainly one of most neutral components I've ever owned. That may be a good or bad thing depending on the rest of one's system.

At this point, I'm unsure of full potential of this dac, to that end I'm still experimenting with my streaming  setup, rest of system has been fully modded and voiced, no planned changes. To that end I have some server experiments coming,  a number of fully modded and optimized mac mini setups and a near SOTA atx based motherboard server. My streamer is set in stone, so we'll soon see the effect different servers has on sound quality.

@digitaljoseph  I was in exactly same position as you just prior to 005 purchase, the Denafrips and Holo May KTE, and more expensive dacs such as Aqua Formula, Playback Designs, etc. on my audition list. I was probably the first to purchase 005 in U.S, total flyer on my part, I can only say I've not had any regrets or desire to try another dac since 005. I will say I have bias against Denafrips since purchasing Denafrip Hyperion amp a couple years ago, far too much flavor in the sense of excessive warmth in my setup. I concluded Denafrips plays a balancing game with their equipment, in the sense of playing warmth against coolness to get to neutral, I simply prefer all my equipment to be neutral, as always, YMMV. I presume Holo is top flight dac based on reviewers I trust.

Last November my order for the Holo Spring 3 KTE arrived and I've commented in other threads about my experience with this similarly priced DAC. Priced nearer to the 005 without an onboard chip though it performs in NOS mode exactly the same as the May and has the same USB board. I settled on this model after realizing HQPlayer would simulate a representation of chip playback through R2R which is what the May does. Best of both worlds and saved 2k.

--Another Jerry

@manogolf I too strongly considered the Holo Spring 3, which can be bought with a decent pre-amp too. Mainly because I didn't want a 2 box setup, as the Holo May.

The Spring is lower spec than the May that's why I went for the 005. I've always used chip DACs so no issues there. The 005 is NOS and NUS no issues there anyway because I use an Aurender.

The Spring probably is one of the best single box ladder DACs in this price category at present.