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DAC Input Topology

I have a Holo May DAC KTE and all digital in is captured by a proprietary PLL (phase lock loop) circuit which uses a crystal Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCXO) and discrete voltage regulators to eliminate jitter.  They make clear that all inputs are processed the same.  Is this the primary method used by most (all) DACs?  
I ask because I was previously convinced that I wanted to buy a steamer with I2s out.  I was under the impression that a great clock in the streamer would be passed to the DAC, but PLL doesn’t use the streamer’s clock.  My fallback was USB and the May DAC KTE makes claims regarding the quality of their USB interface.  In fact USB is the manufacturers preferred input.   Now I’m looking at the Aurender N20.  The selling point here is the OCXO clock, which is four to ten times more stable than the Holo’s clock.  Many find the AES, or coax to provide the best sound.  Those that prefer AES, does your DAC use the same voltage driven clock PLL design?  How does the Aurenders clock provide superior sound when the sampling clock is an order of magnitude less stable?   I’m trying to decide on if I’m buying a high quality USB, or AES cable.  Maybe both at some point, but budget only allows one at this point.

vonhelmholtz
mike_in_nc
1,165 posts
 

Like @jasonbourne52 ,

1. " I felt for a long time that the LP beat the CD. More listening has reversed this! The inherently higher noise floor, inner groove tracking problems, dynamic range limits and summed bass are serious restrictions of LP playback." (I quoted since I can’t say it better.)

2. I doubt the benefits of an expensive streamer. I have an Auralic G1, which is wonderful and provides a lot of frills: nice display, reliable WiFi, built-in DSP, ease of use, and so on. I have compared a $150 streamer made with Raspberry Pi and Allo DigiOne card, and I am hard pressed to tell the sonic difference. I suppose if I listened to the same track over and over again, I might hear a small difference, but I am not sure of that. I love the Auralic, but for value, I’d recommend looking to something less expensive. ... Of course, you are looking for something with a DAC, and good DACs are getting shockingly cheap these days.

That's not a specific recommendation, but just my views on the current digital market.

lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

I've never for one moment regretted purchasing my N20, it's a fantastic machine that can only be truly appreciated by long term in home listening.

Maybe you can get some better sounds by cobbling together this and that with various computer programs but for me time is money and with the N20 I have everything at my fingertips. I could have bought the N30 but the N20 is 99% as good. While not exactly a bargain but SOTA.

I have settled on this cable after trying many much more expensive ones. It's solid silver and IME much better than AES/EBU. Long burn in required.

 

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 

Now I’m looking at the Aurender N20. The selling point here is the OCXO clock, which is four to ten times more stable than the Holo’s clock.

If you believe the dac in this streamer is better than the Holo, then there’s no reason to keep your Holo.

 

I seriously doubt that a streamer’s Dac will perform better than the Holo May DAC KTE. First of all, it’s a R2R design so without it or bypassing it, your digital playback will have a different sonic signature. The Holo is much more robust with a huge power supply, and uses high quality internal parts. The streamer you’re looking at can’t possibly fit this technology inside its chassis. Your Dac is much more than a dac chip. It would be foolish to not allow the Holo to reclock the stream.

 

vonhelmholtz OP
911 posts
 

@lowrider57

The streamer/DAC does not have an internal DAC. The significance of the stable clock is that it can produce an extremely low jitter on the AES/EBU, BNC and Coax outputs. I was questioning if the Holo can take advantage of this given that the clock quality/stability is very good, but 4-10 times less stable than the Aurender clock. Most N20 and higher owners prefer listening with AES/EBU vs USB where the DAC clock is responsible for keeping jitter low as it decides packets passed via USB.

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 

@vonhelmholtz 

I didn't realise the Aurender you were referring to is a master clock, sorry. That is the way to go in your high-end setup. Maybe a call to Kitsune will provide options. Some dacs have a word clock input which is separate from signal in.

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