I just looked at your system and it’s well balanced as far as your choice of components. Before you go chasing another DAC, let’s look at optimizing your digital setup. I used to own separates including the N20, expect my PM shortly.
Aurender N20 Streamer & Holo May DAC vs Analog
A couple of caveats..
1. My retail analog system is 2x $ of my digital.
2. Power cable to phono preamp > to Aurender
3. Analog signal interconnects $$$>$ digital cables.
Analog is much more musical with regards to tonality, airy soundstage with great imaging, detail, impact .. in every way.
Aurender/May DAC USB vs AES/EBU is source dependent and I haven’t figured this out completely, but CD likes AES with upscaling. Most other sources benefit from USB with regards to imaging, airy presentation and detail/tonality. Still early, but, for example, playing “Friday Night In San Francisco” these differences were quite apparent with Qobuz 176/24. I was definitely favoring USB, but Analog was so much more of everything and much more involving. Analog was amazing.
Aurender is major upgrade from iFi Zen Stream with their best power supply and fiber optic Ethernet isolation.
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In my case, my digital chain and analog chain cost me almost the same. Knowing your analog chain and having owned many similar pieces (VPI table and tonearm, MSL cartridge, Audionet phono), it is all very high quality and capable of exceptional reproduction. In my experience, the Holo, while coveted by many in the community, has a very different character - one that I find to side on the more articulate vs the musical and soulful. I tend to categorize it alongside the Tambaqui and DCS Bartok, where many will say it is musical while being articulate, but when compared to other DAC manufacturers like T+A, MSB, Gryphon, EMM, one can hear where the latter brands just have more tonal density, texture, air, and breath and the former brands sound more brittle and dry in comparison. Circling back around, it required me to equal the investment I have in my analog rig to get my digital rig to perform about as well. While you can get much farther with digital with less when you are just starting out, once you’re in the endgame stage, digital becomes equally expensive to achieve similar endgame results that analog can offer. |
@vonhelmholtz One other thing I recall is that you were just resent a new Holo after your last one failed. From what I read in the past, the Holo May requires up to 600 hours of play time to fully burn in. Where do you think you are with the unit timewise? |
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