HoloAudio STREAMER is out now

“I want to avoid a lateral move without some evidence.”

@hilde45 

I get your hesitation with high probability of Red being a lateral move in your system. I must have misunderstood your high praise of Red thinking it punches way above its price point and better than your modified Node. Thanks for the clarification. 

@thyname ​​​​@lalitk ,

Yes, this is a bit puzzling to me as well. Hearing an audio component In person surpasses what “any” reviewer has to offer. At least for me it would. If I hear an audio product directly that is all I need to make a decision. A good professional review is certainly helpful when direct listening isn’t possible.

Perhaps I am missing something here. What could a reviewer tell someone that exceeds what they can hear on their own? The description of the Holo Red as “amazing “ and “sounds delightful “ is very high praise. @hilde45 would you describe your Blue Node listening encounters in the same manner as you did for the Holo network player?

My inference could be off but it appeared to me that you were highly impressed with the Holo listening experience.

Thanks,

Charles

Perhaps I am missing something here. What could a reviewer tell someone that exceeds what they can hear on their own? 

Simple:

1) the reviewers often simply omit the “compared to what?” Part

2) Unless you fully trust the reviewer, you would never know their intentions and the story behind what prompted the review. I hope you can read between the lines 

@thyname 

But, there is no such thing as “evidence “ from other folks. The only evidence that matters is you, trying it in your system.

I have to disagree. I read movie reviews, restaurant reviews, automotive reviews. My tastes are unique, but they are not completely idiosyncratic. I am not a solipsist.
If someone reviews the Holo Red and compares it to something else which is better than my Node 2i, it may contain information applicable to my tastes. Hans Beekhuysen would be a review to whom I would pay keen attention.

@lalitk  My comment about Red punching above it's price point is a hypothesis based on the fact that my audiophile friend -- who has a streaming set up that is far, far better than my Node 2i -- has replaced his setup with the Holo Red. My argument is simply that if his *previous* streamer is better than my Node, and the Red is better than his previous streamer, then it's likely that the Red is better than my Node. Make sense?

@charles1dad  The "amazing" comment had to do with the Red on a different system. It is hard for me to gauge how good the Red would be in my system. What would another reviewer bring? Additional data where the Red is assessed with a different system. You're familiar, I'm sure, with audio reviews of equipment which discuss how a speaker (e.g.) sounds with amp A, B, C and with source A, B. Etc. This process helps to triangulate what is common to the equipment under review under changing circumstances. Were I to read a review of the Red with other speakers and, especially, in comparison to better streamers than my Node 2i, that would help me triangulate whether the Red would be a lateral move from my Node or whether it is likely a streamer that punches above its weight class (and, thus above my Node 2i). 

@hilde45 

Got it. Each one of us has our own method for assessing audio products of interest. No doubt you have determined which approach is most effective for yourself. I hope you are able to hear the Holo Red in your audio system soon. It seems a promising component.

Charles