Digital Drive

Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

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RE: Dac Attack

Posted by PaulN on December 12, 2022 at 11:47:55:
I replaced an NAD M51 with a Topping D90 (original AK4499 chip), used that for a year and then ordered a Holo May L2. Each was a step up. The Spring 3 gets to about 90% of what the May offers and is the best value for a bespoke DAC by far. And you can add the preamp card later if you want to.

However, I firmly believe that the Holo DACs should be optimized using HQPlayer and running it NOS. If you are not going to send it high-rate PCM or DSD there's no point. Go with a DAC that does its oversampling internally. All of those DACs are good, so it really comes down to your sonic priorities. For me, the May has been a revelation. I really can hear more and deeper into the soundstage than with any other DAC I have used and I am absolutely done. This is my last DAC, I listen to it all day every day and I LOVE it. Sometimes it is cheaper to lay the money out up front to get the premium product and just bypass the interlopers. Buy once, cry once, done. DAC-of-the-month club is a fools errand proven by all the constant churn these guys are endlessly going through. I'm too busy listening now to bother posting about my gear or questioning my choice; I got off the train. Finally, if you buy a Spring or Denafrips you can turn it back over for what you paid for it if it doesn't tickle you. The others, not so much. Good luck.