georgehifi Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) Quote 12 hours ago, mloutfie said: Exactly what I thought. I have no experience swapping fuse so I can't say if it makes any difference. But it's a dac surely it won't take a crazy amount of current why put a fuse there in the beginning. Just hard wire it. That's the lowest impedance you'll get, BUT!!! don't anyone try it!!!!!! Chances are you will hear zip anyway. If something goes wrong FIRE is the order of the day, house and all if your not home. If you want to do this then a very low amperage circuit breaker is the order of the day. Cheers George Edited October 26, 2016 by georgehifi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mloutfie Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 19 minutes ago, georgehifi said: That's the lowest impedance you'll get, BUT!!! don't anyone try it!!!!!! Chances are you will hear zip anyway. If something goes wrong FIRE is the order of the day, house and all if your not home. If you want to do this then a very low amperage circuit breaker is the order of the day. Cheers George Sorry what I meant is not to suggest modify it but as in when designing the amp and selecting the IEC jack if the designer worry about the fuse. why not just choose one that doesn't have a fuse . DAC doesn't draw that much power compared to an amp. Then again what do I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 13 hours ago, mloutfie said: But it's a dac surely it won't take a crazy amount of current why put a fuse there in the beginning. Just hard wire it. I'm sure you realise I was joking. Kids, dont go putting a nail where your fuse should be. Manufacturers must include a fuse for saftey, and to comply with the law in every country in the world. But I have personally used / built equipment for personal use without fuses. I think any sonic difference is so minor that its not worth the danger. I also think that any audible difference I heard was due to bypassing an old fuse socket which has environmental grime on it. I think replacing or cleaning the old fuse socket and installing a new fuse would have the same (very minor) sonic improvement. I'm talking about 20 year old amplifiers that have dust and grime on the fuse socket terminals. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nada Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 For those with classic R2R DACs wondering if they need to consider the Holo you may want to scan the comments from an experienced Russian audiophile below. I have heavily edited the language due to the rather clumsy Google translation and have no doubt warped the meaning with my own bias. HOLO Audio Spring DAC - R2R DSD512. http://www.dastereo.ru/t/holo-audio-spring-dac-r2r-dsd512/2075/489 System: AC - Living Voice Avatar IBX-R2, Vc - Gryphon Diablo, CD transport - Acoustic Arts Drive 1, Audiorvana + Mac Mini, Berkeley Alpha USB, DACs - Wadia 15, Berkeley Alpha DAC Version 1, cables Fusion Audio (on DACs network Romance 2 Romance 2 mezhbloki well), digital USB - Audioquest Diamond + IFI iUSB + RAL Dual, digital - Atlas Mavros AES, Transparent Reference AES, Audioquest EagleEye RCA, RAL BNC. MacMini and other elements with switching power supply isolated from the rest of the system via the air conditioner PS Audio UPC200. The first test ......RAL BNC to AA Drive 1. Spring timbre is rich, has a good drive and pressure..... free flow of music.... extended in depth and width ...... enhances the effect on the midbass and bass,..... additionally focused on .... ringing of a triangle or other percussion......wanted to listen and listen and it was very difficult to turn off..... Wadia 15 Vs Holo Spring. Wadia 15 ..... is slightly darkish character supply, universal genre, does not play HiRes. Comparative listening.....very similar.... multibit essence ..... Wadia slightly darker, Spring, respectively, a little lighter and has slightly better resolution in the upper middle. Subjectively Spring sounded a little softer.... By Style, I would set up the so-: intensive electronics (The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Faithless) - parity, Hidden Orchestra - a little better was Spring, metal (Metallica, The DEP, Cephalic Carnage, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Anaal Nathrakh) - parity, jazz (Contemporary Noise Sextet, The Thing) - parity, rock (Pink Floyd, Them Crooked Vultures) - parity, classical (Rimsky-Korsakov, Wagner, Tchaikovsky) - was slightly better than Spring. My totally biased biased summary of my biased editing is theres no point in buying the Holo if we have a great R2R older DAC as: 1. The Holo USB input isnt its best input- so the SPDIF with no USB on the Wadia is still current 2. The Wadia and Holo sound close to each other with only nuances between them. However the Holo is a little brighter especially with upper mids like cymbals (watch out for sibilant recordings) while the Wadia is slightly better on acoustic music which for me is a double bonus. 3. The Holo sounds really good on NOS PCM so no need to worry that the Wadia is outdated as it doent do "hi-rez" or DSD. I think its great the Holo can bring the R2R sound to the current era and hope someone in Brisbane buys one so I can hear it one day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky500 Posted October 27, 2016 Author Share Posted October 27, 2016 I an considering I might want to upgrade and try out a Level 3 Holo. Not sure if the Level 3 with its pure silver wound transformer is worth the extra $1K+ but I like the Holo so much, I wouldn't mind giving a Level 3 a go. So if anyone wants to consider a level 2 Dac pretty soon, maybe mine for a good price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 20 hours ago, rocky500 said: Not sure if the Level 3 with its pure silver wound transformer is worth the extra $1K+ I recon you should take your Holo to your local transformer winding guy, and get him to make you a higher current version with the same output voltages. The larger transformer should let less mains noise get through to the secondary and the higher current rating should (if anything) give greater dynamics and speed to the sound. I recon you could get one made up for between $80 and $100 If not locally, I know a guy in Melbourne who can do it. Please use logic here. What can a silver wire mains transformer do that a copper wire one wont? A transformer in this instance is just converting a high voltage 240VAC to a low voltage secondary. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Notice how the silver wire transformer version takes its power from the ether... they dont even connect it to the IEC socket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Here is the copper transformer version which gets its power the conventional way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgehifi Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 (edited) Quote 1 hour ago, eltech said: Notice how the silver wire transformer version takes its power from the ether... they dont even connect it to the IEC socket Just for picture purposes, it hasn't yet been wired up yet with the Molex connector from the back of the IEC socket, it can't get power from nowhere. Cheers George Edited October 28, 2016 by georgehifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 (edited) 23 minutes ago, georgehifi said: it can't get power from nowhere. what do you mean? Clearly you need to hear my nowhere powered audio system. Edited October 28, 2016 by eltech Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgehifi Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Quote 1 minute ago, eltech said: what do you mean? Clearly you need to hear my nowhere powered audio system. Now you've done it and let the secrete out, rubbing two sticks together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 19 minutes ago, georgehifi said: Now you've done it and let the secrete out, rubbing two sticks together. I better not mention my air gap then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgehifi Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 My air gap can make a diamond from a hunk of coal if I grit my teeth and try hard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgehifi Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 (edited) Here's something to play with, Holo vs Berkley. http://dastereo.ru/t/holo-audio-spring-dac-r2r-dsd512/2075/1340 I can't get translator to work on the posts though? Cheers George Edited October 29, 2016 by georgehifi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerter Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 2 hours ago, georgehifi said: Here's something to play with, Holo vs Berkley. http://dastereo.ru/t/holo-audio-spring-dac-r2r-dsd512/2075/1340 I can't get translator to work on the posts though? Cheers George Audio Note DAC is a winner IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenelectro Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 On 28/10/2016 at 2:19 PM, eltech said: I recon you should take your Holo to your local transformer winding guy, and get him to make you a higher current version with the same output voltages. The larger transformer should let less mains noise get through to the secondary and the higher current rating should (if anything) give greater dynamics and speed to the sound. I recon you could get one made up for between $80 and $100 If not locally, I know a guy in Melbourne who can do it. Please use logic here. What can a silver wire mains transformer do that a copper wire one wont? A transformer in this instance is just converting a high voltage 240VAC to a low voltage secondary. FWIW Toroid, (unfortunately) by design is the widest BW power transformer - so lots of noise can get through. R Core is better and also has low external mag field. Also an electrostatic shield on R Core will work much better than toroid as it is just 1 turn (so to speak) EI core better again / Ei core with split bobbin is close to best WRT low bandwidth HF noise attenuation. Unfortunately it also has the largest external magnetic field. Choose your poison. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgehifi Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 +1 for the R core Cheers George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccuTidal Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 +1 for EI-Core. Especially Hashimoto.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 On 31/10/2016 at 0:29 AM, zenelectro said: Choose your poison. Thats all a person can do. Yesterday I was experimenting with two identical DACs. One powered with two separate transformers and the other has two windings on one transformer. Not sure I could hear a difference to be honest, or if there are differences, they are so minor I dont think they are important. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
despinos Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) @rocky500 Hi rocky, I'm looking to buy a Holo Dac Lv 1 or Lv 2.. David edit: just ordered a new one myself. Now waiting to receive it Edited November 15, 2016 by despinos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky500 Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, despinos said: @rocky500 Hi rocky, I'm looking to buy a Holo Dac Lv 1 or Lv 2.. If you want to sell yours (with a nice discount from new) and are willing to ship abroad (Spain) just let me know Thanks anyway David PS: I'm new on the forum but have good feedback elsewhere (e.g. ebay, audiogon etc) Hi despinos, I have decided to keep mine as is. Was looking at going Level 3 but I am enjoying the Holo plus Singxer just as it is. Edited November 3, 2016 by rocky500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltech Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 (edited) 8 hours ago, rocky500 said: I have decided to keep mine as is. Was looking at going Level 3 but I am enjoying the Holo plus Singxer just as it is. Good decision Edited November 4, 2016 by eltech Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rab of Everest Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 My Spring dac just landed on my desk. Exciting times! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve M Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Richard congrats, you go first and then I'll give my report on the Holo .... Though some say it requires 300hrs to burn in, so 24/7 switch-on means it'll be ready for serious comment in about 12 days time! Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nada Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 On 02/11/2016 at 1:38 PM, eltech said: Thats all a person can do. Yesterday I was experimenting with two identical DACs. One powered with two separate transformers and the other has two windings on one transformer. Not sure I could hear a difference to be honest, or if there are differences, they are so minor I dont think they are important. In terms of power trannies for DAC's I think Audio-gd make a compelling design argument using R-core trannies with separate trannies for the digital and analogue (ensure digital switching noise cant corrupt the analogue) all sealed behind aluminum: I wonder if the Holo could benefit by have its PS modded along these lines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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