HoloAudio Cyan 2 non oversampling ladder converter
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- HoloAudio is known for their R2R DACs. The Cyan 2 is targeted at those with a tighter budget but with HoloAudio desires. It uses the same conversion techniques as the higher priced versions. I bought one for my setups 2a and 1b!!!
Contents of this video
00:00 - Intro
00:23 - Start of program
00:53 - How to be used
02:30 - The front
03:43 - The rear
04:49 - The inside
07:16 - The converter
10:22 - I²S cs AES 3
11:59 - In use
12:22 - How tested # 1
13:19 - Sound quality # 1
13:45 - How tested #2
14:33 - Sound quality #2
15:20 - The wrap
Relevant videos:
Connecting your DAC #2: how digital can go wrong: • 016 Connecting your DA...
Playlist DAC’s € 1,000 - 2,000: • DAC € 1,000 - € 2,000
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We are living in a hifi time when one can build a superb system for under $5K USD. When you include the DIY world, the price of excellence is even lower. I am 61, and there has never been a better time to be in the hifi hobby than now. Yes, there is an ongoing explosion of uber expensive gear, much to the chagrin of my better half, but there has been an even bigger explosion of high-quality budget gear.
I'm 75 and I entirely agree
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Very well said, 1000% agree
Most Sensible comment I’ve read in audio for YEARS 🤩🤩🤩
Yup, same here & it's very true. Loving building my new chain these days!.
Thank you for yet another great review Hans.
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Great to hear, thank you for this Hans. Much appreciated
My pleasure!
I recently got the Audio-GD R1-NOS and I am completely happy and content. I definitely would have gotten this Cyan 2 but I got a terrific price.
This is the perfect video for anyone looking to get this unit or simply curious. You will not get a more analytic and beautiful presentation anywhere; very easy to understand. Well done.
At least not for this money. Thanks for sharing.
Great video, Hans. I had the Holo Audio May KTA for some time in my system, and I still think it's one of the best Dacs made by anybody for its price.
I could clearly tell by your facial expressions you were very impressed with this Dac.
Once again great video keep it up.🙂🎧👍
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EXCELLENT REVIEW!
Thank you kindly!
Another great video! thank you! I had the Holo Audio Spring 2 Level 2 for a while….with the Magna Mano Ultra mk3 and audio note cdt ii/2 as sources. It sounded very nice but for some reason I felt the sound was somehow boring. I ve traded it for the Merason Ferrot with matching power supply unit after your review. It has given me hours and hours of enjoyment. Really love it. Sound is really subjective and once we reach a level of high quality personal tastes matter :-)
Thanks for sharing!
Great review, Hans, you kept us waiting for the “drop”! My cousin has a May Kitsune in his high end system which sounds wonderful, so good to know how highly you rated this no frills/no compromise version. Added to wishlist. Hope all is well with you 🙏🏽
PS I keep meaning to say how much I love the theme music you use on your channel - it’s so comforting.
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Vau, what a great DAC. Just received, straight out a box with Wiim Pro Plus as a source and little Fosis ZA3 in mono config this plays incredible. Everything is clear, bass has punch, no harshness at all, black background, plenty of power. Thank you Hans for the great review! p.s. After burnin period it goes into tube amp config and its time for streamer upgrade.
😄Enjoy the music
Another Masterpiece! Thanks! 👏
Thanks again!
Simplicity & high quality & value for money. I like that a lot
Me too
Thanks Hans. This DAC, when it was released a few months ago, appeared to be a solid DAC for a very reasonable price. Unfortunately very few reviews were published in the public domain, which could be a concern (because many reviewers - quite understandably actually - prefer not to talk about products that they aren't very enthousiastic about). Glad you filled the gap, and confirmed the idea that it is a solid DAC - certainly on my list to check out.
I would certainly do that.
I bought the Cyan 2 about a month ago to use with the DMP A6 streamer and I am blown away!
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Hans U R DA MAN‼️ Thanks for a great review‼️ This sounds like a better choice over the Denafrips Pontus II
Great review! I like the minimalist approach to overall design. It looks like a very good price-quality ratio DAC.
It really is! I bought it ….
I assume that Cyan 2 will have permanent place in your setup 2a, thus replacing Denafrips Ares.
Thanks for all your videos. Think I will get this one as per your advice.
I always wonder seems all to well trade-offs:
sibilance, digital glare ,listening fatigue and lack of bass/lower clarity - Most seem to be immune to it.
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Thank you Hans! I ordered one two days from KitsuneHiFi. Hope to receive it 4-6 weeks.
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Amazing breakdown as always I expect the highest quality from this channel. I hope you can do a review on topping DX9 pro anniversary edition its is quite impressive but would love your perspective on it. I think the ladder Bach pre amp would compliment this dac
I'll see
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thanks Hans much appreciated
So glad there is another review for this DAC! Am considering it, but wondering how you feel of this vs the Holo Audio Spring? Thanks!
I could not do a direct comparison so I can't say for sure. When I reviewed the Holo May, my reference setup was different.
this is a beautiful DAC, I bought it because of your review.
For the first time in my life I 'feel' music again. But only after using it with a (galvanic isolated) I2s output streamer with good quality clocks.
resolution / freq is beautiful to the ears,
timing is beautiful to the brain
Enjoy the music 😊
May I ask what quality Streamer you use?
@@klausfreis7202 matrix element S streamer (+Cayin SC6-LS mkII tube preamp)
for USB the combination works 100%
for I2s it works, but if you change from DSD format there's a very, very little 'click' everytime you switch between songs. Also you have to switch I2s port definition A to D if you want to switch between PCM and DSD. This has to do with the streamer, not with the DAC
Bombshell!
perhaps the biggest ever
Great review, thanks. I suggest listening to it using HQPlayer oversampling and see how it changes :)
I don't use HQ player.
Another well thought out great review. I do get confused with your system's 1A and 1B --- Is 1B your top system? Thank you.
That is correct. See ua-cam.com/video/eteBdwChp5g/v-deo.html for more on my reference setups. You find this link in the description of every video. I make. Just clock more....
Thank you so much for an incredibly detailed review. I am currently waiting for a Gustard R26 and am curious how this one would compare to it.
I have not reviewed the Gustard so I can't say.
Thanks!
Thanks for your support
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel - I thank you because your honesty and guidance gave me the knowledge I needed to buy a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, S-Booster linear power supply, Bluesound Node and last but not least, a Holo Cyan 2. Thank you Hans!
No need to reply!
Very nice review Hans! Thanks.
As a happy owner of an Hegel h160 + Totem forest speakers, I'm wondering if adding this dac would bring significant benefits, or if I should upgrade the amp or speakers first.
Thanks!
I don't know the Hegel since Hegel don't want me to review their equipment. But I think you will be pleasantly surprised by this DAC. I bought one immediately.
Thank you so much for this great review. I curently have a Denafrips Pontus II. Do you think this DAC could be an upgrade?
I could not do a direct comparison so I can't say for sure. When I reviewed the Holo May, my reference setup was different.
Thank you for the review, sir! As one who reviewed the Denafrips Ares 12th, which one do you prefer? Thanks again!
I could not do a direct comparison so I can't say for sure. When I reviewed the Holo May, my reference setup was different.
Thank you, Mr. Beekhuyzen!
P.S. What is your opinion of the iFi Phantom. Mine arrived just this afternoon and I was BITTERLY disappointed by the build quality (it's made in China).
I have not reviewed the iFi Phantom so I can’t say
I have been wanting for this review. Thanks. I wish you compared it to Denefrips Pontus II. I am deciding on which one to go for. Any advice?
Yes, watch and compare my two reviews.
Hi Hans and thanks for the detailed presentation I 'd like to know which one is your preference between this Holo and the Denafrips Ares 12th-1 Thanks in advance
My personal preference is the HoloAudio. I bought it. But you might think different. Seed my reviews.
Thank you for the very detailed review on this DAC, seems like a very interesting option. Do you think it would be an upgrade to the internal DAC of my Eversolo A8? (assuming the rest of my components are up to the task). I would connect the A8 to the Cyan via IIS.
Absolutely!
Pre-ordered as NOS-DAC concept approach test. Really curious, if it can compete with the advanced praise in my chain (Rose RS150, McI MA12000, Monitor Audio PL500II)
Please report back...
Han great review. How close is this unit to the sound of the Holo May?
I could not do a direct comparison so I can't say for sure. When I reviewed the Holo May, my reference setup was different.
Dank je voor je informatieve videos. I own a Mytek Brooklyn and last summer I had the privelege to get a demo at Magna Hifi of the Magna Mano iii and Holo Spring 3 Level. I love the Spring, but I bought the Mano iii because that gave the biggest improvement for the money. I planned to buy a Ferrum Hypsos for the Mytek this year, but your review of the Cyan 2 makes me reconsider my plan. My guess is that the Cyan 2 has better tone/timbre than the Mytek. But what about detail retrieval and dynamics (because that's what I like about the Mytek)? Is the Mano iii + Cyan 2 as detailed and dynamic as the Mano iii + Mytek + Hypsos?
I replaced the Brooklyn/ Hypsos combo with the Cyan 2.
Thanks again Hans. Hopefully I can check this one out down here in Australia. It looks like the usual high quality Holo Audio product. How do you think it compares with its higher priced sibling the Spring 3 Cheers.
I have not reviewed the Spring 3 so I can't say.
Another great video.
Would you be testing the Holo Red digitale transport as well?
Perhaps (no promise)
I could not get a definite answer as to whether using Holo Red as DDC and IIS output into Cyan 2 would better the sound experience than using the USB from my Mac Mini M2 & Android tablet. In your opinion, is this a good idea (with the option of using Red in future for streaming) to invest in a DDC like the Holo Red?
Another great review Hans, have you tried the Holo Audio Red? I wondered how it compares to the Magna Mano.
No, haven’t. I did review the Denafrips Arce.
Thanks for the very quick reply. I will look up the Arce review.
In the market for a DAC like this but have no I^S or usb connection at the moment. Wish to connect a cd transport. The other option is the Merason Frerrot. Would like to compare these two for SQ. But you say to address this in future, I.e. SQ via SPDiF, looking forward. Thanks for you excellent reviews!
Why not use SPDIF. Ik the cd player isn’t top bad, you’ll be surprised
I agree. You should have no problem getting good sound using a 75 ohm SP/DIF connection. Some of the best DAC/Transport combo's ever made use it. However, I can think of 1 option, but its a long shot. Audio Alchemy used to make a CD transport that had an I2S output. If you can find one. The only problem is that its DIN, not HDMI. I assume that you should be able to get an adaptor. If you contact PS Audio or The Cable Company in the US, they could definitely tell you what type of adaptors are available. I believe the EAD T1000 also has a DIN I2S as well, but I know for a fact the AA definitely has it. The upside is that both of the units I just mentioned use the Pioneer stable platter transports. If you've never seen one, the build quality is just unbelievable. If you are going to buy a vintage CD player/Transport, that's the one to get. I also believe that some current production DACs have an AT&T ST type fiber optic connection. Both of the transports I mention above have that option, as well. Its much better than Toslink.
Does the near perfect impulse response shown imply there is no analog output filter? If so, what about output ultrasonics & their effect on amplifiers etc? What's the chance of a Cyan 3 with fancy inputs & outputs removed to reduce cost?
That’s a question for HoloAudio.
Excellent review, thank you Hans. Was the unit well burned in by the time you got it? I see Holo recommends c150 hours. I got mine a week ago and compared to my RME AD2 FS the Cyan 2 is sounding harsh across the frequencies. I’m assuming it will settle with use given how well liked it is proving with many folks - hope so! Still, looks good 😊
I always burn in equipment I review, even when they are not new, I have them playing for 24/7 for several days.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thanks, appreciate the response and will follow that approach.
Thank you Hans for this review! You have the Chord Dave too, right? I guess this Holo Dac should be a class below the chord regarding the price difference. How would you compare the sound of these two Dacs? Thanks!
How come people think you can compare a € 1,400 DAC against a €13,000 DAC and make sense. Can you compare a Honda Civic against a BMW 7 series? The Cyan 2 is a very, very good DAC for the money but where resolution, refinement, stereo image and so on are concerned it's nowhere near a DAVE.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel : Thanks, Hans for your reply! Such questions give a feeling how much difference is between the two dacs. Could you also describe the difference between Cyan 2 an Terminator plus? Thank you!
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel money in audio doesn't mean sound quality. Hence there is nothing against comparing those two. Hope it will help with your bias
Hi Hans, does the "imperfect" linearity in R2R dacs result in the typically reduced bass slam compared to chip-based dacs in the same price class. Also, what is the most affordable chip based dac that perfoms very well in both linearity and the time domain in your experience?
Don't loose your sleep over the linearity, time integrity is far more important. Did you watch the conclusions in the video??
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannelI certainly did, but I have some perfectionist traits and want it all. I also read some user forum comments lately that they prefer the bass slam of good chip Dacs versus many/most R2R dacs. This also came up on A-B dac demo's posted by the hifi reviewer Tharbamar.
Thank you for the review. I have my eye on this the past month. I really wonder how better this performs compared to the Qutest with LPS so I stop using the internal dac of my Hegel H190 ...
I can answer that: got the Hegel h190 connected to this dac and it's clearly a step up. Sold my denafrips Ares 12
I agree.
@@wesselkampen2644 i thank you. I really appreciate the input
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thank you. Keep up the great work work !
I am using the Cyan 2 with my h190 and DMP-A6 as the streamer and its epic!
Great review! I wonder if you like it more than Wandla?
I do
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thank you!
Sorry for a silly question... should I turn off de power when not in use ?...Thanks
It's no silly question! DAC's precision depends largely on how precise the internal clock crystal is. And that depend - amongst other things - on its temperature. For the sound quality it therefore is better to leave the DAC powered on.
Looks like an old Trichord Research DAC, another device which eschewed bells-and-whistles to deliver superior sound.
It doesn’t sound old though
Makes me wish I didn't have my Ares 2 for the desktop!
Well, you have enjoyed that for some time now and that’s worth something too
can turn off the up-sampling?
There is no upsampling
What would be the second best connection under i2s? I have a Cambridge audio cxn-v2 with all the connections except i2s. Or should I just use it without a preamp? I’m new to Dacs and to the audio world. I’m still learning. Does my iPad control the sound if I use the dac by itself? I’m trying to figure all this out. lol. Any help would be appreciated.
Watch ua-cam.com/video/AWM8fOCCVW4/v-deo.html
How do you like the sound vs the Gustard R26?
I haven’t reviewed it so I can’t say.
damn, sounds juicy! I was considering the Ferrum Wandla (with Magna Mano as Streamer), but now I am unsure... Regardless of the price, which one would you prefer?
What do you think.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Mh, I dont know, sry 😬. You showed that insane time residual distribution for the Cyan 2 but then again it is "only" NOS and half the price of the Wandler, which is "a very good value" (Hans Beekhuyzen) already. I have the Hipsos already for the Ferrum Oor.
they are both amazing products…the holo audio seems to offer more for the money but i do prefer the look of the Wandla…sometimes that matters :-)
And so you see why it’s impossible for me to give personal advice
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Sure. I was not asking for advice, but your opinion.
How would you say this compares to the denafrips lineup in similar price range since both are r2r?
I have bought the Holo Audio
Its great to finally see a review of the DAC i bought 2 months prior! Great in depth review and i now know even more about the DAC than i had before. As someone who mostly listen to music on hi-end headphones, the DAC preformed better than i could have imagined. Especially with the Oversampling power this DAC has it can make the sound a lot wider than NOS.
what oversampling????
Thank you for your Cyan 2 testing. I want to buy my first DAC and this one is my first choice. I also look for a good streamer. What do you think about a combination with a WiiM Pro Plus? My HiFi Setup is: Brinkmann Vollverstärker, Ecouton LQL200 loudspeakers, Marantz CD-10. Hartelijk dank!
Just do it ulif.74593!!! My Cyan2 arrived at 8.3.2024 from Magna Hifi. It is the best DAC I have ever heard for 1390 Euros and I heard a lot DACs. Mostly costed 3-5 times more. Burn in 250 -300 hours and you will be very, very satisfied!!!
Next week I will test the WiiM players with this DAC.
I am looking forward to this comparison as my digital source setup needs an upgrade.
Looking forward with notification turned on!
Another great video...congrats sir. I'm thinking about buying a dac. I'm deciding between holo audio cayn2 and chord qutest? Any advice?
I bought the Cyan 2...
I have a few questions about this unit, as I am currently in the market for a new DAC.
1) How does this unit perform input switching?
2) Does it automatically detect the input with an active signal and switch to it?
3) What if multiple inputs are sending an active signal, does the unit switch to the one that most recently became active, or remain on the last active one until its signal stops?
4) Or do I have to physically disconnect and reconnect the input I wish to switch to?
5) Additionally, would it be beneficial to modify this unit by replacing the Coax RCA with a 75 ohm BNC to facilitate digital over a BNC-to-BNC cable from the source?
Thank you.
Did you watch the video? I give answers there. It switches to the input that sees a digital signal coming in. Priority is USB, I²S, AES3. You just switch of the sources that are not used. If you buy a good SPDIF cable from a known manufacturer, RCA might be better than when you modify to BNC.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel My apologies sir, I did watch your video on friday, then briefly skipped through today to double-check that I wasn't asking redundant or answered questions, and must've overshot the section where you explain the input switching. Thank you for your advice.
While looking at other R2R DACs in a similar price range as the Cyan 2, I saw that some of them have a feature simply called "Phase." In their literature, they describe it as a control that helps to actively reconfigure the I2S interface on the DAC to be compatible with unstandardized line order implementation of the I2S interface on the streaming device pinout. Is this feature critical, or redundant?
Phase is usually a switch that reverses the polarity of the music. This is identical to reversing the polarity on both your speakers. Reconfiguring the I²S pinout is another. It makes non the standard I²S HDMI of RJ45 connection work with equipment with a different pinout. As long as there is sound coming from the DAC, this is redundant.
Hello Hans, since two weeks I have my new Cyan 2 and I’m very happy with it. Coming from the bluesound node 2i my system is of a new level now. I was wondering one thing for USB usage, in the May and the Spring we can clearly see quality clocks from Crystek. In the Cyan 2 I never managed to see any of them or similar, on photos on internet. Would you have seen something inside yours? What clocks are used inside the Cyan 2 for for clocking incoming USB signals? Thank you very much
I don't know and I don't care. It sounds great so they must have good clock practice and a good clock oscillator. Don't make conclusions based on components. The way they are used is far more important.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thank you.
Is RCA better at transporting digital signal than Toslink?
Basically yes.
Question I have not found answer about ….
This DAC has or not oversampling mode and capabilities like more expensive brothers from that brand?
It has no oversampling
Would this DAC benifit from a DDC converting USB input to I2S? I use a DAP as my source, the USB output is converted to I2S by the inexpensive Douk Audio U2 PRO XMOS XU208 Digital Interface. The I2S signal is fed to my DAC. This seems to enhance the tone and timbre of my sound. The caveat is that I had to open the I2S config on my DAC to swap the left and right channels to conform to signal from the DDC.
I don't have any experience with the Doug Audio, so I can't say.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel How about in general circumstances, do you think using a DDC to convert a USB signal to I2S as input to the Cyan 2 would have a positive effect on the sound output?
There couldn’t be a better reviewer to know more about the new Cyan 2, thank you very much Hans. I was wondering, is the soundstage depth good on this Dac? I’m looking for a Dac able to reproduce that. Thanks
Yes, it is
Hans, with your expertise ar'nt you tempted to bypass those TI 1612 opamps and use something else like tubes or a discrete circuit?
No
HoloAudio - Red -. Think the Cyan 2 could benefit?
I have not reviewed the Red so I can’t say
This is a non over sampling filterless DAC right? Shouldn’t the high amounts of aliasing cause audible artefacts that degrade sound quality?
It has an analogue reconstruction filter
As someone who always recommends Iinear power supplies, why don't you connect this device to a power unit in your setup?
I don’t always advise linear power supplies. See my review of the Volumio Motivo.
"Almost free of sibilance", now I'm scared
And so you should be😄
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Is there any dacs that don't suffer from this?
Under 3k ?
It’s not just the DAC, it’s also the digital source. What I now use in setup 1b - the Magna Mano Ultra mk III with HoloAudio Cyan 2 is the best I found. And it is just under € 3k.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you much for your replies. 🇨🇦
With setup 1b there is no sibilance?
Has been a major turn-off for digital. Most pretend they don't hear it. or Maybe I'm crazy but I still hear it.
No but it is rather good
These are made in China yes? I noticed that although you had the top off you didnt comment on the quality of components except for the toroidal. My concern apart from the moral one of supporting the CCP over ones own countrymen is that it may work well now but for how long? And yes Im well aware that its no longer possible not to source every part outside china however its still better for your own economy if a product is assembled in house using some local labour and some sourced parts as the wages taxes etc then benefitt the local economy.
Did you use a device that wasn’t manufactured in China to type this comment?
I am a tech journalist and judge the quality of audio equipment. For Geopolitics you have to be elsewhere.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannelexcellent response