Thanks. Another excellent review. The switching issue would rule me out as a buyer and I think the marketing issue you hinted at is the reason but they took it too far. As someone who functionally speaks one language, I continue to be impressed with your outstanding command of the English language, vocabulary and your ability to express these nuanced concepts in understandable terms. It is impressive.
Ive owned it for several weeks and never had a problem with the switching. As long as everything else is off whatevers turned on switches instantaneously. The only extra thing i have to do now is unplug the 10 cent power adapter to my pi hat ddc when i switch to watch tv a couple times a week
Agreed. Srboljub's mastery of the English language is fantastic and indeed very nuanced for a non native as pointed out above. Much appreciated. I hope your channel continues to grow as you occupy a space online between the head-fi users and the speaker contingent that needs the kind of detailed descriptions you provide so very eloquently. I've enjoyed all your reviews since I found you. Much success. Now back to business. My issue is the same as @fletchermunson6225's with the potential switching issue caused by my Lumin X1 Mini being on all the time and hooked up via the USB port. A no go for me there as I often run my CD player through the DAC to maximize it's output as well.
About two yrs ago i purchased Ladder Schumann dac based in large part to your excellent review...two yrs later I am still smiling...my focus these days is mostly about the music as opposed to the equipment...thank you
Great review IIWI. I'm actually saving up for the Cyan II. Your illumination of it's switching shortcomings has given me pause for thought. Exactly what a review should do. Cheers.
First, great review. As an early adopter of the HoloAudio Cyan 2, I can confirm that your review is spot on. One thing to note: it really needs a long burn-in time. I was never a big believer in extended burn-in periods, but in the case of the Cyan 2 (500+ hours), the tonality really changed for the better. In the end, I did not include the Cyan 2 in my main system (PMC Prodigy5 and Exposure 3010S2). Surprisingly, the Teac UD-505X in that combination is a superior product (price is the same as the Cyan 2), but the feature set is incomparable. If you have a chance, I cannot recommend the Teac UD-505X enough. I can only say that I'm extremely happy to have the Cyan 2 in my secondary system (Rega Elex MK4 and Revel M16). The song that showcases the high-end difference for me is the beginning of "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth." The synth is so zesty and buzzy on the Teac UD-505X, but when I listen to Christian Scott's "Videotape," you can really hear the placement of the marble bouncing with the Cyan 2 better. For me personally, the Teac UD-505X was an unbelievable value. Greetings from a long-time fan from Zagreb.
I don't own the Cyan 2 but have owned the LAIV Harmony for just over 30 days and agree that burn-in is a thing, especially with these higher performing DACs. My Harmony sounds noticeably better now than it did 30 days ago.
Woot! I am so glad to see your review of the Cyan 2. I have had mine for about 1.5 weeks now, and so far I'm fascinated with the differences to my (very beloved) Topping D70s. This is my first R2R dac so I can't compare it to any of its brethren, but compared to the Topping, I am now starting to get a sense of that sound stage depth that is so often mentioned, for which I never had any reference. Interestingly, I find the Cyan sounds somehow "brighter", as well as less forward, and at first listening it sounded "thinner" to me somehow. But after spending more time with it, I think this is mostly due to how the instruments are spaced out now, instead of all mashed together (which indeed, sounds "thick"). I did some A/B switching and the Topping does sound "meatier" but it only takes a split second to realize that it's also quite a bit mushier, and I think the bass is a bit accentuated which I am finding really does detract from the beauty of the midrange. The Cyan has plenty of bass but it's more refined and stays in its lane, so to speak. The biggest revelation has been that the dynamics are absolutely nuts, and so far I have not found any examples yet where complex passages fall apart, at all. I have a few key tracks that I always test a new dac against, and with the D/S units I tried, all of them struggled to some extent. This was so consistent I was starting to suspect my speakers or amp may have been to blame, but the Cyan 2 passed these test tracks with flying colors and cannon salutes. I can also affirm the point that this dac handles the spirit of different recordings very "individually", to the extent that intimate tracks sound exceptionally sweet and gentle, while energetic tracks are punchy and more fun than they have a right to be? The points about texture, timbre and realism are all there - drums, especially, are almost a completely new experience such that I've found myself sitting there, mouth hanging open, wondering how on earth I could have missed out on this for so long. I don't know if it matters but for general reference: I am a CD purist so my system is just a flat cd transport -> dac (via coax or optical) -> amp so there is nothing fancy going on here at all, and thankfully the input switching issue is absolutely not something that concerns me. To my ear the Cyan is bringing back the joy of listening to alot of my faves from the 80's which is no small feat, as so much music from that time was light in the lows and sometimes borderline harsh on the high end. The basic qualities of these albums have not changed with the Cyan, but it finally sounds "right" - that is the only way I can describe it. Another commenter called it "nostalgic" and I have to agree. Listening to New Order or vintage Depeche Mode or the Sex Pistols or even early Slayer...I *feel* like I'm back in my high school bedroom. Yes it sounds cleaner on a modern system, but it feels soooo familiar and good and right. Yup, this is audio subjectivity at its worst but I don't care - for me, this is where it's at! Finally I want to compliment you on your ability to develop analogies - from the snickers inflation index to bass response using butt metrics...it kills me, but damn it, it's SPOT ON! Every time :D
Very comprehensive and well said. My experience mirrors yours too. The cyan 2 portrayal of music very different from the gungnir (non MB) dac I used before, more details and clarity as well as powerful yet clear bass from subwoofer. Captivating sound.
@@bobb.9917 Indeed. The first couple of days it sounded a bit rough with some recordings, and with a few tracks the vocals had a very weird nasal/buzzing quality, which is now gone. I made a firm decision to stick it out for a least a week before going back to my old dac for any comparison. I'm not 100% sold on the idea that it "needs" 500 hours (I've seen that figure thrown around a lot), and I do believe there is a component of letting your brain adapt to the different sound, too. In the end I tend to think it's a combination of all things, but whatever, I do get the sense that it's still evolving, which is especially delightful as it sounded pretty damned great in most scenarios from day one.
Thank you so much for your comments. You have just sold this dac to me. I too listen to everything from the eighties, but have an extensive library from 50s to current with 42k songs played on random. I use the Eversolo DMP A6 with Neutron Player installed and convert to DSD 128 using this software. The internal DAC of the A6 has a bigger soundstage and clarity with DSD, but it's still not giving me that wow factor. It sounds like the Holo DAC will give me that. Best regards.
Thanks the review. I just received this DAC and I like the sound out of the box. It is limited in how you use it so it’s not for everyone. I wanted just a new DAC since I use separate components in my system. So far so good.
Bravo Srba odličan osvrt ! As an owner of this device, I couldn't agree more with your assessment. The fantastic sound quality you mentioned is exactly what drew me to this DAC, and I'm continually impressed by the fidelity it delivers. It's refreshing to see a review that accurately captures the incredible performance-to-price ratio of the Holo Cyan 2. Your review has validated my choice and reminded me of how satisfied I am with this purchase. It truly offers an audiophile experience at a price point that's hard to beat. Thanks again for sharing your insights and helping others discover this gem in the audio world.
Great review, he has a way of transcending descriptions. I use to own this DAC and though it sounded great I grew tired quickly with the lack of being able to select the inputs at my discretion. I then got a Denafrips Hermes 12th to use the I2S and I was then able to switch all my digital inputs via the Hermes not to mention the added benefit the signal being re- clocked. In the end I moved both pieces forward and settled on the Laiv Harmony DAC and couldn't be happier but damn that CYAN 2 had the tightest bass I ever heard for Electronic Dance Music, I could swear it was made for this genre alone, absolute killer in this regard. No need to feel short changed in sonics if your budget can't stretch to the HARMONY!
Very comprehensive review, this must have taken many weeks to prepare. I have the Cyan2 in my stereo system and was apprehensive about the lack of selector button, but for my use case it turned out to be not an issues for me at all. I am delighted with the sound quality for the very reasonable price in my stereo set up.
Yes 🐅 This DAC is derived from spring to extreme edition. This was a flagship DAC a couple of years ago from Holo that literally cost me $3000. It’s the DAC to beat right now under 2.5 K even pushing 3K specifically for sound quality and build quality Extra $200 wouldn’t have been asking for much but providing an input selection and may be a tiny screen but there you have it They backed themselves into a corner when targeting a specific price point and I think they squeezed everything they could out of that budget
Thanks for this very thorough review as usual. I have had the Gustard A26, R26, and Cyan2 sitting in a stack for comparison myself via a very revealing Burson Soloist GT, Silver cables, and HiFiMan HE1000SE headphones. The Gustard DACs respond well to some fine tuning where I get meaningful improvements of the sound quality by using the LAN input and with an outboard Aune XC1 clock. The Cyan2 is connected via a Supra Excalibur USB cable. NOS options in DACs is currently all the rage but I can clearly say that with 16/44 files and only NOS available internally, the Cyan2 is a step behind what can be heard with Gustards via their more common internal oversampling. But now we have the ability to upsample externally via the excellent HQ Player app. I feel that this app is now an essential component to any serious playback system. It has elevated the performance of every DAC I have tried it with. So, for users that just want to plug in a USB cable from their PC or digital cable from a CD transport, the limitation of no onboard oversampling of the Cyan2 will place it behind many other DACs on dynamics and detail in the highs. When we use the outboard upsampling of HQ Player, things are much improved. For all DACs. Fine detail is much better. The sound gets wider and deeper with more air and a finer resolution of reverberant decay. For me personally, using outboard upsampling is the only way I would want to listen to the Cyan2. I also agree that I am not an SDM (DSD) person. I don't own any native DSD files and probably never will. None of the music I am interested in was ever released on DSD. Even with the amazing ability of HQ Player to convert PCM files to SDM, I found that it is prohibitively processor intensive to use any of the better sounding modulators and filters. You need a top tier gaming tower with a cutting edge nVidia GPU to stand a chance. And the settings of SDM conversion that I can access produce a sound that leaves me to prefer the highest levels of PCM upsampling. Which I can easily process with my laptop at a fraction of the processor power consumption. Playing the A26 or the Cyan2 with SDM does have a musical presentation. The image is somewhat narrower but further away from the listener and set deeper. Instruments are more organic and solid and pure. But with these limited settings that I can achieve, I find that there is some fine resolution missing. There is less information of hall sound and reverberant decay out to the wider edges that I get from HiRes PCM. SDM smooths over the attack and decay and has slightly less layering and air. I admittedly didn't spend as much time exploring the A26 after I started using HQ Player since I immediately decided I enjoyed the vast, deep and wide layering of the R26 when upsampled to 23/768 with the excellent LNS15 dither and sinc-long filter in HQP. The Cyan2 can run the same filters at 1.5 MHz. Now the comparison is much closer. I listen mainly to Rock and Progressive Metal but also do comparisons using hires audiophile recordings. When switching back from these maxed out PCM settings to the SDM conversion that I can accomplish with my gaming laptop, which is no slouch, one word always seemed to pop into my head.... Boring. The SDM is slightly more robust and meaty but is narower and smoother. Some of the fine detail and excitement in the timing is lost. Which brings me to the Gustard R26 vs the Holo Cyan2. With the maxed out external PCM upsampling via a dialed in LAN and external clock, the admitedly now much more expensive R26 stack has deeper layering and better portrayal of reverberant decay out to wider edges. The Cyan2 is slightly cleaner and sharper focused, but doesn't reveal quite as much air and space as the Gustard. All in all, The Holo Cyan2 at $1330 shipped is a great value if you can play it with outboard upsampling in Roon or HQ Player, etc. And if like me, you can run it on a single input or plug and unplug cables. But in a months long head to head with my R26, I have decided to sell the Cyan2. And lust after the new Gustard X30 or R30 when it comes out.
@@vagomaniac Without external upsampling, the NonOverSampling only Cyan2 didn't impress me. In NOS mode it is too polite and small, lacking the explosive dynamics that I crave. It is not just a lack of extension in the highs. There is also a lack of resolution in NOS mode. With HQ Player doing outboard upsampling, The A26, R26, and Cyan2 are actually very close. If you have a dedicated $2000 gaming computer with nVidia 4070 graphics card or better, you can send the best conversion to SDM to the Cyan2 with the DAC specific correction pipeline enabled which will push it ahead of the other DACs. Maximum HQP settings for PCM are much easier on processor power which I can do on my new laptop. At which point, as I said, all three DACs are very close and I have decided to use the R26 for now until I can sell some things to make way for an X30 or the upcoming R30.
I agree I also have a Gustard R26 and a Cyan 2. If they are used with no over-sampling with PCM, the R26 is better. With HQPlayer they are maybe equal for PCM. With DSD and HQPlayer the Cyan 2 is better.
thanks for commenting on this dac's dsd performance. most youtube dac reviewers completely ignore discussion on dsd. some dac manufacturers make it very hard to find out whether their dac is true native dac or just DoP.
it seems that brands are introducing details to the r2r architecture, interesting... was the public complaining about detail retrieval on r2r's...one day I hope I will be able to experience gear at this budget range...thank you as always.
YES!!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! I was waiting for this before I made my buying decision between the Holo Cyan 2 the Denafrips Ares 15th (their newest)...... these two are so close in price, without a direct comparison, and not being able to use my own ears, it's very difficult reading separate reviews fro different people. again THANKS!!!!
@@jeff3575davison ill go with cyan 2. It has Nostalgic sound. But still depends on what you going to pair it to, it varies with amp and speakers. Ive tried it with eversolo dmp a8 as my streamer and as a preamp. To Cyan 2 to Cambridge cxa81 to outlaw x7000 using 2 channels that made it bolder, if its just the Cambridge cxa81 alone not using external am outlaw its has a bit more synergy in highs. My speakers that i like to pair it with is my wharfedale d225. With q acoustic 5020 voice is more forward, with my elac unifi its neutral, with my q acoustic 3030i its more bass.
Excellent review! Informative and well described audio effects per DAC. I have the LAiV and was stunned at the resolution and soundstage. It definitely competes with more expensive DACs. I ordered a Holo Cyan 2 a couple of weeks back, which I am sure I will do a bit of comparative testing, but Cyan will be used in a different system with hot rodded Sourcepoint 8’s. Thank you for the insight!
You are really the best in describing all the sonic differences... or we just have the same hearing 🤷🏻♂️😬 I'm using the SPRING 3 here and can totally agree to all you said about upsampling from PCM to DSD... I also prefer the roughness of PCM as it is 👍🏼 The comparison with the other DACs is also pinpoint accurate, I've also tested most of them and stayed with my SPRING 3 🙋🏻♂️ As a next step you really have to try the AUVA EQs under the DACs👌🏼
Not in my setup, but I heard the CYAN 2 in another setup and the sonic signature is very similar. I would say there is more texture in the bass and a little bit more refinement in the treble, but really hard to compare to another setup. If you need more features and the option for an integrated preamp (which is very linear and neutral), then get the Spring 3. Mine is Level2 and not KTE☝🏼
As always an excellent review that will help people make purchase choices I use an Inday DA4X-R - 4x1 SPDIF Digital Audio Switcher which has a remote with this and a high quality USB to SPDIF converter so I can run four sources in and switch between them. I have zero problem dedicating it to a single source as well in my streamer stack. Either way I am content with the Cyan 2 and consider it to be a good value I have my eye on a multi-bit tube out DAC for my tube stack to hasten the dedication of the Cyan 2 to a single source
I only need a dac for my 2 channel system, so the Cyan 2 is hooked up to my Innuos Zen Mini Mk III. I think there are a lot of people who are buying these. Maybe the best sub-2k dac of 2024.
I agree. Dealbreaker for many. For me it is an inconvenience with a workaround though. I feed multiple sources to my streamer, then i2s to the Cyan. Source selection is done on the streamer. But it is still a less-than-perfect workaround.
@@dtdcampbell I am using the Eversolo DMP-A8 as a streamer outputting USB to the Cyan 2, but probably much better stand-alone streamers at or below its price. And that would be a better fit for Cyan. The Cyan's USB input is galvanically isolated, so that should limit the need for an expensive streamer - if you use USB output. I went with Eversolo because of the native Apple Music app. I use that and Qobuz, but tried to get one that worked with Apple Music. If I ditch Apple Music I would get something better or equal sound quality, but less expensive. A8 is overkill on features, but I went with it over the A6 base model for the better clocks, and over the A6 Master for the linear power supply and i2s output. But it turns out that USB output from the A8 is much better than i2S going into the Cyan, but your mileage may vary. Would love to try an A6 base usb out to see if it is same SQ.
@@pmdennis is it though? My understanding is that on many dacs, and especially on the Cyan 2, I2s is superior to other inputs, so since you have that option, using it for everything should be a best case scenario regardless of the fact that switching is simplfified? Obvs if one feels compelled to get a second unit to fix the switching problem - that's really not good.
Helpful, added value, entertaining, info rich. With one word: great. Combining your review with BA's and HB's, for my use case the Cyan 2 would be the clear winner.
I really enjoyed your take on the Holo DAC, and applaud all the comparisons you used to arrive at your conclusions. No one can complain about a lack of effort or preparation on your part, and explains why the review was so thorough. You are on a roll with products which sound great and don't require a second mortgage to purchase. Three cheers!
I love that you used a metaphor of a person's butt for the bass sound. That should become a recurring feature! I considered the Cyan 2 and the Laiv Harmony earlier this year, and went with the Laiv due to the input selection and OS option, just as you pointed out. I emailed Kitsune to get a better understanding of how the auto-switching would work. The gentleman explained and then suggested that the Cyan 2 is meant to be more of a desktop DAC where input selection is less frequent, rather than the DAC in a main hifi setup.
The Cyan 2 has been around for a while but your video finally helped my itchy fingers click on the checkout button. First impressions, I don't regret it at all, it is technically superior in many ways to my twice more expensive Audio-gd R7 (2020). Better clarity, transparency, low level resolution of detail and that palpable 'thereness' of performers that I've been looking for, for quite a while - that is, when comparing the Cyan 2's true NOS mode to the R7's pseudo NOS mode. I'm yet to compare it to the native 8x OS of the R7 but I already know that I prefer the NOS sound anyway.
Another great review, I really appreciate the effort to highlight the tonal nuances. At this level of fidelity the differences between DACs can often come down to component matching so talking about that is also very helpful. I’d love to hear to what it would sound like with a set of Magnepans and their amazing ability to recreate soundstage depth.
Wonderful review and comparisons! I have been using my Cyan 2 for two months and everything you mentioned is spot on. I am using it with a Bluesound Node and a Roon Core on a Mac Mini M1 with a 1 TB SSD with ripped CD FLAC files and some DSD files. I run Tidal and Qobuz. Yes the digital input selection is a mild pain in the butt, however, I power up the streamer on a separate power strip that also powers my tube phono preamp. I turn off the streamer when I use my Audiolab 6000cdt CD transport with a glass Toslink cable to the Cyan 2. When using Roon the FLAC files are up sampled to 192 kHz. I am going to swap out the Bluesound Node with the Holo Audio RED streamer/DDC. I haven’t received the Red yet but after reading and watching reviews I think I’ll have better integration with my Roon Core connected to a Mac Mini M1 via a CAT6 Ethernet cable. The Red is a Roon bridge whereas the Node is a Roon ready device. With the Node you can go up to 24/196 if I remember correctly but cannot play DSD files as they are then converted to PCM via Roon. With the Red I’m hoping for a minor improvement in soundstage, automatic updates from Roon via the Red and the ability to play DSD files and see it displayed on the Cyan 2. Again thanks for confirming the Cyan 2 is a good buy and a great DAC with a few digital hiccups. No problem for me as my digital side is now more wonderful than my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. The Mytek is my goto headphone DAC.
Fully agree with this description of PCM to DSD conversion. Tried using Roon to do conversion to dsd 512 for a while. The thing to try listening to with DSD conversion to get to this description in 1 min is the Doom Ethernal soundtrack by Mick Gordon. All the aggressiveness is sucked out and you lose the impact. If PCM is too harsh you need to change something else in the system and not convert it.
The Cyan 2 is only a bit better if you use HQPlayer for upsampling PCM and DSD. If your not the R26 is a better sounding dac in my opinion. I have both.
Do you think you will get a chance to compare it to the pegasus 2 and pontus 15th. With one beeing in the price range and the other just above the 2k sound limit you mentioned😅 Thanks for your great work!
Great review as always. Curious how it is compared with Chord Qutest? I am primarily interested in know which DAC is better for listening classical music, more complicated instrument playing music. Thank you.
Srboljub, I have had the cyan2 for about 3 months now, and must admit I was nervous when I saw that you had reviewed it. My nerves were calmed when I heard your verdict! Thank you for recognizing this brilliant Dac. Now my problem is getting a streamer (preferably without a Dac but with i2s) that will allow me to leverage the cyan’s potential to its fullest. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
I would suggest you to check out Holo Audio Red. I think it gives best bang for buck and it's jitter performance is outstanding. I hope that Srboljub will be testing it in the near future. Hope this helps.
Fantastic sonic descriptions (as usual) - Brilliant review. Thank you. I’m guessing that if this DAC is as good as you and everyone else says it won’t be long before someone comes out with a reasonably priced way to modify it, to add input selection capability to it. I can think of some ways to approach that, but of course they would all void your warranty so will see whether Holo Audio do something about that first, or it is the audio community who make it a priority to find a solution instead 👍
I was waiting for you to review this Dac. Sounds like a winner. I use HQ Player and I am looking forward to trying these two together. Thanks for the great review!
I have this dac and I don't think you'll find it a good combination. It's amazing what the DAC does but it doesn't do well with high sample rates. Stick to the original file rate and it's great. Being a NOS DAC, there's no digital filters so all the reconstruction has to be done by the analogue section. The higher you go, it gets exponentially harder. I have 0 regrets, I would only trade it for a May DAC but I stopped using any form of oversampling and I don't miss it at all :D
@@eugenefudge3685 there aren't many true NOS Dacs and it seems like it's a minority of people that prefer them. So chances are you might be better off with the r26 :)
@@renatomorais8136 I have the cyan 2 as well, and have found if the source is high quality it will sound exceptional, higher sampling rate does not always equate to sound quality. I found the cyan 2 sound to vary significantly based on source input quality.
@@renatomorais8136 Same for me! I use the Cyan2 with a Magna Mano MkIII. I experimented quite a lot with software, upsampling, and AES/HDMI cables. I ended up using piCorePlayer, a Grimm AES cable, and ditched HQPlayer and upsampling.
Great review but when thinking that the final outcome also is highly influenced by the choice of preamp/amp + speakers (and even cabling) the (small) differences can be either beneficial or not depending on your system. Of course it´s nice to have some kind of ´reference´ comparing them in the same system but in the end perception may vary strongly in your own system. Life was simpler before the dac era 😅luckely I don´t like the copper look 🙃
I agree with you. I think that a good approach building a new system is to start with a modest DAC, focus on the speakers and amp(s), and source. Then if everything is set, choose a DAC to get this last bit of perfection.
I don't think the absence of a button is such a big deal. At least not for me, because I never have two devices on at the same time... for example, if I'm listening to a streamer, the cd transport is turned off and vice versa... I think it's even fine, because it's very spartan about it... in the style of less is more, of course except in the sound where it shines, which is what it was built for. Congratulations on this review👌.
Thank you for this review! I have been using Cyan 2 since March this year and just pair it with good quality streamer, and you have a high-quality digital source that even analog purist will have anything to complain about. I have paired it with Ian Canada Streamer with upgraded oscillators to SC-Pure. Just feed him and smile...😊
Thanks.the best review on Cyan 2 so far. I use Cyan 2 as a preamp with HQPLayer volume. Hands down beats my Freya + with very good tubes. Also, poly-sinc-gauss-xl gives you better dynamics with DSD and more details. Vocals are not as rich as many others though.
Hey Srboljub. I have to agree about the input situation. I have an Ares and was curious about Holo. Couldn't afford the higher models, and started looking at the Cyan. When I realized about how it worked, I contacted Holo for confirmation. It is surely one of the poorest design decisions I have ever seen, and made the Cyan a complete non-starter for me. I'm just glad I investigated it first. I believe in leaving much of my solid state stuff on 24/7. This would create a ridiculous situation to me. Fortunately, it all worked out to my benefit. I found a Spring 1 KTE complete with a SU-1 KTE thrown in for the same price as the Cyan. OK, so there's a nick on the faceplate; but, the device is simply extraordinary.
Speaking of wind instruments, I listened today to the song "Waking State" on Anouar Brahem's album The Astounding Eyes of Rita - the bass clarinet is sublime. The textures and body of the sound and 3D space - is simply wonderful. Actually, the whole song is - the soft finger touches by the tabla player as well as the "pop" of the louder hits, and the whole sound of the oud, the harmonics played on the bass guitar, and Brahem's "skat singing" - all of it is spine-tingling and thrilling to hear. This is with my Geshelli Labs Dayzee - I have it with a wood and aluminum case, so $1300. I have a good LPS, and upgrading the op-amps to Sparkos SS2590 added $360. It would be nice to know if the NOS mode on the Ares 15th is actually non-oversampling? The Ares II, it apparently was actually using oversampling and filtering. I have been curious about the Cyan 2, and the LAiV Harmony - and the R26, for that matter. Thank you for comparing them all - this really helps me get a feel for where various DACs "fit" in among the options.
How about connecting the optical to the streamer? For me, having optimal sound from TV doesn’t matter as much. So a) I can switch the inputs on the streamer to RCA out on the streamer when I’m watching TV or b) TV > streamer > Cyan > amp
Have you tried the DAC correction profile for cyan2 in HQPlayer? Highly recommended, raises the DAC to a higher level, in PCM and DSD. Because of the high computing power required, I had to switch back from DSD512 to DSD256, but it's still a clear gain. HQPlayer transforms Holo DACs like my May in an impressive way.
I bought the Cyan based on your review (Thanks!) and it should arrive in a few weeks. I am really tempted at getting the LTA Aero DAC, though. I currently use the Gustard R26. I'm looking for a DAC to add richness, improve bass quality, and take the treble energy down a notch. Think the Cyan will pull all that off? Thanks.
Another detailed balanced review , thankyou. I would like a review to understand how these , but especially this one, dacs would improve , or not, the sound of a rated dac/streamer like an Eversolo DMP A8. Keep up the excellent work.
@user-iu6bl2on2y Agreed. I use the Eversolo A8 usb out to the Cyan 2 and it sounds exactly as iiWi describes this review. To me the Cyan is a bit more 3D, a bit more clear, a bit more true to life. But what I notice most is the better separation between instruments. The precision of instrument placement, and silence between them is uncanny on the Cyan vs the A8 and also vs Chord Mojo 2. But differences are not night and day. Plus the issue with the A8 to Cyan is that only the internal player on the A8 outputs to usb. None of the inputs on the A8 will output to USB. They will output to i2s, but Eversolo and Holo i2s do not use the same i2s wiring pattern. I rewired my own HDMI cable that works with no issues, but makes the Cyan sound much closer to the A8 dac.
Thanks for another good review. Have a Holo Cyan 2 fed by a Holo Red streamer/ddc through i2s. You are right that when I switch between usb and lan input in Red, it takes a minute. Love the sound from my fanless PC running over usb through Red ddc with 384 khz. Alan Blumlein invented stereo sound for the "screen". The sound image has never been better at that price.
Did you ever test and notice any sound quality difference between i2s and usb inputs on the Cyan. It likely depends on the source, so I expect no difference using the Red. Feeding the Cyan from an Eversolo A8, the USB sounded noticeably better. The SQ from the USB on the Cyan aligns with iiwi’s review, but not if fed from i2s. That is probably an A8 issue.
I think you should use ddc with 352,8 kHz. I use fanless Rpi with USB with volumio making DDC to my Topping D70s mqa and Pre90 preamp. That is w way better to my ear sound than every R2R price no object including tube R2R that I own but prefer this topping. I love delta sigma double AKM, pure magic mids wide and holographic with full bass and precise, liquid like highs.
As always, a very good review!! Describing the differences in sound qualities is so good, thanks a lot! Do you think it is worthy upgrade for my Chord Qutest DAC? From memory of course?
The Cyan2 is a great DAC. I would love it compared to a Schiit Yggy GS+ 2 which uses "multibit" for r2r which a little more money but way more flexible.
The "auto-switching" is a deal-breaker for me. I often have a music server (USB), a TV set (optical) and a CD player (copper coax) simultaneously connected to my DAC and powered up. A selector switch is an essential feature.
After a bunch of reviews from you and some others including the new x30 I am still highly considering the LAiV Harmony. I use the RME ADI-2 PRO FS R BE and have 2 Schiit Gungnir dacs. They say the sound is the same between the RME ADI-2 Dac and the Pro yet my ears gave the Pro as being meatier. Would the Harmony be an improvement or just a lateral move from the RME?
Another great review. Thank you. On an almost completely unrelated note, can you tell me where you purchased the diffusers on the wall behind you? I'm in the market diffusers just like yours.
I'm using the iBasso D16 Taipan with iFi ICAN Pro and ZMF Caldera Closed. Would like to replace the iBasso D16 Taipan. Would the Cyan 2 would be a good choice? Thank you
I'd love to hear this DAC. I've been a R26 user for a while. I recently upgraded the fuse and added the OCK-2 clock and the quality jump has been impressive. I wonder how it would compare to R26 with upgrades. I love that the R26 can be your streamer too. I use it LAN with Tidal Connect.
I too would like to hear a review of the R26 with an OCXO clock, of which I have a relatively inexpensive (c£80) version. I don't have the upgraded fuse for my R26, but have a $200 one (the QSA Yellow) in the plug for my preamp -- and that affects the whole system. Might get the Gustard fuse since it's only £25, hence worth a punt. I also use a DDC for producing the I2S signal for the Gustard. When Srboljub talks about the R26, it isn't exactly the same as in my tweaked setup. Would be very interesting to hear him compare it with the Holo Cyan and Laive Harmony, that's for sure.
Very well arranged product review and comparison with the competition. 👏 One thing I would like to have clarified: is the LAiV Harmony overall an higher tier product soundwise as its higher price tag would require to be or, functionality aspects apart, the sonics differences between the LAiV and the Holo are only down to personal preferences (like in the case of if the soundstage presentation you explained)?
Do you have to reach around the back ti turn it on and off or will it power itself down into standby. Also, from what I understand from your description, usung with Dynaudio Evoke 20 speakers, this should sonically be a better match, as the Evoke 20 are already warm in thr midrange. Thank you for you superb informative video's . New subscriber!.
You have to reach back to power it down, there is no stand by mode. I tend to leave devices like this on all the time. Physically braking the power every day is more stressful for electronics than keeping it on.
@@iiWiReviews Hmm. Something I have not considered doing to be honest. Good point, about stressing electronics. I suppose it makes sense given that WiFi routers etc are always on, and they last for ages. Thank you for your reply. I have been pondering upgrading my dac (currently Eversolo A6 running Neutron Player) into Dynaudio Evoke 20, and I was looking at Gustard R26, but I worry that R26 may be too warm sounding for the Evoke 20. This Holo DAC may be exactly the match I'm looking for. Thank you !!
@@iiWiReviews but the lights!!!! I have a single room/studio apartment and even just the single light saying "I'm on" is way too bright for me, so it goes to bed when I do ;)
Nice! So, to use this as audio output from my PC(not JUST from a music player, but for all PC audio), I can only use PCM? And playing a DSD music file is the only way to utilize the Cyan's DSD feature? Or, how would I use DSD for general PC sound output? I have a Holo Red that I can use as a DDC, for I2S/AES/etc.
Good review. I have this DAC and it's an amazing DAC. I agree with you PCM is better than PCM converted in DSD, I use I2s with native I2s's Red Holo and it's fantastic. Look the fuse used in Back, you'll surprise ; Great stuff.
Fantastic DAC, then buy a fantastic preamp, then buy a fantastic streamer then you are done. Add all these prices and see if it is worth. The Auralic Vega S1 might then be an excellent alternative......may be you could say something about it. I wish you coud review more streamers because they can play a big part of the equation.
I wish you still had the A26 to compare with. I hope Gustard will provide the latest X30Pro in future. I wonder how this DAC compares with the SMSL SU-10 or the Ladder Schumann DAC. I with no selection feature I can’t see how a CD transport’s I2S can be configured to this DAC. Thank you for talking about the sound characteristic of the different file types. I have never heard it explain in such an understandable way before. Speaking of CD players…. can I ask you which device you use and if you can do a review series on different CD transports, please.
First: Thanks for your great videos. relaxed and infomative. Because the dac is a hub for the digital sources, i am prepared to go a bit further in the finances, but the bad thing is, the developments and competition is high in the dac world at the moment. On the other hand , a quality product will still be a quality product after 10 years, and if it suits your system, then it does it's job. maybe even better then a motre expensive one. BTW, I'm very curious what your opinion is on the Sonnet Morpheus mk2 DAC. It is pricy though, +/-3500€.
If anyone knows, couldn't the input switching issue for the TV using optical in be remedied using an ARC/eARC connection on your streamer? (assuming it has one)
No DAC that imposes its own ‘sound’ is a good thing unless you want to compensate for an issue somewhere else in the chain. It will leave a constant imprint. EQ is far more versatile for adjustment
In one video you comprehensively compared 3 of the DACs I have been considering. Thanks for all your insight!
You're welcome. Thanks for your support! 👍
Thanks. Another excellent review. The switching issue would rule me out as a buyer and I think the marketing issue you hinted at is the reason but they took it too far. As someone who functionally speaks one language, I continue to be impressed with your outstanding command of the English language, vocabulary and your ability to express these nuanced concepts in understandable terms. It is impressive.
Ive owned it for several weeks and never had a problem with the switching. As long as everything else is off whatevers turned on switches instantaneously. The only extra thing i have to do now is unplug the 10 cent power adapter to my pi hat ddc when i switch to watch tv a couple times a week
Agreed. Srboljub's mastery of the English language is fantastic and indeed very nuanced for a non native as pointed out above. Much appreciated. I hope your channel continues to grow as you occupy a space online between the head-fi users and the speaker contingent that needs the kind of detailed descriptions you provide so very eloquently. I've enjoyed all your reviews since I found you. Much success. Now back to business. My issue is the same as @fletchermunson6225's with the potential switching issue caused by my Lumin X1 Mini being on all the time and hooked up via the USB port. A no go for me there as I often run my CD player through the DAC to maximize it's output as well.
About two yrs ago i purchased Ladder Schumann dac based in large part to your excellent review...two yrs later I am still smiling...my focus these days is mostly about the music as opposed to the equipment...thank you
Great review IIWI. I'm actually saving up for the Cyan II. Your illumination of it's switching shortcomings has given me pause for thought. Exactly what a review should do. Cheers.
I have this DAC for a month, its has Nostalgic sounding with all my speakers. It feels like im back in time. Warmth controlled and airy.
Thanks for sharing.
How does the Cyan 2 handle poorly mastered tracks ?
Is it forgiving or just makes well mastered tracks sound very good
Thanks
They knew good sound back in the day:)
isn't a Dac supposed to faithfully convert digital to Analogue ?,without equilisation or and frequency phase shifts ?
Fantastic video as always. Such a great job communicating what you hear that speaks to me.
First, great review. As an early adopter of the HoloAudio Cyan 2, I can confirm that your review is spot on. One thing to note: it really needs a long burn-in time. I was never a big believer in extended burn-in periods, but in the case of the Cyan 2 (500+ hours), the tonality really changed for the better.
In the end, I did not include the Cyan 2 in my main system (PMC Prodigy5 and Exposure 3010S2). Surprisingly, the Teac UD-505X in that combination is a superior product (price is the same as the Cyan 2), but the feature set is incomparable. If you have a chance, I cannot recommend the Teac UD-505X enough. I can only say that I'm extremely happy to have the Cyan 2 in my secondary system (Rega Elex MK4 and Revel M16).
The song that showcases the high-end difference for me is the beginning of "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth." The synth is so zesty and buzzy on the Teac UD-505X, but when I listen to Christian Scott's "Videotape," you can really hear the placement of the marble bouncing with the Cyan 2 better. For me personally, the Teac UD-505X was an unbelievable value.
Greetings from a long-time fan from Zagreb.
Hvala ti , Videotape sad svira u mojim slušalicama na opće zadovoljstvo domaćina😅
I don't own the Cyan 2 but have owned the LAIV Harmony for just over 30 days and agree that burn-in is a thing, especially with these higher performing DACs. My Harmony sounds noticeably better now than it did 30 days ago.
Woot! I am so glad to see your review of the Cyan 2. I have had mine for about 1.5 weeks now, and so far I'm fascinated with the differences to my (very beloved) Topping D70s. This is my first R2R dac so I can't compare it to any of its brethren, but compared to the Topping, I am now starting to get a sense of that sound stage depth that is so often mentioned, for which I never had any reference. Interestingly, I find the Cyan sounds somehow "brighter", as well as less forward, and at first listening it sounded "thinner" to me somehow. But after spending more time with it, I think this is mostly due to how the instruments are spaced out now, instead of all mashed together (which indeed, sounds "thick"). I did some A/B switching and the Topping does sound "meatier" but it only takes a split second to realize that it's also quite a bit mushier, and I think the bass is a bit accentuated which I am finding really does detract from the beauty of the midrange. The Cyan has plenty of bass but it's more refined and stays in its lane, so to speak.
The biggest revelation has been that the dynamics are absolutely nuts, and so far I have not found any examples yet where complex passages fall apart, at all. I have a few key tracks that I always test a new dac against, and with the D/S units I tried, all of them struggled to some extent. This was so consistent I was starting to suspect my speakers or amp may have been to blame, but the Cyan 2 passed these test tracks with flying colors and cannon salutes. I can also affirm the point that this dac handles the spirit of different recordings very "individually", to the extent that intimate tracks sound exceptionally sweet and gentle, while energetic tracks are punchy and more fun than they have a right to be? The points about texture, timbre and realism are all there - drums, especially, are almost a completely new experience such that I've found myself sitting there, mouth hanging open, wondering how on earth I could have missed out on this for so long.
I don't know if it matters but for general reference: I am a CD purist so my system is just a flat cd transport -> dac (via coax or optical) -> amp so there is nothing fancy going on here at all, and thankfully the input switching issue is absolutely not something that concerns me. To my ear the Cyan is bringing back the joy of listening to alot of my faves from the 80's which is no small feat, as so much music from that time was light in the lows and sometimes borderline harsh on the high end. The basic qualities of these albums have not changed with the Cyan, but it finally sounds "right" - that is the only way I can describe it. Another commenter called it "nostalgic" and I have to agree. Listening to New Order or vintage Depeche Mode or the Sex Pistols or even early Slayer...I *feel* like I'm back in my high school bedroom. Yes it sounds cleaner on a modern system, but it feels soooo familiar and good and right. Yup, this is audio subjectivity at its worst but I don't care - for me, this is where it's at!
Finally I want to compliment you on your ability to develop analogies - from the snickers inflation index to bass response using butt metrics...it kills me, but damn it, it's SPOT ON! Every time :D
Keep in mind…there may be a break-in period where the should will change…it’s common with R2R DACS.
Very comprehensive and well said. My experience mirrors yours too. The cyan 2 portrayal of music very different from the gungnir (non MB) dac I used before, more details and clarity as well as powerful yet clear bass from subwoofer. Captivating sound.
@@bobb.9917 Indeed. The first couple of days it sounded a bit rough with some recordings, and with a few tracks the vocals had a very weird nasal/buzzing quality, which is now gone. I made a firm decision to stick it out for a least a week before going back to my old dac for any comparison. I'm not 100% sold on the idea that it "needs" 500 hours (I've seen that figure thrown around a lot), and I do believe there is a component of letting your brain adapt to the different sound, too. In the end I tend to think it's a combination of all things, but whatever, I do get the sense that it's still evolving, which is especially delightful as it sounded pretty damned great in most scenarios from day one.
Thank you so much for your comments. You have just sold this dac to me. I too listen to everything from the eighties, but have an extensive library from 50s to current with 42k songs played on random. I use the Eversolo DMP A6 with Neutron Player installed and convert to DSD 128 using this software. The internal DAC of the A6 has a bigger soundstage and clarity with DSD, but it's still not giving me that wow factor.
It sounds like the Holo DAC will give me that.
Best regards.
lisar3944 which cd brand(s) did you use and how do their own dacs sound compared to the Cyan2 ?
Thanks the review. I just received this DAC and I like the sound out of the box. It is limited in how you use it so it’s not for everyone. I wanted just a new DAC since I use separate components in my system. So far so good.
Bravo Srba odličan osvrt !
As an owner of this device, I couldn't agree more with your assessment.
The fantastic sound quality you mentioned is exactly what drew me to this DAC, and I'm continually impressed by the fidelity it delivers. It's refreshing to see a review that accurately captures the incredible performance-to-price ratio of the Holo Cyan 2.
Your review has validated my choice and reminded me of how satisfied I am with this purchase. It truly offers an audiophile experience at a price point that's hard to beat. Thanks again for sharing your insights and helping others discover this gem in the audio world.
what kind of streamer did you use to pair with it?
What did it cost?
@@clarice1001nights $1200
@@clarice1001nights 1380 euro
@@toai2 eversolo dmp- a6
Great review, he has a way of transcending descriptions. I use to own this DAC and though it sounded great I grew tired quickly with the lack of being able to select the inputs at my discretion. I then got a Denafrips Hermes 12th to use the I2S and I was then able to switch all my digital inputs via the Hermes not to mention the added benefit the signal being re- clocked.
In the end I moved both pieces forward and settled on the Laiv Harmony DAC and couldn't be happier but damn that CYAN 2 had the tightest bass I ever heard for Electronic Dance Music, I could swear it was made for this genre alone, absolute killer in this regard.
No need to feel short changed in sonics if your budget can't stretch to the HARMONY!
really appreciate your objective review.... looking forward to your Gustard X30 review
Very comprehensive review, this must have taken many weeks to prepare. I have the Cyan2 in my stereo system and was apprehensive about the lack of selector button, but for my use case it turned out to be not an issues for me at all. I am delighted with the sound quality for the very reasonable price in my stereo set up.
Yes 🐅
This DAC is derived from spring to extreme edition. This was a flagship DAC a couple of years ago from Holo that literally cost me $3000.
It’s the DAC to beat right now under 2.5 K even pushing 3K specifically for sound quality and build quality
Extra $200 wouldn’t have been asking for much but providing an input selection and may be a tiny screen but there you have it
They backed themselves into a corner when targeting a specific price point and I think they squeezed everything they could out of that budget
Thank you so much !
When is the Gustard X30 review ?
Great video thx for your honnests opinions on this dac. Please continue your hard work on reviewing gear with such care.
Thanks for this very thorough review as usual.
I have had the Gustard A26, R26, and Cyan2 sitting in a stack for comparison myself via a very revealing Burson Soloist GT, Silver cables, and HiFiMan HE1000SE headphones. The Gustard DACs respond well to some fine tuning where I get meaningful improvements of the sound quality by using the LAN input and with an outboard Aune XC1 clock. The Cyan2 is connected via a Supra Excalibur USB cable. NOS options in DACs is currently all the rage but I can clearly say that with 16/44 files and only NOS available internally, the Cyan2 is a step behind what can be heard with Gustards via their more common internal oversampling. But now we have the ability to upsample externally via the excellent HQ Player app. I feel that this app is now an essential component to any serious playback system. It has elevated the performance of every DAC I have tried it with.
So, for users that just want to plug in a USB cable from their PC or digital cable from a CD transport, the limitation of no onboard oversampling of the Cyan2 will place it behind many other DACs on dynamics and detail in the highs.
When we use the outboard upsampling of HQ Player, things are much improved. For all DACs. Fine detail is much better. The sound gets wider and deeper with more air and a finer resolution of reverberant decay. For me personally, using outboard upsampling is the only way I would want to listen to the Cyan2. I also agree that I am not an SDM (DSD) person. I don't own any native DSD files and probably never will. None of the music I am interested in was ever released on DSD. Even with the amazing ability of HQ Player to convert PCM files to SDM, I found that it is prohibitively processor intensive to use any of the better sounding modulators and filters. You need a top tier gaming tower with a cutting edge nVidia GPU to stand a chance. And the settings of SDM conversion that I can access produce a sound that leaves me to prefer the highest levels of PCM upsampling. Which I can easily process with my laptop at a fraction of the processor power consumption.
Playing the A26 or the Cyan2 with SDM does have a musical presentation. The image is somewhat narrower but further away from the listener and set deeper. Instruments are more organic and solid and pure. But with these limited settings that I can achieve, I find that there is some fine resolution missing. There is less information of hall sound and reverberant decay out to the wider edges that I get from HiRes PCM. SDM smooths over the attack and decay and has slightly less layering and air.
I admittedly didn't spend as much time exploring the A26 after I started using HQ Player since I immediately decided I enjoyed the vast, deep and wide layering of the R26 when upsampled to 23/768 with the excellent LNS15 dither and sinc-long filter in HQP. The Cyan2 can run the same filters at 1.5 MHz. Now the comparison is much closer. I listen mainly to Rock and Progressive Metal but also do comparisons using hires audiophile recordings. When switching back from these maxed out PCM settings to the SDM conversion that I can accomplish with my gaming laptop, which is no slouch, one word always seemed to pop into my head.... Boring. The SDM is slightly more robust and meaty but is narower and smoother. Some of the fine detail and excitement in the timing is lost.
Which brings me to the Gustard R26 vs the Holo Cyan2. With the maxed out external PCM upsampling via a dialed in LAN and external clock, the admitedly now much more expensive R26 stack has deeper layering and better portrayal of reverberant decay out to wider edges. The Cyan2 is slightly cleaner and sharper focused, but doesn't reveal quite as much air and space as the Gustard.
All in all, The Holo Cyan2 at $1330 shipped is a great value if you can play it with outboard upsampling in Roon or HQ Player, etc. And if like me, you can run it on a single input or plug and unplug cables. But in a months long head to head with my R26, I have decided to sell the Cyan2. And lust after the new Gustard X30 or R30 when it comes out.
Would you say that cyan2 has the same sonic signature in highs with A26? I used a26 and I was ok with its slightly rolled off, treble.
@@vagomaniac Without external upsampling, the NonOverSampling only Cyan2 didn't impress me. In NOS mode it is too polite and small, lacking the explosive dynamics that I crave. It is not just a lack of extension in the highs. There is also a lack of resolution in NOS mode. With HQ Player doing outboard upsampling, The A26, R26, and Cyan2 are actually very close. If you have a dedicated $2000 gaming computer with nVidia 4070 graphics card or better, you can send the best conversion to SDM to the Cyan2 with the DAC specific correction pipeline enabled which will push it ahead of the other DACs. Maximum HQP settings for PCM are much easier on processor power which I can do on my new laptop. At which point, as I said, all three DACs are very close and I have decided to use the R26 for now until I can sell some things to make way for an X30 or the upcoming R30.
@@sendler2112 Thank you very much for your feedback.
Hi Scott , how can a supper gamming computer better my audio system? ( I ended up with one when my CC got hacked and the product came to my house)
I agree I also have a Gustard R26 and a Cyan 2. If they are used with no over-sampling with PCM, the R26 is better. With HQPlayer they are maybe equal for PCM. With DSD and HQPlayer the Cyan 2 is better.
thanks for commenting on this dac's dsd performance. most youtube dac reviewers completely ignore discussion on dsd. some dac manufacturers make it very hard to find out whether their dac is true native dac or just DoP.
Outstanding review! Thank you so much for the comparisons. Your ability to compare is one of the best
it seems that brands are introducing details to the r2r architecture, interesting... was the public complaining about detail retrieval on r2r's...one day I hope I will be able to experience gear at this budget range...thank you as always.
I think, comparing DACs to bottoms was a first, but quite excellent actually. :) Great review.
YES!!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! I was waiting for this before I made my buying decision between the Holo Cyan 2 the Denafrips Ares 15th (their newest)...... these two are so close in price, without a direct comparison, and not being able to use my own ears, it's very difficult reading separate reviews fro different people. again THANKS!!!!
@@jeff3575davison ill go with cyan 2. It has Nostalgic sound. But still depends on what you going to pair it to, it varies with amp and speakers.
Ive tried it with eversolo dmp a8 as my streamer and as a preamp. To Cyan 2 to Cambridge cxa81 to outlaw x7000 using 2 channels that made it bolder, if its just the Cambridge cxa81 alone not using external am outlaw its has a bit more synergy in highs. My speakers that i like to pair it with is my wharfedale d225. With q acoustic 5020 voice is more forward, with my elac unifi its neutral, with my q acoustic 3030i its more bass.
Excellent review! Informative and well described audio effects per DAC. I have the LAiV and was stunned at the resolution and soundstage. It definitely competes with more expensive DACs. I ordered a Holo Cyan 2 a couple of weeks back, which I am sure I will do a bit of comparative testing, but Cyan will be used in a different system with hot rodded Sourcepoint 8’s. Thank you for the insight!
You are really the best in describing all the sonic differences... or we just have the same hearing 🤷🏻♂️😬 I'm using the SPRING 3 here and can totally agree to all you said about upsampling from PCM to DSD... I also prefer the roughness of PCM as it is 👍🏼 The comparison with the other DACs is also pinpoint accurate, I've also tested most of them and stayed with my SPRING 3 🙋🏻♂️ As a next step you really have to try the AUVA EQs under the DACs👌🏼
Have you compared your Spring 3 (KTE?) against the Cyan 2? What did you notice sonically?
Not in my setup, but I heard the CYAN 2 in another setup and the sonic signature is very similar. I would say there is more texture in the bass and a little bit more refinement in the treble, but really hard to compare to another setup. If you need more features and the option for an integrated preamp (which is very linear and neutral), then get the Spring 3. Mine is Level2 and not KTE☝🏼
As always an excellent review that will help people make purchase choices
I use an Inday DA4X-R - 4x1 SPDIF Digital Audio Switcher which has a remote with this and a high quality USB to SPDIF converter so I can run four sources in and switch between them.
I have zero problem dedicating it to a single source as well in my streamer stack.
Either way I am content with the Cyan 2 and consider it to be a good value
I have my eye on a multi-bit tube out DAC for my tube stack to hasten the dedication of the Cyan 2 to a single source
Love the description of the low end comparison. Otherwise the input selection or should say lack of probably is a deal breaker for most.
I only need a dac for my 2 channel system, so the Cyan 2 is hooked up to my Innuos Zen Mini Mk III. I think there are a lot of people who are buying these. Maybe the best sub-2k dac of 2024.
I agree. Dealbreaker for many. For me it is an inconvenience with a workaround though.
I feed multiple sources to my streamer, then i2s to the Cyan. Source selection is done on the streamer. But it is still a less-than-perfect workaround.
@@pmdennis Which streamer are you using? Been shopping around for one
@@dtdcampbell I am using the Eversolo DMP-A8 as a streamer outputting USB to the Cyan 2, but probably much better stand-alone streamers at or below its price. And that would be a better fit for Cyan. The Cyan's USB input is galvanically isolated, so that should limit the need for an expensive streamer - if you use USB output.
I went with Eversolo because of the native Apple Music app. I use that and Qobuz, but tried to get one that worked with Apple Music. If I ditch Apple Music I would get something better or equal sound quality, but less expensive.
A8 is overkill on features, but I went with it over the A6 base model for the better clocks, and over the A6 Master for the linear power supply and i2s output. But it turns out that USB output from the A8 is much better than i2S going into the Cyan, but your mileage may vary. Would love to try an A6 base usb out to see if it is same SQ.
@@pmdennis is it though? My understanding is that on many dacs, and especially on the Cyan 2, I2s is superior to other inputs, so since you have that option, using it for everything should be a best case scenario regardless of the fact that switching is simplfified?
Obvs if one feels compelled to get a second unit to fix the switching problem - that's really not good.
I love the way you compare the Cyan with the Ares 15th, very detail and easily understandable to any male audiophiles. :)
Yes....been waiting for this comparison for a while now!
Helpful, added value, entertaining, info rich. With one word: great.
Combining your review with BA's and HB's, for my use case the Cyan 2 would be the clear winner.
I really enjoyed your take on the Holo DAC, and applaud all the comparisons you used to arrive at your conclusions. No one can complain about a lack of effort or preparation on your part, and explains why the review was so thorough. You are on a roll with products which sound great and don't require a second mortgage to purchase. Three cheers!
I really enjoyed this post. and you really nailed the decision on difference in Spring and Cyan as a pure "Business decision"!!
Hopefully you will be reviewing Gustard X30 soon
I love that you used a metaphor of a person's butt for the bass sound. That should become a recurring feature!
I considered the Cyan 2 and the Laiv Harmony earlier this year, and went with the Laiv due to the input selection and OS option, just as you pointed out. I emailed Kitsune to get a better understanding of how the auto-switching would work. The gentleman explained and then suggested that the Cyan 2 is meant to be more of a desktop DAC where input selection is less frequent, rather than the DAC in a main hifi setup.
🙋♂️THANKS SRBJ 🙏for helping out the community 🧐💚💚💚
Which streamer would you suggest? Great review. Thank you.
Thank you! I sold my Gustard r26 and bought the Cyan 2. It sounds wonderful.
The Cyan 2 has been around for a while but your video finally helped my itchy fingers click on the checkout button. First impressions, I don't regret it at all, it is technically superior in many ways to my twice more expensive Audio-gd R7 (2020). Better clarity, transparency, low level resolution of detail and that palpable 'thereness' of performers that I've been looking for, for quite a while - that is, when comparing the Cyan 2's true NOS mode to the R7's pseudo NOS mode. I'm yet to compare it to the native 8x OS of the R7 but I already know that I prefer the NOS sound anyway.
What a great range of DAC comparisons that I am sure many are interested in. Thank you for doing this!
Another great review, I really appreciate the effort to highlight the tonal nuances. At this level of fidelity the differences between DACs can often come down to component matching so talking about that is also very helpful. I’d love to hear to what it would sound like with a set of Magnepans and their amazing ability to recreate soundstage depth.
Please review the Schiit Yggdrasil More is Better. Would love to hear your wonderful descriptive analysis of that DAC in comparison to others.
It is very expensive to import Schiit products into Europe.
Wonderful review and comparisons! I have been using my Cyan 2 for two months and everything you mentioned is spot on. I am using it with a Bluesound Node and a Roon Core on a Mac Mini M1 with a 1 TB SSD with ripped CD FLAC files and some DSD files. I run Tidal and Qobuz.
Yes the digital input selection is a mild pain in the butt, however, I power up the streamer on a separate power strip that also powers my tube phono preamp. I turn off the streamer when I use my Audiolab 6000cdt CD transport with a glass Toslink cable to the Cyan 2. When using Roon the FLAC files are up sampled to 192 kHz.
I am going to swap out the Bluesound Node with the Holo Audio RED streamer/DDC. I haven’t received the Red yet but after reading and watching reviews I think I’ll have better integration with my Roon Core connected to a Mac Mini M1 via a CAT6 Ethernet cable. The Red is a Roon bridge whereas the Node is a Roon ready device. With the Node you can go up to 24/196 if I remember correctly but cannot play DSD files as they are then converted to PCM via Roon. With the Red I’m hoping for a minor improvement in soundstage, automatic updates from Roon via the Red and the ability to play DSD files and see it displayed on the Cyan 2.
Again thanks for confirming the Cyan 2 is a good buy and a great DAC with a few digital hiccups. No problem for me as my digital side is now more wonderful than my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. The Mytek is my goto headphone DAC.
That was a great review! Forward leaning too…in sharing your experiences with s/w upsampling. Thanks a bunch
An excellent review and a new standard in describing bass! Well done.
Fully agree with this description of PCM to DSD conversion. Tried using Roon to do conversion to dsd 512 for a while. The thing to try listening to with DSD conversion to get to this description in 1 min is the Doom Ethernal soundtrack by Mick Gordon. All the aggressiveness is sucked out and you lose the impact. If PCM is too harsh you need to change something else in the system and not convert it.
Awesome review on the Cyan2 and the comparisons. The R26 and Harmony were the two other DAC’s I was thinking about purchasing.
The Cyan 2 is only a bit better if you use HQPlayer for upsampling PCM and DSD. If your not the R26 is a better sounding dac in my opinion. I have both.
@@bulbousblues1 You mean computer music player? I am using a macbook with Colibri player.Do you think Cyan 2 will sound good like this?
Amazing review! I was thinking about R26 , but I think it's time to get cyan 2 instead
Nice review, I look forward to the review of the Topping 1-Bit D90 III Discreet to make my choice. Thank You
Thanks for an amazing review!
Do you think you will get a chance to compare it to the pegasus 2 and pontus 15th.
With one beeing in the price range and the other just above the 2k sound limit you mentioned😅
Thanks for your great work!
Grazie! Hai già provato il T+A 200? sarebbe interessante.
Great review as always. Curious how it is compared with Chord Qutest? I am primarily interested in know which DAC is better for listening classical music, more complicated instrument playing music. Thank you.
As usual, an outstanding review.
Srboljub, I have had the cyan2 for about 3 months now, and must admit I was nervous when I saw that you had reviewed it. My nerves were calmed when I heard your verdict! Thank you for recognizing this brilliant Dac.
Now my problem is getting a streamer (preferably without a Dac but with i2s) that will allow me to leverage the cyan’s potential to its fullest.
Your advice is greatly appreciated.
I would suggest you to check out Holo Audio Red. I think it gives best bang for buck and it's jitter performance is outstanding. I hope that Srboljub will be testing it in the near future. Hope this helps.
Why would you need a streamer? Just use you computer and USB cable! I've read Cyan 2 performs better with USB...
THANKS for The Music.! 👍🏼
I have Iris/I²S/Pontus II….wonder how they would compare?
Fantastic sonic descriptions (as usual) - Brilliant review. Thank you. I’m guessing that if this DAC is as good as you and everyone else says it won’t be long before someone comes out with a reasonably priced way to modify it, to add input selection capability to it. I can think of some ways to approach that, but of course they would all void your warranty so will see whether Holo Audio do something about that first, or it is the audio community who make it a priority to find a solution instead 👍
I was waiting for you to review this Dac. Sounds like a winner. I use HQ Player and I am looking forward to trying these two together. Thanks for the great review!
I have this dac and I don't think you'll find it a good combination. It's amazing what the DAC does but it doesn't do well with high sample rates. Stick to the original file rate and it's great. Being a NOS DAC, there's no digital filters so all the reconstruction has to be done by the analogue section. The higher you go, it gets exponentially harder. I have 0 regrets, I would only trade it for a May DAC but I stopped using any form of oversampling and I don't miss it at all :D
I will stick 🏒 with my Gustard R26 with all it's features.
@@eugenefudge3685 there aren't many true NOS Dacs and it seems like it's a minority of people that prefer them. So chances are you might be better off with the r26 :)
@@renatomorais8136 I have the cyan 2 as well, and have found if the source is high quality it will sound exceptional, higher sampling rate does not always equate to sound quality. I found the cyan 2 sound to vary significantly based on source input quality.
@@renatomorais8136 Same for me! I use the Cyan2 with a Magna Mano MkIII. I experimented quite a lot with software, upsampling, and AES/HDMI cables. I ended up using piCorePlayer, a Grimm AES cable, and ditched HQPlayer and upsampling.
Great review but when thinking that the final outcome also is highly influenced by the choice of preamp/amp + speakers (and even cabling) the (small) differences can be either beneficial or not depending on your system.
Of course it´s nice to have some kind of ´reference´ comparing them in the same system but in the end perception may vary strongly in your own system.
Life was simpler before the dac era 😅luckely I don´t like the copper look 🙃
I agree with you. I think that a good approach building a new system is to start with a modest DAC, focus on the speakers and amp(s), and source. Then if everything is set, choose a DAC to get this last bit of perfection.
I don't think the absence of a button is such a big deal. At least not for me, because I never have two devices on at the same time... for example, if I'm listening to a streamer, the cd transport is turned off and vice versa... I think it's even fine, because it's very spartan about it... in the style of less is more, of course except in the sound where it shines, which is what it was built for. Congratulations on this review👌.
Agree. However, I'm more concerned about turning it on and off. Did not see a power button, only the switch at the back.
have this dac and absolutely love it
Thank you for this review! I have been using Cyan 2 since March this year and just pair it with good quality streamer, and you have a high-quality digital source that even analog purist will have anything to complain about. I have paired it with Ian Canada Streamer with upgraded oscillators to SC-Pure. Just feed him and smile...😊
bottom description is astounding
Fantastic review. My Tradutto is on fire. Thank you. Cool runnings
Thanks.the best review on Cyan 2 so far. I use Cyan 2 as a preamp with HQPLayer volume. Hands down beats my Freya + with very good tubes. Also, poly-sinc-gauss-xl gives you better dynamics with DSD and more details. Vocals are not as rich as many others though.
Cyan 2 very dynamic, subwoofer bass notes come in very strong and clear, cyan 2 can have a lean yet detailed sound quality.
Hey Srboljub.
I have to agree about the input situation. I have an Ares and was curious about Holo. Couldn't afford the higher models, and started looking at the Cyan. When I realized about how it worked, I contacted Holo for confirmation. It is surely one of the poorest design decisions I have ever seen, and made the Cyan a complete non-starter for me. I'm just glad I investigated it first. I believe in leaving much of my solid state stuff on 24/7. This would create a ridiculous situation to me.
Fortunately, it all worked out to my benefit. I found a Spring 1 KTE complete with a SU-1 KTE thrown in for the same price as the Cyan. OK, so there's a nick on the faceplate; but, the device is simply extraordinary.
Speaking of wind instruments, I listened today to the song "Waking State" on Anouar Brahem's album The Astounding Eyes of Rita - the bass clarinet is sublime. The textures and body of the sound and 3D space - is simply wonderful. Actually, the whole song is - the soft finger touches by the tabla player as well as the "pop" of the louder hits, and the whole sound of the oud, the harmonics played on the bass guitar, and Brahem's "skat singing" - all of it is spine-tingling and thrilling to hear. This is with my Geshelli Labs Dayzee - I have it with a wood and aluminum case, so $1300. I have a good LPS, and upgrading the op-amps to Sparkos SS2590 added $360.
It would be nice to know if the NOS mode on the Ares 15th is actually non-oversampling? The Ares II, it apparently was actually using oversampling and filtering. I have been curious about the Cyan 2, and the LAiV Harmony - and the R26, for that matter. Thank you for comparing them all - this really helps me get a feel for where various DACs "fit" in among the options.
Where does the Ferrum WANDLA GoldenSound edition sit the pecking order here?
How about connecting the optical to the streamer? For me, having optimal sound from TV doesn’t matter as much. So a) I can switch the inputs on the streamer to RCA out on the streamer when I’m watching TV or b) TV > streamer > Cyan > amp
Have you tried the DAC correction profile for cyan2 in HQPlayer? Highly recommended, raises the DAC to a higher level, in PCM and DSD. Because of the high computing power required, I had to switch back from DSD512 to DSD256, but it's still a clear gain. HQPlayer transforms Holo DACs like my May in an impressive way.
That Etta song was amazing and lifelike. I love the music recommendations
I bought the Cyan based on your review (Thanks!) and it should arrive in a few weeks. I am really tempted at getting the LTA Aero DAC, though. I currently use the Gustard R26. I'm looking for a DAC to add richness, improve bass quality, and take the treble energy down a notch. Think the Cyan will pull all that off? Thanks.
Great review!
Thanks!
oh thank you for a great music suggestion-Sylvian Luc ❤
Great review and like how describe the sound. Did u find difference using diff inputs. How did u find usb vs coax?
I achieved best sound over USB and I2S but coax sounds very good too if the source is good.
Another detailed balanced review , thankyou. I would like a review to understand how these , but especially this one, dacs would improve , or not, the sound of a rated dac/streamer like an Eversolo DMP A8. Keep up the excellent work.
@user-iu6bl2on2y Agreed. I use the Eversolo A8 usb out to the Cyan 2 and it sounds exactly as iiWi describes this review. To me the Cyan is a bit more 3D, a bit more clear, a bit more true to life. But what I notice most is the better separation between instruments. The precision of instrument placement, and silence between them is uncanny on the Cyan vs the A8 and also vs Chord Mojo 2.
But differences are not night and day. Plus the issue with the A8 to Cyan is that only the internal player on the A8 outputs to usb. None of the inputs on the A8 will output to USB. They will output to i2s, but Eversolo and Holo i2s do not use the same i2s wiring pattern. I rewired my own HDMI cable that works with no issues, but makes the Cyan sound much closer to the A8 dac.
Thanks for another good review.
Have a Holo Cyan 2 fed by a Holo Red streamer/ddc through i2s.
You are right that when I switch between usb and lan input in Red, it takes a minute.
Love the sound from my fanless PC running over usb through Red ddc with 384 khz.
Alan Blumlein invented stereo sound for the "screen".
The sound image has never been better at that price.
. There's 10 Gig Fiber Optic USB available now & it's cheap. It's a SFP module at both ends of an LC to LC cable. 👍
Did you ever test and notice any sound quality difference between i2s and usb inputs on the Cyan. It likely depends on the source, so I expect no difference using the Red.
Feeding the Cyan from an Eversolo A8, the USB sounded noticeably better. The SQ from the USB on the Cyan aligns with iiwi’s review, but not if fed from i2s. That is probably an A8 issue.
I think you should use ddc with 352,8 kHz. I use fanless Rpi with USB with volumio making DDC to my Topping D70s mqa and Pre90 preamp. That is w way better to my ear sound than every R2R price no object including tube R2R that I own but prefer this topping. I love delta sigma double AKM, pure magic mids wide and holographic with full bass and precise, liquid like highs.
Holo Red awesome streamer
Fantastic review! Including comparisons of class leading DACs was my insightful and helpful.
As always, a very good review!! Describing the differences in sound qualities is so good, thanks a lot! Do you think it is worthy upgrade for my Chord Qutest DAC? From memory of course?
I think it is. At least I would if it's no strain on the budget of course. The most obvious change should be richer tone timbre.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks!!
I love this dac. I use only the usb input. I will eventualy buy the holo red DSD to use the I2S plug.
Thanks for your review.
The Cyan2 is a great DAC. I would love it compared to a Schiit Yggy GS+ 2 which uses "multibit" for r2r which a little more money but way more flexible.
The "auto-switching" is a deal-breaker for me. I often have a music server (USB), a TV set (optical) and a CD player (copper coax) simultaneously connected to my DAC and powered up. A selector switch is an essential feature.
After a bunch of reviews from you and some others including the new x30 I am still highly considering the LAiV Harmony. I use the RME ADI-2 PRO FS R BE and have 2 Schiit Gungnir dacs. They say the sound is the same between the RME ADI-2 Dac and the Pro yet my ears gave the Pro as being meatier. Would the Harmony be an improvement or just a lateral move from the RME?
Great review. Thank you very much :) I agree with your opinion about sound. I have the same impressions about this dac.
Another great review. Thank you. On an almost completely unrelated note, can you tell me where you purchased the diffusers on the wall behind you? I'm in the market diffusers just like yours.
Those are Sonitus Bigfusors made in neighbouring Croatia and sold here. You can only get them in black or white. I painted mine.
@@iiWiReviews Thank you. I may do the same (paint a similar panel to compliment my space). Great idea!
I agree with you, I want to use optic spdif , need to unplug USB. Wish to have only 1 button to select.
I'm using the iBasso D16 Taipan with iFi ICAN Pro and ZMF Caldera Closed.
Would like to replace the iBasso D16 Taipan. Would the Cyan 2 would be a good choice?
Thank you
For the price of harmony - you will get cayan 2, hollo red and still have for hq player license. With dac corection for cayan 2 this is killer dac
Excellent review sir!
Kudos to you for making this review.
Lack of input selector (especially in this price range!) is an absolute deal breaker (for me)! 👍
I'd love to hear this DAC. I've been a R26 user for a while. I recently upgraded the fuse and added the OCK-2 clock and the quality jump has been impressive. I wonder how it would compare to R26 with upgrades. I love that the R26 can be your streamer too. I use it LAN with Tidal Connect.
I too would like to hear a review of the R26 with an OCXO clock, of which I have a relatively inexpensive (c£80) version. I don't have the upgraded fuse for my R26, but have a $200 one (the QSA Yellow) in the plug for my preamp -- and that affects the whole system. Might get the Gustard fuse since it's only £25, hence worth a punt.
I also use a DDC for producing the I2S signal for the Gustard. When Srboljub talks about the R26, it isn't exactly the same as in my tweaked setup. Would be very interesting to hear him compare it with the Holo Cyan and Laive Harmony, that's for sure.
Very well arranged product review and comparison with the competition. 👏 One thing I would like to have clarified: is the LAiV Harmony overall an higher tier product soundwise as its higher price tag would require to be or, functionality aspects apart, the sonics differences between the LAiV and the Holo are only down to personal preferences (like in the case of if the soundstage presentation you explained)?
Sonic wise they are the same tier but different flavors.
A comparison with the new 1,900 Euro Teac UD-507 would be great.
Agree that would be very frustrating having to manually disconnect to deal with the auto sensing.
Do you have to reach around the back ti turn it on and off or will it power itself down into standby.
Also, from what I understand from your description, usung with Dynaudio Evoke 20 speakers, this should sonically be a better match, as the Evoke 20 are already warm in thr midrange. Thank you for you superb informative video's . New subscriber!.
You have to reach back to power it down, there is no stand by mode. I tend to leave devices like this on all the time. Physically braking the power every day is more stressful for electronics than keeping it on.
@@iiWiReviews Hmm. Something I have not considered doing to be honest. Good point, about stressing electronics. I suppose it makes sense given that WiFi routers etc are always on, and they last for ages.
Thank you for your reply.
I have been pondering upgrading my dac (currently Eversolo A6 running Neutron Player) into Dynaudio Evoke 20, and I was looking at Gustard R26, but I worry that R26 may be too warm sounding for the Evoke 20.
This Holo DAC may be exactly the match I'm looking for.
Thank you !!
@@iiWiReviews but the lights!!!! I have a single room/studio apartment and even just the single light saying "I'm on" is way too bright for me, so it goes to bed when I do ;)
Excellente revue, merci ! 👍
Nice! So, to use this as audio output from my PC(not JUST from a music player, but for all PC audio), I can only use PCM? And playing a DSD music file is the only way to utilize the Cyan's DSD feature? Or, how would I use DSD for general PC sound output? I have a Holo Red that I can use as a DDC, for I2S/AES/etc.
Good review. I have this DAC and it's an amazing DAC. I agree with you PCM is better than PCM converted in DSD, I use I2s with native I2s's Red Holo and it's fantastic. Look the fuse used in Back, you'll surprise ; Great stuff.
Fantastic DAC, then buy a fantastic preamp, then buy a fantastic streamer then you are done. Add all these prices and see if it is worth.
The Auralic Vega S1 might then be an excellent alternative......may be you could say something about it.
I wish you coud review more streamers because they can play a big part of the equation.
I wish you still had the A26 to compare with. I hope Gustard will provide the latest X30Pro in future. I wonder how this DAC compares with the SMSL SU-10 or the Ladder Schumann DAC. I with no selection feature I can’t see how a CD transport’s I2S can be configured to this DAC.
Thank you for talking about the sound characteristic of the different file types. I have never heard it explain in such an understandable way before.
Speaking of CD players…. can I ask you which device you use and if you can do a review series on different CD transports, please.
First: Thanks for your great videos. relaxed and infomative. Because the dac is a hub for the digital sources, i am prepared to go a bit further in the finances, but the bad thing is, the developments and competition is high in the dac world at the moment. On the other hand , a quality product will still be a quality product after 10 years, and if it suits your system, then it does it's job. maybe even better then a motre expensive one. BTW, I'm very curious what your opinion is on the Sonnet Morpheus mk2 DAC. It is pricy though, +/-3500€.
If anyone knows, couldn't the input switching issue for the TV using optical in be remedied using an ARC/eARC connection on your streamer? (assuming it has one)
No DAC that imposes its own ‘sound’ is a good thing unless you want to compensate for an issue somewhere else in the chain. It will leave a constant imprint. EQ is far more versatile for adjustment