@earmuffs … Nice deal there. I bet there will be more available (and when I can afford it!).
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There’s nowhere in my city (that I’m aware of) where one can audition DACs, HPs, or HP amps. I must research as much as possible and trust the majority of reviewers aren’t just shilling for the manufacturer.
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Yes, it’s a big problem during a pandemic. But still a problem anytime. I’m 3 hours at least from the nearest high-end shop. I made the most of the Tampa show last year, and typically would be in NYC or other big cities a few times a year so could hear almost anything I’d be interested in, but not now. I wish there was some situation where you could almost use a subscription service for amps and DACs, paying a monthly fee that would go towards an eventual purchase. I guess you could get in good with a regional dealer, or put down a big deposit … I know some companies have trial policies, but not everyone, so that also limits you (or requires full payment, which gets into the multi-thousands). The other route is buying used and then re-selling but you always lose a few hundred somehow doing that. I mean, in the scheme of things, it’s so not a problem … But you know …
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I’m considering something like that if I ever move on to another DAC: budgeting for losses from gear cycling in an attempt to find something most agreeable to me. Of course the goal is to try what you think would be best first and hope you’re happy.
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@perogie Yeah, try to get it right the first time. I guess if you had about 5k and could play used-market roulette your savings would offset the extra costs for shipping and fees if you found one you liked within 30 days or so … I’ve got a DAC I need to (re)sell and already since November it’s dropped a couple hundred in price.
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Great recap and observations. It brought to mind the Source First camp.
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Got a May KTE out for delivery right now, I’ll post some impressions (with the take it with a giant grain of salt caveat) here in the next week or so.
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Sooooo… Brief day 2 impressions. I’ve had music going through it since it arrived and I really enjoy the sound I’m getting out of it.
Caveat - I only have one other piece of gear to directly compare it to, and haven’t spent time with really any of the DACs that are regularly referenced around here. I wish I could, but won’t be able to help much in that fashion. I don’t necessarily have noob ears, but as far as range of gear experienced I guess I’m a noob in that aspect. This is my first time trying to characterize audio gear, so my language may be imprecise at times, just know I’m doing my best to represent what I’m hearing. So take all this with a grain of salt and hopefully I won’t get ripped apart.
I can tell you already that the break-in process is real. It sounds a little different now than when I first plugged it in. Actually, it seems to have backslid a bit. But don’t despair… Nothing is “bad.” The first thing I noticed when listening to the May was the way it got Timbre correct. Instruments actually sound like instruments, not representations of instruments. I first noticed this listening to the brass section on the Introduction to “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” The trombones had bite and edge to them when cranking out the notes. I played the trombone for years and it was eye opening for me to hear a trombone as I remembered it. The horns sounded real and not just… Horny or hornish. Otis Spann’s piano on “Hello Mr. Blues” had body and harmonic depth which put you right in the room with his upright. Decay and reverb seem to be more realistic. Cymbals sizzle instead of shhhhhh. I’ve picked up lots of little information in recordings that I never recognized before, breaths, squeaking of chairs, performers moving around on stage during a live show, etc. I’ve also been able to tease out parts of songs that were panned out to the sides that had never made themselves known before. Noticed these listening to some tracks on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The soundstage seems quite wide, and also has a sense of depth. The May so far has been really impressive.
Back to the break-in. Today it seems a little more glarey and bright. Notably more so than the first day or so. I’d imagine it’ll change again soon, and will keep running music through it for the next few weeks until I hit that 500 hour mark people talk about.
Hopefully this is sort of helpful to y’all. I’ll try and continue to refine my language and descriptions as I spend more time with it over the coming weeks.
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Thanks for this interim report! One needn’t use high-flying audio terms to get the meaning across: “The horns sounded real and not just… Horny or hornish.” says it perfectly.
In my experience burn-in is for real, particularly with headphones & DACs. I’ve had 2 Audio GD DACs (NOS 19 & DAC-19) over the years; many users reported burn-in took >400 hrs until the sound finally settled down. They were absolutely right. It was a sonic roller coaster until somewhere between 400 and 500 hrs, then settled into final sound.
But if I had judged either DAC on those days where they were inexplicably bright, edgy, muted, withdrawn (up/down/up/down), it would’ve been a mistake.
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Great first impressions @bobmysterious. Great job.
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Does everybody keep their spring on or on standby? I mostly leave on standby and use immediately when turning on but have read people think the Dac gets better after on for 24 hours and wonder if I should not use standby and just leave on indefinitely?
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The Original Spring DAC has a separate internal transformer that is used to keep the critical electronics (those with the most potential to change due to temperature) powered on when in Standby mode.
That saves power overall while retaining the benefits you’d otherwise get from leavening the unit fully powered on all the time.
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In case anyone is interested, I noticed in @TylersEclectic’s Holo livestream that Tim from Kitsune casually mentioned in the chat that the Spring 3 DAC will be coming out soon. I reached out to Kitsune, and Tim confirmed that they’re targeting April. The pricing will be very similar to the Spring 2, with a small bump:
Level 1 is $1998
Level 2 is $2298
KTE is $2798
I don’t have any other details, but given the launch is so close, hopefully they’ll start releasing more information in the next few weeks.
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Interesting. I wonder what the sound difference will be when comparing to the 1 and 2. I’ve read people saying spring 1 vs. 2 is an added step up but someone that works for Kitsune answered that if you are a owner of a Spring 1 KTE it probably would not be worth selling to upgrade to a spring 2 KTE. Strictly talking about sound quality and not other added benefits ex. a remote…
I talked to a person that bought a May and they said don’t hear one until you are ready to buy as it will dampen the enjoyment of the Spring. I’ve noticed that the May dacs literally sell on the used market for only 5-10% under retail which in this hobby is amazing!! That alone speaks great strides personally.
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Do we have an idea of relative performance (assuming current models):
May KTE: 100
May L2
May L1
Spring KTE
Spring L2
Spring L1: 50
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So I think I’ll be saving up for this upcoming Spring 3 DAC and was wondering what USB input it uses (looks like a type-B but I’m not so sure)? And what power cable would I need (new to the whole cables thing)? I believe the Holo DACs only come with the DAC itself (+remote) and no accessories. Any input/recommendations appreciated, thank you!
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It has a standard USB-B connection. The Spring 3 KTE has the same USB interface as the May, so that might be a reason to save for the KTE. Tim from Kitsune told me he normally uses an Intona USB isolator for his own setup, but if I get a Spring, I’ll try it without the Intona, since the KTE USB is meant to be so good.
I don’t know whether it comes with a power cable or not, but from the picture, it looks like a regular PC-type power connector, so you probably have spares lying around.
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Since breaking the May in I’ve been meaning to make an update to this thread, thanks for bumping it back to the top. I’m still really, really enjoying the May. I’m definitely pleased with the investment. The sound has changed since I first got it, and I’d have to describe it as more “in the pocket.” I’ve got north of 650 hours on it now, and it seems to have settled into it’s final sound. It’s been running around the clock since I first plugged it in. I think it’s mellowed a little bit, while tightening up at the same time. Transients seem more controlled, bass is tighter. Instrument separation is distinct even in busy passages. Dynamics are conveyed very expressively and don’t seem squashed, throttled, or reigned in. Timbre and tone are even more on point than early on. Overall, I’d say that it has a relatively laid back, though extremely engaging presentation. It’s easy to listen for hours without fatigue.
I don’t have much experience with other commonly used gear to compare the May to, hopefully these other comparisons are marginally helpful. So the other gear I’ve owned in the past has been the Mytek Liberty, Audeze Deckard, and the Aqua La Voce S2. I owned the Audeze and Aqua about 5 years ago though, so I’ll leave them out. I currently still have the SPL Phonitor XE with the DAC 768.
The Liberty, *to me, seemed tilted in the overly bright direction. I felt that it was fatiguing to listen to for long periods of time. In busy passages it became congested and struggled with instrument separation. Dynamics seemed a little squeezed. Instruments sounded like representations of themselves, not the actual instruments. It also developed a noisy volume pot, so that and the above experiences led me to return it.
The DAC 768, *to me, sounded much more balanced than the Liberty. I felt that it was more in the neutral-ish range sound-wise. It was not particularly fatiguing to listen to for extended sessions. It was much less congested during busy passages than the Mytek. It still struggled at times, however. Highs, like cymbals, were better than the Liberty, but not as clear or well articulated as the May. It’s dynamics felt fairly accurate and realistic. Timbre was realistic, though not in the May range. I still have this unit, and don’t plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. I could definitely live with it and be happy, but I kind of ruined myself with the May now.
Hopefully some of this is useful for y’all. Wish I had experience with The Spring series so I could provide some more info for y’all. Can’t go wrong with the May KTE if anyone decides to move in that direction though.
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I have been using May KTE for a couple months now. It replaced a DAVE and M-Scaler. I went for it due to the glowing reviews, was initially hesitant that it’d be a downgrade, but it has taught me that price alone is not indicative of sound quality. I am enjoying it and think it is as good if not better than the Chord combo. Plus the money back from selling the Chord I was able to upgrade my source. Highly recommend the May!
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To those in the US, happy 4th!
Spring 3 DAC is now ready to order for those interested…
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