I have had same lawyer distaste issues and likely sounded like one. My new son in law now in law school will hopefully help me past that. Lol
I have always enjoyed your contribution and hope to learn more from them and everyone elses. So a course correction I accept too.
Maybe @waymanchen11 can settle my curiosity as to the Holo vs DS modded Sunlight controversy.
Let’s all just continue having fun postulating possibilities.
Hi can you please clarify
May and Spring 3 are two different DACs I thought?
But you wrote May Spring 3
Or you have both?
Sorry I meant Holo Spring 3
I used to be very active on these forums about 6 years ago. I sold my DS along with the rest of my audio stuff, due to illness. Since I didn’t die I started building another system. I did at one time have a DS Dac. I’ve been reading these forums and keep seeing reference to DS mkll is this an actual product? I did find the Holo Dac’s interesting, I did just get a new Dac, I’d have enjoyed listening to a holo or this DS mkll but couldn’t find a dealer.
The DSD MKII is an actual product, but not yet released.
Thanks Elk
I was of the “rip it and forget the transport” crowd for a many many years. Have HQPlayer, etc. Recently I’ve found that discs (CD or SACD) simply sound better in my system, and not by a small margin. It’s impossible to definitive declare a winner for all audiophile between ripped vs disc as there are so many variables, and an infinite number of system components covering a wide area of diverse experiences. But in my wee audio world and with the specific gear I’ve owned, the physical disc is the champ for sound quality. Even high res files burned to disc sound noticeably better than their hard drive stored file equivalents.
The Jay’s audio transport is highly respected, but believe it doesn’t go above 16/44.
I totally get the popularity of computer based, or high end music server gear. And my personal direct experience is limited. That said, CD/SACD transports have a lot going for them, and, possibly, might be inherently better sounding when comparing similar investment levels. Maybe. If nothing else, the transport world is worth paying attention to.
Okay, the same bits are being sent to the DAC, right? So, for the transport to sound better, something else would have to be going on in your system to make the transport sound better than ripped tracks. What do you think that is? How were you feeding the ripped tracks to your DAC?
Well, I’m not an engineer thus cannot speak with authority on the topic. However, in the spirit of arm chair speculation, I believe the Marantz SACD 30n transport and DAC are less noisy than the Mac Mini M1/ MicroRendu w/Sbooster and HQPlayer. The computer rig starts off with a device that was not intended for high end audio and then shoots all of that over the network which then arrives at the DAC via USB from the mR 1.4, which is essentially a uR.
I theorize the transport and DAC were stolen from the KI Ruby line, thus is unto itself a superior audio device to the Mac Mini M1 HQPlayer rig. The transport/ DAC bypasses the entire network as well. And I’m guessing optical disc is a nicer storage medium than some hard drive from Costco.
The bits might all be the same, but the gear involved is quite different. I theorize the Marantz provides a far simpler and more pure path than my particular computer based rig. Granted, I don’t have the purest computer rig in the world, and I’ve never tried high end servers like Melco, Pink Faun, Aurender or Auralic. Thus I can’t declare disc to be definitively better. I can only say it’s currently better in my system. So much better that I’ve gone nuts burning my DSD and high res PCM files to disc. Essentially going the opposite was of nearly everyone else 
The whole idea of using a network is to isolate the noise from the devices like computers from the endpoint. That way, when the bits are delivered to the DAC, they are delivered from a purpose-built low noise device. The idea that the Marantz you use is less noisy than the microRendu 1.4 is suspect at best. Maybe you like the sound of the DAC in the Marantz more than the DAC you bought to replace your DSD Jr.
Also, reading data from a CD or SACD is MUCH MUCH more likely to have issues than reading data from a spinner or SSD. So that isn’t it.
I don’t listen to physical media so I can’t really say they sound better than ripped files but I do know that many of the streamers for years have been galvanically isolated. I could be wrong but this should remove the noise issue from the equation. My opinion is that most people would not be able to tell the difference between the two in a blind test.
@speed-racer It’s an not an exact science for sure. There are so many variables, that it’s difficult to say with certainty. It could be because of the reasons you put forth, or it could be because of theories I posted above, or for other reasons entirely, who knows?!
The DSJ has been gone for nearly a year, so I only have memory to go by. I really liked the Border Patrol DAC, but missed playing my high res files. I did compare the Border Patrol head to head with the DSJ, and the BP head to head with the Marantz. But not the Marantz head to head with the DSJ. I do find that the Marantz provides many of the high res virtues of the DSJ, but does not punish lesser recordings so acutely.
I have compared CD/SACDs to the computer rig via the mR 1.4 reaching the Marantz via USB. No comparison, the transport smokes the computer rig. And, FWIW, Darko and a couple of other prominent YouTube folks have also lauded the virtues of playing discs.
However I got there, I’m almost exclusively spinning discs these days. It’s the best I’ve ever heard music be reproduced. Though I’m confident there are many computer/ high music server rigs out there that would smoke my system. Thus my conclusions are by no means definitive.
@goblue in my current rig, the differences are very obvious. CD/SACD is much better than my particular computer rig. But like I’ve said, I don’t have the most advanced computer setup. It’s more middle of the audiophile road in that regard.
I’m not gonna say which is better. Playing files and playing discs can both be excellent. It’s an individual preference. Some might like to have one or the other, and some may like to have both.
I can say that my DMP playing discs sounds better than my Mac Mini playing files. But my former Aurender N10 server and my present Esoteric N-03T streamer is far superior than my DMP in SQ. But I’m still very happy with the sound from my DMP regardless and plan to keep both and enjoy both systems.
It is up to my brother’s friend, we call him CF, what he wants. I can only advice and suggest things to him from my experience.
In the spirit of full disclosure 
, my comparison between the DS and May KTE was run with a well burned in Sunlight on my DS. No mods on either dac. FWIW, YMMV, etc etc.
But Phil, did you have a fully burned in XS4400 mod also. The XS4400 mod was a way bigger improvement than Sunlight. And both together made it sound like quite a different DAC. 
And which shape Tin Foil hat were you wearing.
It’s God’s will that you fess up bee-atch!
Thank you for making me actually laugh out loud. 
Anyone besides me yearn for the good old how many dancing angels on the head of a pin days?
I’ve compared a fully decked out DSD (4400, Farad) to a Holo May KTE at 44.1/24 and find both have their strengths and weaknesses. IIRC, on a single song that had prominent double bass and vocals, the DSD had less revealing bass texture where the May had more texture, but that the May also had more prominent harmonics in the vocals that made it seem too warm where the DSD had less and presented more realistic vocals. On balance, I’d say the May would have nabbed the win if its harmonics didn’t color/hide so much of the details it was able to reveal.
IMHO, you couldn’t go wrong with either DAC. The May offers more external processing options and plays well with HQplayer, but if you’re a plug and play kind of person, the DSD with Bridge is simpler.
I still have both DACs, each going into different systems/rooms. I was able to control the harmonics in the May by putting a Matrix in the mix. Some here use HQplayer to similar effect. The Matrix makes 1.536k impossible, but many seem to be using the May with DSD256 these days, which the Matrix handles that fine.
Then CF made a excellent choice in the May, if it takes every single mod on the DSD just to keep up with it in sound and performance.