My thoughts exactly. The May didn’t seem like it’s opening up completely. My brother has even harsher words on the May which I’m not going to post. I’m going to give the May a break and say it needs much more time to show it’s stuff, and possibly it’s just not right for my system.
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No but i have been intrigued by all the talk. It did seem the designer claims special things about his USB implementation and others shed their matrix.
The DS Dac really responded well with the external Analog LPS mod snd additional EMI and RF shielding and absorption. Implementation not as difficult as the transformer upgrade and equivalent SQ improvements.
You heard what you heard I guess but completely different then what I heard when I made the same comparison in the Main system in both houses. I used the same streamer and the same two cables (AES and USB) directly to both DAC’s without a DDC in the middle of the setup. While the gap became a little closer after the transformer upgrade and 320 hours of break-in on the mod the end result to my ears was the same as before the mod and before the May even reached 500 hours. Guess it saves you $5000 until the Mk II shows up at whatever price it eventually settles at.
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Yes, it will save me $5000 but will cost me $8000 more because it looks like the MKII is in my future. I don’t even know if even the MKII will be any better from the extreme transparency and resolution I am experiencing right now.
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The Mola Mola is possibly the proper next step. I have what I think is way better than all the discussed DACs. My Gryphon Kalliope is amazing. And the MBL N31 is close. Of course you have to spend quite a bit on proper cables. Quite a bit.
I fear people hear what they want to hear with the May. I was really hoping to be super impressed with it and in the end I was anything but. I can’t wait to hear the MKII. I believe in Ted.
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Thank you for trying and sharing.
Strange that your experience was so different from @dawkinsj, @brett66, and all the dozens of other owners of the DS and Holo who reported, mostly on other forums, that they preferred the May by a big margin to the DS, modded or not.
Independently of the comparisons, the distance and leanness is also completely different from what John Atkinson, Herb Reichert, M Lavorgna etc all reported, when Stereophile made it it’s product of the year 2020.
So far I had only read two negative reviews by owners: Al and someone on Audiogon. Bad system synergy is very rare, but always possible, clearly.
Like Jack said, you heard what you heard, and I don’t think additional break in will change anything. My Holo was way better than my DS cold out of the box, with zero break in.
You save $5000, so it’s good news, at the end of the day 
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« I fear people hear what they want to hear with the May. »
Maybe, but most people are not masochistic. They will keep their previous dac and sell the Holo, like you did, if they prefer their previous dac.
Someone on Audiogon sold the May, like you. All the other ones sold their previous dac, whether a DS or something else, except a few people who kept both.
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Mola Mola sounds interesting if it’s I2S can handle quad rate DSD. I read only their USB and Roon can do quate rate. I’m not too crazy with USB and Roon sound quality. It seems I have an addition to the PS Audio sound though. It’s so analog like, but who knows what will happen. Thanks Al, I really respect your comments.
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What’s important is if it works in your system and you enjoy it. Hey, maybe I can get someone to buy your DS if they trust my feelings of the superior sound from this machine. It really is just about as good as it gets.
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We are even now : I returned the Dragon and you the May 
.
Anyway, like you said, what matters is enjoying your system and the music. It doesn’t matter what other people and reviewers say.
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Actually all these DACs are interim pieces anyway. I have my heart on the end game TSS, but that won’t be for awhile, so I am playing around with these other ones in the meantime.
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One last thought : did you try the OS DSD mode? To me, it’s more veiled and muffled than NOS, but in another system, it could be considered warm. John A and Herb both liked it, as well as NOS.
No, We just use it in it’s default mode what ever that is. When my friend gets his Wilson Alexia II’s, he can play around with the other modes to his heart’s content.
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I didn’t buy the May to replace anything. I bought it to hear it. It costs less than one Stealth power cable. All the reviewers you site made me want to hear it. How many of those reviewers kept the May? None that I know of. Atkinson kept his DSD and the MBL N31. Having had all three in my system I understand why. I love Herb but I can’t shake the belief that he is slowly stepping up to the pricey stuff and learning as he goes. The product of the year award baffles me.
I am happy you love it! You might want to avoid testing more expensive Dacs. There are major steps above and money really vanishes.
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I have no intention to try anything else at this point. Like @waymanchen11, I am very happy with what I have, I am off the merry go round for awhile (famous last words 
).
Wise philosophers since the Greek and Roman times have said that enjoying what you have is one of the keys to happiness. There’s always something more expensive and better, whatever level you currently have.
Be well and enjoy your system and the music. We are all very privileged and blessed to own wonderful systems and get so much enjoyment from our beloved music.
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I have not been able to hear the May, but since the Mola Mola has been mentioned, I will comment on it. I have a Rockna Wavedream Signature Balanced dac. A dealer brought over the Mola Mola for an afternoon of listening. The Rockna was much better. It was not close.
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I think that could be said for a lot of things…like all the Uber expensive cables some of you buy and the promote here. In other words, I think that comment is disingenuous!
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It is a phenomenon particularly strong when the flavor of the month is involved.
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Wondering if qualify control issues are to blame for some of the luke warm reviews?
Agreed…It is inherent in human beings to promote ones own personal life decisions… as opposed to taking the back seat regarding opinions of others… whether those decisions be right, wrong or indifferent… It is what it is!
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