Holo Red impressions

I thought it had some sort of external power adapter?

Wall wart or optional LPS at additional cost.

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The Silent Angel Munich M1T comes with a pretty decent external SMPS. Other LPS solutions are optional.

Although USB on the M1T only goes to DSD256, compared with DSD1024 for the Holo Red, the big benefit for a PS Audio customer seems to be no requirement to decipher a cryptic manual to use I2S over HDMI. Just plug in an HDMI cable between the M1T and the PSA DAC. Though the M1T is limited to DSD128 over HDMI vs DSD512 Native and DSD256 DoP with the Red.

Another big benefit for non-Roonies is that the M1T has its own app for streaming and can scan in NAS folders to its memory. Go for the 8GB model for big libraries.

I would not actually call the Red a streamer. It can be used as an endpoint or as a DDC.

So happens, that is all I need too given the lack of a PS Audio bridge for the MK2 DAC.

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Thanks!

There’s now a more expensive version too.

12 posts were split to a new topic: Problems with Roon and My Nucleus+

I guess the M1T doesn’t preserve the emotion and immediacy of the music? :thinking: :joy:

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And if you see it reviewed by one of the “major” publications you will likely see a variation of the same statement in the review.

Made the switch tonight from AES to USB on the Red to see how it would go and in preparation for trying the MoOde software in place of the Red OS. MoOde only works with USB and I2S and the Aqua doesn’t have standard I2S. Turned both units off, swapped the cables, turned both units back on, into the setup screen to pick the Aqua driver and back playing in a couple of minutes. Nothing to it and the exact same procedure as with the Aries G1. Going into the setup screen is mandatory for USB as the default driver for the Red is the one for Holo DAC’s while on the G1 it would have been blank when not in use. Nothing tricky or confusing. If I switch back to any of the other outputs I won’t have to go back to the setup screen as the other outputs don’t have drivers.

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Nano Network Transport Platinum V5. Another little-talked-about streamer is this Frenchman from 3D Lab: Nano Network Transport Platinum V5. Its outputs feature an AES, S/Pdif, TOS-LINK socket and an I2S socket (HDMI connector) which allows PCM output in native I2S 32-768 kHz or native DSD 22.4 MHz. Digital signals are completely reformatted and re-synced. the power supply is external to the main box to limit any noise interference. A second 3.3v and 5v 2-circuit power supply is placed in the main box as close as possible to the various circuits in order to limit noise as much as possible. The price is also interesting: around €2,000.

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Very interesting! Although I’m already a little put off by what appears to be the “regular / platinum / signature” variations. To me that’s just a tiresome sales approach.

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Hello everyone I would like to read some comments on the SQ of the RED. I have posted my impressions towards the BridgeII. Anyone else want to tell us about theirs? Thank you

Geez, I missed the USB addition design change.

That was wishful thinking. Logical thinking, but wishful nonetheless.

Can‘t answer. Busy enjoying the Red. Forgot where I put the bridge, and don‘t bother. Was doing its job nicely, though.

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Anybody else running their Red as NAA with HQPlayer?
I loaded Jussi’s 4.4.0 NAA OS into my Red.
The Red just keeps sounding better and better.
HQPlayer 4.34.2 Embedded running on sonicTransporter i9 optical
HQPlayer 4.4.0 NAA OS loaded to Red
HQPlayer Client running on small Windows tablet as control point
Playing local files from SSD and streaming Qobuz
ISP - Ethernet → Sonore OpticalModule Deluxe - 24m Fiber → A side clocked EtherREGEN B side - Ethernet → Red - USB → KTE May
Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i9 - Ethernet → A side clocked EtherREGEN
705.6/768 KHz 20 Bit PCM and 256 DSD

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Today I got my Red (with Purple Fuse) up and running as a Roon endpoint from my Nucleus+.

So for now it’s PhoenixNET <> Synergistic Reference Etherrnet <> Nucleus+ <> PhoenixNET <> Cinnamon Ethernet <> Red > Wireworld Platinum Starlight 8 > MK2 I2S.

It sounds good, but I’m not prepared to say anything more about that until I get some hours on the new setup versus Nucleus+ > Synergistic Reference USB > Mk2 USB which sounds fantastic.

I kinda set this whole thing in motion before I really knew how great Ted’s USB implementation was on the Mk2. It was so good in fact, that I kicked my Matrix to the curb while I waited for the Red to ship, and I really only purchased the Red out of despair at the open-ended ship date for the AirLens.

Now Paul says that they have secured the parts needed to begin building the AirLens.

We shall see where the next adventure leads…

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Looking forward to your listening impressions…

I set things up in Roon so that both Red I2S into the Mk2 and the Nucleus USB into the Mk2 zones are grouped together.

That way, I can switch between the two input paths on the fly with the same piece of music playing,

Both sound excellent, but there are some differences.

To be continued after some days of listening…

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Make sure to try the Red via your preferred USB cable to the Mk2 if that’s now the SR. To me it would be hard to choose using both the Nucleus and the Red as streamers with two different output methods via two different brands and styles of cable into two different inputs on the Mk2. Differences between the two cables may be more of what you’re hearing rather than differences in the streamers.

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