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Estimated price (community-sourced)
Around — community and catalog average, updates slowly
The Holo Audio May is a high-end dual-mono discrete R2R ladder DAC designed by Jeff Zhu, representing over three years of R&D without using off-the-shelf DAC chips. It excels in NOS mode with the best measurements among R2R DACs, supporting PCM up to 1.536MHz and DSD1024 native (theoretically DSD2048/PCM 3.072MHz).0. Features dual chassis (DAC + PSU with dedicated O-type flatwire transformers per channel), custom PLL+FIFO for ultra-low jitter using Crystek femto VCXO clocks, reduced DSD/PCM switching noise, and configurable I2S pins. Outputs balanced XLR (5.8V) and single-ended RCA (2.9V). Praised for natural, fatigue-free sound with superior dynamics, imaging, and transient response over competitors like Denafrips Terminator or Blue Fairy 2.
DAC capabilities and digital audio processing
Analog signal output specifications
Input and output connections
Size, weight, and appearance
Specifications are community-contributed and may not be accurate or complete. Verify all details with the manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Terms & Conditions
Components that show up alongside the May in real systems. A verdict means the pair has been checked for compatibility and headroom — open it to see how the two get along.
The closest alternatives on specs, description and the systems they turn up in, with the specs they share set side by side.
The Terminator 15th's bit depth is 26-bit against the May's 24-bit, its thd 0.002% against 0.000%, and its output voltage 2.0V RMS against 5.8V RMS. Both share max sample rate (1536 kHz).
Both turn up in the same documented systems.
The Terminator Plus's thd is 0.001% against the May's 0.000% and its output voltage 2.0V RMS against 5.8V RMS. Both share bit depth (24-bit) and max sample rate (1536 kHz).
Both turn up in the same documented systems.
The D50's max sample rate is 384 kHz against the May's 1536 kHz and its output voltage 2.5V RMS against 5.8V RMS. Both share bit depth (24-bit) and thd (0.000%).
The Terminator's bit depth is 26-bit against the May's 24-bit and its thd 0.005% against 0.000%. Both share max sample rate (1536 kHz) and dsd support (DSD1024).
Both turn up in the same documented systems.
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