[incredulousity]

New Spring 3 KTE owner here. Just hooked it up and it has me scratching my head about a few things.

First, I'm feeding it via a SoTM SMS200 Ultra Neo network streamer. The only output of the SoTM is USB. I'm running Roon on a M1 iMac and also running HQ Player 5.x on the same device. USB cable from SoTM to the Spring 3 is Audioquest Diamond. The Spring is replacing a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC.

The sound at PCM 352..8 is very good. That's not the issue. The issue is, if I change HQP to 768 the output is broken and stuttering. I expected more via the USB input. DSD at 48x128 works well but DSD 256 doesn't work at all. I set it at DSD512 and it rebooted the computer and the SoTM.

It's a used Spring 3, and I'm assuming it's working normally. Should I be seeing higher res output? The Hugo TT2 had no issues with PCM 768 via USB. Could this be a resource issue from my M1 iMac? OR..... ?

PS. I don't feel a complelling need to run above PCM 352.9 all that much. It's just a matter of expectation. I see folks running PCM 1,500 on these boards.

That’s a computer/HQP problem. Spring 3 KTE can take 1.5M PCM from HQP.

 

[Baci]

Remember SoTM only passes PCM 768 and DSD 512. Having said that with my M1/SoTM combo I can't get DSD512 without stuttering. It passes Sinc-MGa @ 768 fine.

 

[creativepart]

Remember SoTM only passes PCM 768 and DSD 512. Having said that with my M1/SoTM combo I can't get DSD512 without stuttering. It passes Sinc-MGa @ 768 fine.

Thanks! I worked on it today and after lots of trials and a few errors got this figured out. I now have PCM 768 working and DSD256 working well too. Just had to choose some “lighter” filters. Also in PCM I need to help the DAC resync if I’m changing resolutions. By cycling through the inputs from USB back to USB the DAC resyncs immediately rather than have to wait longer times brought on by slower/longer filters.

Like you DSD512 has stuttering. Though HQP developer, Miska says it could work with careful filter choices.

I am liking the Spring 3 quite a lot. And my Shanling ET-3 CD Transport is loving the I2S connection.

 

[creativepart]

After figuring out the settings for the Spring 3 yesterday. I spent the day listening to my favorites both on Qobuz and via my Shanling ET-3 CD Transport via i2S.

I set the CD Transport to DSD528 (!) and went back and forth between DSD256 and PCM 768 with streaming. I felt I got a pretty good idea of that sound. I was left with the impression that everything was a bit forward, a little shiny bright. I'm not sure how I felt about it.

So, at bedtime I was thinking about the Spring 3 and how it differed from my Chord Hugo TT2. It occurred to me that while upsampling was all fine and good, the Spring 3 is a NOS R2R DAC (acronyms to the max). But I had never done any listening in that mode. So, today, HQP is off. My SoTM is set to Roon Ready and I'm streaming from Qobuz at whatever resolution the Roon file is delivered.

My first choice is Steely Dan's Royal Scam. Most of Qobuz has higher res Steely Dan albums - but this one is 44.1/16. So, I'm really experiencing the NOS and R2R output today. I plan to bypass all upsampling in the ET-3 today as well.

I have to say... the sound is quite different. Much more mellow, thicker and almost warm. This should be interesting.

 

[idairyou]

After figuring out the settings for the Spring 3 yesterday. I spent the day listening to my favorites both on Qobuz and via my Shanling ET-3 CD Transport via i2S.

I set the CD Transport to DSD528 (!) and went back and forth between DSD256 and PCM 768 with streaming. I felt I got a pretty good idea of that sound. I was left with the impression that everything was a bit forward, a little shiny bright. I'm not sure how I felt about it.

So, at bedtime I was thinking about the Spring 3 and how it differed from my Chord Hugo TT2. It occurred to me that while upsampling was all fine and good, the Spring 3 is a NOS R2R DAC (acronyms to the max). But I had never done any listening in that mode. So, today, HQP is off. My SoTM is set to Roon Ready and I'm streaming from Qobuz at whatever resolution the Roon file is delivered.

My first choice is Steely Dan's Royal Scam. Most of Qobuz has higher res Steely Dan albums - but this one is 44.1/16. So, I'm really experiencing the NOS and R2R output today. I plan to bypass all upsampling in the ET-3 today as well.

I have to say... the sound is quite different. Much more mellow, thicker and almost warm. This should be interesting.

I prefer NOS 95% of the time, but the 1bit ladder on the Spring 3 is something special and I love it when playing back my ripped SACDs and DSD albums I've purchased off digital stores.

 

[mantraone]

After figuring out the settings for the Spring 3 yesterday. I spent the day listening to my favorites both on Qobuz and via my Shanling ET-3 CD Transport via i2S.

I set the CD Transport to DSD528 (!) and went back and forth between DSD256 and PCM 768 with streaming. I felt I got a pretty good idea of that sound. I was left with the impression that everything was a bit forward, a little shiny bright. I'm not sure how I felt about it.

So, at bedtime I was thinking about the Spring 3 and how it differed from my Chord Hugo TT2. It occurred to me that while upsampling was all fine and good, the Spring 3 is a NOS R2R DAC (acronyms to the max). But I had never done any listening in that mode. So, today, HQP is off. My SoTM is set to Roon Ready and I'm streaming from Qobuz at whatever resolution the Roon file is delivered.

My first choice is Steely Dan's Royal Scam. Most of Qobuz has higher res Steely Dan albums - but this one is 44.1/16. So, I'm really experiencing the NOS and R2R output today. I plan to bypass all upsampling in the ET-3 today as well.

I have to say... the sound is quite different. Much more mellow, thicker and almost warm. This should be interesting.

I tested many upsampling setting via Roon and HQplayer, but at the end I went back to NOS pure. If you like the acoustics music, this is the most similar, the fluidity of natural analog sound for me is the best.

 

[creativepart]

I'm quite happy with NOS and my Spring 3 KTE. I may eventually go back to HQP and upsampling for comparison sake, but we'll see. I'm still using Roon Ready output from my SoTM streamer, but I may spend a few days using Squeezelite for some other options. I suppose I could try Qobuz direct, too. Lots to discover. Lots of fun revisiting old favorites, too.

 

[spacecase25]

Just going to chime in here real quick. I, also, use my Spring 3 KTE in NOS mode 99.99% of the time. Truly fantastic sound.

 

[Sound Eq]

Greetings

Can I ask for some advise about using HQplayer, can you please share best settings that I should dial in in HQP

here is my set up

1- laptop specs:
i7, 24 giga ram, windows 11

2- holo red
3- holo spring 3 connected via usb to holo red
4- roon using holo red as endpoint

 

[genefruit]

Greetings

Can I ask for some advise about using HQplayer, can you please share best settings that I should dial in in HQP

here is my set up

1- laptop specs:
i7, 24 giga ram, windows 11

2- holo red
3- holo spring 3 connected via usb to holo red
4- roon using holo red as endpoint

The default SDM settings would be my first suggestion.

 

[Sound Eq]

The default SDM settings would be my first suggestion.

the problem is i messed up everything in the settings in both sdm and output so I do not remember how it was

 

[genefruit]

the problem is i messed up everything in the settings in both sdm and output so I do not remember how it was

If memory serves, there is an install with reset all settings option if you were to reinstall.

 

[jcn3]

the problem is i messed up everything in the settings in both sdm and output so I do not remember how it was

With that cpu you should be able to upsample to dsd256. I don't think you'll be able to do dsd512.