Catch The Hottest R2r Dac - LAiV Harmony R2r Dac - A Must Have! 

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Thank you for listing the music that is playing during your demos. I wish all RU-vid audio equipment reviewers would tell us what we're hearing during their videos. I guessed DAC B was the Laiv, based on what other reviewers have said about its sound. DAC A sound like it had a bit more treble emphasis, whereas the Laiv sounded mellower and richer.

thanks bro , great rewiew like usual !!!

I have the Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE. I thought the MAY was B, because it sounded more "real" and "organic" to me, a little less edgy..... what a surprise. However, since there is no dealer or 30 day return policy yet for EU customers, it is a no go.

DAC B is smoother and softer. But after a while it makes you sleepy. DAC A has more details and energy.

Great review, thank you. I’m done ( for now ) I just picked up the new Denafrips Ares 12-1 DAC ..and I’m damn impressed ( coming from an entry level Topping ) ..😊 I think A is a bit more smoother…not a dramatic difference tho🫡

I *REALLY* liked the LAiV here. I just liked listening to it.

thank you for your time and effort to make this video. this is probably the first time that i have a very hard time to tell the difference between the two DACs. but since they are very close is sound quality ?. i'd pick the LAiV . who wouldn't especially it's half the price of a HOLO.

I usually prefer open and dynamic to dense, so I first preferred A, but then I started to notice the beautiful harmonics that was inside that density and started to prefer DAC B at the end I loved both.

Extremely close

I have the Holo May and love it. I could barely tell the difference listening through my headphones. Probably the closest comparison I’ve heard in your videos. I agree the May is a bit wider sounding. Considering the cost difference it’s a compliment that the Laiv is so close to the May.

Thanks for the test! In my opinion, the sound of LAIV Audio is similar to that of Holo Audio Cyan 2.

Great review! You mentioned it supports your HQ Player DSD512 yet on their website they state maximum DSD256 via I2S or USB. Are you sure it took DSD512 which would have been displayed on the screen? Thanks in advance for the clarification and keep up the good work!

I completely agree with your assessment. Enjoyed it better. Smooth and less analytical. I did perceive depth that you didn't mention.

I preferred the Laiv, thank you.

I preferred DAC A, for sure. I'm using the Susvara to listen. DAC B made me wince sometimes, like it was more fatiguing with the upper mids. DAC B's mids was just pushed more forward, while DAC A is more laid back, not as forceful, and easier to listen to.

My assessment prior to your thoughts. I could detect a small difference between the 2. Dac A seemed to be a little more etched out, more distinction between sounds and layers of sounds and the sounds a little more refined and sharper. Dac B overall have less layer separation, a little softer edges but at least for one of the tracks had a more forward or natural vocals layer than I noticed in A.

There were a few samples at the beginning that I preferred DAC A, but most of the samples I preferred DAC B. Would love to see some samples of LAiV vs. some lower price point DACs as it is more likely than not, most people viewing this video are looking to upgrade, I certainly am. My example is currently Denafrips Pontus II 12th. Was getting ready to purchase the Holo, but now I'm not sure and more leaning toward the LAiV Harmony. Thank you for the wonderful samples and honest review!

Thanks 👌🏻 did you tested difference between RCA and XLR output in quality? 😊

First impressions listening with IE600 “That’s How You Know You’re In Love” - Slightly preferred DAC A for its added upper air and texture which complemented the guitar better imo but then as beat kicked in DAC B brought a bit more punch with its thicker more full-bodied sound, kind of a toss-up for this song “Love You For It All” - I definitely felt the vocals more on DAC B, preferred B on this song for sure Overall, judging from this comparison alone, I’m thinking the LAIV DAC is the one to get at half the price of the May and subjectively preferable on some tracks. But it is a bit rolled off compared to the May. May is a little more reference. I prefer a thicker sound personally and there's more fullness with the LAIV. Edit: By the way, those songs sounded better to me on this sound demo than the actual recordings on youtube lol. Both of these dacs are definitely doing incredible work. Kudos to Virtual HiFi for including sound demos. I think we should all demand that from DAC reviews moving forward.

Again thank you very much for the informative video, what a surprising outcome. Like you I liked Laiv DAC, I really thought DAC B was the Holo May. Likewise I also listened to the new Fosi Mono video and what an amp for the price, wanted to purchase Fosi straight away and used your link. Only to be disappointed, because the 200 units on offer has been sold out. Same for the Laiv DAC, only pre order is available now for Laiv DAC. But for Fosi there is no pre order option available, what shame, I suppose you win some and lose some. Thanks for video again, keep it coming.

Good job! I prefer dac A, it was more dynamic and realistic. Dac B was smoother, classic R2R sound at this price point, but I wouldn't pay over 2.000 for it. Your work is excellent by the way, the recordings are great. I would say your system sounds quite bright though, and thats with the absorbers on the wall. Maybe the speakers have more energy in the treble.

Thanks for review. 6moon mentions LAIV does not support DSD natively and converts DSD to PCM internally.

I will say it again, awesome speakers and system and recording mic's. As for dacs they both sound very good and very much alike, without being there in the room, at a pinch I think b was more analog

That small metal edge in the mids, I always connected with Qualio, dissapeared with the Laiv !

Are the demo in PCM or DSD via hqplayer? Does the laiv do native DSD like the holo?

Sounds great! If it only came with a similar quality built in preamp, I could consider upgrading my trusty Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5, whose only issue to my ears is it is pre I2S

Thank you for the comparison, now we need to find an affordable DAC like the Fosi ZA3 amplifier, one that is at the level of those you have compared, one with a ridiculous price that ridicules the high prices, I don't know if any of the Topping, Schiit, professional audio interface?

hi again , which might be the best streamer to go with qualio iq , live dac , fosi v3 monos ...?

Great review how does it compare to the Weiss 204?

I totally agree with you The Hollow May I heard a little bit more depth and decay in the instruments and the echo is a little bit deeper but boy that LAIV DAC is very close I had to listen very intently to hear the difference, Czesc.

I laiv it 😊

both sounded extremely close on my system, e.g. I would buy the less expensive of the two bc it was so close

This with enlium amp23r would be a perfect tiny setup with some super sensitive speakers. Probably diy open baffles ❤️

for me i would take the cheaper of the 2 its that close, but what i want know is what else is different ive heard all of your amazing sound clips but something changed and its not the dac ?

I'm all about large soundstage with airy details. In this comparison I'm dac A (Holo May KTE) all day. Thanks for the excellent work on the sound demos.

Thanks for the sound clips. I detected at least some differences over YT. The main thing that struck me was that the LAiV seemed to possess more pronounced bass and was a little more "intimate" and somewhat fuller sounding. By contrast, the Holo May seemed a touch brighter and more analytical. Not sure which I would prefer in a live demo. I've already spent as much on an R2R DAC (Gustard R26) as I'm prepared to and both these are more expensive. In any case I have no way of judging how they'd compare with my own DAC. I'd be fascinated to hear a comparison on your channel, but then I suppose there's any number of comparisons that could be made and it all depends on what DACs interest you most.

LAiV has more soundstage depth, Holo May has more bass dynamics. Btw a good test for your T+A is the Teac UD-701N (dual mono, four toroidal transformers, proprietary Dac chips).

In the 6Moons review he mentions that using the Laiv with an autoformer preamp instead of built in volume gives it the air its missing in comparison to certain othet DACs (Sonnet Pacisthea) in his case. I can hear the extra air in the May in this comparison.

I've just ordered Schiit Mjolnir 3, Class A amplifier and I'm wondering if it would pair nicely with the harmony dac? Using Hifiman HE6 v2 atm

Hi, great job… I just wanted your opinion if you compare Laiv Harmony vs Weiss 204 you had before the Holo’s ? Thanks.

DAC A sounded wider and deeper with more bass punch. I guessed correctly it was the Holo. The Laiv sounded more laid back and not as dynamic. I enjoyed both. The Holo also has more upper mids.

I had the LA IV for a short period of time didn’t come close to the Pontus too, but it wasn’t broken and maybe

I liked dac A a little better but i thought they were close. LAiV did a good job with this dac.

I am using R2R from Gustard R26 with HQPlayer anf NOS at the Gustard. DSD output at dsd512 is less good. 768khz PCM has very nice sound.

Dac A is cleaner clearer with better control of bass. Dac B hints of a boom in the lower frequencies. B is close to A but not quite there yet. Definitely prefer A.

Have you tried wandla? wandla vs may would be interesting

The Laiv Harmony Dac B to my ear would be my DAC of choice based on sound quality between these two DAC's. I listerned through my Stax Headphones/earspeakers and the drums sounded faster and more tonealy natural overal. The sound from the Laiv Harmony was more enjoyable or to my taste in sound sensability.

Aw man.... Just bought the Holo Audio Cyan 2 for $1400 shipped. Although my budget could not stretch that much to $2700 (almost 2x) I think the next product for Laiv would be to get a more budget unit to compete with the dacs in the $1000-$1500 price point. Maybe even up too $1800 if it's a clear tier above.

How do you think it compares to the T & A DAC 200? I think I remember you liking the T & A over the Holo May.

I liked A better, tighter bass, more air, more natural ..the LAIV is close though, great value!

When trying to distinguish between them using my stereo setup which consists of pretty high end equipment, I heard no difference

After a quick listening, I thought A was more airier with a little more meat on the bone while B had a touch more punch but a little bit thinner sound . It was close but I slightly preferred the presentation of the A dac.

I would love to see a cheaper R2R dacs like the Schiit Bifrost 2/64 in your comparisons.

Oooh, so nice to see this video, I was reading about the Laiv just a few hours ago on 6moons. Heard Darko podcast too. Ok, so I'm going to write this right after listening and before your conclusion. First of all, it was very hard to tell them apart and the main difference I heard behaved quite the opposite between headphones and speakers. Used two sets of headphones and my midcentric Wharfedale Lintons (Advance Paris A12 + Denafrips Ares II). Here's the notes that I took while listening: Both headphones Track 1: Dac B - vocals more forward? More air and texture but lose definition a bit because of that air? But almost impossible to tell them apart with eyes closed and without the cue A or B. Track 2: B again maybe more air in the mids but less definition? Maybe more low-low end and that's what giving me perception of more space/wider range. Probably the most dificult track to tell them apart. Track3: B slightly more expansive on the midrange? Track 4: Flatter mids on A? - less air, less expansive. B better low end Track 5: Lead guitar more expansive on B, has its own bubble of air Track 6: A crisper double bass, better layering. More punchy on the lower end. Voices more ethereal? on B, more spacial. Track 7: A crisper on the low end. More cohesive sound and separation. Track 8: crisper because of less air. Speakers: Midrange did something very different. Moved forward and created depth for the instruments. A is flatter and more conventional. Weird effect when changing from A to B, feels almost like there was a difference in air pressure, I hear them differently. Read something about them going for 3 or 4th order distortions instead of the conventional 2nd, maybe that? This spacial thing is something that is more different between the 2 than anything else I heard on headphones. Pretty impressive stuff but now I'm going to hear what you have to say about soundstage. What I took so far from this video is that your speakers are amazing!!! :))

Hi, Laiv Harmony or Denafreips Pontus 2 12th anniversary or Iris DDC with Pontus 2 12th anniversary? Thanks in advance.

I prefer the Weiss dac over either of these.

Holo vocal is more focused, Laiv vocal blends in more to the surrounding... but i find Laiv a bit more holographic in overall presentation on my headphone... so for instrumental, i thin Laiv will be better.. extremely impressed how Laiv can hold up to Holo May with so little difference.

For me, The only question that needs to be asked is, whether the difference in price justifies the minimal difference between the devices.

I guess it is better to compare it Holo Spring 3, similar price range.

Hello Did you compare the Laiv to the T+A 200 ?

I have PS audio airlens streamer with I2S digital out. I want to know if the I2S is compatible with Harmony DAC. I know Harmony DAC has PIN options configurable, but not sure the PS audio PIN configuration is available.

The two DACs are so close, that the much higher price of the May seems ridiculous!

i think is A,the differences are small

I could barely hear a difference between the two listening through my ZMF Caldera headphones. I found the difference most obvious in the first track with the vocals. DAC A sounded slightly airier, dynamic, and more expansive. DAC B sounded a bit muted and bloated at times.

Would you be able to compare this dac with Ferrum Wandla?

How does this compare to the TEAC UD 701-N?

It sounds good, but the price is much higher than the Denafrips Pontus II 12th. Does it sound much better than the Pontus? Maybe and maybe not. You can't easily carry the Pontus with just one hand. This is definitely price hyped, most companies do anyway. It may follow the Gustard R2R, struggle to resell.

Prefer B for spaceness and distortion-guitar sound

Is the sound by playing upsampled DSD form HQPlayer better than upsampled PCM?

Może uda Ci się zrobić test Dac-a od Fess audio ?

from alot of this channel comparations this one to me kinda obvious for some reason, i picked up right away, dac a has blacker back ground, vocal is more natural, dac b has some kind of unatural decay but luster mid, ss are more pronounce in dac b, yes its mid centric.

Definitely the Laiv.

I hear Holo more soundstage and more airy holographic. But the Laiv tear down a bit high crisp and organic sound more analog sound

B has better timing and better rythmic cohesion.

Can you please compare laiv harmony to ferrum wandla? Since ferrum is a Polish brand it should be easily accessible to you for review.

I'm surprised, LAIV is the winner for me, i thought tat B was Holo, more organic, smooth, a real pleasure to listen it. Do you change something with your source ? Because it's not as usual. Well, i prefered the LAIV, but i will stay with Holo, i don't like the bling bling material and the laiv Harmony is more an Headphones DAC for me and sometimes sobriety hides quality, like the MAY (it's my opinion and it's not objective). Thank you for this video.

Dac A

LAiV vs T+A 200 DAC comparison maybe?

To me, LaiV sounded a bit duller and rolled off compared to May. Conversely, if one prefers that LaiV sound, May will sound brighter/edgier/sparklier/clearer.

The designer Weng says it should show a message on the display using DSD 512 saying "NO signal / Unsupported Sampling". So I assume from that no sound also. Seems odd you not only got it working in DSD 512 but also the display showed DSD 512.

I have question. A couple of weeks ago you compared the Holo May Level 3 KTE to the T+A DAC 200 and you definitely preferred the T+A 200. But now you are not comparing the LAIV HARMONY to the T+A. You are comparing it to the Holo. Does this mean that afterall you ended up liking the Holo better than the T+A?

DAC A is more live, DAC B is more studio both are great

It doesnt make sense to use DSD on a R2R DAC. I dont understand why you dont just upsample to 768khz PCM to PCM to R2R NOS...

Left microfon it closer that rait one

DAC A

HI , whic is the name/model of the loudspeakers?

Why is everyone comparing this to the May when it's closer in price to the Spring 3?

Are you still making that op-amp war video?

Is it better than T+A dac200?

DAC A sounds like Delta Sigma DAC in this comparison, DAC B organic, natural

Bardzo fajne jest to maleństwo,wygląd to dzieło sztuki przemysłowej. Do tej ceny na ich stronie trzeba chyba doliczyć cło i podatki...może jest już jakiś dystrybutor w EU?

The spec write up says DSD 256 can you confirm it goes to DSD 512?

hearing comb filter phasey sound.

Mids sound more natural in DAC A

Did he actually mention how much the LAiV DAC costs or did I miss it?

I see all the RU-vid sales reps got the latest DAC.

One channel is out of phase

I think B= Holo. It’s smoother than A.

Holo Audio is better, no options ))