[ericx85]

Hopefully another load gets shipped out this week. I can agree that the only con I can see with this amp is its size but considering what it brings its easily justified. With the Holo Red I think I'll be set until the May 2 happens and hopefully fixes the little nuances I didn't like with the current May.

 

[ozziegurkan]

This is very promising for the 1266, hope somebody can share their experience with the TCs already.

I have the Diana V2s and the sub bass is epic, and the top end is crisp and sparkly. Of course, the Dianas are very mid-forward so it plays into it directly, which could be a plus or a negative if you are sensitive to it. I would really love to try the TCs, though, just no more money!

 

[GoldenSound]

Doing a few measurements now that I’ve spent enough time listening, will have a full set soon but figured I’d share initial basic results

Bal in Bal out:

All harmonics below -140dB

SINAD is about 120dB, and at 50mV IEM level you get 93dB SNR so it’s whisper quiet.

Handles 12W at 32 Ohms!!

Crosstalk is about -138dB upto 2.5khz. And rises to -125dB at 20khz.

THD remains constant and does not rise at higher frequencies (quite a few amps perform way better at 1khz than at 10-20khz for example).

Awesome stuff Jeff!

Only slightly unusual thing is the output impedances:

XLR-4 Bal: 0.1Ω (Lo-Z), 15Ω (Hi-Z)
4.4mm Bal: 2.2Ω (Lo-Z), 17Ω (Hi-Z)
6.35mm SE: 1.1Ω (Lo-Z), 8.5Ω (Hi-Z)

I’m guessing the higher output impedances on the 6.35/4.4mm connections are there for short protection. But if using IEMs for example and concerned about OI you could just grab an XLR to 4.4mm adapter and use that.

 

[SlothRock]

Doing a few measurements now that I’ve spent enough time listening, will have a full set soon but figured I’d share initial basic results

Bal in Bal out:



All harmonics below -140dB

SINAD is about 120dB, and at 50mV IEM level you get 93dB SNR so it’s whisper quiet.

Handles 12W at 32 Ohms!!

Crosstalk is about -138dB upto 2.5khz. And rises to -125dB at 20khz.

THD remains constant and does not rise at higher frequencies (quite a few amps perform way better at 1khz than at 10-20khz for example).

Awesome stuff Jeff!

Only slightly unusual thing is the output impedances:

XLR-4 Bal: 0.1Ω (Lo-Z), 15Ω (Hi-Z)
4.4mm Bal: 2.2Ω (Lo-Z), 17Ω (Hi-Z)
6.35mm SE: 1.1Ω (Lo-Z), 8.5Ω (Hi-Z)

I’m guessing the higher output impedances on the 6.35/4.4mm connections are there for short protection. But if using IEMs for example and concerned about OI you could just grab an XLR to 4.4mm adapter and use that.

Impressive initial measurements - especially when you consider the power this thing outputs!! Wow. No surprise, Holo is one of the best in the biz at creating a fantastic sounding device that is also ultra low-noise.

 

[Greg121986]

A couple pics. Some gratuitous, some informative. I wanted to show the finish imperfections I found so others can be on the lookout. I've had 3 Spring DACs (rev.1 and rev.3) and haven't seen these issues. There are some hairline scratches and one very noticeable scratch on the copper. More concerning is the beading of the anodizing along the edge of the top panel. I cannot tell if this is from the anodizing/paint? or if the aluminum top plate itself was not finished properly. You can feel this easily if you run your fingers along the edge and in the worst case you could catch your hand on it as the imperfection is along the side where you are likely to pickup the unit. I discovered it this way when I first pulled the unit out of the packaging.

Update: Kitsune took care of this issue immediately and without question! I promptly received a new, replacement Bliss in perfect condition. The original Bliss with the casework issues will go back to Kitsune and I will continue to be a happy customer.



Second, I put the Bliss on a KillAWatt before racking it at my work desk. It immediately idled at 60W with no input or output, then went down to 54W. I also checked the power factor which was 0.74. This seems pretty low, but it might change if there was an input and load on the unit. Not sure here, but those who are being price gouged for their electricity costs may want to take note. I will definitely not be leaving the Bliss on when not in use. Hitting the power button on the front brought the measured power to 0.0W according to the KillAWatt. The input power was a perfect 120.5V and 59.9 Hz when I took these photos. Edit, got curious so put the KillAWatt back on under load. PF remained 0.74-0.75 but power draw reduced to around 46W at -30db Lo-Z into Focal Utopia. Your mileage will vary but it's a datapoint.




Finally, some glory shots on my rack. The McIntosh is getting sad because I have not used it in months.

 

[Xevv]

Mine does not have those types of edges :/.

 

[SlothRock]

Mine does not either - I do have a small section of my Bliss that has a rough edge and is silver instead of black, indicating it was unfinished or nicked/dinged. It wasn't a big deal to me but, at the same time, I was curious about how to resolve it since Holo Audio are expensive devices and you want a brand new product to look brand new. I hit up Tim at Kitsune (where I ordered from) and he gave me EXCELLENT customer service. They are going to ship me another Bliss, let me keep my current one until it arrives, and then they're going to give me a pre-paid FedEx label to ship my current one back. They earned a customer for life with this type of service.

If the finish is bothering you, you should contact whomever you purchased from and see about a replacement

 

[nonamerat]

Doing a few measurements now that I’ve spent enough time listening, will have a full set soon but figured I’d share initial basic results

Bal in Bal out:



All harmonics below -140dB

SINAD is about 120dB, and at 50mV IEM level you get 93dB SNR so it’s whisper quiet.

Handles 12W at 32 Ohms!!

Crosstalk is about -138dB upto 2.5khz. And rises to -125dB at 20khz.

THD remains constant and does not rise at higher frequencies (quite a few amps perform way better at 1khz than at 10-20khz for example).

Awesome stuff Jeff!

Only slightly unusual thing is the output impedances:

XLR-4 Bal: 0.1Ω (Lo-Z), 15Ω (Hi-Z)
4.4mm Bal: 2.2Ω (Lo-Z), 17Ω (Hi-Z)
6.35mm SE: 1.1Ω (Lo-Z), 8.5Ω (Hi-Z)

I’m guessing the higher output impedances on the 6.35/4.4mm connections are there for short protection. But if using IEMs for example and concerned about OI you could just grab an XLR to 4.4mm adapter and use that.

Good stuff here, thanks! Any chance that we will see some early comparisons to the HM1? I'm one foot off the ledge for a HM1 preorder, but wondering if the Bliss is 'good enough' for SS endgame. This would be with a May KTE.

 

[OneEyedHito]

A couple pics. Some gratuitous, some informative. I wanted to show the finish imperfections I found so others can be on the lookout. I've had 3 Spring DACs (rev.1 and rev.3) and haven't seen these issues. Pretty bummed that my Bliss was this way out of the box. There are some hairline scratches and one very noticeable scratch on the copper. More concerning is the beading of the anodizing along the edge of the top panel. I cannot tell if this is from the anodizing or if the aluminum top plate itself was not finished properly. You can feel this easily if you run your fingers along the edge and in the worst case you could catch your hand on it as the imperfection is along the side where you are likely to pickup the unit. I discovered it this way when I first pulled the unit out of the packaging.

Second, I put the Bliss on a KillAWatt before racking it at my work desk. It immediately idled at 60W with no input or output, then went down to 54W. I also checked the power factor which was 0.74. This seems pretty low, but it might change if there was an input and load on the unit. Not sure here, but those who are being price gouged for their electricity costs may want to take note. I will definitely not be leaving the Bliss on when not in use. Hitting the power button on the front brought the measured power to 0.0W according to the KillAWatt. The input power was a perfect 120.5V and 59.9 Hz when I took these photos. Edit, got curious so put the KillAWatt back on under load. PF remained 0.74-0.75 but power draw reduced to around 46W at -30db Lo-Z into Focal Utopia. Your mileage will vary but it's a datapoint.

Cosmetic Issues like this (it happens on occasion with all products - I use Asian manufacturing for about ½ of my products and US mfgring for the other half in the Fiber Optics Business so I speak from experience in both) are the reason we need in country distribution and I am grateful that we have that here in the states with Kitsune and not having to rely on Alibaba (equally as bad Amazon btw) for Jeff's great products. As for the power concern, this is a dual mono Class A amplifier, it is going to draw power when turned on, but there is no way in my experience that I prefer Class D over A for music. I just don't. #1stworldproblems

 

[Xevv]

I just wanna take a quick moment to say how underrated the Sennheiser 560s are. These headphones on the May + Bliss are just a wonderful. The Bliss really showcases how fun the 560s’ bass can be and how well these headphones’ clarity can scale with better and better gear.

 

[M700LTR]

Placed my order. Wait time now seems to be 1 - 2 months. For those on the fence, might be a good idea to keep in mind Chinese New Year is around the corner (may/ will impact production time).

 

[ozziegurkan]

Listening to Will of the people by Muse and the chorus, drums, and passages are just right to my ears with no fatigue but just head-banging pleasure in my ZMF VOs with Bliss set to Hi Z mode. The Hi Z mode injects some warmth into the mid-bass of the VOs while the Lo Z clears it up. It’s subtle but you can feel it. It’s really fast to do A/B it from the couch with the output button. Fun. Really enjoying how clear snappy and dynamic it is. It's really matching the beryllium's speed.

 

[ozziegurkan]

Good stuff here, thanks! Any chance that we will see some early comparisons to the HM1? I'm one foot off the ledge for a HM1 preorder, but wondering if the Bliss is 'good enough' for SS endgame. This would be with a May KTE.

For the price of a HM1 you can get the Bliss plus Spring KTE. Does that give the push?

 

[SlothRock]

Listening to Will of the people by Muse and the chorus, drums, and passages are just right to my ears with no fatigue but just head-banging pleasure in my ZMF VOs with Bliss set to Hi Z mode. The Hi Z mode injects some warmth into the mid-bass of the VOs while the Lo Z clears it up. It’s subtle but you can feel it. It’s really fast to do A/B it from the couch with the output button. Fun. Really enjoying how clear snappy and dynamic it is. It's really matching the beryllium's speed.

My man!! I'm on the VC right this very second in Hi-Z mode. Really, really love what this does to the VC and I can imagine on other ZMF dynamic cans in general. Provides some of the tube benefits for sure and the fact you can switch it on and off for your mood is *chefs kiss*. Just discovered Brandi Carlile and, while I'm not typically a country enthusiast by any stretch, this song is just grabbing me right now on this combo:

 

[nonamerat]

For the price of a HM1 you can get the Bliss plus Spring KTE. Does that give the push?

Ha, very valid point. The HM1 is silly expensive for SS, but I do like some of the unique features of it and I appreciate what Zahl does. The logic in me says it's not worth it, but logic gets thrown out the door pretty quickly in this hobby.