Greetings. This is a much delayed follow-up to my March 2021 post just after ordering a May KTE. The unit was delivered on time in April in perfect condition. The packaging was excellent.
The first surprise for me was the build quality. The materials, fit and finish, and overall appearance was much better than I had expected. I set it up and let it play in NOS mode with the intention of ignoring it for at least 500 hours. Of course, I had to listen a little bit during the break in period. Early on it sounded quite good but nothing to get excited about. At about 350 hours it was horrible. Bright, edgy, and difficult to even listen to. But by 500 hours it was really starting to open up and sound good. But it wasn’t until about 1,000 hours that it started to perform at its best. I can honestly say that the sound improved at least as much in the second 500 hours as it did in the first!
After fully breaking in, which required 1,000 hours of use with shutdowns every 100 hours or so, the May KTE proved to be an amazing upgrade in my system. I listen exclusively in NOS mode. I won’t use a lot of flowery language, but it’s fair to say that the May was a massive improvement over my Berkeley Alpha DAC series 2. The performance is better in every way including soundstage width, height, depth, and resolution. That said, the most striking improvement in my system was the low end. The texture, impact, detail, weight, and realism of drums and both acoustic and electric bass are all remarkably better.
My system includes a Wolf Aplha 3, May KTE, BAT VK-50SE feeding a Luxman M900u, Tekton Ulfberht w/Beryllium, and REL 212SE (2). Nordost Tyr ICs and speaker cables.
One of my biggest concerns in purchasing the May DAC was that I would have to put my preamp back in the system. The BAT is an excellent unit, but I was happy to simplify using the volume control on the Berkeley Alpha DAC. Well, that concern was unfounded. The May plus the tubed VK-50SE is a fantastic match. Acoustic instruments, female vocals, piano are all relaxed and natural. Rock and Roll rocks hard. I’m simply enjoying listening to music more now than I ever have.
I would be remiss not to mention Jim Smith’s excellent setup guide, Get Better Sound. I bought both the book and the DVDs last year, and implementing Jim’s set up philosophy has taken my system to an entirely different level. Jim’s decades of experience in hi-fi set up have led him to believe that the vast majority of audiophiles are only getting a small fraction of the performance their equipment is capable of because of poor set up. That was certainly the case for me. I bought a laser level and a laser measuring device and literally have the system set up to the millimeter. Selecting the correct listening seat position was a key lesson (who knew?). Anyway, this improved set up also allowed me to maximize the improvements the May brought to my system.
In summary, the May KTE is greatly exceeding my expectations. It is by far the best DAC I have owned in every way. I’ve been a diehard vinyl fan since the 70s, but the performance of my system now with Qobuz, Roon, Wolf Alpha 3, and May KTE is so satisfying that I feel no need for a turntable. I haven’t sold my record collection yet, but that may not be very far off in the future. The May DAC is highly recommended.