romaz said:

  It's quite a bit of fun watching how other people have set up their DAVE.  It really is a personal statement.  Mine has nearly 300 hours on it now and has settled in nicely into my system.  I thought I'd share a few things I've found.  Some of these things I discovered when I first had a DAVE in my home back in November but after more time with it, I have solidified certain opinions.
 
First, Rob pointed out that DAVE, like all things, benefits from good mechanical isolation.  My DAVE sits on my desk where its compact size and attractive aesthetics are very much a plus.  I have near-field Omega monitors also sitting on my desk along with a powered subwoofer on the floor and so when music is playing through these speakers, isolation does make a difference.  I have a quad of Black Raviolis that are low profile and do make a difference but I found a more elegant solution that looks like it is custom tailored for the DAVE.  It is the Acoustic Revive TB-38H and is designed to provide isolation for small pieces of equipment like power supplies and I will say that it not only looks good but is very effective.  It is also not very expensive and can be purchased directly from Japan via EBay.  Highly recommended.
 


 
Second, I cannot overstate how good a job Rob has done isolating the DAVE against almost everything else.  It seems to be immune and even impervious to all the things that significantly impact just about every other DAC I have experienced.  When I first had the DAVE in my home in November, I had noticed quite oddly that my "dirty" Mac Pro plugged into the wall with a standard 18g computer power cord and connected to the DAVE via optical cable sounded as good as my highly optimized CAD CAT which was grounded to an Entreq grounding box and connected to an Audience aR6 line conditioner.  I wasn't sure what to think of this back then and whether I could believe what I was hearing but because my time with the DAVE was so brief (only 48 hours), I convinced myself that I could have imagined it.  Those of you who know me know that I am heavily into music servers and have researched and compared them extensively because with my TotalDAC d1-monobloc and every other DAC I have had, they made a VERY large difference:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/787020/review-comparison-of-5-high-end-digital-music-servers-aurender-n10-cad-cat-server-totaldac-d1-server-auralic-aries-audiophile-vortex-box
 
I was even in the process of building what I called the "Super CAT" comprised of very specialized parts from Paul Pang and would include no less than 4 OCXO clocks as well as an optical LAN adapter.  I had commissioned Phil Hobi in Switzerland to personally install and optimize Windows Server 2012 and Audiophile Optimizer, one of Phil's IT colleagues in Florida to build this machine and painstakingly apply RF shielding to strategic areas of the server and Paul Hynes of Scotland to build a custom quad-transformer, multi-rail linear PSU.  By all accounts, this was to be the best music server that could be built because with each expert I enlisted, my instructions were to compromise nothing for the sake of ultimate sound quality.  Well, it was around this time that the DAVE first came into the picture and as you can imagine, upon discovering that the source may not matter at all, I put this project on hold until my DAVE arrived.  Some here who already have a DAVE have suggested that their specialized servers sound better than their basic laptops but this is what I found this past week:
 
With the help of an audiophile colleague and my wife (3 sets of ears total), we blind tested several music sources including (1) my "noisy" 12-core Mac Pro with its standard mains cable plugged directly into the wall with no power conditioning, connected to network via wifi and connected to the DAVE either via $10 USB cable or $120 Mapleshades optical cable, (2) Sonore Sonicorbiter SE, a $300 Roon Endpoint that utilizes a Cubox processor connected to mains via linear PSU and to the DAVE either via Curious USB or Mapleshades optical, (3) a $3,000 custom-built Windows music server with specialized motherboard with TCXO clock, Paul Pang V4 USB with OCXO clock, connected to network via optical LAN, Windows Server 2012 R2 Core with Audiophile Optimizer and Bug Head Emperor, (4) a $3,500 Aurender X100L with $1,200 custom-built Kenneth Lau linear PSU connected to network via optical LAN and to the DAVE via Curious USB cable and (5) an $8,000 Aurender N10 connected to the network via optical LAN and to the DAVE via Curious USB cable.  All of these devices, except the Mac Pro were connected to mains using expensive power cords (either the Audience AU24SE or a $3,500 Dynamic Design Challenger AE15 cord with an active RF shield) and further aided by a Son of Q balanced power supply by Equi=Tech which is effectively an isolation transformer and RF filter.  In a separate setup with a different DAC (which shall go nameless), I have validated that these power cables and balanced power supply are quite effective in what they are designed to do without any negative impact on dynamics.  The bottom line is that the Mac Pro connected directly to the wall with its cheap power cord and directly to the DAVE with a $10 USB cable represented my "worst case scenario" while every other music source was heavily advantaged in one way or another.
 
Listening to a variety of lossless files from 16/44 to 24/384 to DSD128 with genres ranging from large orchestral symphony to small ensemble jazz to intimate vocals to bass-heavy pop, while sighted, some of us imagined we could detect a subtle difference in favor of USB over optical and some of us felt the Aurender N10 perhaps layered a little better but once blinded, while we could hear very subtle differences, none of us could really state a preference for one source or another.  To put it bluntly, the Mac Pro with its noisy switching PSU and no special RF shielding and using a $10 USB cable sounded as good as the other servers and this was a unanimous finding.  In case anyone is interested to know, we also tested the USB Regen and the newer W4S Recovery with the Curious USB cables and compared this setup against the $10 USB cable by itself and once again, there was no difference.  Those who are hearing significant differences between sources, all I can say is your DAVE must be different than mine.  To be thorough, we then substituted the DAVE for another DAC and without question, the Mac Pro on USB was the poorest sounding source.  The W4S Recovery (more than the USB Regen) with Curious USB cable also noticeably improved the sound.  With the other DAC, blind testing wasn't necessary because the differences were so stark.
 
I have noticed some are earnestly in search of that "perfect" optical cable and some have refused to look at USB at all based on prior experiences.  My comment to you is you should leave all of your preconceived ideas at the door when it comes to the DAVE because the DAVE will probably change many of your core beliefs about proper system setup and tuning.  First of all, back in November when I first came into contact with the DAVE, my dealer and I did some testing.  Something must have changed because we were able to directly connect an AQ Diamond optical cable directly into the DAVE back then and we compared it to my $120 Mapleshades optical cable alongside a $2,000 digital coax cable (I have forgotten which one).  Back then, my dealer and I both agreed that optical sounded a little better than digital coax and that the less expensive Mapleshades sounded identical to the more expensive AQ Diamond.   As I now compare my Mapleshades optical to the standard "made in China" optical cable that comes with the DAVE, I can detect no difference at all.  If it makes you feel better to spend a lot of money on something like an AQ Diamond or Wireworld SuperNova because they are glass cables, just know that the optical connectors in the DAVE are not glass, they're plastic.  If you are going out of your way to hunt for a special optical cable to make the DAVE sound as good as possible, I suggest you listen and compare before you buy because there's a very good chance you won't notice a difference.   With regards to USB vs optical, while I am unable to detect any significant difference between USB and optical in my system, I personally prefer USB because of the ability to transfer DSD512 and PCM up to 768kHz oversampling.  As I am listening to files recorded natively in DXD and DSD256, I am just stunned by what I am hearing.   Rob has already said he is less fond of digital coax and AES/EBU.  I believe this is because you cannot galvanically isolate these types of connections and especially with an unbalanced digital coax cable, RF noise can more freely penetrate the DAVE.
 
As it has become clear to me that what is connected before the DAVE has become less important, what is connected after the DAVE has become even more important.  Because the output of the DAVE is so pure and rich and faithful to the recording, it would make sense to use the most transparent analog interconnects, headphone or speaker cables, and headphones or speakers you can afford.  While expensive, I can vouch for the DHC Silver Spore4 if anyone is on the fence about this cable.  The difference in sound quality is there and it is easily the finest headphone cable I have heard.

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lovethatsound said:

HI ROMAZ
A very nice write up . I've got 4 different optical cables,but I've only used 1,the super nova 7,but i will try the other 3 out,and see if i can tell any difference and let you know.

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lovethatsound said:

PS just ordered 2 of the acoustic revive tb-38h from e-bay,1 for my blu transport,and 1 for my Dave and i even like the colour.

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christer said:

 
Thanks for your very interesting report.
I have only heard Dave a few hours  also with the HE1000 conected directly to the headphone jack.
And yes I too was very impressed by what I heard, especially with DXD recorded  material where I was present at the sessions it was as close as I have heard to  raw unedited DXD at 2L recording  sessions in Selbu and Nidaros chuches in Norway.
Another of Morten's  DXD recordings sounded better more real than I have ever heard it before via headphones, Beethoven's last piano sonata Opus 111.
And the string sounds from TRONDHEIMSOLISTENE sounded almost as being back in front of them again.
"Your'e there" is a good description with well made recordings from what I have heard from Dave.   
Do you have any issues at all with your HE1000 with densely scored  classical music?
I am still on the fence a bit regarding them although they are addictive too.
I very nearly bought a pair a couple of weeks ago but stalled at only  1 year local warranty offered.
Oops I nearly forgot to mention that my macbook pro was connected via usb and it  sounded sublime. None of the issues  whatsoever that I sometimes have with my Hugo via usb.

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theattorney said:

  A great set of posts romaz and highly informative. Headfi needs more posts like this.
 
As you are probably aware, I was underwhelmed by DAVE in my first encounter. It was very good, but nothing to truly rave about as yourself and others have done. So I'm still arranging a second go with the dealer when the loan version next becomes available.
 
I very much like the idea of not having to worry about expensive upstream components and cables etc. Apart from the cost aspect, it can result in an extremely simple and compact total solution.
Although I was really impressed with the AQ Diamond optical with Yggy, I've held off from actually buying that cable, precisely because I wanted to hear if it was unnecessary for the DAVE. I haven't tried the Mapleshade cable because transatlantic try-before-buy options are too much hassle. But if DAVE works equally well with stock cable then that would be a great result, but I'll reserve judgment until I try it for myself.

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romaz said:

During a recent listening session with a friend, we listened to the DAVE with an HE-1000, LCD-4, TH-900, Dharma, HD800 and Noble Kaiser 10 IEMs and they all sounded very good, the best that I have ever heard any of these headphones sound.  Back in November, I auditioned the DAVE connected directly (no separate amp) to an Abyss paired with a Nordost copper headphone cable and while the Abyss can benefit from more gain than the DAVE can provide with certain high dynamic range material, it was the best I had ever heard the Abyss sound.  What makes the HE-1000 special for me is the "air" it presents, better than any other headphone I've heard and as you know, it does it naturally and with any DAC.  The soundstage is not larger, at least not HD800 large, but the space around instruments and voices is just intoxicatingly good.  It is an ethereal quality that can sometimes make the HE-1000 sound soft and too polite but with complex material with many layers of instruments and voices, nothing layers better to my ears than the HE-1000.  Because the DAVE presents this wonderful sense of depth, the HE-1000 plays exquisitely to this strength.

With the DAVE, because the DAC is no longer the limiting factor, the DAVE will expose the limits of your digital file, amplifier (if you're using one), your headphone cable and your headphone. Does the HE-1000 have issues resolving densely scored classical music?  I believe so and some of this is fixable and some of this is not.  With material that contains sharp transitions and a commanding leading edge (ie violins), the softness of the HE-1000 can come across as "lack of resolution" and there is nothing you can do about this but this is why people sometimes own several headphones and this is why I have an HD800S on order.  However, there are also perceived resolution issues because of the shortcomings of its stock copper headphone cable and this can be resolved.  Swap out the stock cable for something like the DHC Silver Spore4 and I think some of your complaints might just disappear. Silver (over copper) is known for its speed and resolution but at the expense of tonal body, especially in the lower frequencies to the extent that it can sound thin and bass shy but also "hyper" and unnatural.  This is what I am experiencing with my Moon Audio Silver Dragon.  With the Silver Spore4, however, you get all the resolution and speed that silver is known for but because the Silver Spore4 uses continuous cast (and not stranded) UPOCC grade silver (the purest you can buy) and because of the special dielectrics that Peter Bradstock uses, there is a smooth, quiet, relaxed and effortless quality to the presentation instead of the "hyper" quality that can come across as thin and harsh with other silver cables.  With the Silver Spore4, aside from its high cost, I have found no downside, and with special adapters, I am able to use this cable for my TH-900 and the HD800S that I have coming in.

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str-1 said:

Hi Romaz
I've currently got the Dave on a few days loan, which I'm listening to with my HE1000 and using an AK380 as source (mostly Apples lossless CD rips) - everything stock, no expensive cables and no amps, just AK380/Dave/HE1000. I understand from the dealer that the Dave has had less than 10 hours run in. I have to say that although the definition and transparency is mightily impressive it does sound a little cold and 'hard', and ever so slightly bass-light compared to the Hugo TT. Can I expect much change after a bit more run in? I've been trying it out on all kinds of music. Thanks

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romaz said:

   
During a recent listening session with a friend, we listened to the DAVE with an HE-1000, LCD-4, TH-900, Dharma, HD800 and Noble Kaiser 10 IEMs and they all sounded very good, the best that I have ever heard any of these headphones sound.  Back in November, I auditioned the DAVE connected directly (no separate amp) to an Abyss paired with a Nordost copper headphone cable and while the Abyss can benefit from more gain than the DAVE can provide with certain high dynamic range material, it was the best I had ever heard the Abyss sound.  What makes the HE-1000 special for me is the "air" it presents, better than any other headphone I've heard and as you know, it does it naturally and with any DAC.  The soundstage is not larger, at least not HD800 large, but the space around instruments and voices is just intoxicatingly good.  It is an ethereal quality that can sometimes make the HE-1000 sound soft and too polite but with complex material with many layers of instruments and voices, nothing layers better to my ears than the HE-1000.  Because the DAVE presents this wonderful sense of depth, the HE-1000 plays exquisitely to this strength.
 
With the DAVE, because the DAC is no longer the limiting factor, the DAVE will expose the limits of your digital file, amplifier (if you're using one), your headphone cable and your headphone. Does the HE-1000 have issues resolving densely scored classical music?  I believe so and some of this is fixable and some of this is not.  With material that contains sharp transitions and a commanding leading edge (ie violins), the softness of the HE-1000 can come across as "lack of resolution" and there is nothing you can do about this but this is why people sometimes own several headphones and this is why I have an HD800S on order.  However, there are also perceived resolution issues because of the shortcomings of its stock copper headphone cable and this can be resolved.  Swap out the stock cable for something like the DHC Silver Spore4 and I think some of your complaints might just disappear. Silver (over copper) is known for its speed and resolution but at the expense of tonal body, especially in the lower frequencies to the extent that it can sound thin and bass shy but also "hyper" and unnatural.  This is what I am experiencing with my Moon Audio Silver Dragon.  With the Silver Spore4, however, you get all the resolution and speed that silver is known for but because the Silver Spore4 uses continuous cast (and not stranded) UPOCC grade silver (the purest you can buy) and because of the special dielectrics that Peter Bradstock uses, there is a smooth, quiet, relaxed and effortless quality to the presentation instead of the "hyper" quality that can come across as thin and harsh with other silver cables.  With the Silver Spore4, aside from its high cost, I have found no downside, and with special adapters, I am able to use this cable for my TH-900 and the HD800S that I have coming in.

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christer said:

   
Thanks again for your follow up report and response to my questions regarding the HE1000.
I don't have  any  doubts regarding DAVE.But the issues I have heard with some densely scored  material,notably Miraculous Metamorposes from Reference Recordings at 24/176.4 via HE1000, has been one reason for my holding back so far . But I too have been  more than a bit  addicted to the really good aspects of the HE1000,and I am  tempted to get the HE1000 simply  to complement my HD800.
I have several terabytes of hi res masterfiles where some tend to sound better via  my Sennheisers taking a step back from the proceedings, and others via HE1000. I haven't heard anything as transparent as DAVE /HE1000 and my HD800,since the days of direct cut Sheffield Labs and Crystal Clear LPs and my Jecklin Float electrostats and Staxes.
Cheers Chris

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romaz said:

  Yes, I believe so.  Very few pieces of electronic gear that I know of sound their best with so few hours.  Same thing applies to cables.  Unfortunately, I think you will need to run your DAVE continuously for a week before to be able to judge it fairly and it's not clear if you can keep it that long.  Most definitely, "cold and hard" are not accurate descriptors for the DAVE paired with the HE-1000.

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str-1 said:

Hi Romaz
I've currently got the Dave on a few days loan, which I'm listening to with my HE1000 and using an AK380 as source (mostly Apples lossless CD rips) - everything stock, no expensive cables and no amps, just AK380/Dave/HE1000. I understand from the dealer that the Dave has had less than 10 hours run in. I have to say that although the definition and transparency is mightily impressive it does sound a little cold and 'hard', and ever so slightly bass-light compared to the Hugo TT. Can I expect much change after a bit more run in? I've been trying it out on all kinds of music. Thanks

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