[Peter Hyatt]

That's the view I took. Rob Watts is so clearly doing something right with the Hugo that I thought I'd like some more, please.

My precise attitude about Mojo!  Mojo makes me dream of Dave!  

 

[romaz]

I'm also interested in what headphones Dave users like. Presupposing that they aren't limited financially, what headphones and or in ear monitors do Dave owners most enjoy?

If you have no financial limitations, I can also vouch for the same custom IEMs that Rob prefers and those are the Noble Kaiser 10s.  They have a very visceral low end but more importantly, they are very well balanced and so there is no emphasis to any part of the frequency range.  The only thing you sense is that nothing is missing and that your music is very much alive.  They also isolate very well if that is important (I use mine mainly when traveling) and they isolate better than any of my other traveling headphones that have active noise cancellation.  They can be driven well by both your Mojo and by the DAVE.  
 
As for headphones, many here have voiced a preference for the HE-1000 and I, too, very much like the musicality of this headphone.  This one is very easy to listen to for hours on end.  I have also grown very fond of the Abyss with the DAVE and matched with a better headphone cable than the one that comes stock, this one now rises to the top for me.  This one comes the closest to sounding like speakers.  

 

[romaz]

What, over choice of life-partner or the like?

lol

.  Unlike life partners, you can have more than one set of headphones and even though my HD800S sees less time with me these days, it never complains when I don't call. 

 

[lovethatsound]

A general question for Dave owners:

Does owning Dave 'spoil' listening experiences for times when you don't have access to Dave?

I am curious.

I've become "dependent" on Mojo. I don't have interest in listening without it.


I'm also interested in what headphones Dave users like. Presupposing that they aren't limited financially, what headphones and or in ear monitors do Dave owners most enjoy?

That's two questions...


Thank you. This is an interesting thread.

Hi Peter
I only really use Dave now,even know I've got 3 other dacs.Daves sound's very addictive.As far as headphones go,theirs only 1 for me and that's the HD800 unmodified,but with cardas clear cable I've never heard a headphone sound so good,so realistic,with the Dave,the cable makes a big difference to the hd800,makes them sing like never before,add the Dave,and your in heaven.

 

[romaz]

   
Rob, are you going to share how you will create the 100% happy cable for Dave? I guess everyone will be very much interested...

It's always interesting to see what Rob comes up with.  I am currently testing a mains cable that "busts RF" better than anything yet that I have heard.  Here is a photo and it is called the High Fidelity Reference Helix:
 

 
Unfortunately, it is obscenely expensive (it costs as much as the DAVE) but the point of the exercise is to see whether the DAVE would scale to something like this and to my dismay, it does.  As nice an improvement as something like the microRendu provides, it pales in comparison to the sheer clarity, enhanced tonal body and vivid dynamics that comes with the magnetic technology that this mains cable provides.

 

[maxh22]

  It's always interesting to see what Rob comes up with.  I am currently testing a mains cable that "busts RF" better than anything yet that I have heard.  Here is a photo and it is called the High Fidelity Reference Helix:
 

 
Unfortunately, it is obscenely expensive (it costs as much as the DAVE) but the point of the exercise is to see whether the DAVE would scale to something like this and to my dismay, it does.  As nice an improvement as something like the microRendu provides, it pales in comparison to the sheer clarity, enhanced tonal body and vivid dynamics that comes with the magnetic technology that this mains cable provides.

Now thats something! The company also has an even more expensive cable that goes for $21K! It isn't even meant for consumers due to how impractical it is.
 
http://www.highfidelitycables.com/products/power/pro/

 

[ecwl]

A general question for Dave owners:

Does owning Dave 'spoil' listening experiences for times when you don't have access to Dave?

I am curious.

I've become "dependent" on Mojo. I don't have interest in listening without it.


I'm also interested in what headphones Dave users like. Presupposing that they aren't limited financially, what headphones and or in ear monitors do Dave owners most enjoy?

That's two questions...


Thank you. This is an interesting thread.

I'm not a big Head-Fi person so I use RHA MA750 for travel and Sennheiser HD650 at home because of my small head. DAVE is mainly for speakers for me.

I have no problems using DAVE at home and Mojo at work or while travelling. What I can't stand anymore are non-Chord DACs.

 

[romaz]

  Now thats something! The company also has an even more expensive cable that goes for $21K! It isn't even meant for consumers due to how impractical it is.
 
http://www.highfidelitycables.com/products/power/pro/

I have had conversations with Rick Schultz about this "Pro" version that you talk about.  He uses it in his home and says there are die-hard consumers who use it in their systems.  Rick tells me he has not yet found a saturation point where audio equipment he has tested doesn't benefit from this magnetic technology from a SQ standpoint and that the more magnets the better.  The problem is the bigger and more powerful magnets become potentially more dangerous at some point.  He told me he has a magnet he is testing in his shop that is so powerful that it will attract scissors and similar items if they're left unattended that can become flying daggers and yet these magnets result in very obvious SQ improvement even beyond his "Pro" series.  Apparently, the rare earth magnets used in his highest-end stuff and the manufacturing process involved (each has to be hand made) are costly and so there is no way to reap the benefits of this technology without having to spend a fair amount of money.

 

[maxh22]

  I have had conversations with Rick Schultz about this "Pro" version that you talk about.  He uses it in his home and says there are die-hard consumers who use it in their systems.  Rick tells me he has not yet found a saturation point where audio equipment he has tested doesn't benefit from this magnetic technology from a SQ standpoint and that the more magnets the better.  The problem is the bigger and more powerful magnets become potentially more dangerous at some point.  He told me he has a magnet he is testing in his shop that is so powerful that it will attract scissors and similar items if they're left unattended that can become flying daggers and yet these magnets result in very obvious SQ improvement even beyond his "Pro" series.  Apparently, the rare earth magnets used in his highest-end stuff and the manufacturing process involved (each has to be hand made) are costly and so there is no way to reap the benefits of this technology without having to spend a fair amount of money.

Very interesting, do you think the SQ improvement that you are hearing from the cable is worth the asking price to you?  
Will you be keeping the cable?

 

[shuttlepod]

  It's always interesting to see what Rob comes up with.  I am currently testing a mains cable that "busts RF" better than anything yet that I have heard.  Here is a photo and it is called the High Fidelity Reference Helix:
 

 
Unfortunately, it is obscenely expensive (it costs as much as the DAVE) but the point of the exercise is to see whether the DAVE would scale to something like this and to my dismay, it does.  As nice an improvement as something like the microRendu provides, it pales in comparison to the sheer clarity, enhanced tonal body and vivid dynamics that comes with the magnetic technology that this mains cable provides.

It is sort of dismaying. How would you compare it to the $2k HFC power cord, which you said earlier was a significant improvement over other cords by Shunyata and Audience? And are you using the Reference Helix with the $2800 HFC power conditioner? Just trying to get a sense of bang for the buck with HFC power products.

 

[Crgreen]

Sounds like one of those experiments where it all goes terribly wrong and they have to call in Spiderman

 

[shuttlepod]

  I have had conversations with Rick Schultz about this "Pro" version that you talk about.  He uses it in his home and says there are die-hard consumers who use it in their systems.  Rick tells me he has not yet found a saturation point where audio equipment he has tested doesn't benefit from this magnetic technology from a SQ standpoint and that the more magnets the better.  The problem is the bigger and more powerful magnets become potentially more dangerous at some point.  He told me he has a magnet he is testing in his shop that is so powerful that it will attract scissors and similar items if they're left unattended that can become flying daggers and yet these magnets result in very obvious SQ improvement even beyond his "Pro" series.  Apparently, the rare earth magnets used in his highest-end stuff and the manufacturing process involved (each has to be hand made) are costly and so there is no way to reap the benefits of this technology without having to spend a fair amount of money.

I don't know much about magnets, but I almost fear for Rick Schultz's health, and I'm not referring only to flying metal objects. It almost conjures up a mad scientist vision in my head.

 

[Mython]

 

  I have had conversations with Rick Schultz about this "Pro" version that you talk about.  He uses it in his home and says there are die-hard consumers who use it in their systems.  Rick tells me he has not yet found a saturation point where audio equipment he has tested doesn't benefit from this magnetic technology from a SQ standpoint and that the more magnets the better.  The problem is the bigger and more powerful magnets become potentially more dangerous at some point.  He told me he has a magnet he is testing in his shop that is so powerful that it will attract scissors and similar items if they're left unattended that can become flying daggers and yet these magnets result in very obvious SQ improvement even beyond his "Pro" series.  Apparently, the rare earth magnets used in his highest-end stuff and the manufacturing process involved (each has to be hand made) are costly and so there is no way to reap the benefits of this technology without having to spend a fair amount of money.

I don't know much about magnets, but I almost fear for Rick Schultz's health, and I'm not referring only to flying metal objects. It almost conjures up a mad scientist vision in my head.

 
 
Sounds like he may eventually end up installing an MRI in some wealthy audiophiles hi-fi room, and putting all the seperates on the MRI bed (naturally, he'll have to  find some way of ensuring everything is spectacularly-well-secured to the bed, and/or eliminate every ferrous component and replace it with an aluminium, copper, gold, silver, or lead equivalent!

 
 
 
On a serious note, I'm all for people seeking to 'push the envelope', from an R&D standpoint, but $21,000, for a cable, magnetic or not, is, to this individual, quite frankly insulting. If that opinion makes me unpopular, then so be it

 

[x RELIC x]

Hi Peter Hyatt, like you I find the Mojo to be very compelling and because of it I'm likely going to order the DAVE without an audition (dealer network in Western Canada being quite small). As you've seen many of my posts in the Mojo thread I find Rob's implementations to be very much ahead of the curve, at least to my ears, and simply can't resist the temptation of DAVE. I need to finish a job I brought in to pay for it and then I'll be able to share with you my thoughts between the two and how it affects my desire to 'scale down' when not listening at my workstation. This may be the most interesting time in my life long enjoyment of music since I first heard my father put music on the family's turntable, strictly speaking from a sense of wonder. I'm looking forward to it. A little over the top with anticipation? We'll see...

 

[romaz]

If price was no object, I cannot imagine anyone who wouldn't want this cable with their DAVE or frankly with whatever piece of audio equipment they have.  Having seen preposterously expensive mains cables for years, I used to wonder just how good a mains cable (or a set of interconnects) could be and never imagined they could ever make that much of a difference but this magnetic technology concept is different.  It's not just about clean power or a clean signal but I'm not sure I fully grasp yet all that it is doing and how it's doing it.  All I can say is I have never heard a mains cable (or a set of interconnects) do what these cables are single-handedly doing and the benefits are clearly additive.  Of course, there is the question of how good something is and what value the improvement that it brings is worth.
 
Another way I am looking at it is if Rob came out with a new improved DAVE version 2 and it sounded this much better, would I sell my current DAVE and upgrade to it?  Combined with what I am getting from High Fidelity's prototype headphone device and their interconnects, it becomes very hard to say "no" because once you hear an improvement of this magnitude, it becomes almost haunting to live with less.  I don't want to suggest this technology is improving the DAVE more than it is revealing the DAVE's true potential which is a testament to how great the DAVE really is.
 
Ultimately, there is the issue of affordability and that is often the limiting factor.  Regardless of the value something might have, we each have a line that we cannot cross or shouldn't cross and $20k for a mains cable (or even $13K) is more than I am willing to spend.  This $13k mains cable I am evaluating, however, has been offered to me by a gentleman who is having an "estate sale" because of tax problems and as it has been offered to me for 60% off MSRP, I have already agreed to move forward with it.  He also had a set if High Fidelity Ulitmate Reference interconnects he wished to part with for about 60% off MSRP, an offer I simply could not refuse.  
 
Having established that the microRendu / SonicTransporter will be my reference digital source and having almost completed my USB cable and network cable evaluation with the microRendu, once my Paul Hynes power supply comes in, I believe my incessant testing will come to an end and I will just finally enjoy what I believe will be my "end-game" setup for at least the foreseeable future (at least until my youngest son moves out to college and I start building my dream 2-channel system).