[kennyb123]

I rediscovered my old CD library with R2R

I think we have to be careful to NOT attribute too much to the digital stage in a DAC. That analog stage and power supply contribute as much and maybe more to the sound quality we hear.

The DAVE has an exceptional digital stage, but the power supply is not befitting such an excellent digital stage. The same can probably be said of the very simple analog stage in the DAVE. It's super-transparent but the music doesn't bloom in the way that the sound would bloom with excellent discrete stage.

I don't know what percents can be attributed to each stage, but I've heard it said by some that the digital stage only accounts for about 20% of the DACs sound quality. The power supply itself likely makes that greatest contribution.

The nice thing about the DAVE, of course, is that the ~$40 SMPS inside the case can easily be extracted. If one loves the sound of the DAVE, they will love it even more by upgrading to a better power supply. Not much can be done about the DAVE's analog stage though, except maybe pairing it with an excellent preamp.

As an aside, a friend has his DAVE and SJ power supply listed for sale here. I have heard the DAVE at his house with its stock power supply, a DC3 and later the ARC6 DC4. Those power supplies were game changers IMHO. If I had the cash, I would not hesitate to pull the trigger for this combo.

 

[Reactcore]

The same can probably be said of the very simple analog stage in the DAVE. It's super-transparent but the music doesn't bloom in the way that the sound would bloom with excellent discrete stage.

In case of Rob's DAC's the noise shaper (digital) steering the pulse array creates actually almost the whole ready analog signal which only needs a simple final analog OP stage to voltage boosts and impedance matches the load. So a complex discrete filter stage became unneeded. Here the digital accounts for 90% of the device.

The nice thing about the DAVE, of course, is that the ~$40 SMPS inside the case can easily be extracted.

Like i tried explaining several times.. its not the fact that theyre linear why Dave gets to sound better and meatier. But the capacitor buffering in them with lower impedance or ESR that keeps the voltage steady vs the low grade weak buffered output side of the SMPS.

Now place those better caps directly on the amp circuit and youll hear even more control than any external PSU possibly can give.

Im using that same cheapo SMPS in an external box and added the better cap buffering inside Dave. This for me beats those uber expensive external PSU's for a fraction of the price. And i and friends have done our comparisons.

 

[kennyb123]

In case of Rob's DAC's the noise shaper (digital) steering the pulse array creates actually almost the whole ready analog signal which only needs a simple final analog OP stage to voltage boosts and impedance matches the load. So a complex discrete filter stage became unneeded. Here the digital accounts for 90% of the device.

You made up the 90%. It's easily falsifiable if one hears the DAVE with a better power supply.

Like i tried explaining several times.. its not the fact that theyre linear why Dave gets to sound better and meatier

I never said that the fact that they are linear has anything to do with it. The word "linear" doesn't even appear in my post. Please ignore my posts. I am now ignoring yours.

 

[Reactcore]

but I've heard it said by some that the digital stage only accounts for about 20% of the DACs sound quality.

Hey im not attacking here..
I merely reacted to the above that Rob's dac have so small analog section cause almost all is shaped in the digital area.

I agree with you fully that the remaining analog and PSU in it accounts for a very big sq part of the DAC.

 

[nwavesailor]

Who makes the internal power supply that fits inside the Dave?
I am not interested in any external power supply particularly the size of the DC3 or DC4. Yes, I'm sure they are great but with the size and complexity I have 0 interest.
I have electronics mod experience so parts swapping and soldering is not something that scares me.

 

[kennyb123]

I am not interested in any external power supply particularly the size of the DC3 or DC4. Tes, I'm sure they are great but with the footprint size and complexity I have 0 interest. I have electronics mod experience and parts swapping and soldering is not something that scares me.

Farad offers a much more affordable option that has a smaller footprint. Soldering is not required.

Here are the instructions that Farad provides: https://www.faradpowersupplies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Manual-Dave.pdf

There are a number of individuals who have shared their journey. What follows is one example.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/revi...-sound-application-pgi-tt-7-part-1-of-2-r973/

 

[nwavesailor]

Farad offers a much more affordable option that has a smaller footprint. Soldering is not required.

Here are the instructions that Farad provides: https://www.faradpowersupplies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Manual-Dave.pdf

There are a number of individuals who have shared their journey. What follows is one example.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/revi...-sound-application-pgi-tt-7-part-1-of-2-r973/

Am I confused or is there PCB(s) that you swap out in the DAVE chassis and with NO external power supply needed? A better SMPS and /or cap upgrades?

 

[kennyb123]

Am I confused or is there PCB(s) that you swap out in the DAVE chassis and with NO external power supply needed? A better SMPS and /or cap upgrades?

The goal of the two links I shared was to end up with a DAVE powered by an external power supply. There are multiple replacement options.

 

[nwavesailor]

The goal of the two links I shared was to end up with a DAVE powered by an external power supply. There are multiple replacement options.

Thanks@kennyb123

I am looking for proven and solid replacement options with no external PS

 

[kennyb123]

I am looking for proven and solid replacement options with no external PS

I don’t believe any exist.

 

[nwavesailor]

OK
Perhaps I was reading the detailed FARAD instructions in the past and thought there was an inside the DAVE chassis option with PCB's available at least for the SMPS.

 

[kennyb123]

Perhaps I was reading the detailed FARAD instructions in the past and thought there was an inside the DAVE chassis option available.

Space is tight plus I suspect that Rob may have already selected the best internal option available to fit in that space.

 

[Reactcore]

OK
Perhaps I was reading the detailed FARAD instructions in the past and thought there was an inside the DAVE chassis option with PCB's available at least for the SMPS.

If you havent seen, check out this link:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/supercharging-chord-daves-internal-amplifier.966040/

It can be added with the original PSU in place so no additional external boxes. But.. it takes soldering.

 

[OCC7N]

Me too. I just run the M-Scaler off a good battery and it sounds as good to me as anything I've ever heard.

I heard every high-end DAC at Munich High End this year thinking I'd upgrade from the M-Dave and the only one that caught my attention was MSB, which really did sound good, but quite different than the Chord stuff. Much smoother and euphonic. And I must admit, very pleasant. Chord DACs seem to just pass the recordings through, good, bad or ugly, which I love since I'm in the audio recording business. So I think people either have a preference for that sound or the smoother thing that other DACs do.

I share a different experience on Chord TT2. I really think the engineers have touched their work with how they wanted it to sound. I don´t think their reference was anything related to the professional industry. Rather an emphasis on the consumer/home market

Chord TT2 is very very good where it finds it match preference/owner. It has a completely different set of timing vs a normal deltasigma dac. It is soo sweet and charming, and it sounds more "unlocked" to the timing, than the normal deltasigma designs in the profesional industry where you really have to hear the exact timings.

They should develope the pulse array technology to compete the R2R market. Chord TT2 has so much potential to be better than a lot of dacs.

 

[OCC7N]

TT2 has supercapacitors that go in between the PSU and the circuit hence why it won't scale as much as DAVE in power tweaks

I have not heard a DAC scale more than TT2 with different power supply options. People have this "battery" in mind when they see the supercaps part.

It depends on how you charge those caps. I believe this 100%