[kennyb123]

Turns out I had to change the bnc input settings for my TT2. Sorted now.

Yeah that was probably my issue too now that you mention it.

 

[GoldenSound]

Faithful follower on YT,
when will you review the Tambaqui?

Mola Mola suddenly stopped replying to emails a while back unfortunately, so when someone would be able to lend me one. I'd still be very keen to try one.
They stopped replying after I posted my dCS Bartok review, so I imagine they realised I'm not one of the people who only do positive reviews

 

[sajunky]

They stopped replying after I posted my dCS Bartok review, so I imagine they realised I'm not one of the people who only do positive reviews

Did you compare Bartok to Dave/May?

 

[alxw0w]

Mola Mola suddenly stopped replying to emails a while back unfortunately, so when someone would be able to lend me one. I'd still be very keen to try one.
They stopped replying after I posted my dCS Bartok review, so I imagine they realised I'm not one of the people who only do positive reviews

Not sure why. Tambaqui is very good sounding dac and objective data seems to be also top notch.

 

[GhiAB]

Silence makes me sad.

 

[LeeJB1970]

I have a SRC-DX and 2x articulating bnc to bnc adapters up for sale in the classifieds if anyone is interested.

 

[hanshopf]

I find that PGGB/HQP give better results than the Mscaler does

I think so too and find the numerous deep dives you made into the broad field of D/A conversion extremely helpful, basically the most profound I ever encountered. So, many thanks for that from a mostly silent reader!

You made me strongly consider selling DAVE and getting Holo May, mainly for use with PGGB. But here comes my problem: my electrostatic headphone amp is KGSSHV, which seemingly works best at around 4V input. When I drive it with DAVE's full 6V the sound compresses and darkens considerably. Therefore I reduce the output to around 4V. Am I correct concluding that this would make the combination with Holo May and it's 5.8V output impossible?

You may ask then why not just use non-e-stat headphones like Susvara. It's just that I find that the current 2023 version of CRBN is superior. This may come as a surprise, but I discovered that they made changes in 2023 which improved on frequency response and timbre (all in all moderate changes, but to my ears significant). The new versions can be easily identified by a different inner mesh material. As far as I am aware of nobody has written about that or reviewed this newest (3rd) iteration of CRBN.

Anway: if I am stuck with DAVE, would there be ways to improve upon it, apart from driving it from a big camping battery (I use a LiFePO4 with two 1000W AC outputs)? What about filtering that? Would that make any sense? And would Intona be useful to improve upon galvanic isolation even though my USB sources are battery driven anyway? And what about RF-noise getting into the DAC backwards through the XLR cables from the KGSSHV?

Those are things I wish Rob Watts had dealt with in the first place. The battery is such a clear improvement that I must conclude that the given power supply is not optimal. So, if there is a workaround for bringing Holo May together with my KGSSHV I would sell DAVE. If not, then I would be grateful for advice on how to improve on it's capabilities. I am aware of Audiowise's products, but they do not make sense price wise from my point of view.

 

[taipan254]

I think so too and find the numerous deep dives you made into the broad field of D/A conversion extremely helpful, basically the most profound I ever encountered. So, many thanks for that from a mostly silent reader!

You made me strongly consider selling DAVE and getting Holo May, mainly for use with PGGB. But here comes my problem: my electrostatic headphone amp is KGSSHV, which seemingly works best at around 4V input. When I drive it with DAVE's full 6V the sound compresses and darkens considerably. Therefore I reduce the output to around 4V. Am I correct concluding that this would make the combination with Holo May and it's 5.8V output impossible?

You may ask then why not just use non-e-stat headphones like Susvara. It's just that I find that the current 2023 version of CRBN is superior. This may come as a surprise, but I discovered that they made changes in 2023 which improved on frequency response and timbre (all in all moderate changes, but to my ears significant). The new versions can be easily identified by a different inner mesh material. As far as I am aware of nobody has written about that or reviewed this newest (3rd) iteration of CRBN.

Anway: if I am stuck with DAVE, would there be ways to improve upon it, apart from driving it from a big camping battery (I use a LiFePO4 with two 1000W AC outputs)? What about filtering that? Would that make any sense? And would Intona be useful to improve upon galvanic isolation even though my USB sources are battery driven anyway? And what about RF-noise getting into the DAC backwards through the XLR cables from the KGSSHV?

Those are things I wish Rob Watts had dealt with in the first place. The battery is such a clear improvement that I must conclude that the given power supply is not optimal. So, if there is a workaround for bringing Holo May together with my KGSSHV I would sell DAVE. If not, then I would be grateful for advice on how to improve on it's capabilities. I am aware of Audiowise's products, but they do not make sense price wise from my point of view.

FWIW - I've found the SRC-DX plus the DC-Block and LP-Filter to bring substantial improvements compared to USB for my Mojo 2. This, in and of itself, requires very minor outlay compared to cost of Dave. Mojo 2's USB implementation is surprisingly bad.

So it is no surprise that I agree with you - it seems like Rob's DAC design kicks ass, but the things around it leave a lot to be desired.

Of course my suggestions only address your USB question... Mating the DAC with the headphone Amp seems like a headscratcher. Is the Dave's digital volume control noise-shaped? If so, your attenuation approach should maximize the dynamic range to the fullest extent possible. I do not know if May has noise-shaped attenuation built-in.

 

[genefruit]

FWIW - I've found the SRC-DX plus the DC-Block and LP-Filter to bring substantial improvements compared to USB for my Mojo 2. This, in and of itself, requires very minor outlay compared to cost of Dave. Mojo 2's USB implementation is surprisingly bad.

So it is no surprise that I agree with you - it seems like Rob's DAC design kicks ass, but the things around it leave a lot to be desired.

Of course my suggestions only address your USB question... Mating the DAC with the headphone Amp seems like a headscratcher. Is the Dave's digital volume control noise-shaped? If so, your attenuation approach should maximize the dynamic range to the fullest extent possible. I do not know if May has noise-shaped attenuation built-in.

May attenuation is a reduction in voltage. Along with using HQP which is recommended to have a -3db reduction for overages in the same way a MScaler reduces by 2.7db should place the May output closer to the desired 4v

 

[hanshopf]

I've found the SRC-DX plus the DC-Block and LP-Filter to bring substantial improvements compared to USB for my Mojo 2.

Thank you for your feedback. I am aware of Audiowise but find their pricing a bit excessive.

May attenuation is a reduction in voltage. Along with using HQP which is recommended to have a -3db reduction for overages in the same way a MScaler reduces by 2.7db should place the May output closer to the desired 4v

That's what I needed to know, thanks a lot. It's honestly a bit embarrassing that I was not aware of that connection.

 

[hanshopf]

the may handles low-level signals better than the DAVE,

Excuse me if this has been answered already, but did you - apart from John Atkinsons' test with 16bit data - measure Holo May and DAVE later with your equipment as well with "best-case" data for both devices like PGGB 20bit 32fs for the May and PGGB 32bit 16fs for the DAVE?

I am curious to know if in that case - which would be my use case - the Holo May would still handle low-level signals better than DAVE? Thanks!

 

[naynay]

Although it is interesting again that it was a headphone only (I think) system. In my speaker only system the May came off second best against the DC4Dave/MScaler by a big margin and it was the May that got sold. I think it shows that one has to listen in one’s own system.

Old post I know but can I ask was it the Level 3 KTE May you tested against DC4Dave/MScaler as I seem to have read somewhere you tested out the Level 2?

 

[walterboss]

Old post I know but can I ask was it the Level 3 KTE May you tested against DC4Dave/MScaler as I seem to have read somewhere you tested out the Level 2?

Every variable has been assessed, burn in etc the lot. I've seen this answered on various threads. He just doesn't like the May
FYI I just moved from Dave to May and couldn't be happier. Richer. Denser. Meatier. More natural. Dave is superb. I really really prefer May. Not that you asked!

 

[Reactcore]

Every variable has been assessed, burn in etc the lot. I've seen this answered on various threads. He just doesn't like the May
FYI I just moved from Dave to May and couldn't be happier. Richer. Denser. Meatier. More natural. Dave is superb. I really really prefer May. Not that you asked!

Boy i wish you could hear capmodded Dave's meaty muscled sound.. i cant be happier too. ..ohwell

 

[walterboss]

Boy i wish you could hear capmodded Dave's meaty muscled sound.. i cant be happier too. ..ohwell

I've spent 3.5k less though for sound that's very close to that. It was a price/performance decision in the end.