[MRT-Man]

I mean, I've heard the Chord DAVE and it still smokes the SP2000... In particular, the sense of soundstage and precise instrument placement with the DAVE is unreal. I haven't heard the TT2 so I'm interested in the comment suggesting that the SP2000 can rival it.

I don't know about the prior firmware versions, but I'm glad we can now all agree that the SP2000 sounds great with the current firmware!

 

[jmills8]

Just decided to sell my tt2. In combination with my utopia, the sp 2000 competes easily with desktop systems. What do you think? How is the sound of an ak sp 2000 compared to desktop equipment?

 

[Hifi2jungle]

I mean, I've heard the Chord DAVE and it still smokes the SP2000... In particular, the sense of soundstage and precise instrument placement with the DAVE is unreal. I haven't heard the TT2 so I'm interested in the comment suggesting that the SP2000 can rival it.

I don't know about the prior firmware versions, but I'm glad we can now all agree that the SP2000 sounds great with the current firmware!

Compared to the Dave, sp 2000 sounds a little bit smoother. Soundstage mainly depends on how easy headphones are to drive. With the utopia, you’ll barely note any difference. The Dave is in principle the brighter sounding tt2. The sp2000 is strong when it comes to easy to drive headphones. It easy rivals there the tt2.

 

[denis1976]

You re a fan of Tom, or being sarcastic to others makes you think that you are awsome,and superior, but it only makes you look like an ass?

 

[Steeve]

Apologies if this has been raised before but does anyone use any radio apps on their SP2000? I know Tune In is available but I believe BBC stations are no longer available through this? Has anyone used anything else and if so what was your experience?

 

[jmills8]

You re a fan of Tom, or being sarcastic to others makes you think that you are awsome,and superior, but it only makes you look like an ass?

Sorry you think Im an ass. We all have free thoughts. In the future maybe you will change how you think and thank me.

 

[theveterans]

I mean, I've heard the Chord DAVE and it still smokes the SP2000... In particular, the sense of soundstage and precise instrument placement with the DAVE is unreal. I haven't heard the TT2 so I'm interested in the comment suggesting that the SP2000 can rival it.

I don't know about the prior firmware versions, but I'm glad we can now all agree that the SP2000 sounds great with the current firmware!

People's preference are very subjective as always, but to me, DAVE alone (even more with Blu MK2) is still a clear level up over the SP2000 (1.22CN FW) in all areas. Even my Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC is a little bit better than the SP2000 in imaging, soundstage and on-par in resolution both low level and macro. Of course the SP2000 smokes the Chord Mojo easily to my preferences

 

[denis1976]

Sorry you think Im an ass. We all have free thoughts. In the future maybe you will change how you think and thank me.

 

[denis1976]

Oooo that was a thought,.... My mistake

 

[MRT-Man]

Compared to the Dave, sp 2000 sounds a little bit smoother. Soundstage mainly depends on how easy headphones are to drive. With the utopia, you’ll barely note any difference. The Dave is in principle the brighter sounding tt2. The sp2000 is strong when it comes to easy to drive headphones. It easy rivals there the tt2.

We'll have to disagree there. I compared them with a Stellia, which is even easier to drive than the Utopia, and it was no contest. The SP2000 sounds great, of course, but the DAVE blew my mind. I could SEE the musicians in front of me, and the precise placement of every instrument, like I could reach out in front of me and touch them.

 

[DaYooper]

I could SEE the musicians in front of me, and the precise placement of every instrument, like I could reach out in front of me and touch them.

That would be a neat trick. When did the sound engineers figure out how to put the artists in your headphones? And what kind of visual cortex interface does that?

 

[edwardsean]

It depends on what you value in the sound right? Rob Watt's WTA filters are capable of imaging and timing to a degree that is rare in audio. If being able to "see" the space between vocals/instruments is important to you then Chord is superior. I'm using upsampled DSD512 files with the SP2000, which pushes it to the best it can offer in this department. It still falls significantly behind Chord (except I guess the Mojo, I don't know, I've never touched one).

Chord doesn't just do this better than the SP2000 though, it does this better than other top-tier desktop DACs as well. I think when Chord fans say that Chord beats everything else they are thinking of this imaging ability as the definition of high end SQ. However, SQ is complex and, in parts, subjective. I think the SP2000 is competitive in soundstage, dynamics, timbral richness, black background, frequency response, etc. at least up to the Hugo2. Also, it can fit in your pocket and doesn't require any power conditioners or interconnects.

I love both.

 

[DaYooper]

I have no doubt that some hear things a little different than others, hence the subjective nature of this hobby. It's just that, to me, sometimes the vocabulary of this gets a little absurd. I have a mojo/poly and the only reason I do is for the ability to walk around my home with Roon in my pocket along with two other endpoints. The device is rather limited in SQ and being single ended only is a limiting factor. I have tried all my headphones I could find a 3.5 cable for and there are only two that sound acceptable to me, the AK T1p, and the Oppo PM-2. But the SP2K sounds awesome with almost all of them. So the descriptions of how other worldly all this other Chord products sound compared to SP2K just doesn't make me want to go out and obtain some. I was hoping to try some of the other worldly equipment at Axpona but I guess most know how that went.

 

[edwardsean]

I have no doubt that some hear things a little different than others, hence the subjective nature of this hobby. It's just that, to me, sometimes the vocabulary of this gets a little absurd. I have a mojo/poly and the only reason I do is for the ability to walk around my home with Roon in my pocket along with two other endpoints. The device is rather limited in SQ and being single ended only is a limiting factor. I have tried all my headphones I could find a 3.5 cable for and there are only two that sound acceptable to me, the AK T1p, and the Oppo PM-2. But the SP2K sounds awesome with almost all of them. So the descriptions of how other worldly all this other Chord products sound compared to SP2K just doesn't make me want to go out and obtain some. I was hoping to try some of the other worldly equipment at Axpona but I guess most know how that went.

Yeah, I was really looking forward to Axpona too!

Still, as I'm sure you know, conference conditions can only give you a very limited idea of what a product can do, especially in the context of what we're talking about. In that noisy hall one of first things you–won't–hear is the subtle nuances of empty space between instruments. You can get some idea of things like dynamic prowess and frequency range. Blackness of background and the ability to recreate the sonics of space in a studio/venue is easily overwhelmed through open back phones.

I'm sure you're tired of hearing about the "magic" of Chord products, but I think a fair assessment can only be made auditioning, at least, a Qutest/Hugo2 in the quiet of your home. In the end it may still not be your cup of tea, and those products are not all around better than the SP2K, just different.

 

[MRT-Man]

Chord doesn't just do this better than the SP2000 though, it does this better than other top-tier desktop DACs as well. I think when Chord fans say that Chord beats everything else they are thinking of this imaging ability as the definition of high end SQ. However, SQ is complex and, in parts, subjective. I think the SP2000 is competitive in soundstage, dynamics, timbral richness, black background, frequency response, etc. at least up to the Hugo2. Also, it can fit in your pocket and doesn't require any power conditioners or interconnects.

I love both.

How would you compare them? Is the Hugo2 like an SP2000 with better imaging? What are the main pros/cons (form factor aside)?