[hmartin]

It will be interesting to evaluate dCS Network Bridge if you can.

@Beolab praised it very extensively.

Agree seems that the Dcs Network bridge is a strong candidate, only missing is DSD 256 if they do the USB fix.

 

[romaz]

Agree seems that the Dcs Network bridge is a strong candidate, only missing is DSD 256 if they do the USB fix.

That comparison has now been made:

This is not the place to post those findings, however, and so I have posted them here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rev...phile-vortex-box.787020/page-69#post-13801299

 

[hmartin]

That comparison has now been made:

This is not the place to post those findings, however, and so I have posted them here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rev...phile-vortex-box.787020/page-69#post-13801299

Thanks Romaz, I wish the audio press did this type of high quality reviewing.

I also think the dcs wins because of simplicity compared to custom psu:s etc etc that seems to be needed for some of the competing solution, also a big plus to get approval from the significant other. Plus that dcs is a well known manufacturarer with dealers, at least I have trouble finding a dealer for the competing solutions.

I just wish I knew if/when a separate M-Scaler is planed from Chord, at least the Davina seems to be a year away considering Rob has just started testing.

 

[STR-1]

Wonder if the unit just mentioned by John Franks on the Dave thread will incorporate an M-scaler.

 

[Christer]

Wonder if the unit just mentioned by John Franks on the Dave thread will incorporate an M-scaler.

Me too ...

 

[analogmusic]

question to owners of Blu2 : does Blu2 make Dave sound really very bad by comparison.... ? I mean how much is a Dave owner missing out on by not having Blu2....? Can you go back and enjoy bare Dave without Blu2?

I noted that Rob Watts uses a Hugo 2 now on flights, no blu2 is possible there.

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

I don’t think Dave would ever sound ‘very bad’ in comparison to anything but Blu II is so good I am still amazed at how much detail It conveys. My ears are old and this aspect really surprises me. Having said that, it is the pure, smooth presentation and musicality that really matters and Blu II is clearly more musical than Dave, which I am sure is hard to imagine until you experience it.

 

[Rob Watts]

I had a relevant conversation with a reviewer; he had a Dave, then got a Blu 2. He was shocked by the change a Blu Dave made; and that led him to question Dave's performance, and in his review was worried about how he could express this.

So I said is Dave (on it's own) the best DAC you have ever heard? And he said easily - so I said that is your answer. Dave on it's own is the best you can get; it's just that a Blu Dave is in another league.

I am absolutely sure that Davina based recordings will take Dave into yet another realm... But we all will have to wait for that to happen.

Edit: I ought to add that the one 768k test recording I have does indeed sound like a Blu Dave - but of course without a Blu 2 being used.

 

[hmartin]

.....

Edit: I ought to add that the one 768k test recording I have does indeed sound like a Blu Dave - but of course without a Blu 2 being used.

Hi Rob,

You said previously that you already have constructed a linear phase bandwidth limiting filter. Have you tried bandwidth limiting and/or downsampling the test recording using this filter? If so care to give some hints on the outcome.

 

[Rob Watts]

Yes the code has been done for the decimation filter, but no results yet. This project will take a lot of time - there is a lot to do - and as soon as news is available I will keep you updated on my blog Watts up?

 

[analogmusic]

Where can one purchase a 768 kHz recording ?

 

[Rob Watts]

I am not aware of any - I was given a strictly test recording which I can't share.

 

[hmartin]

Yes the code has been done for the decimation filter, but no results yet. This project will take a lot of time - there is a lot to do - and as soon as news is available I will keep you updated on my blog Watts up?

Thanks! I cannot express how much we (or at least I) appreciate the privilege of following this and your other projects.

 

[Malcyg]

question to owners of Blu2 : does Blu2 make Dave sound really very bad by comparison.... ? I mean how much is a Dave owner missing out on by not having Blu2....? Can you go back and enjoy bare Dave without Blu2?

I noted that Rob Watts uses a Hugo 2 now on flights, no blu2 is possible there.

I thought Dave sounded great. Now, post BluDave, I don’t and wouldn’t go back. The simple answer is do not listen to BluDave unless you really are willing and able to purchase it. I never listen to anything I am not able or willing to purchase, not even out of curiosity.

Dave is as good as it ever was, but you will always long for the BluDave once you hear it.

 

[Crgreen]

Unfortunately, I’m the exception. I prefer Dave alone to BluDave, which I appreciate is heresy.

The addition of Blu II increases detail, depth and soundstage. Unfortunately, in my case it also introduces an unacceptable glare - on both CDs and files via USB - which I’ve not been able to eredacte completely, even though I’ve tried everything I can think of. The most affective solution is to use ferrite clamps, since I suspect the BNC connections are the cause. Even with ten per cable, there is still a trace of glare which manifests itself on piano music where the upper registers take on an artificial, glassy quality. The problem might be with my Dave, which is more susceptible to these things than others, but since I’ve owned it for about 18 months, there’s little I can do about that. I will probably sell my Blu II as I prefer the warmer, more accurate rendition of timbre on the Dave alone, provided the Blu II is not connected.

Incidentally, has it not struck anyone else as odd that it’s recommended that users of the BluDave combo use ferrite clamps to eliminate RFI, which is generated by the signal itself. It strikes me that this may not be the optimum means of transferring the signal between the two units.